SHERLOCK: THE FINAL PROBLEM
UK, 2017, 89 minutes, Colour.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss, Sian Brooke, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves, Louise Brearley, Amanda Abington, Andrew Scott, Art Malik.
Directed by Benjamin Caron.
This is the last of the television films featuring Sherlock Holmes in a contemporary 21st-century setting, created and written by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, sometimes writing separate episodes but collaborating in this final exercise in imagination, taking the Holmes family background beyond Arthur Conan Doyle.
This is the third film in a trilogy which goes beyond the familiar cases created by Conan Doyle. Moriarty is dead. Holmes has been cleared by Mycroft of accusations of murder.
The first film focuses on John Watson and his marriage to Mary, flashbacks to her life as an agent, dangers and difficulties, the threat to Holmes’s life and her taking, literally, the bullet for him. She continues to appear, a ghostly consciousness and conscience, for Watson in his bitterness towards Sherlock because of Mary’s death. However, the second episode introduces another arch-villain, played by Toby Jones, a serial killer who likes publicity (working on television publicity as well) who chooses to call “Anyone�. In this episode, the killer’s daughter visits Sherlock to discuss the case.
In this final film, the revelation is that this woman is really the younger sister, Euros, of Mycroft and Sherlock. She has been in severe custody for many years, an institution on a very isolated island. However, there is an attempt by an explosive drone on the life of Mycroft, Sherlock and Watson – with Sherlock demanding a visit to the island to confront his sister whose memory has completely vanished from his life.
Not only are there the confrontations, there are various problems, deadly problems that the sister raises for Sherlock, even playing clips of Moriarty filmed five years earlier, to taunt him. There are life-and-death situations for the three men but, ultimately, Sherlock rediscovering his memories, a victory over his sister, and her further lifelong commitment.
Directed by Benjamin Caron who directed another film in the series but is best known for extensive television work in such series as The Crown, Wallander, Hollyoaks.
1. This film as the third part of a trilogy, the finale to the series? Further revelations about Sherlock and Mycroft, their sister, the family’s past history? The threats to Sherlock and Mycroft, to John Watson?
2. The title, the number of problems facing Sherlock, solutions?
3. The introduction of Moriarty, though dead? The device of having him visit the sister, his being a treat for her at Christmas, five minutes unsupervised conversation, the audience surmising what this was about? The sister recording him and later using the clips to taunt Sherlock?
4. Baker Street, Mrs Hudson vacuuming downstairs, the three men in the room, the drone – and the explosion and escape?
5. Mycroft, watching the film, the insertion of footage about the sister? Sherlock and Watson invading his house, the challenge? Mycroft and his admissions?
6. The Holmes family history, Mycroft and his being older, Sherlock and the one-year between him and his sister? Sherlock having no memories? Mycroft and the narration, Sherlock gradually recovering some memory? The flashbacks for the audience to see the sister as a little girl, with the boys as little boys, the importance of the dog, the drowning of the dog? The sister and her being very clever? The re-creation of her death and burial? Mycroft guarding the secrets? The final revelation to the parents and their shock, wanting to see the grave? The burning down of the family mansion? The visit to the graveyard and the variety of stones and dates and names? Calculating their inner significance?
7. The revelation about the institution, the high security, the island? Mycroft and the regulations, the governor of the island? Watson and Sherlock hijacking the boat, getting onto the island, arrested by the governor, interrogated, and finding Mycroft disguised rather than Sherlock? Sherlock in uniform and his having access to his sister?
8. The background of the sister escaping from the prison, visiting Sherlock and pretending to be Culverton Smith’s daughter? In her cell, the music, people standing back three feet? Her being seen on the television screens?
9. The interaction between Sherlock and his sister, his wanting to know how she escaped? Her taunting, her being able to put her hand through the glass, the way of escape? The flashbacks to the gift of the violin? Sherlock and his playing the violin, the accompaniment? The story of Moriarty’s a visit? The use of the clips of Moriarty?
10. The governor, his explanations, Watson and Mycroft watching the screen? The governor saying that the sister was able to control anybody in her presence, getting her own way? The revelation about the governor, her threats to his wife, urging the others to kill Dr Watson? Mycroft and his denouncing Watson, as a means for Sherlock to kill him? The governor, his dilemma, Watson and his attempts to kill the governor, the condition to the wife being saved, the governor killing himself, the sister shooting the wife?
11. The room with the coffins, the three men, to kill each other? Mycroft and his shooting himself?
12. Watson, the dart in his neck, waking up, in the well?
13. Sherlock, the dart, his waking up, the final confrontation with his sister, the nature of the flashbacks, the truth about the dog, the truth about his best friend, his sister killing the friend, the well? Sherlock and his bursting out of the cell, to the family estate, to the well, to the room?
14. The film opening with the little girl in the plane, the masks down, everybody unconscious, her phone communication, Sherlock talking with her, reassuring her, the little girl and the sister being one, the solution? Saving Watson? Mycroft recovering?
15. The scene with Inspector Lestrade, the solution of the case, his praise of Sherlock?
16. The discussion with the parents?
17. The return to Baker Street, to Mrs Hudson – the ending of the series? Audiences anticipating Sherlock’s future?
