This post does contains major spoilers, but is not a minute by minute review. Also contains foul language. Just a little.
Well, I finally quit repeating, ‘Oh, my God!’, long enough to type this review. I imagine if you already watched the episode you understand. Before the episode even started my heart was racing and I was wishing that Alan Cummings would quit talking. He is a very lovely man, PBS, but he isn’t the man that I was tuned in for.
First, I want to talk about how many different types of a dick Sherlock can be. He can be the smart ass dick, the cocky dick (hehe), the hateful dick, etc. The opening scene was proof of several of these types. His tweeting was alarming, but I am sure it is all part of his plan to lure out “Moriarity” or whoever the hell the bad guy actually is. I love how Mycroft is already at his wit’s end with Sherlock, but puts up with his shit because he has to. More on Sherlock’s dick behavior later.
On to the lovely, happy, cheeky scenes with Sherlock, Mary, John and later with Rosamund when she is born. All of us fangirls and fanboys started squealing when Sherlock was ranting and the camera pans and he is talking to the baby. Then the best part is when Sherlock hands Baby Rosie the toy and tells her to not throw it and she proceeds to knock him in the face with it. I could watch those thirty seconds on repeat. OK, maybe I already have. The banter back and forth between Mary and Sherlock is so wonderful and a setup of foreshadowing from Moffat. Any of us who have read the original Arthur Conan Doyle books know that Mary was not in the picture for very long. The books never actually say that she died, but Doyle remarks on Watson’s “Sad loss”. Given the time period we assume she died because they were both madly in love with the other so the possibilities of a breakup were slim. So, all of this fluff we saw in the episode can’t last, but I was completely shocked that it ended as soon as it did.
Rosamund is born, the Game is On and Mary is in trouble. The bad guys are after her. It all started with Sherlock obsessing over busts of Margaret Thatcher. He hatches his plan to catch the person that is destroying the busts. Sherlock deduces where the robber will strike next and he lays in wait for the robber to show. When he does show he and Sherlock have one of the best fight scenes I have seen in a long time. It was just magnificent. Sherlock and the intruder stand off and with a gun pointed at him, Sherlock throws the statue to the floor. It crumbles into a million pieces and along with Sherlock we see a thumb drive with A.G.R.A written on it. WHAT. THE. FUCK. I yelled, ‘OH NO!’ about twenty times. Mary’s past burned in the fireplace at that Christmas in the Holmes’ fireplace. How the hell was the thumb drive in that bust??
As the story progresses we find that the Intruder is AJ. He is the last ‘A’ in A.G.R.A. Yes, the acronym is initials: Alex, Gabriel, Rosamund (Mary’s real first name, which she has now passed on to her daughter) and AJ. AJ thinks that Mary betrayed the team and has waited six years to kill her. After a secret mission gone bad Mary escapes (she thought all of the others were dead) and the others are caught and tortured. Mary then decides the best thing for John and the baby is to leave. We follow her all over the world with tons of disguises. It really showed Amanda Abbington’s strength and talent as an actress. She is just amazing. She enters what she thinks is her latest safe hideout only to find Sherlock there. She returns to London with Sherlock and they decide to figure out everything together.
This episode really delves into all of the characters and we are surprised by a lot of their actions. Sherlock, even though he is a dick, has moments when he is almost tender and, sadly, there are moments when there are tears in his eyes.
Shockingly, I think, is what we see John do. The loyal to a fault John Watson, pursues another woman. I was completely shocked by this even though he told her in the end that it won’t work out. We don’t know what all happened. We just see the texts they exchange. I don’t trust this woman and I suspect this isn’t the last we see of her. (I am still clutching my pearls over this one.)
Sherlock figures out who has been orchestrating all of the events: Lady Smallwood’s secretary, Vivian Norbury. She is a crazy old bitch and ultimately she, Sherlock, and Mary meet. Sherlock shares his deductions of her. Mary kept warning him to stop with a stern, “Sherlock”. He kept on and then he hit level bastard dickhead. Norbury shoots her gun and Mary jumps in front of Sherlock. The bullet hits Mary in the chest. Sherlock stands there in shock. John rushes in to see Mary lying against the wall dying. Mary tells John that she loved being Mary Watson. At this point I was holding my breath and my heart was beating so loud I missed a lot of the words. I will get them on the rewatch.
Mary dies and John lets out the most painful growl/grunt/scream/wail of pain that I have ever heard. Watching that reminded me of how I did the same when I found my Momma dead. Nothing can explain that feeling. John then looks up at Sherlock and says, “YOU made a vow.” The scene was absolutely heartbreaking and I didn’t think it could get any worse. WRONG.
A short time passed, Mary is buried and Sherlock is at Baker Street with Mrs. Hudson. She is sitting in John’s chair crying and Sherlock is clearly still shaken by what has happened. He tries to busy himself with his email. He turns to Mrs. Hudson and says, “if you ever think I’m becoming a bit full of myself, cocky or overconfident, just say the word ‘Norbury’ to me would you. Just that. I’d be very grateful.” Just kill me now.
Mary chose to jump in front of Sherlock and take the bullet, but Sherlock did provoke Norbury’s anger with his tirade. Sherlock blames himself and John does too. Sherlock goes to John’s flat and Molly is there with the baby. She looks as much of a wreck as Sherlock does. She gives Sherlock a letter from John and tells him that John pretty much doesn’t want him around. The look on Sherlock’s face is one of so much sadness. Sherlock has lost his friend, Mary, and his best friend, John. Sherlock seeks help from a therapist. I know, wow. She tells him that he has to share in order for her to help. In the end he just says, “I just need to know how to help John.”
The episode ends with Mycroft making a call and asking for Sherrinford. I don’t even know how this is all going to play out. Is he crazy? Is he someone we already know? We have seven days till the next episode and hopefully we will find out then.
So much takes place in this episode I am very scared as to what will happen in the next two. Social media is going crazy with speculations. Everyone has their own different characters they ship and that greatly affects the speculations. I don’t ship Johnlock. I am a Sherlolly shipper. Someone else is probably going to die and I hope it isn’t her.
Let me know what your thoughts about this episodes are and what you think will happen. You can find me on twitter or Instagram @sthrngrlsrck or you can comment below.