Shipping Confessions: Sherlock/Joan (Elementary)

There are some ships that make me glad I don't write for certain shows. Sometimes not having a ship I love canon can be the best thing. There are many different types of relationships and they should be shown. People need to know that no matter your gender/sex you always have the option to just be friends with someone.

The ship I will talk about today is from the show Elementary which is a modern adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories. It takes place in New York. One of the many changes the show made is that John is now a woman called Joan.

The ship for today is between Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. It's a ship that is so canon that it should be canon.

Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant detective but he has problems working with people. It's like he understands the rules but doesn't know why he should have to follow them. For the longest time he kept on waking Joan up instead of staying out of her room until she woke up on her own.

Sherlock is also an ex-addict and has problems dealing with his addiction. That's why Joan got involved with him in the first place as she used to be a sober companion. At the end of the second season it seems likely that Sherlock will relapse.

Sherlock is not good with keeping and making friends, but he's great at what he does so he always gets back in the good graces of people. He also has a kind heart that is hard to see.

Joan Watson is a former surgeon who quit due to one of her patients dying. What she does after quitting is become a sober companion. So with her job alone you know she wants to help people and is able to deal with difficult people.

Joan ends up becoming Sherlock's protege and she seems to have quit being a sober companion for now. She proves herself to be brilliant and finds ways to deal with Sherlock. When she is captured near the end of Season 2, she is willing to help try and save one of her enemies.

She is kind, tough, and smart. She is a great combination of all three.

Sherlock and Joan work very well together. It helps that Joan doesn't take any shit from Sherlock. She is more than able to put her foot down when she has to. She likes him but that doesn't mean she has to bow down to everything he does. Sherlock, in turn, respects the boundaries Joan sets down. He is able to learn and grow from her guidance.

Sherlock has a deep respect for Joan. He knows there's something special about her. He knows that she is smart and intelligent as well as beautiful. And, really, it's only the first two that would make Sherlock take Joan under his wing.

When Joan gets captured, Sherlock reacts very strongly. More strongly than if Joan was just a friend or just something he used to help him solve cases. It was like he was in love with her. At the end of the first season Sherlock names a new species of bees Watsonia after Joan.

At the end of the second season there is a sub-plot of Joan needing to move out of the apartment. Sherlock gives a very impassioned speech to her that seems very far from the viewpoint of just a friend.

Canonically Sherlock and Joan are just friends, but I see them as something much more.

What will I talk about next Shipping Confessions? We will stick in the realm of Elementary and look at a wise protege and a master criminal.

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