We'd heard the name Moriarty, mentioned a few times already, but the beginning of 'The Great Game' certainly introduced the character with a bang. Literally. It's one of the most iconic images of the show; Sherlock standing completely unaware before the windows of 221B are blasted, throwing Sherlock to the ground, and setting off car alarms. It was to become the first of many shocking attacks from Jim Moriarty, not least in that episode, when Sherlock and John were constantly on the back-foot from challenges set by their nemesis. It was used in a BBC advert, documenting the entire history of the channel in a minute, and it's easy to see why: it's a fantastic image.
17. Sherlock Fights An Assassin
Sherlock's one of the greatest minds fiction has ever created, but in 'The Blind Banker', we saw him in much more of an action role. In this clip, he fights off an assassin in Baker Street, but the writers weren't going to stop there when it came to placing Holmes in fight situations; in 'A Scandal in Belgravia', a CIA agent takes Mrs Hudson hostage, prompting Holmes to beat him up and throw him out of the window several times. "It's all a bit of a blur, Inspector" he later remarked to Lestrade. 'The Blind Banker' was the episode that placed that famous smiley face on Sherlock's wall too, in case you're wondering.
