Punch me in the face wrote:

Yeah it's just a pity I can't do the ceremonies myself. Well I know I think I could manage the Gong fu cha  ceremony (I mean, the gestures and all), a chinese one,  but then I don't know which teapot to use for each tea, how many grams I should use, which temperature.. .because all this depends on each tea, and this has to be so very precise.

But he did everything Soo Lin does, with the kind of "paintbrush" and all... It created a very warm and peaceful atmosphere and I miss those moments. Well, of course his teapots are not as old as the Museum's ones in TBB, but they are all handmade teapots in specific China or Japan, some cost more than 500 euros. Well...

I don't know a word of Chinese, but I'm a bit familiar with Japanese (I don't speak it, only know about 20-30 words and a few kanas, because my husband's grandmother was Japanese, she died young so he never knew her but he had learnt Japanese and was quite fluent) and it's true that the symbols definitely looked asian, even if you don't know what it means.

I know how to make matcha, but I don't the steps of the ceremony itself.  I do have three teapots- one for my english teas (black teas), one for my green tea, and one for my white teas.  I can't really mix them or it muddles the taste of my tea, which is why I have one of each.

When I first heard about the series, I couldn't buy the idea of a modern retelling of Sherlock Holmes' stories. I thought it woudn't work and I wouldn't like them. Even the first snapshot I encountered of the main duo made the impression worse. It was the picture of Sherlock and John on their way to the crime scene on taxi. They appeared to me as teenagers and quite unlike of what I imagined.

When watching ASiP almost a year later, I was still the sceptic, but from the introduction scene of Sherlock in the morgue onwards everything changed  and the episode and actors captivated me thoroughly and I forgot I was there to nitpicking. ASiP is always my favourite

I don't like TBB much. IMO, it lacks depth and realism. It's like a comedy film

There is something grandeur about ASiB and many beautiful scenes are there.  But what I don't like about the episode is the feeling that John is being relegated to the background because of Irene and the final scene of her being rescued by Sherlock  has just reinforced that impression. Irene being saved by Sherlock (even if it's imagined by Sherlock) isn't in tune with either of the characters. I would rather see her assasinated or in the rescue shelter or find her way out using her own wits.

"A Scandal in Belgravia" - I love how they adapted "the woman", because, frankly, Steven Moffat is right, there isn't much in the original story that makes one understand why Sherlock regarded her so highly. But they managed to turn this into a beautiful (also beautifully shot!) story and generally just a great joy to watch - over and over again . And I love the attraction between Sherlock and Irene.

The second one would be "Reichenbach Fall", just for sheer acting brilliance as far as Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott and Martin Freeman are concerned!!

ASIB is like candy to me.  Not perfect,  not necessarily the best
nutrition,  but irresistible.   To me,  it's the most
elegantly directed and edited episode.  Lovely to look at.
The characters sparkle.

The other episodes have their hooks and strengths and
brilliance,  but ASIB (other than the Irene end scene)
holds up anytime for me,  capturing the essential elements
that make this whole series the best of its kind.

It's a hard choice, I actually love all episodes, maybe except The Blind Banker (I only like this one ;) ). But if I have to choose... A Study in Pink would be the one Simply because it was the first episode I watched and the first at all. That was the episode that made me love Sherlock (even more than I loved the original version). There was everything in that episode - great mystery, great humour, the first meeting beetween Sherlock and John... Everything I need in the good show. My only objection is the final scene beetween Sherlock and the cab driver - I like this scene more in the Unaired Pilot. But it doesn't change the brilliancy of this episode.
On the second place are two episodes equally - The Great Game and The Scandal in Belgravia. The first one, because of the plot, and the second one... because the funny moment's are... outstanding!