5 things we learned from the new "Sherlock" special

By: Hemal Jhaveri| January 2, 2016 1:48 pmFollow @hemjhaveri

This post contains big, fat spoilers for the Sherlock Christmas special. If you havent watched it yet, please, please dont go any further, because I dont want to read your angry tweets about how I spoiled a perfectly amazing episode.

After a very long wait, Sherlock is finally back! Series creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss plopped one heck of a complicated but fantastically fun, time-traveling New Years Day episode on fans that, at first glance, seems like a one-off that isnt related to the larger story arc of the entire series. Oh, but how wrong we were.

Here are five things we learned from that crazy, mind-bending episode.

1. Sherlocks mind palace is an intense, crazy place

For the past year, Moffat and Gatiss have lead fans to believe that this Christmas special was simply going to be a light, one-off episode meant to tide fans over until the series fully returns in 2017. We should have known better. The entire conceit of the Christmas special, that weve time traveled back to Victorian England, turns out to be a trip through Sherlocks mind palace, (and if you dont know what that is, please see Sherlock season 2, episode 2 and season 3, episode 3) as he tries to figure out how Moriarty could possibly be alive.

To do that, Sherlock takes a drug-induced trip back to 1895, to figure out the case of the The Abominable Bride, a woman who kept killing people even though she was supposed to be dead. Sound familiar?

Now, the conceit of it was all really just happening inside Sherlocks head could have gone very, very wrong but the complexity of the script and the incredible visual effects assured that the transitions between past and present were handled deftly. Rather than feel like a bait and switch, it felt like an intimate, if disturbing, look into Sherlocks head.

2. Yep, Sherlock really is a drug addict

Which brings us to the next point, Sherlock and his drug use. For the past three seasons, Sherlocks drug use has been heavily alluded to in almost every episode, but hes always walked on the side of recovery and not using. Not any more. Sherlock was apparently high at the end of season three, and has been keeping it a secret from John.

There were lots of small, charming and very human moments in this episode, but the most emotional had to be Mycroft asking Sherlock for the list of drugs hes taken after finding him high as a kite on the jet.

Sherlock basically overdosed trying to solve the Moriarty puzzle, so we know that h**l be more than reckless with his own safety if it means cracking the case.

3. Moriarty may not be alive, but he is back

I didnt say he was alive, I said he was back, shouts Sherlock towards the end of the episode. Theres a big difference between the two. We went through 90 minutes of being unstuck in time to learn that no, Moriarty (played by the amazing Andrew Scott) is not alive, but that doesnt mean he isnt still around somehow and ready to cause all kinds of trouble for England.

Scotts Moriarty is a chilling but charming foil to Benedict Cumberbatchs Sherlock and one of the many highlights of the episode was the scene where Moriarty lovingly places a gun inside his own mouth. So totally insane, but in the best way.

4. Dont ignore the women

Sherlock un-spools the mystery of the abominable bride and reveals a group of suffragettes are behind the series of killings blamed on Emilia Ricoletti. While the Gothic spectacle of the case was thrilling and wonderfully lurid, the resolution felt heavy-handed and came off as condescending and patronizing.

Moffat has taken a lot of heat for the sexual politics in his shows (Doctor Who) and this felt like a direct response those criticisms. But rather than come off as sophisticated commentary, it felt a bit like pandering.

Despite that, we can all agree that Ms. Hudson, Molly Hooper and Mary Watson are all highly important in the Sherlock universe and its about time the show recognized that.

5. Theres serious, serious, trouble ahead for Sherlock

So, what have we established after all that? Sherlock is back to doing drugs, Moriarty is back and both Mycroft and John are very, very worried.

The episode ended with a plea from Mycroft to John to look after his brother, and it was more regretful and ominous than anything else. Mycroft and Sherlock have mostly had a contentious relationship, but its clear Mycroft cares deeply for his younger brother, and if hes worried, we should be too.

And did anyone else get a good look at the notebook Mycroft was carrying? Scribbled inside were notes like Redbeard, which is Sherlocks childhood dog, the numbers 611174 and the phrase Scarlet Roll.

Looks like we just have to wait till 2017 to find out. Happy New Year everyone!

Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Sherlock, Culture

Source: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/01/sherlock-christmas-special-wow-it-was-really-good