9. Sherlock's Deduction-O-Matic Breaks 'The Sign of Three'
Every single scene from this sequence could be on this list. There's Sherlock calculating how many milliliters of beer should be drunk at each murder stop. There's his app to track when and how much he and John should be peeing. There's John's surreptitious application of shots to Sherlock's carefully planned formula. The game where John asks "am I a pretty lady," then the two fall asleep in the middle of a case's opening basically, all of it is unbelievably funny. But the best is saved for last. Sherlock's deductions are the core of his talent, the main function of his character. They're what he does, everywhere, all the time. They're also a staple of the show, and innovating around them is a challenge for every director. So when the deductions break, it's unbelievably funny. Instead of complex deductions on the wood type, the drinking and sexual habits of the owner, and the character of visitors, Sherlock is barely able to register he's looking at a "table." When he sees a chair, it's a toss-up between "chair" and "egg." He manages to fall asleep looking through his iconic magnifying glass. As far as finding humour in the show's own tropes, this is unquestionably the peak.
Rebecca Kulik lives in Iowa, reads an obsence amount, watches way too much television, and occasionally studies for her BA in History. Come by her personal pop culture blog at tyrannyofthepetticoat.wordpress.com and her reading blog at journalofimaginarypeople.wordpress.com.
