This episode was definitely a step up from the previous one. Not only was it an improvement, but it was darker as it delved into themes such as suicide, drugs, loss of a loved one, and gets into the twisted mind of a serial killer. It was heavy and I’m glad that the show took risks. The third season fell on the silly side a bit which annoyed fans, but now the darker tone is reeling audiences back in.

ast episode I thought John was a complete jerk. And while he was still getting fed up with Sherlock, I understood his actions and he is well aware of his mistakes. By the end of the episode, I felt for him and thought Martin Freeman did an excellent job during his emotional moments. The parts where he was imagining Mary were really touching and heart breaking. I was getting teary-eyed and I just wanted to go into the screen and hug John. Fortunately, Sherlock was there to do that and it served as a really sweet moment.

Anyways, let’s talk about the villain. In the first two season we had Moriarty who was funny evil. Third season we had Magnussen who was weird evil. And now we got oh-my-god-don’t-ever-laugh-again-you-are-so-creepy-evil, Culverton Smith. You sir win the award for most disturbing character that I’ve watched recently. What’s scary about this villain is that he’s the most realistic of the Sherlock villians. He takes great pride in his money and power as he’s able to do whatever he wants with it. It reminds me of how rich people are able to get away with crimes because they have money. Smith is someone with status and he enjoyed bloating about it so much you just wanted to punch his face.

Everyone in the cast outdid themselves here. Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Toby Jones, Una Stubbs--who played a badass Mrs. Hudson in this episode--everyone was great in their roles and led the episode along splendidly. A new character I’m looking forward to seeing more of is Eurus, played by Sian Brooke. She turns out to be Sherlock’s sister who gave me mixed feelings. On one hand, the twist was really cleverly handled with her revealing that she had appeared already as Faith and the woman John flirted with. I loved the execution of her reveal and had the same speechless expression as John. However, on the other hand the evil secret sister twist seems. . . dumb and cliché. It’s almost like something out of a soap opera. But again, the execution was such a jaw-dropping moment that I can't be too mad with it.

Overall, I liked this episode. It's not the best but it's an improvement from the last couple of episodes. I’m looking forward to the next episode and hope that the conclusion ends strongly.