It seems like only last week that Benedict Cumberbatch was in New York filming scenes for Doctor Strange and surprising fans at the local comic book store…but that’s because it was last week. This week, Cumberbatch is back in the United Kingdom and ready for a new season of Sherlock!
BBC has confirmed that Sherlock season four (or series four, if you prefer) has officially begun. In a statement, Cumberbatch said he was “genuinely thrilled to be back filming Sherlock with all the cast and crew. I can’t wait for everyone to see season four. But you will have to wait… though not for long… And it will be worth it.”
Cumberbatch and his co-star, Martin Freeman have been in high demand since Sherlock began in 2010, with a hiatus between each season that has lasted close to two years each time. The break between Sherlock seasons 3 and 4 may be closer to three years, but there was a Sherlock Christmas special earlier this year that helped fill the void.
While Cumberbatch and Freeman have previously stated their desire to return for Sherlock even beyond the current season, series co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat issued their own statement that seems to indicate a conclusion may be near.
Related: Sherlock Season 4 Isn’t Coming Until 2017
“Whatever else we do, wherever we all go, all roads lead back to Baker Street – and it always feels like coming home,” said Gatiss and Moffat in a joint statement. “Ghosts of the past are rising in the lives of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson bringing adventure, romance and terror in their wake. This is the story we’ve been telling from the beginning. A story about to reach its climax…”
A climax? That’s not encouraging for those of us who want to see Sherlock continue indefinitely. But it could be that Moffat and Gatiss are referring to the long-running James Moriarty storyline which has gone on past Moriarty’s apparent suicide in the second season finale. Moriarty’s ambiguous return was hinted at the end of Sherlock season 3 and in the Sherlock: The Abominable Bride special earlier this year.
Veteran TV director Rachel Talalay is helming the first of three feature-length Sherlock episodes for season 4. Talalay’s previous credits include Doctor Who and The Flash. Story details are still under wraps, but the new season will deal with the impending birth of John Watson’s child with his wife, Mary.
Sherlock season 4 is expected to premiere on BBC in either late 2016 or early 2017. And it’s anyone’s guess when PBS will decide to bring Sherlock season 4 to America.
Do you want Sherlock season 4 to wrap up the series? Or should it continue for more seasons? Let us know in the comment section below!
