And last on our list, we have a slightly curious reason (if you're emotionally invested in the show, it's also something to dread) to get excited - the title of the final episode, His Last Vow. His Last Bow, for those who don't know, is the final chronological installment of Conan Doyle's books. He published other stories afterwards, but His Last Bow marked the endpoint of Sherlock's detective adventures (possible spoilers follow - Sherlock retires). His Last Vow is likely to be a different kettle of fish plot-wise (there's Magnussen, whose equivalent wasn't involved in His Last Bow) - namely, it's unlikely that Sherlock will be spying on Germans. But this is Sherlock - and while their adaptions always stray from the source material, there's always something to anchor it to its Conan Doyle inspiration. Could His Last Vow mark the end of Sherlock, the TV series, forever? Well, we don't know, and all the cast and crew seem up for series four - but it'll be very interesting to see just how Sherlock connects His Last Vow to its book counterpart. And anyway, what's his last vow? And is 'he' even Sherlock? We'll have to find out on 12th January... Sherlock returns on New Year's Day on BBC One at 9pm. What are you looking forward to in Sherlock series three? Leave a comment below!
