Sherlock, the BBC reinter pretation of the classic Sher lock Holmes set in modern day London, is back after a two-year hiatus, which cre ated huge amounts of fan-driven hype.
The first episode of season three, which came out Jan. 1, is not only a long time com ing, but it’s also the conclu sion to a cliff-hanger final episode of season two. Yet while expectations were high for the sea son three premiere, it unfortunately seems a little disjointed from the rest of the series.
The last season ends with Sherlock, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, ap parently committing suicide by jumping off a building because he was being blackmailed. If he didn’t do this, his arch nemesis Moriarty, played by Andrew Scott, would kill Sherlock’s loved ones. However, it was hinted in season two that the detective somehow survived.
After waiting a year in suspense, the premiere of Sherlock season three deliv ers the dramatic return fans had been imagining. Howev er that’s about all it accom plishes and I would argue that it could have done so better.
All of the previous hour-and-a-half episodes feature a self-contained story and, several elements that contrib ute to the overarching plot. They’re structured like a se ries of films; watching previ ous episodes might enhance, but it will not make-or-break, the experience.
However, this episode is more of a wrapup to the sec ond season. Sherlock returns, and while there is still a mys tery at the end, not enough attention is paid to it.
This may or may not be a good thing. Though hard core fans will appreciate each character’s reaction to seeing his or her friend back from the dead, especially because the show dedicates enough time to this to look at each of the secondary characters’ reactions, the time spent announcing Sherlock’s return is disproportion ate to developing an ac tual plot.
There is also definite fanservice. Sherlock kisses two different secondary characters, both times in fantasy situations with little to no actual point. This seems to be an unnecessary nod to R-rated Tumblr fan fiction and extreme aficionados of the show.
So though the show’s writ ers definitely paid attention to what the fans were asking, they may have moved away from what made the show great in its previous seasons.
The lack of flashed-out plot is an example, and we also never really got to see Sher lock ask for John Watson’s forgiveness for disappear ing without explanation for two years. He does do so, but always mockingly and never with the emotional sincerity that should be required of him. Hopefully, some apol ogy and explanation of his long disappearance is in the works.
Even so, Watson, played by Martin Freeman, forgives Sherlock for his faked death, but it makes the friendship appear rather one-sided.
John and Sherlock’s friend ship is without a doubt the backbone of the show and isn’t supposed to be one-sided. The show’s charm is that Watson manages to reach through to Sherlock the sociopath, who begins to consider and respect him as a friend. While he says repeat edly that he cares for Watson in the episode, it isn’t effec tively shown.
Fans looking for a set in stone explanation for how Sherlock faked his death will be disappointed, though the writers of the episode provide a feasible theory. I actually felt this was a clever direc tional take, as it pays tribute to the original story (where Holmes was meant to die, but Doyle’s fans convinced him to miraculously revive him). It also keeps a bit of the mystery that this episode is lacking.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s still an excellent show, and it will, in no way, cause me to stop watching. All of these problems simply seem to be that the premiere was thought of as the second half of a previous episode, and it suffers from that. I still highly recommend the first two seasons and season three will probably grow on me as the episodes progress.
The premiere, like the pre vious seasons, displays pris tine cinematography. Every shot is beautiful and cre atively executed, containing different angles, frames, and motions. It also includes ar tistic shots of famous London sites, which I adore.
One of the best bits of the show – being able to see Sher lock’s thoughts in small white words floating around other characters at times – is still incorporated and well done. Moreover, the dialogue is al clever as always, and the twists and mystery are still there, just subdued.
Most of all, the cast is mag nificent. Martin Freeman does a wonderful job por traying a character who sees a close friend he thought was dead, moving between anger and affection realistically and quickly. Cumberbatch seems to live his role as Sherlock, and his performance in the previous, seasons and in this premiere, has made him one of my favorite actors.
As much as was expected out of this grand return of the iconic hero, the episode didn’t have a chance at living up to its predecessors. How ever, it is definitely still high quality, entertaining and well done, and I have the utmost faith in the upcoming season of this fan-favorite series.
