Sherlock Special "The Abominable Bride" - Recap and Review

As worldwide fans of the hit show know and love, the BBC show took the most famous fictional detective and his universe to the modern day and remains the best modern update of the classic Victorian stories and novels from the inimitable Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Abominable Bride is a tribute to the Sherlock Holmes Canon as much as it an attempt by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat to finally take their show back to its original setting.

 

The episode begins with a quick recap of the first three seasons. Then we are presented with an alternate version that might have happened in the 19th century.

Similar to the opening scenes in S1E1 “A Study in Pink”, Dr John Watson (Martin Freeman) is injured and discharged from fighting in the Afghan War.

He makes his way to London and runs into one of his acquaintances, Mike Stamford (David Nellist). And then comes the meeting with one Mr Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) that proves to be an life altering event for Dr Watson.
              

 

They share an apartment at 221 B Baker Street with the landlady Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) and are solving crimes together. This lifestyle forces both the men to go on long trips - something that Mrs Hudson and especially Mrs Mary Watson (Amanda Abbington) do not like. Mary even has to take the extreme step of pretending to be a client just to meet her erratic husband. 

 

The latest case comes through the trusted and dependable source - Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves). Emilia Ricoletti (Natasha O'Keeffe) commits suicide by shooting herself through her mouth on the day of her marriage anniversary. A few hours later, Emilia's husband Thomas Ricoletti (Gerald Kyd) is shot dead by the ghost of his dead wife.

 

Holmes loses track of the case, but is pulled back in based on the recommendation from Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss). Mycroft has referred Lady Carmichael (Catherine McCormack) to his younger brother.

 

Her husband, Sir Eustace Carmichael (Tim McInnerny), has received orange pips in an envelope. Right away, he shows signs of extreme fear and further is haunted by the ghost of the aforementioned Amelia Ricoletti.

 

The rest of the episode weaves back and forth between 19th century and current day. Gatiss and Moffat have peppered the episode with their usual bag of Canonical References and in addition, provide a running commentary on the Canon.

 

We have Mrs Hudson complaining about her role in the stories (“I am your landlady, not a plot device”) and Sherlock tries his best to rectify that. Mary pulls Watson's feet by noting that all he does is run around taking notes. Not to be outdone, Moriarty (Andrew Scott) asks Holmes if he poses for the illustrator while solving crimes. 

 

                           

 

Watson also takes a shot at the illustrators (Sidney Paget being the most popular of them) by commenting that he is not able to move around without the moustache. This is a reference to the fact that it was Sidney Paget who created the image of Deerstalker and Inverness Cape for Holmes and not Doyle himself.

My personal favorite is the running gag about “features of interest” that Holmes tirelessly refutes to own up to. Speaking of which, the scenes at Diogenes Club are a hoot.

The episode successfully combines the gothic ghost story with women's rights movement which Arthur Conan Doyle strongly supported. Women crossdressing as men and men's anti-feminist attitudes (Watson saying Mary will be cooking, Watson ignoring his maid Jane and taunting Hooper, Sir Eustace Carmichael taunting his wife, Lestrade believing the killer to be a man). Men do get their comeuppances (including Dr Watson).

 

Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed fictional character, but few actors can claim to have played both Canonical and Modern versions. To the best of my knowledge, only the late Basil Rathbone is the only actor other than Benedict Cumberbatch to accomplish this.

 

And Benedict is magnificent as Victorian Holmes. He clearly loves the character and his portrayal should delight any fan of the original stories and novels. I have seen very few actors who enjoy themselves in the role and yet not make it an extension of their real life personalities. Good examples would be RDJ and Rathbone himself. Both these actors clearly relish the role, but may be they are enjoying just a bit too much. Then there are the actors who appear distracted/miscast either due to production issues or personal issues. Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing fall in the former category while Jeremy Brett in the latter.

 

Cumberbatch and Livanov are two actors, whom I personally think have done a great job bringing the detective to life in a way that stays loyal to the Canon and at the same time remains enjoyable. I have written about Livanov here.

Right from his introduction in S1E1, Cumberbatch has maintained a consistent and professional approach to the role and it shows. This is one of the best casting choices not only in Sherlock Holmes universe, but in TV shows overall. Some of the other actors who have left such an impression include the late Peter Falk (as Columbo), Billy Bob Thornton (as Lorne Malvo in Fargo), Steve Carell (as Michael Scott in The Office), Michael C Hall (as Dexter), Viggo Mortensen  (as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings), Arnold Schwarzenegger (as The Terminator), the late Christopher Reeve (as Superman) and Christian Bale (as Batman).

 

All of these actors appear to be born to play their respective roles. While Livanov is my favorite Canonical Holmes, Cumberbatch remains the definitive modern version. This time, he gets to don the Inverness Cape and Deerstalker to play the detective as he was envisioned by Sidney Paget. And he looks right at home playing the Victorian version.

As readers of the Canon are aware, Sherlock Holmes possesses a dry sense of humor. And Cumberbatch gets to display this facet many times: “unsavory companion of dubious morals”, “how breathtakingly prescient of her!”, “enthusiasm for stating the obvious which borders on mania”, “Pass me your revolver. I have a sudden need to use it ”.

 

Back in 2010, when the first episode debuted, many eyebrows were raised over the fact that a classic and beloved Victorian character is being modernized. As much as the show has been amazing (for the most part), this episode should lay any such doubts to rest.

 

The cast and crew have given us one of the best episodes in the show in terms of performances, Canonical Nods and for showcasing Benedict's take on Victorian Holmes.

 

There are a few more aspects about this episode that I will be going over in another post.

Click here to read all my posts about BBC Sherlock

Image Sources: Hartswood Films,  BBC One, Masterpiece Theatre

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BBC Sherlock S4E3 "The Final Problem" - Recap and Review

There will be spoilers throughout and the readers who are yet to watch the episode are recommended to skip this post.

As seen at the end of “The Lying Detective”, there is one more Holmes lurking around and that is Eurus (Sian Brooke). Eurus is seen taking a shot at John Watson (Martin Freeman) and this is supposedly meant to indicate that either John is dead or at least injured.

The season finale starts off with Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss) watching classic movie at his palatial home. Suddenly, horror movie cliches (creepy girl and creepy clown running around randomly) abound and Mycroft is scared out of his wits. Turns out that his “brother dear” Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) is behind this charade.

Sherlock wanted to get even with Mycroft for not revealing the existence of Eurus. And as an added bonus, John is still alive. What about getting shot by the scheming sister, you ask. Well, it was just a tranquilizer shot. No worries.

Mycroft then gives a quick rundown about Eurus (“an era defining genius beyond Newton”). If only she had not gone bad, the world would have benefited from her genius intellect or at the least Sherlock would not have had so much trouble from that pesky criminal mastermind, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott).

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But as thing stand, Eurus has gone bonkers. As if she had predicted the exact time and day of this conversation, Eurus arranges a nice explosion at 221 B Baker Street by sending a remote controlled drone. Man, that Eurus is so smart.

Like any respectable action heroes would do in such a situation, Sherlock and John escape completely unscathed and decide to take the war right back to “sister dear”.

The next scene shifts to Sherlock, John and Mycroft arriving at Sherrinford and right at this moment, the show divorced itself from Arthur Conan Doyle's works (on which it is supposed to be based on).

The rest of the episode is busy doing an ill-advised and completely out of place imitation of the Saw horror movies rather than be a show about a bohemian detective. And yes, the resolution. The resolution comes and goes like the Miss Hudson cameo in the other equally inept adaptation that also claims to be based on one Mr Sherlock Holmes: the CBS show known as Elementary.

Coming back to this show,  Eurus has taken complete control of Sherrinford and subjects her dearest brothers and the ex army veteran to a series of psychological tests including making a phone call to Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey), one character choosing between shooting one of the other two etc. Yes, the episode is that bad.

A special mention must be made of the closing montage. With the departed Mary Morstan still making her presence felt through DVDs (come to think of it, so many characters make their appearances through clips after dying..), the show ends with a tribute to Basil Rathbone with the lead actors continuing the time honored tradition of Batman and Robin running towards the camera.

Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs), who stole the show in the previous episode, has the best line in this one too: her exchange with Mycroft about a cup of tea.

Surprisingly, the best performance is not given by either the Holmes brothers or their new found sister or even the cute as a button and always teary eyed John. It is Andrew Scott as the late Jim Moriarty with his very brief but very catchy and enjoyable contributions by imitating the sounds of time ticking away and train sounds.

I know this makes no sense when you read it, but it really translates well to screen. I have never been a fan of Andrew's over the top version of Moriarty, but this was just pure fun. Scott's performance remains the only redeeming feature of this shipwreck of what was once a widely acclaimed show. Here is an article that captures the unbelievable plot holes and gaps in the script.

Going forward, I can only hope for two things: that the BBC show never returns, and that Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. learn from this mistake and continue their great work with the third Sherlock Holmes movie.

Click here to read the list of Canonical References in the episode. Click here to read all my posts about BBC Sherlock.

Image Sources: Hartswood Films, BBC Wales, Masterpiece theater

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"The Final Problem" - Canonical References and Nods

There might be spoilers and the readers who are yet to watch the episode are recommended to skip this post.

1. The episode title “The Final Problem” is a reference to Arthur Conan Doyle's story of the same name. This is the one where Holmes comes face to face with his archenemy, Professor Moriarty and ends with both of them being presumed dead. Public outcry (and possibly the publisher's monetary offers) forced Doyle to bring the detective back to life in The Adventure of the Empty House.

2. After John Watson (Martin Freeman) asks him to come to 221 B Baker Street on the next day to discuss about Eurus Holmes (Sian Brooke), Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss) angrily responds: “For God's sake, this is not one of your idiot cases” - In The Adventure of the Bruce Partington Plans, Mycroft scolds Sherlock Holmes to appreciate the urgency of the case: “You must drop everything, Sherlock. Never mind your usual petty puzzles of the police-court. It's a vital international problem that you have to solve.”

3. John tells Mycroft: “There is an East wind coming..” - 

In His Last Bow, Holmes tells Dr Watson: “There's an east wind coming, Watson.”
Watson: “I think not, Holmes. It is very warm.”
Holmes: “Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.”

Interestingly, at the climax of His Last Vow, Sherlock tells John: “The East Wind takes us all in the end ... It’s a story my brother told me when we were kids. The East Wind - this terrifying force that lays waste to all in its path ... It seeks out the unworthy and plucks them from the Earth. That was generally me.”

4. Mycroft asks Sherlock as to who said this line: “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Sherlock replies: “I don't know and I don't care.” - In A Study in Scarlet, Dr Watson writes that Sherlock Holmes' knowledge of literature is Nil. (Later in the episode, John clarifies that Oscar Wilde wrote this line in The Importance of Being Earnest)

5. Musgrave, the Holmes ancestral home. Later, Eurus makes the statement: “At long last, Sherlock Holmes, it's time to solve the Musgrave ritual. Your very first case and the final problem” - Reference to The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual. In the story, Holmes solves the mystery behind the disappearance of Brunton, the family butler and Rachel Howells, the maid.

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6. Eurus tells Sherlock: “You try and try, but you just can't see, you can't look.” - Holmes makes a very similar statement to Watson in A Scandal in Bohemia: “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”

7. Eurus asks Sherlock to figure which of the three Garrideb brothers (Nathan, Alex and Howard) murdered Evans - This is a reference to The Adventure of the Three Garridebs. In the story, Killer Evans assumes the false identity of John Garrideb in order to get Nathan Garrideb out of his house. To achieve this, Evan concocts a story of how he can split the property of the late Alexander Hamilton Garrideb, a rich real estate business tycoon, if he can two more Garridebs.

8. Eurus mentions that Sherlock and Victor Trevor were inseparable - Holmes explains about Victor Trevor to Dr Watson in The Adventure of the Gloria Scott: “He was the only friend I made during the two years I was at college...Trevor was the only man I knew, and that only through the accident of his bull terrier freezing on to my ankle one morning as I went down to chapel. It was a prosaic way of forming a friendship, but it was effective. I was laid by the heels for ten days, but Trevor used to come in to inquire after me. At first it was only a minute's chat, but soon his visits lengthened, and before the end of the term we were close friends.”

9. Mary says in her DVD: “There is a final court of appeal for everyone” -

Holmes states in The Sign of the Four: “I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. When Gregson or Lestrade or Athelney Jones are out of their depths -which, by the way, is their normal state - the matter is laid before me. I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist's opinion.”

In The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual, Holmes tells Dr Watson: “You see me now when my name has become known far and wide, and when I am generally recognized both by the public and by the official force as being a final court of appeal in doubtful cases.”

10. In the final montage scene, we see a reference to The Adventure of the Dancing Men. There is a picture of stick figures on the whiteboard at 221 B Baker Street.

11. Mary (Amanda Abbington) says in her DVD: “The best and wisest men I have ever known. My Baker Street boys. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.” -

Dr John Watson refers to Sherlock Holmes as “the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known” in The Adventure of the Final Problem. 

Trivia:

1. Eurus Holmes is placed in Sherrinford, a maximum security prison - The character of Sherrinford Holmes was not created by Arthur Conan Doyle. William S. Baring-Gould created this character in his fictional biography “Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street”. Sherrinford is presumed to be the eldest of the three brothers.

2. The final scene in the episode has Sherlock and John running towards the camera. The building in the background is named “Rathbone Place” - A tribute to Basil Rathbone, an obvious inspiration for Moffat and Gatiss to create the show.

3. Inside Sherrinford, Eurus forces Sherlock, Mycroft and John to a series of tests while she watches them and taunts them - I found this setup to be similar to the Saw movies.

Readers are welcome to point out any other nods I might have missed out.

Click here to read all my posts about BBC Sherlock.

Image Sources: Hartswood Films, BBC Wales, Masterpiece Theatre, Wikipedia

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BBC Sherlock Canonical References and Nods - "The Six Thatchers" S4E1

The first episode of Season 4 has aired and as can be expected, Mark Gatiss has scripted quite a few nods to Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories and novels. There might be spoilers and the readers who are yet to watch the episode are recommended to skip this post.

1. Sherlock takes a case from a pile affixed to the mantelpiece with a knife - Dr John Watson writes about Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual: “..his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a jack-knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece,…”

2. An onscreen text reads: “Mr Hatherley came straight round to Baker Street in a terrible state. He was white as a sheet and bleeding from an awful wound on his hand. Exactly how he came by this wound was at first confusing...”. Sherlock then says: “Come back, it is the wrong thumb” - Reference to the Canonical story, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb in which Victor Hatherley, the titular hydraulic engineer has his thumb severed by Colonel Lysander Stark.

3. There is a case involving a jellyfish being the assassin - Reference to the Canonical story, The Lion's Mane. In this story, the murderer is Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata).

4. Sherlock sends a text: “Fresh paint to disguise another smell” - In The Adventure of the Retired Colorman, Holmes explains how he deduced that Josiah Amberley is the killer:  “Why should this man at such a time be filling his house with strong odours? Obviously, to cover some other smell which he wished to conceal - some guilty smell which would suggest suspicions.”

5. Sherlock texts: “If dog can't swim, neighbour is the killer” -  This is a bit tenuous, but reminded me of  the“singular epidemic among the sheep” in The Silver Blaze. In this story, Sherlock Holmes guesses that the killer (John Straker) would have practiced nicking the tendons on the sheep before trying it out on the titular horse. Further, after Silver Blaze escaped after accidentally killing Straker, it was taken care of by one of the neighbors (Silas Brown).


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6. DI Hopkins (Eleanor Matsuura) mentions to DI Lestrade about the case of the Borgia Pearl - This is a reference to The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, the story that inspired the title of this episode. The plot of that story involves an Italian immigrant (Beppo) who hides the black pearl of the Borgias inside a bust of Napoleon Bonaparte.

7. Sherlock is seen lecturing the baby Rosamund Mary: “As always you see, but you do not observe” - Sherlock Holmes tells Dr John Watson in A Scandal in Bohemia: “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.”

8. Sherlock's deduces that his client started out in manual labor by observing that his right hand is bigger than his left. Then the client confirms that he was a carpenter. When Sherlock explains how he came to his conclusions, the client downplays the detective's skills as being simple and that that there is not much to them - In The Red-Headed League, Sherlock explains how he deduced that his client, Jabez Wilson did manual labor: “Your hands, my dear sir. Your right hand is quite a size larger than your left. You have worked with it, and the muscles are more developed.” Jabez confirms that he began work as a ship's carpenter. Jabez then laughs after hearing Sherlock's chain of reasoning and says: “I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was nothing in it, after all.”

9. Sherlock deduces that his client has a Japanese girlfriend from the Japanese tattoo (that reads “Akako”) on the crook of his elbow. The tattoo is blurred now as a result of attempts made to erase it. - In The Gloria Scott, Holmes surprises Trevor Sr. by telling him that he has been “most intimately associated with some one whose initials were J. A., and whom you afterwards were eager to entirely forget”. Holmes explains how he came to this conclusion: “When you bared your arm to draw that fish into the boat I saw that J. A., had been tattooed in the bend of the elbow. The letters were still legible, but it was perfectly clear from their blurred appearance, and from the staining of the skin round them, that efforts had been made to obliterate them. It was obvious, then, that those initials had once been very familiar to you, and that you had afterwards wished to forget them.” Trevor Sr. later reveals that his real name is James Armitage.

10. Sherlock's line: “The game is on” - Sherlock Holmes awakens Dr John Watson in The Adventure of the Abbey Grange and implores him: “Come, Watson, come! ... The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!”

11. When Lestrade wonders aloud who would go around smashing busts, John theorizes that some people have a complex of being obsessed over a particular thing that they cannot let go (an idée fixe). To which Sherlock replies: “Why would a monomaniac fixate on just one?” - In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, Dr Watson puts forward his theory: “There are no limits to the possibilities of monomania...There is the condition which the modern French psychologists have called the idée fixe...”.

12. Craig tells Sherlock: “There is quite a market for Cold War memorabilia: Thatcher, Reagan, Stalin. Time is a great leveler, isn't it? Thatcher’s like ... Napoleon now.” - Yet another reference to The Adventure of the Six Napoleons.

13. Craig also informs Sherlock that the busts were supplied by Gelder and Co. and that out of the six busts, one was given to Dr Barnicot, two to Miss Orrie Harker and one to Jack Sandeford of Reading - In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, the supplier of the busts is Gelder & Co. and out of the six Napoleon busts, one was sent to Mr. Horace Harker, one to Mr. Josaih Brown and one to Mr. Sandeford of Lower Grove Road, Reading.

14. Sherlock displays his lack of knowledge about who the late Margaret Thatcher is as well as the fact about her being the first lady Prime Minister of England - In A Study in Scarlet, Dr Watson writes that Holmes has “feeble” knowledge of Politics.

15. The flash drive with the initials “A.G.R.A.” referring to the names of the four team members - Reference to The Sign of the Four in which the character of Mary Morstan was introduced. The novel's plot involves the treasure belonging to four convicts: Jonathan Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan and Dost Akbar.

16. Toby, the bloodhound who is used by Sherlock to track the individual responsible for destroying the Thatcher busts. While following the scent of blood found on the broken busts, Toby's trail finally ends at a butcher's shop - In The Sign of Four, Holmes explains to Dr Watson about Toby: “... a queer mongrel, with a most amazing power of scent. I would rather have Toby's help than that of the whole detective force of London.” Holmes uses Toby to track down the killers using a creosote handkerchief. Toby after a long run, finally ends up at a barrel of creosote near a timber-yard.

17. John tells Mary after he and Sherlock track her down in Morocco: “Mary, I may not be a very good man but I think I am better than what you give me credit for most of the time.” - In The Yellow Face, Grant Munro tell his wife: “I am not a very good man, Effie, but I think that I am a better one than you have given me me credit for being.”

18. Sherlock remembers Mycroft mentioning some code names: Langdale, Porlock (among others) -

In The Valley of Fear, Sherlock Holmes deciphers the code sent by Porlock, one of Professor Moriarty’s agents from books. Holmes explains to Dr Watson about Porlock: “Porlock, Watson, is a nom-de-plume, a mere identification mark; but behind it lies a shifty and evasive personality.”

In The Adventure of the Three Gables, Dr Watson writes about Langdale Pike: “I saw no more of Holmes during the day, but I could well imagine how he spent it, for Langdale Pike was his human book of reference upon all matters of social scandal. This strange, languid creature ... was the receiving station as well as the transmitter for all the gossip of the metropolis …. Holmes discreetly helped Langdale to knowledge, and on occasion was helped in turn.”

19. Sherlock texts Mary: “The curtain rises. The last act. It is not over” - In The Adventure Of The Second Stain, Holmes states: “Excellent! ... Come, friend Watson, the curtain rings up for the last act.”

20. Sherlock deduces that Vivian lives on Wigmore Street based on the clay on her shoes - In A Study in Scarlet, Dr Watson writes about Sherlock Holmes' skills in Geology: “Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other.  After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.”

21. Inside the aquarium, Sherlock tells Vivian: “Nice location for the final act.... I can't resist a touch of the dramatic” - 

Sherlock Holmes states in The Valley of Fear: “Watson insists that I am the dramatist in real life,... Some touch of the artist wells up within me, and calls insistently for a well-staged performance.”

Sherlock Holmes explains to Percy Phelps in The Adventure of the Naval Treaty: “.... but Watson here will tell you that I never can resist a touch of the dramatic.”

22. In the aftermath of Mary's death, Sherlock tells Mrs Hudson: “Work is the best antidote to sorrow” - In The Empty House,  Dr Watson writes about Holmes: “In some manner he had learned of my own sad bereavement, and his sympathy was shown in his manner rather than in his words”. Holmes then tells Dr Watson: “Work is the best antidote to sorrow, my dear Watson..and I have a piece of work for us both tonight which, if we can bring it to a successful conclusion, will in itself justify a man's life on this planet.”

23. Sherlock's request to Mrs Hudson to say the word “Norbury” to him if she ever thinks that he is getting overconfident  - In The Yellow Face, Holmes tells Dr Watson: “Watson...if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little overconfident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you”.

Trivia:

1. One of the cases Sherlock solves is “Canary Trainer” - Reference to a Sherlock Holmes pastiche: “The Canary Trainer: From the Memoirs of John H. Watson, M.D” by Nicholas Meyer.

2. Mycroft places a call to one Sherrinford Holmes. Mycroft also alluded to the other brother at the end of His Last Vow - The character of Sherrinford Holmes was not created by Arthur Conan Doyle. William S. Baring-Gould created this character in his fictional biography “Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street”. Sherrinford is presumed to be the eldest of the three brothers.

3.  The character of David Welsborough is portrayed by Charles Edwards - Charles also played Arthur Conan Doyle in Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes, the TV series that starred the late Ian Richardson as Dr. Joseph Bell. Dr Bell is credited as the man who inspired Doyle to create the legendary detective. 

4. Sherlock is also seen working on the case of “The Duplicate Man ”: How could Dennis Parkinson be in two places at the same time? And murdered in one of them?. Sherlock says: "It is never twins" - Possible reference to the plot of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche movie: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking starring Rupert Everett as the titular detective. The mystery is resolved 

Readers are welcome to point out any other nods I might have missed out.

Click here to read my review of this episode. Click here to read all my posts about BBC Sherlock.

Image Sources: Hartswood Films, BBC Wales, Masterpiece Theatre, Cumberbatchweb

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