The Series 4 of Sherlock has just come to an end and the TV Show did not lose its humour, the actors are definitively brilliant and the writing is still excellent. However, the new adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are quite disruptive. The show took a new turn as much for the best as for the worst. No matter what one may say, though it, unswervingly, remains a bright TV show within an audiovisual landscape sometimes a little bit insipid.
The first episode of the series “The Six Thatchers” was slightly flat compared to what we were used to. Mary is caught up by her past, not too surprisingly. Besides, the absence of a great villain is regrettable. Compared to Magnussen and Moriarty, the spy chasing Mary seems to be a quite bland character. Moreover, the Sherlock’s new obsession to be the guardian angel of Mary is bugging. This being said, we are quickly reassured at the end of the episode, as he seems to regain his normal behaviour. Unable to remain silent, he inevitably ends up generating a dangerous situation, which leads to Mary’s death. If this tragic end is sad, it ensures the following episodes to have more stamina.
In the second episode “The Lying Detective” John Watson is ‘somewhat’ upset by the death of his wife and thus ignores Sherlock. Besides, he suffers from hallucinations and sees and talks to Mary everywhere he goes. The feeling of drifting away finally diminishes, as it clearly appears that the series has taken a psychological turn. This episode is also the one, which most follows the line of the previous series in terms of bounces and actions. There are an unpleasant, very antipathetic and completely psychotic villain, Culverton Smith (played by Toby Jones), a junkie Sherlock and an angry Watson, the whole within a well tied up intrigue. The two friends obviously finally make up. The episode ends with an enormous cliffhanger: the hidden brother of Sherlock is actually a sister who is none other than John’s therapist and is named Euros (why make it simple when we can make it complicated!).
The third episode “The Final Problem” does not leave any more doubt. The series has become a psychological thriller more than a simple detective story. Some will undoubtedly regret this evolution which leaves less place to eccentrics’ intrigues, others will be delighted to finally obtain the answers they awaited so much about Sherlock’s past. Euros is at the very centre of this episode. The hidden sister of Sherlock and Mycroft is played tremendously well by Siân Brooke. She is a stunning revelation. Mycroft and Euros are definitively presented as the two geniuses of the family, Euros exceeding all the expectations. However, Sherlock with his ‘lower’ intelligence is the most equipped to adapt to the society. He is then the only one able to grow up (emotionally) while the two others fly over the world, which makes him the real genius and the answer to all our problems. The very pragmatic Mycroft Holmes even turns out to have breaches where Mommy and Daddy are far from being thrilled about it. Moriarty also makes his great return (more or less) and as usual is just as insane as funny. Seeing Andrew Scott playing this near-mythical character is a great delight. Obviously, as nothing is left to chance in Sherlock, everything ends up connected, even the minor events. Young Sherlock dreaming of himself as a pirate, the reappearance of Moriarty, Watson flirting with a mysterious girl, Redbeard, the East Wind… it all makes sense.
Hence, this new series is not about solving external problems, but solving those related to the intimacy of the characters. They clearly are the new challenges of the show. The danger, as with all great dangers, comes from the inside. Will Sherlock finally be able to be the hero and the good man who he claims to be? That is the big question.
Maybe the creators of the show tried too hard to answer this question at some points. The post-mortem message from Mary to Sherlock via a DVD seems to be a too common plot, especially for a TV Show, which is usually very inventive. Mary Watson becomes this voice of wisdom, which dictates the boys how to behave. It gives a strange feeling of a divine message intended to save the souls of the two heroes, while it is precisely all the perversions, the amorality and the madness of the characters who make them so endearing in their battle against the evil.
Sherlock also seems to enter a new era: an era of sentimentalism. Unfortunately, the more Sherlock’s character becomes human the more he loses his appeal. It was his incapacity to understand the others and his determination despite everything to fight crime, which made him an interesting character. However, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss would have left the character of Sherlock eternally trapped with the personality of a high-functioning sociopath, we would also have ended up complaining. Thus, his evolution is both disappointing and reassuring. Sherlock is changing and we had better get used to it.
The positive point among all this emotionalism is that the relationship between the two brothers (Mycroft and Sherlock) gets warmer. Mycroft finally appears as a genuine big brother more than a government official. As for the remaining characters, Irene Adler is mentioned on several occasions, but sadly never appears on the screen. Molly Hooper is not very present in this series 4, but gets a moving scene in episode 3. The everlasting bashful lover is not spared, but for once it is not entirely Sherlock’s fault. Mrs Hudson is the revelation of this series. While she’s always had an important place in the hearts of Sherlock, John and viewers, this time she exceeds all our expectations. The few scenes where she appears are absolutely epic and even Mycroft gets it in the neck.
Regarding a potential series 5, nothing is known. Difficult to imagine where it could go, as it seems to have come full circle. The last minutes of series 4 suggest that another series is possible, however, if the schedules of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman allow it. Fingers crossed!
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