Hi, I am quite new here, so if you have discussed a similar topic already (as you probably have)  I hope  you will be indulgent and willing to come back to it.

So, what is my problem or rather two problems concerning RF?

First of all, I absolutely loved this episode from every point of view: plot, acting, direction, tension, atmosphere. It is by far the best piece of drama I have seen in a long time.

And it is exactly because I value it so high that I have some (serious) concerns.

The first one, minor, is relatively simple: I really wonder how on Earth, after having achieved such a deep emotional imput in the season 2 (especially in the 1st and 3rd episode) they will be able not to loose it in the third season? After all, it is difficult to think about something more extreme than the protagonist sacrificing himself in order to protect his friends! I simply cannot immagine a new series becoming somehow "new adventures" of Sherlock and John.
However, I do have faith in Moffat and Gatiss, so this is not my main problem

The real one is the fact that Sherlock didn't die.
No, I am not joking.
Did I want Sherlock to survive? Yes, of course I did (and I knew he would: I've read ACD enough times to remember it)
Did I want Sherlock to ultimately win the battle against Moriarty? Yes, of course I did.
Do I want to have a new season of Sherlock to watch? I do!

So?

I think many viewers will agree that Reichenbach Fall is such an outstanding show because of the emotional tension it brings and the range of emotions so beautifully played by the protagonists.They make this film heart wrenching, 
However, they are so powerful only as long as they are genuine. Once they are (or will be) revealed as  
a fake, they will loose (to me) a great lot of their appeal.
Since Sherlock didn't die, some of the emotions we are shown and we are sharing (aren't we?) had to be a kind of act.
In RF we deal with emotions of Watson, Moriarty, Mycroft and, of course, Sherlock.
Only Watson's reactions and feeling are 100% genuine, we can be assured. What about the others?
I want Moriarty to be dead. I don't like the idea of him faking his death as well (I read some ideas like this somewhere). I really think it is sublime that his twisted mind would carry him to commit the suicide in order to "sort" the duel between him and Sherlock.And I hope he will stay safely dead
I don't want Mycroft to be part of some greater conspiracy, or a partner in faking Sherlock's suicide. His grief about bringing the doom to his younger brother is so beautifully understated, I want to treasure it. And again, I dare to hope his feeling will stay authentic.
Alas, there are almost no such hopes for Sherlock. I don't want Sherlock to fake his own death, period. I know it's not logical, because I want seeing him kicking and alive for at least 10 other seasons. Yet in the same time I still want him to jump to his death in order to save his friends. Because if he knows all along he won't really die, the powerful emotion of the rooftop confrontation and the final call to John suddenly drops from 100% to 20%. There is no escaping from this simple fact. He can be still desperate that he has to sacrifice his reputation and that he has to separate from his friend, but it is a very pale substitute of emotion for  the bleak despair of a man who is going to sacrifice his reputation, his friendship AND his life in order to save his friends.

Therefore, I am not really interested into "how did he do it". My trepidation is all about "how will they explain it without ruining this absolute masterpiece I consider RF so far?" I only hope the writers won't cheat on cliffhanger: they are able do it, as the beginning of "Scandal in Belgravia" clearly reminds us. I didn't mind the cheek-in-tongue solution they offered there, but this time is different.

What are your thoughts?