Season 3 of Sherlock ended with the broadcast of “His Last Vow” last night in the United States, and I’m sorry to say it ended — not with a bang — but a thud.
This has been a season of experimentation for Sherlock and I’m happy to give Moffat and Gatiss points for trying new things. But the results have been, at best, and with generosity, middling.
I thought Episode 1 of Season 3 was weighed too heavily toward comedy, and something like sketch comedy at that. Episode 2 was a ROM-COM romantic comedy. Either of these was preferable, to my taste, compared to the soap opera of “His Last Vow”.
*** Major Spoiler Alert – although you might thank me for saving you the trouble. My wife did. ***
Like the other two episodes this year, “His Last Vow” felt frantic and over-busy, rather than fast-paced and complex — which were significant strengths of the first two seasons. It also taxed my extremely willing suspension of disbelief with its plot line concerning Mary Watson, who is apparently not the down-to-earth, loving, and pregnant wife John Watson needs — but a rogue spy with a very dark past who is on the run from sinister forces and who, among other things, shoots Sherlock. (I’m not making that up.)
We were also treated to the spectacle of Sherlock being outwitted by a Moriarty 2.0 or Moriarty Reloaded and then, to protect John Watson, shooting dead said Moriarty 2.0; followed by Sherlock’s exile to a fatal secret-agent mission in Eastern Europe.
All this would have been tolerable — maybe — if Moffat and Gatiss had honored the relationship- and show-changing dynamics of these stories. But instead, they have John Watson reconcile with Mary (really?) and Sherlock instantly reprieved from his fatal mission because, guess who reappears? Yes, Moriarty 1.0. Did you think he was actually dead? Me neither. Are you wondering why we had to wait an entire season to have Moriarty 1.0 reintroduced? Me too.
I believe that Moffat and Gatiss have not willing embraced parody, and are not trying to yank our chains, but this is not good work; and my disappointment is doubled by how good their work was before, which was not simply good, but excellent.
Redeeming the weakness in the stories this season were Moffat and Gatiss’ feel for their characters in small moments and the performances of the whole cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, but especially Martin Freeman, who consistently invested even the most absurd situations this season with complete and moving conviction.
I looked forward to Season 3 of Sherlock with hope and anticipation. I’m afraid I can’t consider a Season 4 with either emotion.
Peter Galen Massey 
I love the writing, but have not seen the episodes. By 10 o’clock on Sunday evening, my eyes are ready to move on from viewing to reading.
Well, sad to say, you aren’t missing all that much.
I loved the first series of Sherlock but began to have misgivings from the moment Andrew Scott appeared with his OTT tic-fuelled performance as Moriarty. The second series amused and engaged me at points and the last 45 minutes of its finale was utterly superb. I haven’t yet gotten around to watching the third series but everything I have heard and read about it suggests that Moffat (and I really do blame him because Gatiss is a great writer) writes purely to please himself with his own faux cleverness while forgetting entirely about his characters. He embraces the ridiculous with his writing without ever having the craft to make it seem realistic within the world he creates. All too often it comes across as plain stupid. Your praise of Freeman is spot on though as he can invest anything with a sort of world weary sadness which is truly compelling and the closest thing the series ever comes to true feeling. Season 3 is definitely going to be a make or break run for me and I sadly can’t see myself making it to Series 4.
I have a pretty high tolerance for “clever for clever’s sake writing” (I’m a fan of Nabokov) but you are right. Also, looking at what you liked and didn’t like, I would not recommend you spend the time watching Season 3. Your instinct to avoid it strikes me as entirely correct. My wife didn’t watch any episode after the first and she said, “I just don’t think it’s worth my time.” I was really rooting for these guys to succeed. I’m sorry they didn’t.
Also, random note. Is Martin Freeman cursed this year with writing unequal to his talent? How he’s managed to get anything good from his Hobbit movie performances is remarkable.