Sherlock: Every Episode Ranked Worst To Best
10. Season 4, Episode 1: The Six Thatchers
The observances that Sherlock has turned into a James Bond-style show are particularly valid in The Six Thatchers. Mary's murky past was always intriguing, but delved into too early so that everything about her was revealed and we had nothing to keep us engaged.
Mary was a brilliant character killed off too early to really make her death mean something to the audience. Whilst the impact on our other main characters was well-handled, the main mystery of the episode tied together in a rushed and unsatisfying way.
Her death came out of nowhere after a globe-trotting adventure with a mystery that wasn't gripping, and the circumstances under which Mary dies are more frustrating than heartbreaking. For a series with such tight plotting, this episode is surprisingly sloppy.
Playing for the most part like an old-fashioned adventure, introducing Rosamund - John and Mary's baby - and Toby the Bloodhound, the opportunity for some light-hearted domestic humour that Sherlock has always excelled at is missed here to make way for something more espionage-heavy.
After such a long absence, Mary's death might have been more devastating if we'd been reminded what a happy family has been formed from Sherlock and his friends, only to have it torn apart.