Creators: Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss
Written by: Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Stephen Thompson (based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Amanda Abbington
Music: David Arnold, Michael Price
Time: 88 minutes (per episode)
Bottom-line: The thrills have reduced, but towards the end everything is back on track
After the twist ending of Season 2, all Sherlock fans would have screaming to watch the latest season to see how Sherlock Holmes miraculously escaped from “whatever he did in the last episode of the previous season”. All the actors reprise their roles: Benedict as Sherlock, Freeman as Watson, and the new character is Mary Morstan (Abbington), Watson’s fiancé. Compared to the first two seasons, I felt that the thrills have reduced considerably, and the overall quality has dropped by a wee amount as well. However, even if not through thrills, this season promises entertainment in other forms!
The first episode, The Empty Hearse is sort of a continuation from the Christmas mini-episode. Philip Anderson, a man working for Inspector Lestrade, puts forth a theory that several mysterious incidents happening around the world seem to be getting closer and closer to London. He believes that these are Holmes’ works, and that he will return soon. Meanwhile, Holmes actually does return, to help his brother Mycroft (Gatiss) uncover a terrorist attack in London. This episode mainly deals with how Watson and Holmes reunite, Watson’s love life with Mary, and what Holmes to stop the apparent terrorist attack on London.
The second episode, The Sign of Three, is perhaps the least thrilling Sherlock episode made so far. The episode tells how Sherlock prepares to give the best man’s speech at Watson’s wedding, and in the process he also narrates two old, unsolved cases: The Bloody Guardsman and The Mayfly man. By the end of the episode, Sherlock realises that both the incidents are connected, and that someone else at the wedding is going to be murdered as well.
The final episode, His Last Vow, brings back all the thrills that the earlier episodes failed to provide (in my view). Holmes faces a new nemesis, Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen), a newspaper owner who has information about practically everyone. All the information is stored in hard copies, and using them, he blackmails people. As the episode progresses, we see that he has information on Mary that can send her to prison for a long time. As Sherlock tries to resolve matters with Magnussen, he realises that the latter’s target is not Mary, but something much bigger...
While all the six episodes of the previous two seasons had some mystery or the other, here, the first two episodes focussed more on other things. The Empty Hearse initially is only about how Sherlock returns, and what he actually did two years ago. The Sign of Three was boring, though the humour was effective, and Sherlock’s best man speech, I admit, was the highlight – that is perhaps the only thing I found enjoyable. The final episode is a roller-coaster ride – for the second time (after The Reichenbach Fall) we see that Sherlock is not on the winning side. There are many unexpected twists, and the events happening in the last few minutes will make you desperate for the release of Season 4 (and that's something the creators have done right every time - provide a huge twist at the end of the final episode of every season, and make the viewers wait two years to know what happens!).
For once, I found the acting of Martin Freeman better than that of Benedict, in the first episode. But both of them maintain their acting quality throughout the season. The main highlight, however, is Lars Mikkelsen – who plays Mugnussen. Just when you thought Moriarty was the only nemesis Holmes had, there comes this guy with such a convincing performance that his character was, in a way, terrifying (as described by Moffat as well). In Sherlock, as far as the nine episodes are concerned, acting plays a big role in the effective portrayal of a good villain, and both Andrew Scott and Mikkelsen have not disappointed.
The photography, score and other special effects were perfect, like always. So while the third season of Sherlock didn’t quite match my expectations, it is still a joy ride for those die-hard fans of Sherlock. Only the second episode is a bit boring, but nevertheless, there are many more things to praise about. Watch for the splendid performances of Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Mikkelsen, and of course, do not miss the last few minutes of His Last Vow! Another good season with an electrifying finale... go for it!
My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
Written by: Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Stephen Thompson (based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Amanda Abbington
Music: David Arnold, Michael Price
Time: 88 minutes (per episode)
Bottom-line: The thrills have reduced, but towards the end everything is back on track
After the twist ending of Season 2, all Sherlock fans would have screaming to watch the latest season to see how Sherlock Holmes miraculously escaped from “whatever he did in the last episode of the previous season”. All the actors reprise their roles: Benedict as Sherlock, Freeman as Watson, and the new character is Mary Morstan (Abbington), Watson’s fiancé. Compared to the first two seasons, I felt that the thrills have reduced considerably, and the overall quality has dropped by a wee amount as well. However, even if not through thrills, this season promises entertainment in other forms!
 |
| Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock |
The first episode, The Empty Hearse is sort of a continuation from the Christmas mini-episode. Philip Anderson, a man working for Inspector Lestrade, puts forth a theory that several mysterious incidents happening around the world seem to be getting closer and closer to London. He believes that these are Holmes’ works, and that he will return soon. Meanwhile, Holmes actually does return, to help his brother Mycroft (Gatiss) uncover a terrorist attack in London. This episode mainly deals with how Watson and Holmes reunite, Watson’s love life with Mary, and what Holmes to stop the apparent terrorist attack on London.
The second episode, The Sign of Three, is perhaps the least thrilling Sherlock episode made so far. The episode tells how Sherlock prepares to give the best man’s speech at Watson’s wedding, and in the process he also narrates two old, unsolved cases: The Bloody Guardsman and The Mayfly man. By the end of the episode, Sherlock realises that both the incidents are connected, and that someone else at the wedding is going to be murdered as well.
 |
| Martin Freeman as Watson, with Sherlock |
The final episode, His Last Vow, brings back all the thrills that the earlier episodes failed to provide (in my view). Holmes faces a new nemesis, Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen), a newspaper owner who has information about practically everyone. All the information is stored in hard copies, and using them, he blackmails people. As the episode progresses, we see that he has information on Mary that can send her to prison for a long time. As Sherlock tries to resolve matters with Magnussen, he realises that the latter’s target is not Mary, but something much bigger...
While all the six episodes of the previous two seasons had some mystery or the other, here, the first two episodes focussed more on other things. The Empty Hearse initially is only about how Sherlock returns, and what he actually did two years ago. The Sign of Three was boring, though the humour was effective, and Sherlock’s best man speech, I admit, was the highlight – that is perhaps the only thing I found enjoyable. The final episode is a roller-coaster ride – for the second time (after The Reichenbach Fall) we see that Sherlock is not on the winning side. There are many unexpected twists, and the events happening in the last few minutes will make you desperate for the release of Season 4 (and that's something the creators have done right every time - provide a huge twist at the end of the final episode of every season, and make the viewers wait two years to know what happens!).
 |
| The wedding: Watson (left), with Mary (Abbington) and Sherlock |
For once, I found the acting of Martin Freeman better than that of Benedict, in the first episode. But both of them maintain their acting quality throughout the season. The main highlight, however, is Lars Mikkelsen – who plays Mugnussen. Just when you thought Moriarty was the only nemesis Holmes had, there comes this guy with such a convincing performance that his character was, in a way, terrifying (as described by Moffat as well). In Sherlock, as far as the nine episodes are concerned, acting plays a big role in the effective portrayal of a good villain, and both Andrew Scott and Mikkelsen have not disappointed.
The photography, score and other special effects were perfect, like always. So while the third season of Sherlock didn’t quite match my expectations, it is still a joy ride for those die-hard fans of Sherlock. Only the second episode is a bit boring, but nevertheless, there are many more things to praise about. Watch for the splendid performances of Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Mikkelsen, and of course, do not miss the last few minutes of His Last Vow! Another good season with an electrifying finale... go for it!
My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
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