Monday 16 January 2012

SHERLOCK- THE REICHENBACH FALL

It's only January yet it seems we've already seen British television at its best...



It's been three all too quick weeks but Sherlock came to its dramatic conclusion last night, with a breathtaking cliff-hanger. There was no fancy technology used, no dramatic explosions, no long goodbyes, and thankfully there was not any of the very much overused "let's make this look dramatic by using slow-motion" in the series finale The Reichenbach Fall. There was just a moving and sad goodbye from Watson who simply pleaded for Sherlock not to be dead.

Sherlock is quite simply British Television at its best, superb acting, fantastic writing and brilliant filming. Who'd have thought that by time-travelling Sherlock into the 21st century, it's not only brought a breath of fresh air to British Television, but also displayed why even today, Conan Doyle's novels are so supremely brilliant. 

 The Reichenbach Fall is based on the story of the Final Problem and the untimely demise and death of Sherlock by his arch-nemesis Moriarty. In the books Moriarty was only there for a couple of fleeting moments simply to bring Sherlock's downfall, yet he became the known as the greatest arch-enemy of all time. And in this 21st century adaptation, Andrew Scott gave Moriarty his brief outing as the lead in the series 1 and 2 finale. A performance that will no doubt become iconic and know as one of the great if not the greatest portrayal of Moriarty.

Andrew Scott's portrayal has been mesmerising throughout his time on screen, a rather sane psycho path who seemed to genuinely like and enjoy Sherlock's company because he was a challenge and far from ordinary. When James Moriarty also known as Jim to friends and arch-nemesis alike, erased his entire history and created a whole new identity in the form of Richard Brooke. It was hard not to question Sherlock and his methods in particular when we saw Richard Brooke appear to run away in fear of Sherlock. Throughout his time on the show Andrew Scott's performance was a sheer joy to watch and dare I say that I'm actually rather sad Moriarty has already come to a rather quick demise, or so it would appear...

Once again both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman proved that it's not all down to the writing, it has to be a combination of everything. Cumberbatch and Freeman's performances as a duo is one that will stand the test of time. There both Ying and Yang to each other. It's genuinely heart-warming to watch a truly beautiful and understated friendship come to life on screen. And this is what seems to not only make the characters work but actually makes it all the more real for the viewer, as in real life we rarely say how we truly feel about someone until it really is too late. 

What was pure genius about the cliff-hanger ending is unlike Coyle Doyle's demise of Holmes, where there was no actual body found. Here Moffat and Gattias have left the audience on the biggest cliff-hanger of how on earth did he manage to cheat death when falling off a building and have a body appear readily at his disposal...

With two raising Hollywood stars and wanting to leave the audience hungry for more. I found myself at 22:28 on tenterhooks wondering whether Moffat and Gatiss had pulled off the biggest and best kept secret that recent television has seen... that this really was modern day Sherlock's final outing. Thankfully it's good to be wrong now and then. As it's been announced that a third series had actually been commissioned at the same time as the second. Now we've just got to wait until 2013 to find out just how exactly Sherlock managed to pull off cheating death itself and I for one cannot wait. Let the conspiracy theories begin.... 


If you've been a hermit recently or simply hidden under a rock for the past three weeks, have no fear all three episodes are still currently available on BBC iplayer.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01b2vl4/Sherlock_Series_2_The_Reichenbach_Fall/

Sherlock is released on DVD on 23rd January and is currently available to pre-order on both Amazon.co.uk and Play.com.

12 comments:

  1. Please, please, please get this series to the USA ASAP! My granddaughter and I are hooked! We check every week on our PBC with fingers crossed that we'll see Season 2 start. We just have reruns of Season 1 so far, but are enjoying watching them again. We are so far over the moon for this Sherlock series! Give us the new stuff!!!!!

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  2. Hi, thanks for the comment. As far as I am aware the new series will be broadcast in mid January. Hope you've not had to many spoilers from this review.

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  3. When does the new season start? season 3?? realy excited!!!

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    1. sherlockismylife22 May 2012 at 13:54

      probably about this time next year. the series are about 1.5years apart.

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  4. Great movie!!!I need more stuff!!!!!!!!

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  5. This is the most amazing series, both actors are brilliant. The ending of Season 2 was heartbreaking, I feel so bad for John Watson, he's so despondent. I'll be okay until 2013 but I don't want Watson to suffer that long, thinking Sherlock is dead! Hurry up and make Season 3 to put an end to his pain!

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  6. And what of Moriarty? Are we to take it he is truly dead? I would seem easy enough to fake what he did: blanks in the gun, a blood pack on the back of his head. And what was his motivation? That he had no challenges left in life? I'm not sure the strings are all tied up well with that bit.

    As for Holmes' death, we know if didn't happen because of the final scene, so what's really left to us is how he faked it. My suspicion is that he simply "borrowed" a body from the morgue, with Molly's help, and pushed that off the building. Watson being disoriented by being struck by a passing cyclist would ensure that he couldn't make a good ID of the body.

    And then the next question is, can season three live up to what's been achieved with this last episode?

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  7. I can't wait for series 3! 2013 seems so far away and it's hard to think how long we'll have to wait to find out exactly how Sherlock survived. I love "Sherlock" so much; none of my friends are really interested in it and I just can't believe them. Sherlock has given me something to look forward to, laugh at, and puzzle about. This is the best TV show I've ever seen, and I'll be so sorry when it ends.

    The performances are great. Cumberbatch and Freeman make an outstanding Sherlock and John. This is the best I've ever seen them in.

    Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his suicide. I've got everything around it worked out, like how he told John he was not really going to die, but I don't know how he managed to pull it off yet, but I guess I have about a year to think over it :(

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  8. Remember Sherlock told Molly he needed her? Well she does work in a morgue. Hence the body. But how did Sherlock have the body stand on top of the building when we could clearly see only Sherlock standing there talking down to John and then taking the fall. Hum??? Wonderful show. Wish there were more than 3 per season and can't wait till season 3. Brava!!!!

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  9. Just a guess....

    Sherlock puts a mask on Moriarty (like the mask of Sherlock's face that Moriarty wore when he kidnapped the children) and throws Moriarty's body off the roof. Molly, the coroner, then lies about the body and officially states it is Sherlock's body.
    - Crysalis

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  10. It was definitely not JM with a mask that was thrown from the building and I think it would take more than a blank and a bloodpack to fool Sherlock into faking his own death.

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  11. I really love sherlock,specially with benedict sexy face and voice.but i am really sad that we can't see him for atleast another year.
    i guess molly and moriarty both are involved in sherlock's death plan.

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