TV Review: Sherlock: The Six Thatchers

After three years of waiting, fans of BBC One’s hit series Sherlock were left stunned (and slightly confused) by the first episode of series four.

Starring the same TV and Hollywood greats, Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Dr John Watson), Sunday’s The Six Thatchers was a number one worldwide trend on Twitter and Facebook for hours after it aired.

Well, it’s pretty clear why, when Watson’s wife Mary, played exceptionally by Amanda Abbington, was killed off in the first episode. The impending death of the character was expected by many in this series but what really shocked the fans is how it was done and when. I certainly wasn’t expecting her to die so early in this series, thinking they would be building up to it for the third episode. How wrong I was.

Part of a seemingly comical yet intense plot of busts of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher being smashed up, The Six Thatchers was most definitely darker than the last series. It started off light-hearted as the Watsons and Sherlock welcomed baby Rosamund Mary to the family and the calm before the storm was the months following the birth (although many new parents may disagree…). When given a new case, Sherlock, John and, surprisingly, Mary ended up discovering a new mystery, as you do.

But the question of ‘what will they do next?’ is thought of more than ever now as writers and creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have kept tight-lipped about the whole thing. Mary’s explosive death and life as an assassin were blown open in series one, so will Moriarty return? Or will things get worse even if he doesn’t?

Either way, what fans really want to know is what will happen between John and Sherlock. The episode ended on a bitter note when we saw Sherlock seeking counselling because John refuses to speak to him.

As well as this, after we saw John commit a completely out-of-character action – no less than cheating on his wife – there has been outrage across the Sherlock fans. Some believe it is part of an elaborate plot running through the whole thing. Some believe it was simply a ridiculous move by Gatiss. Viewers are also looking for clarity here.

The episode logically made sense, unlike last year’s one-off episode which explored Sherlock’s psyche in a way no one understood. Overall, we were definitely encouraged by Sunday’s episode but are hoping that this week’s resolves all issues John-and-Sherlock…