Ephemeris of the Mind (Show Review) Sherlock - Series 3
Time to read: 3 min read
Show Cover
Imagine someone's going to get murdered at a wedding. Who exactly would you pick?
I think you're a popular choice at the moment, dear.
Previous Sherlock reviews:
Review
As with the books, Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) returns despite apparently dying in the last series. There are more intriguing mysteries, more cheeky British banter, and more heartfelt performances from the main cast.
Many Happy Returns
Posted on YouTube, this is a mini-episode teasing Holmes’ comeback. Anderson (Jonathan Aris) believes that Holmes is still alive. When I watched the show for the first time as it came out, this series was hotly anticipated because people were trying to piece together how he may have survived the fall. This mini-episode definitely has some nostalgic value.
The Empty Hearst
The first real episode is based on the original story The Adventure of the Empty House and The Story of the Lost Special. In this episode Holmes is tasked with foiling an alleged terrorist plot in London; when John (Martin Freeman) refuses to help him, Holmes enlists Molly (Louise Brealey). This episode finally shows how Holmes got out alive and it also introduces a new major character, Mary (Amanda Abbington), John’s new girlfriend. It’s a fast-paced story with some interesting mystery points. Cumberbatch’s Sherlock and Freeman’s John rekindle their characters’ chemistry in this story.
The Sign of Three
This episode is based on The Sign of the Four and features Holmes giving a best man’s speech at John and Mary’s wedding. Being Holmes, the speech quickly turns into a deductive criminal mystery. The story of the mysteries is fine but the main draw of this episode for me was actually the backdrop of the story: Watson’s wedding. Cumberbatch nails the trope of the massive intelligent yet socially awkward Holmes; this episode also reinforces Holmes and Watson’s friendship in a surprisingly wholesome way.
His Last Vow
This episode is based on His Last Bow and Holmes is tasked with stopping the “Napoleon of blackmail”, newspaper magnate Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen). Mikkelsen’s Magnussen rivals Andrew Scott’s Moriarty in being unsettling and villainous. This is probably the strongest episode in this series and I really enjoyed the chemistry between Freeman’s John and Abbington’s Mary (as they’re a real-life couple). I also thought it was neat that they got Cumberbatch’s real-life parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, to play Holmes’ parents.
Conclusion
Another very entertaining and very strong series.