I am fairly new to this show but I'm already a fan and after a binge watch last night and today I came up with a couple of theories.

At the beginning of season 2, episode 3 "The Reichenbach Fall" we see Moriarty stage an elaborate heist on the tower of London while simulataneously attacking the bank of england and Pentonville prison.
Both the tower and the bank are high profile targets but why the prison?
It is customary for someone to break out of prison but, why in?
Imo Moriarty did not perform the heist on the tower of London, Moriarty broke into Pentonville prison and it was in fact Richard Brook who exacted the tower heist under Moriartys instruction.


Richard Brook had to be arrested for the tower heist and have his fingerprints and dna taken for Moriartys masterplan to work. All will become apparent.

I'm guessing that Brook was some failed, out of work aspiring actor who was offered the role of a lifetime and promised worldwide fame and noteriety by Moriarty. Although criminality was involved the chance of playing the biggest acting role the world has ever seen and being recognised for his skills appealed to the spellbound Brook.
Brook would first be transformed to look exactly like Moriarty. He resembled Moriarty to some extent but after some plastic surgey and intensive vocal training the difference between the two would be nigh on indistinguishable. Brook threw himself fully into the role of Moriarty driven by his vengeful lust for recognition as an actor that was no doubt bolstered by Moriartys promises that he wouldn't spend a day in prison for his role, but even if he did Moriarty has the keys to open any door.

Brook boldly committed the tower heist while the real Moriarty broke into the prison, no doubt aided by prison officers and prisoners who were in Moriartys extensive criminal network, and there he waited.

Brook arrived in Pentonville on remand where Moriarty immediately switched places with him. Brook was then spirited out of prison. There were two reasons for this elaborate deception, Moriarty needed Brooks details on the system but above all Moriarty wanted his day in court. He wanted the world to acknowledge his genius.
Money, jewels are unimportant to Moriarty, the most important thing to him is the game, winning the game and defeating those beneath him. His judgement day in court finally arrives and he walks free making a mockery of the justice system. Moriarty it seems is untouchable and the whole world bears witness to his triumph. 

Once free Moriarty proceeds to destroy Holmes reputation. He begins framing Holmes for crimes Moriarty himself has commited He starts painting Holmes as the arch villain in the eyes of the law and the public It is not enough to just kill Holmes first he has to destroy Holmes reputation. He portrays Holmes as the Master of puppets pulling the strings to help boost his reputation as the worlds greatest detective when in fact he is really a villain.
Holmes is framed as the man behind Moriarty who it now seems is just a paid actor whose real name is Richard Brook. Brook lyingly confesses that it is Holmes who is the real villain and that he is just an actor paid to portray the fictional Moriarty.
Richard/Rich Brook is a real ex actor/presenter he admits as much himself and shows proof of such to kitty then Sherlock and Watson. His spiel is so convincing he has even those closest to Holmes doubting him. 
Brook helped Moriarty convince the kidnapped children that Holmes is the bad guy, again using his acting and skills learned working in television.
Soon the police begin suspecting Holmes of these crimes and Holmes goes on the run to try and clear his name.   


Fast forward to the roof at the end of the episode, Moriarty faces off against Sherlock, he tells Sherlock that those closest to him will be killed unless Sherlock sacrifices himself.
Moriarty wants to end his own life but not without ending it on a high note. The fact is Moriarty has to die in order for Moriarty to live, the world knows who he is now and Mycroft and his secret service have him under constant surveillance, this is leading to his criminal network being infiltrated and compromised. Moriarty has no choice but to commit suicide or spend the rest of his days under the constant scrutiny of the law, but not without first destroying his nemesis Sherlock who he now acknowledges as the worthy adversary he had been searching for all his life.
Moriarty shoots himself and Sherlock then stages the illusion of throwing himself to his death in order to save his friends. 

Moriarty faked his suicide, the blood that flowed as he lay supposedley dead on the ground was in fact the blood of none other than Richard Brook concealed in a special effects prop on the back of Moriartys neck, the shot that was heard also came from somewhere on Moriartys back as a blank round would be too dangerous to expel in the mouth, a tube pressure pumped out the blood as Moriarty fell on his back. 

When sherlock jumps, Moriarty opens his eyes, he gets up and walks to the edge of the roof and sees his foe apparently dead on the pavement.
His plan is almost complete there is just one loose end left to tie up.
He turns around to see the roof door open, and out walks Richard Brook. What happens next could go either one of two ways.
One, Moriarty congratulates Brook on his acting skill commenting that he would be remembered forever as a truly great actor, but that the greatest acting icons always die tragically,he says all this while attaching a silencer to his gun. He then puts the gun into Brooks mouth and shoots him dead. Two, Moriarty somehow convinces Brook to take his own life.
Either way Reichenbach does indeed fall, dead on the spot, in the exact spot where Moriarty faked death.

Everything falls into place, Moriartys plan is now complete. In the eyes of the world Moriarty never existed he was just a figment of the imagination of arch-villain Sherlock Holmes and was played by the gullible aspiring actor Richard Brook. In Moriartys eyes Sherlock Holmes is dead, his legacy destroyed. 
Brooks fingerprints and dna are on record and Brooks dead body will no doubt confirm that Brook aka Moriarty is dead. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist and with that Moriarty leaves the roof to slither back into the shadows of the underworld,
smug in the knowledge that he defeated his greatest enemies and is undoubtedly the greatest criminal mastermind that has ever lived. 

But obviously things didn't work out exactly the way Moriarty had intended. Holmes is still alive and although the world thinks Moriarty/Brook is dead it irks him that Holmes denied him his perfectly devised master plan. So, at the end of series three we see Moriarty make a surprise reappearance subtly announcing that the game is far from over. Knowing that Holmes tricked him he is letting him know that two can play that game.

Last edited by Osoulo (July 10, 2014 11:07 pm)