In Review: Sherlock – The Final Problem

Synopsis: Sherlock’s oldest enemy returns, and the Baker Street duo face the ultimate challenge.

Review: Sherlock steps into a world of psychological terror where the games are well and truly afoot.

This episode is full of twists and metaphors and when it all comes down to it. Its all about the context.

Sherlock, Mycroft and Watson go to visit Sherlock’s Sister in an super high security prison for the criminally insane. Trouble is Eurus Holmes has taken over the place and has pretty much every member of the security team under her control.

The scenes between Sherlock, Mycroft, Watson and Eurus pretty much make up the meat and potatoes of the episode as Eurus tests Sherlock’s emotional being with a series of tests.

These tests are pretty gruelling and as viewers you find yourself going through the grinder with Sherlock. But the most deranged of these tests is when Sherlock is told to kill either Mycroft or Watson. An impossible choice, but of course Mycroft being the responsible older brother tries to take the choice off Sherlock by trying to make him shoot at him. In the end Sherlock chooses the well being of his friend and brother over himself.

While all this action is going on. There is a young girl alone on a plane, which is on a collision course with the London Eye.

The mind games and puzzles in this episode are really well thought out. There is not a single moment where you are on balance enough to be able to figure out what is happening. And the reveal at the end is really clever.

Even Moriarty is not wasted, but he is not the main villain of the piece either.

The episode is book ended pretty well with Watson and Sherlock watching a final video message from Mary telling them to carry on being her Baker Street boys. It’s a cool final footnote, which doesn’t mean the end. But its a nice goodbye for now.

I really enjoyed the music throughout this episode. Especially as we get to the end where we get a great Violin duet that leads into a really emotional piece of music

All the cast in this episode were superb. So much so that it would be unfair to single one person out.