16 Times Sherlock Drove Us All Crazy
By Lacy Baugher
Andrew Scott really does have the whole smarmy villain thing down, though. (Photo: BBC)
When They Acted Like Moriarty Isn’t Dead
One of the many shocking elements of Season 2 finale “The Reichenbach Fall” was the death of Sherlock’s nemesis Moriarty. He killed himself as part of a plan to ruin Sherlock and force him to commit suicide in front of all his friends. It was a surprising scene, both for its sudden violence and the fact that the show was basically ditching Sherlock Holmes’ most recognizable adversary after just two seasons. So, on some level, it makes sense to think that the powers that be might not want to let go of that just yet.
But, guys, Moriarty shot the back of his own head out. The man is dead. Now maybe it turns out he has an evil twin or a vengeful cousin or a business associate who wants to break into the world of crime by using his name. All of those things are plausible. Well, plausible enough. They’re not as out there as the alternative, at any rate. But there’s legitimately no way that anyone could have survived that kind of gunshot wound. So can we chill with the hints that he might return? Can we not even imply that it’s a thing that’s possible? People have been left speculating about this for something like three years now, and it’s hardly a cliffhanger worthy of the time invested into it.
Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss obviously have to stoke interest in Sherlock’s upcoming season. And the Moriarty “Did you miss me?” video Season 3 cliffhanger – and Sherlock’s subsequent drug trip that was “The Abominable Bride” – left the question out there in fairly dramatic fashion. Even Sherlock’s in-episode quote on the subject doesn’t help much. “I never said he was alive. I said he was back,” he claimed. Whatever that means. In the (many) months that followed, Moffat and Gaitss have done dozens of interviews on the future of Sherlock. And while they never claim Moriarty’s returning, they also seem pretty happy to let people keep thinking he might be. Aren’t there different stories to tell? Beyond this? Don’t we have to move past Moriarty at some point?
Number of eyerolls: 5