While hope regarding the return of Sherlock had begun to surge last week, a two-word declaration from the show's co-creator has poured cold water on it. And it seems like Sherlock Season 5 is not arriving any time soon. Buzz surrounding the series' potential return reached Sherlock's co-creator Mark Gatiss, and he responded to it on Twitter by calling it "utter nonsense."
With two words, Mark Gatiss' tweet has shut down chatter of the show's return. The frenzy around talk of a fifth season of Sherlock started when the real-life owner of Watson and Mycroft Holmes' favorite meet-up spot relayed that he had heard the show would be coming back for a fifth season. The popular cafe Speedy's is owned by Chris Georgiou, who shared the tidbit with TimeOut. It did not take long for word to begin circulating and hope to begin springing up among fans.
Chris Georgiou's comments were published on July 31, and Mark Gatiss' responded on August 3, so it took a few days for the Sherlock fandom to learn the disappointing news. If a fifth season happens, it will come following a streak of statements that seemed to leave hope for it rather bleak. A few months ago, optimism for a fifth installment of the popular series seemed to dim following comments by Sherlock star Martin Freeman, among other things.
Already adding to doubts surrounding a potential Season 5 was Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss, who expressed happiness with where the show left off and uncertainty about whether they would do any more installments. One aspect keeping Season 5 potentially off the table is the busyness of its stars' schedules. Both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have been super busy outside of Sherlock. They are both involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a commitment one would think makes their schedules too hectic for the show. Then again, the MCU may go through some drastic changes after the next Avengers movie comes out, so there's no saying how long they'll be part of the superhero universe.
Therefore, the "stars" would have to align to make this happen. The possibility of a fifth season remains. The fourth season premiered in 2017 and this is not the first time Sherlock has missed a year. There has usually been a two-year gap in between season premieres, with a three-year gap in between Season 3 and Season 4, although there was a special in between to tide fans over. For now, Sherlock fans will have to stay tuned. As time wears on, there are bound to be definitive answers in the future regarding the series' potential return.
As you await news on Sherlock Season 5, you can relive the series from the beginning. The first four seasons of Sherlock are currently available to stream on Netflix. For new television shows set to arrive this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.
