BBC1′s Sherlock is considered by many to be the finest representations of Sherlock Holmes on the small screen. Here are 13 spoilerific details that those watching the show may have missed.

1) Watson Signals “SOS” In Morse Code With His Eyes When Moriarty Has Him

Three short blinks, followed by three long blinks, and then three short blinks is the international distress signal. Soldiers such as Watson will use it when they’re held captive and are unable to speak.

2) There’s Subtle Brilliance In The Rupert Murdoch Allusions

In His Last Vow Janine tells Sherlock that she sold their story to tabloids that belong to Charles Magnussen’s competitors. All of the tabloids shown belong to Rupert Murdoch‘s competitors. Murdoch is widely believed to be the inspiration for the Magnussen character.

3) Sherlock Implies He Won Leinster Gardens From The Queen Mother

Sherlock tells Mary that he won the empty houses of Leinster Gardens from the “Clarence House Cannibal” in a card game. Clarence House was the official residence of the mother of the current Queen of England. She passed away in 2002 and was a noted gambler.

4) The Show Takes Place In The Same Universe As James Bond

Mycroft says “as my colleague is fond of remarking, this country sometimes needs a blunt instrument.” The colleague, in this case, would be M from James Bond who refers to 007 as a “blunt instrument”.

5) Sherlock’s “Death” Is Foreshadowed In The First Episode Of Season One

When Watson first starts working with Sherlock Holmes and meets with Scotland Yard’s Sergeant Donovan she tells him that “One day we’ll be standing around a body and Sherlock Holmes will be the one who put it there”.

Later on in the same episode when Sherlock meets with the cab-driver killer, the murderer tells him that he is going to talk to him and then Sherlock is “going to kill [himself]“.

6) There’s Some Foreshadowing About Mary’s True Character As Well

7) Sherlock Is Trying Desperately To Get Watson To Like Him When He First Meets Him

During a seven minute Christmas special mini-episode Sherlock says “what should I do? Smile and wink? I do that sometimes, I have no idea why, people seem to like it.” When Sherlock first meets Watson he smiles and winks before leaving.

8) Magnussen Sends Mary A Threat On Her Wedding Day

When Sherlock is reading the wedding telegrams he opens one that says “Oodles of love and heaps of good wishes, from CAM – wish your family could have seen this.” “CAM” are Magnussen’s initials and Mary’s face immediately drops once she hears who it’s from.

9) A Newspaper Article On The Show Begins “In A Twist Worthy Of A Conan Doyle Novella…”

10) Watson’s Limp Returns Before He Finds Out That Sherlock Is Still Alive

It’s less pronounced than before but it’s there. It clears up after he sees him alive though.

11) One Of Irene Adler’s Texts To Sherlock Is A Suggestion To Watch BBC1

BBC1 is the network that Sherlock airs on.

12) 1895 Is A Reference To A Sonnet By A Notable Sherlockian

The sonnet by Vincent Starrett, a fan of the books, is about “two men of note” in 221B. It ends with the lines:

Here, though the world explode, these two survive,

And it is always eighteen ninety-five

Sherlock thinks to try it as a password after Watson’s blog counter gets stuck on the number.

13) In The Blind Banker, An Episode About Codes, We See The Lost Symbol By Dan Brown – A Book About Codes

Check out some of the details you also likely missed in the most recent season of Game of Thrones

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