Ok, before I start my review, a little backstory. Before this episode premiered Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat; the creators and writers of the show; said that this episode was going to be a one-off episode, of Sherlock and John in Victorian times. They said this episode was in no way connected to the rest of the series.
They lied. These writers are known to lie about things in their shows. I believe the episode should have been a stand alone episode. I believe it would have been better if it was. It would have made it less complicated and easier to follow.
Also this would have been a great episode for new people to watch who had never seen Sherlock before. Because if it would have been a stand alone, then they could have gotten what the taste of the show is, and not know anything about the previous episodes. Turns out to understand what is happening in "The Abominable Bride" you have to know the history of the show.
Now onto my review. I'll start with the good first. As a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes book series, I love seeing Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, and the rest of the cast in proper Victorian gear.
(https://www.cnet.com/uk/pictures/new-photos-reveal-more-clues-from-sherlock-victorian-special-pictures/10/)
(http://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/character-posters-sherlock-abominable-bride/)
(http://uproxx.com/hitfix/new-sherlock-photos-place-you-right-into-victorian-england/)
(http://www.arwelwjones.com/sherlock-special.html)
(http://nixxie-fic.tumblr.com/post/133835605901/phooshoot-pictures-for-sherlock-the-abominable)
I love how (before we find out that the Victorian world is all in Sherlock's mind palace) the story feels like a proper Victorian ghost story.
The Victorian story really has everything working in its favor. It has great costumes, great settings, a great mystery, and a great murders.
Now onto the bad. After about an hour into the show it is revealed to us that Sherlock is still on the plane that is landing from the last episode, "His Last Vow". We also find out that Sherlock literally made up everything we have seen so far in his mind palace. I mean I know Sherlock is smart, but I find it hard to believe that Sherlock thought of everything that happened in the last hour in five minutes; which is suppose to be how much time has passed.
We also find out that Sherlock is as high as a kite. He says he takes drugs to help his mind work better.
Anyway the reason Sherlock made-up the Victorian world in his mind, is because like Moriarty there was a woman who shot herself in the face and then came back to life. So Sherlock is trying to solve the current case by solving an old one. Which seems like a very round about way of trying to solve a case, but whatever works I guess.
This is when the episode goes down hill. The episode goes back and forth between our time and Victorian time. Trying to trick you into thinking that Sherlock is awake only to be like, "No he is still in his mind palace."
Also all of the tension in the Victorian world goes away because, we know that this is all in Sherlock's mind, so he is controlling everything.
Some of the editing in this episode is great.
(https://borg.com/2015/10/27/bbcpbs-masterpiece-releases-new-trailer-for-retro-sherlock-episode/)
(https://medium.com/@michelle_zhou/notes-on-the-sherlock-christmas-special-abominable-bride-2760c48a8625)
(http://www.framerated.co.uk/sherlock-abominable-bride/)
While some of the editing just looks bad.
(https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sherlock?src=tren)
(http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/sherlock/251713/sherlock-34-things-you-might-have-missed-in-the-abominable-bride)
(https://www.reddit.com/r/Sherlock/comments/40bfv3/spoilers_anyone_else_catch_this_shot_in_the/)
Then for some reason the writer's felt like they had to make Sherlock a feminist. While in his Victorian mind palace, Sherlock realizes how awful he has treated the women in his life. Now I would say this part is good, because Sherlock does need to respect women, but Sherlock also needs to respect men.
I feel like they are just saying that Sherlock disrespects women, um no, Sherlock disrespects everyone and uses everyone. Actually the two people he uses the most in the show is John and Molly. So a man and a woman.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0e/c2/f9/0ec2f94ed84f7c5e51586640391ef31a.jpg)
Or how about that time Sherlock "drugged" John and used him as an experiment to see if the drugs worked.
(http://adr1s.tumblr.com/post/28711191678/herl)
Or that time Sherlock flirted with Molly to look at some bodies.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a5/63/14/a5631486d68dd1b7a79f61826df0d7d2.jpg)
(http://indulgy.com/post/Uynaitxy92/i-love-how-molly-is-busy-with-her-stuff-but-the)
So this scene of Sherlock being like, "Wow I have treated women so badly, I should treat them better!" Falls flat because he treats everyone like that.
Then Sherlock and Moriarty have a fight at the Reichenbach Falls.
(http://mishasteaparty.tumblr.com/post/136481893719/dead-is-the-new-sexy)
I really like this scene. Because remember this is still in Sherlock's mind palace. So all of the horrible things Moriarty is saying to Sherlock is really what Sherlock is saying to himself, he is just using Moriarty's face to do it. I think it is implied in this scene that Moriarty is Sherlock's low self esteem.
At the end of the episode Sherlock wakes up from his mind palace, and tells, John and Mary, that Moriarty is dead and says he knows what Moriarty's plan is.
Does this episode have its problems, yes, it can be extremely hard to follow the first time you watch it. Like I said early this episode should have been a stand alone episode. However, I really enjoy this episode even though I don't like everything about it. It is definitely a fun episode. I give "The Abominable Bride" 6.5/10
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