Spoiler-free review:
This episode may have been written by the same person who wrote The Blind Banker but do not fear. The Reichenbach Fall is far better. It is perhaps even my favourite episode of the second series. So there you go.

WARNING WARNING: SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT
Click read more for my meandering, spoilery review:

Oh God. This episode deserves an 'Oh God', an 'Oh, Holy Mother of God'. Let's face it; we all knew what was coming but it was still horrific when we got there.

Ok. Rolling it back a bit. As I said above, this episode shows absolutely no traces of Blind Banker syndrome. It is fast and clever and stunningly beautiful, and maybe there aren't as many laugh-out-loud moments as in the previous two episodes, but I don't think that's really the point here anyway. Plot-wise, this is in the sprawling Scandal in Belgravia vein, although maybe not quite so convoluted. Either way it packs an emotional punch.

Are we ready to get onto the general weeping and hysterics yet?

Contents:
1. Sherlock dies
2. Moriarty
3. So, are we going to talk about the rooftop scene then?
4. Sherlock and John
5. This show is stunning to watch
6. More good bits
7. The end

***

1. Sherlock dies

Right, let's get this out there right now. No dancing around the issue. Sherlock dies in this episode, or at least we are led to believe so for the full 90 minutes until, a few seconds from the end, we get the brief glimpse of 'Oh Jesus he's still alive'.

Very very tricksy that one. But I don't mean the 'still being alive' part. It's no shock that Sherlock comes back because: A) It was highly likely that they were going to make another series and B) That's what Sherlock does. He's been doing it for the past 110 years. It's his thing.

No, the tricksy part was taking the audience's emotions and crushing them within 30 seconds of the show starting. The anticipation before this episode was high (at least it was if the internet was anything to go by). Everyone knew that there was a pretty high chance that Sherlock was going to get killed off (or 'killed off'), but this show is also quite willing to deviate from the books, so there was always a minuscule chance that it might not happen. What I was expecting (and maybe what most people were expecting) was a whole episode of 'will he, won't he' tension until a big climax in the end.

We did not get that.

What they did instead, cleverly, was to start after the event, with John grieving, and then go back to how it happened. No ambiguity there. It means that instead of tension we get dread. Ninety minutes of dread and final goodbyes as we wait for the inevitable to happen.

Which, of course, means that once we get to that climactic scene, the majority of the audience is an emotional wreck.

I nearly shouted obscenities at the TV.

2. Moriarty

Ok. But we're not quite at the death yet. First, we need to talk about Moriarty.

Personally, I think Moriarty was amazing. In fact, I've thought that since we first saw him in The Great Game. Well done to Andrew Scott there. Moriarty is camp and playful, unpredictable and completely, utterly deranged.

In the first series, Moriarty seemed quite upbeat and happy. In this series he was a little darker and heavier. This Moriarty isn't out to have fun; he's bored and he's tired of it all. And it's really quite terrifying because you never know what he's going to do next.

Moriarty's motives still remain a little elusive for me. I think I can maybe get the final problem he's talking about, but I don't quite know how Sherlock fits in. How long has Moriarty known about Sherlock? Why does he favour 'the virgin' to 'the ice man'? How did he get to be quite so obsessed? I want to know. Then again, if these questions had been answered in the show, I think I may have been disappointed; it's nice to have character motivations left a little grey because it leaves room for speculation.

So, yes, everything about Moriarty was brilliant, from when he's being himself to when he's being Rich Brook. As arch-nemeses go, he's a ruddy good one.

3. So, are we going to talk about the rooftop scene then?

Yes. Ok. (Breathing exercises at the ready.)

This scene was spectacular. All the way through. And it was so tense that I was actually hiding behind a blanket for half of it. (I also had some terrifying nightmares afterwards. Jesus, this show gets me too wired.)

One of the highlights for me was the very beginning of the scene, where we first see Moriarty on the roof listening to Staying Alive. Wow. The music, the framing, the pace; it was glorious to watch. I said it before and I'll say it again: this episode was beautiful. In fact, Sherlock almost always excels at this. The direction makes this show feel cinematic; this is not normal TV fare at all.

And then we move onto the tension. I enjoyed the departure from the books here. This wasn't a physical struggle but a mental one. Forcing Sherlock to jump without touching him? Very clever.

Very well done too; even though we already know that Sherlock's going to die, there's still a little uncertainty as to whether Sherlock's going to jump or not. Then, just when the tide's turning and it looks like Sherlock's not going to jump after all. Bam! Moriarty suicide.

Good God, that was a shock. And it makes Moriarty all the more terrifying when you realise that he's willing to do anything to bring Sherlock down. After that, the dread ramps up even more. It's only downhill from here.

4. Sherlock and John

I am so glad that we have finally left the "they're a couple!" jokes behind. Certainly, there were still allusions to them having a romance in this episode, but none of it was there just for a cheap laugh.

No, the character development in this episode was good, and it felt as if their relationship got nicely rounded off. In A Scandal in Belgravia we had, 'they're close to each other and they don't realise it'; in The Hounds of Baskerville we had, 'they're best friends and they do realise it'; and in The Reichenbach Fall we have, 'they're more important to each other than anyone and they realise it eventually'.

For example, I like how, all the way through the episode, there's a focus on John and what he's willing to do to protect Sherlock. For the most part, Sherlock doesn't quite get why John cares what other people think so much. Of course, Sherlock puts it down to John not wanting to look like a fool, whereas John's small, lost look clearly says: 'It's because I'm your friend, you idiot. That's what friends do.'

Then, at the end, we find out just what Sherlock's willing to do to protect John in return.

Their final phonecall is absolutely heart-wrenching. We've never seen Sherlock this moved before (without the aid of drugs, that is). He is genuinely upset and it's only on the rewatch that you can really work out why. It's not because he's worried he's going to die; by this point it's safe to say that he's already put his survival plan into motion. No, Sherlock is upset because he has to say goodbye to John. Sherlock has to appear to die in disgrace, and that's not upsetting to Sherlock's pride, it's upsetting because he knows it's going to break John's heart. Two friends about to be torn apart and there's nothing either of them can do about it.

Of course, during the final phonecall, John is more confused and in denial than upset. It's only in the aftermath that John's sorrow really comes out.

Good God, but Sherlock's death is convincing though. The puddle of blood on the floor looks horrifically real, and Sherlock's open, staring eyes, and John taking his pulse D:

SHOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME. In the first episode, taking someone's pulse was sexy. It was supposed to be sexy! In the final episode, pulse-taking is anything but sexy; it's catastrophically sad. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME, SHOW. WHY ;_;

The scenes of John grieving are all heartbreaking, but the worst part is when John says, 'I was so alone, and I owe you so much.'

It doesn't take much to extrapolate that now Sherlock's gone, John's going to be all alone again.

Oh, John ;_;

There's still a little denial there from John though. He can't quite believe that Sherlock's dead. Which makes sense, in a way. John believes in Sherlock; he knows, deep down, that Sherlock wasn't a fake, so he can't work out why Sherlock would commit suicide.

The sad thing is that we, as an audience, know that John's faith is correctly placed, but poor John himself is going to have to grudgingly accept Sherlock's death and move on. And, of course, Sherlock can only watch. I doubt that Sherlock and guilt are normally bedfellows, but you can bet he feels it this time.

5. This show is stunning to watch

Let me say it again! This show is gorgeous. The series is put together so so well and they really pulled out all the stops for this final episode.

The costume design, the set design, the direction, the cinematography, the music; all incredibly slick and well done.

Oh, and some of the shots they use and the songs they play. I've already gabbled on about the Bee Gees on the roof, and in my previous post I mentioned Sinnerman by Nina Simone. They deserve another mention though, because the use of them was fantastic. Glorious, glorious TV.

6. More good bits

There are plenty of other parts that I really enjoyed, so let me run through them here. My previous two reviews had sections about the ridiculous parts in each episode, but the ridiculous parts were so few on the ground in this episode that I'm not even going to bother this time.

So!

- Molly
Molly. Molly. Molly. I've always liked Molly as a character; she seems almost like a small island of normality amongst the crazy adventures in the rest of the show. Unfortunately, she always gets a raw deal; Sherlock treats her horribly for the most part, and she rarely gets the chance to have the last word.

Molly really shined in this episode though. She's not as silly and weak-willed as she first seems; she reads Sherlock well and she even forces him to say thank you!

And then we get Sherlock asking her for help. Finally, confirmation that Sherlock respects her (of course he does, he's just an arse about showing it) and it's wonderful to see.

Molly, how you put up with Sherlock, I don't know, but you are a lifeline, quite literally!

- Dick!Sherlock
I love how Sherlock being a dick is now officially canon. It's impossible not to watch any episode without thinking, 'Wow, Sherlock, you're a dick.' So it was great fun to have John say it out loud.

- Intense silences
I have no idea what was going on with me here. Even though the idea is absurd, I kept thinking that Sherlock was going to kiss half the people in the show. First it was the reporter lady, then Molly, and then it was Moriarty. Maybe this is on-screen chemistry? I don't know. Sherlock, your intense silences are really confusing, ok.

- Yay deductions!
For some reason, Sherlock was even more fun to watch in this episode than in the previous two. I don't know if it was because we got to see him deducing things on a crime scene again, or if there were somehow more closeups, or if it was the impending doom, but Sherlock almost felt more Sherlock-y here. And the scene where he climbs all over the furniture to find the hidden camera? Yes. Whoever decided it was a good idea to dress him in those narrow-legged Spencer Hart suits, you deserve a medal.

7. The end

So, here we are, at the end of the second series already. It was fast and furious and fun to watch and my DVD copy has already been ordered :D

I have to say, I was a little worried after all the hype of the first series that this second series wouldn't live up to its reputation. No need. The high of the first series was picked up and carried right through the second series with great style. It's been tremendous fun to watch, and I'm very glad that they're going to make a third series after this (seriously, Sherlock is the sort of show that could run and run, and I really hope it does).

The only problem is that now poor John is going to have to go through years of grief before the third series starts. Yes, I know the first series ended rather unfairly too, being a massive cliffhanger and all, but at least Sherlock and John were together there. Now, John's just going to be broken for a while, and that's going to be very sad.

Oh, but the inevitable reunion is going to be great to watch. There may be tears and there may be hugs and I'm pretty sure John is going to punch Sherlock, and if they really want to go with canon then maybe John will faint too. And then Sherlock's going to have to get used to John being married, because I will honestly be shocked if John hasn't tried to move on and gotten himself a wife by the time the third series starts.

I can't wait. No, really. I'll just be over here in the corner clutching my copy of The Empty House for the next year and a half, ok?

Ok.