REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 4 Episode Three 'The Final Problem'

 REVIEW: Sherlock, Series 4 Episode Three 'The Final Problem'

There's something undeniably ominous about an episode entitled 'The Final Problem'. Whilst it may be true that Sherlock was never officially cancelled, it's hard to deny that the title suggests this was meant as a conclusion to the show as a whole. Especially when you factor in how this episode aired in 2017, and there has not been another series since. Even the actors seem resigned to the unlikely nature of a fifth series, with Martin Freeman stating lately his belief that a film is more likely than a Series Five. 

Still, if this does remain the final episode, then the show did go out on a high. From the very start, The Final Problem shows promise to be one of Sherlock's very best instalments. It opens with a creepy sequence in which Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) encounters strange messages during a rewatch of his favourite film, and a sinister clown in the hallway. As viewers we expect this to be the work of either Eurus Holmes (Sian Brooke) (Who was revealed as Sherlock's secret sister in the previous episode) or a revived Moriarty (Andrew Scott), so it's a neat bait and switch when it's actually revealed to be Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) testing a theory in regards to his brother's knowledge of his newly discovered secret sibling.

It also contains one of the most impressive sequences in the history of Sherlock. I'm talking, of course, about the explosion of Baker Street. This is the kind of explosion that Michael Bay would be proud of. It's a visual spectacle, as Sherlock and Watson (Martin Freeman) leap through the windows whilst the building explodes behind them. One of the most iconic elements of Sherlock Holmes is wiped out just like that, showing that this episode really means business.

Eurus herself does not disappoint. We learn how she has been kept prisoner in this high-security prison on the secret island of Sherrinford - only things are not as they seem, as Eurus has brainwashed the guards and taken control of the entire institution, turning it into this twisted version of an escape room with a series of puzzles for Sherlock, Watson and Mycroft to solve. Eurus makes for a ruthless antagonist. She is so sadistic, with the way she kills people without mercy, like killing the prison governor's (Art Malik) wife even though he had already taken his own life in a bid to save her, or sending all three suspects in a murder to a watery grave despite Eurus's rules stating that only the one who Sherlock condemns would be drowned. She's a woman who has seemingly lost all humanity, although deep down she's a lost child who doesn't know what to do, because of her own tragic mistakes she has made. You could say she's a victim of her own mind, the kind of person Sherlock could become if he lost all sense of self.

One of the big teases of Sherlock Series Four was how Mycroft could possibly be back. He was last seen with one simple message for Sherlock Holmes, played out all across London: 'Did you miss me?'. The resolution to this is not a full-blown return, but rather an ingenious way to incorporate him into the narrative without a literal resurrection. Flashbacks tell us that he met Eurus five years ago, as a Christmas gift from Mycroft, and he helped her devise this 'final problem' for Sherlock. Moriarty had filmed a series of recorded messages to be used to taunt his old nemesis, something that means he has a constant premise within the story but without the story having to compromise his death. It sticks to the more rational logic of Sherlock Holmes, whilst ensuring Moriarty is still very much a part of the ongoing narrative. 

I do feel for Sherlock though, not only being denied a dog as a child but losing his best friend at such a young age. The fact that Eurus murdered Redbeard as a child and drowned him in the well is such a grim turn of events, and it really sells how psychotic and disturbed Eurus had become. You can see why they chose to lock her away in a high security prison, with not even the Holmes' parents knowing that Eurus was still alive. It's easily the darkest plot point in any Sherlock episode to date. 

The final scene, with Sherlock and Watson discovering another final message from Mary (Amanda Abbington), feels like the perfect summary of the show as a whole. The speech, combined with the montage, echoes exactly what Sherlock is about, as Mary describes her 'Baker boys' and we see them leave the entrance of their new residence. There's something that feels very final about it, and a part of me makes me think it was always planned to be the last shot of Sherlock, despite how much Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss try to claim otherwise. It's hard to think of a more ideal way to end the show, although having said that I'd still be happy to watch a fifth series (or a movie).

Overall, if 'The Final Problem' is to remain the last episode of Sherlock, then it's a fitting conclusion to one of Steven Moffat's greatest pieces of work. It feels like a natural ending of sorts to the story of Sherlock and Doctor Watson, exploring the mystery of the secret sister, whilst also giving some closure on Moriarty's story. It's a relentlessly grim and disturbing 'final problem', but one that provides a strong case for Sherlock and Watson to (potentially) bow out on.

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