Sherlock: 5 Reasons Why Series 3 Was The Most Controversial
4. A Lack Of Intelligence
Sherlock is an inherently clever show and has always been widely recognised for some baffling and genius scenes. Be it Sherlock's brilliantly swift deductions or something like Moriarty's elaborate plan to frame his nemesis - the show is just genuinely clever. Imagine the disappointment then when Series 3 was shown to have such a distinct lack of intelligent moments. I cannot think of a single deduction made by Sherlock in this series that matches (or even comes close to) the first-sight assessment of John or his deduction at the deceased Van Coon's apartment. I'm not the only one who feels that way either as I've seen quite a few people voicing their concerns about the same. There's an obvious reason for this and that is that Series 3 was generally a lot less case-orientated. Obviously the cases are what bring forward the extremely intellectual side of the show and since the cases were generally put to the background then the show's wit also felt a little muted. The most prominent problem I had with the series's lowered intellect, though, was that Sherlock himself seemed to be a bit slow too. He failed to pick up on Mary's treacherous past, he left a case unresolved in "The Sign of Three" (only to have to confront it afterwards) and he was outwitted by Charles Augustus Magnussen. By lack of intelligence though I'm also referring to some dumb elements (or plot-holes) found in the series. To name a few: Magnussen's security staff not checking John and Sherlock for weapons before letting them into Appledore. Sherlock saving the day in "The Empty Hearse" by literally pressing the off-switch. None of Moriarty's folk seeing Sherlock faking his death even though it was an elaborate and exposed setup. The absurd explanation of the perpetrator in "The Sign of Three" using a fatal needle that the victims couldn't detect. The insinuation that John was drawn to Mary due to her dangerous past, even though he was entirely unaware of this side to her!
