Lots of theories as to how Sherlock survived, incluidng a tumblr-imploding yaoi moment between Sherlock and Moriarty. :lol:

Holmes gives Anderson an answer near the end, but since in the previous scene he had just lied to John about being unable to defuse a bomb, you don't neccersarily have to beleive him. The moral of the story is "What's in your head is nearly always better than what you end up getting", so let's just focus on the here and now.

There's more from John insisting he's not gay (and now has a fiance to prove it), Sherlock taking Molly out to spend a day with him, only to find she's engaged to someone who is clearly more a stand-in for Sherlock than an attempt to move on by Sherlock's number one fan...and Lestrade ended up hugging Sherlock. Bless.

Sherlock and Mycroft play Operation instead of Chess:lol:

We also finally meet Sherlock's parents, played by Benedict Cumberbatch's real parents

That was bloody brilliant...although I called that the photographer was the assasin as soon as Sherlock raised the glass and he snapped a shot (it's also far too easily telegraphed in the flashbacks). I was more interested in the method of the killer, which did inform and surprise me. Love that all the disconnected cases blended together in the end

The baby deduction was unexpected, Lestrade kicking his car during the Dark Knight-esque heist investigation and his own attempts at a theory at the reception were very cute, the poison giant and the elephant in the room...rofl...

I liked also that they made the girl Janine a very likeable and carefree 'date' for Sherlock, sadly she ends up with someone else at the end of the ep.

Love also that Molly's fiance is clearly just meat to her, although I feel bad for him too in a way. He just doesnt match up to Sherlock. In a way, there are paralels to Mrs. Hudson's story about only marrying her husband for the sex.

About the only thing I thought dragged were the drunken Sherlock and John segment of the Mayfly case. It'll probably grow on me later, but I just didnt find this portion funny in the slightest.

Did'nt expect the cameo from Adler in the mind palace

Turns out I was right, to a point, about Sherlock getting engaged being kept from the original Milverton/Magnusen story, if only breifly, and he paid the price for it later with Janine milking it in the tabloids. She came across as very likeable throughout their falling out at the hospital, once again Sherlock forfiets a suitable match for him all in the need of work.

It's really quite odd to see Sherlock shift back to his sociopaththic and barely social ways after seeing such strives to be humanised in the last two episodes, but all the better for the pacing of the story. John posing as the 'dummy' was riveting, although I wish there had been more ire from him directed at Mary, and I didnt feel like Mary's darker side was exploited. After she shoots Sherlock she just sort of becomes a charity case and that's that.

Molly had a good turn as the mind palace representive when Sherlock was shot and instructing him on what to do...shows that when it counts, the woman who counted is always there to guide Holmes through a trauma. Perfect way of reminding us Sherlock keeps her in his thoughts. Love also that one of Sherlock's hiding places is her bedroom.

Mind palaces are not exclusive to Mr. Holmes. Great twist there. And I totally do the face flick thing sometimes...to myself in fits of boredom anyway, not to other people

Loved the reference to the "Empty House" with Sherlock's honey trap for Mary, and the bee keeping line from Janine gives us our nod to "His Last Bow".

So despite the dark content and Sherlock's dark turn at the end, all is forgiven because...well...we all missed Jim didnt we?

killing Magnussen. If he was still alive, there would be no way of stopping him from black mailing people. Killing him was the only way to stop him.

Sherlock would have somehow given John's gun to Magnussen, thus it would seem like to the police that he is pointing it at them and then the police would have a reason to shoot him dead. Really interested to see what's gonna happen in the next season, but I hope the wait won't be another two years.