IMO, there’s no way you can watch Sherlock without shipping Johnlock at some point in time. Whether it’s platonically, or romantically, bromance or romance, there’s just no way you can resist shipping them. The relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson is central to the plot, to the entire idea of the series. Nuff said.
I also have to discuss AU fic. Because I am reading Performance in a Leading Role. Yup, that’s right. I finally decided to read it. All this time, I’ve been on the fence about it, because the summary just didn’t convince me. I mean, really? Sherlock and John – actors? In a movie together?! I was like, wtf? How is that supposed to work? So I wasn’t convinced. But I decided to give it a shot, because everyone has been recommending it, and I even saw on Tumblr (I think it was bbcsherlockftw) somebody else was also not convinced about reading it, but the answer recommended it 150%. So I thought, oh what the heck, I’ll go ahead and try.
And LORD, I was NOT disappointed! I am LOVING it. I almost can’t believe it’s by the same author of AoTW. It’s the total OPPOSITE of that; it’s funny, heartwarming, well-written – it’s definitely a good antidote to all that angst. :P
But the point I wanted to make is – this fic has totally changed my perception of AU Sherlock fanfiction. Previously, I preferred to read AU fics that didn’t alter much from canon – Sherlock and John still live in Baker Street, they solve crimes in London together, etc. But this one – it’s WAY different. Totally AU, and I guess that made me wary of reading it. Because the thing is, I stay away from total-AU fics, because quite often, the universe that the author creates doesn’t quite live up to my expectations; it’s just never as good as the original universe. So I mostly avoid them. But I made an exception for Performance in a Leading Role, and boy am I glad I did. It’s fantastic. I actually think one can read this without having watched Sherlock, and it will still make perfect sense! *cough cough*