'Sherlock' 3.01 "The Empty Hearse" Review

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By the ending moments of last night’s series three premiere of the BBC’s Sherlock I had to wonder how many fandom artists and writers felt the need to demand a cut of the residuals. In the two year hiatus that followed the last episode, there has been a great deal of activity on social networks such as Tumblr and Twitter in which fans have provided any number of scenarios relating to how he did it and to how the long-awaited reunion with former partner in crime-solving, John Watson, would play out. If you ask Anderson, clearly meant to represent how the weight of long-term expectations drive a viewership batty with crackpot theories, and the implicit dread in how the truth will never be as satisfying as fiction, how Sherlock supposedly ‘did it’ meant very little now that he’s back. Sure, the means were clever and a little convoluted, but most importantly Mark Gatiss wrote this episode with a scoffing attitude toward the howdunit in favor of the pure fun that could be had instead with the band back together. After all, Sherlock dying is so two years ago.

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So how do you go about making the show’s return a fresh installment of Sherlock when so much of the story’s potential details have been scrutinized and theorized over by the show’s very clever fanbase? Accidentally coming upon what happens next on your favorite TV show can be a hollow victory, especially when said show is so good at subverting expectations. Well don’t you worry, Gatiss introduced fans to the ultimate surprise, the ultimate twist--a downright cheeky version of Holmes with 100% less agonizing over his lot in life of being just ever so clever all the time. Every moment that Benedict Cumberbatch was on-screen, he made his character feel new again in the best of ways. Would people really want to wait two years for a brooding self-important bastard? Holmes came back with the knowledge to be more than observant of the feelings of his comrades, no he actually has an inkling of how to relate to them as well. Just look at how he handles his day with Molly Hooper. She's someone who clearly desires Sherlock even still and who was part of the magic trick that kept Holmes alive and on the run. He’s downright sensitive to her vulnerability with him, and that is not the same Sherlock one would have expected from series’ past.

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There are any number of scenes or moments that could be mentioned in just how funny 'The Empty Hearse' was, but a true highlight is when a fangirl in Anderson’s group provided an entertaining and ballsy look at her version of events on the day Sherlock jumped. I hope to never lose from my mind the image of Andrew Scott’s Moriarty giggling next to Holmes like two friends prank calling another at a sleepover during his phone-call with John. The fakeout makeout was also spectacular as its omnipresence on your Tumblr dash will confirm. But it wasn’t just jokes with Holmes as we were provided with moments that helped to inform an actual person instead of a larger than life character. The scene with his parents dropping by with a ‘case’ for him was relatable and I enjoyed how he reacted to John about it--he wasn’t cruel to them for being ‘below’ his investigative needs, he just acted like every adult does when their parents come around with a bit of a good-natured eyeroll as he shuts the door. That’s what this show needs to keep itself on a high level of quality, a comittment to letting even the most steadfast characters grow and change before our eyes.

His relationship with John has certainly changed irrevocably as what was once a duo is now a

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trio with the introduction of Watson’s fiancee, Mary Morstan. She’s a perfect match for John in that she clearly has a place in his heart, but she also respects the level of relationship that he still has with Sherlock. Could you imagine what would have happened had their version of Morstan been a shrill harpy of a woman who practically had John’s nuts in a vise? How they’ve got her now she’s far closer to ‘future tragic demise’ territory because she’s very likeable and doesn’t seem to threaten the show’s main ship. Trust me, marriage is just another easily written around hurdle just like constantly declared heterosexuality in the world of slash fic. I enjoy that she’s clever, capable, and how she’s clearly got secrets. Look at how she handled herself almost a little too well when she was plunged into their risky world after John was kidnapped. It spoke of some sort of prior experience with such harrowing feats or at the very least a knowledge of code-breaking/puzzle solving that’s going to make further exploration of her character something to look forward to in the next two chapters.

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Another element of this show that never disappoints has to do with the technical side of things. Last night was filled many visual flourishes, including a snazzier mind palace effect. There were some lovely shots as Sherlock wandered an empty metro station all in his mind it’s almost as though his palace has grown because of his isolation over the past two years. He simply had to redecorate the place if he was going to cope inside of it. The addition of John’s voice alongside Sherlock’s usual deductions and the text that follows them was a nice way to show how Watson certainly was always ‘with’ Sherlock in his two years away from home. For a character like that who can put himself anywhere and with anyone in a very strong mental facsimile there was no need to make his actual reunion a depressing affair since he’s probably spent an awful lot of time with ‘John’ inside of his own mind. It’s almost as though the so-called ‘griefstache’ wound up acting as a sort of visual cue for Sherlock that only the real John could grow that silly thing and thus this is really happening. As though the several attacks from a distraught Watson weren’t enough of a confirmation.

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Much of the ninty minute run-time was spent on Sherlock’s new interactions with his old friends so we really didn’t get much in the way of dastardly doings for our team to deal with. There was a very short hint at the end that what happened to John was far from being an isolated event. If you follow casting news and such that was Mads Mikkelsen’s brother, Lars Mikkelsen as our future big bad of mystery intentions. It’ll be a hard act to follow James Moriarty and I wonder if they’ll try to level another villain up to his standing or if instead the next two episodes will continue to focus on the characters we know dealing with big life changes. The next episode deals with one of those major life events with the wedding of John Watson and Mary Morstan. With Sherlock Holmes as best man I think it’s actually safe to say the wedding might well go off without a ‘hitch’ so to speak.