Sherlock Season 4 concluded over a year ago, and that's just fine with star Martin Freeman, who can currently be seen on the big screen in Marvel's Black Panther. Freeman says he's happy the British mystery series is taking a break, as his time away from the drama relieves the pressure to live up to the expectations of Sherlock fans that are hungry for more episodes. In his words:
But speaking for myself, I'd quite like to take a break from that for a while. Just that sort of...clamor. Which is lovely, cause people like your show, but it can feel quite pressured actually. Know what I mean? You've got obviously to surprise them, but if you surprise them too much they'll hate you for it. It's a tricky one. It's a hard one, because there is so much expectation on that show, more than anything I've ever done. I'm happy to give it a rest for a while certainly.
Martin Freeman added that he had no news to share on Sherlock's future at the moment, and noted the series has definitely been put on pause until further notice. Sherlock has gotten solid acclaim throughout its run, and with only three feature-length episodes produced each season, the risk is always present that the next batch of episodes could soil things for everyone. Freeman sounds like he's coming from a place of love and affection for Sherlock, and he wants to make sure that whatever comes next in the series is as good for him as it is for the fans. Because if not, then what's the point in doing more at all?
In a way, it may anger fans to hear Martin Freeman say he's glad to have Sherlock on break for as long as it takes, but it's completely understandable he'd feel that way. Neither he nor co-star Benedict Cumberbatch really need to hang a hat on Sherlock to maintain their respective careers at this point, so they can be a little picky on making sure the story is solid and that their time won't be wasted on whatever the next step is.
In fact, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch's busy careers factor into Season 5's current position beyond the horizon. Around the time Season 4 was released, co-creator Mark Gatiss mentioned that more episodes would be hard to pull off, with Benedict Cumberbatch's MCU role as Doctor Strange keeping his future erratic. With Freeman staying equally busy both in and out of the Marvel universe, it's not going to get any easier to coordinate these actors' schedules, and even attempting to do so might cause one or both to turn down a role they'd been interested in, which might be why Freeman told DenofGeek he's glad development towards Season 5 of Sherlock isn't chugging along.
Sherlock is currently on pause, and Season 5 is not a definite thing, but there are four other seasons there for fans' repeated perusals. For a list of shows new and old that are for sure coming to television in the near future, wipe away those Sherlock hiatus tears and head on over to our midseason premiere guide.
