'The Great Game' may be the most typical episode of Sherlock that there is; there's a case every ten minutes for him to sink his teeth into, comedy, brilliance and plot-twists galore, and a cliffhanger face-off against a supervillain. The deduction skills really step up a notch, as Sherlock, chillingly, quite enjoys the challenges constantly being thrown at him; Cumberbatch is masterful in the role, quicker and sharper than everyone else, noticing why the Vermeer is a fake with only seconds remaining and crying in front of a suspect to try and prize clues and answers from her. This is the episode that he really does feel like a Hollywood star in the making, and he's an absolute pleasure to watch. It's like several episodes packed into one, with a killer pace and intriguing crimes, but quite brilliantly, there's always a threat bubbling under the surface; Sherlock can sense it, the way his eyes dart around in the cafe when John asks, "Is it Moriarty?". We know it is, and we know that he can't rest until he finds him. With every case, he drifts closer and closer to the villain, and it really does feel like he's not sleeping in between. And that final scene: sure, the rooftop might've eclipsed it in the cliffhanger department, but Andrew Scott provides such an unhinged and charismatic performance, that he nearly steals the entire episode. Did anyone else watch 'The Great Game' first time around and assume that when John steps out to meet Sherlock, he's revealing himself to be Moriarty?
