Many Happy Returns from Sherlock

For those in the UK, January 1st isn’t only the first day of the new year, but also the return of a coat swirling detective. BBC has launched another teaser mini-episode called “Many Happy Returns.” It features a seemingly obsessed, and scruffily bearded, Anderson (Jonathan Aris), DI Greg Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and our 2nd favourite Doctor, John Watson (Martin Freeman) and a video message from Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) himself.

Despite Lestrade confirming several times that the detective is dead, has been dead for two years, there are signs. One sign might be the mysterious lack of facial hair on dear Doctor Watson! Was this an oversight? Is it there to confuse the time lines? Is it something meaningless to give the fans an object to obsess over? Then there’s the title. While the phrase “many happy returns” is a quintessential British birthday greeting, who is returning and will it be happily received? With characteristically brilliant editing, this seven minute and twelve second minisode, does its job. It asks more questions than it answers.

A Merry Christmas to all and thank you to the BBC for teasing us so nicely!