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

2. His Mirroring Of Sherlock

The brilliance of Moriarty as a character has always been his similarity to Sherlock. They both feel superior to the people around them and need distractions to keep them from becoming bored. They view people as disposable and manipulate and deceive them without feeling guilt. Their paths even started together, with the murder of Carl Powers. This crime led each of them to their chosen (and self-made) occupations: a consulting criminal and a consulting detective. What stops Sherlock from becoming like Moriarty? Sherlock himself says that he could easily become a criminal, yet he elects to be a detective. As Mycroft says, "What might we deduce about his heart?" The fact that Sherlock actually has a heart seems to be ultimately what separates him from Moriarty. Moriarty knows this, and mocks him for it on several occasions, with taunts like "We're just alike, you and I. Except you're boring." What's "boring" about Sherlock is the fact that his "weakness" lies in his love for the people close to him. Moriarty uses this knowledge against Sherlock whenever he can, most significantly in 'Reichenbach' when he threatens to kill John, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade unless Sherlock commits suicide. Unlike Sherlock, Moriarty doesn't seem to possess any emotional attachment to other people. Sentiment is where the fine line between Sherlock and Moriarty starts to waver. While there are a few people that Sherlock cares about, he still thinks of people in general as beneath him. However, he doesn't manipulate them out of malicious intent; he simply uses them in whatever way he needs to solve the crime at hand to gain the mental stimulation he craves. Moriarty, on the other hand, enjoys using his intellect and cunning to torment others. He has no heart; he has only himself, and prefers it that way. He sees Sherlock as his "good" counterpart who is "on the side of the angels" - a worthy opponent at first, but doomed to fail (and fall) because of his emotional attachment to other people. Moriarty is also careful to differentiate between himself and Sherlock. No matter how similar they may be, their attentions lie in different aspects. Though they both may be consulted, one is a detective, one is a criminal. One lives for mental stimulation, the other lives for the amusement of controlling other people. One plays the "good old-fashioned villain," the other is "the Reichenbach hero." Even in their sexuality they are at odds. Because of Sherlock's alleged abstinence from sex, Moriarty nicknames him "The Virgin." What does Moriarty nickname himself? "Mr. Sex." The simultaneous mirroring and collision of their character traits make their scenes together electric; their rivalry will be hard to beat for sheer intensity and spectacle.