Sherlock series four has been a complete emotional roller coaster, for both the characters and the viewers. I have written my reviews for both 'The Lying Detective' and 'The Final Problem', but here I am going to talk about the entire series, both separately as episodes but also how they worked as a whole.
This series has definitely been a substantial series of Sherlock. It stands out to me as a series we will remember for both good and bad, but for also giving us a part of a story we would never know. The first two series of Sherlock as unarguably the best, in terms of what the Sherlock creators do best, which is telling detective stories. As we went on through to Series three we had gotten invested in the characters themselves and wanted more of their story. If we just wanted to hear detective stories we could just pick up The Complete Collection of Sherlock Holmes Adventures, by Arthur Conan Doyle. (which I actually own). But to create something so phenomenal is to create great characters, with great stories, and futures and pasts that make them everything they are today and more. This is what Series 4 did, in particular the Final Problem.
The Six Thatchers was an enjoyable yet strange episode. It didn't seem to quite fit with what Sherlock was normally like and it didn't go unnoticed. Many viewers theorised that much of it was fake, or as it ended with Sherlock at a therapists office, that he told it as an unreliable narrator. But nothing transpired from that episode. The death of Mary that ended the episode created a rift between Sherlock and John that seemed irreparable. But with only three episodes per season we knew they'd have to hurry up and get on with it. The acting in both Episode one and two, following Mary's death was incandescent. Martin Freeman really stood out this Season, and definitely deserves a BAFTA for his moving portrayal of raw emotion in an understated yet poignant performance, particularly so in the end of The Lying Detective during his speech, in which he reveals to his dead wife that he wasn't the man she thought he was, but that was "The whole point." I am tearing up now just thinking about it.
But the first episode was clearly all about Mary. This is good, I like Mary and I am fascinated by her past. I am not however at all interested in war or spy films, unless they are exceptional. But when it is mostly action I grow tired of it quickly. So Mary's past bored me. We didn't really find out what she did only one job, the one that happened to go wrong. But she was great in her final hour. Her running away only to keep her husband and child safe, her friendship with Sherlock, bringing out the best in him and eventually, dying to save him. She is a true hero and soldier. Her death may have been untimely and was mostly a plot device, but as they said it is 'necessary' in some way, as the story is about Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson as the ending showed. But we'll get to that.
The first episode was sprinkled with hints of water, the swimming pool they fought in, the aquarium they ended up in, and the bridge Sherlock stood on, it seemed that water was going to become of importance somehow throughout the series, which of course it did, with Redbeard.
Then came episode 2, and I loved it so much, the way is was filmed, the editing, production design and writing in that episode were outstanding and it was definitely one of my favourite things I have ever watched. You can read my review on that here. The arc of Mary's death continued on with this episode, and we saw how it effected both John and Sherlock and people around them. Despite the fact that this arc tying them together existed the episodes still felt very separate and different, in that The Lying Detective felt much more similar to the way Sherlock creators have always told the story, whereas The Six Thatchers seemed a little off, but only a little. In Episode 2 we see the struggle with Sherlock and Johns relationship and how it mends itself, through Mary's posthumous advice to Sherlock. "Go to Hell." The villain of the show is one of the greatest most detestable villians of the show, mirroring many real life celebrities, such as having the keys to the hospital (Jimmy Saville). He also exists in a very relevant political time, reflecting our fears that money means power, which means getting away with anything. Finally the reveal that three characters throughout the two episodes were actually all one person, Sherlock and Mycroft's estranged sister, Euros. (or is it spelt Eurus?). This ending was a cliffhanger to say the least, Euros was obviously tied to Moriarty in some way ("a mutual friend" "miss me") and was shown to have shot a gun in the general direction of John Watson.
Then came episode 3. And we don't get to see any dramatic escape made by John Watson, in fact we barely get an explanation of what happened. Euros just apparently travels back to Sherrinford after tranquillising John because she wants to play a game. And the game she plays is intense and its emotional and Benedict Cumberbatch's acting was fantastic as he finds himself in the centre of some pretty intense mind games, whilst simultaneously coming to terms with the fact that he has a sister, and she's going to kill his friends and she killed his dog, no wait she killed his childhood friend and she burnt down the family home.
But apart from the fact that it is about the Holmes family, this is more a psychological thriller, stand alone film, than anything from the Sherlock series. I enjoyed it yes, but it just wasn't right, you know.
However the ending was absolutely beautiful. The editing was well put together to show the connection between Sherlock and Euros growing stronger through their playing of violin, which starts as Sherlock's own composition from the Scandal in Belgravia, and turns into the Sherlock theme, and Mary once again gives posthumous advice, through the use of a DVD. She gives the show a finality as she talks of the crime solving duo and everything they've come to be, something that remains amongst viewers and readers of anything Sherlock Holmes. We watch as 221B Baker Street is reassembled and a montage sequence shows Sherlock and John continuing to be their old selves, solving crimes together from their flat, and we know that this could be the end.
The creators have said they wish to create more series, but as they are unsure they will definitely be able to, due to Freeman and Cumberbatch being so busy, they created an ending that could very well be the end, and said they unintentionally created a Sherlock and John backstory throughout the four series, showing how they became the characters we all know and love from the original stories, as Mary said, "our Baker Street boys". This, however final it may be, does leave them leeway to continue the stories if they wish. And I really hope they do, and I hope they go back to solving crimes, like they were, because although its nice to have an insight on their lives, the crime solving is really what it's always been about.
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