The BBC’s Sherlock had a strong start but a weak ending, but if a fifth season were to happen, it could solve the show’s biggest problem. As one of the most popular characters in literature, Sherlock Holmes has been adapted to all types of media for decades, many of them with interesting creative liberties.
Among them is the BBC’s Sherlock, created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. Sherlock brought the detective and company to the modern world, adapting his cases to modern technology, social issues, and more. Sherlock had a strong start with its first two seasons, but its quality dramatically declined in the final two.
Unfortunately, this tainted Sherlock’s legacy, even more so as its finale was messy, nonsensical, and felt rushed. A lot has been said about a potential fifth season, and if it actually happened, it could finally fix the show’s biggest problem.
Sherlock’s Final Two Seasons Forgot What The Show Was About
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes sitting on the floor and looking up at an unseen character in Sherlock
Sherlock begins with Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) returning from Afghanistan and meeting Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he’s looking for a flat and Holmes is looking for a flatmate. Unaware of Holmes’ work, personality, and eccentricities, Watson accepts, and he soon finds himself following the detective as he solves his latest case.
Thanks to this, the first two seasons saw Watson and Holmes investigating different cases together and getting to know each other, forming a strong bond that sometimes became too chaotic. Season 1 also gradually established Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) as the main villain, officially introducing him in the season finale.
Moriarty continued to create chaos in season 2, leading to Sherlock’s peak in the season finale, “The Reichenbach Fall.” The episode saw the death of Moriarty and Holmes’ supposed death, as, at the end of the episode, the detective was revealed to have faked his death. This is Sherlock’s best episode, but it also marked the end of the show’s great run.
Sherlock never recovered from the events and impact of “The Reichenbach Fall”, and its final two seasons were quite messy. Sherlock seasons 3 and 4 didn’t have a proper villain, instead introducing one-episode antagonists and completely wasting its best Moriarty replacements, most notably Colonel Sebastian Moran, Moriarty’s right-hand man.
In addition to that, Holmes’ cases became too unrealistic, as did his deduction skills, it became too meta, and introduced characters that had no chance of actual development (most notably Mary Morstan, who was also given an unnecessary twist). However, the biggest crime of Sherlock’s final seasons was forgetting the show’s core: Holmes and Watson solving mysteries.
Instead, it focused too much on throwing all types of obstacles at them – if not a wife who turned out to be a former spy (Mary Morstan), a villain threatening their lives, or a secret third Holmes sibling –, making every episode messy, boring, and forgettable.
Sherlock Season 5 Could Bring The Show Back To Basics
Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch as John Watson and Sherlock Holmes staring at the camera for a promotional image for BBC SherlockBBC
Sherlock ended in 2017, but since then, there have been rumors about a possible fifth season. For years, many reasons have been given by the cast and crew of Sherlock for why a new season hasn’t happened and how it could happen. However, given how the show ended, a fifth season is the perfect opportunity to fix the show.
Following the same format as the previous seasons of three episodes per season, a fifth Sherlock season can focus on three standalone cases, with no callbacks or teases for future episodes. However, the one thing Sherlock season 5 must get right is being all about Holmes and Watson solving cases together.
After the disaster of seasons 3 and 4, the only way Sherlock could be saved in a fifth season is by going back to basics: standalone cases, Holmes and Watson working together, a focus on their dynamic, and a big villain with a strong enough presence to lead the season, like Moriarty did.
Sherlock Season 4’s Finale Perfectly Set Up A Soft Reboot
Martin Freeman as John Watson standing in a big room in Sherlock
A fifth season of Sherlock wouldn’t be too difficult, as season 4’s finale, with all its flaws, perfectly set up a soft reboot. After Holmes successfully brought down his own sister, Eurus, who was revealed to be a criminal mastermind, he and Watson returned to Baker Street and took on new cases together.
Thanks to this, Sherlock ended with a montage of Holmes and Watson at 221B Baker Street working on different cases together, and it’s implied that they were able to fix their image and go back to where they were years earlier. This gives season 5 the perfect start, as it can easily reunite the audience with Holmes and Watson while they do what they do best.
Should Sherlock Season 5 Actually Happen?
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in season 2
Despite all the potential that a fifth season of Sherlock could have and the possibility of fixing the show’s mistakes, the big question is, ultimately, if it should happen at all. The latest update on the future of Sherlock came from Gatiss, who said there’s no point in making a fifth season, effectively ending all hope for it.
However, and still keeping a bit of faith in the ever-changing world of TV, supposing there was hope of Sherlock season 5 happening again, it should only happen if it goes back to basics. Sherlock season 5 doesn’t have to go above and beyond what season 4 did, and, instead, it should return focus to Holmes and Watson’s dynamic and solving mysteries together.
Whether Sherlock season 5 should happen or not depends on the intention behind a new season, but what’s undeniable is that it’s the show’s best and final shot at fixing its mistakes and giving the audience a good ending.
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