Good news has arrived for fans of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock – a release date has been announced for the fourth season. It’s practically just around the corner on Jan 1 and Sherlockians both in the colonies and at home will be able to watch the consulting detective getting back to work.
When we last saw our delightfully eccentric hero, he was being exiled for the murder of Charles Augustus Magnussen. But the supposedly dead Moriarty was suddenly broadcast across the whole country, asking one ominous and chilling question. “Did you miss me?” Sherlock dove deep into his mind palace in “The Abominable Bride“. Inside a Victorian-era scenario, he and John Watson (played to perfection by Martin Freeman) unravelled a case. It appears that Moriarty is indeed dead and Sherlock triumphantly departed his returning plane with claims that he knew what would happen next.
Toby Jones has been slated as the villain of the newest season. According to Sherlock showrunner, Steven Moffat, Jones will be “the darkest figure that we’ve had.” Cumberbatch himself has said, “I think it’s the first time he really meets his match, and it’s scarred him.” The most common theories around Jones points to his playing a character called Culverton Smith. It ties into the three ‘clue words’ for season four that we had previously been given: Thatcher, Smith, Sherrinford.
As with all three previous seasons, season four will be ‘only’ three episodes long. While this may not sound like many, each is a feature length episode. The official Sherlock Twitter account revealed the first episode will be titled “The Six Thatchers” (tying in again with another clue word – Thatchers) and will be out on New Years Day. An attached picture shows Sherlock’s violin but with a string broken.
This season may also be the last, for some time at least. With both leading stars becoming increasingly busy in their acting lives, arranging the time to write and shoot Sherlock is becoming increasingly difficult. Cumberbatch has admitted that the show “feels like the end of an era, to be honest.” With the gaps between seasons growing larger, it might be some years before we can expect a fifth season. Considering the many layers of plot and writing that go into the show, we will probably still be mired in wonder and confusion over his current adventures.
Keep your magnifying glasses fixed on Fandom for any further developments.