I don’t think I’ve ever gotten as angry over a show as I did when I saw what those men had done to Mrs Hudson. I was FURIOUS. Actually shaking with fury. And I realised that though her presence is slight in the canon, though she is frequently ignored or underused in adaptations, finally here we see Mrs Hudson’s true character. This Mrs Hudson had a husband who treat her so appallingly that she was glad he was executed. This Mrs Hudson hides phones in her bra to protect her tenants. She gives these men food and shelter and comfort despite the danger to herself (and you know this is not the first, nor the last time Mrs Hudson has been threatened) because she loves and respects them fiercely, and she is loved and respected just as fiercely in return. Mrs Hudson is as intrinsic to Baker Street as Holmes and Watson, as Sherlock and John. And you do not fuck with her.
A Scandal In Belgravia is the best episode for everyone. Dat Irene, making everyone better.