Luther: Review

Back in July of last year, Luther concluded it's three-series run on BBC1, and was praised by many as one of the best series that the BBC has ever aired; making front-runner Idris Elba a household name. After foolishly putting it off for some time, I decided to sit down and watch all of series 1-3 in order to find out what all the fuss was about. And I was anything but disappointed. 

Series 1 opens by immediately establishing main character John Luther (Idris Elba) as an experienced police officer who will do anything to achieve what he sees as justice. Sometimes his methods are questionable, but they inevitably get the job done. After introducing a few key characters such as John's partner DS Justin Ripley (Warren Brown) & John's ex-wife Zoe Luther (Indira Varma) , the first episode follows the case of a young woman by the name of Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson). Alice's parents have both been shot within the confines of their own home, and it's up to Luther to find the killer before they strike again; Alice being the number one suspect. Without spoiling too much, Alice quickly becomes one of the best characters in the entire programme, acting almost as a Jim Moriarty to Luther. 

John Luther (Idris Elba)

Most of the continuing episodes work out in this manner, with a villain being introduced in the title sequence and the rest of the episode playing out with John Luther attempting to bring them in. But things never become stale. Partly due to the fact every episode within the first season has another unique case, but also down to the many other stories which are expertly intertwined between episodes. I won't give away anything, but the final two episodes of the first season have so much packed into them that things go past at an incredible speed. The following two series differ in that they allow two episodes per villain, meaning that there are two villains within series two and then another two in series three. Although this isn't a problem, because it fleshes out each psychopath more than series 1, it doesn't feel as fast-paced as the original series. Yet again though, there are numerous sub-plots which all accumulate to heart-pounding series-finales. 

As for the aforementioned villains: I don't think I've seen a TV show before where every single episode is as interesting as the last. Each killer is presented as strikingly different, with some being phenomenally intellectual and others simply being out to harm as many people as possible. Sometimes things do get very dark and morbid, but that's expected in a programme within this context, and the violence never becomes exploitative. For the majority of the time, the most violent actions are not seen but rather spoke about heavily, which some may argue is far worse. I'd say however, that it is much more effective, because it prevents Luther turning into a programme which has a sole goal of shocking audiences, and instead makes it an experience which never over-explains things and respects its viewer-ship. 

Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson)

The best thing about Luther however, is by far the character of John Luther himself. Idris Elba consistently raises the bar of acting by presenting Luther as a righteously flawed character who will stop at almost nothing to bring justice to those who so desperately need it. The show is full of tense, exciting scenes, but also rather emotionally-driven ones, particularly in the closing episodes of the final series. There are some huge twists which I personally didn't see coming at all. 

There are very few flaws I found with Luther. If I had to be pedantic though, I'd say that the first series' large cliffhanger is wrapped up almost too quickly as the second begins, but this allows for a new chapter in the story to begin, so this almost can't be considered a negative. One thing that repeatedly became slightly irritating however, was the carelessness displayed by many of the characters in the show. Obviously this is usually needed to progress the story and place individuals into dangerous situations, but it became a little too common to see a young girl walking home alone down a dark alley at night, only to be brutally murdered moments later. 

Justin Ripley (Warren Brown)

Verdict
Luther is exciting, tense and extremely entertaining for all of its 15 episodes. Many returning characters are enjoyable to watch, and the killers and villains are distinctively unique to one another. It's everything you could want from a police-thriller, which is why Luther is, by far, one of my new favourite TV series that I have seen, and one which you should watch right away. 

"There's no evidence of an intruder"

"But absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence?"

"I know, I'm making a leap. It's a little leap though, more of a hop."

12 Years A Slave: Review

Rarely have I experienced a movie which caused the entire audience to remain silent whilst leaving the cinema. Even rarer have I sat through a film which caused viewers to leave early solely due to it's unforgiving depictions of history. It's a very hard film to watch, but regardless of this, 12 Years A Slave is a truly phenomenal movie. 

The film tells the true story of a man called Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who spent the majority of his life as a free man. One night however, after consuming a little too much alcohol, Solomon passes out, and when he awakens, he is chained up in a small, dark room. Solomon is then thrown into slavery with countless other victims like himself, and must endure the colossal injustices attributed to his race. He is first sold to a polite slave-owner by the name of Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), but certain events lead Solomon to fall under the harsh treatment of the incredibly racist Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). 

Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor)

Very early on, 12 Years A Slave establishes itself as an honest depiction of the past. Nothing is glorified to be entertaining, or dramatised to the point of exaggeration. This is a brutal, realistic look into the lives of arguably the most violated race of people in history. One of the first scenes that genuinely shocked me showed Solomon attempt to be adamant about his rightful name, and get punched in the face as punishment. Compared to other events that take place throughout the film though, this could be considered mild at worst. 

Despite it sounding like it, 12 Years A Slave doesn't constantly pile on scenes of violence to get its message across. There are numerous conversations which expertly present the complicated moral issues with owning people as if they were 'property'. Benedict Cumberbatch's character is portrayed as a fair, caring man who would quite happily not own slaves at all if it weren't normal within society. In the first scene he is in, for example, he desperately wants to buy numerous slaves just so that he can keep them together as a family. Even Solomon defends him, as if he believes him to be a genuinely decent man. All it takes to change his outlook however, is for a fellow slave to say "It doesn't matter if he's a good man. He's a slave-owner." This quote alone is perfect in summarising exactly what is wrong with the entire era, and I haven't seen a film before which shows the morality of the situation quite so successfully as in 12 Years A Slave. 

Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender)

Not surprisingly, 12 Years A Slave is nominated for a multitude of awards, including 9 Oscars. And rightfully so, as every single actor featured plays their part faithfully and without faltering once. There is a vast number of recognisable names featured, from Brad Pitt to Paul Dano, and everybody presents their respective characters perfectly. The film would be nowhere near as effective and powerful without the incredibly talented cast, or the engrossing directing by Steve McQueen. 

It's difficult to think of a single issue I have with 12 Years A Slave. If I had to be incredibly critical, I feel like some of the elongated scenes of Solomon simply staring into the distance were a little too drawn out, but for the most part they added even more layers of depth to his character. 

Verdict 
12 Years A Slave is a very difficult movie to endure in its entirety. It is also a very powerful and important movie which should be experienced by everyone. I imagine it will stick with me for a very long time, and rightfully so, because it is easily one of the best movies I have seen in a very, very long time. 

"I don't want to survive. I want to live." 

Top 10 Movie Quotes

For me, a sign of a successfully scripted film is that specific lines become timeless, and are remembered by generations for a considerably longer time than the movie itself. The following is a list of my top 10 favourite movie quotes, but bear in mind that I am yet to see countless movies which would most likely appear in a list similar to this if it were compiled by somebody else. This list contains some big spoilers for certain movies, so read on at your own risk. 

10 - "I like the way you die, boy." - Django: 
Django Unchained
When Dr. King Schultz takes Django to a plantation in search of three brothers who personally wronged the freed slave, they quickly come across the brothers repeating the same diabolical acts Django had to endure, except this time upon an innocent, defenceless young girl. A stylistic flashback shows Django's wife in the same position as this violated girl, with one of the brothers uttering a line which Django mocks; just as soon as he shoots him in the chest.

9 - "I have to believe..." - Leonard: Memento

In the closing lines to Christopher Nolan's non-chronological masterpiece, main character Leonard reflects on the revelations he has recently learned, but will soon evade his memory. He brings together all the events that occur throughout the film in a single monologue, and ends the movie perfectly by holding a verbal mirror up to the audience which leads you to question parts of your own life, and whether Leonard is more relate-able than he first appears. 

8 - "I wanna go home" - Bubba Blue: Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump will always remain one of my favourite Tom Hanks' movies, and Bubba Blue is easily one of the best characters in the movie. During their time in Vietnam, Forrest and Bubba become "best good friends", which makes Bubba's departure all the more crushing. With four words he managed to make millions of people cry, possibly more so than the multiple emotional lows towards the end of the movie. His previous words, "Why are we here?" could also be seen as powerful, as they encompass many people's feelings towards the entire Vietnam war itself.   

7 - "Has anything you've done made your life better?" - Lawrence: American History X

In a man filled with of racism and violence, it's pretty incredible that only a single question can change Derek Vinyard's outlook and aspiration in life. After spending a long period of time in prison due to murdering some black enemies, Derek gradually learns that all the hate and hostility he carries around has not benefited him in any way. As soon as this revelation hits him like a tonne of bricks, Derek urges his friend to help him change his ways; all of which is delivered incredibly by the talented Edward Norton. 

6 - "Fava beans and a nice chianti" - Hannibal Lecter: 

The Silence of the Lambs

After hearing about the notorious Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Sterling goes to where he is being held prisoner in order to interrogate him and hopefully gather some information about several missing girls in the local area. After an intense conversation, Hannibal gets inside Clarice's head and shocks her with a chilling quote which remains one of the best in horror movie history. 

5 - "What's in the box?!?" - Detective Mills: Se7en

After tracking the killer for the the entire film, Detective Mills & Somerset have him arrive on their doorstep with his hands covered in blood. The two men agree to accompany the killer (played by the incredible Kevin Spacey) out to the desert, where Somerset is given a brown box. Once he opens it, everything changes, and the only thing on Somerset's mind is convincing his partner not to shoot the murderer in the head, whilst Mills screams a line which sends chills down anybody's spine who has seen this amazing movie. 

4 - "Stop swinging the bat." - Jack Torrence: The Shining

Whilst most people know The Shining due to the infamous "Here's Johnny!" line, I believe that Jack's monologue whilst following his terrified wife up the stairs is far more memorable. He transitions from furious to terrifying to mocking within the space of a few seconds, which not only highlights the mental strain Jack is under, but also shows just how incredible of an actor Jack Nicholson is. 

3 - "Ezekiel 25:17" - Jules Winnfield: Pulp Fiction

Almost every single line in Pulp Fiction could be put on this list, but I chose Samuel L. Jackson's closing speech specifically because it wraps up the film perfectly and allows everything to come full-circle. One of the opening scenes features the same monologue delivered by his character Jules, but this final quote explains his reasoning behind using such a powerful Bible reference to scare those who wrong him. 

2 - "It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything." -Tyler Durden: Fight Club 

In one of the most intense scenes in a film filled with metaphors and philosophy, Tyler Durden continuously spews twisted inspiration and bitter realities about life. It's his final words before the Narrator calms down however, which are truly memorable. Fight Club is a movie which will change your life because of it's meanings and philosophical ideas, but this one specifically stands out as purely bitter-sweet. 

1 - "Why so serious?" - The Joker: The Dark Knight

And finally, a quote which is easily the pinnacle of summarising a character in a few simple words. The Joker is a deeply complex character, and the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of him remains the best ever placed on screen. It's in the scene where he confronts Gambol however, where his dark, twisted nature truly rears it's ugly head. Throughout the Joker's recollection to Gambol about his disturbed childhood, these three words repeat again and again, until the tension raises to an unbearable level and it ends abruptly with the Joker slicing Gambol's mouth open, but not before uttering them one last time. 

Sherlock: His Last Vow (S3E3)

And just like that, Sherlock is over once more. We all waited two years for Benedict Cumberbatch to return to our screens, and within 11 days, it ends yet again. With the previous episode being a slight let-down in terms of Sherlock-standards, I had incredibly high hopes that the season finale, His Last Vow, would surpass all of my expectations. In a certain sense, it most certainly did. 

This episode begins by introducing a brand new villain by the name of Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen). It is quickly established that this is no ordinary man, and is in fact a genius almost to the standards of Mr. Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) himself. We then quickly transition back to normality with Watson (Martin Freeman) and his newly wedded wife Mary (Amanda Abbington) being greeted by a neighbour who tells them their son has gone missing, most likely to a local abandoned factory in which drug-addicts reside. Watson hurries over in order to help locate the missing boy, and is surprisingly greeted by a familiar face. The episode then plays out with many twists and turns, but largely revolves around Sherlock attempting to confront the elusive and dangerously intelligent Magnussen. 

Charles Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen)

As with every episode of Sherlock, the leading actors of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman play their roles to a superbly high standard which never falters. What surprised me most about this instalment however, was how talented Lars Mikkelsen was at conveying just how sinister and scarily devious the villain of Magnussen was. From the first few opening scenes, he portrays the character as a sick yet sophisticated individual who poses an entirely different threat to Sherlock, not hugely dissimilar to the previous season's James Moriarty (Andrew Scott). Of course, this was most likely purposeful, but to divulge why would be a rather large spoiler. 

As for the many twists featured in this episode, they were effective, but some lacked the punch that they perhaps should of. This is quite a reasonable spoiler, but when it is revealed that Mary isn't quite who she says she is, I didn't feel as shocked as was probably intended. This could be partly due to reading things prior to the episode hinting at such a twist, but it didn't come as such a huge surprise that such a newly introduced character wasn't telling the whole truth. I say some of the twists lacked punch, because the final minute or so of the episode contains such a large plot diversion that it not only saved the season from being entertaining at best, but it also rose it up to the incredible quality of Season 2.

James Watson (Martin Freeman)

I can't decide whether or not this is a positive though. The episode itself was in no way bad, but to rely largely on the final few scenes in order to excite your audience surely isn't a sign of stellar entertainment. Yes, I am now phenomenally excited for the next season (although that will probably be another few years to wait) and couldn't stop smiling when the final seconds drew to a close, but that doesn't stop the rest of the episode from being barely above average. The villain was, although very well acted, largely forgettable in comparison to Moriarty due to only featuring fully within this episode. The first third of His Last Vow also felt a bit disorganized, and although, like The Sign of Three, it did all come together, it still made watching it a little awkward. 

Verdict
His Last Vow has an incredibly enticing ending, but everything before that isn't as good as it could have been. It's almost if this entire season has been solely building up to the final scene in order to give it the powerful presence it demands. To give credit though, and if this was the intended goal, it definitely worked, as I am hugely excited to see how things will play out next, even if that is many years away. 

"Did you miss me?"

American Hustle: Review

With a cast consisting of names such as Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner & Amy Adams, it's difficult not to be slightly excited about American Hustle. All of these are accomplished actors whom have starred in great movies, so I had fairly high hopes for this film to say the least. 

American Hustle tells the story of Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale); an accomplished con-man who makes his living scamming clients out of thousands of dollars. Along with his British accomplice Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), the couple make large amounts of money by combining their skills and knowledge, until an FBI agent by the name of Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) busts their scheme and forces Irving to work for him in order to catch other criminals in the act. Things become increasingly complicated once Irving's troubled wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) comes into the mix, along with many other characters nobody would want to be mixing with. 

Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale)

Before getting into some of the issues with which the film suffers, it should be known that, as expected, all of these actors perform to an incredibly high standard. Even the scenes which seem fairly redundant (and there are a few) are largely redeemed by this all-star collection of talented individuals. The leading roles played by Christian Bale & Amy Adams were particularly memorable, but they in no way overshadowed any of the other performances. The script was slick and fast-paced, which is exactly what you would want from a film of the 'hustle' genre. This should come as no surprise as the director of the film, David O. Russel, has worked with most of the actors previously. 

It's difficult to pin-point exactly what was wrong with American Hustle, but I left the cinema feeling slightly more empty than I had hoped. The acting was entertaining, the soundtrack was stellar and the directing was fast-paced to match the mood of the film, but it didn't have the 'wow' factor I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, it was consistently enjoyable and there were very few moments I felt bored, but there wasn't really anything that raised it higher than the average film aside from the performances. The plot became slightly tangled due to the number of things happening throughout, and never really had highs which would push it up a few marks. Also, it seemed like the film was trying to be a comedy at parts, with certain lines of dialogue being genuinely funny, but then other scenes cemented it as a crime drama. If humour was included more frequently, maybe it wouldn't have felt so peculiar. 

Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Jennifer Lawrence)

Verdict
American Hustle is a very entertaining crime/hustle movie which contains countless excellent performances from well-known actors, but also one which lacks the suave tone of it's characters. I enjoyed it and could recommend it to people, but I don't think I could urge anybody to go and see it immediately. As mentioned however, the soundtrack really was something to behold, with many era-specific songs featured. 

"Did you ever have to find a way to survive and you

knew your choices were bad, but you had to survive?"

Sherlock: The Sign of Three (S3E2)

Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is back yet again, and this time taking on his most fearsome challenge yet: delivering a best-man speech at his best friend's wedding. John Watson (Martin Freeman) and his soon-to-be wife Mary (Amanda Abbington) have invited many guests, but it is soon revealed that one of them is a potential murderer, and it is up to Sherlock to work out whom it is before he strikes again. This is not the only case in the episode however, as many others are described throughout Sherlock's speech, but they all revolve around the central storyline taking place. 

The Sign of Three feels very different to The Empty Hearse, which is most likely due to the fact it's fully back into the swing of Sherlock, so introductions are no longer necessary. It is also slightly more convoluted however. It is no sense of the word a 'bad' episode, but certain things seem largely irrelevant until the final quarter of the 90 minute spectacle in which everything is wrapped up nicely. Because of this, this episode certainly has a larger pay-off due to many twists and turns all leading to a definitive point (unlike the previous episode), it just takes slightly longer to get there. 

Even the scenes which seemed a bit out of place were saved however, due to the frequent humour making a thankful return. Sherlock Holmes himself presents an established dark sense of humour which makes every single scene featuring Benedict Cumberbatch a joy to watch, which should come as no surprise to fans of the show. There was one scene in this episode though, which felt a bit awkward, regardless of its comical value. When describing a case depicting the "Mayfly Man", Sherlock and Watson go to a building with a victim whilst very drunk, which just seemed a little out of character. It could have been to show that Sherlock is indeed vulnerable in certain scenarios, but it was a little too prolonged to be completely entertaining. 

Watson & Sherlock (Martin Freeman & Benedict Cumberbatch)

Regardless of this however, The Sign of Three was largely coherent and enjoyable. The new character of Mary (Watson's wife) had a larger role, which was a good choice as it presented her in a favourable light and allowed the viewer to get comfortable with the idea that she'll play a more key role now she is wedded to the co-main character Watson. There were several touching moments which I didn't expect, which were mostly between Sherlock and Watson and the delivery of Sherlock's speech. Despite being a "high-functioning sociopath", Sherlock was definitely more of a human being in this episode, if only for a handful of  brief moments. 

Something that this season seems to be lacking so far however, is an over-arching villainous role. In the previous seasons, Moriarty (Andrew Scott) played a large part in the cases Sherlock was required to solve, which all culminated to a nail-biting conclusion to season 2. Although a similarly dangerous villain was hinted at in the previous episode, their presence was lacking in this one, almost making it seem a stand-alone instalment rather than a part of a series. Hopefully everything will come together on the final episode of this season airing soon. 

Verdict
The Sign of Three was emotional, tense and exciting. It was also slightly convoluted and at times, a little dull. Sherlock still easily remains one of my favourite TV series I have seen, this episode just felt a little slower than the others, but it definitely pays off to watch to the end. Regardless of this little bump in the road, I'm still highly anticipating to see how this'll all wrap up when the final episode, His Last Vow.  

"There is a man in there about to die, the game is on, SOLVE IT."

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

After much anticipation and the appearance of Ron Burgundy on countless talk-shows and advertisements, I finally got around to seeing Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. I've personally been very excited to see this film, as I was a huge fan of the original back in 2004 and still remain an avid fan of Will Ferrell himself, so my expectations were very high to say the least. And for the most part, they were reached. 

Anchorman 2 begins a few years after it's predecessor, with Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) co-hosting the daily news in San Diego, but when Veronica is offered the opportunity of hosting the nightly news instead, her and Ron go their separate ways. Ron heads off to become a part of New York's first ever 24-hour news network, but not before reuniting his trusty team consisting of ladies-man Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), obnoxious sports-host Champ Kind (David Koechner), and lovable idiot Brick Tamland (Steve Carell). There are many new faces in this sequel however, some more successful than others. Brick's love interest for example, played by Kristen Wiig, was hugely suitable to the tone of the film, but only appeared about three times throughout the whole film. The same could be said for many of the new characters, who had their sub-plots simply left behind and never really brought up again. 

Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell)

Amongst the all-star appearances however, only one person manages to come close to matching the hilariousness of Will Ferrell: Steve Carell. If you disliked his character in the first movie, then you will most likely hate him even more in Anchorman 2, as Brick is turned up to 11. Thankfully, I was a huge fan of his in the original Anchorman, so the increased screen-time was a welcome addition. It also felt like improvisation was a much bigger focus in this sequel, which is something common within films directed by Adam McKay (such as Step Brothers or The Other Guys), and a feature I had no problem with as almost all of the actors present have proven their talent in their craft, bar a few exceptions. 

Being a Will Ferrell film, Anchorman 2 is expected to get slightly silly, but I doubt anybody could anticipate just where the story goes. I didn't personally have a huge problem with this, as I knew exactly what it was I was getting myself in for, but the final 20 or so minutes get so ridiculous that even I questioned what exactly was going on. There are cameos from many celebrities, ranging from Will Smith to Jim Carrey to Sacha Baron Cohen, all crammed into about 10 minutes. Although very funny, things do become a little too over-the-top, and it almost becomes detrimental to the rest of the film as it leads you to think solely about how insane things get towards the end, therefore neglecting the jokes featured earlier on. 

Brick Tamland (Steve Carell)

Something that startled me a little however, was how catchy the soundtrack was to the film. Being a comedy, I had no expectations of the music featured as the main goal of it was to be funny, so it was a nice surprise to hear songs which helped plant the film firmly within the 80's time-frame it was aiming for. A combination of disco and rock appealed hugely to me, and boosted the movie a few points above what it would have been without these choices. 

Verdict
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is largely more of the same, so if you despised the first movie, I highly doubt this will win you over. If like me you loved the original, then its sequel will no doubt make you laugh consistently throughout. Quite a few jokes return as slightly re-skinned versions of those in the first movie, such as Brian Fantana having a cupboard full of condoms instead of aftershaves, but overall I found Anchorman 2 to be a more than welcome return to the world of Ron Burgundy. 

"If you've got an ass like the North Star, 

wise men are going to want to follow it."

Sherlock: The Empty Hearse (S3E1)

First and foremost, this review will contain major spoilers about how season 2 of BBC's amazing adaptation of Sherlock Holmes ended, so don't read on if you plan on watching it some time (which you definitely should). It would be impossible to talk about the latest episode without spoiling those prior, as the plot heavily revolves around what happened back in 2012. 

Almost two years ago, Sherlock Holmes died. Or so the end of Sherlock led viewers to believe. The internet was rife with rumours and speculation as to how he was still alive, and that is precisely where season 3 picks up. The opening scene re-tells the ending of the previous season, but with an explanation of how it is Sherlock Holmes managed to survive a seemingly fatal fall. It's soon revealed however, that this is just yet another idea of yet another pundit, although things seemed suspicious once Derren Brown appeared out of nowhere. It then cuts to a long-haired man being tortured in a dark basement, who is revealed to be Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) himself, and soon we are taken back to London where Watson (Martin Freeman) is trying to carry on with his life after mourning for his best friend. The first third of the lengthy 90 minute episode revolves around Watson's reluctant attitude towards the return of his seemingly dead friend, and this is filled with the incredibly witty humour Sherlock has become known for. 

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch)

The programme would be nowhere near as funny or entertaining without the two leading stars Martin Freeman & Benedict Cumberbatch, whom have both become huge celebrities since the previous season with both starring in the very recent The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. They play off of one another perfectly and there were countless scenes within this episode where the superb editing and acting proved just how incredible Sherlock is, and why it was definitely worth the two year wait. Quick, snappy transitions and subtle text return in order to present how Sherlock's mind is working, which make the programme very unique and incredibly enjoyable to watch. 

Due to the movie-like 90 minute runtime, The Empty Hearse is full of twists and turns which only Sherlock could pull off so successfully and not become too convoluted or obnoxious. Frequent references to prior episodes mean that it feels familiar, but new threats and characters distinguish this episode as different from those that came before. Because each season of Sherlock is only three episodes, a lot needs to happen in each so that a story-arc can be told, but thankfully nothing is left out unless it seems like it will be revealed in a future instalment. 

Verdict
The Empty Hearse is an incredible return for the Sherlock series, and one which appeals hugely to fans but is still watch-able for those who have not seen the other episodes. Benedict Cumberbatch still remains the perfect actor to play the leading man himself, and Martin Freeman works perfectly as his apprehensive assistant. The episode flies all over the place, but you never feel like you need to catch up. It ends on a cliffhanger which has me very excited for the next instalment, and one which solidifies why Sherlock is easily the best TV series the BBC has ever offered. 

"I don't care how you faked it. I want to know why."