Sherlock series 3 launched last night, and to celebrate, the Hypable staff have picked their favorite moments from “The Empty Hearse.”
Sherlock is only on air for about two weeks every two years, so when we do get these concentrated bursts of brilliance, it’s important to enjoy every second of it that we can! To help you relish this short but sweet broadcast window, Hypable writers Harri Sargeant and Marama Whyte have selected their 10 favorite moments from “The Empty Hearse” in the first of a series of Sherlock articles, accompanied by GIFs made by writer Tariq Kyle. Check them out below, and make sure you share your faves in the comments below!
 |
|
When Sherlock reads Mary, he comes up with, amongst other things, “clever” and “liar.” If she ranks as clever on Sherlock Holmes’ standards, she is certainly one to watch. The “liar” tag also has us asking questions, as does Mary’s ability to decipher a skip code immediately. Is there more to the future Mrs. Watson than meets the eye? Mary is a delightful addition to the series, and we adore Amanda Abbington’s portrayal. The undeniable chemistry between Abbington and Freeman is easily explained by the fact that they are real-life partners; the chemistry between Abbington and Cumberbatch comes down to them both being fantastic actors. A woman who isn’t threatened by John and Sherlock’s friendship? Now that’s someone who we are interested in. She gives dramatic readings of John’s blog, she put up with the moustache disaster, and she suggests T-shirts that say “I don’t shave for Sherlock Holmes.” She interrupts her own marriage proposal to applaud herself. Mary arrived in Sherlock as a likeable, complicated and fully formed character. We can’t wait to get to know her better, and next week’s “The Sign of Three” looks like a great place to start. – Marama Whyte  |
 |
|
As soon as the first images of Sherlock series 3 were released, fans were a little concerned about John Watson’s new moustache. As it turned out, so were all of the characters – everyone had a quip or two to make about the strange choice in facial hair. Even Mrs. Hudson had a sarcastic comment up her sleeve. But it was the interchanges between Sherlock, John and Mary that provided the best entertainment. The great detective (sans his own drawn on ‘tache) insulted the upper-lip-slug within minutes of revealing he was still alive, earning himself a punch. And that wasn’t even the end of it, as Mary eventually confessed she wasn’t a fan. The T-shirt’s in the post. It was a fun nod to the classic image of Doctor Watson, but most of the fandom are thrilled to see the back of it. Let’s just hope Sherlock never goes into hiding again, or else we might see some strange sideburns or even a goatee. – Harri Sargeant  |
 |
|
Oh, Molly. It was all going so well! Having turned down Sherlock’s offer of a romantic date at the local fish and chip bar, it seemed that the bumbling scientist had finally moved on. So when she brought her boyfriend to Baker Street to celebrate the super sleuth’s miraculous return, we all waited with bated breath to see what he would be like. As it turned out, he bore more than a passing resemblance to Sherlock – from his long coat and shoes to the trademark scarf, Tom could have easily passed as the corpse used in the Reichenbach stunt. Thankfully, her friends go down the tactful route and don’t point out the similarities. Instead, they just share a few grins when her back’s turned. We’ll have to wait to find out what the future holds for Molly and Tom, but let’s just hope he doesn’t end up like “Jim from IT” and launch a criminal network hell-bent on dismantling her former crush’s reputation. – Harri Sargeant  |
 |
|
“The Empty Hearse” was a highly comedic episode, but a lot of those laughs were derived from Anderson’s group for like-minded people – or the “I believe in Sherlock Holmes” support group. And in Sherlock, as in real life, the theories said a lot more about the fans themselves than they related to the real events of the story. Anderson, a man very obviously racked with guilt over his part in the defamation of Sherlock Holmes, has turned Sherlock into a James Bond-esque figure, complete with kissing the girl. Other fans, perhaps more interested in Sherlock’s personal life than his ability to cheat death, give us even less likely explanations. But what they all have in common is that they are hilarious, and in an episode dedicated to answering How Sherlock Did It, they were a neat story tool and a fun apology for inspiring two years of fan speculation. Mainly, we were disappointed that we didn’t get to hear more of their outlandish theories. Perhaps that is something for the DVD special features.- Marama Whyte  |
 |
|
Sherlock Holmes returned in this series 3 opener as a changed man. With the episode taking place two years after the events of season 2, we were a little worried that we were going to see the same old (albeit brilliant) Sherlock Holmes. How wrong we were. The balance of “The Empty Hearse” is tricky. Sherlock is funnier than in the past two seasons, and in some ways seems to have mellowed – as seen in his interactions with his parents, and his behaviour toward Mary. And yet his ability to read social conventions and situations is even worse – he seriously thinks surprising John is the best method to break the news to him. Given that Sherlock has been away from the very people who seemed to have humanised him, it is not surprising that he has (in some ways) reverted to his pre-series 1 state. But the development in other facets of his personality give us hope that he is a character who is growing and changing, and unlikely to stay stuck as a blunt one-joke character. – Marama Whyte  |
On page 2:
Actual bromances, shipping heaven, and a sinister cameo…
Page 2: Our 10 favourite moments from “The Empty Hearse”
 |
|
It was the question everyone wanted the answer to, and Mark Gatiss rewarded our patience with not one, but three explanations as to how Sherlock survived the Reichenbach Fall in “The Empty Hearse.” The opening moments gave us a hilarious romp involving a freaky mask, and famous illusionist Derren Brown (whom you should definitely check out if you’re not familiar with). The writer’s were determined to throw fans off the scent, even shooting fake scenes in which Mycroft collaborates with Moriarty. The explanation we ended up with had largely been predicted by the millions of fans, journalists, bloggers, and wannabe detectives. “Everyone’s a critic,” Sherlock quips as a retort to Anderson’s confessed disappointment. It was a clever, fourth-wall breaking remark referencing the fact that some people will always be disappointed after two years of hype. Moffat and company gave themselves a get out clause though, as we have reason to believe that the consulting detective is still holding several details back – allowing fans to make their own minds up. Who knows if we’ll eventually get a definitive answer to one of television’s biggest mysteries, but at least the majority of Sherlockians can be satisfied with what the series 3 première gave us. – Harri Sargeant  |
 |
|
Given that most of the plot of this episode was window dressing for the answer to last season’s cliffhanger, it wasn’t surprising that the writers took this opportunity to throw some love in the direction of their fans. They even kicked off with what was essentially some glorified fan fiction, courtesy of Anderson. But the best moment was the almost kiss between Sherlock and Moriarty, seeing the much welcomed cameo of series 1 and 2 actor Andrew Scott. The imaginary sequence, dreamed up by an on screen fan girl of sorts, saw the two sociopaths fall for each other while a Sherlock mannequin tumbled off the roof. And like that, a thousand more fan fictions were born. For more Sherlock fan service, see also: The Sherlock/Molly kiss, Anderson’s GIF-perfect break down, and the millions of references to a romantic relationship between John and Sherlock (Mrs. Hudson is, apparently, queen of the Johnlock shippers). – Marama Whyte  |
 |
|
Just as we thought things had come to a close, the screen was filled with ominous images of creepy clowns and enigmatic magician’s tricks. As Sherlock’s bonfire rescue is projected on to five separate screens and rewound constantly, the camera focuses in close on the cold eyes of the show’s latest villain: Charles Augustus Magnussen. Played by Lars Mikkelsen (known for his role as Troels in the Danish version of The Killing), this malevolent figure will cast a long shadow over the rest of the series. Based on the titular character of Doyle’s short story “Charles Augustus Milverton,” Magnussen will likely step out of the darkness in “His Last Vow.” It’s anyone’s guess what villainous scheme he has up his sleeve, but the showrunner’s promise of him being a character that Sherlock will truly hate doesn’t bode too well. This sinister cameo was a tantalising taste of what’s to come after John and Mary’s wedding. He’s got big shoes to fill in taking over from Moriarty, but if this short scene is anything to go by, he’ll be just as chilling. – Harri Sargeant  |
 |
|
We have always known that there is something special between the Holmes brothers, but “The Empty Hearse” gave us a deeper insight into the literal bromance between these siblings. They don’t just work together, they play together – whether that requires going under cover, or a quick game of Operation. They were clearly two kids who had no one else, and both their camaraderie and their competitiveness are explained by this. We always get a kick out of seeing Sherlock outsmart everyone else on this show, but it is equally fun to see him (almost) outsmarted by the only other character who can really match him. And bonus points for the cameo by Benedict Cumberbatch’s real-life parents as Sherlock and Mycroft’s parents. Both Sherlock and Mycroft’s willingness to indulge their parents (Sherlock when they visit, Mycroft at Les Miserables) also added a whole new dimension to this pair. – Marama Whyte  |
 |
|
Molly Hooper had become a firm fan favourite in her limited screen time throughout the first two series of the show, and “The Reichenbach Fall” alluded to a bigger presence as the show moved into its’ third run. It wasn’t a surprise to see Miss Hooper turn up in the various Reichenbach theories, but one thing that no one was anticipating was the birth of a brand new detective. With John refusing to return, Sherlock enlisted Molly’s help on his latest case. Their new crime solving arrangement facilitated plenty of adorable moments, from Sherlock telling the bumbling coroner to be herself, and even asking her out on a date! What’s lovely as well is that Molly really holds her own, proving a worthy foil to Sherlock’s deductions that many others would get lost under. Let’s hope “The Empty Hearse” isn’t our last glimpse of Inspector Hooper, as it would be great to see her join the famous Watson and Holmes duo from time to time in the future. – Harri Sargeant  |