Literature’s most eccentric detective returns to television.
“Sherlock,” the hit television series adapted from the original detective book series “Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, premiered its first episode of the new third season on January 19 in the U.S.
For two years, American fans have waited to see what happens next in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his partner Dr. John Watson, played by Martin Freeman.
The latest episode is set two years after season two, episode three, “The Reichenbach Fall.”
Fans anxiously awaited an explanation to the end of season two.
In the last episode, it appeared that Sherlock committed a fail-proof suicide, only to tease the audience with evidence otherwise in the episode’s final moments.
Now, Sherlock is dragged back into the real world by his brother Mycroft, played by Mark Gatiss, to help the government with a looming underground terrorist threat on London.
Meanwhile, Watson has taken Sherlock’s “death” very hard, so much so that he grew an atrocious mustache.
He moved out of his and Sherlock’s home on 221B Baker Street in London and is in a relationship with Mary, played by Amanda Abbington.
Just as he plans to propose to her in an upscale restaurant, Sherlock decides to surprise him with the news that he is not dead after all.
After the season two finale episode aired, the Internet began swarming with theories about Sherlock’s brilliant fake suicide. “Sherlock’s” writers seemed to appreciate the speculation.
Season three, episode one, “The Empty Hearse,” contains many probable and one or two completely farcical theories of how he survived.
It seems that you might just have to wait for the real answer, as Sherlock’s lips are sealed.
Overall, the first episode seems to be a promising start to another fabulous season.
While each season contains only three episodes, Sherlock will quickly make his way into your heart and onto your television.
The series offers a refreshing and modern twist on an old classic, yet remains unique in its adaptation.
My only warning – if you are prone to nausea from fast paced images, this is not the series for you. The camera angles of the show are unlike any I have seen before, and many times left me feeling a little green around the gills.
“Sherlock,” brainchild of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, was originally aired by the BBC in July 2010.
The U.S. received the series shortly after with a premiere date in October 2010. Almost instantly, audiences took to the series, and Sherlock became a beloved figure.
The writers have adapted Sherlock’s character even farther.
Always a brilliant but standoffish personality with apparent social disorders, Sherlock is incapable of cracking much of a smile in the first two seasons. But now, as he is resurrected from death once more, audiences find Sherlock playing a few practical jokes on his friends, an initially preposterous idea to me.
For those of you who have missed the first two seasons, Netflix offers them, as well as pbs.org. “Sherlock” season three airs at 10 p.m. Sundays. on PBS.
