‘Sherlock’ Leak Online Has Producers Warning Fans Not To Watch
The Sherlock leak apparently happened when a Russian version of the final episode was uploaded online. According to Global News, the season finale, “The Final Problem,” was uploaded sometime today, a day before the episode was set to air on TV.
Both the official Twitter account of Sherlock and Sue Vertue, the show’s producer and wife to show co-creator Steven Moffat, have tweeted to fans to address the Sherlock leak.
We are aware that #Sherlock episode 3 has been uploaded illegally online. If you come across it, please do not share it. #KeepMeSpoilerFree
— Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) January 14, 2017
Speaking to viewers who may find their curiosity getting the better of themselves because of the Sherlock leak, Vertue asks them to not share the illegal link and to patiently wait for the finale, which will be screened in theaters and air on BBC One and PBS this Sunday.
Russian version of #Sherlock TFP has been illegally uploaded.Please don't share it. You've done so well keeping it spoiler free.Nearly there
— sue vertue (@suevertue) January 14, 2017
A preview screening of “The Final Problem” at the British Film Institute on January 12 has certainly raised the bar for fans’ expectations for the finale. Tweets from viewers after seeing the Sherlock season finale were ardently enthusiastic. Fan websites such as Cumberbatchweb tweeted that “The Final Problem” was the best episode of Sherlock this season.
“Just out of seeing
#Sherlock The Final Problem. What an episode. Best episode of series 4 by far.”
Other fans agreed with the positive assessment and confirmed that the finale will be full of surprising twists.
Was very lucky to be at the screening of #sherlock The Final Problem. So many twists and surprises I can only say 'Eeek!' Extremely loudly
— Nick Cannon (@nickycafc) January 12, 2017
For a series that relies so much on twists and turns, issues such as spoilers and the Sherlock leak can create complications for both the viewers and the showrunners. It seems nowadays that the easiest way to avoid spoilers is to avoid the internet altogether. Most recently, a huge reveal in the second episode of Sherlock was spoiled in the headlines of a review by The Telegraph.
Warning: Spoilers ahead
“The Lying Detective,” the episode in question, was mainly about the reconciliation between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson after the death of Mary Watson. There’s also, however, a huge development in that same episode regarding the identity of the third Holmes sibling. While the existence of a third Holmes sibling has been hinted at since Season 3, most of the speculation has been fixated on a third Holmes brother possibly named “Sherringford.” At the end of the episode, viewers learn that instead of another brother, what Sherlock and Mycroft have is a sister named Eurus.
The spoiler-y headline “Sherlock Has an Evil Sister” from The Telegraph has since been changed to a less revealing headline, but its existence didn’t go unnoticed by Reddit users who were irked by how the headline of the review had given the twist away. Given the fact that the season finale seems to be just as chock full of twists as its preceding episodes this season, it is little wonder that the situation of a Sherlock leak elicited such swift responses from the showrunners, who asked people not to share the link and spoil the story for others.
There is no telling whether or not the Sherlock leak will affect the ratings or box office of “The Final Problem.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ratings of the second episode of Season 4 was an all-time low last Sunday, attracting only 6 million viewers, a considerable drop from the 8.1 million viewers that tuned in for the season opener, “The Six Thatchers.” The mixed reviews this season has been receiving so far may be one of the reasons behind the dip in ratings, and now with the recent leak of the Sherlock finale, there’s the possibility that the ratings of the show may be further impacted.
[Featured Image by BBC One]
