BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Why all the fuss about the cliffhanger?

**Posted by Kerkerian** January 13, 2014 6:17 am

After seeing the episode (and it was indeed completely different from anything I'd have expected, and even more brilliant) I am wondering why people have been so hyped up by the cliffhanger.

Of course one would say "why do they stop there" because we simply want more, but seriously- everything's fine if you ask me, this is nothing like TGG or TRF! Sherlock's not going away, everyone's happy, and of course they're going to deal with Moriarty or whoever is posing as him. So what's the big deal (no pun intended)?

Have to go to work now, I'll be pondering the episode all day...

**Posted by Hanka** January 13, 2014 6:22 am

Same here. Though I guess they had to do it like that, don't think we could've dealt with one more big thing after everything that happened in HLV^^ And Moftiss probably knew that :D

**Posted by stoertebeker** January 13, 2014 7:37 am

I can't help it. Despite the Moriarty twist at the end, the ending of HLV feels like the ending of the whole show to me. I know everybody says there will be a 4th series, but it still feels strange. The way John and Sherlock said goodbye felt so final to me.

**Posted by Ozma** January 13, 2014 8:27 am

They were trolling us. And people who had seen it had been encouraged to keep up the charade...

**Posted by Wholocked** January 13, 2014 9:14 am

TBH I thought it was some new villain using Moriarty's image. I don't believe it's Moriarty, and therefore it's less a cliffhanger to me, and more a promise that there will be future episodes.

**Posted by TeeJay** January 13, 2014 10:14 am

It was all a ruse to hype up the fandom. Same thing with "someone's going to die". Well, technically two people died, but it wasn't the huge shock they made it out to be. My take on it is that they were trying to create a buzz and make it appear worse than it is, so that everyone could then sigh in relief and say, "Well, that wasn't so bad now, was it? I'm actually happy."

I'm not sure all of that would have even been necessary. Why not let the fandom decide for themselves what they would like to expect, rather than deliberately feed them misleading information?

**Posted by kazza474** January 13, 2014 10:20 am

It's the cliffhanger you write when you really don't have a cliffhanger.

I'm sure many fans will work it out way before the next series starts.

**Posted by silverblaze** January 13, 2014 10:30 am

stoertebeker wrote:
I can't help it. Despite the Moriarty twist at the end, the ending of HLV feels like the ending of the whole show to me. I know everybody says there will be a 4th series, but it still feels strange. The way John and Sherlock said goodbye felt so final to me.

THAT is the cliffhanger. For fans with an overactive imagination that is.

Personally, I love the trolling, it makes it even more exciting than it is already. And Mark's tweets were genious. Moftiss should each receive a golden troll.

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** January 13, 2014 11:46 am

I don't think the ending was a genuine cliffhanger at all. A mystery, yes, but not a cliffhanger. It gave a resolution to Series 3 but was open-ended enough for there to be lots to wrap up in Series 4. Much more satisfying, in terms of not going crazy during the hiatus.

**Posted by anjaH_alias** January 13, 2014 12:04 pm

For me it´s not a cliffhanger. And honestly I don´t need cliffhangers to stay a fan. I am happy with this. And whether this was really Moriarty - I doubt that - we will see. Maybe another villain.
Or just Mycroft. His first words to Sherlock, when Moriarty is back on scene are: "Have you learnt your lesson?" As if the starting plane was a kind of punishment (and that it was obviously to Sherlock) and never meant to reach a destination. As if he knew that the exile will be very short. He could have arranged that all to get his brother out of the official penal system, imo that´s also a possibility. And material about Moriarty to make a little film clip he should have enough .

Last edited by anjaH_alias (January 13, 2014 12:08 pm)

**Posted by SusiGo** January 13, 2014 12:20 pm

Agreed. I do not need a big cliffhanger every time to stay with a series. If there is a good opportunity of having one, I am fine with that. But I definitely do not need it to enjoy the show.

**Posted by Mrs.Wenceslas** January 13, 2014 12:22 pm

me neither.

**Posted by Mirthxx** January 13, 2014 12:28 pm

Yeah, me too. I like this cliffhanger. Considering they leave us for a year or two, I don't want something that twists me up like last season. This is good. I can make up theories and chat about it, without worrying to badly. I know next season will be bad - considering it is most likely that Mary and Baby (everytime I write that I think Jesus! LOL) will not survive S4, but at least that will be during airing and not something to leave us twisted till they air again.

Travelling companion reckons they should take all the rubbish of tv and put the money into more Sherlock eps so we can have summer airing too. LOL. Now that's an idea I can get behind !

Mxx

**Posted by anjaH_alias** January 13, 2014 12:28 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Agreed. I do not need a big cliffhanger every time to stay with a series. If there is a good opportunity of having one, I am fine with that. But I definitely do not need it to enjoy the show.

I am actually not a series watcher, there is not even one I am watching. I don´t like the everlasting series´ with their obvious cliffhangers all the time. Sherlock is of course a different format, more film than series. Most episodes can stand alone. Cliffhangers would grade them down for me. Okay, TRF was genius, but I don´t need more .

Last edited by anjaH_alias (January 13, 2014 12:29 pm)

**Posted by silverblaze** January 13, 2014 12:44 pm

I don't think they can ever top TRF. That was the cliffhanger of the century. IMHO

My dad loves detectives but doesn't know Sherlock yet. I'm gonna give him my DVDs of series 1 and 2 and after he's finished TRF I'm gonna say: 'oh, yeah, the solution was aired a month ago or so, maybe in six months the DVD will come out'. MUHAHAHAHA

**Posted by Deilenn** January 13, 2014 12:46 pm

If a cliffhanger would be good then why not to get another one? Yet this time we got something hardly comparable to the TRF's ending. Ok Moriarty may be back, but except for Magnussen everyone is alive so...

**Posted by Ozma** January 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Like Moffat said...they seem to have a problem keeping people dead...

**Posted by tonnaree** January 13, 2014 1:55 pm

I love a good cliffhanger. TRF was epic. That said I think Moffat knew we were all terrified of what they might come up with this time and they milked it for all it was worth. We were all so bloody frightened! And it was fun!

However, I am totally pleased with this ending. Although the episode had an abunadance of emotion in it they did not leave us devestated at the end. We can look forward to the next series without to pay for therapy!

**Posted by TeeJay** January 13, 2014 2:06 pm

Personally, I hate cliffhangers. And I didn't consider the ending of HLV to be one. A cliffhanger, to me, is something that leaves a major plot point open without whose resolution the viewers are left, well, dangling over the cliff before there's any kind of rescue.

HLV didn't have that. All the major plot points were resolved, and I didn't consider the Moriarty plot to be a cliffhanger as such. It felt more like a teaser for what is to come in season 4.

tonnaree wrote:
However, I am totally pleased with this ending. Although the episode had an abunadance of emotion in it they did not leave us devestated at the end. We can look forward to the next series without to pay for therapy!

Yes, I absolutely echo this sentiment!

Last edited by TeeJay (January 13, 2014 2:07 pm)

**Posted by Yeahright** January 13, 2014 2:27 pm

It's more of a hook than a cliff hanger which frankly backfired. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it tremendously, but I wont be anxiously waiting forthe next installment. I 'll livestream for sure but they lost me at "miss me".
With TRF it was a game of noticing clues , trying to work out a magic trick. The rules of the game were clear. All they did was flip turn the tables on us. We don't even know where we stand anymore or what to expect of the show so why bother over it. They went from respecting the viewers' intelligence and involving us in a complicated plot to smug tricksters. We'll still be watching and applauding the slickness and oh so clever twists of the affair but back in our armchairs rather than sticking our nose to the screen scanning for hidden clues.
It has gone from mysteries to magic tricks. The latter are based on lies and misdirection and have very simple explanations at the core and frankly I dont like being dazzled as much as being engaged in the game.