All “Sherlock” Episodes Ranked From Least To Most Intense!

Remember the time when we’d wait for a couple of years in order to watch the new season of “Sherlock”? Ah, the good old days! I don’t know about you, but January has long become the month of the most famous detective for me, as the new episodes always used to come out in the first month of the year. And now, as we’re still wondering whether we’ll ever get a chance to see Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman perform as the iconic duo again, let’s remember all the episodes and see which ones were the most intense, and which episodes were more chill (if that’s even a proper word to describe Sherlock’s adventures)!

13. “The Blind Baker” (Series 1, Episode 2)

In the second episode of Season 1, Sherlock and Watson are trying to find out what’s connecting different murders, spending their whole free time reading all the possible books in order to decipher the secret message. Even though things get a little tense at the end when the criminal ring kidnap John’s date, this episode (and case) is relatively one of the tamer ones.

12. “The Sign of Three” (Series 3, Episode 2)

Benedict himself would probably disagree with us on this one, because he had to learn a huge chunk of dialogue for his best man’s speech while other actors had a lot of fun on the day of shooting. There is a dangerous moment when Sherlock is trying to deduct and prevent the murder of one of the guests. While not too intense, this is definitely the funniest episode of the whole series, with lots of memories about Sherlock and John’s adventures. 

11. “A Study in Pink” (Series 1, Episode 1)

The one where the most peculiar and unique story about Holmes and Dr. Watson begins. The case itself was quite difficult, but the episode was chill in general. We got to see John and Sherlock becoming friends, got acquainted with most of the major characters, and even witnessed the hilarious rivalry between Sherlock and Anderson (Jonathan Aris). The game is on! 

10. “The Hounds of Baskerville” (Series 2, Episode 2)

This is probably the most famous work of Arthur Conan Doyle, which got its adapted version in this series as well. The episode is really mysterious, because, for a moment, we believe that there actually might be a supernatural creature involved in the case. Also, this is the first time Sherlock shows his true emotions, which was quite touching. 

9. “The Abominable Bride” (Series 4, Episode 0)

The special episode of the series was definitely the creepiest one, with a scary ghost haunting all men in the city. This was also a true treasure for all the hardcore “Sherlock” fans who were missing the atmosphere and style of Old London. The episode was quite strained, as we got to travel back and forth in time, not completely understanding what’s going on, and how the case of the Abominable Bride is connected with the possible return of Moriarty (Andrew Scott). 

8. “A Scandal in Belgravia” (Series 2, Episode 1)

Another fan-favorite episode, as we finally see Sherlock interacting with a woman he’s interested in and possibly even falling in love with her! Whether Sherlock would let his feelings take over or would be as cold and rational as ever was the biggest question we kept asking ourselves. A whole spectrum of emotions and tension was the strongest point of the episode. 

7. “The Great Game” (Series 1, Episode 3)

This case was no ordinary one in Sherlock’s career. For the first time in his life, he met someone who was as into playing games and riddles as he was. The episode definitely made us feel anxious as we waited for Holmes to get the right clues and save the innocent people involved in the game. Oh, and not to mention meeting Moriarty and ending the episode with a big cliffhanger!

6. “The Lying Detective” (Series 4, Episode 2)

Things got really dark after Mary (Amanda Abbington) was killed trying to save Sherlock. John refused to talk to his best friend ever again, and Sherlock had to take the most drastic measure in order to get his pal back. He becomes a drug addict and seems to lose his mind, which made all the fans immensely worry about their favorite detective. 

5. “The Empty Hearse” (Series 3, Episode 1)

After building up all the possible and impossible theories of how Sherlock could survive the fall for 2 years straight, we finally got to see the answer. “The Empty Hearse” was probably the most anticipated episode, as fans were eager to see which theory was the right one. There were lots of funny and bittersweet moments throughout the episode, which made it a great one. 

4. “His Last Vow” (Series 3, Episode 3)

So many things happened during this episode that it’s hard to know where to start! First, we meet one of the most dangerous villains of the series -- Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen), who seems to have the ability of telepathy and knows the weak spots of every single person. Second, we find out that Mary was an assassin and see her shooting Sherlock. Then, after killing Magnussen, Sherlock is sent to a high-risk mission to Europe as a punishment. If you think that’s not enough, the episode ends with Moriarty appearing on all screens of the country, which makes us think that he’s back from the dead too. 

3. “The Six Thatchers” (Series 4, Episode 1)

After the events described above, Sherlock is desperate to solve the case and find out whether Moriarty is actually alive or not. The whole episode was a chase after 6 statues of Margaret Thatcher, which ends not in the way we all thought. Mary dies, saving Sherlock’s life, which leaves everyone heartbroken. 

2. “The Final Problem” (Series 4, Episode 3)

The last episode of the series was super epic. Sherlock tries to remember the truth about his childhood traumas and finally solve his first ever case -- The Musgrave Ritual. He, John, and Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) get captured by Sherlock’s sister Eurus (Sian Brooke) and have to play a game with various emotional tasks in order to save a girl stuck in a flying plane. The whole episode gives you shivers every single minute, especially with the amazing soundtrack that makes the situation even more intense. 

1. “The Reichenbach Fall” (Series 2, Episode 3)

The episode that made us all wonder if everything we knew about Sherlock was fake this whole time. Moriarty takes control of the game, and now Sherlock and his friends have to play by his rules. The episode was built up genially, as the characters, along with the viewers, start suspecting Sherlock, doubting whether Moriarty is real or not. And, of course, the famous scene on the rooftop, where we say goodbye to both the protagonist and the antagonist of the series.