(WARNING! SPOILERS! SPOILERS EVERYWHERE!)
(SECOND WARNING! IT IS A BIT BIG)
Isn’t it funny when a blog always starts its posts with the
phrase ‘stumbled onto’ when in reality it means ‘very intentionally and
passionately spent time on this matter’?
The final episode of season four and quite possibly the
whole series of Sherlock was such a huge deal for me that I tried to work it
into as many conversations as I could; for example ‘I am not feeling well,
maybe I should see a doctor, or maybe we should see if Dr. Watson was shot in
the head after "The Lying Detective"’. I am subtle, I know. You don’t even want
to imagine the rants I would go into when I would see an Aston Martin (I live
in London now, it happens).
Before I go into detail I should say that season four was a
roller coaster for me in a way. I was not insanely pleased with t'The Six Thatchers', as it pretty much embodied all my problems with
season three; little deduction, a lot of feelings, introversion, and Mary being
the centre of everything. The second episode was a
stroke of genius, it was good old Sherlock (Mary has just died, coincidence?)
with a wonderful case, deductions, wit and a lot of emotions yet rightly
placed. Not to mention the INSANE TWIST AT THE END! What the fuck was that?!
How wonderfully did it all tie up together? ‘There’s an east wind coming’, ‘You
know what happened with the other one’, and my own personal favourite:
Sherlock’s first and only mistake when meeting John was taking for granted that
John’s drunk, distant sibling was a brother! Do you see?! It is the same
mistake we all made about the third Holmes! How awesome is that?
My expectations for the last episode were very high, as I
think everyone’s were. It was a very intense episode, stressful dare I say, and
I was much invested while watching it. And while I am very, very positively biased
in regard to this series, I have some complaints. I think I liked the episode,
but had the whole series been these last two seasons, I would not have. Let me
start with the positives. As mentioned, it was very intense and suspenseful, no
argument there. I don’t even have to
mention that the directing was beautiful and the actors were great because
those are kind of givens. I have to mention three scenes I just adored though.
The first one
The second scene was James Moriarty showing up listening to Queen’s ‘I want to break free’. I love how this series keeps on toying with our heads, it sticks up its middle finger and says ‘Oh, you think we will ridiculously resurrect Moriarty just because Andrew Scott is such a cool villain? IN YOUR FACE’. Loved it!
And the last scene which has received some backlash by some
over-the-top feminists was the one with Molly Hooper. While a man killed
himself, Sherlock almost had to kill his best friend or brother and a little
kid was left to die in a well, this scene was somehow the saddest because we know how
she feels for so long. It is beautiful!
Molly: I can't say it
because it's true, Sherlock. It's always been true.
Sherlock: Well if it's
true then say it anyway.
CHIIIIILS! Who knew that deducting robot could be so
freaking sweet! I like that Sherlock is more human, I know many people
don’t, but as it has been explicitly shown in this season that is how he
overthrows all those of superior intellect (although I still think Mycroft is
not the smart one as he claims). And I also think it is a wonderful character
development as the best character developments come from character interaction,
a.k.a. ‘John Watson rubs off on Sherlock; he is more than a passive sidekick’.
I also think it provides a good platform for Benny to show off his acting
chops; he can play emotionally distraught just as well as high functioning
sociopath.
Now, for the complaints. I feel like the sister was such a
good twist and it was wasted in this episode. It opened and closed, it had no
permanent effect! All the plot twists in this episode were for the sake of
having plot twists; she is back in the asylum and now good?! No one had to
compromise his ethics, the little girl didn’t die (OR EXIST) and 221B Baker Street
looks as if no bomb ever went off! The only thing that had a permanent effect
(and be there another season, I expect them to honour) is the new emotional
situation between Molly and Sherlock.
I have so many problems with Euros’ character. First of
all, she is built up as this cold, cynical character, worse than Mycroft, and
in the end she is driven by loneliness and rejection? While that is
psychologically sound, when you want to top the insane Moriarty as a threat, the villain
cannot be beaten by a brotherly hug. That was ridiculous and sudden and
unfounded. She lacks emotion, that is her deal! Also, this might just be me, but
shouldn’t she be more mad at Mycroft than Sherlock? I mean, I know he preferred
Redbeard and did not play with her as a child, but Mycroft locked her up for
the rest of her life in an inhumane island. Wasn’t Sherlock already revenged
when she drowned Redbeard? Last problem with Euros’ character; supposedly she is brilliant, so
intelligent that she could predict the days of the last three terrorist attacks
after an hour on twitter. Why not show us all that deducting magnificence? This
is what we fell in love with in this series to begin with! What does she notice
that Sherlock and Mycroft can’t? AND THE LITTLE GIRL NOT BEING REAL WAS ‘LOST’ ALL OVER AGAIN!
The other thing that bothered me that very likely did not
bother others is the location of this episode. I feel like Sherlock is an
homage to London and while I wouldn’t mind a random episode to be shot
elsewhere, like so many have, I kind of wanted the last ever Sherlock episode
to be in London. It is more of a sentimental thing. Further advocating for
London as a background, Sherlock notices what is there that should not mean
anything yet he makes sense of it. But in this ‘deduction arcade’
everything he sees is meant for him to notice! It kind of defeats the purpose. In all other episodes the surroundings guide the case and in this one, the case directed the surroundings. Also, this laboratory background in itself does not attenuate the Holmes’ lack
of sentimentality, it actually overshadows it.
Last but not least, WHY DID MARY CLOSE THE SHOW? Haven’t we
dealt enough with her already? She had to have the last word!
I feel like a spoilt child, whining about how the villainous
sister wasn’t villainous enough, or the location relatable enough. I should
just shut up and enjoy, For Sherlock is an amazing series and in all honesty,
this was a good wrap up for an epilogue. Till the very end…
