The Definitive Ranking of Every Sherlock Episode (So Far)
By Lacy Baugher
The promotional photos for this episode seem so charmingly innocuous in light of what happens. (Photo: BBC)
2. The Reichenbach Fall (Season 2, Episode 3)
The famous rivalry between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty is the driving force behind the Season 2 finale, one of the best episodes Sherlock has ever produced. It’s so good that it almost doesn’t matter that the Season 3 premiere which followed provided an unsatisfying resolution to its gut-wrenching cliffhanger, or that it undid many of the emotional character beats. It’s impossible to watch “Reichenbach” and not fully believe Sherlock’s sacrifice or remain unmoved by John’s anguish.
For once, the show’s tendency toward overly intricate plotting pays off in spades, as Moriarty crafts an increasingly complicated and terrifying plot to destroy Sherlock, ruin his reputation, and threaten everyone he cares about. Andrew Scott gets free rein to be his most maniacal, devious, and entertaining self. As his plot to frame Sherlock comes together, it manages to feel both shocking and inevitable. There’s a sense of impending doom building throughout the episode. It feels as if there’s no way this mystery would have ever ended happily for anyone involved.
“The Reichenbach Fall” ends with Sherlock throwing himself off the roof of a hospital in front of his best friend. It’s the culmination of an episode full of gut-wrenching emotional moments. There’s Sherlock’s quietly sad conversation with Molly. John’s ferociously moving insistence that his friend isn’t a fraud. Sherlock’s horrified realization that Moriarty outplayed him. And our general understanding that Sherlock – who famously claimed he wasn’t a hero – would die for his friends.
The episode’s aftermath, in which fans around the world engaged in a two-year debate about how Holmes faked his death, often overshadows the episode itself. It’s a shame, as this is a fairly great piece of television. But it doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and that’s why it’s not in the top slot.