Contributor: Gregg Wright
Perhaps even more so than the previous episode, “The Reichenbach Fall” needed to take fan expectations into account. With Steven Moffat or Mark Gatiss writing the episode, there would be little reason to expect anything other than a great episode. But instead, this enormously important phase of the season was left in the hands of Steve Thompson, the man who gave us “The Blind Banker”, which most viewers agree was the weakest episode thus far. So I wasn’t entirely confident that this would be a satisfying end to the season, especially considering how difficult it would be to adapt yet another story whose outcome is well-known to any Holmes fan.
However, unexpectedly, Steve Thompson knocks this one right out of the park. Though not completely perfect, “The Reichenbach Fall” is just as good as any episode of “Sherlock” has been, and it manages to play to fan expectations exceptionally well. It wasn’t necessary for me to re-read “The Final Problem” to know that it ends with Holmes battling his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls (though I re-read it anyway), apparently ending in the deaths of both men. Most Holmes fans are probably well-aware of why Doyle killed off Holmes, and why he brought him back. The previous episode did a surprisingly good job of addressing this familiarity with the source material, and “The Reichenbach Fall” might be even more successful in this regard.
For this to work, Holmes’s death had to be treated as a very convincing possibility, both inside and outside of the show. There was no real confirmation that the show would continue until after the episode had aired. There are clues in the episode suggesting an explanation for how Holmes managed to fake his own death, but they’re downplayed as much as possible. When Holmes jumps from the rooftop, it’s filmed in such a way as to make it seem impossible that he could have survived. It’s clearly Holmes jumping from that rooftop, and a body does impact on the sidewalk. And when Watson runs up, the body is very clearly that of Sherlock Holmes.
It also helps that Holmes really does seem to have been backed into a corner and left with no alternative before he makes the fateful leap. Holmes’s confession is entirely convincing, as is Watson’s genuine grief in the aftermath. I state the obvious, but Cumberbatch and Freeman are both magnificent. The death scene itself (and the buildup to it) is so effective that it seems to overwhelm all those potential clues from before that might have suggested a way out for Holmes. For me, it wasn’t until Holmes appeared in the cemetery, alive and well, that I started re-examining those clues and attempting to remember any that I might have missed. Holmes’s earlier meeting with Holly immediately stands out as the most obvious clue, leading us to the conclusion that she was integral in helping Holmes orchestrate his death.
The fact that Holmes was so specific about where he wanted Watson to stand and that biker knocking Watson over both seemed a bit suspicious while watching, but I forgot about both of them until Holmes’s reappearance. Presumably, this would suggest that Holmes didn’t want Watson to see the actual landing point, and that the biker was intended to delay Watson from arriving at the scene too quickly. Perhaps even more interesting is the reaction of the young girl upon seeing Holmes for the first time, which I didn’t even consider as a possible clue as to how Holmes survived until I read about it online. Whether it’s a Sherlock double, a Sherlock mask, or something else no one is thinking of, it does seem to allow for the possibility that the body lying on the pavement might not have been the real Holmes.
I’ll refrain from anymore speculation for now and focus on the actual strengths and weaknesses of the episode. The script itself doesn’t quite have the dizzyingly clever brilliance of a Moffat script–it’s a bit more straightforward and digestible in its approach, but it is still a well-crafted piece of work with excellent subtext and themes underlying the whole experience. The episode includes a dramatic, literal fall for Holmes, but the title refers more to the figurative fall of Sherlock Holmes than anything else, which I think is a brilliant concept. I liked how this was tied in with Holmes’s growing celebrity status, and the very believable possibility of Holmes losing favor with the media.
When Andrew Scott made his first appearance as Jim Moriarty back in “The Great Game”, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of the new take on the character. At the very least, I appreciated that it was such a unique version of the character that drastically differed from any that I’d seen in the past, but I wasn’t immediately sold. “The Reichenbach Fall” was set to be THE Jim Moriarty episode, so I knew going in that much of its success or failure would rest on Andrew Scott’s performance. Thankfully, I came out the other side feeling quite pleased with the results. Scott’s Moriarty is highly effective as the completely insane genius who’s so desperately bored by the inferiority of other humans that Holmes has become his obsession.
Of course, there are plenty of great references for Holmes fans here. The deerstalker hat, though not present in the original Doyle stories, has become an iconic part of the character. Sherlock’s annoyed reactions to the hat are priceless. There’s also a great line in the episode, which is a direct quote from “The Final Problem”, wherein Holmes compares Moriarty to a spider at the center of a vast web. The Diogenes Club, co-founded by Mycroft in the original stories, receives a humorous scene that should have fans of the original stories grinning. While watching this show, I keep wondering when Inspector Gregson will show up, so I liked Lestrade’s brief reference to the man, proving that he exists in this adaptation’s universe.
It’s a relief to have this season go out on a high note, and an absolute joy to hear that a third series has been confirmed. Part of me wishes that theses seasons could be longer, but the show has been so fantastic so far, I’m slightly afraid to see anything change. I don’t want more episodes to mean a downgrade in some other area of the show’s production. Whatever happens, I’m eagerly anticipating the third series. The acting, writing, direction, and music have all been absolutely stellar, and I feel confident in stating that this show is easily one of the best adaptations of the original material in existence. As I said in my reviews for the previous season, it really is a great time to be a Sherlock Holmes fan.
Rating: 9/10
