I assumed she'd be killed off

There is that, but to some extent she will ruin the 'relationship' between sherlock and john if she's just going to hang around all the time. Lets take Molly for example, she's someone who manages to be in the show, but she doesn't hang around all the time. she fits in nicely. Helps out when necessary, she doesn't feel forced upon us.

It originally had a more particular meaning (the use of a gimmick to revive interest in a flagging show) but it's gone into common usage as an indication of a decline in quality.

To be more specific, it's lost its edge.

Apologies. Your deduction has ... merit.

I think, or at least hope, that the BBC would be more concerned with the viewing figures. But popularity isn't everything you say? Ok then. How about all the good reviews. From actual TV reviewers? So popular and critically acclaimed! Nah. They will ignore that. Because the same five people on Digital Spy keep slagging him off. The people that matter at the BBC won't even know this forum exists let alone read it.

No he said that he has been killed "hours ago", in other words hours before the point at which Sherlock was talking to him through the door. That was still during the wedding, not hours before it. As was later shown (though it may have been a suggestion rather than an exact flashback) he could have stabbed him when arranging them for a picture.

He didn't stab him with the belt, he stabbed him through the belt. Just as he did with the guardsman in the street whilst taking a selfie. The issue with the belt was that the tight belt kept the wound closed which meant that didn't bleed out until they took the belt off, which could be hours later.

Sherlock is one of the best things on TV and Una Stubbs is just wonderful with Benedict but i'm wondering why they want to put situational comedy in it now. I understood why for last week with Sherlock's return but this week it took up too much time with the pub crawl thing and the awkward speech.

I do love Sherlock and enjoy the deduction and the cases however they seem to have taken second place this series to a self indulgence on the Watson/Sherlock relationship. I felt disappointed that the'sign of three' turned out to be the pregnancy( felt soapish)unless I misunderstood.

We need more episodes!Can anyone explain the robbery at the beginning ? I must have missed the explanation.

Ha, clever. Anything less than 9.2 million and you can make a smug post about how you predicted it.

An amusing episode, which felt like a comedy filler. I was sidetracked by the Major who seemed to know that he was about to die, so then I thought was it was suicide?

All that reception hall stuff then appeared to be pointless. Suddenly, the photographer was revealled to be the only person not to appear in the photos (obviously) but that didn't negate a guest from being the killer.

Oh well one to go.

Seems like I'm the only one who loved that episode? Thought it was clever, funny and emotional and tied them all in well. The whole 'here is a mystery - how does Sherlock solve it' would get very old very quickly if repeated week in week out - a bit of change is good.

Reading the criticism has just encouraged me to think of all the things I did like about the episode, and there's even more than I thought. The biggest issue was the drastic change in tone, but I think if I were to watch it again knowing exactly what to expect then I would enjoy it a lot more. Out of the three middle episodes we've had, which is were the writer(s) experiment a bit and fail (the 2nd episodes are always the worst), I already like this one the most despite its problems.

I know. I just meant that if I point you to a specific article, it rather gives the game away. As I said before, apologies for being obtuse!

When of course it will probably drop slightly. Premiers always tend to get higher and because of the mystery cliffhanger it will have pulled in more people. It will of course trounce most other shows despite any drop but they will ignore that and claim its a sign of decline. Like people have with Doctor Who but then oh no! Most viewed show of the year! 11 million plus for the Xmas special. People are really voting with their feet it would seem.

I find it quite jarring that they keep telling us that Sherlock is an outcast loner who rubs people up the wrong way, yet seemingly everyone adores him.

Say no more, slouchingthatch. *wink wink*

I also thought that Mary was quite slinky in one or two scenes tonight.

It'd get boring if there were 6+ episodes a year. Instead there are 3 every 2 years.

Jumping the shark has jumped the shark.

It just popped right into my head when he was saying 'no' 'no' 'no' and they were sitting down - like when you flick the pictures down. And then at the end didn't he flick the laptop lids down as well? I might have imagined that (tired).

No worries, you are only doing your job! Google may or may not prove to be my friend.

My episode review:
http://slouchingtowardstv.com/2014/0...sign-of-three/

This really wasn't my favourite story as it took too long to get going, but I loved Sherlock's best man speech, and as I've said (repeatedly, sorry), there are some clues for the sharp-eyed buried in there to provide pointers for next week's finale.

So Moffat wrote The Doctor Dances for Who, and wrote part of this episode, which we should probably call The Detective Dances. (I'm joking. A bit.)

As I did last week, I'll post my 10 top references to The Sign of Four and other Holmes stories tomorrow (hopefully morning). I'm sure you'll all have spotted many more than I did.

if she stays far, far, far in the background thats ok with me lol (sorry) if she doesnt, shes going to ruin the dynamic been featured so heavily imo

I understand the not bleeding part, but I must say the "not feeling any pain" part leaves me quite sceptical.

Have to challenge that by pointing out that Sherlock Holmes is the most filmed fictional character ever..most of those being based on the Conan Doyle stories.

I do worry that the series is getting by on the bromance aspect and appealing more to the Twilight crowd than the original.

It has its audience and lots like it but I hardly think it's terribly clever stuff and stylistically, give it a few years, it will start to look very aged.

But I could watch a Rathbone Holmes till the cows came home.

No, I did actually enjoy it.

In fact it nuked the fridge