The British Broadcasting Network (BBC) aired the first episode of the fourth season of “Sherlock” on Jan. 1, 2017, kicking the new year off with a figurative bang (and ironically, the literal bang of a gun). Because the show is expertly lead by the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and never lacking in talented cast members, there were not many noticeable flaws in the acting. Cumberbatch continued to embody the confident narcissism and socially oblivious behavior of the infamous sleuth and Freeman carried on playing the role of Robin to his Batman, a sidekick not accustomed to the sidelines. The only notable issues with season four could be found in plot, specifically the writers’ decision to conclude the episode by killing off a regular character to further the plot. Be forewarned: this series of reviews does contain spoilers.

The Six Thatchers began with Sherlock, who with the help of doctored footage, is no longer being held responsible for the murder of Magnussen, but instead urged to focus on the seeming resurrection of the long dead Moriarty. With the birth of John’s daughter, the episode emulated the lighthearted, indulgent feeling which surmised the majority of the Sign of Three, last season’s peak of Sherlockian humor. However, the laughter was short-lived as the show adopted a darker identity for season four which past seasons have reserved solely for season finales. This time, it felt like each element of the plot was meant to manipulate the audience, to make people squirm with anxiety and anticipation.

Although Mary was a very likeable character, she was part of the reason why the first episode was the weakest out of the three as The Six Thatchers focused primarily on her. At first it appeared as though the screenwriters were merely rolling a pair of dice, meticulously labelled with characters starting with “M,” and repeatedly landing on Mary’s name as the episode repeatedly abruptly returned to her, whether it be her past, her relationship with John, or her running away.  However, at the conclusion of the episode, it became obvious why it seemed so “Mary-heavy”; the writers were milking the character for all its worth, right up until the moment she got shot. Her role as a plot device on the show had come to an abrupt end.

However, it is necessary to give them some credit. Mary Watson was not an actual character in the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and in a series so attuned to drawing from cases mentioned in Doyle’s work, there would be no plausible reason to keep Mary around for future mysteries.

With that said, it was still odd and unsatisfying how Mary died. How the writer’s thought it would make sense for an elderly woman who Sherlock taunted for the “lack of excitement” in her life, took the life of a seemingly undefeatable ex-mercenary, is pure nonsense.

Mary had been a refreshingly powerful female character in a series predominated by males, getting more screen time than any of the female regulars including the maternal figure Mrs. Hudson, the brainy mortician Molly Hooper, and the ever elusive Irene Addler.  With only three other noteworthy female characters to boast, the show really suffered a dramatic loss with Mary’s demise.