After, in my opinion, two misfires in the first two of this new three-part "Sherlock" series, it was a relief to see it finish on a high with a taut, topical, thrilling finale, which held out the promise of even better to come, if you followed it all the way through to the end credits.
This time around, there was less frippery and humour, the whole 90 minutes this time apparently devoted to the plot and a good one it is too. Lars Mikkelson from "Borgen" and "The Killing" makes for a suitably reptilian and unscrupulous scandal-sheet publisher with the goods it seems on every prominent figure in the country rendering him at once both above the law and his own law-maker, any resemblance between him and a certain Australian media magnate being purely coincidental of course.
That's not all, as we learn that the new Mrs Watson is not what she seems, with these two major plot-strands ingeniously brought together in a nail-biting finale and Sherlock left with a life or death decision which risks his own liberty.
Mikkelson is a great foil for Cumberbatch's Holmes, both actors on top of their game while Martin Freeman does his best work yet in a more than supporting role for once.
All in all, this episode was an overdue reminder of what made the earlier series so entertaining and with that sting in the tale right at the end, fans can be hopeful that the dynamic duo and their deadliest enemy will return in a new adventure in the hopefully near future.
This time around, there was less frippery and humour, the whole 90 minutes this time apparently devoted to the plot and a good one it is too. Lars Mikkelson from "Borgen" and "The Killing" makes for a suitably reptilian and unscrupulous scandal-sheet publisher with the goods it seems on every prominent figure in the country rendering him at once both above the law and his own law-maker, any resemblance between him and a certain Australian media magnate being purely coincidental of course.
That's not all, as we learn that the new Mrs Watson is not what she seems, with these two major plot-strands ingeniously brought together in a nail-biting finale and Sherlock left with a life or death decision which risks his own liberty.
Mikkelson is a great foil for Cumberbatch's Holmes, both actors on top of their game while Martin Freeman does his best work yet in a more than supporting role for once.
All in all, this episode was an overdue reminder of what made the earlier series so entertaining and with that sting in the tale right at the end, fans can be hopeful that the dynamic duo and their deadliest enemy will return in a new adventure in the hopefully near future.