What Will Happen To Sherlock Holmes's Killer After "The Final Problem?"

 Every day I scroll through a news feed where some algorithm looks through what TV shows I watch, and see endless headlines that ask me easily answerable questions. They are questions that don't require an entire story to answer, questions that are only there to get a click routing to a page full of adds wrapped around one or two paragraphs of non-info.

The original stories of Sherlock Holmes, of course, came out in a different era. 

Media in that time was just newspapers, letters, and word of mouth, and while newspapers were trying to get you to read them with big headlines shouted by newsboys, the ads were only a part of the revenue stream. You still had to pay for the paper. And those headlines were about the biggest stories that affected the most people. The London Times never tried to pull Jane Austen fans into buying papers with speculation about Elizabeth Bennett as the front page leader.

The internet, however, can slice and dice its readership into the slimmest tailored niche headlines. Had "The Final Problem" been published today, two years later, with another eight before "Empty House," we'd be getting constant headlines like "Conan Doyle Reveals Future Of Sherlock Holmes" (He was asked about writing more Holmes for the fiftieth time, he said "No." For the fiftieth time.). Or "What Will Happen To Sherlock Holmes's Killer After 'The Final Problem?'" (Well, we think he fell off that waterfall and died, but nobody saw it or found the body. You actually thought we knew more than you? Silly fan!)

The headline leading to the non-story is but one technique these "news" sites use to draw clicks. Another is picking some other site's actual essay and reporting on that as their own news story. Let's give that a try!

Christopher Plummer Portrays An Odd Preachy Sherlock

Is Christopher Plummer's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in "Murder By Decree" a good representation of the classic detective?

In a recent blog post from Two Tarnished Beeches Christopher Plummer's performance was judged "odd" and "preachy" in a discussion that fans of Christopher Plummer will certainly disagree with. 

Now, a sensible person is going to click on that link to the original post and quit reading the re-hash that was written just to generate a headline, but at that point, the derivative site has already got you to click on their link and shown you their ads. 

Sherlock Holmes having fans means that we will always get clickbait about "Sherlock Holmes 3" or Benedict Cumberbatch or whatever comes next. We don't get quite the YouTube attention of a Disney-owned property, but maybe we just haven't found the right You-Tuber yet. That's a completely different topic . . .

Some weeks later . . . .

When I originally wrote this bit about clickbait headlines, I thought I had see the internet at its worst. Then came today's headlines on Google News, "Walmart to Shut Down All Stores in Illinois: What This Means To You," "Supermarkets Announce 1-day Store Closures -- Official Date Now Available," and on and on and on about stores announcing they're closing, until about fifteen headlines down someone finally gives the game away with "Walmart, Target will be closed for Thanksgiving again this year."  Yep, same as every year. Good lord, the world has gone stupid . . . .

Hugh Laurie in the Sherlock & Co. Universe

 Things got weird this week in the world of Sherlock & Co., that podcast every Sherlockian should be giving a listen to. In a Patreon exclusive mailbag episode, their "Mrs. Hudson" was answering questions and stated that her favorite doctor was Hugh Laurie in House. This was Marianna speaking as herself in the universe of the show, where she works with Sherlock Holmes and was being read mailbag questions by Doctor John H. Watson.

And yet she likes Hugh Laurie in a TV show, that, in our world, was inspired by Sherlock Holmes.

I have questions!

In Sherlock & Co.'s world, does Gregory House live at 221 Baker Street in apartment B?

In Sherlock & Co.'s world, who does Hugh Laurie play in that movie he was in with Will Farrell and John C. Reilly, and what was that movie's title?

In Sherlock & Co.'s world, does Marianna also like that actor who plays Dr. Strange? And how does she feel about that Everett K. Ross character, played by Martin Freeman? Is she a fan of Martin Freeman?

I felt like shouting "THEY"RE CROSSING THE STREAMS! THEY"RE CROSSING THE STREAMS!" out my window, as my brain tried to parse out this universe that has a Holmes-related actor in a world where Sherlock Holmes isn't from some hundred plus year old stories.

Sherlock & Co. is so full of pop culture references that I'm sure this is not the last time we'll be faced with such a puzzler. But I'm looking forward to everything that comes next on and around that show!

So let's talk about Sherlock Holmes s**tposting . . .

 We all have our opinions. And we know that. It's just that sometimes we think it's not just an opinion, it's the One Correct Answer.

My friend Rob posted his weekly blog column on the negativity he'd see from some Sherlockians online about our latest big Sherlock, "Cumberbashing" was the term he used. Typically we see bashing of a particular Holmes portrayal from a couple of sources: Those new to the community who don't realize what a big tent Sherlock Holmes fans encompass, or those whose egotism and mindset doesn't allow that other opinions could have value or that others might feel a sting from their words.

Rob wrote of the big three: Rathbone, Brett, and Cumberbatch. All have their diehard fans and most of us know to be a little measured in our discourse, like different denominations of the same religion with nearby churches.  

But what about Matt Frewer? Is his Sherlock fair game, just because his fans tend to rarely be in the room?

And what about . . . oh, you think I'm going to Will Ferrell? Mais non, mon petit! . . . season four of BBC Sherlock?

Nothing is worse than a pundit with God on their side, or a seemingly overwhelmingly popular opinion. With season four of BBC Sherlock,  all the Canon-only Sherlockians, all the Brett-Is-The-One-True-Sherlock-ians, everyone who had any reason to dump on the Cumberbatch series to start with, all saw their opportunity to invite disgruntled fans of the show to the Dark Side. They might as well have gone full Palpatine and just said it . . .

"Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you."

But here's the thing. We all really hate something. If you go back in time with this blog post, you'll find I was as evil as could be about CBS's Elementary. I should just shut the hell up, having written such things. But nobody is as preachy as a reformed villain, so I'm gonna preach.

If you're talking one on one with a friend you know well, let it all out. Find that person, give them a heads up to center themselves, and then talk all the shit you have in your mental bowels. But on a Zoom call with a whole bunch of people, including some you barely know? In a Facebook channel for folks just looking for Sherlock news of any sort? Why take the chance of ruining someone's day to air your grievances. If you want to make that your brand, it's a free country (so far), so make your own feed somewhere where folks can ignore you as needed.

Of course, I know you aren't like that. If you read my blogs you pretty much have to be one of those saints who has no problem with the odd opinion. And I thank you for that.

Also, my apologies to Rob for using his post as a springboard for a cannonball into the pool. Ah, but it's Sunday night and I'm all bad-tempered about having to go back to work again tomorrow.

Minneapolis and Sherlock Holmes @ 50: Sunday Interruptus

 Soooo, 9 AM on a Sunday . . .  and way back over at the library. 

Well, that might have worked for someone who hadn't abused his digestive tract and missed much of his Saturday night sleep. And yet, I just had to see what Max Magee was up to, as you just never know . . .

So Julie McKuras introduced Max, because you just can't have anyone introduce Max. Plus, it's Minneapolis, and I needed to throw a Julie pic in.

And then Max stepped up to discuss four copies of a magazine for an hour.

Yes, you heard me right, four copies of a magazine. Well, more than that actually, but he was mainly doing his talk in honor of the four copies of Beeton's Christmas Annual in the U of M collections, which is probably the most anyone has out of the twenty-something known copies.

Who was Mrs. Beeton? Who owned those known copies and where did they get them? And, hey, do you remember this Jerome Kern song? I don't remember Max's credits including any Wisconsin dairy work, but he milked those four copies of a magazine like a guy who knew how to work the udders of information.

Okay . . . now, I have to say it's Sunday night after one big weekend, I've got a ticket for a Ghost Boat in an hour, and I had to leave after Max's talk for reasons nobody wants to hear detailed, so I'm distracting you with Wisconsin dairy references. (Had a hot skillet of mac n' cheese for supper in the heart of Wisconsin, so there might be a reason for that.)

Anyway, here's a slide of Max's discovery that Johnlock existed before BBC Sherlock.

And with that, I'm outa hear. Plenty of photos from folks to see on Facebook from the weekend, so borrow someone's FB account if you don't have one.

Minneapolis and Sherlock Holmes @ 50: Saturday Part The Last

 Okay, so I took a nap. I'm not as young as Peter Blau.

Apologies to Will Walsh and the lawyers among us for not reviewing "Treason: British Law, Holmes, and Doyle." But I made it back for Mark and JoAnn Alberstat's "Written in the Stars: Moriarty's Canadian Connection."

Simon Newcomb, a prodigy from Nova Scotia who became an expert in celestial mechanics, is thought to have surely been the inspiration for Professor Moriarty. (Google it! There's a lot.) All kinds of fascinating stuff there, as when Newcomb reached out to friend Alexander Graham Bell with an idea to help save president Garfield after the assassination attempt that eventually killed him.

Once JoAnn got to listing the Newcomb/Moriarty parallels on the academic side of things, including that paper on dynamics of an asteroid that Newcomb wrote at age nineteen, the case gets pretty solid. Eclipses, which Moriarty explained to Inspector MacDonald, were also a subject that excited Newcomb. But can we talk of Moriarty without mention of Moran? A fellow named Alfred Drayson comes into play, also an astronomer with theories on the topic, but also a card player with a big ol' moustache like Moran who was a friend of Conan Doyle who likely talked to Doyle about Newcomb. A bit more of a stretch than the Newcomb/Moriarty parallel for Drayson/Moran, but not without notes of interest.

Newcomb's writings come into play, mentioned in the Strand Magazine, and the many ways Conan Doyle might have been aware of him. Like a few elder Sherlockians of old I encountered, Newcomb had moments where he thought everything possible had been discovered in his field, but eventually realized he was wrong. Did Moriarty realize how wrong he was, eventually, when Holmes was about to bring him down? Mark brings the talk home with the seven specific points of comparison between Newcomb and Moriarty, and blaming Novia Scotia and Canada, ala South Park, for the evil that was Moriarty.

And now, a photo break before dinner.

Rich Krisciunas finds 221, and it's leasing!

The banquet that followed featured a lot of toasts between our salads (there when we arrived) and the main course. I did the usual "When did toasts turn into mini-presentations?" complaint. (Really, people, stop it. Toasts are meant to be quick, clever, and get you drinking.) One particular toast, however, was a thing of wonder that might surprise a few of my younger friends. The Norwegian Explorers' own Erica Fair was tasked with the toast to the second Mrs. Watson, as many have over the decades. Erica went down the list of qualities needed in a second Mrs. Watson to identify the one person who was surely that later spouse of the good doctor, then concluded with the words, "To the second Mrs. Watson . . . Sherlock Holmes!" She was rewarded with joyous laughter and the heartiest applause of the evening, in a room largely populated with traditional Sherlockians. While every single person in the room might not have been on board, it sure seemed like Johnlock shipping is finding its way to acceptance in the hobby as a whole. Of course an Irene Adler toast came after, so there's room for everyone in this big ol' tent. ("Even Maud Bellamy," he hastened to add.)

After dinner, Les Klinger said he had been asked to stand in for Laurie King and talked about his path into Sherlockiana and some thoughts about its path onward. His talk was followed by Peter Blau serving as auctioneer to raise funds for the Collections selling a few items. Auctions at fan venues have always gotten a little crazy, since my first experience with one at a Star Trek convention in the 1980s, and this was no different. The one notable difference was that in addition to the normal folks stretching their limits to get something, we do have a Sherlockian or two with pockets known to be deep enough to take the suspense out of their desire to walk away with something. (And one weird request we still haven't figured out.)

But that was the end of the official program, and here are some pictures of what came after.

Founders of the Hansom Cab Clock Club with a known photobomber

Next to the Norwegian Explorers, I think the Parallel Case was best represented.

The Eckrich-Nunn editorial team.

After dinner drinks at the brewery patio next door, which got overtaken by about fifty Sherlockians.

Can a BSI scarf be tied like a bow tie?

What a BSI bow tie is supposed to look like.

The last stragglers seen from the sixth floor.

Minneapolis and Sherlock Holmes @ 50: Saturday Part The Second

 After a nice break and some shouting about the Tea Brokers, our next speaker is Stephen Lee, whose little book with the same name as his talk appeared in our conference packet. The talk? "The Silent Contest: How Sherlock Brought Down Professor Moriarty and Why Dr. Watson Lied." Using his experience as a federal prosecutor, Stephen is diving into the contradictions the Canon holds about Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty.

"Why did Watson lie?" Stephen asks, regarding Watson's "Never!" at being asked if he had heard of Moriarty before late April 1891, and then gets into the course of a full investigation of a criminal like Moriarty. Going back as early as A Study in Scarlet, Stephen proposes that Watson was playing down Holmes's knowledge and ability so Professor Moriarty would not think this guy was anywhere smart enough to come after him. Watson describing Holmes's astronomy know-how as "Nil" would have especially amused the writer of "Dynamics of an Asteroid" and make him feel less threatened. And that's just for starters. Stephen Lee has given a whole lot of thought to Holmes's investigation of Moriarty. (Just like every speaker so far at this conference. Minneapolis doesn't mess around.)

The statement "Everybody loves Irene Adler" did get some quiet "No" reactions from this side of our table, but that might have been the only big disagreement with his talk. And given that Stephen is all that stands between us and lunch at this point, that's pretty good. Even Holmes's occasional bashing of Scotland Yard comes into play. 

Lunch came up quickly, and the lunch lines were nicely short. More scanning the dealer's tables and talking to a wide array of Sherlockians before we resume at 1:30. The after-lunch spot on the schedule can be a challenge for a speaker, but luckily we have Burt Wolder speaking about artist Frederic Dorr Steele. Then again, as I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere listeners know, Burt's voice has an easy, comfortable tone to it that might relax one to the point of napping, should the content fail to keep one alert -- but as Burt moves through the details of Steele's life, that does not seem to be the case.

Steele illustrated a good many things, included some of Frank Stockton's work (Remember "The Lady and the Tiger?" That guy.). Created some new proceses for prints, met Mark Twain, defending the artists against particular criticisms, Monhegan Island . . . a life contains a good share of material, and Burt is strollling through it all. A big highlight was Steele's own little pastiches making fun of bits of his life, but complete with very Frederic Dorr Steele drawings of Sherlock Holmes.

Very aware of the dangers he faces as the after-lunch speaker, Burt also invited us to stand up at one point, and a good share of us do. And nothing against the next speaker, but I am finding I might need to take an afternoon break in my hotel room after this -- which has long been my course during Minnesota conferences. Is it because the talks go closer to an hour than some other venues? I don't know. But there seems to be a pattern. (Perhaps it's that speakers on the hour gives you that hour-long opening to get a short nap and only miss one talk. And once that thought is in your head . . .)

In any case, I will bid you adieu for this report. A lot more Saturday to go! 

Minneapolis and Sherlock Holmes @ 50: Saturday Part The First

 Saturday morning began a little easier for "Sherlock Holmes @ 50" attendees as the conference moved from the library a few long blocks away to the host hotel, so all we had to do was make our way downstairs, grab something at the hotel Starbucks, and wander down the hall to the wide room of tables where we'd be spending our day.

After a little browsing of the dealer's tables at the outer edges of the room, I settled at one of the tables lucky enough to have black armbands waiting (in honor of the legend of the young men of the Strand upon the publication of "The Final Problem"). A little chat and Dick Sveum called us to order and very shortly got us to our first speaker, Eric Scace, who came all the way from Boulder, Colorado to speak on "Some Clues by Telegram: 50 Years of Canonical Connections." His deep dive into telegraphy and the way it occurs in the Canon actually started to get into some of my favorite turf: Sherlockian chronology. The Valley of Fear, for example, has a telegram key to its dating, coming at the end to tell of the loss at sea of Birdy Edwards/John Douglas. He seems to be targeting 1888, which agrees with my own dating of the tale so I like where he's headed.

Ivy Douglas embarking at Capetown and the $1,390 it would cost to send a cablegram to London is a real shocker. Eric discusses how she might have cut down her wording and gotten it down to $800, and then follows the transmission and the cables of how her message would have been sent north. We learn of tape sending machines, Zanzibar cable stations, the re-entering of the message at such stations from one cable
end to another. (Side note: After seeing Shark Attack 3: Megaladon, I have to wonder about sharks biting those early cables after being attracted to the electrical charge, which, apparently, did happen in those early days. AND ERIC JUST MENTIONED SHARKS BITING CABLES!!! Shark Attack 3: Megaladon finds validation.) 

Passing around a sample of cable just hit a dead end as our table passed it to an boxed-in "We've all seen it!" table, but Max Magee appeared like a superhero descending from the sky to help the poor young lady holding a cable with nowhere to go, and moved it across the room.

Max Magee, photographed from a safe distance

Meanwhile, Eric Scace is still tracking the route of the telegrams, shipping news, how late at night Mrs. Hudson brought up the note, and puts that message coming through at March 4-6, 1888. A lot to explore for our chronology friends. I wish I had taken better notes instead of blogging and re-sizing photos of Max. I will definitely be asking Eric where his talk might be published or how one might otherwise get a copy for reference. 

We get five minutes to stand up, so I'm standing up now.

Matt Hall, a great Sherlockian I just met for the first time at this conference, is our next speaker, on phosphorous and the hellhound from The Hound of the Baskervilles. Even though he's currently a resident of Maryland, Matt's still got just enough of his native Australian accent to give the conference some early international flavor. The question of the toxicology of phosphorous being applied to a dog is reached quickly, so he deep dives into chemistry and allotropes, an important factor in this case. (Google "allotropes.") Alchemists boiling down urine comes up and we get grossed out for a moment. And further grossed out by by said alchemists writing about applying it to their "privvy parts." Chemistry is apparently a lot yuckier than I remember, when one goes into the historical records. We get confirmation that no mammals or fairies have native bioluminescence, meaning that the Baskerville hound definitely needed some phosphorous.

Matt has dug into many a newspaper article on phosphorous being used in ghost pranks when fairly safe preparations of phosphorous were rubbed on people, sheets, and even bicycles, so earlier Sherlockian papers on phosphorous killing the poor hound it was applied to. 

Holmes was an experienced chemist, Matt points out, and he would have known how phosphrous was used. All in all, this talk was a great validation of The Hound of the Baskervilles having occurred as we have read it. In addition some healthy applause at the end of his talk, Matt got at least one "WOOO!" from the crowd, as well as the special challenge coin being handed to the speakers for their efforts.

Time to move along once more!