It’s been nearly three years since the last episode of BBC’s Sherlock aired on television, but on New Year’s Day, that’s set to change. Somehow wiggling it into their busy schedules, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return for the show’s much-anticipated fourth season, and they’re not alone this time around.
As you can see in the promo above, Sherlock season 4 finds Watson and his wife Mary (Amanda Abbington) welcoming a baby into their lives, which doesn’t completely sit cozily with the presumptuous Sherlock.
Here’s what Cumberbatch notes astutely in the above video about his character:
He’s not a natural parent or figure of authority when it comes to a newborn. But the seeming indifference, which is at times comic, is actually all underpinned with a deep love. He’s a guardian angel. He really is.
Of course, raising a baby doesn’t come without a few challenges, both as parents and actors, and that makes for some lovely time spent with the little one, as well as some foreseeable difficulties. Nevertheless, it welcomes a new development into the lives of these long-standing characters and provides some personal growth for both Sherlock and Watson, which should be seen in this latest batch of episodes.
Season 4 of Sherlock will kick off with “The Six Thatchers” on January 1st, 2017. You better make sure to tune in, too, as it may be the last hurrah for the character. Cumberbatch has revealed that his increasingly busy film schedule may just put an end to his time on the show, and given how well his debut as Marvel’s Doctor Strange was received earlier this year, we’re inclined to believe him.
