Blog 2 - Semiotics in "A Study in Pink'

After watching this episode of “Sherlock,” I really do understand semiotics a lot better. Sherlock Holmes is a master of semiotics, he finds the meaning behind every little detail, whether it is something someone wore or something they said.  Sherlock Holmes uses signs and symbols to deduce conclusions. Sherlock shows that semiotics is all about being observant and analytical.

The show starts off by introducing us to Watson. We see a flashback dream of his time at war in Afghanistan. Within the first minutes of the show we find out that Watson feels very empty and maybe unhappy. Watson’s empty and boring apartment was one signifier of his loneliness and emptiness. While many people think that he feels this emptiness because his history at war haunts him, I picked up a different meaning. I think that Watson was unhappy because his life was no longer full of action and excitement as it was during the war.  Watson was upset because his life had become mundane. The cane that Watson used signified his connection to the war. In the beginning of the show Watson relied heavily on his cane to get around. When Watson becomes friends with Sherlock his life becomes exciting again. When Watson stops using his cane it signifies that he is no longer bored and empty. The loss of his cane represents his freedom from his memories of war.

Right off the bat we learn that Sherlock is a very strong but quirky personality. Although he is loud and speaks his mind, he also gives off a somewhat dark and mysterious vibe as well. The skull in Sherlock’s apartment is a signifier of his morbid demeanor. The dark colors that Sherlock wears as well as the gloomy weather are also signifiers of Sherlock’s overall mysterious vibe.  It isn’t hard to see the big differences in character between Watson and Sherlock, yet the mesh together well.

Sherlock	Watson
Sarcastic	Serious
Witty	Polite
Messy	Tidy
Demanding	Easy Going

Another important symbol in the show was Sherlock’s brother. Not only is Mycroft Sherlock’s literal big brother, but he also signifies a “big brother.” A big brother is a person or organization, such as the government, who tries to exercise control over a person. Mycroft is a symbol for big brother because he wants to keep tabs on Sherlock and have control over him. 

Sherlock exhibits intertextuality because it is based off of previous Sherlock Holmes books and Movies. One of the old Sherlock Holmes novels is named “A Study in Scarlett.” This episode of Sherlock was titled “A Study in Pink.” The names are almost identical; this is a big use of intertextuality.

This show was very helpful in understanding semiotics. The show keeps you on your toes, looking for the next clue, and is an all together good example of how semiotics works.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Semiotic Concepts	Applications to “A Study in Pink”
Signifier/Signified	Watson’s empty apartment - Loneliness Watson’s Cane – His tie/connection to the war Skull in Sherlock’s apt – his morbidity Dark colors – A dark mysterious theme
Metaphor	Watsons cane is a crutch he relies on. (Relies on it to stay connected to the war.)
Intertextuality	This television show is based off of previous Sherlock Holmes books and movies. For example, the novel “A Study in Scarlet.” The title of the episode even copycats that.
Symbols	Mycroft is a symbol for big brother or the government