My memory really is lousy. Obviously it never stood out to me, which is odd. Dang.

One thing addicts are really really good at is lying about how many / how often drugs they take. I actually found this ep powerfully accurate in that respect, that Watson wouldn't notice until Mycroft pointed it out (because Sherlock's probably been high a lot in Watson's presence, and Watson's written it off every other time too).

I thought it really telling that Mary Watson had not realized Sherlock was high. The implication is that Sherlock is in fact using, while skillfully maintaining, almost all the time.

Dang, you guys, my memory is lousy. I really don't remember Sherlock's drug use (or references to it) from the previous seasons.

To be fair, I was in the fandom from 2010-2014 (I managed to write a whopping one finished story towards the end of my run in it, but it was my primary fandom until CA:TWS ate my brain), and therefore went with multiple rewatches of available material, which I still have basically memorized for S1 and S2. (I had a LOT of drawerfic. Some of which was ABSOLUTELY about drug use. Cass could confirm. I tended to text it to her.)

Whereas I've only seen each episode once, and with so much time between seasons, things fall out of the holes in my brain.

I had forgotten about that clip. Since Sherlock's drug use is original ACD canon, I didn't think much of it at the time.

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Sherlock has been using more or less constantly since he came back (and heaven knows how long while he was away). Mary must have never seen him with nothing in his system; her baseline reading of Sherlock's behavior must be chemical alteration. I wonder how high the dosage levels or what cocktails read as high to her. Or if, like Johhny Fever, Sherlock reads most stoned when under no influence.

like Johnny Fever

What a wonderful episode. And no one complained, because it was so obviously a case of "Well, Johnny has permanently destroyed his system. Look at his life, do you really want to exist like he does?"

As I suspected, for Moffett, Doctor Who and Sherlock are basically the same show. This felt so much like a Who episode I expected Moriarity to be a Missy.

Heh, heh, totally reminds me of "You're Munch--the one that took too many drugs and destroyed his brain." from Meldrick's Auntie.

I think I wish that Moffatt would develop as many high concepts as he likes but let someone else write the actual plot and dialog.

The Monstrous Regiment! Nice. In fact, I rather like that last little scene a lot.