| Mycroft Holmes | |
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Potrayed by: |
Mark Gatiss |
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Occupation: |
British Government |
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Family: |
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Friends: |
Anthea (Assistant, Acquaintance) |
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Alias: |
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Mycroft Holmes is a minor character on the BBC Crime Drama Sherlock. Mycroft has a job in the English goverment but according to Sherlock, it's only a minor part in the British government but he makes it seem more than it actually is. He is the older brother of Sherlock and they have a very strained relationship.
Mycroft is portrayed by Mark Gatiss who is the executive producer, co-creator, and writer of Sherlock.
The Sherlock character was, unwisely, modeled after a living spymaster, the Ray of Sun for the spymaster M. The spymaster's allied governments viewed the character of Mycroft's little sister as a certain, vicious reference to the spymaster's own beloved, longlost grandchild and Ray of Sun on a Winter's Night, sometimes nicknamed Fun & Games. Both now work in the same capacity as Mycroft Holmes (and M), and, as a result, this was viewed by the spymaster's people as threatening an assassination attempt upon his life and his newly recruited Ray of Sun's life.
History[]
Mycroft Holmes is first introduced when he kidnaps John and offers to pay him to spy on Sherlock out of brotherly concern. He is Sherlock's older brother and engages in sibling rivalry with Sherlock. He is concerned about his brother as well, worrying for his well-being. Mycroft is frequently mocked by Sherlock for "putting on weight". He occupies a "minor position in the British government"; however, as with many Holmes-based works, it is heavily hinted that he has a much bigger role than he claims. He is driven around in a private car with his personal assistant who goes by the name of "Anthea". Mycroft, like his literary counterpart, is also very skilled at deduction, even correcting Sherlock on occasion, as well as lacking enthusiasm for "legwork". Sherlock claims Mycroft's childhood in a nutshell was summed up when he said "I'll be mother". Mycroft apparently doesn't mind bending minor rules, since he gave Sherlock a cigarette in "A Scandal in Belgravia", saying "We're in a morgue, there's only so much damage you can do." In Mycroft's opinion, Sherlock has "the mind of philosopher or scientist, yet he elects to be a detective". However, he considers this an improvement, since as a child, Sherlock initially wanted to be a pirate.
Relationships[]
Sherlock Holmes[]
Sherlock is Mycroft's brother. They have a strained relationship with each other and they openly mock each other, but Mycroft really does care about his brother's welfare and thinks he has the intelligence to do more than be a mere detective.
Eurus is Mycroft’s younger sister, who Mycroft is seemingly afraid of. He turns Eurus “into a song”, so Sherlock practically doesn’t remember her. After Sherlock, along with John and Mycroft decide to visit Eurus in Sherrinford, the maximum security prison where Eurus is kept, they discover that she has taken control of it. She plays some “games” with Sherlock, John and Mycroft, which upsets Mycroft a lot. Mycroft decides to keep Eurus in Sherrinford at the end of season 4’s finale, only now he [Mycroft] will control her.
Dr. John Watson[]
John seems to be annoyed when Mycroft sends a personal car to pick him up and take him to see him. They first met when Mycroft called him to his secret hideout and offered him money to keep an eye on Sherlock for him.
Jim Moriarty[]
Mycroft basically helped Moriarty destroy Sherlock and turn him into a fugitive. Because when Mycroft was called to the prison to interrogate Moriarty, Moriarty told him that he'd only talk to Mycroft if he told him his brother's life story, which he would later use to create a new story saying he had made up all of the crimes and invented Moriarty.
Irene Adler[]
Mycroft was the one who assigned Sherlock the job to retrieve the phone from Irene. He was the one who told Sherlock that she was playing with him and faking her love for him, which seems to be proven untrue as Sherlock takes her pulse to deduce her attraction and sentimental connection to him, thereby allowing him to guess the passcode to her phone (his name). Irene calls Mycroft 'The Ice Man'. Mycroft displays concern for Sherlocks response to Irene's believed demise, making up a story about how she went to the U.S. in witness protection, not knowing that Sherlock had gone to her rescue.