Sherlock Season 4: 18 Easter Eggs & References From 'The Lying Detective'

18. The Dying Detective

The Lying Detective is a loose adaptation of Doyle's The Adventure of the Dying Detective. Like many previous Sherlock episodes, the original story forms the broad basis of the story with lots of elements expanded and altered.

The inciting incident of both is when Mrs Hudson visits Dr Watson and pleads with him to see Sherlock, as she believes the detective is on his last legs. In Doyle's tale, though, Hudders does not drive to John in an Aston Martin with Sherlock bundled in the boot.

The central idea of Sherlock pretending to be moments from death as a way to get Smith to confess to his crimes is also lifted from Doyle. In the original, Watson is hiding in the room and overhears the confession. In Sherlock, it is John's walking stick which provides Smith's downfall.

A nice little detail lifted from the story is that Sherlock's walls are covered with pictures of Culverton Smith, much like the images of "celebrated criminals" that adorn Baker Street in the short story.