In 1952, the APA (American Psychiatric Association) listed homosexuality in the DSM (
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) I as a sociopathic personality disturbance. Of course, they changed cathegory to it by the second one (1968) though homosexuality was not anymore a disorder but a disturbance only by the 1974 edition of DSM II. (And not even that only in 1987 – DSM III-Revisited). I just find this interesting – how old was the shrink who diagnosed Sherlock’s sociopathy? And which DSM edition did he use? 😉
Of course it would be a private psychiatrist. Probably some old family contact who could be trusted to be very discrete. I’m thinking early to mid 1990’s time frame but someone who was trained decades earlier. (And now I’m thinking of the discussion of the psychiatrist in the movie Carol, but that’s not relevant.)
Mark Gatiss lived next to a mental hospital when he was a child. From wikipedia: “He grew up opposite the Edwardian psychiatric hospital where his father worked.” I can’t believe Mark Gatiss had never been curious and never looked up old psychiatric handbooks.
I know, right? It’s the kind of headcanon that’s interesting and very much hinted at on the show and not at all far fetched but most of all extremely heartbreaking.
I just realized that the person who snuck doubt about Sherlock and his capacity for relationships into the back of John’s mind was Donovan from ASiP. She, just like in TRF, was solely responsible for planting the suspicion. Sherlock left John without explanation in ASiP to track down the suitcase and Sally was there to make sure John stayed cautious of this person forever.
If only Molly Hooper had been the one to talk to John that night – or Mrs Hudson – they could’ve instead said, “He’s not coming back. He does that sometimes – gets lost in his head, that’s all. He doesn’t have many friends, but he must really enjoy your company. He wouldn’t have invited you there if he didn’t. He’s a good man, has a good heart. He just doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings very well”.
Lovely detail pics of the 221B living room set – I love the roses on the bowl of Holmes’ pipe (quite common in those days, many men even had painted flowers on them)and note the tobacco in the slipper!
