Sherlock 4x2 "The Lying Detective" Review

SPOILERS

“The Lying Detective” was deliciously creepy with a twist ending that made me say, “Oh, come ON!”

I really enjoyed the sequence when Sherlock is dissecting Faith’s note. It was visually appealing and interesting. That’s one of the things that sets Sherlock apart from other shows. The way it uses on-screen effects to show text messages, thought processes, and other things in Sherlock’s head is always entertaining to watch. It helps bring to life the character a little more. Besides, watching Benedict Cumberbatch closing his eyes with a furrowed brow for 30 seconds isn’t very interesting.

Mrs. Hudson was amazing. Getting Sherlock into her car and speeding like crazy while Ode to Joy is blasting was one of my favorite scenes. Well, the whole car chase was just okay, but finding out it was Mrs. Hudson just made the episode.

John going to a therapist contributes to the idea that the series is coming full circle, something I will touch on in the next review.

Culverton Smith was a surprisingly good villain. The idea of messing with his friends’ minds to be able to confess and get away with it had me on the edge of my seat; I was expecting him to kill them. He was also a very smart villain, creating a name for himself and hiding in plain sight. The whole scene in the hospital with the children was creepy as well, since we knew the truth that he was a serial killer. The scenes with Sherlock in the hospital were very creepy as well, making me worry for his safety even though I knew he wouldn’t die.

The realization that Sherlock was just following Mary’s instructions was a little frustrating. They had to get John talking to Sherlock again, but did Sherlock really have to nearly kill himself by abusing drugs to get there?

The ending was definitely a surprise. I did not realize Eurus was the same as the other two women, so big props go to the actress and the makeup department for the show. Eurus herself was a surprise, since I was of the mindset that Sherrinford was the third Holmes brother, not a completely newly made up sister in a special prison. And I knew that she would not kill John (it was only the second episode; if they were going to do something as drastic as kill John they would wait for the third episode) but it was still quite a cliffhanger.

I found through engaging online with the Sherlock community that most people regard the second episode of the seasons to be the weakest (I did not share this opinion) though they decided this episode was better (that I agreed with). 

Come back next week for "The Final Problem"!