Sherlock: 7 Predictions For The Christmas Special
7. Time-travel
There was a lot of intrigue when the first photos of the Sherlock special started to emerge, and showed Cumberbatch and Freeman - or rather, Holmes and Watson - in very distinctive Victorian garb. Was this a homage to the original stories, maybe with some fancy dress shenanigans in the episode?
Well, creator Steven Moffat has now confirmed that the episode is set in the Victorian-era, but he hasnt confirmed how that is. Given its just a one-off episode, it may be that they are simply skating over the fact its taking place in a completely different century to the proper show.However, youd expect there would be some sort of solution to it. Could this be the oft-mooted (if generally implausible) Doctor Who crossover fans often seem to ask for, with the TARDIS being used to transport the detective back in time? Never say never, but do say probably not.
If it isnt just on the basis of it being standalone, then possible explanations would include it being some sort of strange, alt-reality flashback-type sequence from Sherlock, or even one of Dr Watsons stories (which are referenced in the trailer).
Doctor Who writer Jamie Mathieson teasingly said: The big question is not how modern Sherlock ends up in the Victorian era, but how a Victorian character ended up here in the first place.
So a big part of the mystery will be about the time-period, and a certain character within it. This may be a new character, but the way its been put across suggests it may well be a character the audience is already familiar with, either from Sherlock Holmes or just reality itself.