Anderson (Sherlock)
| Needs Updating: This page is out of date. Editors are encouraged to add more recent information. |
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Philip Anderson |
| Occupation: | Forensics |
| Relationships: | Lestrade (co-worker), Sgt Sally Donovan (co-worker), Sherlock Holmes (antagonists), unnamed wife |
| Fandom: | Sherlock (BBC) |
| Other: | Portrayed by Jonathan Aris. |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Anderson is a member of Scotland Yard's forensics team in BBC's TV miniseries Sherlock, and is a minor antagonist to Sherlock Holmes. Anderson is portrayed by Jonathan Aris. In "The Empty Hearse", his full name is revealed to be Philip Anderson.
Canon
Anderson is a member of Scotland Yard's forensics team. He's part of the investigation of the serial suicides in the first episode, working under DI Lestrade on the scene of Jennifer Wilson's murder when Sherlock is called in to help.
Anderson and Sherlock Holmes do not get along, and Anderson refuses to work with him. When Sherlock arrives at the crime scene, Anderson confronts him about contaminating the scene. Anderson later volunteers for a drugs bust on Sherlock's flat even though he is not on the drugs squad. He annoys Sherlock so much that when Sherlock needs to think he orders Anderson to turn around because his face puts him off.
Anderson is married. It is strongly suggested that he is having an affair with Sgt Sally Donovan.
Fanon
Dinosaurs
It has become a part of crack fanon that Anderson has an interest in dinosaurs. It all began on the show's fic-writing meme SherlockBBC-fic with the prompt:[1]
- When Anderson masturbates he thinks of dinosaurs
The prompt was posted anonymously. The prompt was subsequently filled anonymously as well.[2] The fill also started the trend that Anderson likes his partners to dress up in dinosaur costumes.
Others began posting similar prompts on the meme, elaborating on and exploring the dynamic of Anderson and dinosaurs. This has also led to many in-jokes or subtle references in otherwise unrelated discussions and fic.[3]
The Beard
In the unaired pilot episode, Anderson has a beard. Fans enjoy giving various explanations on why it went away.
Pairings
Anderson is most commonly paired with Sgt Sally Donovan, sometimes as a pair of background antagonists in other stories. But more importantly than that, Anderson/Dinosaur = fandom's crack OTP.
Example Fanworks
Fic
- untitled - the first prompt fill by anonymous, in which Anderson's dinosaur interest scares Sally off
- Sally the Stegosaurus by anonymous, in which Sally is on board with dressing up as a dinosaur for Anderson
- The Root of All Evil by anonymous, in which Sherlock wears a T-Rex costume and Anderson is freaked out (see also Chronicdoodling's fanart below)
- Anderson's Dinosaur Adventure by sherlockiangirl
Fanart and Comics
- Anderson + Dinosaurs (Anderson in jammies holding a toy dinosaur) by jjgd
- Sherlock in a dinosaur costume while Anderson is freaked out by chronicdoodling (possibly a companion to The Root of All Evil fic linked about)
- Crack comic by selenityshiroi (explaining Anderson's disappearing beard, dinosaurs, and why Sally's actress was replaced after the pilot)
Fanvids
- RAR! For Anderson by lemonflav_lopfe, to the song Walk the Dinosaur by Was Not Was
References
- ^ The prompt that started it all: When Anderson masturbates he thinks of dinosaurs.
- ^ "The first prompt fill". Archived from the original on 2012-07-14.
- ^ One example: In the last line of this fic which is not about Anderson or dinosaurs, Sally says "If you'll excuse me, I'm actually in a mood where I can handle wearing a raptor costume." in reference to her canonical sexual relationship with Anderson and his fanon dinosaur interest.