Ep 1. The Empty House

The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a British television series that aired from 1986 to 1988. The series followed the adventures of the world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes, played by Jeremy Brett, as he solved a series of complex cases with the help of his loyal friend and colleague Dr. John Watson, played by Edward Hardwicke. The show was a huge success, praised for its faithful adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and its outstanding performances.

The first episode of the series is entitled "The Empty House" and it is based on one of Conan Doyle's short stories of the same name. The episode starts with an intense scene in which Holmes' longtime arch-nemesis, Professor James Moriarty, falls to his death from the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. This echoes the events of the final story in Conan Doyle's original canon, "The Final Problem," in which Holmes and Moriarty allegedly plunge to their deaths off the same waterfall.

The episode then moves forward a few years to when Watson, who believes that Holmes is dead, is visited by a stranger who claims to have seen Holmes alive and well in London. As Watson is consumed by a mixture of shock and relief, he rushes to meet with the man who has news of his friend. However, when he arrives, the visitor is nowhere to be found. No one can tell Watson where the man went, and he begins to wonder if he imagined the whole encounter.

But the mystery deepens when a few days later, Watson returns home to find Holmes waiting for him in his study. The great detective reveals that he faked his own death in order to escape Moriarty's network of criminals and to work on secret cases that required his anonymity. Now, he has returned to London to resume his career as a detective and to catch up with his friend. Watson, who is overjoyed to have his friend back, agrees to assist him in his new cases.

In "The Empty House," their first case together since Holmes' return, the detective and his friend investigate the mysterious death of Ronald Adair, a gentleman with connections to powerful political figures in England. The episode takes the viewer on a thrilling ride through the streets and alleys of London as Holmes and Watson follow a trail of clues to uncover the truth about Adair's death.

Throughout the episode, Brett's performance as Holmes is mesmerizing. He embodies the character's sharp intellect, keen powers of observation, and dry wit with ease. His portrayal of Holmes is masterful, making the character seem both otherworldly and entirely human at the same time. Hardwicke's Watson, meanwhile, is the perfect foil for Brett's Holmes. His loyalty, bravery, and steadfastness make him a great partner for the detective, and Hardwicke's performance adds depth and nuance to the character.

Overall, "The Empty House" is a masterful opening to The Return of Sherlock Holmes. It captures the spirit of Conan Doyle's stories perfectly, and it showcases the outstanding talents of its two central actors. The episode is a must-watch for fans of the detective genre, and it sets the stage for even more thrilling adventures in the episodes to come.