It is a difficult task to take an iconic character and his stories and make something not only new, but something that still keeps the audience guessing, but Sherlock, for its six instalments, has done just that. What in lesser hands could have been another throwaway crime show with a gimmick ended up being the perfect modern tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as an engaging show in its own right. The second series has been more enjoyable than the first, with more intrigue, humour and excitement than the first three excellent instalments, and "The Reichenbach Fall" is the perfect way to bring it all to a close – at least for the time being.
Detective Tales
"The Reichenbach Fall" is based on the Sherlock Holmes story "The Final Problem" and those conversant with Holmes mythology will know that story ended with Holmes and Moriarty falling to their presumable deaths. So, fittingly, the prologue of this episode has Watson (Martin Freeman) reveal the death of his friend (Benedict Cumberbatch) before jumping back three months. Sherlock’s crime-solving expertise has earned him some fame – even if it that fame is unattractive to him – but that attention does not stop James Moriarty (Andrew Scott) from returning to commit the ‘Crime of the Century’ – a large-scale computer hacking. There may be more to this crime than it first seems, however, with parts that may even bamboozle the mighty Sherlock.
Those who have read the original Holmes stories know that Sherlock’s death in "The Final Problem" would turn out to be fake, and those who haven’t will know such a popular character is unlikely to be killed off as early as this. The episode, however, is far from predictable in how the story plays out, adding plenty of twists and turns along the way. The adventure Sherlock goes through is a harrowing one, where his famous deductive skills are put to the test and even doubted by the media, when Sherlock believes he is cracking the case there seems to be another wrinkle; as with "The Woman" of the second series’ opener, Moriarty has proved himself an opponent worthy of Holmes’ analytical mind.
Moriarty in Sherlock was a villain who was more effective in his absence; the final shot of "The Blind Baker" gave him menace without him having to appear on the screen. His emergence in "The Great Game", where he was a campy, irritating loon, failed to impress, so "The Reichenbach Fall" tries to make him a more formidable opponent. At times, he seems more like the Joker than Doyle’s classic antagonist, with his monologues about how he and Sherlock are connected and his way of revealing himself to the authorities, but he still works far better than he did in "The Great Game", even if his best scene is when he’s pretending not to be himself. Holmes does not have as much chemistry with Moriarty as he did with the aforementioned woman, but the two manage to play off each other well.
Moriarty intends to trick Holmes and friends, and so the audience are tricked as well. When the time comes for Sherlock to die, the audience are likely to wonder if he has an ace up his sleeve, but his ‘suicide note’ is delivered in such a genuine way, they are also likely to have second thoughts. The episode also uses what the audience knows about its genre - computers are always magic in corny cop shows – to fool them.
Welcome to Baker Street
"The Reichenbach Fall" is a complex story, but it does more with less. It uses its settings to its advantage, with a message that echoes Doctor Who’s "Bad Wolf" and Mycroft’s meeting place echoing the regal Victorian feel of Doyle’s original tales. Holmes still manages to pick apart a person just by looking at them, but he is more human here than before – he is sad, he is frustrated, he is helpless – and because of that, the stakes feel higher than before. It is an hour and thirty minutes long, and really does feel more like a movie than a television episode.
"The Reichenbach Fall" presents a compelling mystery and a new use of a familiar character, and feels like a reward for the viewer for accompanying Sherlock on his many adventures.
Gareth Barsby - I am a recent graduate and aspiring writer with a love of movies and a lot of drive. I specialise in reviewing film and television, but am ...
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