...there's nothing more wanting than the sensational in this post-millennial era; the theme was found in The Dark Knight and the primary theme of the last episode of BBC's Sherlock. In the latter we find that the detective's fame had become a burden, then, like a runaway train, found a life on its own. Ultimately, Sherlock knew the response - as the answer could only bring safety to his closest friends and put to rest a deadly series of events.
The second season finale was loosely based on the short Sherlock mystery, "The Adventure of the Final Problem" (full text at the link). Of course, series writer Steve Thompson put a modern filter on the whole affair and put forth the argument that we can become victim to our own largesse. Sherlock's talents and Watson's incessant blogging of them presents the foundation on which Moriarty could weave his web. Thompson crafts a much wider arch in three themes, where Doyle's short story really only provides a very basic premise: the detective has put a (vague) trap in place for Moriarty, whereas his nemesis sets his own web to "inevitable destruction". The deviation between both plays is terrifically played out:
The theme that is shared is that Sherlock has sets his formidable sights on the take down of Moriarty, who had proven to be the focal point of a shadow organization of crime. "The man pervades London, and no one has heard of him. That's what puts him on a pinnacle in the records of crime." As you can imagine, as Sherlock explains to Watson, taking him down would definitively prove the detective's prowess to rid the evil of London.
The definitive nature of the struggle is what is engaging between Sherlock/Moriarty. They are of equal intellectual stature, capable of great evil or great good. In the teleplay, they play a game of chess via fencing - physical harm more for our hero in stark deviation to the detective's encompassing attempt to win the entire match without having to resort to tricks. Like the story, the criminal sets in motion a few attempts on the life of Sherlock, but fails. In both stories, it is ultimately up to Moriarty to take the matter up himself.
This is where Thompson adds two layers to the entire affair. Adding to Moriarty's tricks, to push Sherlock's own fame against him, putting doubt upon his record and, like our era, building disdain for him all together. Fame turned quickly into derision. Sherlock is little concerned about it in the episode, as no one should. One of his stature, as a "special", he easily weathers the negative publicity.
But, beyond that, the criminal then stages a kidnapping in such a way to make it look as if the detective, all along, was creating the crimes, building up the case, then resolving it with the media looking on. Doubt settles in from even his closest confidants, who began to question Sherlock. At this, opposed to the publicity, weighs on Holmes more - if he cannot have the trust and respect of his friends, then how are things worth the price?
Between the publicity, the mistrust, the staged cases and the attempts of his life - it all culminates upon the roof of St Bartholomew's Hospital where Moriarty and Sherlock have it out once and for all. It is not happenstance: the nod to Barts is apparent in that was where Watson and Sherlock would meet first in the first Doyle story "A Study in Scarlet". The end of Sherlock seems very final with a lamentable Watson struggling to move on.
In the short story, the dogging Moriarty grabs at Holmes, but instead falls into the Reichenbach. In at least, Doyle explains the miracle of the detective's escape and subsequent exploits over the next three years. I have yet to see the third season, but I am hoping they do explain how the Holmes was able to explain what appeared to be extremely final.
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