Best episodes (ranking)

[sherlockandjohn]

 

You know I will always defend series 3 to the death!

Certainly as, at the moment, it's my favourite series.

But I will openly concede one point:

I do think series 3 suffers form the lack of directorship from Paul Mc Guigan.

I do hope he's back for series 4.

I was just thinking the same thing yesterday! Somehow I doubt we'll see him again, though -- I think he's hit the Hollywood bigtime now.

 

 

Hm - what did Paul McGuigan do, exactly? Did he direct all series 1 and 2 episodes, or just some of them? Can't remember noticing his name before. My bad.

 

[besleybean]

He directed, Pink, Game, Scandal and Hound.

[jesskayding]

And those were all so incredibly fabulous! Especially Pink & SCANDAL, the Woman... Wooooo! There were serious vibes going on between Sherlock & Ms. Adler.

[sherlockandjohn]

Just thought I'd rank all the episodes - for fun Here's my list, from least favorite to best:

 

9. His Last Vow. It's too dark for my taste, but that being said, it probably has some of the very best scenes and best performances.

8. The Blind Banker

7. A Scandal in Belgravia

6. The Great Game

5. The Empty Hearse

4. The Hounds of Baskerville

3. The Reichenbach Fall

2. A Study in Pink

1. The Sign of Three

 

He! I just came across my original ranking, post-series 3. I actually ranked Reichenbach 3rd. Don't know what I was thinking Pre-series 3, it would have been different; Reichenbach was definitely my favorite, but I suspect it took a little time to recover from Hearse. That has to be it. Hearse is a lot more comedy than I ever imagined from a follow-up of such a drama as Reichenbach. I expected something must more sad, yet emotionally fulfilling. Instead, I got crazy, outrageous, emotionally confusing It influenced my feelings on Reichenbach. I felt a bid betrayed, actually, that I had got so emotional about John's loss, only to find that Sherlock didn't take it very seriously. I can still comprehend my feelings, but somehow, Hearse still grew on me. It's one of the most emotionally compelling among the lot. And my love for Reichenbach is no longer suffering from post-series 3 shock, thank goodness.

 

Then there's Sign. I placed that at the top of my list, just post-series 3. In between, it's gone down on my list, then up again. Now, it's on my top four. I actually have a top four, now, that I'm sure of: First Reichenbach, then Pink, then a tie between Sign and Hearse. Those are just the ones I love the most, and I can't even defend my love of the last two. I simply love 'em.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I didn't recall noticing who would be playing the monster, so I checked, and there's no one listed as "the monster" or "the creature."  Maybe they gave him a regular name, like he's "Fred" this time?  Or it's told from his point of view, so he's "played" by the camera?  Anybody have any idea what the spin is?

 

Seems the focus of the movie is on Igor and his friendship with Frankenstein, so maybe the monster is just CGI?

 

Or -- since it seems to be a how-they-met film, maybe there's no monster at all, just the beginnings of that plan?

 

[Caya]

Well a Frankenstein film without a monster would certainly be bold, but since that synopsis says that the audience would "become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man—and the legend—we know today" I'd guess that the film ends with some monster making.

[Carol the Dabbler]

My take on the phrase "how Frankenstein became the man—and the legend—we know today" is that they're focusing on Dr. Frankenstein himself, rather than on his creation.  I'd expect the latter to come in at the very end, if at all, after we see what lead him to conceive of that project.  Guess we'll find out next year!

 

 

[jesskayding]

So I'll rank based of # of times I re-watched from the most to the least:

 

1. Study In Pink

 

2. His Last Vow

 

3. A Scandal in Belgravia

 

4. The Empty Hearse

 

5. The Sign of Three

 

6. The Hound of Baskerville

 

7. The Blind Banker

 

8. The Great Game

 

9. The Reichenbach Fall

 

 

I put these in this order per sometimes I'll pop one in for particular scenes... Didn't expect Reichenbach to be last: if I rank according to the amount of time I watched special features concerning each episode-It would go :

 

1. Reichenbach Fall

 

2. Study in Pink

 

3. A Scandal in Belgravia

 

4. His Last Vow

 

5. The Sign of 3

 

6. The Hound of Baskerville

 

 

I don't remember the special features for the other ones... Oh well.

[sherlockandjohn]

You really know how many times you've watched all the episodes? I couldn't say. I kept track of series 3 for a while, but I'm not sure anymore. To make a guess, the sequence of my most-often-watched episodes is something like this:

 

1. The Reichenbach Fall

2. The Empty Hearse

3. A Study in Pink

4. The Hounds of Baskerville

5. The Great Game

6. A Scandal in Belgravia

7. The Blind Banker

8. The Sign of Three

9. His Last Vow

[jesskayding]

Yeah, I may have to buy new ones of season 2 & 3 per mí discs are skipping.. I was on a SIP & HLV marathon kick once. I Love re-watching the original SIP pilot & The fandom of TRF, just can't get over it!

 

 

 

Hay we matched on re-watches of TBB!

[T.o.b.y]

Hmmm, if I list the episodes in the order of how often I've re-watched them, I guess The Reichenbach Fall would come first, because I saw that again and again obsessively, trying to figure out how the hell Sherlock did it.

 

Apart from that, I've had series 1 the longest, so those episodes are the most watched (and still the most beloved, too).

[Arcadia]

I'm pretty sure I've seen TSo3 most often, because I've caught it several times on TV since it first aired. Just saw it twice in the last week for that reason, in fact. All I have to do is watch 2-3 seconds and I'm hooked, no matter what episode. Although I did fall asleep on Hounds once.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I would have to say that my most watched episodes are

 

1) The Unaired Pilot

 

2) Hound of The Baskervilles

 

3) The Empty Hearse

 

4) The Reichenbach Fall (3 and 4 a close tie as I usually watch them in tandom)

 

5) The Sign Of Three

 

Then the rest just fall in where ever.

[Schlauer Fuchs]

For me it's probably this:

 

1. The Reichenbach Fall

2. A Scandal in Belgravia

3. His Last Vow (though actually I like the pilot third best, but then it's not a real episode)

4. The Great Game

5. The Empty Hearse

6. A Study in Pink

7/8. The Hounds of Baskerville/ The Blind Banker (tie)

9. The Sign of Three (the only one I actually dislike )

 

[T.o.b.y]

9. The Sign of Three (the only one I actually dislike )

 

Why, may I ask? What bothered you about it?

 

[jesskayding]

Welcome Schlauer Fuchs!

 

 

Yeah not often we get someone who doesn't like that episode. It's really wonderful to me, except for those unprofessional editing mistakes.

 

I'd like to know your point of view.

[Schlauer Fuchs]

Ah well, I think the episode is just boring for neither has it a thrilling story/case nor is the let's say "emotional" part convincing.

 

I don't think Sherlock would actually deliver such a best man speech. I mean he can talk with people (we see him giving interviews to a bunch of reporters), even if he doesn't like it. It is one of his qualities that he doesn't care what people think, he doesn't feel embarrassed because of anything people may think of him and so I see no reason why he should have problems holding a fluent speech. Of course, writing it would be hard for him since on the one hand he doesn't see the point in marriages at all, but on the other hand he'd still want to make John happy. So he would have to think of something which isn't completely pretend and self-denying and at the same time doesn't ruin John's day. That may be hard, yeah. But he'd come up with something and I don't see why he couldn't just hold that prepared speech then - after all he is very engaged in his duties as best man during the wedding preparations and does everything apart from the speech brilliantly. So the whole presentation of the speech doesn't convince me.

 

Then there's also the contents of the speech... well, that is a bit better than the presentation of the speech, but still... he announces to get over to "some funny stories about John" and then starts off with the story about the bloody guardsman. Really? I mean, yeah, the point of this story is alright, but not after proclaiming to start the funny part now.

 

And speaking about the bloody guardsman: well, I'm everything but a medical expert, but I just can't believe that being wounded so hard that you'll die within 5 minutes once the wound is free to bleed could actually go unnoticed. The belt may somehow hold the wound together (gnah, I can't even really believe that, but I can live with this explanation), but they should still feel the pain - I do feel it when someone touches my back despite me wearing a belt, and I'd notice for sure if someone stabbed me. And then, just by chance the second story Sherlock has chosen for his best man speech turns out to be related to this first story and both are related to the wedding - sorry, too much chance here, too farfetched in my opinion. Now I could start about the Mayfly-man story, too: The proof for the women's stories being linked is them stating that they don't have a secret? Well, that's exactly what he would expect anyone to say, because, as he says, everyone has a secret but wouldn't admit - because it is a secret after all. So 5 women give exactly the answer that he'd expect from them, and that is particularly interesting? Why? (maybe I really just don't get it here).

 

So all in all, the whole episode just doesn't convince me at all, neither as regards its story (the cases) nor its portrayal of Sherlock's character.

 

Puh, that was quite long, sry!

[jesskayding]

No, wasn't really long. We asked for it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Right, and besides, you make some really good points -- which I will now attempt to delete from my hard drive so I can keep enjoying this episode!

 

[Pamela]

Right, and besides, you make some really good points -- which I will now attempt to delete from my hard drive so I can keep enjoying this episode!

Totally agree, Carol.  I've decided, in general, I have two choices regarding Sherlock episodes:

 

(1) I can tear my brain to shreds demanding that I must understand everything that's happened, or

 

(2) I can shrug, chuckle and just try to accept and enjoy what's there.

 

Option #2 is really much less exhausting. 

 

I still find it really entertaining to read, and sometimes even participate in, all the discussions and debates!

[Schlauer Fuchs]

Sorry, didn't intend to spoil the episode for anyone. Shrug and enjoy is probably the best procedure, only with this episode it doesn't work for me. But it's really complaining about first world problems, I just don't watch this episode as often as the more brilliant ones, so there is no harm done there.

[T.o.b.y]

There's little chance of your spoiling The Sign of Three for me. I bloody love it. I totally agree that it's probably not the best in quality, but I just love it, my brain doesn't have much of a say there. The Sign of Three was the first thing I ever watched that got a physical reaction out of me. It was very odd.

 

So logic can't touch my affection in this case, anyway...

 

And thanks for your detailed answer! I always enjoy reading other viewpoints that are not like my own - I mean, I know what I think, anyway. It's more interesting to talk to people who think something different.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Most watched:

 

The Reichenbach Fall

The Empty Hearse (usually in tandom)

[sign of Three (I really like Sherlock's 40+ pages of dialogue known as the best man's speech. I found it rather comical)

Scandal in Belgravia (as much as I don't care for that much skin even though covered, I like the story line so much)

The Great Game

His Last Vow] (Order could potentially be off slightly as I lost track of actual numbers within a week of discovering Sherlock)

A Study in Pink

The Blind Banker

The Hounds of Baskerville (it's a good episode but not necessarily 1 I would randomly watch when I had time for 1 episode only, but I do like Sherlock's facial expression when he's sitting by the fire scared)

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I didn't realize anyone died at all in the Bloody Guardsman. He was bleeding heavily but mix blood with water and it looks like you've bled a ton when you really haven't. And Sherlock did say that John saved the man's life.

 

I suppose for me a pressure bandage is a pressure bandage whether it be "The Scarf" or a tightly bound belt...which have been used as tourniquets.

 

And the speech holds a lot of things Sherlock Holmes alluded to in canon.....some straight quotes....so I have to vote with T.o.b.y   I'm not bothered at all by "SoT" one of my favorites really.

 

 But that's no reflection on your thoughts and feelings, Schlauer Fuchs. You're entitled as any one here in voicing your opinions and to be respected for it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Sorry, didn't intend to spoil the episode for anyone....

 

Don't worry -- I seriously doubt that you did! 

 

I didn't realize anyone died at all in the Bloody Guardsman. He was bleeding heavily but mix blood with water and it looks like you've bled a ton when you really haven't. And Sherlock did say that John saved the man's life.

 

I think you're correct, Fox -- John was able to save both the guardsman and Sholto.  I believe Schlauer Fuchs's point was that she found it hard to believe that the guardsman could have died from such an injury (which he presumably would have if John hadn't been right there).