2. It's About The Mysteries
Sherlock Holmes is the first truely great literary detective, building on the foundations established by such writers as Edgar Allen Poe and Emile Gaboriau. Many of the traditions of the crime genre were established by Conan Doyle in these stories, and the sheer volume of books, films and television series that abide by these show the extent of his influence. Sherlock Holmes will always be about deduction more than anything else, and this is the legacy that the character has left behind. As such, disapproval at the death of a beloved villain is a moot point. There is no overarching story, or single underlying theme behind it all. There is merely a fantastic protagonist, his faithful companion and the mysteries that they solve together.