The Reichenbach Fall

The final installment of the second series of the BBC's Sherlock was the best episode yet. If you know anything at all about Holmes, then you know that the title is an allusion to arguably the most famous of all of Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, the one in which Sherlock Holmes... well, if you actually don't know, I suppose I shouldn't spoil it for you. But suffice it to say that with a title like that, the series seemed to be boldly declaring, "yes, we're going there, and we think we have a story worthy of it."

They certainly did.

The mastermind that is Moriarty, that we got to see at a distance in the first series finale, is displayed front and center here. I think it would be spoiling too much to say exactly what his game is here, but he has crafted an elaborate web of multiple layers in which to ensnare his rival Holmes, and it's thrilling to watch as the episode slowly pulls back layer after layer.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman top their already amazingly high performances as Holmes and Watson, infusing this episode with the most tender relationship between the characters I've seen in any adaptation of Holmes. The episode finds a way to reveal Holmes' true feelings without compromising his calculating core; Watson is shown to care for Holmes above and beyond just admiring his skill.

Andrew Scott is a chilling Moriarty. The character is typically portrayed in other adaptations as a posh and erudite villain, but Scott's performance goes beyond the savagery of a Hannibal Lecter and into truly psychopathic territory. Moriarty is far more than a foil for Holmes here -- he is purely, completely evil. And the lengths to which he goes to snare Holmes lead to the most shocking moment of the series.

Naturally, the episode ends on a cliffhanger... though not the in-the-middle-of-a-scene kind of ending the first series had. Nevertheless, I don't need to see what happens next to feel completely satisfied by this episode and pronounce it a jewel among jewels, and absolute grade A piece of entertainment.