Sherlock 2x03 Review

The Reichenbach Fall




So it's been about a day since I watched the Sherlock series 2 finale and I'm finally able to put it into words. This was an episode that showed me why I love Stephen Moffat so much. It was an episode that showed why Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are two of the best actors on television. It was finally an episode that shook me to my very core. Of course it's only a television show, and there are more important things going on in the World. I would be lying though if I didn't say that I felt a combination of sickness and excitement after watching this episode. I'm going to assume if you're reading this that you've seen the episode because I'm going to spoil it very soon. If you haven't seen it yet...see it!! 

The episode continues the series arc of Sherlock becoming more famous, and loved by the media. I loved the bit with the hat, and him asking why it has two fronts. Watson points out that you can go from loved to hated by the media very quickly, and he better watch out. Meanwhile we are treated to an amazing scene with Andrew Scott as Moriarty where he appears to break into the Bank of London, a prison, and the crown jewels all with the click of an iPhone app.  He gets caught, and clearly this was part of his plan. From there things escalate, and we are trying to figure out what Moriarty's plan truly is. 



Turns out that this plan is simply to destroy Sherlock by first creating doubt in him, and then making people actually believe he's an out right liar and criminal. For me, this was the most brilliant aspect of the show, and maybe one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen on television. We see Moriarty explain his plan to Sherlock in the car. Which was the second favorite scene of the episode by the way. As he told the story of Sir Boastalot the feeling in my gut started to stir, and you can see the same thing is happening to Sherlock. He finally understands the plan, and knows that it is working. We see all this, we know for a fact that Sherlock is not a fake, and it's all part of Moriarty's plan. Even with that knowledge I still doubted Sherlock for a very short moment. I wondered if it was possible that Sherlock hired this man to play the role, and could he have faked all these cases? Obviously no, but the fact that I as a viewer doubted him for a few seconds shows the true brilliance of the entire premise. 

Another aspect of this episode I loved was the story with Molly. The whole season she's clearly been trying to show Sherlock she cares about him, and he has always responded with as little care or concern as one is able. In this episode we finally learn that Sherlock needed her because he needed someone who was good and actually cared about him so he could realize that he was more than just this brilliant detective. The connection they make in this episode is what I think gives him the confidence to know that Watson and others will never fully believe that he is a liar. They will fight for him, and believe in him no matter what and that was a huge discovery for Sherlock. Friends care about you, and when things are bad that's when friends are needed the most. 


The scene on the roof was s epic and amazing it's still difficult to describe it. It was a battle with words. Sherlock knowing he has lost is trying to trick Moriarty in to sparing the lives of his friends. Moriarty on the other hand knows he has won, and is acting upset that Sherlock was the closest he would ever come to an equal, and he beat him so easily. When Moriarty kills himself he won, and I think he also knew this was the best it could ever get. Go out on top I guess. Sherlock then realizes the only way to save his friends is to do what Moriarty wanted, and that's for him to jump off the roof. He tells Watson that everything he's heard about him is the truth, and that he's a fraud. The fact that Watson still cares abut him, and really won't consider this as truth for even a moment shows that Sherlock's earlier discovery was true. Sherlock does jump though and seemingly dies. 

I was in near shock until the last seconds of the episode where we see Sherlock alive again. I have no idea how he's still alive. We saw him fall, Watson checked him and clearly saw he was dead, and they buried a body. I know that I probably will love what they do since Moffat is a genius, but I also know that it's possible I'll be very disappointed. If he's alive and well that almost makes the entire finale meaningless, and Moriarty is gone! 


We shall see though, and we probably will have to wait a very long time until Series 3.  Put any thoughts, or theories in the comments.