Sorry; the clip I'm thinking of is from the unaired pilot. Which I understand will be dismissed by people as not canon (though, honestly, I still get total asexual, possibly -- *possibly* -- homoromantic, from Cumberbatch!Sherlock). That said, clip: [link] (the clip starts with the scene from the unaired pilot and then goes to the aired scene from "A Study in Pink," which you linked to, ita).

I think "I'm really not looking for *any* kind of..." (from "A Study in Pink" and from the unaired pilot [delivered with a more emphatic inflection on the "any" in the unaired clip]) can be fairly interpreted as asexual, particularly when paired with "I'm married to my work," and "Not really my area" as a reply to the query as to whether he has a girlfriend.

Sure, "Not really my area" could be closeted gay!Sherlock trying to dodge the issue of his homosexuality, but I just don't think a closeted gay!Sherlock would follow that up by telling Watson that his (Watson's) interest in Sherlock is misplaced.

Therefore, if "not my area" does *not* = gay!Sherlock, it reads as asexual to me. Particularly on the delivery. It's very curt and dismissive, and I think gay!Sherlock would deliver "not my area" with more of an innuendo.

Back to the unaired pilot: the "everything else is transport" line reads, to me, as more dismissal of physical, bodily needs. And since the context is relationships/sex, it reads more specifically to me as dismissal of sexual relationships.

And, goodness, those clips just reminded me of what a lovely voice Cumberbatch has. Yum.

The way he dismissed girlfriends so flatly, though, and not boyfriends, leaves homo something open for me, whether it be sexual or romantic. And in a way his dissuasion of Watson isn't him saying he doesn't swing that way either, but more sounds like he doesn't want to.

So definitely not heterosexual of any level of awkwardness, but his degree of obsession with Watson is beyond normal friendship. So I'd have to call it something.

Creepy sweatshirt is always watching you.

The way he dismissed girlfriends so flatly, though, and not boyfriends, leaves homo something open for me, whether it be sexual or romantic.

I'd buy homoromantic, though more specifically my money is on Watsonromantic.

Creepy sweatshirt is always watching you.

Aaaaaaa! Even *I* wouldn't wear that!

Aaaaaaa! Even *I* wouldn't wear that!

But it's the only way for it not to watch you!

Hey, Tep, do you remember where that found photo site is, that you used for GWW way back? (And I loved.)

I bet I can find it. Give me a minute.

Look At Me.

t edit Awww, it looks like it hasn't been updated since 2008. Still full of good stuff.

Part of the problem is that the actor used the word asexual to describe the character, but was probably not meaning it in the same way that AVEN does. More as a shorthand for celibate by choice instead of as orientation.

My read on the character, not that I've watched all the episodes many, many times (including the unaired pilot, which, no, does not count towards canon and has completely different characterizations of both Sherlock and John than does the aired versions), is that he's aromantic, but may well have been involved with men in the past in some format. He's very aware of men being attracted to him, seeming attracted to him, or playing attracted to him, and treats it differently than he treats female interest.

Write him as an asexual romantic, and I will, umm. Text Cass or Jilli and bitch about it. A lot. With irritated handmotions that are hard to convey with just thumbs and words. But I try. Hard. Dude, I get that you want to see your orientation represented, but SHERLOCK HOLMES IS NOT GOING TO CRY INTO HIS PILLOW BECAUSE HE LONGS TO CUDDLE JOHN AND HOLD HIS HAND AND WHATEVER. ALSO, HE IS WHAT HE IS AND ANGSTS MINIMALLY ABOUT IT. HIS EMO IS ABOUT THE VISCERAL TWITCH OF BOREDOM. THIS IS A LARGE PART OF HIS CHARM.

(Also, dude: he's grabby. Hilariously so at times. Those who write him as being tweaked by people touching him are not watching the same show that I'm watching. At all. To be fair, I think PBS cut the scene where he's at his most hands-on John. But the DVDs are out. So that is no excuse.)