Understanding the Hertford Theatre event 5 October

How weird it is to put the day before the month when writing it out like the Brits do.  Seems odd, but I'll convert to that system.

Fifteen more days and I will land on British soil for the first time in my life, a dream I've had for 40 years, and in three months I will officially begin bicycle touring in Britain and Europe.

Anyhow, it has come to my attention that some people don't understand why I have a "need" to go to the Hertford Theatre immediately upon completion of the 45-mile Prince's Trust Palace to Palace ride, despite the cost of the expensive taxi from Windsor Castle to Hertford (which a generous sponsor has covered).

Well, here's the long and short of it:  I couldn't care less about the screening of the 3rd series episode of the BBC1 show, SHERLOCK called His Last Vow (although for the uniformed, it did just win seven (7!) Emmy's including best actor, best supporting actor and best writing).  Don't get me wrong.  I love the episode.  I have seen this episode probably 30-40 times and certain pieces of it more than that.  I studied it half to death partly because I wrote a fan-fiction time gap filler (there is a six month time gap in the episode - there are time gaps in several episodes), and it was important to me to get all the nuances to fill that gap seamlessly, which I did, thank you very much.

But I have felt very alone in my discovery of SHERLOCK because even despite it's winning seven (7!) Emmys at the recent awards ceremony (more Emmys than any other show), it is not a well known show in the USA.  If you stream Netflix, you can see all 9 episodes.  Yes, there are only 9, and they are each 90 minutes long.  The BBC only puts out three new episodes about every 2 years.  Anyhow... alone.  That's how I have felt.  Oh, I can chat on the www.sherlockforum.com with some other Sherlockians about the episodes, but I've not met in person  a fan of the show - a true fan - ever.  Not someone that can sit down and talk Sherlock episodes for hours and never get tired of it.  BBC in America is relegated to PBS, which has numerous types of programming including Sesame Street.  So for someone to be watching Sherlock (whenever it might air!), is sort of rare.  BBC is a tiny little nook and cranny of American television, unfortunately.  I only saw it on Netflix, and I kept putting it off there because I thought it would just be a stupid, cheesy modern take on Sherlock Holmes.  Oh was I wrong.  It absolutely puts American TV shows to shame.  The acting, the writing, the music, the cinematography, the editing (I could write a book on the brilliance of the editing alone) the production values are through the roof spectacular.  They don't make TV with those values in the USA.  They just don't.  My jaw just hit the floor when I started watching it.  I think it's still on the floor somewhere.  Need to find it.

SHERLOCK cast and creative picking up
yet another recent award from TV Choice
Awards for best show.  Also got best actor.
Amanda Abbington is center left.

At the Hertford Theatre event, I will be with probably 400 other Sherlockians whose enthusiasm for the show will be a joyous, shared experience.  Plus, two of the stars of the show, Amanda Abbington and Martin Freeman, will be there for a Q&A afterwards.  Oh, I have questions about the episode.  Yes indeed, and I will make certain I am seen and heard about it.  I even have back up questions in case someone asks my question (doubtful).  My expectations are that the other questions will be about the episode, but I doubt they will be.  Lots of fan questions about the actors, I'm sure, along with the stupid questions about who knows what.  Yes there will be stupid ones.  I seriously feel like telling them, "if you need a smart question about the episode to ask, please see me."  Oh yes, I have a list of questions that have been debated over and over about the episode.  Heck, there are some people who don't even believe the time gap from the episode is 6 months, but the markers are clearly there.  And I wrote a 6 month gap.  That story, by the way, can be found here:

http://www.wattpad.com/story/19757853-addicted-to-a-certain-lifestyle

Massive spoilers, so don't bother reading it if you have seen all 9 episodes IN ORDER.

Now I am working on a new fan fiction that is in the land of complete speculation since it deals with the aftermath of that episode, the series 4 episodes which haven't been made yet.  Yes, there is a long wait for Sherlock fans between new episodes.  These little bits of screenings and Q&A with the actors feeds that hunger for more.  I honestly have to find a Sherlockian fan in Scotland by Christmas 2015 so that I have a place to go when the Christmas "special" episode airs.  Dang it.

So that's the long and short of it.  I truly feel I must be there.  This is a rare opportunity, and I also know that I am sitting in the 2nd row!  Oh yes.  Oh yes.  God has paved the way for me to be there, and I am going to be there.  The Hertford Theatre has even promised to keep my bike safe for me during the screening.

After the screening I will likely head to the train station and catch the overnight train back to Edinburgh as I don't have a Warm Showers host there, but who knows what overnight door God will open for me if one is needed.

Also, it looks as if I may have a Warm Showers host lined up for 4 October, my one night in London before the Palace to Palace ride.