TV Guide: Will Moriarty’s Introduction Send Sherlock Spiraling Out of Control?
We’ve finally (apparently) been introduced to Moriarty. What can you tell us about the final episodes?
Doherty: It is a Moriarty-centric finale. The episodes that precede the finale tee up Moriarty. Again, he’s not present, physically, but we’re very much on his trail. The finale is really about a build to a showdown between Sherlock and Moriarty.
What kind of person is Moriarty?
Doherty: As Moriarty becomes more present in the last episodes, I feel like we’re staying pretty close to the way Moriarty’s depicted in the books, at least as a personality. In the books, Moriarty was not as concealed as he has been on our show. Our Moriarty is absolutely involved in bad things, but I don’t believe he has a day job.
Will we find out why he has targeted Sherlock in particular?
Doherty: Yes. We absolutely want to speak to his very specific interest in Sherlock.
What are we going to learn about Sherlock’s past through the introduction of Irene Adler?
Doherty: For the first time, we’re going to see actual moments from his past. We’re going to see him outside of New York and in London. Seeing London isn’t so much the point. It’s really about how he came to meet and fall for Irene Adler. We will tell the story of their courtship, and take the flashbacks all the way up to her demise in the UK.
What can you tell us about your incarnation of Irene Adler?
Doherty: I’d say she’s pretty complex herself. She’s a bit more left-brained than he is, but most people are. Our Irene made her living as a restorer of older paintings. She did work for museums and private collectors restoring paintings. When Sherlock first meets her, it’s case-related.
What will we see for Sherlock and Joan’s relationship as he’s dealing with the possibility of hunting down Moriarty?
Doherty: Obviously, in London, Moriarty triggered Sherlock’s descent into addiction. So for him to appear in New York and eventually face off against Sherlock, that’s a lot to take on. You would imagine the stress of it would be trigger enough. So to think he’s looming once again, it’s something Joan has to be very mindful of.
With Sherlock on the hunt for Moriarty, what will his standing with the police department be like?
Doherty: It’s funny. It’s one of the challenges of the show. I mean, he’s so helpful with the police, and he certainly has a handle on what they do day-to-day, professionally. It’s hard for that to work the other way. Sometimes it’s difficult for our police to really wrap their heads around everything Sherlock’s been through and is going to go through. I can say for sure that he’ll definitely have the support and understanding of his friends Gregson and Bell.
Ooooh.
