Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have been seen as the ultimate partners for as long as they have been in print. Their relationship is far deeper than anything that meets the eye; they mean more to each other than just a business partner or friend. Some have seen their relationship as anything from that of best friends, to homosexual lovers, or to heterosexual lovers as seen between a male Holmes and a female Watson. Whether these statements can be proven or not remains a facet controlled by the reader, but several other useful implications can be drawn from their relationship.
No matter what Watson and Holmes mean to each other, both men seem to follow certain trends throughout the story. Each man contributes to one certain feeling in the tales; Watson will always be inferior to Holmes. Through conversation and description of each other, both men continue to follow this trend. Even though sometimes Watson strays to make a comment or two about Holmes and his laziness or what not, he always comes back to praise him again. Holmes also makes comments to keep Watson in the inferior place that he currently holds. In "A Scandal in Bohemia," Holmes immediately comments on Watson's gaining weight. This is a way to keep Watson feeling badly about himself.
Eventually, Watson expresses his agression toward Holmes, possibly because of the way that he is continually treated. Watson ends up marrying Mary and establishing a firm medical practice. After this, he stays away from Holmes for a long time. It appears that the tensions between them relax after Watson's marriage. The two meet up again after Watson's marriage in "A Scandal in Bohemia."
Though these different incidents can draw unique implications, they are
not as clear cut as other relationships throughout Sherlock Holmes.
Some would infer that close friendship can almost always be equated with
homosexuality, while others would merely believe that Holmes and Watson
were not as friendly as everyone thought. Whatever implications are
drawn from the story, it is still important that the relationship of Holmes
and Watson is evaluated for a more indepth view of the tales.