Willow wrote:

I'm not a huge fan of angsty,

Me neither.
But did they have to bring back Moriarty in order to turn the plane around? Couldn't they have come up with something else?
Thinking about it, no, they probably couldn't - at least not something they could have explained well enough in those few minutes. Still, that doesn't mean I have to be entirely happy with it, does it?

Willow wrote:

Mark Gatiss deserves an award just for the way he delivered that line...

Yes, he does. He deserves an award, period. Great acting, exactly because he's always calm and collected and in control (except when his little brother is about to break his arm).
 

That's right, we don't.
But if we had been left to another long wait for the next series with the last picture of Sherlock being carried away to his apparently impending doom after a heart-wrecking departure scene, wouldn't that be more emotional (and angsty) than what we have now?

There better be a really good explanation for Moriarty showing up again (whichever way it was done); otherwise I'll sit here feeling that Moffat just couldn't resist putting another inexplicable (but ultimately unnecessary) plot twist in.

lil wrote:

Mentioned this before somewhere I think...but some more thoughts......I don't think that convo was about what it seemed. Tho its my fave.

I think they are planning the op to take down cam.
Cam is the dragon, like in canon dragon is the safe.

Mycroft reading the paper about the Smallwood suicide ..he changes his mind on the cam threat.
Smoking convo. They set up the op...slay the dragon...the dragon being Magnusson and hence John the damsel in distress and sherlock the dragon slayer.
Sherlock didn't betray Mycroft they plan it right here.
Thats why Mycroft has the laptop handy and drinks the punch.

I think the break my heart comment is Mycroft offering to have Sherlocks back...they must suspect mind palace when no google glass.
Nevertheless I think Mycroft is shocked that Sherlock can't complete the op without killing cam.Hence the oh Sherlock.

Sherlocks shouting to Mycroft just before he shoots translates to me something like....there's no vault/ evidence to set him up...we got it wrong..now look
What I have to do...get ready to have my back.

And Mycroft does.

I like this train of thought, would make "Mike" more human.
Often he seems so devoid of emotion (on the surface, who knows how troubled he is inside), this would show he isn't.

Hi!
I stumbled across the first series on TV more or less by accident. Huge fan ever since - the same goes for Doctor Who.
If only the wait between series wasn't so long ... I don't get why the actors have to play "other parts" in "other projects" - just give them a lifetime contract and get going!