Last week, the BBC confirmed that the extremely popular “Sherlock” had been renewed for a third season after the second season finale aired in the United Kingdom with a stunning cliffhanger.
Since its debut in 2010, “Sherlock” has been considered the definitive modern update to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective, with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. Under the stewardship of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, “Sherlock” has also developed a passionate following both in Britain and in the United States.
And while the burgeoning film careers of Cumberbatch and Freeman have caused some fans to worry that future seasons may be in doubt, Moffat has revealed that he has some extremely long range plans for the iconic duo.
“I fondly imagine it’d be nice to stop it for a while and come back and see what they’re like in their 40s or 50s,” said Moffat as reported by Radio Times.
“Because normally these two characters are portrayed in their 50s. So we’re actually at the beginning. It might be interesting in a couple of decades when they come back and [we] see what they’re like.”
“These are still the formative years of Sherlock Holmes,” continued Moffat. “The most important thing about this series is not that it’s updated. It’s the fact that those two men are still young and they’re still at the beginning of what they don’t know is going to be a lifelong relationship.”
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “SHERLOCK” SEASON 2
Given that “Sherlock” has already been renewed for season 3, the question isn’t if Sherlock survived his fall in the finale; it’s how. Fortunately, Moffat says that a solution has already been found… and filmed.
“We’ve worked out how Sherlock survives,” revealed Moffat. “And actually shot part of what really happened. It all makes sense… We had to have Holmes dying in Watson’s arms – and get away with that, which we have.”
Moffat also spoke about the ongoing living situation between Holmes and Watson, which may mean they won’t be flatmates at some point down the line.
“[Watson] and Holmes don’t always live together and I think that’s become a lazy way of doing Sherlock Holmes – they always live together,” noted Moffat. “They didn’t actually and why would they? Nobody flat-shares forever, so there’s loads of details we can get in there.”
While some observers have guessed that “Sherlock” would return for its third season in 2013, Moffat didn’t commit to a date and he cautioned fans to be patient.
“Get used to a bit of starvation,” warned Moffat. “We’re making movies – those six films we’ve made could go in the cinema. You can’t factory produce that – it’s a different kind of show. So, when we’re good and ready – it won’t be that long – but when we’re ready, you’ll get the follow-up.”
In the meantime, CBS is preparing its own take on a modern day Sherlock Holmes with a new pilot called “Elementary;” which will also be set in New York. Earlier reaction to the CBS series here at Crave Online was almost unanimously against this new show encroaching upon “Sherlock’s” territory.
At the moment, the collective fandom seems to have room for only one TV series about the great detective in its heart. And “Sherlock” appears to be it.
“Sherlock” season 2 will make its U.S. debut on PBS this May.
