Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2016)
Cleverly executed, presenting initially as a standalone special then morphing into a bridge between series. Gatiss and Moffat indulge in some social commentary while poking gentle fun at the original Sherlock Holmes canon. Cumberbatch and Freeman (especially) revel in the old-fashioned characterisation.
Sherlock: The Sign of Three
by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss; dir. Colm McCarthy (BBC, 2014)
Possibly the funniest of all Sherlock episodes, albeit skewed beyond the pale towards character development and adapting little of its plot from Conan Doyle’s stories. While Benedict Cumberbatch brings Sherlock’s misanthropy painfully centre-stage, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington are more humanly sublime.
Sherlock: His Last Vow
by Steven Moffat; dir. Nick Hurran (BBC, 2014)
Another inspired reworking of the source material. Lars Mikkelsen turns Magnussen into one of television’s more memorable one-off villains. Amanda Abbington employs consummate restraint in selling Mary’s character development, her inner turmoil matched only by Martin Freeman’s at his subtle, expressive best.
Sherlock: The Empty Hearse
by Mark Gatiss; dir. Jeremy Lovering (BBC, 2014)
A fun, clever episode but one mostly devoted to reintegrating Sherlock after the Series Two cliffhanger. (The titular mystery takes barely any screen time.) Sherlock’s scenes with Mycroft are a highlight. Amanda Abbington, playing Mary, proves a welcome addition to the cast.
Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall
by Stephen Thompson; dir. Toby Haynes (BBC, 2012)
Another clever (if frenetic) script, reworking Conan Doyle’s ‘The Final Problem’ and cramming a whole series of character arcs into one episode. While Andrew Scott (Moriarty) positively steals the show, Rupert Graves (Lestrade) proves subtly effective, grounding the mad turn of events.
Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville
by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)
Gatiss takes Sherlock’s modernisation to a new level. The script is a bit raw on this occasion, yet nonetheless constitutes a masterful adaptation of what in Conan Doyle’s original is an atmospheric but undemanding story. Martin Freeman once again adds subtle touches.
Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia
by Steven Moffat; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)
Sherlock finally hits its stride. The characters are more measured and Moffat delivers a complex, clever script encompassing subtle allusions (Mycroft’s alleged ‘power complex’), bold reworkings (Irene Adler as dominatrix) and overt, rumbustious outbreaks of comedy (most notably the ‘punch me’ scene!).
Sherlock: The Great Game
by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2010)
A grim episode to round out Series One, its plot not obviously based on a particular Conan Doyle story. Moriarty (Andrew Scott) proves a revelation while Sherlock becomes less and less likeable—a smug, classist brainbox acting much as Sergeant Donovan cautioned.
Sherlock: The Blind Banker
by Stephen Thompson; dir. Euros Lyn (BBC, 2010)
Not as quirky as episodes written by Moffat or Gatiss. The mystery is relatively straightforward and its pursuit mundane (within Holmes’s preternatural range). Not a bad thing, though it does rather feel like a stretched-out 60-minute story. Zoe Telford is good value.
Sherlock: A Study in Pink
by Steven Moffat; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC One, 2010)
The 90-minute version is consciously more murky than the unbroadcast 60-minute pilot. It is also more complex, affectedly stylish, and scored to give an impression of big budget. This doesn’t actually make it better, but it’s the Sherlock people came to love.