Sherlock: Every Episode Ranked Worst To Best

Our first proper introduction to Jim Moriarty is the first time we sense real danger for Sherlock and everyone he loves. Andrew Scott's portrayal has attracted criticism for being pantomimic and too similar to Heath Ledger's Joker, but he is one of the best and most original on-screen incarnations of Moriarty we've ever seen.

He dominates every frame, even when he isn't there. One of the reasons The Great Game is so good is that every random mystery that Sherlock and John solve makes the audience feel ill at ease, as though something is very wrong. Like a monster, you imagine Moriarty could be hiding just around the corner.

The plot of The Great Game is not the most original, but as this newly-established Sherlock plays the game of his arch-nemesis for the first time, it perfectly captures the tone of a Sherlock Holmes story where Moriarty is involved.

The success of each on-screen version of Sherlock Holmes rests on how well Moriarty is introduced. The Great Game does it in a masterful way, and wisely keeps the villain's screen time limited, holding their cards close to their chest until they were ready to unleash Moriarty at his peak in The Reichenbach Fall.