Sherlock & Co. - The Mazarin Stone - Part One

Episode Date: August 12, 2025

THE DETECTIVE'S DOPPELGANGER - I never really wanted to head back to Madame Tussauds following the events of The Norwood Builder... but Mariana's curiosity dragged me back in there. What we found was our waxwork clones, one Sherlock and one John Watson. Part 1 of 3 This episode contains swearing, simulation of violence, heavy drinking, some dread. Listener discretion is advised. For merchandise and transcripts go to: www.sherlockandco.co.uk For ad-free, early access to adventures in full go to www.patreon.com/sherlockandco To get in touch via email: [e-mail] me @DocJWatsonMD on twitter and BlueSky, or sherlockandcopod on TikTok, instagram and YouTube.  This podcast is property of Goalhanger Podcasts. Copyright 2025.SHERLOCK AND CO. Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra George Greenland as Greg Cantlemere Adam Jarrell as StamfordAdditional Voices:Thomas Mitchells Joel Emery Adam Jarrell Written by Joel Emery Directed by Adam Jarrell Editing and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio Produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill Executive Producer Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come join the Patreon. It's a huge community now with loads of extra cool stuff. Patreon.com forward slash Sherlock & Co. Oh, hi. Didn't see you guys there. Come on in. Help yourself to a nice, cool glass of podcast juice. This is the adventure of the Mazarin Stone, 100% juice with no bits. Slurp that down. I've got so lost in this metaphor. I've actually forgotten what happens in this adventure. So all your warnings and stuff will be in the episode description. Bottoms up.

Oh my God. Oh, that tea is hot. Oh, tea is really hot. Prime loaders for approach. Get me comms with the Hydrax's perimeter guard. Priming loaders and initiating comms, commander. The starship Darmantius will be cleared for entry in no time. Thank you, Lieutenant. It's time to exit deep...

space, old friend. Few could have seen us through it, Commander. You're going home, Lieutenant. Ongethumur-nawok, gong-blok-sha-sa. What on meta-2 does that mean? My people say it only when they feel profound gratefulness, commander. It means kill me, cook me, and eat my soul for it is ripened. Okay, yeah, that's kind of...

Warning, impact. God damn it! Warning, impact. Shield damage at 80%. Our shields hold yet, Commander. Shield damage at 80%? Does that mean 80% damage or 20% damage with 80% remaining? Shield damage at 50%.

Never mind. Commander, where are you going? We got precious cargo aboard this Starship, Lieutenant. Commander! Where's my son? Have you seen my son? What is happening? They're here. They're here.

Who? Who are here? Please, sir. Derek. Please. Derek, where are you, my boy? Oh, Porter. Lord Commander, the ship has sustained attacks. My analysis of the laser soundwave and impact would suggest it is a Drogean fleet. I know, Porter. I know, God damn it. Reprogram yourself to warden mode. I only have a protector mode, Captain.

Protector mode, then. Reprogramming commenced. Oh, there you are. Father, what's going on? You're coming with me. In fact, both of you are coming with me. This is kind of dark down here. We're in the undership, Derek.

But we have to go. The ship is under attack. No, Derek, you have to go. Porter, open Star Vessel Cabin 78. Opening Star Vessel Cabin 78. Wait, what are you talking about? In there. Oh, father!

No! Party! No! Get off me, Porter! Sorry, buddy. What do I always say? I want to stay and fight! Please, father, no!

This ship carries precious cargo. I'm not precious cargo! Stop saying that! I'm a fighter! I'm a man! I wasn't talking about you. Goodbye, son. No!

Father! Father! What were you talking about? What were you talking about, Dad? The Mazarin Stone. Father! My name is Dr. John Watson, once of the British Army Northumberland Fuselier Regiment. Now, a true crime podcast that are based in central London.

I don't have much experience in criminology, so this is mostly a record of how I met possibly the most brilliant and bizarre person I have ever. and will ever know. Join me as I document the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock and Co. John speaking. Mm-hmm. Okay, cool. And you've sent an email? You won't believe this. Oh, she's just come in.

No, no, no, no, no. I'm busy. Oh, no, she hasn't just come in, actually. She's still not here. I must have just seen someone that... Yeah. Yeah, a doppelganger. Yeah. Okay, well, I'll go over the email and let you know. All right, cheers. Bye, bye, bye.

You will not believe this. Welcome to 221A, our office that opens at 9.30am and that you pride yourself on being the face of. Yeah, I had to go out. To where? I've been answering phones here. I've been replying to emails. I've been doodling. Look at that. Me as a cowboy. Me as a transformer. That's Sherlock on a bike. That's my ideal all-time England team.

Guess where I was? Uh, Tesco. Nope. Madame Tussauds. Oh, you had to go to Madame Tosauds. You just had to go and hang out in a waxwork museum, did you? Well, in that case, I have to go to the pub. Firstly, you're going away this weekend, so shh.

Secondly, I went there because a friend of mine said you're there. Sorry, what? You are there. So is Sherlock. Sherlock and I, mm-hmm, are there. Yep. At Madam Two-Sorts. Yes.

What? Welcome to Madam Two-Swords London, where fame comes to life. Good God. Told you. Am I finished? That's the finished waxwork of me, right? That's what we're saying. That's not a work in progress.

Of course. This is the exhibition. The siege of Madame Tussauds. That's you, that's Sherlock, and that's Hector Mark Farland with the gun. See? They commemorated it. Sorry, there's no way that is meant to be me. Why not? John, don't touch it.

Watson, you're breaking the rules of the establishment. Just looking at this tag on it. What? What is it? On this clothing tag, it has Jay Corden crossed out, and then it just says J. Watson. Okay, so... Sherlock, I've been repurposed from James Corden. Is that a problem?

Yes, look at yours. It's perfect. It's a little shoddy in places. Where, exactly? Fingernails, here. Oh, for God's sake. I'm a recycled cordon, and you're over here complaining that your fingernails are shoddy. God's sake. I'm not quite sure they're allowed to do this, without my permission. Wait, what? Of course they are.

How so? Because it... I mean, this is what they do. I have image rights, do I not? Yes, but do you not want the exposure? I don't. Yes, you do. No, I don't. You do.

Yes, because it would help the company. It would hinder the company. What are you doing? Just, shush, checking something. John, are you pulling his pants down? No, I'm looking up his shirt. John, can you please get off the ground? Oh, very intimate.

Everything all right. Yes, he's a big fan. Looks like it. I feel we should photograph this precious moment. Of John molesting a waxwork of himself? Right, okay. This is... An improvement. I think they've shaved a layer or two of weight off the cordon one, so... Okay. It's a little more flattering, I suppose.

The waxworks trousers have fallen down. This is such... I mean, they've just... they've done the switcheroo. The what? The switcheroo. Oldest trick in the book. From cordon to me, it's just... It's insulting. Not because, you know, our body types are different, but we're two people, individuals, with dignity. Excuse me, sir. What are you doing? Uh, yeah. No, I'm not. I wasn't like... looking for genitals or anything.

Good, because no other figurines have them. Can I see your tickets, please? No, sorry, I'm not a weirdo. This is actually me. I'm interfering with a waxwork of myself. So, you know, waxwork Watson. Could we maybe just get a little bit more wax for the arms and shoulders?

Just bulk them out a little, maybe? What happened to the stomach bits you had from the cordon one? We could repurpose those. I regret telling you. I don't need to hear your thoughts on the matter. I just need your assistance. You stole your own waxwork. Potson, she's gaslighting me again.

I am not gaslighting you. Marianne, he is asserting his image rights and reclaiming the waxwork. They agreed with him. Come on in here. Don't worry, Harch. Just a statue of him. He's not frozen in... What's that stuff that Hans Solo's frozen in the aluminium stuff?

What the hell are you talking about? It's carbonate. Yeah, that's no one. Right, where do you want yourself? By the window. If we get another heat wave, we'll move me to the kitchen. Can we move you to the sink and see if this one can wash the dishes? Put me down right here.

Man, you're heavy. It's the coat, I'd say. Also, a weighted plinth. I could dispose of that. He looks right at home. Oh, it's okay, Archie. Well, you know, it's a good waxwork when even Archie is confused. Yeah, well, Archie is confused by his own face in his water bowl.

No, he's not. He's just being reflective. It's his age. He's having deep thoughts about life. What is he doing? Trying to eat that fly. It's all right, Archie. You're not going to get it. Okay, great. You got it.

Oi, good job, Archie. Oh, man, it's one o'clock. Oh, oh, you better go. Too bloody right. Okay, Archie boy, see you soon. Sherles, let's do this. Do what? Sorry?

What are we doing? Are you serious? Very much so. Right, that's it. I'm going with him. I'm going with wax work, Sherlock. Watson. This guy is now my favourite detective. Put me down.

Nope. Come on, mate. At least this one looks vaguely interested in what I'm saying. Oh, my God, he's heavy. I'm Sarah Churchwell. And together were the hosts of Journey Through Time, where we tell history from the ground up. This week, we're discussing the surprising history

of the National Rifle Association in the U.S., the NRA, which is really the story of how guns became so tangled with American identity. The NRA was set up to improve gun safety and regulation after the Civil War. Because despite what we're told today, America was a society that favored strong gun control for most of its history. It was actually only in the late 20th century, while the NRA was being run, in fact, by a convicted killer that the NRA transformed into a for-profit group that was against gun control. And that position has reshaped America in the most profound possible ways. This history is essential to understanding the thinking behind some of the militias who took part in the storming of the Capitol building in 2021 and how these ideas are bleeding into law enforcement and who is propping up Trump in 2025. Ultimately, this is a story of national myth making and it's also a story about really effective marketing.

Now, as a treat for our listeners, we've got a short clip at the end of this episode. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, come on, come on, come on, come on, please. Where are you? Where are you? Don't do this shit! Hey! It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's me, it's me. Ah, jeez, ah man, what is it? Fucking everywhere. We're surrounded, I'm so sorry, Billy. I've messed this up. I've missed this up bad. I don't have the ammo for this.

Hey, you haven't missed this up. I have, mate, I have. Hey, hey, look at me. However this ends, we're heroes, right? Down to the last. Yeah? Yeah. Yeah.

Reload. Full round. Gonna need it. We make a break out from here. Under cover of smoke. We head for the perimeter we saw from before. Close off the flanks. Exactly. Fight them on one single front.

Okay, let's do this. Go. Smoke, smoke, smoke! Move, move! Don't look back, Billy! I'm taking fire! Stay focused, covering fire! We're everywhere!

Billy! Just stay with me! I don't think we can... No, Billy! Billy! Oh my God, no! It's just... It's just you now. No, no, no, we can clean this up. Come on, come on.

It's... Oh, God, it's everywhere. It's just... It's red everywhere. It's helpless, Watson. Go, please. Reach the perimeter. Shh, shh, shh, give them hell.

Shh, shh, shat my gun. Use both of them. Okay. Okay. I can hear them. They're coming. It's time. It's a time.

Time. They're here. Lock and load. Ow! Shit, Stammo! Oh, well, you're cheating, mate. What are you on about? I'm outnumbered, five to one.

Six. Ow! Sherlock, the game is finished. Yeah, it's only finished because you cheated. How did I cheat? Because you're using two guns, dickheads. Don't, dickhead? Because you shot Billy in the neck?

No, I didn't. I did. I see? Oh, I'm going to tell the paintball rest. Stamo, honestly, me. No, I'm serious, John, you're cheating. You are cheating. Oh, don't you stop?

Ow, Watson. John? Ow! Jesus! Someone hit me again! Yeah, that was me. Stop! Everyone just... That's enough.

Cheers! What I'm saying is, Stammo, what is the difference? For God's sake, John. The difference is you add two guns. didn't you? Yeah, and? You dove through the air firing two guns at the same time.

That's cheap. How? Sam? Yeah. How many guns did you have? One. Lucas? One.

Sherlock? One. Right, okay. Enough. Right, okay, look. I momentarily had two guns, okay? Momentarily because Billy got shot, didn't you, Billy? In the neck?

Yeah. Look, bruise. Yeah, we've seen it four times now, mate. And I was outnumbered. I needed to avenge him. Perhaps you could cover a bit. Billy's admission fee for the paintbook, thus entitling you to his gun, and this problem will be swiftly annulled. Do you know what, Sherlock? That is a good point. That'll be 55 quid, please, John.

I think Billy bought the big ammo pack too as well, so let's call it 70 quid, sorry, eh? No, you're all right. Yes, we did it. He broke it. That was the real battle right there, won't it? Oh, right, now who's cheating? What? Boys, lads, gents, all of the above. On behalf of the best man, where are you cancy-cants?

Here. There he is. It's time to toast our stag. He ducked out with the paintball punishment. Duked out, come. But he can't duck out of this. I know he's an old stag, a geriatric stag, but he can still down a pint. Let's have you, Stamo.

To Stamo! Come on it, don't it, don't see. Hey! Don't ask me, mate, I haven't been to a club since my 20s. I don't think... I don't know, I don't remember, ironically. That's the three students maybe, but then that was just me deluding myself that I was in my 20s. Should I buy him a shot of something? Of course, yeah!

But what does a stag expect to have as a shot? In terms of palate, would he prefer the vodka's and gins? Or would it be more whiskey? Sherlock, it's not about what the stag wants. It's a stag dude. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But the idea is we're showing him such a bad time, it turns into a good time. Sorry, what?

Just don't get him something he'd expect. You know, this is about his friends having the freedom to wind him up for a day. So, you know, if you wanted to wind him up... Oh, I absolutely do. Exactly, so what would you want to get him? I will ask the bar star for a concoction. That's the spirit. Spirit being the key word there.

Cheers. Cheers shows. Hi John. Hey, Kent. How you doing, mate? Yeah, good. Just looking after this one. Oh, hello.

Oh, shut on. Feeling rough. Need the fresh air, I think. Now, you can blame us. No, no, that's my own fault, in it. I'm just over excited. Yeah, of course. I thought I'd check it with Nadia as well.

Oh, yeah. Is she, how's she? She's not hammered in some grotty club, too, is she? No, no, no. She's a spa retreat near Chalman. Right, sounds boring. It's a bit more relaxing, though, no. Come on, mate, I know you.

Kant's knows you. We know where you'd rather be. Well, I did suggest camping, didn't I? Or glamping. Technically, I suppose. See, proper pal, is our cunt. Aren't you, mate? Yeah, be your future brother-in-law.

He's got to be nice to you, haven't you, cats? Yeah, yeah, I suppose I do. I mean, I'm not even in medicine anymore, unlike Lucas and Sam, so I don't even have to suck up to you like they do. Yeah, but you wouldn't have your business if it wasn't for me, would you? Oh, what, because you introduced us? I don't dismiss it. It's true.

Did Mark introduce you to Sherlock, did he? He did. Yeah, yeah. And he's informed me of that every day since. Oh, speak of the well-dressed paintball playing devil Good evening I have a drink for the stag Ha ha ha ha lovely he is right here

What are you got here The bar staff referred to it as a tapeworm Oh for God It's vodka Oh okay Mayanase and hot sauce Oh Alright

Enjoy, I have one too I feel these things are best done in solidarity Always the Honourable man Cheers, shallop Cheers! Actually, they're all that interesting mix. What do you think, Stamford? Stammo?

Want me to hold your hair back? No. What's left of it anyway? Shut up. I can rub your back. No. No. God.

Oh, there you are. How many times have we done this? Yeah Since I went When do we start? It's what? 2008 Something like that

God, yeah Buddy's getting old though now in it Probably can't be chucking tapeworms down in Well, you do make people younger For a living Well, so they think

Ha ha ha Please for you, me Thanks, pal And thanks again for coming. I know crime doesn't take a day off. Well, yeah, we asked nicely. It did so. Marriage, eh?

Marriage. What a guy should be doing in his 30s, I suppose, not running around after murderers and burglars. No, no, no, I'm not having that. I'm not having that from the guy who has the coolest job in the world. Ha ha ha ha ha. Hey. Hey, you're right? Yeah, just... You know, I get them.

Mary Blues a bit, well... I know. I know. I can tell. Thanks for... for this year, you know? I can't be easy. Sure, nothing's easy with you. Dick! Also on the... On the subject of...

in you. And thanks for, you know, filling in the gap where Greg can't, you know. Who can't? He's great. Yeah, no, no, no. Greg Cancelmere is a really, really nice guy, yeah? And I'm lucky to have him as my brother-in-law, soon to be. Yeah, don't get too excited. No idea you might get enlightened at that spa and ditch you. But he, he struggles in settings like, like this, you know. Yeah, no, hey, hey, hey. Everyone's different, mate. Makes the world go around. Exactly. Exactly.

Has he, uh, geeked out in front of you yet? Uh, no, actually. He briefly made quite a niche Iron Man reference before paintball that he had to then explain. But otherwise, no, haven't had the pleasure. What, was it? You okay? Is she actually dumped you? No, no. Then, what is it? Oh, God. It's back.

Wasper. Tape one. Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, you know. 221A, this is the Sherlock

of Office and Co. Welcome to the Sherlock. Yeah, it's nice. Very office. Mm, yeah, yeah. I'm gonna, I'm gonna sleep on. Mr. Couch, this is Mr. Couch. Mr. Couch is.

Couch, he's vegan, vegan, Protestant Couch. He's couch. He's one that, 100% couch. Do you want me to couch? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Mariana, um, um, um, um, I'm, um, I'm, um, I'm, um, a, I'm, um, I'm, um, her, accommodating, so, um, she, I should, I should, maybe, you take my bed

upstairs. Yeah, great, uh, we'll do. I'll see you in, oh, in the morning, we can go out for another pub crawl. Yes, yeah, oh, great, child. We'll have a boozy brunch. Go hang out in the park, meet up with Stammo again. This is a truly excellent idea. Oh, yeah, love it.

I'll set my alarm for eight, eight, eight o'clock, and we'll keep the party going. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Hey. John? Uh, no, reloading, covering fire. Get up. No, no, no, alarm, not waiting for alarm. Your alarm went off five hours.

words ago. It's the afternoon. Yeah, really funny, Mariana. Can you refill my water, please? Archie? Lick his face. No, wait, please. No. Oh, Archie, you are such a traitor. I'm your own of us. Yeah, thanks, mate. Thank you. Lovely. Please, please, can you

go upstairs now? You smell like Vagabiga Factoria. Sorry, what? Vagabiga. Why do I feel like I'm either still drunk or dreaming? Vagabiga. It's a brewery. Pali Pasealecua, Indonostia. Giputqua?

I do not have the brain power for this. Afternoon. Good Lord. Mm, the smell? Like some sort of chemical spill. Hey, you are just as guilty as I am. How was it? Uh, really good.

Actually, really good. Yeah, we bonded. We were merry. We, you know, it's amazing to see a friend. Start in a new chapter of his life. and how excited he is, for him and Nadia to grow together. First, he grew with his friends.

You don't remember a thing, do you? Not a thing. God, the wedding is in two days. I need every second of those to recover from this. I cannot eat or drink another thing ever, alcohol or otherwise. I'm just, I feel completely... I've over-consumed.

I'm making a tea. Ooh, yes, please. Sherlock, get the custard creams. You get them. I'm ill. I'm basically dying. Oh, his best man is nice. Oh yeah, Greg Cantlebe. How'd you meet him?

We had coffee this morning. Oh, where'd you go? To the cafe across the road. No, we were sat right there, dude. You slept through the whole thing. Oh. Well, I really was out of it. What is this? Hmm? A note. I... Oh, I don't know. What does it say?

The Maserine Stone. To binge this adventure in full and without ads, go to Patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and co. I don't know I'm going to be able to I'm going to I'm going to I'm sorry. I'm Sarah Churchill from Journey Through Time.

And here's that clip we mentioned earlier on. So this is the thing that will amaze anybody who knows what the NRA is today, is that it began as a gun safety organization. What they discovered was that the soldiers in the Civil War were not good at gun safety. They were actually hopeless. They kept kind of shooting themselves and each other and they kept missing all their targets. As the Civil War was breaking out, there are these Americans in England who see the National Rifle Association and think, well, that's a good idea. We should have training in gun safety and in marksmanship. You know, people should be just, you know, better at it.

And so that's the idea, but it takes them 10 years to get there because the Civil War is keeping the Americans a little bit busy. But at the same time, the gun industry is growing. It's growing because of the Civil War. And so the gun industry starts to pivot to see themselves as marketing to individual U.S. consumers. And they start to market them as status symbols as symbols of personal power. If you want to hear more, listen to Journey Through Time wherever you get your podcasts.