Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

:

Season 1
  • Network: PBS , BBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 1, 2016
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 86
  3. Negative: 12 out of 86
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User Reviews

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  1. iseenthefuture
    Jan 3, 2016
    3
    This franchise has had a season and a bit to falter and fail to retrieve any of the promise of the first two seasons. To answer the question; where can we go with these characters? Gatiss and co have come up with the answer; down the same old avenues but this time in clown shoes. Every character except the title character have become ridiculous caricatures of their former selves. How manyThis franchise has had a season and a bit to falter and fail to retrieve any of the promise of the first two seasons. To answer the question; where can we go with these characters? Gatiss and co have come up with the answer; down the same old avenues but this time in clown shoes. Every character except the title character have become ridiculous caricatures of their former selves. How many times must ubber-earnest Dr. Watson profess his man-love through misty eyes and missed breaths? How often must Mycroft deny his man-love and brotherly concern? How did anyone think giving Mycroft Holmes the Kranks treatment or giving Molly Hooper a bad case of pantomime transvestitism was anything short of a death knell for a show which is very much rudderless in high seas? The best thing that ever happened in this series was the again pantomime baddy Moriarty shutting his own gapping face hole with a bullet. How short on ideas must you be to be forced to resurrect your most gratuitous over-actor to puff out a ver thin and inconsequential mystery. (Bobby Euing in the shower post-mortem.) It is absolutely certain that this initial gush of support for this instalment comes from those who were told to expect clever and don't have the wit or courage to recognise that they didn't get it. This bandwagon support will soon be superseded by laments for the promise that was once apparent, but in the hands of this team was not realisable. "Look he just survived the Reichenbach Fall..deal with it." This is not cute or an inside joke, and has shown nothing but incompetence from the writers. Anyone can write a protagonist onto a ledge, miracling them down again is the price you pay. Cheats!
    Looking at Gatiss's credentials based on cooky spooky comedy, and seeing now that he has nowhere further to go with these characters except up in flames, he should do himself and everybody else a favour and stop. He makes fiction for teens and his ideas are restricted by his life's work. Just as he could not convincingly resurrect Sherlock in series three he has already, with a sad admission coped out of his promise at the end of the same season to resurrect his over-camp version of Moriarty. Very obviously to all that the writers had not the first clue how to do either and whats worse weren't going to try. Don't believe the ratings..blind fan support and watching in disbelief will be shown for what they are when the dust settles or in this case the ash. A good start achieves little that a bad ending won't blot out.    … Expand
  2. meldrew
    Jan 9, 2016
    5
    An intriguing set-up that ends up trying too hard to be smart at the expense of providing a satisfying 90 minutes for the viewer.

    I enjoy a narrative that's not straight-forward and for about 45 minutes this was engaging stuff. But the longer it self-indulgently crawled to its conclusion the more annoying it became. OK Mr. Moffat and Mr. Gatiss, we get that you must be clever    An intriguing set-up that ends up trying too hard to be smart at the expense of providing a satisfying 90 minutes for the viewer.

    I enjoy a narrative that's not straight-forward and for about 45 minutes this was engaging stuff. But the longer it self-indulgently crawled to its conclusion the more annoying it became.

    OK Mr. Moffat and Mr. Gatiss, we get that you must be clever blokes. But now you've shown us, can we please have something a little less 'Look At Us!' next time?    … Expand
  3. Teresk
    Jan 5, 2016
    1
    This episode was a disappointment. With years between seasons of this show entries like this (and the wedding episode of season 3) just feel like pandering fanservice rather than substantial stories. Its a waste of the few hours of Sherlock we get.
  4. NikolayG
    Jan 8, 2016
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was hoping that, given that this episode of Sherlock takes place in the appropriate time period, it would be an improvement over other episodes. But alas it is not. Sherlock is, essentially, a parody of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, styling Holmes as a sociopath, as Holmes says repeatedly throughout the series. When it is not being self consciously cute with silly jokes, it conjures absurd plots (such as a killer who stabs people who inexplicably never notice having been stabbed) or it is busy violating Holmes' character by, for example, showing him committing cold blooded murder. Perhaps my dislike for this show is now apparent.

    Amongst all the cuteness, there is a plot in The Abominable Bride. It has something to do with the original story, The Five Orange Pips, but not having read the story in decades I can't say how much. A woman who committed suicide comes back to life, freaking out a man so much by declaring to him that he will soon be dead, that his wife seeks Sherlock's help in solving the mystery her return and her premonition.

    Mind you, the plot of an earlier episode that revealed the killer to be a man who stabbed people hours in advance (without their feeling it, no explanation for their numbness to the deadly stab given; an slight oversight), left me without much hope that the solution to The Abominable Bride would be satisfying. And my lack of hope was fulfilled; instead of a decent plot it turned out to have something to do with a secret society of women dedicated to vindicating wronged women by killing abusive men, and generally to committing acts in the name of women's rights, or some such thing. Just about as high a jump of the shark as there can possibly be.

    The story that takes place in the past is wrapped around a story in the present day - Holmes is dreaming the story that takes place in the past you see, a drug induced dream or something. The present day story has to do with discovering if Moriarty is back from the dead and, if so, how.

    All in all a goofy atrocious mess.

    I pine for Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes. It was written so much better and acted to perfection. For anyone who really wants to see true to the source material Sherlock Holmes, please do watch the Granada Series starring Jeremy Brett. The best of them are only on DVD. Those for sale are the two-hour movies, and they aren't as good as the hour long shows.    … Expand
  5. shoulderoforion
    Jan 11, 2016
    1
    Unwatchable, from the first two seasons of near brilliance, this show has fallen off a cliff, Season 3 was nothing but one big settup for Season 4 and this special I turned off with 20 minutes left disgusted at how lazy & un-entertaining Sherlock now is. They ruined it, blech.
  6. in_obsession
    Jan 3, 2016
    7
    I adore this show, but I very much like that it is set in the modern age and--say what you will of the movies--I like to leave Victorian London Sherlock to Robert Downey Jr, thank you very much. There is very little more I can say about this without spoiling the entire thing for you, but instead of being disappointed with this little foray into the past, I was very much pleased with howI adore this show, but I very much like that it is set in the modern age and--say what you will of the movies--I like to leave Victorian London Sherlock to Robert Downey Jr, thank you very much. There is very little more I can say about this without spoiling the entire thing for you, but instead of being disappointed with this little foray into the past, I was very much pleased with how they worked it all out to connect with the present day story.

    Sherlock is the most explored character for the most obvious reason, as the show is literally named after him and the Special gives us a literal front row view of how Sherlock interprets himself and those around him. Not much has changed from the regular series there. John is still his most trusted friend and Moriarty is...well...Moriarty. Very little development happens here for any of them except for one particular character.

    Surprisingly--or perhaps unsurprisingly considering he is the co-creator of the show-- Mycroft Holmes's character was uniquely touched on. Many may have missed it, focused as they were on the relationship between John and Sherlock, but Mycroft has been peeling back layers like an onion for us to see all through Series 3. He, not John or Moriarty or Mary, is the character to watch in this. Despite the outwardly antagonistic relationship they seem to have, the Holmes Brothers depend on each other in very unique ways. Not to mention how he relates to others now in contrast to how he was in the beginning of the series.

    Can you tell who my favourite character is yet?

    The visuals are all there, beautifully crafted and delivered with that Sherlockian perfection that has made it so popular. Though it did have it's moments where I thought it was shaky, it's nowhere near as choppy a storyline as series 3. I do think that it was unnecessarily patronising in some parts. I understand that he was trying to portray the exact opposite of what actually came across, I'm just very concerned that no one on his team cringed at the way some people were treated.

    The mystery itself was hilariously easy to solve and I wondered why it took Sherlock so long. Am I Mycroft now? It seems so. Unlike many others, however, I did enjoy the fan service. Didn't think it was over the top at all. It might annoy others but subtext is kind of my thing so I really can't be subjective about this particular debate so I'll leave that to others.

    Overall, I found it enjoyable to watch. Obviously not up to par with the first and second series but not as bad as series 3, mansplaining aside. Seeing it in the cinema helped, with it's little extras at the beginning and end. Though a few people left before the interviews were done and I couldn't help but whisper 'fake fans' to my friend jokingly as half of the cinema cleared out before Mark Gatiss was through talking.    … Expand
  7. YorkMan
    Jan 1, 2016
    3
    Oh dear.... The Abominable Bride was a massive disappointment, especially after the previous 9 'episodes' had so wonderfully recreated the 'classic' Holmes narrative into a modern, digitally interconnected London.

    In TAB Holmes is back in late Victorian London, facing a conundrum that is completely underwhelming. A 90 minute piece of predictability in which every cliche in the book is    Oh dear.... The Abominable Bride was a massive disappointment, especially after the previous 9 'episodes' had so wonderfully recreated the 'classic' Holmes narrative into a modern, digitally interconnected London.

    In TAB Holmes is back in late Victorian London, facing a conundrum that is completely underwhelming. A 90 minute piece of predictability in which every cliche in the book is thrown at the audience, resulting in no less than three conclusions to a somewhat jumbled story.

    It's frustrating to watch something so hackneyed, as the writers try to invent ways of tying events in this 'episode' into those of earlier ones, whilst also bringing together modern tropes established before into the Victorian timeframe.

    It's watchable, but it's definitely not very good. Of course it will become a must have DVD when the BBC put it on sale at Easter time, but I can't see anyone choosing to re-watch in preference to any of the other 'episodes' in the series.    … Expand
  8. Knighthawk81
    Jan 4, 2016
    5
    I think this new incarnation of Sherlock Holmes has been great. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are perfect in these roles. This special, however, misses the mark from a story standpoint. It feels like filler as we await a real fourth season. It is that, but they could have done a better job of hiding it.
  9. vrso
    Jan 8, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was happy to be able to see a bit more of Sherlock before Season Four airs, and curious because this special promised to show the era of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And the series does it very well.

    I also liked how this episode changed from past to present times, but still focused on the case from the 19th Century.

    Only the solution for the case seemed a bit... off. However, it appears to confirm what I already thought when seeing the end of Season 3: Moriarty is dead, but an impersonator is using his likeness to spread fear through England.    … Expand
  10. TrilobiteG
    Jan 1, 2016
    8
    A blend of what seems to be Sherlock and Inception, also burrowing it's way as a lead to the next series, this proves to be a great episode. It's not the greatest Sherlock episode, but it's editing, writing, performances and interweaving messages prove undoubtedly that it is great and wonderfully sets up the next series. Underlings afoot for the future for Sherlock in praise, this featureA blend of what seems to be Sherlock and Inception, also burrowing it's way as a lead to the next series, this proves to be a great episode. It's not the greatest Sherlock episode, but it's editing, writing, performances and interweaving messages prove undoubtedly that it is great and wonderfully sets up the next series. Underlings afoot for the future for Sherlock in praise, this feature does lose some applause in it's cloudy pacing in the decency for murder due to misogyny. Victorian society was eagerly misogynistic...but it never proposed the victims as awful people. Which is somewhat disturbing as an ideology. Nonetheless, a good tie in with a old fashioned Sherlock for classic buffs whilst letting fans of the modern salivate of what's to come.… Expand
  11. oDjento
    Jan 2, 2016
    5
    Sherlock: The Abominable Bride was an interesting and arty take on the Sherlock story that intertwines itself a bit with the start of episode 4, but loses any real impact it might have had due to it being lots of artiness but not enough substance.
    Whilst this episode was quite unique in what it tried to do, you can’t help but realise the episode is just a bit (and I use this in lack of a    Sherlock: The Abominable Bride was an interesting and arty take on the Sherlock story that intertwines itself a bit with the start of episode 4, but loses any real impact it might have had due to it being lots of artiness but not enough substance.
    Whilst this episode was quite unique in what it tried to do, you can’t help but realise the episode is just a bit (and I use this in lack of a more to the point word) pointless. Instead of focusing on a certain investigation or story arc the plot ping pongs at first between beginning its journey and prematurely ending it and then between the old and new. There is this lack of any real point of what is going on, and the reward of watching this episode is completely unsatisfying.
    Despite this, chemistry between Cumberbatch and Freeman is as great as ever and we do get some catchy bits of dialogue. The acting is great overall but at some points I believe they overdo the time periods speech and line deliveries come out oddly.
    However, one thing this episode does incredibly is setting up an extremely creepy atmosphere to the episode, with a very dark tone taking place amongst the whole episode and hopefully indicating how dark this show is about to go. There were plenty of times where I genuinely felt unsettled. Maybe this episode was Mark Gattis dibbling in a bit of Sherlock horror.
    The episode also provides a few good laughs which has become expected within the series but not all jokes land on two feet.
    Overall I let this episode off with the fact that it isn’t actually what season 4 is, merely a spin-off of sorts. Nevertheless, the episode felt meaningless and unsatisfying, and therefore deserves itself an average score.
    5.5/10    … Expand
  12. Bluesmanuk
    Feb 27, 2016
    9
    A very typical Sherlock episode that has you guessing and wondering all the way through. Not that you would want it any other way and if you have watched previous episodes then you will know that whilst there are things that seem to make little or no sense at the moment of watching, everything gets wrapped up in complete understanding by it's conclusion. Mark Gatiss is a true genius whenA very typical Sherlock episode that has you guessing and wondering all the way through. Not that you would want it any other way and if you have watched previous episodes then you will know that whilst there are things that seem to make little or no sense at the moment of watching, everything gets wrapped up in complete understanding by it's conclusion. Mark Gatiss is a true genius when it comes to writing and always manages to bring surprises to the characters that I am sure makes the lead actors want to come back for more, which is all to the benefit of us the viewers. Long may it continue.… Expand
  13. TimW001
    Jul 19, 2016
    10
    What a wonderful series. One of the best television shows. An achievement of the BBC. This episode was movie length and well worth every second. A must watch.
  14. eagleeyeviking
    Jan 8, 2016
    7
    An interesting, but not entirely successful experiment, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride is a welcome return to the TV show with fantastic dialogue, high production values and an interesting mystery despite becoming needlessly convoluted in the second half.
  15. DanBurrito
    Jan 3, 2016
    7
    Although sometimes a little too convoluted, "Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" is an enjoyable special about the original Sherlock Holmes. There is a good blend of darkness and humour, with some excellent set pieces. As I mentioned before, it gets a bit confusing towards the end, but you might be able to work it out if you familiarize yourself with the rest of the series. BenedictAlthough sometimes a little too convoluted, "Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" is an enjoyable special about the original Sherlock Holmes. There is a good blend of darkness and humour, with some excellent set pieces. As I mentioned before, it gets a bit confusing towards the end, but you might be able to work it out if you familiarize yourself with the rest of the series. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are as good as ever and even in the special's weak points, they manage to elevate it with their chemistry. So overall, despite its flaws, this was an intriguing and enjoyable episode that I would certainly recommend to fans of the show. 7/10.… Expand
  16. SomePersona
    Jan 18, 2017
    8
    This episode really works as a Christmas special while working to progress the show further into the fourth series. Andrew Scott is awesome as Moriarty, and Cumberbatch and Freeman fit well into the clothes of 19th century Holmes and Watson.

    The Abominable Bride: 7.5/10

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Allison Shoemaker
    Jan 2, 2016
    58
    "The Abominable Bride" poises itself to become one of the best episodes the series has offered thus far. And then it doesn’t stop. And it still doesn’t stop. And it keeps on not stopping.
    Read full review
  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Kaite Welsh
    Jan 2, 2016
    100
    If it takes talent to make a good cliché work, making a bad one brilliant is Holmes-level genius.
    Read full review
  3. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Jan 2, 2016
    30
    The special ... didn't just irritate me; it made me actively angry at how it wasted a great idea in the name of pointless complications and fan service.
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