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The last episode of this series sees Sherlock and Moriarty attempt to solve the final problem with devastating consequences.
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“Look at that, Mrs Hudson. Quiet, calm, peaceful… isn’t it hateful?”
Sherlock is bored. Not so bored, of course, that he won’t rile his brother Mycroft by dismissing his request to look into a matter of national importance, but bored enough to take it out on poor Mrs Hudson’s wall. Then there’s a bit of an explosion (poor, poor Mrs Hudson’s wall) and a mysterious envelope addressed to the consulting detective containing nothing but a copy of the phone from ‘A Study in Pink’. A phone that holds a puzzle for Sherlock. The game is on.
After taking a bit of a dip with ‘The Blind Banker’ last week, Sherlock is back on sparkling form with ‘The Great Game’. It’s actually quite different from the first episode, but it works just as well.
That’s in no small part thanks to the genius of Mark Gatiss. His script is absolutely brilliant, cheekily using elements from many original stories (short story ‘The Five Orange Pips’ is clearly the inspiration for the use of the five Greenwich pips, for example) while giving them a thoroughly modern twist. The tension built up by having people wired to bombs as a background to Sherlock’s investigations is very Spooks in the best possible way, while the puzzles aren’t overstretched. And there are some great laughs, like Sherlock watching Jeremy Kyle, as well as some clever wordplay. Gatiss clearly relishes the role of Mycroft – I could the disdain watch with which he says, “a case like this requires… legwork” over and over again.
And Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is once again as brilliant as we’ve come to expect – the way he clearly enjoys Moriarty’s games, as well as being flattered by them, is clear but nicely underplayed. The star of the show for me, however, is Martin Freeman and his delightful array of jumpers and cardigans. His John Watson is a thoughtful, clever man who’s equally intrigued and frustrated by Sherlock, while his gentle flirtations with Sarah are very sweet. I cannot even begin to explain how I felt in the few seconds that it looked like John was Moriarty.
Because, really, Moriarty is the real talking point here. Kudos to those who worked it out early – Gatiss’s script planted clues (such as Molly introducing him as “Jim”) but I didn’t pick up on it. Andrew Scott’s portrayal has divided fans – some people really hated it, calling it pantomime and comparing him to Graham Norton (because, really, how could a character called Moriarty have the audacity to be Irish?) Personally, I thought he was fascinating and rather scary – just go back and watch his delivery of the line “That’s what people DO!” in response to Sherlock’s “People have died!” The cliff-hanger is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time, and I have no idea how it will resolve.
The makers of Sherlock have combined their considerable talents with their love and affection for the original stories to create an absolute gem of a programme. The game was very great indeed.
Once again a stellar, well-written article. Well done Lois.
As for the episode, loved it, and completely agree with everything you've said - particularly regardin Moriarty, and I thought the line you quoted was fantastic.
Here's to series two.
Totally agree. Andrew Scott's Moriarty was a scene stealer. I didn't think he sounded distinctively Irish - his accent was quite cosmopolitan, as you would expect from a Moriarty. And the way he delivered his opening lines was chilling. Although I didn't really understand the need for his prior appearance as Jim from IT - didn't seem to serve any particular purpose, beyond emphasizing that he was one step ahead of Holmes.
What an ending! I am so impatient for the next instalment, although I'm sure that Moffat and Gatiss will not disappoint. Moriarty really seems like a threat to Sherlock and that is scary in itself. Great write up, as always. 
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