Sherlock: 5 Reasons Why The Next Villain Won't Be As Awesome As Moriarty

Ever since 1893, when the Sherlock Holmes short story "The Adventure of the Final Problem" was published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in Strand Magazine, James Moriarty has been Sherlock Holmes' ultimate archenemy. Since then, Moriarty has been portrayed in a variety of Sherlock Holmes films, television series, radio broadcasts and plays, with little variation in his foundations: he's always clever, always cunning, always nearly getting the best of the famous consulting detective. Then, in 2010, BBC's 'Sherlock' came to the screen, with a characterization of Moriarty the likes of which had never been seen. Andrew Scott's scene-stealing performance, and, of course, top-notch writing by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Steve Thompson, created a character who is equally bizarre, hilarious, creepy, and fascinating. With Moffat and Gatiss seemingly denying a return, however improbable, for Moriarty in the upcoming third season of 'Sherlock,' the show will be hard-pressed to create another villain as fantastic as Moriarty. Looking back on seasons 1 and 2, here are a few reasons why Jim Moriarty cannot be outdone as the perfect adversary for Sherlock. SPOILERS abound; you've been warned.