Season 3 of "Sherlock" - Sheer Genius!

As with the last couple of seasons of Downton Abbey, I was able to watch Season 3 of the BBC hit series, Sherlock, before the rest of the U.S. (thanks again to my brother and some computer magic) and it is a gem. I promise not to give away any spoilers, therefore this review will be brief.

When we last left Sherlock at the end of Season 2, Sherlock had just confronted his arch nemesis, Jim Moriarity. Moriarity blew his brains out and Sherlock jumped from a building to his demise. John, in visiting Sherlock's grave, asks Sherlock to not be dead and we, the audience, see a very much alive Sherlock observing John. <gasp> 

Season 3 picks up two years after Sherlock's "demise" and someone is convinced that he's still alive. That someone is Anderson, the forensics tech from Seasons 1 and 2, who has lost his job due to his obsession of proving Sherlock is alive (see the Christmas mini-episode below). I suppose it's not a spoiler to say that: Yes, Sherlock returns to 221B Baker Street. Do we find out how he faked his death? I'll never tell. How has John dealt with the loss of his best friend? Has he moved on? Well, sort of. This season is definitely on par with the past seasons and did not miss a beat.  As with past seasons, it is only 3 episodes long ("The Empty Hearse", "The Sign of Three", and "His Last Vow") and just when it starts, it's over. <sniff>  While all three episodes are brilliant, I would say that the most entertaining (read: hilarious) one is "The Sign of Three", with the last episode ("His Last Vow") being the most suspenseful, with a heart pounding ending.

But fear not, fellow Sherlock fans, Seasons 4 and 5 are in the planning stage and we will not be without our favorite detective and his sidekick for long. Whew, thank goodness. In the meantime, you can catch Season 3 when it returns to the U.S. next Sunday, January 19 at 10:00 pm as part of Masterpiece on PBS.