Sherlock: 10 Best Moments From Series Three

5. Showdown At Appledore - His Last Vow

You could fill this entire list with Magnussen's scenes from 'His Last Vow', but his villainy is best shown here. All seems lost for Sherlock and John as they have failed to nail anything on Magnussen. Knowing he holds all the power, Magnussen proceeds to flick John's face for fun. There is nothing they can do to stop him.

Charles Augustus Magnussen is a terrific villain, played to palpable perfection by Lars Mikkelsen, who treads the line between being thoroughly detestable, downright disgusting and obsessively watchable. As a media mogul with power over the entire Western World, he's a chillingly believable creation given outlandish traits, like a lack of understanding of personal space and toiletry hygiene. He's more than an equal for Moriarty, actually outwitting Sherlock (unless there's another reveal to come) - causing the detective to resort to something other than his brain to slay the dragon. Shooting him dead. This scene, the climax of the series, is incredibly tense, with drama pulsing right through it. Forcing Sherlock to use such menial means proves Magnussen a memorable villain and provides one of the series' great moments.