History Recap / SherlockS04E01TheSixThatchers

* NamesTheSame: InUniverse, [[http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/blog/19december there's a case on John's blog]] set during Series 2 ''also'' called "The Six Thatchers". By a curious coincidence, not only were the details broadly similar, but so were the names of some the people involved (they both featured a Barnicot and a Harker).

* RealityEnsues:
** As Mycroft points out, people with Mary's background usually don't live to old age.
** Painful as it may be, it was only inevitable that somebody close to Sherlock would die during a case.
** It turns out if you arrange to meet with the person you've proven to be a traitor and murderer instead of having them arrested you can get shot at.

->''"I’ve never made a vow in my life and after tonight, I never will again, so, here in front of you all – my first, and last, vow. Mary and John – whatever it takes, whatever happens, from now on, I swear I will always be there. Always."''

Whilst the Watsons are delighted with their new-born, Sherlock believes, after hearing a recorded message from Moriarty, that his supposedly dead adversary has a posthumous plan to attack him. When Lestrade calls him in to solve the mysterious death of cabinet minister David Welsborough's son, Sherlock is intrigued that a bust of ex-premier Margaret Thatcher has been broken and further incidents follow in which busts of Thatcher are destroyed, one involving murder. Sherlock deduces that a priceless jewel was hidden in one of them to smuggle it into England but, when he lays a trap for the thief, he is amazed to learn who is also innocently involved. Somebody whom he must attempt to save from a vengeful associate from a failed operation six years earlier.

* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Sherlock in the office at the start of the episode. He's telling Mycroft he has reason to be happy because he has returned from a mission that would have spelled certain death for him, then gets distracted by a plate of ginger nuts. One of the officials present asks if he's high, which he is.

* CerebusSyndrome: The show has always been dark, but Mary's death really changes the tone of the show. "It's not a game any more", indeed.

** When Toby the bloodhound stays still for a looong time during their tracking attempt, Mary states that "He's still not moving," and Sherlock muses that this is "Fascinating". This is straight out of The Adventure of Silver Blaze, where Holmes stated that the "curious incident" of the case was that a certain dog "did nothing in the night-time" (i.e. did not bark).

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Sherlock really shouldn't have give that BreakingSpeech to Vivian, something that Mary was well-aware of.

** Sherlock states his intention to seek help from a "Toby", and then mentions a genius hacker that he helped out several years ago who thus owes him favors. We then find out that "Toby" is not the hacker himself but, rather, his bloodhound.

** In the ending, Sherlock and Hudson are sitting around grieving. Sherlock finds someone sent him a DVD labeled "MISS ME" and eagerly pops it into the player. It's Mary's video will, and the first thing out of her mouth is a joke: "I knew that would get your attention."

* DeadManWriting: Mary Moston pre-recorded a video message that would be delivered to Sherlock and John Watson if she died.

* YourCheatingHeart: John begins texting a random woman on the bus who gave him her number. It's ambiguous if it went beyond texting. He eventually seems to realise that it is wrong, and tries to terminate the relationship (in which he says he's "glad [he] got to know [her] a little bit"), but right after he sends the message to do so, he encounters her in person again, and it's unknown what happens after that.

** Sherlock using a dog called Toby for tracking purposes is from "The Sign of Four", and Toby also appeared in other Holmes-inspired stories or adaptations (such as ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'').