Trust in Gatiss: Operation Johnlock is Go

Meta
Title:	Trust in Gatiss: Operation Johnlock is Go
Creator:	loudest-subtext-in-television
Date(s):	January 7, 2014
Medium:	online
Fandom:	BBC Sherlock
Topic:	Johnlock
External Links:	archive link
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I see Sherlock as a last hurrah for queer subtext. Historically, I think it will be noteworthy and studied in that regard.

Trust in Gatiss: Operation Johnlock is Go is a meta essay by loudest-subtext-in-television. Posted on January 7, 2014, it was published contemporaneously with the coining of the term The Johnlock Conspiracy, and is frequently cited as one of the earliest (and most influential) TJLC metas, although it does not mention this fan theory by name. In the meta, LSiT predicts that Johnlock will be canon by the end of series 4. LSiT elaborated on the meta in a reblog.

Some Topics Discussed

• the symbolism of elephants
• queerbaiting vs. queer subtext
• The Powers That Be

Excerpts

I’m about certain that John and Sherlock are going to get together. I mean romantically and even sexually. Not in the subtext, not in some happy alternate reading of the show, but in actuality, on screen. Before The Sign of Three it was only an inkling I had, holding out trust despite official denials, but now I would bet money on it. Before we get into it: yes, I could absolutely be wrong. If you can’t stand the thought of being convinced and later having your heart broken, please don’t read any further. Personally, I will be disappointed if it isn’t made unambiguous on the show, but I can also handle it if it doesn’t happen. I don’t care if I look stupid later for believing in it.

They can never just outright spoil the show for us and the larger audience. Had Johnlock been endgame, why in the world would they say, “Oh, yeah, that subtext is intentional, they’re totally gay, just not together yet” when asked? I’m laying this out here: the writers, the actors, the crew — everyone has been lying to our faces when they denied it. It goes a long way to explaining why there are so many different explanations of Sherlock’s sexuality, or what Irene meant to Sherlock, even from the same people at different times. Before season 3, I would try to reconcile Mofftiss’s outright contradictory explanations and wasn’t sure what to think. It did occur to me they were just blatantly lying, though. It’s what I would have done in their position, anyway. What else could they have done? They still can’t acknowledge it just yet, but they can reassure those of us who have been concerned in a language we understand. Gatiss is stern and direct here: stay with it, you know better, don’t lose your mind, there’s something here.

Come on, what would be the greatest, most engaging mystery of all?: deducing the heart of an enigmatic detective who claims to disdain the romantic and have no heart, yet acts in incredibly romantic ways. That seed of an idea was there in ACD’s works, and BBC’s Sherlock has let it blossom.

It’s fun. We know it is.

The thing is this: as being queer becomes acceptable, we gain a lot but we’ll lose this one little fun activity.

People are going to flip shit and it will be incredible and powerful. It will make some people question their heteronormative expectations of media. After all, the signs were there all the time that they were going to hook up — why didn’t these people want to believe it? What were they afraid of? The allegations of queer-baiting have always bothered me, not because I worried they were true, but because I worried they weren’t. Why? I have suspected since the first series aired that this was writers’ intent all along, and it’s something you have to do slowly to do right. I didn’t want them to rush it or spill the beans too early and ruin everything just to say they weren’t queer-baiting anyone. They are hetero-baiting everyone else. It is glorious.

Fan Reactions

The original post was deleted when LSiT deactivated her Tumblr. As of February 10, 2019, that post had 11,453 notes on Tumblr.

While I am not against Johnlock and respect the shippers (I don’t ship them), I don’t think this will happen. If anything, it’s making connections out of wishful thinking.

Even in the private life of sherlock holmes, where everyone just screams he’s gay, it’s not said. Watson assumes there were women. Holmes replies that he is being presumptuous. We know at the moment he’s ‘playing’ gay to get away from the task of impregnating a woman.

It is never said he had men. It is also never said he had anyone. We don’t know, in which I understand why people think of Johnlock. Whereas I see them as very good bro’s.

If Johnlock is really going to happen, then the series is ruined. Not because I can’t stand watching it, but because they should never write what the fans want.

Nothing wrong with fanfiction and fantasising, really. But I’m getting slightly irked about how the tiniest things are instantly being connected to johnlock, if possible.

We’ll see what happens, but I don’t think this is where they will be going. As long as the Johnlock stays off-screen and on Tumblr, I’m good. Because in all honesty, the art is fabulous!

Legitimately the most incredible meta I have ever read on any show. I buy it. It feels like it fits, like everything is spot on. If it happens not to be true in the end, it’s okay. I can accept that too. But goodness gracious, this is one seriously mind-blowing piece of writing.