"So...how did he do it?"

One of my friends from college and I email back and forth pretty regularly. Mostly to discuss various British shows we watch on PBS. At the beginning of the month, he began basic training for his new job in the Army band, which meant he wasn't going to be able to watch the new seasons of "Sherlock" and "Downton Abbey" because of his lack of TV and internet. 

Now, Thomas has been crazy theorizing how Sherlock survived the "Reichenbach Fall," but that had been pushed aside in our recent emails for more Downton-centric discussions.

So, when I got a letter from him I got really excited. Then I opened it and it only had six words: "So...how did he do it?"

I was already excited to see the return of Sherlock. I've been actively avoiding spoilers since the season aired in England (because I've already accidentally spoiled the past two seasons of Downton and I can't do that again...). But now, I was watching with a purpose...I couldn't let Thomas down.

But at the end of 90 minutes Sunday night I was left with a major dilemma...what was I supposed to write him???

My pen was poised from the start and I almost started taking notes on what turned out to be ridiculous Anderson being ridiculous. But then the episode began, and I was enthralled by having my favorite functioning sociopath back on my TV and wondering how long it would take me to find a "I don't shave for Sherlock Holmes" t-shirt. (The answer? Not long. The BBC themselves cashed in on that one)

By the end of the episode, though, I still had nothing to write Thomas (mostly because I'm convinced what he admitted to Anderson is still a lie)...and I found myself raising my fist in the air and screaming "MOFFAT!!!" through my teeth. 

Now, I'm a Whovian...this was not something new for me to find myself doing...but it was new for me to be doing it to Sherlock. My brother always tells me that one day he looks forward to saying "I told you so" over my lack of enthusiam for Steven Moffat as the head writer of "Doctor Who". And I used to think he was right. After all, there was promise in the one-off episodes he wrote under Russell T. Davies. And then, with Sherlock, he seemed to be firing on all cylinders...after all, he only had to write 3 episodes a year! How could he screw that up?

Well, you could argue he did. Because he didn't deliver on unspoken promises (yet again, I might add...exhibit A: The first half of Doctor Who series 6 v. the last half). He didn't answer the most impossible cliffhanger given to TV audiences since someone shot JR!

But I think, and it pains me to say it because I hate it when my big brother is right...I think he did the right thing. For two years, people have been postulating how Sherlock did it...just like Anderson and his crazy "Empty Hearse" club. And let's face it - any explanation Moffat gave wouldn't live up to whatever theory you had decided was the truth. 

So...he did the right thing. As much as it pains me to say. He left it up to us to decide and hopefully he will keep it that way (no spoilers, please). Even if he left me nothing to write to Thomas. 

In the end, I wrote him the story Sherlock told Anderson, in case you were wondering. I had to give the man something.