Unlike her counterpart in the novel, the makers of Sherlock made a bold decision with their attempt at giving Mary Morstan a very prominent story arc in the third season of the hit TV series. However, the first episode of this season put a tragic end to this promising character’s role. Now, with her part on the Sherlock series over, analyze what part her character played in the lives of the leads, how Sherlock and Watson had their individual priorities changed and what changes may be anticipated in the equation shared by them,especially considering that her death was partly caused by Sherlock’s actions. Also, with Molly Hooper still having a very minor role in most episodes, analyze the consequences of the death of the only major female character in the series and whether this was justified(the makers have stated on record that her character was diverting all the attention from Sherlock-Watson and their bromance) considering that her murky past still held the promise of being fodder for more episodes…
I imagine one will not be able to fully complete this article until the season has had its run, as Mary's death will no doubt factor into Sherlock and Watson's relationship - I wouldn't call her part "over" quite yet. I like the mention of Mary's novel counterpart, yet it's sad they created such a strong female character to have her die in what I considered a rather ridiculous and undeserving manner. – Karen7 years ago
Consider whether Sherlock can last any further seasons. With a let down audience from the Christmas special, is Sherlock going to struggle to keep its originality?
I think it would help if this topic was broadened a little bit. Maybe if it analyzed Sherlock throughout the seasons and then compared them to now and what the future may bring. Or, talk about other shows along with Sherlock. OR, write an article about a television series' need to stay fresh but original and how to keep the audience interested. – Jaye Freeland8 years ago
No, it can't really. I mean, it can go on forever, but it will lose it's unique appeal. And I think it really could be great if it just stopped now. There's not much storytelling reason to keep it going, because each episode is feature length. There's already so much of it to enjoy. But if it should go a bit longer, maybe one more season and then close it out. The Japanese anime series, Detective Conan, is very similar in how it keeps a lot of the clues away from the audience, relying on the chemistry between characters to keep your interest, and involving strange technology and gadgets. Detective Conan also has a very compelling premise, where the main detective character is drugged with something that reverts him to the size and physical age of an 8 year old, requiring him to fool others by using another detective as his mouth piece. The problem, though, is that this series has been running non-stop since the mid-1990s, and has never once concluded the initial plot: that being getting this young detective back to his normal age and body. And the murder plots are so repetitive and so overdone, that the spark and intrigue is completely gone. The first 5 seasons released in America by FUNimation are solid, and the first few movies are amazing. But after that point, the show just looses its steam, and yet keeps chugging along like Pokemon, as if it still thinks what they're producing is worth someone's time. I mean, clearly it is, otherwise they wouldn't do it. Someone is watching it. It just sucks that it couldn't close out the story ark back in the 90s when it would have meant something. – Jonathan Leiter8 years ago
I don't think it can go on much longer, either. Maybe cover how the show is losing steam. Be sure to include specific examples of how the plot is deadening and why Moriarty is necessary to the show. – Robyn McComb8 years ago
Interesting topic, but I think the title limits the a writer in what they can explore to answer these questions. – Arazoo Ferozan8 years ago
The interesting aspect of today's TV is that a great bit of it can (and does) stray away from the book or original narrative. While becoming more innovative, character, action and plot can fulfill the essential drama that defines the story.
– Jeffery Moser8 years ago
Hmm, was the audience really let down by the Christmas special? Just a quick google search makes me think that it's disputable; in fact, it looks like a lot of fans reacted positively. Also, be aware that Moriarty is actually not a huge figure in the original Conan Doyle stories; the idea of him being Sherlock's archenemy is actually a bit of a myth. This topic is making a lot of assumptions that I'm not certain are true. If you think that Sherlock can't go on past the death of Moriarty, even though the stories do, I think there needs to be a legitimate reason that a potential writer of this topic could go off of. – Laura Jones8 years ago
As Laura Jones said, not everyone was disappointed by the Christmas special. I'm sure the reason people were disappointed was because they expected the story of Moriarty to continue. However, the special was about developing Sherlock's character. We saw him, a man who has lived according to facts, allow his fear of Moriarty's return to defy reason.
Doctor Who fans who know Moffat's writing probably weren't surprised about the special and I think he and Gatiss will be able to write new and original stories for Sherlock to keep going. – JennyCardinal8 years ago
If there has indeed been a drop off in audience, it might be due to the fact that there is such a large time gap between new seasons. It is hard for a show to keep going full steam when it doesn't have a consistent release schedule of new episodes. – KennethC8 years ago
Since I first stumbled upon Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ Sherlock, I have been a loyal fan of this addicting show. From Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s chemistry to the amount of easter eggs and foreshadowing thrown into each episode, fans can analyze every frame until the next season. However, since Sherlock aired in 2010 to now, there’s a grand total of 3 seasons and 9 episodes (not including the unaired pilot) and a holiday special. Understandably everyone from the cast and crew have jam packed schedules, personal affairs that come up unexpectedly, and keeping film locations under wraps can be difficult for shows. How do these two to three year breaks fare in the longterm. Especially with more casual viewers? The new Doctor Who reboot has seen many scheduling changes as well as extensions on its season releases. Another way networks are able to go on hiatus is the mid-season break. ABC shows such as How to Get Away with Murder, Scandal, and Once Upon a Time have adopted this break to reorganize and come back even stronger in the second half of the season. With all these new variations in television breaks and social media interaction with fans, is Sherlock gaining more popularity with its infamous two to three year breaks and passionate fandom, or is it slowly being tucked away in many individuals’ mind palaces.
I have been wondering the same thing for myself recently. The first two seasons were exceptional, but after the most recent one, I found myself saying, "Is that it?" Would love to see an article on this – C8lin8 years ago
With the fourth season having ended a while back and the cast still offering hope every time fans make enquiries, it is worth exploring whether such kinds of unintentional breaks aid or destroy a series’ chances. – Dr. Vishnu Unnithan4 years ago
The Abominable Brides takes place at least partially (some say completely) in Sherlock’s mind. Therefore, the characters are projections of his subconscious, and different from their real-world versions. Analyze the differences between the characters in the previous seasons and in TAB, and determine what it reveals about that character’s relationship to Sherlock and the way he sees them. For example, Sherlock sees Mary as Mycroft’s spy, or John is more violent than his actual self.
