Sherlock managed to pull off a difficult feat back in 2010 when it lead to the development of a lively fan-base globally by releasing just three episodes of the show. Sherlock has delivered a total of merely thirteen episodes over the past six years, and yet the fandom keeps growing exponentially. When such an influential show goes on hiatus for a period of three years after leaving fans with a magnificent cliffhanger, expectations are bound to go high as a rocket. The audience does not care if the hiatus was caused by the cast’s schedule complications. They demand their expectations to be surpassed by any means. When it comes to the fourth season of Sherlock, the show was only partially successful in that endeavor.
The story begins a little while after season three and follows Holmes and Watson trying to crack the mystery of Moriarty’s message from beyond the grave while Watson is adjusting to his new life. A case involving the destruction of several sculptures of Margaret Thatcher throws the gang into a bigger conspiracy with Mary at its center, taking large tolls on their lives. Sherlock and Watson are compelled to work on even more cases with their troubled relationship and finally unravel the scheme behind Moriarty’s apparent return.
Season four is Sherlock’s most inconsistent season yet. The much awaited season premiere, “The Six Thatchers”, is easily the show’s worst episode yet. The Thatcher mystery was only mildly interesting to begin with. The episode then shifted its focus to Mary all of a sudden, dragging the plot in odd ways leading to a climax that should have had a large emotional impact on the viewer. Rather, it just makes you go “that’s it?”. Though Watson’s extramarital infatuation in the episode had greater implications later in the season, it was still out of character for the John viewers are used to.
Sherlock’s turbulent relationship with John was one of the core aspects of season 4
The disappointing premiere was followed by “The Lying Detective” which was the best episode in season four. Episode two saw Sherlock desperately trying to prove Culverton Smith, a public figure in England, guilty as a serial killer in front of the world. The Lying Detective had all the quirks of a great Sherlock episode. The plot was gripping, well thought out, and featured a bunch of great character moments that explored Holmes and Watson’s relationship. It was also one of Sherlock’s best directed episodes as the way the shots were stitched together and presented was a great way of putting the viewer inside Sherlock’s drug addled brain. However, the ultimate pay-off was a bit of a letdown and the revelation at the end, though big, was obvious.
Sherlock’s childhood, family, and his growth into the socially dysfunctional was explored deeply in the season
After vaguely alluding to the Moriarty cliffhanger for two episodes, the show finally addressed it in the aptly titled season finale, “The Final Problem”, which was Sherlock’s most personal episode for the character. Holmes and Watson’s investigations lead the duo and Mycroft to a secret prison called Sherrinford which turns into a dangerous labyrinth with the trio trapped inside. Towards its end, the episode explored Sherlock’s childhood in details, revealing how he became the high functioning sociopath he is. Though the episode had many intense sequences, it did not quite live up to the expectations and the conclusion came off as a bit corny. Nonetheless, the final scene backed by Mary’s video monologue was impressive. The writers’ attempt at making the show more emotional and giving Sherlock more of a “human” touch did not work out very well either.
The best part about Sherlock this season was its performances. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were perfect, as always, in their roles. The show’s supporting cast more room to shine this time around. Mark Gatiss as Mycroft Holmes and Una Stubbs as Mrs.Hudson had larger and more impactful roles in season four and both actors were great in their roles. The role of Culverton Smith was played brilliantly by Toby Jones. Sian Brooke’s performance as the season’s big bad was decent but could have been better. Andrew Scott briefly returned as Jim Moriarty in a stylish flashback sequence that was testament to how pivotal Scott and Moriarty were in making the show great.
Toby Jones delivered a brilliant performance as Culverton Smith in “The Lying Detective”
To sum up, Sherlock’s much awaited fourth season started on a disappointing note but was entertaining thanks to the show’s cast and direction. However, it was not the epic fans had expected it to be and was disappointing in many aspects. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat had stated their plans for a fifth season earlier. But season four’s finale might as well have been the series finale considering how conclusive it was. So unless the writers are confident about delivering a season that can top season two, it would be best to leave Sherlock it is now.
Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch Martin Freeman Sherlock Sherlock Season 4
