10 Most Emotional Moments In Sherlock

8. Sherlock's Mind Palace In "His Last Vow"

Most of Sherlock's mind palace or deduction scenes aren't what you'd call "emotional." They're pretty, sure, but they don't tug at your heartstrings. This scene was very different, because in it we saw Sherlock really, for the first time, deal with the idea of death. And we got a window into how Sherlock would respond to something like death. Sherlock sees himself as not having a heart, as being all mind, but every episode has proved that that isn't quite true. Here, we see parts of his mind palace that show us his heart. The calm intensity of Molly and Anderson shows us how Sherlock's mind works to intervene in moments of fear or panic. The appearance of Mycroft, telling a child Sherlock how stupid he is, tells us plenty about Sherlock's psychology and reveals the emotional undertone of his constant deducting, the need to impress and prove his worth that drove him to become the machine he is today. Then there's poor old Redbeard. Something calming, something that will keep him from going into shock: his childhood pet. We become very attached to our pets, and everyone who had a loving dog as a child remembers that relationship. But an adoring relationship with a dog is not something you'd peg Mr. "High-Functioning Sociopath" for. It's a moment of genuine humanity when he pets Redbeard and talks about being put down. Finally, there's the lunatic chained underneath Sherlock's mind palace. Moriarty obviously represents Sherlock's madness, the destructive urges and feelings he's leashed. But Moriarty is also, in a strange way, his heart. Because it's Moriarty who inspires Sherlock's most emotional moment, who reminds him that Watson is in danger. And that is the emotional climax of Sherlock's journey in this episode, as he pulls himself out of death because John needs him.