5 Theories That Could Have Saved BBC’s Sherlock

by

The BBC’s Sherlock is widely considered a strong update to the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, but many fans were let down by the show’s final two seasons. Some believe alternative storylines could have saved it. Sherlock Holmes remains a beloved literary figure who has been reimagined across various forms of media for many years.

Because the rights to the Sherlock Holmes character are widely available, the stories have been updated for modern audiences, like in the BBC series Sherlock. Created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the show features Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson, solving mysteries in present-day London with the help of current technology and by addressing today’s social concerns.

The show Sherlock quickly became one of the best detective series on television with its first two seasons. However, many viewers felt the quality dropped significantly starting with the first episode of season three. Seasons three and four were particularly disappointing, and fans have proposed some ideas that could have potentially saved the show.

Irene Adler Wanted Protection From Magnussen

Season 2 of Sherlock featured Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), a character known in the original stories as the only person to ever outwit Holmes and with whom he developed romantic feelings. The show reimagined Irene as a dominatrix nicknamed “The Woman,” who secretly photographed her clients as a form of self-protection.

In the Sherlock episode “A Scandal in Belgravia,” Irene Adler’s habit of keeping secrets causes problems for her, and she considers her phone essential for her safety. This explains her distress when Holmes cracks the phone’s password. However, it’s unclear who she was trying to protect herself from, and a popular theory on Reddit proposes it was Charles Augustus Magnussen (played by Lars Mikkelsen).

In season 3 of Sherlock, Magnussen was a dangerous and wealthy man who knew compromising information about many influential people – Holmes even called him “the Napoleon of blackmail.” He likely had information about Irene Adler as well, meaning she would have needed significant protection from him.

Molly Was Working For Moriarty

Molly Hooper, played by Louise Brealey, was one of the original characters in Sherlock and quickly became popular with viewers. She worked as a pathologist at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and developed feelings for Holmes, though he didn’t know about them.

During the third season, it became clear that Molly was one of the few people aware that Holmes had pretended to die. In season four, the Holmes siblings’ third sister, Eurus (played by Sian Brooke), manipulated Molly as part of a complex and confusing scheme. This trap forced Holmes to convince Eurus to admit she loved him.

A fan theory offers a new take on Molly Hooper’s storyline in Sherlock that could have resolved a perceived failing. Posted on Reddit, the theory proposes that Moriarty contacted Molly after their final confrontation (“The Great Game”) and exploited her feelings of being used to convince her to help him defeat Holmes.

Because Holmes overlooked her, he never realized she was secretly helping Moriarty. The specifics of their collaboration are left to the audience’s imagination, but it would have been a shocking revelation.

Jim Moriarty Wasn’t The Real Moriarty

As a huge Sherlock fan, I’ve come across this really interesting theory about Moriarty. It basically suggests that the Moriarty we saw, played by Andrew Scott, wasn’t the actual Moriarty! People point to a line he said when he first appeared – something about being ‘so changeable’ – and other little hints throughout the show as evidence. It’s a wild idea, but it definitely makes you think!

A surprising element of this theory suggests that Jim Moriarty was actually journalist Kitty Riley (Katherine Parkinson), who briefly appeared in “The Reichenbach Fall.” The idea is supported by a moment where Moriarty seems to be intently watching Kitty, who was seated in front of John during the courtroom scene, as well as by noticeable similarities between their handwriting.

Even though there’s no solid evidence, this idea would have neatly explained how Sherlock Holmes continued to have a major villain after the death of Professor Moriarty – suggesting Moriarty wasn’t actually dead, but an imposter, and the true Moriarty was still out there.

There Was A Hidden Moriarty Brother

One interesting theory about Moriarty suggests that Jim Moriarty had a twin brother. This idea relies on similar clues as the previous one, including the description of Moriarty as being “changeable” and a taxi driver in “A Study in Pink” hinting that Moriarty was more than just a man.

The idea proposes that one of the Moriarty twins was intrigued by Holmes and wished to prolong their rivalry, while the other wanted Holmes eliminated. This theory suggests the twin using the alias “Richard Brook” was the one who wanted to keep Holmes engaged, and the twin who died at Reichenbach Falls was the one who sought to kill him. If true, Sherlock’s playful remark, “Did you miss me?”, to Moriarty would be a logical taunt.

After Sherlock seemingly died in “The Reichenbach Fall,” the show struggled to find a compelling new main villain. Characters like Sebastian Moran and Charles Magnussen were introduced but didn’t quite fill the void. Introducing a twin brother of Moriarty who survived and sought revenge would have been a great solution, providing a natural continuation of the conflict and a strong antagonist.

Season 3 Is John Blogging To Deal With Grief

A fascinating theory suggests a different path for the later seasons of Sherlock. While initially shocking, it could have greatly benefited the show. The idea revolves around Holmes faking his death in “The Reichenbach Fall” and returning in “The Empty Hearse,” with both episodes showing Watson grieving for his friend.

Many fans feel that Sherlock started to go downhill with season 3. The show’s atmosphere, how the characters behaved, and even Holmes’s famous detective skills seemed different and not as strong. This led to a popular theory, first discussed on Reddit, that season 3 doesn’t feel authentic because the events are actually just entries from Watson’s blog, rather than real occurrences.

Arthur Conan Doyle brought Sherlock Holmes back from the dead and created the stories for season 3 as a way to cope with personal loss, even introducing the character of Mary Morstan. However, if he’d ended the stories there, it would have meant that seasons 3 and 4 of the show Sherlock weren’t actually part of the original narrative, making all of their complicated plots and surprises meaningless.

Read More

2025-12-02 03:30