All Four Sherlock Seasons RANKED!
This article is dedicated to Jacob Lewis, a friend of mine with a demeanor much-aligned to that of the eponymous Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock is a rather iconic show, and while it doesn't quite have the most interesting cases in the world compared to many other detective shows, this show does an impeccable job of adapting the works of Arthur Conan Doyle in the modern age. My favorite part of this show is the powerful characterizations of characters like Sherlock, John Watson, Mary Watson, Sherlock's siblings, and, of course, Jim Moriarty. In the end, as much as I like this show, some seasons are much better than others, making this ranking pretty much essential in the mind of a high-functioning ranking addict like me, Brighton Nelson. Now, without further ado, The Reel Ranker presents... All Four Sherlock Seasons RANKED!
4: Season 1
The Reel Ranker Score: 70%
Release Date: 2010
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Metacritic Score: 85
This season isn't bad at all, but it is my least favorite season of the bunch. The first episode is "A Study In Pink", which had to absolutely sell the show—and it did so with flying colors. This eccentric episode does a joyful job of introducing the viewer to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as well as giving us a captivating villain who's goal is to commit mass murders by convincing them to commit suicide so he can get money from his sponsors to have plenty of money to pass onto his kids via his well, as he himself is on the brink of death. "A Study In Pink" is immaculate at being a pilot episode, even if the full-on buddy-cop fun only starts to flourish in the show's otherwise not-so-great second episode.
As much as I loved the first episode of Season 1, it falls off from there, with Episodes 2 and 3 being two of the worst episodes of the entire show. Episode 2 is "The Blind Banker", which isn't all that intriguing whatsoever and contributes very little to the plot of the show. The biggest highlight of this episode was definitely the banter between Sherlock and John as they were getting to know each other more after introduction to one another in the previous episode. Nevertheless, this episode had a rather mediocre mystery, with the climactic reveal being a pricey hairpin that landed in the wrong hands. This episode may have been nice for character development reasons, but it was certainly the weak link of the entire show—far and away the worst episode of the season and the series.
Episode 3, "The Great Game", introduces Sherlock's arch-nemesis, Moriarty, in a captivating and interesting way. However, the actual mystery of the episode isn't too intriguing, with it feeling like a string of fetch quests and less of a mystery. The final scenes at the pool are incredibly compelling and the using of other people's voices was cool, but, as a big Psych fan, this episode kind of felt like a weaker version of the Ying Yang episodes featured in said show's third, fourth, and fifth seasons. While I love the introduction to Moriarty, this was another of the weakest episodes of the series, cementing Season 1 as my least favorite season of the show, contrary to most people's opinion of it being the best or second best season of the show.
3: Season 4
The Reel Ranker Score: 71%
Release Date: 2017
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%
Metacritic Score: 63
Season 4 is often seen as the worst season of the show, which I understand, but I like it a little better than the first season—mostly because I really love the episode "The Final Problem", which not everyone likes but I certainly do. The first episode of the season is "The Six Thatchers", an episode which is bizarre... but in a good way. The episode delves into Mary's mysterious past as an independent A.G.R.A agent contracted by the government. Synonymously, Sherlock waits for Moriarty to make his posthumous move, and wrongly sees everything as him making moves. This episode does a great job of building up Mary's association with A.G.R.A and their discombobulation after the events of a coup d'état. This episode fantastically builds up tension all the way to the end until Mary emotionally sacrifices herself by tacking a bullet for Sherlock, dividing him and John in an emotional sequence that, unfortunately, is very weirdly followed up in the following episode. With an intriguing espionage backstory, terrific twists and turns, and an emotional sacrifice at the end of the episode, the first episode of the final season is a pretty standout episode of the series.
The second episode of the season is "The Lying Detective", and this episode had a great villain, a fantastic climax, and an immaculate twist villain. The major problem with this episode was the obscenely misguided decision to center a lot of the plot around Sherlock being high out of his mind. Like... literally why? While some of the sequences are cool, it makes the episode needlessly convoluted. If there were some sort of subplot where he was coping with something, it could be interesting, but I can't realistically understand he did it because Mary decided John wouldn't help him unless he were in imminent danger—that felt like a weird, lazy plot device and drugs seemed like the last way Sherlock would decide to engage in that conflict. This episode just felt a little too distant from the heart of the show with John being begrudged and Sherlock being so obviously out of his mind. The fantastic villain and plot twist couldn't carry this rather average and odd episode from being a weaker episode of Sherlock.
The final episode of the season and series is "The Final Problem", and it's a major contributing factor to why I like this season better than the first. I personally found Sherlock's sister to be the most compelling villain of the series, pulling the strings over even Moriarty. The whole episode is a gripping finale—a psychotic race to the finish. I know the fourth season wasn't very well-received, but I personally found this to be an exceptional finale to the show and a phenomenal episode overall. With tons of emotional scenes in the final thirty minutes that execute the psychotic themes well (unlike the previous episode of the season), and a coating of 24's later-season suave as a cherry on top, this episode is simply perfection.
2: Season 2
The Reel Ranker Score: 74%
Release Date: 2012
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Metacritic Score: 91
Depending on the day, this season could likely end up on the top of the list, but while I would say I find it to be the objective best, it isn't my personal favorite. The first episode of the show, "A Scandal in Belgravia", is one of the best episodes of the show. Irene Adler is one of the most absurd characters of this show, but I love her relationship with Sherlock. They are both so deranged and have a ton of on-screen chemistry. The mysterious nature of Irene faking her death twice and also being a "high-functioning sociopath", Sherlock and Irene are a match made in heaven (or hell, that's for you to decide). This episode has little bearing on the whole plot of the show, but adds a fun level of depth to Sherlock by giving him the perfect lover. While I understand this episode may have led to some controversy, the relationship between Sherlock and Irene was simply fantastic. Irene was simply Sher-locked.
I really enjoyed the second episode of Sherlock, "The Hounds of Baskerville". This is more of a "filler" episode that has no bearing on future plotlines, but it has one of the more interesting mysteries of the show. This episode seems to have a supernatural plot that Sherlock is having a hard time solving, but as the episode goes on, it starts to develop into a plot about the genetic modification of animals and hallucinogenic drugs. this makes for a compelling plot about coping mechanisms and blocking out PTSD, as well as parental murder as a young child. Ultimately, this episode has an incredibly compelling mystery, but not as much emotion as other episodes of the series.
With all of the best Moriarty moments, Sherlock faking his death, brilliant acting, iconic scenes, and a fantastic mystery, the season two finale, "The Reichenbach Fall", is undoubtedly one of the best episodes of Sherlock. What a bombastic conclusion to Season 2, and what an amazing episode overall. I can understand why this is the most famous episode and perhaps the objective best of the series.
1: Season 3
The Reel Ranker Score: 77%
Release Date: 2014
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Metacritic Score: 88
This is my favorite season of Sherlock for many reasons, with it having many of my favorite episodes of the series. The first episode of the series, "The Empty Hearse", has a rather mediocre terrorist attack plot as its mystery (to be fair, 24 is my favorite show of all time and sets the bar exceptionally high). However, the emotional storyline of the episode is immaculate, with Sherlock revealing that he is alive to John Watson after a long two years where he has attempted to move on. These scenes and the introduction of Mary make this one of the most emotionally resonant and satisfying episodes of the show.
The second episode of the series, "The Sign of Three", has a perfect balance of emotional scenes and mystery—in fact, there are multiple cases in this episode, which isn't too common in this show! This episode's runtime mostly centers around Sherlock giving a best man's speech at John's wedding, which makes this an absolutely beautiful and unconventional episode. Sherlock opening up and showing how deeply he cares about his best friend is incredibly special, and pretty much my favorite moment of the entire show. Outside of the terrifically touching moments, this episode's mystery had a fantastic twist that I didn't see coming—a rarity for someone who constantly watches detective shows and films. This episode has a perfect balance of emotion and mystery, making it my favorite episode of Sherlock.
The final episode of the series, "His Last Vow", has an incredible villain in the form of Charles Augustus Magnussen, the absurd reveal of Mary's past and the emotional scenes with John surrounding that scenario, and the posthumous worldwide broadcast of the deceased Jim Moriarty constantly repeating "did you miss me?", this episode encapsulates all the mystery and drama I like to see in a series finale of Sherlock. It's an episode filled-to-the-brim with fantastic moments and amazing acting and, for that, it is a brilliant Sherlock episode that perfectly ends the show's third season.
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The Verdict
The Reel Ranking:
4: Season One (70%)
3: Season Four (71%)
2: Season Two (74%)
1: Season Three (77%)
Common Critic Consensus:
4: Season Four (59%)
3: Season One (89%)
2: Season Three (90%)
1: Season Two (92%)
Common Audience Consensus:
4: Season Four (58%)
3: Season Three (90%)
2: Season Two (93%)
1: Season One (94%)
