“Sherlock” is an undeniable hit – despite being based on one of the most classic stories in literary fiction, it was still acknowledged as being highly original and praised for approaching its storytelling in a new way. Fans have been curious about the show’s future, and now it seems that the wait for news is over – BBC have finally confirmed that the fourth season is in production, along with a few surprises.
First of all, a special episode is scheduled to be aired sometime before the season, serving as an introduction to the new plot lines. So far, BBC have not said much about the new episode, other than that it will be a more unusual element to the regular formula. Martin Freeman, who will reprise his role of Dr. Watson in the new season, gave a brief glimpse into the special episode, but didn’t reveal anything substantial about it.
There has been speculation by fans that the new season might see the return of Moriarty, and that his death was actually fake – but the producers of the show have been adamant that the situation is real, and the character is gone for good, reminding the audience of the gruesome way in which he was written off from the plot. Writers have stated that they did originally consider the option of Moriarty having faked his own death, and bringing him back at a later stage, but they have apparently decided against that idea in the end, and viewers won’t be seeing any more of that particular character.
In other related news, the new season will, according to producers, be much more serious-toned and may be emotionally heavy on some fans. Even the show’s cast found it difficult to accept some parts of the new plot behind the scenes, and it has apparently been quite a challenge to start working on the new season, precisely due to the nature of its story.
There’s more planned for the new season as well, including a sub-plot in which Watson becomes a father. How exactly that will play out remains to be seen, but the interesting design of Watson’s character should surely make for some fantastic scenes. Molly and Sherlock may or may not become a couple, and while there have been some hints about that coming straight from the producers, there have also been indications about the story going in the other direction, so fans will have to wait a year and a half for the new season and see how things play out. In any case, it’s shaping up to be a worthy follow-up to one of the best series on television right now.