The Final Problem

There is a cinematic element to The Final Problem as Holmes faces grave dangers to his life from Moriarty's henchmen right from the beginning.

The Mona Lisa has been stolen and the French authorities have bought in Sherlock Holmes.

Moriarty plans to use the story of the theft to sell expertly forged copies. However his plans are scuppered by the meddling detective.

Holmes and Watson flee to the continent with Moriarty giving chase. There is an encounter between the two at Reichenbach Falls.

Looking back at this know it is astonishing how I have not got used to younger version of the characters in the modern take of Sherlock and the Robert Downey Sherlock Holmes films. Porter really does look old in the part and it shows when the two men grapple when the fight scenes should be more punchy.

Dr Watson breaks the fourth wall and talks to the audience at the end of the episode.

Sadly this was David Burke's final episode as Watson. He decided to concentrate on theatre and spend time raising his young son. I always liked Burke's interpretation of Watson and preferred his version more than Edward Hardwicke's.

Holmes is hired by the French government. The unthinkable has occurred: the Mona Lisa has been stolen from the Louvre. In his inimitable fashion, Holmes manages to solve the crime but this creates another problem: Professor Moriarty was behind the attempt to steal the Mona Lisa and is out for deadly vengeance. Moriarty may well be Holmes's final problem.

A fittingly gripping finale to the series. After being introduced to Professor Moriarty in the previous episode he now becomes the focal point of this episode. While Holmes is intellectually Moriarty's equal, if not superior, Moriarty has means at his disposal, violent means, that Holmes cannot counter. This makes for a very tense cat-and-mouse game and a thrilling conclusion.

For those who really love the Sherlock Holmes stories, this one is where we have our radar up, watching intently to see if the writers and directors have done it justice. Holmes' adversary, Moriarity (played with panache by Eric Porter), has been presented as the equal of Holmes and he and his henchmen have as much at stake as the great detective. Holmes often remarks that the world is lucky that he (Holmes) never decided to turn to crime. After a nice presentation of the evil of his arch rival, Holmes meets him in Switzerland at the Reichenbach Falls. Part of the joy of this episode (and it is really well done) is that for his encounter, he must part ways with Watson and go it on his own. This is out of love as well as practicality. The scenery is breathtaking. If one has never seen the beauty of the Alps, the wonderful scenery contrasts the evil of Moriarity. Conan Doyle was tired of Holmes because he was being judged for only one part of his work. This, of course, sets up the next set of episodes.

The Final Problem is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best episodes of Brett's Sherlock Holmes, and arguably one of the finest productions to feature Holmes.

The script is terrific, and hugely faithful to the book. Burke's narration throughout is a real highlight in what would sadly be his last appearance as Watson. The location work is breathtaking, it looks imposing, dramatic and wonderful throughout, overall it feels big budget.

The best aspects of this episode though, without any doubt are the performances of Jeremy Brett and Eric Porter, the pair individually are astonishing, but together they are beyond compare, with some incredible scenes.

Flawless. 10/10

Jeremy Brett will forever be the quintessential Holmes! He Is magnificent portraying the elusive genius of Holmes like no other! He lives on forever in the hearts of Sherlock Holmes fans!