Sherlock: The Final Problem(s)

SPOILERS AHEAD

Sherlock first aired in 2010, billed as a reimagination of Arthur Conan Doyle's most iconic characters. It certainly was that; it brought Sherlock Holmes and John Watson into the modern era, documenting their lives, cases, and everything in between. It soon became one of the most popular shows on British television, spanning seven years, four seasons, and thirteen episodes. While that number would be standard for a single season of any other long-running show, Sherlock was a little different. Each season was comprised of only three episodes, each with a run time of approximately ninety minutes. The show's lack of episodes and the length of time between seasons became something of a running joke among fans, but not to its detriment. Each season promised great cases, chemistry and excitement, and fans were all too happy to wait in the knowledge that, when new content did come, it would make the hiatus worth it.

I came to the Sherlock hype pretty late, picking it up after season three had already aired. That didn't stop me from falling in love with it, however, and joining in the anxious wait for season four. Expectations were running high, given the excitement of season three and the 2016 New Year's special The Abominable Bride.

I'm not going to beat around the bush: I didn't love season four. It felt like a hard left turn away from the show we had all come to know and love. The first episode - The Six Thatchers - is forgettable, to say the least, despite the fact that it ended on Mary's death. Episode two - The Lying Detective - was better, and probably one of my favourite episodes of the show, despite the way that it handled Sherlock and John's relationship at times (re: the toxicity of the morgue scene where John beats Sherlock up). The final episode of season four, however, is where the majority of the problems lie - no pun intended.

The Final Problem aired on the 15th January 2017. It had a special release in some cinemas, including the one nearest me that I happened to be working in at the time. My friends and I went along to see it, and sat with anticipation as we waited for it to start. This was it; the culmination of a show that had become a fast and firm favourite for me. I - and so many others - had such high hopes for the finale. From the teasers and trailers, it looked as though it was going to be thrilling. Season four had been mediocre thus far, and it needed a dose of traditional Sherlockian excitement to get it back on its feet. Unfortunately, this is not what happened. Not in the slightest.

Before I get into my analysis of The Final Problem, I just want to stress that this is my opinion. In researching other reviews of this episode, I found that it had been hailed as excellent, poignant, fitting, and breath-taking. Personally, I cannot agree with any one of those compliments. I found it messy, out of character, sexist, and excessive, yet cheap. It did not feel like a satisfying denouement for the show - and here's why.

The episode opens with a pseudo-horror sequence that combines elements of famous horror stories, films, and stereotypes; a possessed projector, a killer clown, a figure that resembles one of the twins from The Shining, and paintings whose eyes drip with blood. It is excessive, and sets the tone for the episode to come; there will be numerous references to famous horror films and stories, comprised of cheap gags and throwaway lines that amount to nothing. Of course, it all turns out to be a ruse; a way to make Mycroft extremely afraid, to the point where he will admit the existence of the Holmes sister.

Yeah, I know. Even saying it now sounds ridiculous. Imagine the pain I experienced watching it again for this review, subjecting myself to such cringeworthy material.

So, anyway, there's apparently a Holmes sister now. Something that has not been alluded to throughout the entire series thus far. Sherlock and Mycroft have discussed their childhood a few times, and there has been no mention of their sister, Eurus. Why? Oh, that's because Sherlock went through such trauma related to her that he has completely written her out of his brain. Now, listen. I know that Sherlock is full of things like this. I'm a fan, I've seen every episode numerous times, I know what the show is like. But, this? This is ridiculous.

There have been multiple allusions to the 'East Wind' throughout the show, and it only becomes clear now just what those allusions were to: Eurus. Up until this point, there hasn't been the slightest indication of the fact that the East Wind coming to get Sherlock is actually his sister. This deference of information does not make for an exciting or thrilling twist, but rather seems cheap and a poor attempt at inciting drama. There was really no reason to write a sister for Sherlock and Mycroft. The allusions to the East Wind could've been just that. Redbeard could've been just a dog. But, more on that later.

Perhaps the only possible allusion to Eurus throughout the series so far (season 4 not included) comes from Mycroft at the end of season 3. He refers to 'the other one', implying the existence of a Holmes sibling beyond himself and Sherlock. However, this is it. No more detail is given, and this could've remained a throwaway line; an opportunity for avid writers to create transformative works in which Q or Merlin are the third Holmes brother. Alas, Moftiss just had to expand on that possibility, and not in the way any of us wanted.

The good thing about Sherlock - until season 4 - is that it was a masterclass in balancing darkness with moments of levity. Cases could be gritty and gruelling, but were always well balanced by John's humanity, or apt comedic levity. The Final Problem doesn't have that. The episode is unnecessarily dark, darker than the show has ever been before, and does not have those necessary moments to lift and lighten it up. It almost takes itself too seriously, and any attempts at humour are cheap and don't carry off. This isn't Sherlock.

Take The Great Game, for example. The third episode of the first season and, in my opinion, the best of the entire show. The case is serious; a bomber strapping suicide vests to innocent victims and giving Sherlock puzzles to solve for their freedom. However, the episode is not as dark as one might expect; yes, there are serious moments within it, but those moments are well-balanced with the humour of Moriarty's first introduction, and the tender humanity of John and Sherlock's dynamic. This does not exist within The Final Problem. Characters feel off-kilter, their dynamics with one another do not feel natural, and the episode itself suffers drastically for that. It almost feels like a parody of itself - and not in a good or humorous way. Like I said earlier, it does feel as though it takes itself too seriously, and suffers as a result.

Anyway, let's get back to the episode itself. The episode proper begins with a discussion at Baker Street, where Mycroft admits Eurus' existence. She is being held at a place called Sherrinford, hailed as a maximum security prison facility. That's funny, when you consider the fact that Eurus has clearly escaped a number of times to flirt with John on a bus (The Six Thatchers), become John's therapist (The Lying Detective), and pose as Faith Smith to meet Sherlock (TLD). We later discover that Eurus supposedly has a gift for reprogramming people - Mycroft included - and essentially runs the facility. Then, why does she stay? Surely she could just...leave and never return?

After a conversation about Eurus, childhood trauma, and Sherlock's brain, a grenade enters the flat by drone. Yes, by drone. It is supposedly of military grade, with the power to decimate the building. The stakes are set extremely high, with John, Mycroft and Sherlock anticipating their deaths. If this wasn't the beginning of the episode, you'd think this was it for them - that's how serious it's set out to be. However, the grenade detonates, Mycroft runs downstairs, John and Sherlock jump out the windows from the second floor, and that's it.

No, really. That's it. No injuries, nothing. Not even a scratch. From jumping out of a second storey window as a building explodes behind you. Solid. Those high stakes I mentioned earlier have zero payoff and zero consequence. Not that I wanted them to die, or get injured, but at least make it realistic?

Anyway, let's skip forward a little. John, Sherlock and Mycroft make it into Sherrinford. Sherrinford: the maximum security facility. The same place that John and Mycroft managed to sneak into by taking over a fishing boat and dressing Mycroft as a fisherman.

Seriously?

Obviously Mycroft had to have some semblance of a disguise, given the fact that he is known to the Sherrinford staff. But you're really telling me that these people didn't even recognise John Watson? The best friend of the famous detective brother of the woman who practically single-handedly runs the facility? Okay. Sure.

Once inside Sherrinford, Sherlock heads down to Eurus' cell to finally reunite with the sister he wrote out of his memories. John and Mycroft, in the meantime, are discovering the true extent of Eurus' 'power' over the Sherrinford staff. When John realises that Sherlock is in danger - being alone with Eurus and in close proximity, as he is - he immediately makes the 'Vatican Cameos' call. If you're not familiar with it, 'Vatican Cameos' is John and Sherlock's secret warning code. It has been utilised twice before; in A Scandal in Belgravia, Sherlock uses it to communicate to John that he should duck; in The Sign of Three, Sherlock uses it to communicate to John that, as the man himself so eloquently puts it, "someone's gonna die". It is an important phrase; one that they both recognise for its severity. And yet, when John uses it in The Final Problem, Sherlock flat out ignores him.

We all know that Sherlock is self-centred and narcissistic, but he also loves and respects John Watson. He would never ignore a 'Vatican Cameos' from John. Thus, this is extremely out of character for him, and is something that hasn't sat right with me since I first saw this episode.

Moving onto Moriarty, now. We were absolutely baited with his return. BAITED. If Moriarty was dead all along, what was the point in The Abominable Bride? To jog your memory, The Abominable Bride focused on the case of a woman - Emilia Ricoletti - who faked her own death to escape her marriage. The episode went into detail about how she faked her death, and that the possibility for doing so even existed in the first place. It seemed as though, when viewed in tandem with The Reichenbach Fall, the writers were suggesting that Moriarty had also faked his death, considering that he did so in a similar way to Emilia.

But, no. The Final Problem confirms that Moriarty is, in fact, dead. He is included in the episode via a flashback from five years earlier, in which he visits Sherrinford for a private meeting with Eurus. Yes, you read that right. Mycroft gave permission for his sister to have five minutes alone with Moriarty: the Machiavellian criminal mastermind. On what planet is that a good idea? Mycroft is one of the most intelligent characters in the show. This doesn't seem like a decision he would make - ever. Once again, this is extremely out of character and just makes the episode seem messy, as though the writers were willing to do anything necessary to force Eurus and Moriarty together. Even if that meant destroying and undermining their own characters in the process.

The situation soon flips; Eurus is in charge of the facility above ground, while John, Sherlock, and Mycroft are trapped in the cells. As they travel from room to room, with a different 'puzzle' to solve in each location, the episode develops a cheap escape room vibe. Don't get me wrong, I love an escape room, but not one that involves being at the mercy of my sister who, until recently, had been written out of my memories. The episode becomes parodic, with abounding references to Silence of the Lambs and Saw in a distinctly non-Sherlockian style. And then comes Molly Hooper.

I have long since sympathised with Molly Hooper. She is an extraordinary character that has been treated so badly on this show. She has rarely been given any respect - self or otherwise - and this episode is no different. Eurus' game is cruel; Molly's house is supposedly rigged with explosives that will go off in two minutes if Sherlock can't get Molly to say 'I love you'. The ensuing process is torturous for Molly; Sherlock tells her he loves her in an attempt to get her to say it back. The most heart-breaking part of the situation is that, despite everything, Molly does supposedly love Sherlock. Molly admits her love for Sherlock before the call is suddenly cut off by Eurus. So Molly is left in limbo, having just admitted her feelings for Sherlock, and what does she do? Well, we don't see the immediate aftermath of the event, but at the end of the episode Molly is seen entering 221B with a huge smile on her face, as though everything has been forgiven and forgotten. We never see that process, and we know that Sherlock is not the type to apologise or explain, so it's difficult to assume that he even has. Either way, Molly Hooper deserved better than the lack of self-respect she was written with.

Eurus' next game backfires; she intends for Sherlock to choose between Mycroft and John, and to shoot the one he does not choose. However, when Sherlock turns the gun on himself, Eurus panics and tranquilizes them before a trigger can be pulled. From there the characters are transported to the Holmes family home, in a rapid turn of events that doesn't entirely make sense. While it is unclear where exactly the Holmes family home is, Sherrinford is on an island in the middle of the ocean. How did Eurus manage to transport John and Sherlock there, while under sedation? It isn't explained so who cares, right?

Then, things start to become ludicrous. Sherlock is a show that has always been somewhat rooted in reality. That cannot be said of The Final Problem's last arc; everything starts to unravel to the point where impossible things start occurring. One of the first realisations Sherlock makes upon arriving 'home' is the truth behind Redbeard.

You may not remember, but Redbeard has been mentioned in the show a few times thus far. He was supposedly Sherlock's childhood dog, who was believed to have been put down. He features most prominently in His Last Vow; after Sherlock has been shot and he is searching his mind palace for something to calm him down, he comes across Redbeard, a beautiful Irish Setter. Sherlock had a great attachment to Redbeard, so imagine his surprise upon discovering that Redbeard was not a dog. Redbeard was never a dog.

Redbeard was a human child.

This is perhaps the most ridiculous thing to come out of The Final Problem. Redbeard was never a dog, but in fact a boy named Victor Trevor. He was Sherlock's best friend; his nickname, when they played pirates together, was Redbeard. Because of course it was. Eurus was fiercely jealous of the pair - who never let her play with them - so she decided to murder Victor Trevor by trapping him in a well.

This realisation is not explored thereafter. I have a few questions, though. Were there any repercussions to this? Did the Holmes family know that their daughter had murdered their son's best friend? What did Victor Trevor's parents have to say on the matter? Most of all, I just want to know whose idea that twist was. Because it is appalling.

In a similar turn of events, Eurus has conveniently trapped John - Sherlock's current best friend - in the same well that Victor Trevor died in. And of course John discovers human bones down there. Presumably belonging to Victor. So, was his body just...never discovered? *shudders* Anyway, John is chained to the bottom of the well by the ankle, and it slowly starts to fill up with water. Sherlock solves the episode's overarching puzzle, realising that the girl on the plane (geez, I haven't even mentioned her) is in fact Eurus, and the song she sang as a child was a cry for help wrapped up in a riddle. I'm not entirely sure how Eurus managed to mastermind the entire plot while simultaneously appearing as a panicked child in a pilotless aeroplane, but go figure. Fiction, right?

Anyway, everything gets solved and the fire brigade come to get John out of the well. A rope is thrown down to him, which he grabs, and in the next scene he is back on dry land. So, the chain on his ankle? Did it just...disappear? Nobody went down to cut the chain off, but John managed to get out of the well. I don't even know, anymore. I'm exhausted.

The episode's denouement is pseudo-hopeful, featuring Sherlock and Eurus playing a reconciliatory violin tune in front of their parents and Mycroft. The violin scene is incredibly strange and feels out of place with the rest of the episode. 'Yes, you killed my childhood best friend and yes, I wrote you out of my memories because of the trauma you caused me, but let's just play violin together and everything will be fine.'

For some reason, the writers felt it necessary to bring Mary back for the close of the episode. She gives a speech that portrays a potentially dangerous message to the audience, essentially saying: 'Who you are doesn't matter; what matters are the stories.' I don't know what the intentions of this message were; to be, it sounds as though the message is that your identity is irrelevant, self-expression is meaningless, and all that matters are the stories of your life and those that you create. What is the point in telling your audience that they, as people, don't matter? It doesn't make sense, and I don't understand how it relates to John and Sherlock, either. Mary's part in this episode is wholly unnecessary. Her validation of her 'Baker Street Boys' feels so strange and out of character for her. Perhaps I'm just saying that because I didn't like her as a character full stop, but I just don't understand the necessity for her monologue.

I wish I had some nice things to say about the episode, to round this off. I did not enjoy it, unfortunately, and I know a lot of the Sherlock fandom felt the same way. This episode sparked something of a mass exodus, with long-time fans quitting the show and deleting social media accounts dedicated to it. It was deemed disappointing, in more ways than one.

Of course, there are people that enjoyed it, and that is completely valid. On the whole, the show is excellent, and will always be one of my favourites. There is always talk of a potential fifth season, but I'm not sure if I'm up for that. I don't know where they'd take the show now. I'll stick to my daydreams of Sherlock and John raising Rosie together in 221B, thank you very much.