SHERLOCK Creator Says Season 4 "Absolutely Could Be" Its Last, Plus See New Photo
The upcoming fourth season of the BBC's smash hit show Sherlock "absolutely could be" its last, according to creator/showrunner Steven Moffat. Along with a new photo featuring Benedict Cumberbatch's lead detective with a new canine friend (above), the Telegraph revealed a new interview with Moffat in which he seems to be slowly preparing fans for the possibility that the end is approaching:
“I don’t know how long we can keep it going. I’m personally willing but I’m hardly the main draw. I would be moderately surprised if this was the last time we ever made this show. But it absolutely could be.”
Sounds kind of grim, right? Well, it might not be quite as bad as he's making it out to be. Citing the fact that Cumberbatch and co-star Martin Freeman have obviously gone on to great success in the world of film and they only reason they come back to reprise their roles is "because they want to," he suggests that even if the stars do get too busy, they could always just take a break for a few years and come back to it later.
“That’s why I think it’s unlikely that we’ve completely finished it. There would be nothing strange in stopping for a while. It could go on forever, coming back now and again.”
With the long wait times Sherlock fans are already experiencing between seasons, I think it's fair to say that we'd all prefer a few year break rather than seeing Cumberbatch hang up the deerstalker for the last time.
Season four will air sometime in 2017 (at the earliest), with Toby Jones on board as the new villain. His character and the season's plots are a mystery, but Moffat says they won't be drawing from the famous Doyle tales you may be familiar with:
“There are stories that we are making use of in different ways. We’re using stories that people don’t know so much. Now we are getting into equally good, but far less well known, Conan Doyle stories."
Before I wrap this up, I also wanted to share this paragraph from the Telegraph's article with you:
The corporation yesterday released this photograph of Benedict Cumberbatch, clad in a scarf, posing with a bloodhound, but it would not provide any insight into the dog's role in the show.
For some reason, that struck me as hilarious funny. I guess I just love the image of a reporter breathlessly following a BBC rep, desperately begging for information about how a dog factors into the plot.
Here's the official season 4 synopsis:
Promising laughter, tears, shocks, surprises and extraordinary cases, it was announced last month that series four will begin - with the nation’s favourite detective, the mercurial Sherlock Holmes, back once more on British soil - as Doctor Watson and his wife, Mary, prepare for their biggest ever challenge - becoming parents for the first time.