“He did it for you” makes no sense to me. Yes, he faked his death because of the threats against John, Greg and Mrs. H (though the ability to track down Moriarty’s network seems to be the main reason). But it was set up with Mycroft, Molly and 25 “tramps” involved and Mycroft’s agents covering the snipers. Sherlock made John watch it happen, he saw John weeping at his grave and then let him grieve for 2 years because he didn’t trust John to keep a secret? That is way beyond a bit not good.

And then spends a year of Series 3 paying his penance for doing as such. Protecting John, and his cow wife that shot and killed him. Protects John’s baby. does whatever he possibly can to keep John safe and happy. So what is the point of this now if for no other reason than to just call him an asshole again?

You guys are getting sidetracked. ^_^  Like I said in my initial reblog, the point is that I am at a loss as to how that final conversation can be read positively, given everything the episode did to lay out to us that Sherlock never needed to leave John in the first place.

And in point of fact, you’re quite right: Sherlock explicitly did not do it for John, or even for John, Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson.  He tells us that he and Mycroft had this plan set in motion months in advance, and he expected to end up on that roof by the end.  His reason for doing it all was to deal with Moriarty (by which I don’t mean to imply that he didn’t care about his friends getting shot; but he would have done it regardless of whether they were in danger or not).

Also worth noting: him jumping of the roof has nothing to do with him taking off for two years.  By the facts we’re given, he did indeed need to fake his death in the moment.  It was afterwards his choice to go chasing after the rest of Moriarty’s people.  If he had not chosen to go after Moriarty’s people, then presumably they would have continued to commit crimes, but they would’ve been stupid to come after Sherlock and pick a fight with him after he successfully (to all appearances at the time) dealt with their previously untouchable boss. 

I don’t think the rest of S3 is meant to be a penance, though.  I dunno, I suppose it could be.  But John doesn’t seem to feel a need for him to do penance, and Sherlock really isn’t the type who goes in for self-flagellation.  So I kind of figured the rest of S3 was just him doing things for the love of John Watson.  (Still badly.  He really sucks at doing things for the love of John Watson; it’d probably be better for everyone concerned if he stopped trying.)