REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 3 Episode Two 'The Sign Of Three'

 REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 3 Episode Two 'The Sign Of Three'

If there's one thing Steven Moffat seems to love that isn't time travel, it's a good wedding. Doctor Who featured multiple wedding episodes from the mind of Steven Moffat, the first and most obvious being The Big Bang, so it's really no surprise that he returned to this well with Sherlock.

It's a great way for Moffat to showcase his excellent comedic ability also. The opening scene, for instance, when Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) texts Lestrade (Rupert Graves) for help, who in turn calls in back-up believing Sherlock to be in danger, when in reality he just wants help with his best man speech, is hilarious and feels true to the detective's personality. Of course the 'highly functioning sociopath' wouldn't realise how the text would come across. It's totally something only the character of Sherlock would do.

I imagine Sherlock would have had better look with the Waters family than Lestrade and Sally Donovan (Vinette Robinson) though. It does make it all the more funny that Lestrade was called away on the brink of finally catching this crime gang who kept evading his capture however. I would have liked to have seen more of this, as I thought at the time of broadcast that it was going to lead somewhere bigger, but as an amusing gag it works well, and it's always great to see more of the excellent Vinette Robinson.

The wedding itself is well executed, and the production designer Arwel Wyn Jones has done a brilliant job at capturing the air and authenticity of a real wedding reception, although I can't help but feel it would have had a greater impact had we been introduced to Mary Watson (Amanda Abbington) earler in the show. It all feels very quick, given that we have barely got to know John (Martin Freeman) and Mary as a couple, and it doesn't seem as though there's much reason why Mary couldn't have been introduced in the second series. It would have meant a greater emotional connection between the audience and the romantic relationship on-screen, and improved the significant of the marital events significantly.

The crux of the episode's structure is based around Sherlock's best man speech, and it works very well as a narrative framing device. It's a smart way by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Steve Thompson of telling the story and delivering the exposition without it feeling heavy-handed. It also allows the episode to really stand out from the rest, as it remains the only episode within the show to be told in this manner.

The best man speech gives us two cases, the first being 'The Bloody Guardsman'. This concerns a Royal guard called Bainbridge (Alfred Enoch), who believes he has a stalker. Bainbridge is attacked by a mystery man without a weapon, and Sherlock and Watson are clueless as to how it occurred. This sets up an intriguing mystery that is returned to later in the episode; it's rare that we see Sherlock flummoxed, but it's great to have the reminder that even the man believed to be the greatest detective doesn't always have all the answers.

The other case, the Mayfly Man, regards a group of women who believe they have been dating a 'ghost'. The 'ghost' being a man who decides to assume the identity of the deceased in order to keep seeing other women outside of his marriage. Initially this seems like a comedy case, with a string of very funny scenes at Watson's stag do which result in a very drunk Sherlock and John, but what's clever is the way that it later ties into the Bloody Guardsman case. I remember on initial broadcast not expecting these two cases to be linked, but they are in a way that feels both natural and ingenious, with the attempted murderer and 'ghost' both being the wedding photographer (Jalaal Hartley). It's a superb twist for sure.

Overall, despite its shortcomings 'The Sign Of Three' still manages to be a solid entry in the BBC's modern adaptation of Sherlock. Whilst it would have been nice to have got to know Mary Watson a little more first before seeing her exchange marital vows with John, the wedding still provides for a memorable episode, and the solution to the Bloody Guardsman and Mayfly Man cases works brilliantly well. This episode largely depends on your mileage for Steven Moffat's style of humour; if you like his comedic style then this is an episode you will love, but if you don't then this probably isn't the Sherlock story for you.

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