Sherlock Textual Analysis 3

Season 2 Episode 1

At the beginning of the scene, it cuts from Sherlock and John in a car to Irene looking at photos of them. As soon as this happens the score abruptly changes to something more elegant and sinister. This suggests that Irene is an antagonist, which places her at equal standing to Sherlock. As Sherlock and John prepare to meet her, we see them getting ready in a dark, shabby house. Comical, upbeat music is playing. However, when the camera cuts to Irene and Kate's preparations, the music changes to something more more elegant, and we see that Irene's house is large and luxurious. This gives her power, as it shows that she is more wealthy and therefore has more resources. During their preparations, the camera cuts continuously between Sherlock and Irene to show their similarities. This shows that Irene is equal to Sherlock, which juxtaposes typical stereotypes where the male protagonist is more powerful and resourceful than the female antagonist. When the camera is on Sherlock and John, it is handheld, whereas with Irene it is steady. This gives Irene more power, as it signifies that she is confident and in control. Also, Sherlock and John's preparations are quite aggressive, whereas Irene's are not. This conforms to common ideals regarding masculinity and femininity; however, here the 'feminine' approach is presented as being more desirable and powerful. This is also shown in Irene's preparations; there is a long cut on her when she opens her closet, and she is directly at the centre. This makes her more powerful. When Sherlock is at Irene's door, there are close-ups on him, as if the viewer is looking at him through the security camera. As Sherlock tries to convince Kate to let him in, the camera cuts to a mid-shot of Kate, which allows the viewer to see her confident pose and her laughing at Sherlock. This shows that she and Irene are in power here, and that they know what Sherlock is doing, which is not typical of the antagonists of Sherlock- especially not female ones. This suggests that Irene is intelligent, making her powerful. That the viewer is viewing Sherlock from Kate's point of view also shows that she and Irene are the ones in power here. When Irene walks naked into the room where Sherlock is, the music changes from comical to sinister, and there is a reaction shot of Sherlock. These show that Irene is making him uncomfortable and confused, giving her power. As they are talking, there is a low angle on Irene so she is above both the viewer and Sherlock, which signifies that she has the most power. When she sits down, special effects are used to show that Sherlock cannot deduce anything from her. Not only does this show that she has power over him, but also conforms to the trope of female characters weaponising their sexuality, or the 'femme fatale'. The misogynistic standards of society have led to the sexuality of women being condemned, so over the years in the media there have been female characters using their sexuality as a weapon to achieve their goals. As this gives Irene power, it also presents female sexuality as being powerful, whether for good or for bad.

Overall, although the scene conforms to the 'femme fatale' stereotype, it does present the female characters as being more powerful than the male protagonists, which subverts typical gender stereotypes and tropes.