Molly Hooper

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Character
Name: Molly Hooper
Occupation: Forensic Pathologist
Relationships: Jim Moriarty (ex-boyfriend), Sherlock Holmes (major crush)
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Other: played by Louise Brealey
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Doctor Molly Hooper is a forensic pathologist in BBC's TV miniseries Sherlock. She works at St. Bart's and has a crush on Sherlock Holmes.

Canon

Molly is somewhat mousy and shy. In the first episode she works up her nerve to ask Sherlock out for coffee, but he misunderstands and thanks her for offering to bring him coffee. In "The Blind Banker," Molly is reluctant to allow him to examine some dead bodies, and Sherlock uses flattery about her new hairstyle to get her to agree. Subsequently, she is seen in the morgue with Sherlock and D.I. Dimmock. In "The Great Game," she shows off her new boyfriend Jim to Sherlock, but this does not end well, as Sherlock deduces that he is gay.

In the first episode of the second series, "A Scandal in Belgravia," Molly attends the Christmas party at 221B Baker Street. Her sexy dress, hair and makeup are very unlike her usual Barts costume and it's obvious she has worn this outfit to attract Sherlock's attention. Spotting a specially wrapped gift in her bag, Sherlock incorrectly deduces that she has a new boyfriend and humiliates Molly in front of the other partygoers. After he realizes the gift is for him, he apologizes and kisses her on the cheek.

Later that evening Molly is seen in the morgue when Sherlock (incorrectly) identifies a battered corpse as belonging to Irene Adler. Molly is also working with Sherlock later in the lab at Barts in "A Scandal in Belgravia" when he is X-raying Adler's camera phone.

Molly does not appear in "The Hounds of Baskerville."

In "The Reichenbach Fall," Molly is accosted by Sherlock while on her way out to a lunch date when he needs assistance. Sherlock reveals that her ex-boyfriend Jim Moriarty has committed several new crimes, and suggests that she avoid any future relationships. Molly insists that she ended her relationship with Jim after only three dates.

While working together in the lab, Molly talks to Sherlock about what she has observed in his behavior and how he reminds her of her late father. Sherlock is visibly surprised that she has seen through him and by her assertion that she does not count to him. Later that night, he approaches her as she's getting ready to leave work, and tells her that she has always counted and he trusts her. He shares his fears about dying, and Molly asks, "What do you need?" Sherlock responds, "You."

Molly has an official blog on the BBC's website, Molly Hooper's Blog, which provides additional canon, such as that she is 31 years old, has a cat named Toby, and she is a fan of the television show Glee.

Fanon

Molliarty

The Molliarty theory posited that Molly would actually turn out to be James Moriarty, Sherlock's nemesis. This theory was based on several observations about the character:

  • Molly was one of the few characters on BBC Sherlock who was not based on a character from book canon
  • She was the only recurring character (besides Mrs. Hudson) who was slated to appear in all three S1 episodes
  • She was the only character, besides John and Sherlock, to have an online blog

Some fans on Tumblr also use "Molliarty" to refer to the Molly/Moriarty pairing.

Pairings

Molly/Sherlock

There are several common premises for Molly/Sherlock fic. Some stories adopt a one-sided view where Molly's feelings remain unreciprocated, while other stories depict Sherlock realizing that he shares her feelings. There are also stories where Molly and Sherlock agree to have casual, no-strings sex; sometimes this leads to a romantic relationship, sometimes not. Pregnancy is a popular feature in relationship fics. Many stories feature Molly spending time with Sherlock after "The Reichenbach Fall," with him either hiding out with her, or her going on the run with him.

Molly/Jim

Molly/Jim is usually rather dark, and often features a Molly who is secretly evil, occasionally with a military/mercenary background. Sometimes she is an AU version of Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's right-hand man in book canon.

Actress Louise Brealey once read and tweeted about a Jim/Molly story featuring explicit sex and nipple piercing.

Molly/Martin Crieff

Martin Crieff is a hopelessly awkward, nerdy and shy airline pilot played by Benedict Cumberbatch on the BBC 3 radio series Cabin Pressure. He is often paired with Molly in crossover stories.

molly_martin is the Molly/Martin livejournal community.

Other

"How Molly got her groove back" stories, showing Molly coping after the events of episode three, are often written by Molly fans.

Meta

Fanart and Comics

Resources

References