BWW Recap: Holmes Solves the Case of 'The Abominable Bride' on SHERLOCK

SHERLOCK is back, kind of. In a one-off New Year's special, Holmes and Watson return--in the 19th century--to solve the case of the Abominable Bride.

What starts out as an homage to the original works of Sherlock Holmes turns into something much different. Half-way into the episode, the audience learns that this is not just a one-off episode to curb our hunger for the consulting detective, but a lead-in to Season(Series for you Brits) 4.

The case of the Abominable Bride draws many parallels to Moriarty's, who has seemingly returned from the dead to wreck havoc on London once more. During the episode, Holmes (as he would've been called in the 1800s) deviates from the normal storyline every now and then, with quick asides about the modern-day Moriarty, but it isn't until we find Sherlock where we left him in Season 3 that things start to connect.

Sherlock uses his "mind palace" to put himself in the 1800s, so that he can solve the very real and unsolved case of Emilia Ricoletti, a woman who supposedly shot herself in the head only to appear later that night and kill her husband. Sherlock believes that solving this case will help him defeat Moriarty. However, his "mind palace" isn't just some trick as John presumes it to be, but instead it's Sherlock using drugs in order to gain a "controlled" high to help him enhance his thought processes.

After many Inception-like scenes, where Sherlock struggles to wake up in his real reality, he finds himself on the plane surrounded by Mycroft, John, and Mary. He informs them he has a case to solve, and hurriedly exits the aircraft to the nearby car. Sherlock, knowing that Moriarty isn't actually alive, doesn't deny that he isn't "back," and thanks to his mind palace expedition, he claims to know what his next move is.

Now, there may not be another episode of SHERLOCK for another year (trust me, I'm trying not to cry), but we have been left with a lot to discuss.

First off, for three seasons, we all presumed that Sherlock's "mind palace" was just a device he used to concentrate, but never did I suspect it to be a result of his drug use. I was naive to assume that the modern adaptation of Holmes would be different, and I think the realization in this episode is just a taste of the "darker" SHERLOCK audiences have been promised by showrunners Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. I think the more interesting, and touching, part, however, is Mycroft's care for his little brother. This is the first time we've seen him express that level of worry and vulnerability for Sherlock's well-being, and I think it adds a lot of depth to his character. The Holmes' brothers claim to be emotionless, but it is far from true.

Moriarty played a big role in this episode, even if all of his appearances were just a product of Sherlock's drug-addled mind. Sherlock's mind uses Moriarty as a sort of reminder to help him see what he's missing, even if it tortures him at the same time. They are exactly the same and polar opposites at the same time, making them the perfect pair of adversaries. Even in his death, Moriarty challenges Sherlock and forces him to come to conclusions that he may not have seen without that push. It will be curious to see who the Moriarty imposter is in Season 4, and how they incorporate the character to the storyline.

Even though Moriarty always finds his way into Sherlock's head, it's John Watson who's there to keep Sherlock safe. Even in his dreams, John always finds a way to help Sherlock when he's in need. 19th century Watson isn't much different from modern-day John, except maybe for his treatment towards women. Sherlock needs John, because without him he's unable to keep himself grounded. As evidenced by not only his 19th century self, but by his current-day dream self, John reminds him of what's important and doesn't indulge his bad habits. He and John need each other, and if this season is as dark as promised, they will need each other more than ever to get through it all alive.

In traditional Sherlock fashion, this Christmas special was smart and quick-witted and filled with a lot of charm. From notably breaking the 4th wall, to calling back to the first episode of the series, to poking a lot of fun at Mycroft's weight (plum pudding looks disgusting, by the way). I really enjoyed how the storyline was centered around how women were treated in the 19th century, because it reminds us how far we've come, and how much further we have to go yet. It was fun to see Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman to get to play these iconic roles in the time period they were originally written, however I still prefer the modern adaptation. I thought the use of the 1800s timeline was an incredibly clever way to begin to introduce the Season 4 storyline in a way that was surprising, very entertaining, and different. Now to wait until 2017....

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