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."