he's back .... sherlock, season three

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) may call himself a sociopath, but last night's episode of Sherlock, "The Empty Hearse," pretty much disproved that hypothesis. As the detective returned to London, and in some ways, the land of the living, after an absence of two years spent putting an end to arch-criminal Moriarty's (Andrew Scott) global crime network, he discovered exactly how connected to the world, and to certain people living in it, that he really is. One of the most amusing scenes in the episode featured some fraternal bickering between Sherlock and his "smarter brother" Mycroft (Mark Gatiss, who is also the creator and co-writer of the show, with Dr. Who's Stephen Moffatt), where it became abundantly clear that between the two of them, Sherlock is comparatively downright social. Mycroft expressed disdain, possibly even disgust, that his younger brother deigns to have friends. He could hardly bring himself to utter the "f" word.

Sibling rivalry, from Rebloggy

As Sherlock returned to 221B Baker Street and renewed contact with his friends and associates — Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves), Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs), Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) —they were all delighted to see him — all except his closest friend, John Watson (Martin Freeman). After some retributional scuffling and head-butting from Watson a bewildered Sherlock began to understand just how much his friend had missed him. The ice sculpture began to thaw. He graciously accepted Watson's new fiancée Mary (Amanda Abbington), and the pair lost no time teaming up to rescue a kidnapped Watson from an as-yet undisclosed new enemy.

There are only three episodes in this new series of Sherlock, so fans must savor them. "The Empty Hearse" seemed designed for multiple viewings, with its alternate depictions of how Sherlock survived the fall off the high rise at the end of the second season and its nod to an obsessed fan base that thrives on the internet. The series has always had humor, but this season started off with some laugh-out-loud moments — Sherlock's use of disguise to reintroduce himself to Watson, and a super-hero-like imagining of how he survived the fall, to name a few.

Is that a deerstalker on your head, or are we just happy to see you?

In the hiatus between the last series and this one Benedict Cumberbatch, much like his alter ego Sherlock, has been quite busy, with multiple movie roles (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, War Horse, 12 Years a Slave), as well as acquiring a dedicated fan base that have dubbed themselves Cumberbitches. He has requested they refer to themselves instead as Cumberbabes, to no avail. Cumberbatch has always been an excellent Sherlock, but he really owned the part in this episode. Both actor and character seemed glad, even giddy, to be back, and the camera loved him for it — showering him with tons of close-ups and clever dialogue. Sherlock is back, the eponymous detective and his faithful sidekick Watson once again a team, and woe to any villain who stands in their way. I can't help wondering if the mysterious Big Bad might end up being Mycroft, the only other character who seemed less than thrilled at Sherlock's return.

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