It's been a long time coming, but the moment is finally here. We have the first teaser trailer for the long-awaited return of Sherlock on the BBC. The fan favorite series is coming back for its fourth season, and it looks like it's pulling out all the stops. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, who must solve their most dangerous puzzle yet: the supposed return of their arch enemy, Moriarty. Check out the trailer below and let's get speculating.
As Sherlock fans will remember, the last season left off with Sherlock and Watson receiving an ominous transmission from their thought dead enemy Moriarty. As indicated by this trailer, Season 4 looks like it will be dealing with that mystery. The first thing to notice is that things are considerably darker in tone. It's a pretty big departure from what the series is known for, which usually has darkness but doesn't usually stay there for long. This trailer feels a little too much like Jason Bourne, with all the gunplay, action, and explosions. Sherlock even grew a beard to show that the stakes are high!
That being said, I like that there is an overarching puzzle of trying to figure out if Moriarty somehow survived his fateful fall, as well as the consequences this has for everyone involved. The idea of the season being about Sherlock and Watson trying to save lives is interesting, and it's got me curious to see how this all plays out.
That's not to say there isn't a lot to like about the trailer. The sugary Mrs. Hudson calling Mycroft a reptile is a pretty great moment in and of itself. Sherlock revisiting the pool where he first encountered Moriarty is another highlight that sticks out.
A big takeaway from all this is that Sherlock's past demons have come back to haunt him. What this exactly means is unclear, but it certainly has consequences for the people he's allowed himself to become close to. What his demons are is anyone's guess, but it could either be Moriarty himself, a previous case, or something we don't even know about yet. Sherlock has no short list of enemies he's pissed off.
The last time we've seen these characters was the Sherlock Christmas Special, and that had something of a mixed reception. Hopefully getting back to the present day will set things straight for people. Viewers have been waiting a while to see the followup to last season's cliffhanger, so we'll see if the show can wrap it up in a satisfying manner.
Season 4 of Sherlock will air in the UK on New Years Day. There's no word on when it will be available in America, but with any luck it will be soon after that.
