This post contains SPOILERS for the second series of Sherlock, episode three, The Reichenbach Fall.
I think it would be fair to say, some viewers had quite a lot of opinions about Series one’s mid-point, The Blind Banker, and were not particularly optimistic about its writer Steve Thompson taking on this particularly enormous storyline. Well, never judge a man solely by his Chinese gangsters (or space pirates, if you saw the last series of Dr Who) because it has to be said he’s pulled together something pretty fantastic for this, the third and final act of Series two.
We’ve had The Woman, we’ve had The Hound and now, it seems, it’s time for The Fall. And believe me on this one single point- If John (Martin Freeman) and Molly (Louise Brealey) don’t break your heart along the way, at least just a little bit, then you probably don’t have one.
I don’t even really know where to start with everything going on here, there’s a lot to get stuck in to. Not least of all a slightly unexpected cameo from a previous Sherlock Homes, Douglas Wilmer, here taking the part of a scandalised patron of The Diogenes Club. I may have possibly found this slightly more thrilling than it deserved to be. That aside, however, The Reichenbach Fall is a chunky, paranoid end to the series, and almost entirely sparked by the triumphantly psychotic return of Andrew Scott’s rather fabulous Moriarty.
Do you want to break into The Bank of England? Steal a crown or two? How about turn the prison system entirely upside-down? Well, why not do all three at once cause now there’s an app for that, and Moriarty’s got it, ready and waiting for the highest bidder. But not everything is as it seems and with trained assassins moving in to the flat next door and the press dogging Sherlock’s every footstep, it’s probably the worst possible time for someone to start casting doubt upon the origins of his apparent deductive genius.
Moriarty’s got a plan, and it involves making good on his promise to destroy Sherlock entirely. Though not before they’ve had a nice cup of tea and a sit down first. It’s a meeting that sets off a cascade of events, revelations and achingly subtle emotional punches that leave not just Sherlock’s honesty but also his sanity in question. Even the most dogged loyalties are pushed and betrayal comes from probably the last place you would have expected. There are plenty of repercussions all round, with the depth of Moriarty’s insanity finally becoming apparent and Sherlock’s determination to stop him coming at the cost of almost everything he’s ever worked for.
Of course there’s only one place Reichenbach can end, and that’s with a cliff-top confrontation. It’s a great scene, the foamingly crazy Moriarty both baiting Sherlock for his failings and visibly aching for him to prove himself as an equal. It’s a climax that in less capable hands could have degenerated into sheer scenery-chewing but if there’s one thing that’s always pulled Sherlock above its peers it’s the incredible performances of its cast. Cumberbatch is at his most furiously unearthly, sneering and aloof against Scott’s fickle and psychotic villain. For me there’s not one wrong note in that. From Molly’s quiet tradgedy, to John’s bitter grief at the end, it simply proves all over again what really good TV is actually capable of.
It’s an incredible season finale, and I loved every breathless, tense second of it. But it would be remiss of me not to mention that cliffhanger…
Of course we all knew that final reveal was going to happen, it simply had to. But damned if I know exactly how it was done. Or, indeed, how long we’re going to have to wait to find out. But there are enough hints peppered through to keep the determined guessing for a good while to come.
Sherlock will be available to watch on the BBC iPlayer until 22nd January. Sherlock Series 2 comes out on Region 2 DVD and Blu-Ray on the 23rd January. The Sherlock Soundtrack will be available to buy on CD or as a download from the 30th January.
Steven Moffat also confirmed via Twitter that The BBC actually commissioned the third series at the same time it commissioned the second, though no dates have yet been specified.
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Lady T
Lady T is a great lover of British TV, which is helpful as that's mostly what she gets to watch. She strongly believes that tea can't be made using a microwave, that children's programming really was better when she was a kid, and that there's nothing in the world that can't be solved with a liberal application of common sense. She very much enjoys reading but like most of the rest of the world would some day like to write a book herself. If she ever succeeds in doing so there's a pretty good chance she'll never shut up about it. She can be contacted at lady_t_220 @ yahoo.co.uk.
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