How does Sherlock know what Moriarty "is going to do next" in The Abominable Bride?
I just finished seeing Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, but haven't started on Season 4 yet. So please, no Season 4 spoiler.
At the end of the episode, Sherlock learns that Moriarty is dead, but he also hatching plots from beyond the grave, and Sherlock says that he knows what Moriarty "is going to do next".
He says this after waking up from a sleep, dreaming about the entire episode of The Abominable Bride.
Now how does Sherlock know what Moriarty "is going to do next", is there anything in his weird dream that gives him a clue or two?
Best Answer
Watch Season 4 first
Since this entire episode really sets up the final episode of Season 4 it's almost impossible to avoid spoilers so proceed at your peril.
Now how does Sherlock know what Moriarty "is going to do next", is there anything in his weird dream that gives him a clue or two?
He doesn't...in fact Moriarty doesn't do anything next...other than a brief appearances (in flashback), Moriarty does not appear at all.
There are hints about him (which, in fact, may or may not be related to Moriarty at all) but this whole episode sets up...
The reveal of Eurus Holmes, Sherlock's younger sister. Eurus having been erased from Sherlock's memory due to childhood trauma.
There are numerous references to Sherlock having forgotten something important and having to "deep dive" into his memories to recover it.
HOLMES: Sometimes, to solve a case, one must first solve another.
WATSON: Oh, you have a case, then, a new one?
HOLMES (softly): An old one. Very old. I shall have to go deep.
WATSON: Deep? Into what?
HOLMES (softly): Myself.
HOLMES: Yes, now you come to mention it, that was quite impressive. (He looks down thoughtfully for a moment, then raises his eyes again.) You may, however, rest assured there are no ghosts in this world...
(Watson nods slightly and looks out of the window. Holmes lowers his eyes.)
HOLMES (quietly): ... save those we make for ourselves.
(He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the headrest.)
WATSON (looking round to him): Sorry, what did you say?
(Holmes keeps his eyes closed.)
WATSON: Ghosts we make for ourselves? What do you mean?
(Holmes doesn’t respond. Watson sighs.)
The fantasy/dream in his drug-fueled 'memory palace' provides hints as to what this might be but you can only make all the connections once you have seen Season 4, specifically the final episode.
Take the scene when Moriarty confronts Sherlock in his rooms... the room shakes, not because it's actually the plane landing in real life, but because the basis of his persona is being shaken to it's foundations.
MORIARTY: Because doesn’t this remind you of another case?
(Holmes closes his eyes.)
MORIARTY: Hasn’t this all happened before? There’s nothing new under the sun.
(Holmes grimaces, his eyes still closed.)
MORIARTY: What was it? What was it? What was that case? Huh? D’you remember?
(Holmes raises his hands and runs them over his face.)
MORIARTY (whispering): It’s on the tip of my tongue.
(He points to his mouth. The room starts to shake again.)
MORIARTY (whispering as he points towards Holmes): It’s on the tip of my tongue.
HOLMES (whispering as he lowers his hands): It’s on the tip of my tongue. (He opens his eyes as the room continues to shake, then settles.)
Dead women being alive and deep plots against the fabric of reality...it's all there... in hindsight
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What is the point of The Abominable Bride?
And it is basically set in 1890s London. Imagining himself back in 1890s London, Sherlock investigates the unsolved case of an abominable bride: newlywed Emilia Ricoletti goes mad and publicly shoots herself dead before returning as a vengeful ghost to strike down her husband Thomas.What was the solution to The Abominable Bride?
Already dying, she was later killed at her request by being shot through the mouth; the duplicate corpse was replaced by her actual corpse, the one Holmes and Watson saw at the morgue, for a positive identification. Since then, the women have used the persona of the bride to murder men who wronged them.Is The Abominable Bride a real case?
Does that mean that "The Abominable Bride" is based on a certain Sherlock Holmes story? While every episode of Sherlock has been inspired by Doyle's work, none of them have been directly adapted from any one specific novel or short story.Is abominable bride related to Season 4?
No. You shouldn't skip it! Chances are if you're thinking of skipping it, it's probably because the episode was marketed as a one-off, separate from the rest of the series. This is because Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are lying liars who lie.A Better Story: [Part Five] Series Four vs. The Big Bopper
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