Well, one concrete moment was the exchange when Watson asked Holmes if he had a girlfriend, and Holmes said "Not really my area." And from the dialogue that followed, Holmes established fairly well that he was NOT implying that he's gay.

But this one, and the movie with RDJ as well? I can definitely see it.

I can easily see Doyle's original Holmes as asexual. I haven't seen the PBS one, but the Richie movie, and RDJ's portrayal? Was sexual innunendo all over the place, for me anyway.

eta: Wait, isn't there an Adler kiss in the 2009 movie?

Some asexual people do engage in sexual/sensual activities with a partner from time to time. A kiss doesn't mean that he's not asexual.

And it's not possible to say for certain that he IS asexual, of course. It's not been explicitly stated in canon. But it's fairly interesting to see how it plays out.

t edit

RDJ's portrayal? Was sexual innunendo all over the place, for me anyway.

Asexual doesn't mean that that person doesn't engage in sexual innuendo. It doesn't mean neutered.

That's the TV show, right? Not the movie? I can buy it for the show, but the one fic I read (because Fay podded it) had it as something he just hadn't turned his not inconsiderable attention to yet, if memory serves.

I don't see him as particularly asexual in the movie, though, and the actor certainly didn't.

A kiss doesn't mean that he's not asexual.

But what says he is?

A kiss doesn't mean that he's not asexual.

But what says he is?

Movie, or TV? The dialogue I quoted from the TV series is fairly strong, in my opinion.

A kiss doesn't mean that he's not asexual.

But what says he is?

And if you mean the movie, there's really nothing either way. I'm just commenting on things I've read elsewhere and on the fact that I find those things interesting.

Yeah, it was the movie I was asking about.

Eh, nothing either way. I've read stuff elsewhere that talks about it (the movie version, that is), but I'm neither willing to nor have an interest in defending or decrying it.

It's just interesting to me.

I'm fascinated by discussion I've read on LJ and elsewhere that Holmes is asexual. From what I understand of asexuality, I think there's a very strong chance of it.

Cass and I, with much discussion on this, have determined our reading is more homoromantically/sexually inclined demisexual rather than strict Ace. There's a LOT of Ace!Sherlock fic, and a comm on it, but the difference in response between the girlfriend/boyfriend questions (and some other stuff) has us reading him more as demi.

I'd also say, from having read the book canon a lot, that my opinion on this is strongly influenced by that as well. There are a lot of people who've read this incarnation as very much gay, but aromantic.

All said, and totally beside the point of the above, you really should see Benedict Cumberbatch in a heterosexual sex scene. He's, err. Yes. An actor who portrays that well. Very, very "I will rewatch this scene over and over and over until my DVD melts please" well.

(It's funny, I find him sort of otherworldly beautiful as Sherlock, but am possessed with no strong desire to drool over him in that role. Show me him with his natural sort of gingerish hair, and I want to climb that boy like a fucking tree.)