My take on Season Three
 
Having watched episodes of Season Three several times now. I have to say that like those that loved it and those that dreaded it, my feelings about it are really mixed.
 
It certainly didn’t grip or amaze me like Seasons One and Two did. It felt like it was an unexpected change from what I had known and loved about the series. The look and feel of it was really different too as director Paul McGuigan was now gone.  While the episodes in the first two seasons felt like they were independent and standalone stories, here they seemed more like they were all part of a three-act play as they are interconnected. While 1 and 2 were very plot-driven, 3 puts more emphasis on character which explains why those of us who were expecting to see brilliant plots (or cases) like before had been disappointed. Also, in the first two seasons they were able to develop things quickly over time (the character of Moriarty, the relationship between Sherlock and John, other supporting characters like Mycroft and Molly) in a more subtle way but in this season it was all about revelations, which came quickly and heavily (Mary being both pregnant and an assassin, the possibility of Moriarty returning). A lot of what happened doesn’t seem to sit well with us and I think we are probably supposed to feel this way.
 
However, there are plenty of things about Season Three that I did like (or at least I’ve come to like). I was satisfied with how they handled how Sherlock staged the fall. I like how the explanation was both plausible and ambiguous at the same time and how they were able to lead up to it by giving fake theories. The whole “I Heard You” moment was beautiful. I also agree that “The Sign of Three” is an underrated episode as it is certainly the funniest and it is the first time that a middle episode was the best in a season. Sherlock’s best man speech was brilliant as it one that only he could pull off. The long mind palace scene in HLV where Sherlock has to desperately figure out how to survive was awesome and the scene in the beginning of the episode at the drug house is a gem. C.A.M. was an interesting villain too even if he was taken out too soon (I would have wanted to learn more about how he acquires all of his knowledge). Acting wise, both Cumberbatch and Freeman were at their best in this season. Also, I do really like Amanda Abbington’s Mary as she was able to fit in well with the rest of the cast quite easily although, like many fans, I don’t want her to be a long-term character.
 
For better or for worse, I believe Season Three of “Sherlock” is a transitional period for the series. I get the impression that it is going to move in a direction where it will be an ongoing saga about the characters and personal lives rather than giving us more fantastical crime adventures. Some might welcome this change but others might not. I think the diehards will remain faithful yet casual viewers may be lost. Personally, I plan on sticking with the show but I don’t want it to become a soap opera.  Mofftiss should not take things to the point that it stops being a show about Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and becomes something else entirely. They must not lose sight of why they created it to begin with. Still, the next season could still return to the style and glory of Seasons One and Two for all I know. All I can say is that we will see what happens.