Yes! Sherlock is dead wrong, and John does not normally hesitate to tell him when he's wrong. The only in-story explanation I can come up with is something weak such as "John's so grateful to be alive that he can't be bothered to be mad at Sherlock." I really think it's a writing error there. Whether because Gatiss didn't think it through properly or they didn't have enough time left in the episode, they wrapped it up as fast as they could.
I have noticed that both tv and fanfic tend to be hostile to psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors. On Stargate SG-1, Dr. Mackenzie misdiagnoses Daniel Jackson as having a mental problem when he has been affected by alien technology. Mackenzie shows up later in the show, even years later. I would presume that means he's competent. I can't tell you how many fanfics I've read where he's incompetent or downright evil, gunning for Daniel or maybe all of SG-1. What are we to think of Stargate Command for keeping him, then? In some of my other fandoms, there aren't any counselors on the show, so people invent them. Some do a good job, but some are grossly incompetent, introduced to be antagonists.*
I think Ella actually gets more positive depictions in fanfic, but maybe that's just because there's so darned much Sherlock fanfic! Most depictions are quite negative, though. And I don't get that. Why would John go back if he gets nothing from the visits and believes Mycroft?
I don't think Mycroft has John's best interests at heart when he makes his pronouncements about Ella; he's trying to rile him! I think John probably perceives Mycrofts intent even worse than I do. That may be part of why John goes back to Ella after eighteen months, actually: partly as a stick in Mycroft's eye, because he probably figures Mycroft is still keeping tabs. I don't think he'd go just for that, however. He knows he needs help.
I have sympathy for Ella: she's trying to help John, who won't say much and follows her direction to start a blog in the most passive-aggressive way I can imagine! I do fear that writing any notes at all during his sessions is a mistake, however.
I guess that's a long-winded way of saying that I think I share your Feelings.
* Kudos to Castle while I'm on the topic: Beckett's therapist really seems to help, despite her difficulties opening up. (I almost called the show Beckett, which is rather revealing of me. So is the fact that I chose to announce it even though I caught myself, I guess.) and Kudos to Michael Dorn for being awesome. The shrinks on Monk were also both good. I've read little fic in either of these universes and haven't seen any takes on the counseling here.
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I have noticed that both tv and fanfic tend to be hostile to psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors. On Stargate SG-1, Dr. Mackenzie misdiagnoses Daniel Jackson as having a mental problem when he has been affected by alien technology. Mackenzie shows up later in the show, even years later. I would presume that means he's competent. I can't tell you how many fanfics I've read where he's incompetent or downright evil, gunning for Daniel or maybe all of SG-1. What are we to think of Stargate Command for keeping him, then? In some of my other fandoms, there aren't any counselors on the show, so people invent them. Some do a good job, but some are grossly incompetent, introduced to be antagonists.*
I think Ella actually gets more positive depictions in fanfic, but maybe that's just because there's so darned much Sherlock fanfic! Most depictions are quite negative, though. And I don't get that. Why would John go back if he gets nothing from the visits and believes Mycroft?
I don't think Mycroft has John's best interests at heart when he makes his pronouncements about Ella; he's trying to rile him! I think John probably perceives Mycrofts intent even worse than I do. That may be part of why John goes back to Ella after eighteen months, actually: partly as a stick in Mycroft's eye, because he probably figures Mycroft is still keeping tabs. I don't think he'd go just for that, however. He knows he needs help.
I have sympathy for Ella: she's trying to help John, who won't say much and follows her direction to start a blog in the most passive-aggressive way I can imagine! I do fear that writing any notes at all during his sessions is a mistake, however.
I guess that's a long-winded way of saying that I think I share your Feelings.
* Kudos to Castle while I'm on the topic: Beckett's therapist really seems to help, despite her difficulties opening up. (I almost called the show Beckett, which is rather revealing of me. So is the fact that I chose to announce it even though I caught myself, I guess.) and Kudos to Michael Dorn for being awesome. The shrinks on Monk were also both good. I've read little fic in either of these universes and haven't seen any takes on the counseling here.