Movies - TV
Every Sherlock Episode Ranked Worst To Best
By LARRY FRIED
14. The Unaired Pilot
The "Sherlock" premiere was originally shot as a 60-minute episode, but when the BBC requested a 90-minute format, the team expanded the script and reshot the whole thing. The original episode is much more straightforward, and while the underlying mystery is compelling, the performances are less heightened and the production is much less stylized.
13. Season 4, Episode 3
It’s embarrassing to rank a show’s finale as its weakest episode, but unfortunately, “The Final Problem” exacerbates the show’s worst qualities to the point it becomes almost soap opera-like. The episode tries to one-up its own audience by producing a sloppy and unbelievable mega-villain whose development necessitates more than a single episode.
12. Season 2, Episode 2
“The Hounds of Baskerville” starts as a psychological take on the classic tale, premised on a hallucinogenic drug causing terrifying visions of a hound. However, in the end, the show pivots, with an absurd last-minute addition revealing a CGI-rendered monstrous hound that Watson shoots dead, making it a decent episode up until its unearned ending.
11. Season 3, Episode 3
“His Last Vow” digs into Mary Watson’s past, and while she’s a welcome addition to the show, in typical “Sherlock” fashion, they take her too far, revealing her past life as an elite assassin. The real draw of the episode is the introduction of Charles Magnussen as Sherlock’s new antagonist, who is a formidable foe, but again is taken too far outside the realm of believability.
10. Season 1, Episode 3
“The Great Game” is an absolutely gripping episode, with four mini-mysteries for the price of one, however, as usual, “Sherlock” takes it too far and the twists and turns begin to feel tedious. The best mysteries lay out all the clues so the viewer can play along, but this episode moves so quickly that only Sherlock can keep up, making the mystery feel a bit weightless.