Editor’s note: This post would’ve gone up on Monday, but I used this space to say goodbye to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who passed away the day before. Having said that, the Sherlock season finale was a great mental distraction from all the terrible realities life throws at us occasionally. I hope the show and this post give you a nice mental boost to get you through the rest of the week.
Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog should know that I am a huge fan of the series Sherlock and it’s writer Stephan Moffat. The series 3 finale, which aired this past Sunday in the U.S., definitely did not let me down. I’m not going to spoil too much of the show since I believe half the fun is in the surprise, but if even my hinting at things will ruin it for you then you should wait until you have watched before you continue reading.
If you’re still with us then you know the finale had a LOT of surprises. The theme of the episode was secrets, both the power they have and what people will do to keep them. Discoveries were made about key characters, and there was the usual Holmes & Watson’s lives being endangered, as tends to happen in the finale. What was different was the ending. Yes, it was a cliff hanger, but not in the way you expected it to be. While I loved ever minute of the episode (and pretty much stopped breathing for an hour and thirty minutes) my favorite part was how the episode seemed to be over and the credits about to roll, but suddenly the rug was pulled out from under us. It was as if Moffat had yelled “PSYCH!” and completely fooled us. I’ve never been so excited to be tricked in my life.
I’m sure we’re all eagerly awaiting the return of our favorite detective. Good news: It seems that the BBC is making a push for a Christmas episode this year. Possibly bad news: Moffat has looked at the ratings for each season and took notice to the fact each season has been better than the last. That in itself is actually great news, but he takes it into account that there was a large break in between each series. So, while we might be getting a new adventure soon, it seems we also might be looking at a bit of a wait for a full new season. Mixed messages to be sure, but it’s also understandable considering the major players in the series all have other projects they are working on as well. However long we have to wait, I’m sure Moffat will make it worth our while.