The following review contains spoilers for the latest episode of Sherlock: "The Lying Detective."
While "The Lying Detective" is a much stronger and far more sinister outing for Sherlock than last week’s underwhelming season premiere, it’s still hampered by another unsatisfying case and some odd story beats. Thankfully, there were also some strong performances and a brilliant reveal that sets the show off in an intriguing new direction.The episode opens with a frantic 30 minutes in which not a lot happens – John sees a therapist and mourns the death of Mary, while Sherlock, wracked with guilt, withdraws from society and takes comfort in the arms of an old friend (heroin). (He also suddenly has a drug dealer who lives in his kitchen.)
While I'm sure it's breathless pacing and style meant to be mirroring Sherlock’s drug-induced mania – some of the stylistic choices owe a debt to Trainspotting – after thirty minutes it becomes tiresome. There’s not a scene that isn’t cluttered by a visual effect, voice over, flashback, playful transition, or hallucinatory character, which becomes something a recurrent motif in this particular episode. Eventually, it all becomes too much, with the maniac pace and style undercutting the drama. Key moments just aren’t allowed to play out and breath – John's grief, Sherlock's guilt – since the show is traveling as fast as Mrs Hudson in her Aston Martin.
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