It’s almost unfair how long we’ve had to wait for this. The last episode premiered on May 20th, 2012, and we were there; we saw our hero leap from a roof and smack against the pavement; we bawled alongside John Watson as he spoke to the gravestone; we screamed and threw pillows at the TV when Sherlock reappeared onscreen, untouched and certainly not dead. How did he do it? How will we cope with the solution? And how in the world were we able to survive an entire year without closure – without another episode to tide us over?
If you’re unfamiliar with the BBC show Sherlock, you’ve got a few more months to catch up before the notorious show returns to television. This is unlike any Sherlock Holmes production you’ve seen before. This is modernized, thrust into the current world and paired with current technology. The characters text, blog, and use contemporary methods of analysis to review crimes; Sherlock, himself, is updated to an incredible degree while still retaining his famous “people skills” – or lack thereof. Mysteries and murders are refashioned and reinvented to cater the current audience, but the thrill of the chase, the legendary Holmes ambience, is flawlessly maintained.
Currently, there are two seasons (three episodes each), with a third one on the way, so that whole “catching up” thing is very possible… if you can stand the waiting. Both seasons are easily accessible on Netflix.
A third one on the way? The last episode was shown in May of 2012. As of September 10th, the date this article was written, it has been four hundred and seventy nine days since we had our last Sherlock fix. Four hundred and seventy nine days of tears, emotions, and speculation.
We’ve waited. And waited. And waited. And finally, the waiting is nearly over.
The lead actors of the show, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (Holmes and Watson, respectively), have participated in other projects between filming. Both will be in The Hobbit trilogy, and Cumberbatch played the villain in the latest Star Trek film. It’s no surprise, then, that filming for season three began earlier this year and ended on September 1st.
Though no release date has been announced, fans are finally able to catch their breath.
“There’s a feeling of euphoria,” says Madelyn Wong, “but also a feeling of dread. We’ve waited so long and there’s the fear that it won’t live up to expectations. So many people know what they want, and if the show doesn’t match the anticipation, we might be disappointed.” She has faith, though, that the writers and cast will do their best, as “They’ve always made us happy.”
With the waiting coming to a close, with fans of the show gearing up for “euphoria” or “dread,” we’re finally ready to see what Sherlock has in store for us. To summarize the thoughts of the whole fanbase, however, Kim Czerniewski puts it best. “I’m just excited to see my babies again!”
