I've read just a few threads regarding this season. I understand some of the criticism, and I also know that sentiment might betray me. But, sod it, I'll plunge in, and Devil take the hindmost.

First, the novelty of Sherlock is no longer there, so, having set such a high bar, it is unremarkable that some will snark that the new episodes don't have the chops the previous ones did. Doesn't make them wrong, just adds an additional lens through which to make judgments.

Second, Sherlock, even in this season, accomplishes what all great seasons aspire to: It presents two amazingly original characters and makes us care about them, personalize them and want to know them, spend time with them; at bottom, to admire them. No series will survive without that dynamic. Sherlock actually does this quite well. I've mentioned Justified before. That series does the same thing. Just when we start to like a character, he/she does something to piss us off, and vice versa.

So, for those who think Series 3 is a disappointment, get over it. Some of the criticisms are spot on, but remember that no series can survive if we don't like the characters, if we don't empathize. Yes, the stories may seem more pedestrian (Though compared to what? The Blind Banker? Really?), but the compensation come in the form of more mature relationships and the maturing of the characters themselves. Season 3 left me more committed to the survival of the series than anything else. So, kwitcha bitchin'!