Sherlock: "The Empty Hearse" Reviewed

              After an extremely exasperating two-year hiatus, Benedict Cumberbatch recently returned as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC Series 3 premiere entitled "The Empty Hearse". While the plot involves an imminent terrorist attack on London, the heart of the episode is really in the reunion of Holmes and Watson after Sherlock cleverly fakes his death in "The Reichenbach Fall". Much like viewers of the show, John Watson endures two painful years without Sherlock, and the consulting detective certainly encounters a wide variety of responses upon his return. I have never been more emotionally overwhelmed by a television show that I was by this episode of Sherlock. I found it hilarious, heartbreaking, and completely ridiculous, but in the end, very satisfying. In fact, it may very well be my favorite of all seven episodes aired so far!

          One of the greatest things about "The Empty Hearse", like all Sherlock episodes, is the incredible balance of humor and gravity maintained throughout the course of the story. I never could have predicted just how the reunion of Sherlock and John would play out, and while I was very surprised by the method chosen, I wasn't disappointed. I found myself wanting to laugh hysterically and scream with frustration at the same time. The show writers Gatiss and Moffat are notorious for the emotional manipulation of their viewers, and this episode delivers like none other. However, the witty scripts are brought to life only through the incredibly talented cast. We get to see Benedict Cumberbatch playing opposite the other actors one-on-one in a way that defines each of their unique relationships in character. For me, there were a few stand out interactions: when John and Sherlock are reunited, when John forgives Sherlock in the face of their demise, when Sherlock tells Molly she mattered the most and wishes her happiness for the future, and when Sherlock and Mycroft discuss their childhood. We see Sherlock's personality shifting and developing in new and exciting ways, all while retaining the sociopathic charm that we've all come to know and love.
          Another aspect of "The Empty Hearse" that I particularly enjoyed was the opening scene. The great thing about the fictional theory sequences is that we get to see sides of Sherlock that don't actually exist, which is an extraordinarily unique opportunity, both for us as viewers, and for Benedict to show off his versatility as an actor. Sure, smashing through the window and kissing Molly was totally out of character for Sherlock, but that was still one of the smoothest moves I've ever seen, and I loved every second of it. The entire episode really kept you on your toes wondering what was real and what was imagined.
          As I said before, I found this episode quite satisfying after enduring the major cliffhanger of "The Reichenbach Fall" so long ago, but nevertheless I have some lingering questions. We see Anderson struggling with the guilt of pushing Sherlock to his supposed death, but what happened to Sergeant Donovan? Does she have any remorse for not believing in Holmes, or is she merely glad to be rid of him? Also, Sherlock explains to Anderson how he pulled off faking his death, but Anderson makes a remark that causes the viewer to wonder whether Sherlock has told him the truth. Will we ever know what really happened that fateful day atop St. Bart's Hospital? Perhaps not.

FUN FACTS:

Did you know that John Watson's fiancé, Mary Mortson, is played by Martin Freeman's actual wife Amanda Abbington? 

Or that Sherlock's parents are played by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch's real mom and dad?

         

         

 Or that the code word "Lazarus" was the title of a Doctor Who episode which Mark Gatiss (Mycroft) both wrote and acted in?

                                   

                 

Well now you do! And it's details like that which give this series its absurdly high quality.