Actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Rupert Graves, Una Stubbs, Mark Gatiss
Directors: Jeremy Lovering, Colm McCarthy, Nick Hurran
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Run Time: 262 minutes
Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
“Sherlock” has become quite the high profile show in the last year or so, most likely due to the blowing up of actor Benedict Cumberbatch. The combination of him with Martin Freeman (another phenomonal actor) is just so perfect. I know that these episodes are like little mini-movies but I would have loved to have more than just three episodes included this season. Hopefully BBC knows what it has on its hands now and before Cumberbatch gets too big, I hope they lock in another season quick. The three episodes included are: “The Empty Hearse,” “The Sign of Three” and “His Last Vow.” If you enjoyed the first two seasons, this one builds on them and doesn’t disappoint.
Official Premise (Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen Season 1 & 2): Two years after the devastating fallout of “The Reichenbach Fall,” Dr. John Watson has moved on with his life. New horizons, romance and a comforting domestic future beckon. But with London under threat of a huge terrorist attack, Sherlock Holmes is about to return with all the theatricality that comes so naturally. It’s what his best friend wanted more than anything, but for John Watson it might well be a case of “be careful what you wish for.” If Sherlock thinks everything will be just as he left it, though, he’s in for a very big surprise.
This Blu-ray arrives just two weeks after the conclusion of the series in the U.S. and as much as I wanted to have it immediately, I feel that BBC might have rushed a little too much to get this one out there. The episodes are only presented with an 1080i transfer. The transfers doesn’t look bad but its the point of the matter that bugs me. I know they can do better since shows like “Doctor Who” were upgraded to 1080p also. Same goes for the soundtrack, since here we only get a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Now I’ve said this before but that isn’t Blu-ray quality for me. I was quite disappointed overall with the choices they went it.
I know that BBC hasn’t been including a Digital HD copy for shows like “Doctor Who” but they did with mini-series “Spies of Warsaw” and this show reminds me of that kind of show. I would have loved to see this available for Ultraviolet. In terms of special features, there are three featurettes included. The first is “The Fall”, which looks into this season’s events. Next up is “Fans, Villains & Speculation: The Legacy of Sherlock Holmes” looks into the popularity of the show and the character. Lastly “Shooting Sherlock” focusing on the production for this season.
