Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Rogue

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
GGR Reviews Sherlock – “The Empty Hearse”

GGR Reviews Sherlock – “The Empty Hearse”

Last updated on: January 6, 2014 at 10:00 am by Zach Lorton

GGR Reviews Sherlock – “The Empty Hearse” 2014-01-05T23:43:16-06:00 Zach Lorton

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

From Geek Goes Rogue TV Editor Zach W. Lorton, as told to by the 9 inches of snow piled up against his car…

“…the holiday is over, brother dear.”

I’m seriously geeking out right now, because while PBS will not be premiering the first episode of Season 3 of the BBC’s Sherlock until January 19th, I’m watching episode 1, “The Empty Hearse”, right now.

How, you might ask? I’m afraid I can’t say because I’m not 100% sure it’s legal. You see, there are places on the interwebs that you can find many movies and television shows to stream from that don’t require a subscription. Some of them will want you to download a special media player, some will have a very limited selection, and even others will have been hacked with malware and spyware, just waiting to download onto your hard drive for evil purposes. So while most of what you’ll find on these websites have already been released or broadcast, I don’t know if the sites are violating copyright law by hosting them.

This is one of those times that I feel comfortable with the idea of having to ask forgiveness after the fact, rather than obtaining permission beforehand. Besides, this episode has already premiered in the UK, so I’m not all that worried.

And so, with as few spoilers as possible, I give you my review of the highly-anticipated Season 3 premiere episode of Sherlock.

============================

Everything you’ve come to expect about Sherlock is here. The intricate cinematography, the precise angles, the asymmetrical framing, the creative use of scoring, all of it lovingly brings the viewer back into the world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. After 2 years of being presumed dead, Holmes is making his way back to London with the help of his brother Mycroft., and Watson is preparing to propose to his girlfriend Mary.

“London. It’s like a great cesspool into which all kinds of criminals, agents, and drifters are irresistibly drained. It’s not a question of who; it’s a question of who knows?”

Have you ever seen a world class detective play a children’s board game?

To be sure, this episode is a writer’s dream. The interplay between not just the characters, but also between correlating scenes, is deftly played out like a ballet. The humor is rolled into the interpersonal conflicts with precision, and the lightheartedness is a welcome distraction from what might otherwise be a fairly tense thriller.

The method by which Sherlock faked his death is never revealed until late in the episode, but the reasoning why is made clear early on. During his time incognito, Sherlock had been busy dismantling Moriarty’s criminal network, but when an underground terrorist network plans an attack on London, Mycroft calls his brother back to the metropolis to find those responsible. In the interim, Sherlock reveals his living status to Watson, Mrs. Hudson, and Inspector Lestrade. All of their reactions are different, yet wholly remarkable, to Sherlock’s revelation.

While not wanting to give too much of the plot away, I will say that one of the best parts of this series has always been watching the interaction between Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson. They are seasoned performers with a world’s worth of experience and charisma between them, and the relationship between their characters is enough to make you empathize with everything they feel at the moment they’re feeling it (or not feeling it, depending on the character). Under no circumstances are we ever given the idea that the terrorist plot is anywhere near as important as Sherlock being reinstalled into his former London life. This episode is about Sherlock’s connection with the people around him, and how those relationships have evolved over the 2 years of his absence. But honestly, one can’t complain when the writing and acting is this good.

So forget about whether or not lives will be lost, or important documents that were misplaced will be found — this episode is all about welcoming Sherlock Holmes back into the world.

And what a return it is.

Zach W. Lorton is a media producer and professional DJ/MC by trade, and a comedian, actor, and musician by default. His debut music project is set to begin recording in 2014, and will likely take the world by storm, possibly in the form of a Sharknado.

Previous Post

January 5, 2014

Introducing a new Rogue Writer....Jo Schaffer

Next Post

January 6, 2014 Geek Goes Rogue Podcast....Coming Soon....

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Alien Life ASMR Book Reviews Careers in Writing and Filmmaking Catholic Imagination Christmas miracles DC Trinity War Articles Ebola Faith Family Entertainment Fangirl Raves Filmmaking Geek Books Geek Comics Geek Culture Geek Entertainment Geek Gaming Geek Girl Geek Goes Catholic Geek Goes Catholic Geek Literature Geek Movies Geek Music Geek Sports Geek Tech Geek TV Ghost Bear Ramblings God's Not Dead Coverage Grace Unplugged Coverage Ham on Nye Coverage (Yeah, we went there) HWA Stuff Indie Artists Interviews Jonathan Ryan Book News Kardashians Lord of the Rings Mark Driscoll Movie Reviews Parenthood Pixie Perfect Salt Lake City Comic Con 2014 Social Issues Teen Author Boot Camp The Conjuring Coverage The Michigan Dog Man Adventures Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Four beasts rose from the sea—one like a lion with eagle's wings, one like a bear, one like a leopard, and a fourth terrifying beast. What did these represent?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Four kingdoms Four ages Four judgments Four kings