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Sherlock solves The Final Problem: How to leave us wanting more

Sherlock The Final Problem
Sherlock The Final Problem

It’s the series finale of ‘Sherlock’… and it’s time to say goodbye.

No doubt you’ve all been on pins after last week’s revelation that ‘Sherlock’ has a secret sister… and it came as no surprise when we found out this week that he didn’t have a clue about her all these years. Who is she? What does she want? Is she be a match for Sherlock? The answer to all these questions was revealed in ‘The Final Problem’.

And she’s every bit as cunning as the world’s most famous detective.

**Warning: Major ‘Sherlock’ Series 4 spoilers ahead**

– Sherlock Trades Sleuthing for Spying in Series 4
– Moriarty: The Real Villain of Sherlock Series 4?
– Will Sherlock End After Series 4?

Let’s put it simply – Eurus runs rings around poor old Sherlock.

In fact, she runs rings around John Watson and Mycroft, too. That’s right – all three are in the firing line after it’s confirmed that Sherlock’s sister Eurus was in fact the woman who visited him in Episode Two… despite that fact that she’s still locked up in a top security facility.

So how did she do it?

Sherlock finally faces his sister - Credit: BBC
Sherlock finally faces his sister – Credit: BBC

The answer is far more sinister than you might expect. Sian Brooke plays a blinder as the brilliant (but completely crazy) Holmes sibling. She’s insanely clever, with Mycroft forced to admit that she was infinitely more brilliant than either himself or Sherlock… and to make matters worse, she’s completely off her nut. We’re talking The Joker levels of crazy. She happily kills without remorse, without flinching, without feeling a thing. And she can make even the Holmes brothers run around in circles as they attempt to solve her twisted puzzles.

In fact, the entire episode is one big mystery to be solved.

After heading to Sherrinford – the secure facility where Eurus is being kept – it transpires that the authorities no longer have control of the building. Eurus is now in charge.

What does she have in mind? It seems she wants to play…

Introducing a series of twisted games which force Sherlock, Mycroft and Watson to solve a number of puzzles and mind games, it’s all presented by none other than Moriarty himself. I know, right? But don’t get ahead of yourself… he’s still dead. At least, for the time being. But before his death, he apparently recorded a number of videos for Eurus just to mess with poor old Sherlock. And as Eurus puts his friends and family in the firing line, it’s always with Moriarty’s grinning face in the background, providing a sinister ‘tick tock’ as time runs low.

Moriarty returns... sort of - Credit: BBC
Moriarty returns… sort of – Credit: BBC

So riddle me this – is The Final problem any good?

It’s essentially a fantastic episode. We get the sort-of-return of Moriarty bundled together with a completely new and entirely unexpected villain. And the best part, is that we have no idea what she’s going to do next. Every step of the way, it’s a complete surprise. What a brilliant way to keep things fresh.

Of course, special mention has to go to Mark Gatiss who just played his absolute best episode as Mycroft Holmes. It’s humbling to watch Mycroft realise that everything he knew to be true is crumbling around him. But he has more than a few real badass moments, too. Mycroft gets to flex his muscle early in the episode and even don a ‘League of Gentleman-esque’ disguise.

And he’s a joy to watch, throughout.

Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant, too. Sherlock is back on top deducing form, solving Eurus’ puzzles (mostly) while they work their way towards the real final problem… what do they do when this is all over?

Eurus just wants to play... - Credit: BBC
Eurus just wants to play… – Credit: BBC

It’s clear that ‘The Final Problem’ is a bookend. Essentially, it would be a nice, neat finish even if ‘Sherlock’ was to end here with no more episodes ever made. But it’s also left a nice jumping off point for further mysteries. Moriarty is still dead (currently) but could easily be resurrected for another series. But if this truly is the end, then it also serves as a final nail in his coffin. And the story of Eurus itself acts as a very personal tale for ‘Sherlock’ to end with.

Rather fitting, for the more emotive Holmes sibling.

Will we get more ‘Sherlock’ eventually? It would seem that way, although nothing is absolutely certain… and this time around, there was no Series 5 tease. Instead, we ended with a fitting montage that wraps everything up rather neatly.

Still, it only takes a good villain for it all to unravel once more. And as much as I was convinced that Moriarty would reveal himself by the end of the episode, perhaps he’ll make a triumphant return in Series 5.

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What did you think of the final episode of Sherlock Series 4? Was it as good as you hoped? Leave your comments below… and follow Ryan Leston on Twitter or Facebook for more on the latest TV shows.