Benedict Cumberbatch has one condition to play Sherlock Holmes again, and it makesSherlockseason 5 even more unlikely to happen. As someone who would patiently wait years to get a new season ofSherlockafter every three episodes, I never ruled out that the show could continue past season 2. However, as time went by,Sherlockseason 5started to become less likely. Not only would certainly be difficult to get the cast back together for another season, butSherlockseason 4 did not end on a great note.
After two very strong first seasons,Sherlockseason 3 struggledto give the show a new identity following Holmes’ return from the dead. Between not answering how Holmes faked his death and never truly moving away from Moriarty, I saw myself enjoying the show less and less. Neither theAbominable Bridespecial nor season 4 were very well-received compared to seasons 1 and 2, with the series finale in particular being a big disappointment. That said,I still loveSherlock, and I’m glad Cumberbatch is not entirely against putting the coat and the hat back.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s 1 Condition To Return For Sherlock Season 5 Is Very Unlikely To Happen
Sherlock Season 5 Would Have To Be Better Than What They’ve Done Before
During an interview withVariety,Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatchdiscussed what it would take for him to do another season. While he initially joked that it would be“a lot of money,”Cumberbatch later discussed how it would have to be something“better than it ever was”for him to revisit the character.TheSherlockand MCU star even recalled a convention in which he told his fans that he knows they loveSherlock, but that he will not always do the same thing and wants to surprise himself and his fans.
SherlockSeason 1
93%
SherlockSeason 2
94%
SherlockSeason 3
91%
62%
SherlockSeason 4
54%
Cumberbatch pointed out that, while there is always an itch to scratch, aSherlockreunion would have to be the“superlative version”of what they have already done. While it is reassuring to know that Cumberbatch would only play Holmes again if the material was good,I find it difficult to believe thatSherlockseason 5 could be as good as the show’s best momentsafter what seasons 3 and 4 delivered. Matching whatSherlockdid in the first two seasons is virtually impossible, and there are only so many things they can do with those characters.
Sherlock’s Legacy Might Be Better Left As It Is
Sherlockmight not have ended on a high note, but I still think the show has a positive legacy.BBC’sSherlockled the “Sherlock Holmes renaissance” of the 2010s, which also included the Robert Downey Jr.Sherlockmovies and the CBS seriesElementary. The first two seasons of the BBC show are incredible, and it is fair to say thatSherlockbecame a victim of its own success. Trying to top what seasons 1 and 2 had done, especially when it comes to Moriarty, might be what causedSherlock’s downfall after all.
Sherlock Season 4’s Best Scene Is A Sad Reminder Of Where The BBC Show Went Wrong
Sherlock season 4 was the show’s weakest, and one of its best moments proves where the BBC series went wrong following two great first seasons.
Everything had to be bigger and bolder after season 2, which causedSherlockto lose itselfamidst too many twists and surprises. The Moriarty fakeouts and the late reveal of Eurus Holmes are just two examples of this problem. A fifth season ofSherlockthat would try to recapture the magic of the show could work, but it could also go incredibly wrong and deliver something even worse than season 4. This is whySherlockseason 5 not happening is not necessarily a bad thing, even though I’d love to see Cumberbatch’s Holmes and Freeman’s Watson again.
Don’t Panic, There’s Still Hope For Sherlock Season 5
Sherlock 5 Could Still Happen After All
Neither the cast nor the creatives behind BBC’sSherlockhas even ruled out doing a fifth season or some kind of revival. Speaking toSFXabout whether there were anyplans forSherlockseason 5, series co-creator Steven Moffat said that“it seems madness not to do it.”Moffat discussed how Sherlock Holmes is over a hundred years old but remains relevant, and that there would always be an audience for it. That said,there are currently no official plans forSherlockseason 5.
We would happily do it again and I hope someday that we do. It seems perverse not to. You make enough shows in your lifetime that no one gives a flying one about, so it’s nice to have one that people are passionate about. It’s almost presumptuous, almost arrogant, not to do it again. But there are no hard plans, none at all.
BBC’sSherlockhas adapted some of the most famousArthur Conan Doyle stories, including Holmes’ death and return. Still, the show always allowed itself to create original stories, and I wouldn’t mind if it did again for a new season or special. I would also not be againstSherlockreturning in the form of a TV movie instead of a full season, the former of which seems easier to pull off given how busy Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have been since the end of the show.
