REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 3 Episode 3 'His Last Vow'

 REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 3 Episode 3 'His Last Vow'

If there was ever an episode of Sherlock that felt like the show's take on James Bond, then 'His Last Vow' would probably be that episode. It's an episode that feels like you could easily substitute Sherlock for 007 himself, and it wouldn't feel too different from a standard James Bond movie. It's seems to be somewhat of a trend to write Bond-style narratives of other British properties, and it's no real surprise given the major influence James Bond has displayed over popular culture.

From the beginning, we are introduced to a James Bond style of villain in businessman Charles Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen), a man who can identify people's pressure points just by looking at them. The premise of this ability immediately draws you in as a viewer, as you're made to believe that his glasses are providing him with the information on people - until Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries the glasses on and discovers that they're just an ordinary pair of specs. Charles, it turns out, has a mind palace just like Sherlock, and this is a turn in the story that is truly excellent, because it puts him on a level playing field with Sherlock. Suddenly Sherlock finds himself with someone who possesses the same way of thinking as him, suddenly Sherlock has met his match.

Charles is a bad guy you truly love to hate. The way he blackmails poor Lady Smallwood (Lindsay Duncan) with some particularly incriminating letters written by her husband to a child is quite slimy and manipulative; you find yourself just wishing for someone to punch him in the face. Both Lars Mikkelsen and Lindsay Duncan play this so well, showing a constant fight for control over the situation between the pair. The power behind Lindsay Duncan's line 'You don't own me' just radiates through her performance, truly showing the full potential of this woman who won't allow herself to be abused in this manner.  

Mycroft's (Mark Gatiss) words to Sherlock really demonstrate the true amount of power Charles holds over the world however. His stark warning to Sherlock to leave well alone helps to build this image of a man you shouldn't cross. The screenplay by Steven Moffat sells us on the threat that Charles poses incredibly well, once again displaying just how strong of a writer Moffat truly is. He's probably the British writer right now that is best at writing these memorable antagonists, having also been responsible for the Weeping Angels and the Silence in Doctor Who; he seems to know better than any other modern writer how to convey a major threat to the audience. 

Of course, the major reveal of the episode is that Mary Watson (Amanda Abbington) is an assassin who has set out to kill Charles because of information he possesses on her, and again this is a very Bond-esque concept. James Bond films are notorious for having these women who are dangerous killers (usually Russian spies), who are also after the same person as the protagonist, and who have a mysterious shady past. There's some very clear influences to Bond here, which isn't a bad thing at all, and it allows for a twist that is  shocking without feeling too left field. I remember as a viewer at the time feeling totally gobsmacked at the reveal, whilst also empathising with poor John Watson (Martin Freeman), who by this point has been dealt quite the blow. I mean, that's a seriously messed up start to a marriage, and I doubt many would cope too well if they discovered their newly wedded wife had been an 'intelligence agent'.

Sherlock even gets a 'Bond girl' of sorts here, in Charles' PA Janine (Yasmine Akram). This is the part of the episode I was less enthused about. Sherlock treats this woman terribly, not only stringing her along into believing he was in love with her, but also proposing at her workplace. He was prepared to make her believe he wanted to marry her just to gain access to Charles' office. This just feels unnecessarily cruel, and only serves to make Sherlock seem somewhat unlikeable. It's made even worse by the way he just callously dismisses her buying the sham proposal as 'human error'. I get that Sherlock is a 'high-functioning sociopath', but even Sherlock should be more self aware than this.

The scene where Watson finds him supposedly posing undercover as a drug dealer, on the other hand, is Sherlock's more oddball side done right. It's genuinely quite an amusing moment when John is reunited with Sherlock in this manner after not hearing from him in months, and his reaction directly mirroring how he reacted in the first episode of the series to discovering his friend was still alive makes it all the more better.  It adds a level of consistency to proceedings in John's characterisation. 

Overall, 'His Last Vow' is an amazing end to Sherlock's third series. It's an episode that features twists and turns galore, whilst wearing its clear James Bond influences on its sleeve. Watching this episode at the time of broadcast had a certain level of thrill, as it was an instalment that continued to surprise at every opportunity. Especially with that final tease concerning Moriarty's (Andrew Scott) televised message, which raised all forms of questions about the show's future. Was Moriarty somehow back, or was this someone else playing a trick? All would later be revealed in Series Four...   

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What are your thoughts on the third episode of Sherlock's third series? Let me know in the comments.