![]() There's something entertaining in the protagonist being the manic mouthpiece of the series, especially when it seems to be the creators speaking about their disinterest in cleaning up old storylines, but the episode eventually loses that train of thought, too, as it stops for a second to hit the reset button. It's made evident in the introduction of a deus ex machina to save Sherlock's bacon that also acts as the introduction for the real culprit of the "real mystery" in 'The Six Thatchers'. And to certain degree, the episode knows it, too. The importance of all that transpired three years ago feels… well, like it happened three years ago. That was quite the cliffhanger, as long as you remembered it – or re-watched the series in anticipation for season 4 – but the episode's efforts to recapture the urgency of the moment fall short. 'The Six Thatchers' starts off almost immediately following the events of the season 3 finale, 'His Last Vow', in which Sherlock shot Charles Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen). And yet, despite the obvious passage of time there's nothing in the series to suggest any time has passed at all.Īnd that's part of the problem with the season 4 premiere. While the two appeared last year at this time in 'The Abominable Bride', it's been three years since we had a proper season of Sherlock. And while the series' episode list is paltry compared to some, the extent to which both actors have embodied their respective roles and fashioned them into something inextricable from the performers themselves is made even more obvious. At the start of season 4, it's clear that he and Freeman have been playing this game for quite some time. Thankfully, in 'The Six Thatchers', Cumberbatch demonstrates the appealing breadth of an ego he's been associated with for much longer. And to a certain degree, the expectations become greater, as Cumberbatch, through no fault of his own, is now embroiled in an inevitable competition with himself – or at least his on-screen alter egos are. In this case, it can be hard to see Benedict Cumberbatch, having returned to play Sherlock Holmes, and not think Doctor Strange is moonlighting as a British consulting detective. Though their commitments likely vary wildly between them, Cumberbatch and Freeman are now part of a much larger pop-cultural monolith, one that has a tendency to overshadow an actor's accomplishments that came before it, and marginalize everything afterward. ![]() Perhaps that’s because of the increased profile of its two leads, both of whom have signed on with the mighty Marvel empire. Nevertheless, after three seasons and an off-kilter special last year, the return of Sherlock feels weighty this time around. Where Sherlock wins is in the length of its episodes, which allow for a much larger arc, opening the door of possibility in terms of the aforementioned (and expected) sense of spectacle that makes the return of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman feel more like an event than anything else. ![]() ![]() That's a lot of time to allow for an adequate examination of subtleties and nuances in the work of bringing such familiar characters to life. Unlike Elementary, Sherlock doesn't have the luxury of time in the sense that, like most broadcast shows, Elementaryenjoys 22 episodes a season with Sherlock and Joan.
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