By: Stephen Thompson
**Spoilers**
If you have not yet watched this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.
It is time, ladies and gentlemen, for me to bravely plunge back into what may well be one of the most emotionally-ruining and speculation-fueling episodes of television ever put forth. Certainly it has dominated the thoughts and interviews of everyone involved as there were two years between this episode and the resolution.
- It is also interesting (especially in light of recent episodes) to observe that Sherlock seems honestly confused as to why John would care about his welfare and downfall, outside of the times of plenty. Remember his minor breakdown in Baskerville...and observe that, while he clearly regards John as his friend, he still doesn't exactly know if John considers him to be the same. It simply has never occurred to him that anyone could like him like that.
- Moriarty robbing the Tower, the Bank of England, and Pentonville set to that particular piece of classical music (extra points to the individual who can name it) is really a scene to remember. Andrew Scott clearly had such a good time with this role and can you blame him?
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- I also find it hilarious that he jauntily dons the Crown Jewels and sits there cool as a cucumber, waiting to be arrested.
- The trial is funny and difficult to watch. Sherlock really is a show-off and you can just see John face-palming up in the gallery.
- Kitty Riley. As I was watching this episode with my mother, she made the observations that Sherlock's words "You repel me" were exceedingly and brutally cruel, almost to the point of being out-of-character even for this interpretation of the detective. But I disagree. While this is a scene that shows a harsher side of Sherlock than we have seen previously, it is important to look at the context in which it happens. She accosts Sherlock in the men's room and pretty much is harassing him (whether we look at the way she unbuttons her shirt or her constant invasion of his personal space) all throughout the conversation. But Sherlock nobly ignores all of this, finishing his wash and heading for the door. It is only whenever Kitty threatens to write something sordid about the relationship between Sherlock and John that Sherlock turns the full force of his no doubt pent-up ire towards her, cutting her down inch by inch.
- The tea party between The Consultant Criminal and The Consultant Detective is one of the highlights of the episode. Just as in Sherlock's encounter with Jeff Hope (the killer cabbie) everything is completely made up of psychological tension. These two men are being completely civil with each other - but at the same time they are needling and pushing at each other, a prime example being the fact that Moriarty intentionally takes the chair Sherlock wasn't offering or the fact that Sherlock gives Moriarty his teacup with the handle pointed the wrong way. In lesser figures these could be taken as mere flukes or examples of boorishness...but in Holmes and Moriarty they are deliberate and purposeful.
- Another interesting fact is that Sherlock clearly knows Moriarty is coming over and takes time to prepare tea in his finest china before the criminal mastermind shows up. The scene where Moriarty is coming up the stairs to the beautiful sound of Holmes' violin is taken straight from a Basil Rathbone movie, The Woman in Green.
- I smelled a rat as soon as the kidnapping case was introduced and my heart sunk as Sherlock insulted Anderson and proceeded to re-enact the most probably kidnapping scenario with tangible glee. John's gentle admonishment of Sherlock to 'maybe not do the smiling' was a relief.
- It is quite funny (and a bit sad) that whenever Sherlock is told not to be himself he immediately turns down his coat collar.
- Okay, so a (hopefully) quick note on Sally Donovan. Following the airing of this episode a HUGE tidal wave of fan hatred surged forth for her character. She is, of course, the copper whom we see from John's (and therefore Sherlock's) POV in the series and so is not portrayed in a particularly flattering light. That is, until this episode. Here we see a very competent Detective Sergeant working at full tilt to help find a couple of kidnapped and probably dying kids. There is a sense of urgency about Sally, as with everyone involved, and it is clear that she is both dedicated to her job and compassionate to the childrens' plight. So I don't cry 'foul' whenever Sally and Philip start to formulate doubts about Sherlock. They've always believed that he is a little bit off - that he enjoys the gory side of crime-solving a bit too much and one day will cross the line to deal with his massive boredom. They know he's a genius, and that's why they fear him. So it is perfectly logical that Donovan would begin to suspect Sherlock whenever Claudette screamed. Whether or not she liked him, that immediately made him into a suspect.
- It is also heartwarming (and a bit alarming) that Lestrade deliberately refuses to understand what Donovan is insinuating about Sherlock.
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- Few things have creeped me out more than Moriarty's tale in the cab.
- Also there is a call back to ASiP in that Sherlock doesn't notice Moriarty is the cabbie because "Nobody ever thinks about the cabbie. We're just the back of an head."
- The fascinating thing about this Series 2 is the way that each episode subtly foreshadows the next. And I'm not talking about the Series One arc of Moriarty cropping up here and there, although that happens, I'm talking about central themes or prominent dialogues that lead the saga ever forward. Last episode it was Henry Knight and the idea that the only reason he wasn't murdered was because dead men get listened to. "He had to do more than kill you - he had to discredit every word you ever said." Now fast forward to this episode and consider what Moriarty does to Sherlock against the backdrop of that quote. See the brilliance?
- Emphasis on how you can't kill an idea.
- Can I just stop for a moment just now and say that I absolutely adore the scene where John chins the Chief Superintendent and is slammed up against a police car with Sherlock, all the while cracking wry jokes about who will post their bail now? Presumably Mrs. Hudson would do it...
- That only makes it funnier whenever Sherlock then does his part to get the two of them out of things, swiping a gun in the process and (in his own, odd way) helping John out by making him a hostage rather than an accomplice in the whole thing.
- Lestrade's reaction is funny to watch. And I don't mean 'ha ha' funny...I mean legitimately interesting and slightly odd. While the Superintendent (bloody nose and all) and all the coppers are petrified that the 'mad genius' and 'psychopathic vigilante' is waving a gun about, Lestrade is standing by his car performing the epic facepalm of epic facepalms. Sherlock pulling stunts like this is old news to him and he seems more exasperated and 'how are we going to explain away this one?' rather than alarmed or angry.
- It is also telling that Sherlock doesn't make his escape until after he is arrested. If he was really going to just do what Moriarty wanted and become a fugitive he could easily have taken off whenever Lestrade called to warn the duo of the warrant. In his own, 'sociopathic' way Sherlock is taking care of Lestrade as it is beyond doubt that the DI would have lost his job if Sherlock had run and the phone-call had been discovered.
- One thing about this episode is that once the pacing starts, it just keeps on pressing ahead and going ever faster as it tightens the noose until finally it stops short and you lean back in your chair, realizing suddenly that you are mentally exhausted.
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- To be honest, I would say that the most frightening scene in Sherlock to date is the meeting with Moriarty/Richard Brook in Kitty Riley's flat. This is pure psychological thriller material...and it is brilliantly done. Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch are amazing in the scene and Martin Freeman simply shines as he scan's Richard's acting credentials and angrily demands to know what the trick is. Just another example of why Sherlock is such an exemplary show.
- The confrontation with Mycroft is both infuriating and heartbreaking.
- And then we come to the scene in St. Bart's...the bit with Sherlock finally telling Molly that she's always counted, really, and that he needs her help. This is not an instance of Sherlock flattering. We have seen hints of it throughout the series' thus far, but Sherlock being Sherlock has never directly addressed or expressed such a sentiment before.
- Everything about the episode from there on out is depressing. It is a relentless downward spiral that drags you under with it.
- On the subject of crying...I was fine until John tried to check Sherlock's wrist for a pulse. Then the waterworks started in earnest!
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Going into this episode I was even more hesitant than with The Hounds of Baskerville, though in this case it had little to do with the story and everything to do with the writer. Stephen Thompson has some decent work to his name. He wrote the Series 1 episode The Blind Banker which was, despite the fact that it recycled nearly every crime-drama cliché in the book, still an enjoyable romp with the Baker Street duo and he is also responsible for the nothing-new-to-see-here The Curse of the Black Spot which is something I consider worthy of placing on a guilty pleasure list. So I was nervous about his dealing with the series finale. But I have to say that this episode exceeded my expectations and Thompson more than delivered. The Reichenbach Fall is complex and innovative and very emotional. It hits all the points that it needs to, and yet never feels like a dramatized check-list. I give this episode a 5/5 and say that Series 3 has a VERY tough act to follow!
What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?
Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:
- As soon as I saw the title for this one I began to feel uneasy. There is too much Doyle canon filed away in this brain of mine for me not to recognize the significance of 'Reichenbach'...but I still held out the foolish hope that things would be diverted another way.
- Like I said: foolish hope. As soon as I saw John Watson trying desperately to hold it together in his therapist's office I knew how this was going to turn out. But that didn't mean that the entire episode was spoiled for me; oh no - I knew what was going to happen but I didn't know the how or why. Opening with John Watson giving away the ending of the tale actually works quite well from a story-telling point of view as it only serves to dramatically enforce the sense of impending doom that runs rampant throughout this episode. Brilliant, that's all it is - if a bit cruel.
- "The press will turn, Sherlock, they always do - and when they do, they'll turn on you." Oh poor John, if only you knew just how prophetic your words will prove to be.
- It is also interesting (especially in light of recent episodes) to observe that Sherlock seems honestly confused as to why John would care about his welfare and downfall, outside of the times of plenty. Remember his minor breakdown in Baskerville...and observe that, while he clearly regards John as his friend, he still doesn't exactly know if John considers him to be the same. It simply has never occurred to him that anyone could like him like that.
- Moriarty robbing the Tower, the Bank of England, and Pentonville set to that particular piece of classical music (extra points to the individual who can name it) is really a scene to remember. Andrew Scott clearly had such a good time with this role and can you blame him?
.jpg)
- I also find it hilarious that he jauntily dons the Crown Jewels and sits there cool as a cucumber, waiting to be arrested.
- The trial is funny and difficult to watch. Sherlock really is a show-off and you can just see John face-palming up in the gallery.
- Kitty Riley. As I was watching this episode with my mother, she made the observations that Sherlock's words "You repel me" were exceedingly and brutally cruel, almost to the point of being out-of-character even for this interpretation of the detective. But I disagree. While this is a scene that shows a harsher side of Sherlock than we have seen previously, it is important to look at the context in which it happens. She accosts Sherlock in the men's room and pretty much is harassing him (whether we look at the way she unbuttons her shirt or her constant invasion of his personal space) all throughout the conversation. But Sherlock nobly ignores all of this, finishing his wash and heading for the door. It is only whenever Kitty threatens to write something sordid about the relationship between Sherlock and John that Sherlock turns the full force of his no doubt pent-up ire towards her, cutting her down inch by inch.
- The tea party between The Consultant Criminal and The Consultant Detective is one of the highlights of the episode. Just as in Sherlock's encounter with Jeff Hope (the killer cabbie) everything is completely made up of psychological tension. These two men are being completely civil with each other - but at the same time they are needling and pushing at each other, a prime example being the fact that Moriarty intentionally takes the chair Sherlock wasn't offering or the fact that Sherlock gives Moriarty his teacup with the handle pointed the wrong way. In lesser figures these could be taken as mere flukes or examples of boorishness...but in Holmes and Moriarty they are deliberate and purposeful.
- Another interesting fact is that Sherlock clearly knows Moriarty is coming over and takes time to prepare tea in his finest china before the criminal mastermind shows up. The scene where Moriarty is coming up the stairs to the beautiful sound of Holmes' violin is taken straight from a Basil Rathbone movie, The Woman in Green.
- I smelled a rat as soon as the kidnapping case was introduced and my heart sunk as Sherlock insulted Anderson and proceeded to re-enact the most probably kidnapping scenario with tangible glee. John's gentle admonishment of Sherlock to 'maybe not do the smiling' was a relief.
- It is quite funny (and a bit sad) that whenever Sherlock is told not to be himself he immediately turns down his coat collar.
- Okay, so a (hopefully) quick note on Sally Donovan. Following the airing of this episode a HUGE tidal wave of fan hatred surged forth for her character. She is, of course, the copper whom we see from John's (and therefore Sherlock's) POV in the series and so is not portrayed in a particularly flattering light. That is, until this episode. Here we see a very competent Detective Sergeant working at full tilt to help find a couple of kidnapped and probably dying kids. There is a sense of urgency about Sally, as with everyone involved, and it is clear that she is both dedicated to her job and compassionate to the childrens' plight. So I don't cry 'foul' whenever Sally and Philip start to formulate doubts about Sherlock. They've always believed that he is a little bit off - that he enjoys the gory side of crime-solving a bit too much and one day will cross the line to deal with his massive boredom. They know he's a genius, and that's why they fear him. So it is perfectly logical that Donovan would begin to suspect Sherlock whenever Claudette screamed. Whether or not she liked him, that immediately made him into a suspect.
- It is also heartwarming (and a bit alarming) that Lestrade deliberately refuses to understand what Donovan is insinuating about Sherlock.
.gif)
- Few things have creeped me out more than Moriarty's tale in the cab.- Also there is a call back to ASiP in that Sherlock doesn't notice Moriarty is the cabbie because "Nobody ever thinks about the cabbie. We're just the back of an head."
- The fascinating thing about this Series 2 is the way that each episode subtly foreshadows the next. And I'm not talking about the Series One arc of Moriarty cropping up here and there, although that happens, I'm talking about central themes or prominent dialogues that lead the saga ever forward. Last episode it was Henry Knight and the idea that the only reason he wasn't murdered was because dead men get listened to. "He had to do more than kill you - he had to discredit every word you ever said." Now fast forward to this episode and consider what Moriarty does to Sherlock against the backdrop of that quote. See the brilliance?
- Emphasis on how you can't kill an idea.
- Can I just stop for a moment just now and say that I absolutely adore the scene where John chins the Chief Superintendent and is slammed up against a police car with Sherlock, all the while cracking wry jokes about who will post their bail now? Presumably Mrs. Hudson would do it...
- That only makes it funnier whenever Sherlock then does his part to get the two of them out of things, swiping a gun in the process and (in his own, odd way) helping John out by making him a hostage rather than an accomplice in the whole thing.
- Lestrade's reaction is funny to watch. And I don't mean 'ha ha' funny...I mean legitimately interesting and slightly odd. While the Superintendent (bloody nose and all) and all the coppers are petrified that the 'mad genius' and 'psychopathic vigilante' is waving a gun about, Lestrade is standing by his car performing the epic facepalm of epic facepalms. Sherlock pulling stunts like this is old news to him and he seems more exasperated and 'how are we going to explain away this one?' rather than alarmed or angry.
- It is also telling that Sherlock doesn't make his escape until after he is arrested. If he was really going to just do what Moriarty wanted and become a fugitive he could easily have taken off whenever Lestrade called to warn the duo of the warrant. In his own, 'sociopathic' way Sherlock is taking care of Lestrade as it is beyond doubt that the DI would have lost his job if Sherlock had run and the phone-call had been discovered.
- One thing about this episode is that once the pacing starts, it just keeps on pressing ahead and going ever faster as it tightens the noose until finally it stops short and you lean back in your chair, realizing suddenly that you are mentally exhausted.
.jpg)
- To be honest, I would say that the most frightening scene in Sherlock to date is the meeting with Moriarty/Richard Brook in Kitty Riley's flat. This is pure psychological thriller material...and it is brilliantly done. Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch are amazing in the scene and Martin Freeman simply shines as he scan's Richard's acting credentials and angrily demands to know what the trick is. Just another example of why Sherlock is such an exemplary show.- The confrontation with Mycroft is both infuriating and heartbreaking.
- And then we come to the scene in St. Bart's...the bit with Sherlock finally telling Molly that she's always counted, really, and that he needs her help. This is not an instance of Sherlock flattering. We have seen hints of it throughout the series' thus far, but Sherlock being Sherlock has never directly addressed or expressed such a sentiment before.
- Everything about the episode from there on out is depressing. It is a relentless downward spiral that drags you under with it.
- On the subject of crying...I was fine until John tried to check Sherlock's wrist for a pulse. Then the waterworks started in earnest!
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Going into this episode I was even more hesitant than with The Hounds of Baskerville, though in this case it had little to do with the story and everything to do with the writer. Stephen Thompson has some decent work to his name. He wrote the Series 1 episode The Blind Banker which was, despite the fact that it recycled nearly every crime-drama cliché in the book, still an enjoyable romp with the Baker Street duo and he is also responsible for the nothing-new-to-see-here The Curse of the Black Spot which is something I consider worthy of placing on a guilty pleasure list. So I was nervous about his dealing with the series finale. But I have to say that this episode exceeded my expectations and Thompson more than delivered. The Reichenbach Fall is complex and innovative and very emotional. It hits all the points that it needs to, and yet never feels like a dramatized check-list. I give this episode a 5/5 and say that Series 3 has a VERY tough act to follow!
What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?
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