'Sherlock': Ranking All 9 Episodes, From Worst to Best

January 1 ushers in both a New Year and new Sherlock. After a two-year hiatus, Steven Moffat’s beloved update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s signature sleuth releases a fresh mystery, The Abominable Bride, which reunites Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Watson respectively. Unlike previous episodes, this one takes place in Holmes’s traditional stomping grounds of Victorian era London. The exact reason for this bit of time traveling is unclear for now, but rest assured that Freeman and Cumberbatch will be an ace crime-solving duo in any century. How do we know? By binging on their previous nine adventures, all of which can be streamed on Netflix. While we count down the days, hours and minutes to The Abominable Bride, here’s our definitive ranking of Sherlock episodes to date.

9) The Hounds of Baskerville (Season 2, Episode 2)
It’s odd that one of the best-known Sherlock Holmes stories would result in the worst-ever episode of Sherlock, but maybe Baskervilles is just too familiar for Moffat to reinvent successfully. Not that he doesn’t try, going with an oh-so-modern “military experiment” explanation for the titular beasts that just ends up feeling forced. By the time the credits roll, you’ll be howling with annoyance rather than excitement.

8) The Empty Hearse (Season 3, Episode 1)
Turns out that killing Sherlock is easy… resurrecting him is another matter. Faced with constructing a narrative that has to serve two masters — explaining how Holmes is ambulatory again (a ridiculously convoluted account is offered, but there are numerous reasons to doubt its veracity) and giving him and Watson a mystery to solve — Moffat whiffs on both. In retrospect, having Cumberbatch simply enter the frame and say, “I’m back,” would have been all the explanation we needed.

7) The Blind Banker (Season 1, Episode 2)
Sherlock’s second episode is solid through and through, but lacks the crucial OMG factor that define the series’ best installments. On the other hand, it’s great to get our first tease of Andrew Scott’s Moriarty, who will provide plenty of those aforementioned OMG moments going forward.

6) His Last Vow (Season 3, Episode 3)
Sherlock goes after a Rupert Murdoch-esque media baron, who is attempting to orchestrate the detective’s own downfall. It’s a tour-de-force outing for Cumberbatch marred primarily by a conclusion that forces Sherlock to make an uncharacteristically lethal decision in order to win the day.

5) The Great Game (Season 1, Episode 3)
Speaking of Moriarty, he’s a key player in Season 1’s literally explosive finale, strapping explosive vests to a variety of innocent victims and forcing Sherlock to solve back-to-back mysteries while the countdown clock ticks to detonation. The climactic standoff between Cumberbatch and Scott is fantastic, setting the stage for a battle of wills that reverberates throughout the next season and beyond.

4) A Scandal in Belgravia (Season 2, Episode 1)
Sherlock meets his equal in the form of Irene Adler, portrayed with great panache by Lara Pulver. The Holmes/Adler dynamic is delightfully twisted — it feels loosely inspired by Luther and Alice’s relationship on Sherlock’s BBC channelmate Luther — and functions as a sly commentary on the Internet’s own ongoing obsession with the ‘Batch.

3) The Sign of Three (Season 3, Episode 2)
Three seemingly unrelated cases become one in Sherlock’s version of a wedding episode. Arguably the funniest installment in the series to date — which makes it an ideal showcase for Freeman’s deadpan comic genius, although Cumberbatch’s wedding toast is also one for the ages — Sign is a brilliant piece of narrative construction. It’s light and frothy, while still being enjoyably complex.

2) A Study in Pink (Season 1, Episode 1)
The episode that started it all is a perfect introduction to the Sherlock-verse without the leaden exposition that can often weigh down a pilot. Cumberbatch and Freeman’s prickly chemistry is in full effect from their first meeting, and the crime shows viewers Sherlock’s wider world while still keeping them guessing.

1) The Reichenbach Fall (Season 2, Episode 3)
It may be the obvious pick, but that’s because it’s so darned good, as the Moriarty/Holmes battle of wills and wits comes to a head in spectacular fashion. Selfishly, we’re glad Fall didn’t mark the end of Sherlock, but at the same time, it’s pretty much a perfect episode…and perfect ending.

All three seasons of Sherlock can be steamed on Netflix. Sherlock: The Abominable Bride premieres Jan. 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS.