After the death of his nemesis Moriarty, Sherlock is expecting some posthumous plot to challenge and threaten him. While waiting for this case he quickly solves a number of other cases
then he gets a real puzzle. While solving the case of an apparently inexplicable death he notices something odd at the dead man's parent's house; an ornament is missing. It turns out this was a bust of Lady Thatcher which had been smashed by vandals
or so they think, Sherlock is convinced that this could be part of the mystery he was waiting for. When further busts of the late Prime Minister are reported to have been destroyed he quickly tracks to a consignment of six made in Tbilisi. He finds the final unbroken bust at the same time as the man who was smashing them and in the process learns that this case is connected to Mary Watson's hidden past; a past that could get her killed.
This episode was a solid return that provided a good central mystery as well as telling us about Mary's secret past. There are hints at who is ultimately behind the events; I'm sure some viewers will guess the identity of the person concerned before it is revealed but not too early. The story is told at a good pace and there is some impressive action; including a shootout during an exciting flashback sequence and a fight in a swimming pool. I enjoyed the fact that Sherlock occasionally got something wrong; most notably what was actually hidden in one of the busts. The cast does a fine job; as expected Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman impress as Holmes and Watson but they aren't the only ones who impress. Overall I really enjoyed this episode; the ending is tragic though.
This episode was a solid return that provided a good central mystery as well as telling us about Mary's secret past. There are hints at who is ultimately behind the events; I'm sure some viewers will guess the identity of the person concerned before it is revealed but not too early. The story is told at a good pace and there is some impressive action; including a shootout during an exciting flashback sequence and a fight in a swimming pool. I enjoyed the fact that Sherlock occasionally got something wrong; most notably what was actually hidden in one of the busts. The cast does a fine job; as expected Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman impress as Holmes and Watson but they aren't the only ones who impress. Overall I really enjoyed this episode; the ending is tragic though.