Christmas is a long way away... 

Thanks for the links btw, always interesting to get a look behind the scenes like that! 

That's a point... the longer they wait the bigger the window for spoilers etc... 

Schmiezi wrote:

Did I miss something, or are we yet to see Mycroft and Moriarty in Victorian costumes?

Okay, I've been thinking about something for a while but wasn't sure, so I've decided to put it out there and see what others think. Does anyone think it's possible that in this shot of Moriarty...


... it looks like he could be in Victorian period clothing? That this could actually be a teaser for the Special?? There's just something about the colour and cut of the suit, the collar and the tie... even his hair... and the way the background is out of focus, it could be to obscure something that would give the setting away...

Last edited by ukaunz (May 7, 2015 1:40 am)

They can choose any date as long as it is not during my summer holidays. 

Well, it's probably a Christmas special in the sense that it is going to air at Christmas time in the UK, but whether there's much to do with Christmas is yet to be seen.  Maybe there will be a bit of Christmas, but we get that in the series also.  Downton Abbey has Christmas episodes, but they are about more than just Christmas.

As for the picture of Moriarty...I never thought of that.  You could be onto something, though! Upon further inspection, I can see where you're coming from.  Hmm...that could be a clue.  Though we can't see his clothing really well, it looks like it could be period costume.  Either that or it's 21st Century Moriarty in a suit that's styled after an older design.  But we'll have to wait and see.  If this is the costume we see him wearing in the special, or something similar, then you will have predicted correctly.  I wonder what kind of hat he would wear with that suit, maybe a bowler hat?

Has anything been said about Moriarty appearing in the Special? I haven't read through this whole thread, so I didn't know if was something that has already been stated by Moftiss either way.

So if my theory was correct, Moriarty could be "back from the dead" for the Special at least (I don't believe he'll be alive in Season 4).

But I'm going to go ahead and blow my own theory out of the water, because I just looked again and realised the broadcast "Did you miss me" message has Moriarty in the same suit and with the same background 

I remember Mark saying that they will definitely explain the Moriarty thing in the special. I do not know the exact source of that quote but it has been published by many media. 

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-11-19/mark-gatiss-the-sherlock-special-will-completely-solve-the-mystery-of-moriartys-return

Sue Vertue has said at Sherlocked that secret scenes are usually filmed indoors which of course is true. So Andrew might have been there after all. 

This is all very mysterious and I also wonder about the scene with Mary and John in their tarmac scene costumes that was filmed in the cemetery. A modern time frame story? Standing in front of a grave and then blending into the past? Or it was a way of tricking us like they did with the Mycroft-Moriarty handshake (which could be a double bluff in case they are going to use it in a later episode)? Or a scene for series 4?

I had been wondering whether there would be some 21st Century framing of the Victorian-era special, but there's been nothing to say there will be.  It wouldn't surprise me though.

I thought about whether Moriarty's outfit in the last moment of Hist Last Vow is period or not.  I don't think we've seen it before.  In Reichenbach Fall his suit is grey, if I remember, while this one is brown.  So I feel it could go either way.

Whatever it is, I feel it would only make sense for Moriarty to be in the special, alive in the Victorian era if not present day as well.  Even Mary is going to be in it, so I don't think they could do away with Moriarty.  There's no reason for him not to be around.

Last edited by Yitzock (May 8, 2015 2:19 pm)

I think the special is entirely separate from the rest of the series, going by the hints Moffat and Gatiss have dropped. They have also talked about Season 4 being about consequences...which strikes me as very ominous. *nibbles fingernails*

I have no doubt that there will be breadcrumbs in the special that will tie back into S4.  Even if they are small ones.