‘Sherlock’ Season 3: Emotional Premiere Answers Key Questions

The much awaited Season 3 of Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Waston) made its debut on Sunday night in the US.

After a two-year break following the shocking “death” of Sherlock Holmes, which left fans dismayed, viewers finally get the explanations they were awaiting for such a long time.

The episode titled “The Empty Hearse”, sees returning Sherlock Holmes to his Baker Street flat, and reuniting the detective with his beloved friend and partner Dr. Watson.

But how is it possible for him to come back, after committing suicide by jumping to his death in the last episode of Sherlock Season 2?

Obviously, he didn’t die, otherwise the series would be over, but the writers did have fans worried for a long while and after an unusual two-year break we got a lot of answers on Sunday night.

The emotional reunion of Sherlock and Watson was everything we had imagined. How would you feel if the person you work with and share most of your days suddenly kills himself and then returns from the dead? Shock, that sums up Watson’s reaction at seeing his friend again.

Anger and hurt are the two emotions that Martin Freeman portrays so well in this opening episode of Sherlock. He was tricked, by his friend, so it’s understandable that he feels like that. All of those who knew Holmes feel the same.

As any good British series, some dry humor is also present to balance things out. When Watson returns to 221B Mrs. Hudson — in one of the funniest moments of the premiere — is shocked to learn he has moved on romantically and “so soon after Sherlock.”

“What’s his name?” she asks concerned, as Watson completely fails to convince her he’s not gay. Funny.

But back to the anticipated reunion. Sherlock chooses to make his dramatic appearance just as John is getting ready to pop the question to girlfriend Mary (Amanda Abbington), during a romantic dinner.

Sherlock steals some items from the restaurant and makes himself pass as their waiter — who is a wine expert and can have a lengthier conversation with the couple — Watson doesn’t seem to be paying much attention, until he does.

All the anger, sadness, hurt, and frustration comes to the surface when he realizes just who that waiter really is. Watson then unleashes all these feelings on Sherlock, punching him in the face and throwing him to the floor.

In the meantime Sherlock has been trying to deflect a possible terrorist act, but all that seems to take the back seat to what the viewers are most interested in, the relationship between the two main characters.

When Mary reveals that Watson has been abducted, Sherlock springs into action and goes to his aid. A series of blurred scenes showing a trapped Watson are followed by his friend finally getting to him to free him.

The most emotional scene of the evening comes as Sherlock and Watson are once again working together to fight terrorists.

“I don’t care how you faked it. I want to know why.” Watson asked Shelock pointedly.

The arch enemy, Moriarty thought he had damaged Sherlock’s image forever and that’s when the plan was put into place, to fake Sherlock’s own death to protect those he cared about most, including Watson.

With the help of a magic trick, a tarp was put up to break Sherlock’s apparent fall to his death, and quickly removed, Moriarty — who had committed suicide — was swapped with Sherlock and he was made to look as if he had actually died, it was important that Watson be convinced, and he was — for two years.

Sherlock had begged Watson to stay in the exact position he was in on the ground and make eye contact. With the help of Molly, who had found a Sherlock lookalike dead body, they were able to pull off the scam of the century, leaving a heartbroken Watson.

To keep it short, Watson forgives Sherlock as they are seemingly trapped in an unused Tube station with a time bomb about to go off.

With tears in his eyes Sherlock, who is unable to defuse the bomb, begs John — in their last moments left on earth — to “please, please” forgive him.

John delivers a heart-wrenching line taken straight from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels: “You were the best and wisest man that I have ever known. Of course I forgive you.”

In case you missed it or want to watch Sherlock’s Season 3 premiere again, it is now available online.