In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sherlock showrunner Stephen Moffat reveals absolutely nothing about the plot or the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories that will inspire the upcoming fourth season. Yet he still gives fans enough red meat to gnaw on while dusting off their Tumblr accounts.
This time around, Moffat hints Sherlock is in for a rough go:
[Season 4] is going to be… I suppose you’d say… consequences. It’s consequences. Chickens come to roost. It’s dark in some ways — obviously it’s great fun and a Sherlock Holmes romp and all that — but there’s a sense of… things… coming back to bite you. It’s not a safe, sensible way to live. It’s hilarious and exhilarating some days, but some days it’s going to be bloody frightening. (Via EW)
Well, good heavens. At least we know that Benedict Cumberbatch is going to live because, like the Highlander, there can only be one Sherlock Holmes. The same goes for Martin Freeman‘s John Watson.
Moffat also suggests the show will cover brand new material, so fans shouldn’t bother analyzing screenshots:
There are answers coming to questions which nobody has asked. There’s one thing that no one has really brought up… We’ve actually set up something, I think —- [co-creator Mark Gatiss] and me, we’re very exultant about a little thing we’ve set up that no one is talking about. (Via EW)
When it’s all over, there will most definitely be weeping, screaming, and gnashing of teeth among fans who Moffat says will be left “desperate” for the fifth season like a bunch of meth addicts:
We’re certainly going to put them through the mill. It’s going to be more of an emotional upheaval. Hopefully enjoyable and fun, all the things Sherlock must always be. It will be tough at times. Maybe that’s the word? A tougher series. (Via EW)
Then again, if it weren’t for the emotional torture, the actors wouldn’t even show up:
The reason we still have Benedict and Martin is we still give them acting challenges. Otherwise they wouldn’t come and play with us. They don’t need the money. What we give them in terms of money isn’t something they’d regard as a significant fee anymore. We’re making this in a shed in Wales. We think really carefully about giving them something to play because they’re both amazing actors. (Via EW)
So, there you have it. Moffat does not want to go easy on his actors nor his fans, and he’s doing it because he loves us. This is probably one of the biggest displays of pop culture tough love out there, right alongside Game of Thrones‘ endless river of bloodshed.
This time around, Moffat wants everyone to watch Sherlock at the same time. When asked if the show should be broadcast on the same day on both sides of the pond, he said that would be the best for fans and for business:
I think it’s absolute bloody nonsense. The audience is not prepared to wait. [Somebody] recently said, “If I want something and it’s not available, I think it’s the vendor’s fault.” With Doctor Who we pretty much have that—certainly with Britain and America, it comes out the same day. Doing that ended an awful lot of the piracy. Yes, it should be. But that’s a question for PBS and Masterpiece. (Via EW)
While Moffat didn’t spoil anything, he definitely gave fans plenty to think about while they sit and wait impatiently. That sounds about right. In the meantime, there’s always fan fiction.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
