Sherlock: Every Episode Ranked Worst To Best

13. Christmas Special: The Abominable Bride

Everything about this episode feels unnecessary and overly confusing. What was advertised as a standalone, gothic adventure seeing everyone's favourite modern iterations of classic characters actually inhabit the Victorian era they came from was a tantalizing prospect. And on that front, The Abominable Bride succeeds: it's a well-directed tale, and a nice change from the familiar world of Sherlock.

But when we found out that the entire thing was a delusion in modern-day Sherlock's head, and became a confusing, dragged-out imitation of Inception that raises more questions than it answers, a lot of goodwill was lost.

This approach frustrated audiences and made the Victorian elements feel like a silly gimmick to appeal to fans, rather than something to entice newcomers and the general public.

The bait-and-switch between time periods is not deserved, after the audience has begun to enjoy a very distinctive piece of festive entertainment. The Abominable Bride is a very unsatisfying return after a long wait between episodes, and a complicated way to bridge the gap between seasons 3 and 4.