BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Favourite episodes

chloejellybean5 · December 21, 2014 6:33 pm

Which is your favourite episode and why?
Sorry I forgot to put a study in Pink and the hounds of Baskerville

Last edited by chloejellybean5 (December 21, 2014 6:35 pm)

silverblaze · December 21, 2014 7:25 pm

Difficult. I like different episodes for different reasons. Loved TGG because of the crazy structure and fast pacing. Loved TRF for the cliffhanger of the century. Scandal has this neat plotting device. TSOT is just amazing both in structure and in visuals. HLV, big shocker scene, beautiful goodbye scene on the tarmac.

I think I'll still go for TRF because that's the one that hooked me, even though it's structurally and character wise probably not the best one. That ending is one of the most amazing cliffhangers I've ever seen.

Ah-chie · December 21, 2014 7:59 pm

I am going for The Sign of Three for reasons I already stated in another thread...

"my most favourite episode of the whole show... The Sign of the Three. How could I not vote for a season/series that included this wonderful masterpiece of film making/acting/writing. This episode alone qualifies Series/Season 3 as the best in my books.

The sublime "Speech Scene" is one for the ages. Of course it is inter-spliced with on of the most touchingly funny scene where John asks Sherlock to be his best man, as well as including the perfectly choreographed "Stag Night" sequence.

And then there is the real climax of the episode (not the daring-do one where Mary, John and Sherlock rush off to save Major Sho) but the emotional climax of the story - when Sherlock profound gratitude and love for his friend John, leaving the whole room of wedding guests weeping (and I don't doubt a good deal of fandom).

He knows now just how deep both of their emotions run but humorously is still naively still unaware that others can see what he has just learned. John's hug is encompassing and unconditional (he knows Sherlock can't hug him back) but it is an expression of happiness at the progress he has made and a time of deep connection for John of their bond.

Then comes Sherlock's "hug" at the reception. His music and the little speech made after the pregnancy deduction. He was giving John his gift of recognition of his happiness (in his bonding with Mary) and for the first time in Sherlock's life (I think) he is being empathetic to someone. He is truly happy for John. In fact that point is driven home because we see how lonely Sherlock is personally in the aftermath of John's happiness as he leaves the wedding early. Heartbreaking and yet somehow noble. For once he didn't act selfishly and dwell on his loneliness that John's life is taking a different direction. It was foreshadowed in the earlier scene where Mary and This final scene was done all by Sherlock on his own volition. Just a masterpiece of writing, acting and directing."

I could watch this episode again and again (and I have).

Some of the other (a lot of them actually) come in as a close second but I have to admit this one is my fav!

-Val

Vhanja · December 21, 2014 8:02 pm

TSoT is up there for me too. But it's hard for me to pick a favorite. I love all the emotions in TSoT - humor, cuteness, heartbreak, love. I love to see the warm side of Sherlock.

But I also likes it best when Sherlock and John are working alone in 221B. That is Sherlock for me. I think TGG or TSiB are my favorites outside of TSoT.

Ah-chie · December 21, 2014 8:23 pm

My second favourite episode is much harder to pick than my first.

I love the opening episode of the show - ASiP. It's a great introduction to the characters.

A Scandal in Belgravia is also a favourite of mine! I just re-watched this the other day and it still makes my heart skip a beat (not just because of electric chemistry between Sherlock and Irene Adler). The camera work is fantastic. The falling into bed scene, the segues when Holmes bends down to look in the car (in his mind), The slo-mo fight scene... there are so many goodies!!

And the intensity of emotion in The Reichenbach Fall! It is one that needs to be viewed again and again too.

And I love all of the final Season/Series episodes.

-Val

Schmiezi · December 21, 2014 8:24 pm

It's HLV for me. I love the dramatic atmosphere of it.

stoertebeker · December 21, 2014 8:34 pm

To answer this question, I thought about which episode I would choose for a rewatch if I had just time for one episode. It would be TRF. That's just the perfect episode for me, exciting story and atmosphere, very good acting and heartwrenching end. Second choise: HOB. I know, the episode isn't very popular, but I love the humour, the spooky atmosphere and the dynamic between John and Sherlock and I liked the setting outside of London.

Vhanja · March 31, 2015 10:14 pm

Ok, I've changed my mind from my last post.

I've given this a good, long thinking myself. And I've come to the conclusion that if I have to choose one episode, my favorite would be ASiB.

Reasons is as follows:

It can never be from S1 because of John's constant annoyance and underdog-feeling (see different thread for more details)
It can never be from S3 because Sherlock and John aren't living together in 221B.
So S2. It can't be HoB because they aren't in 221 B and running across London. (Otherwise I LOVE this episode).
It can't be TRF because it's too sad.
So ASiB it is. It has it all: The two boys in 221B, the two boys having fun and enjoying each other, a good story, Sherlock growing... it has everything, but it doesn't have the final sadness you find in the cliffhanger episodes.

ivywind · April 5, 2015 12:09 pm

@Vhanja

your logic in choosing your favourite episode echos to the Sherlock's deduction process

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth

By the way , I don't think your choice is "improbable" as it happens to me that my favourite episodes are TRF and ASiB. I do not and cannot figure out why they are my favourite. Just because simply

Vhanja · April 5, 2015 12:13 pm

Haha, thanks. I used the process of elimination, which made it much easier to choose one. ;)

richardsimpson · April 8, 2015 8:51 am

The sign of three was brilliant!

Yitzock · May 5, 2015 5:19 pm

It's really hard to pick just one favourite episode to be honest. I'd definitely say one of my favourites is The Hounds of Baskerville. I'm sure my favourite is subject to change, but I still remember that episode quite well and really enjoyed it. Though, of course, I think they're all brilliant. But I thought Hounds was great. The way it built and built suspense was really affecting for me, and I just LOVE the locations for that, it was a really beautiful place that they found. Of course, I love 221B and everything that happens there, and of course that is a big part of the show, but I still love Hounds despite that, for what I've already mentioned. I thought it was a great mystery, complete with false leads (UMQRA). It has some funny bits that I really like also, like Sherlock not realizing that Greg isn't an alias that Lestrade has taken on. ("That's his name!" "It is?" and then Lestrade's "Yes!" through gritted teeth).

I actually have kind of a funny story attached to this episode, if I may. My family and I watch the show together, and I was sitting with my dad to one side of me and my mom to another. I thought the episode was really exciting. I can hear my mom next to me exclaiming how scared she's getting, but on my left I can hear my dad falling asleep. For the record, he does like the show, he was just tired that night. He ended up having to rewatch part of the episode on his own because of his falling asleep that night. I suppose that funny/happy memory that is part of why I like it so much, but I know that that's only part of it, I just thought it was a great episode.

Although if I can have an honorable mention it might be The Sign of the Four or maybe The Great Game. SoF because of all the humour and feels and TGG because I thought it was a really exciting mystery. But in the end, if you made me keep going down the line of top 3, top 4, top 5, I'd just cave and eventually just go "I like all of them!"

Lilythiell · May 5, 2015 7:25 pm

Yitzock, I'm sure you meant The Sign of Three
As for going "I like all of them"...well, I would agree, except there's The Blind Banker and I'm not a big fan of it. No idea why.

Last edited by Lilythiell (May 5, 2015 7:27 pm)

Yitzock · May 5, 2015 8:06 pm

Yes, you're right. The Sign of Three. Oops, thanks for catching that. Although there's nothing wrong with the book. I just typed the wrong thing because the titles are so similar. Once I took an embarassingly long pause when talking about the books making sure I said "Four" and not "Three," but obviously I can still slip up.

I don't remember not liking The Blind Banker, but to be honest it's probably the episode I remember the least about. Perhaps it would be lower on my list if I did make a list, but I did like it enough. I guess it's because it's not quite as fast-paced as A Study in Pink, which it immediately follows?

Lilythiell · May 5, 2015 10:32 pm

No worries about slipping up ;)
About The Blind Banker there are bits and pieces I do like (the row with the chip and pin machine comes to mind, the intrigue of Moriarty expanded -a bit- as well as the funny bits of Sherlock crashing John's date with Sarah), but all in all it's the episode I like the least. Possibly due to the fact it is not, as you mentioned it, as fast paced as A Study In Pink. The fact that Lestrade's not in the episode (although he is not a recurring character in the books) nor Mycroft (please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I really don't remember him being in this episode -.-), or that the dynamic between Sherlock and John is somewhat altered because of his dating (it should be all about the Work!)...

SolarSystem · May 6, 2015 4:52 am

I agree, TBB isn't one of my favourite episodes, either... but Sherlock looks stunningly beautiful throughout the whole episode.

Yitzock · May 7, 2015 1:43 pm

Maybe you have a point there...although you could say that about pretty much all of the episodes, to be honest.

Lilythiell · May 8, 2015 8:55 pm

Yes he is...and in a sheet, isn't he just... *drools* Erm, sorry about that.

Savoureux · May 13, 2015 7:38 pm

I picked A Scandal in Belgravia, I don't really know why i like this episode but it is my favourite with Reichenbach

cucumberbets · May 26, 2015 1:35 pm

My favorite episode so far is The Empty Hearse for so many reasons: the breaking of the window, the coat, the hair ruffle, and the kiss...

...and the whole thing with Sherlock apologizing to John.