Writer-actor Mark Gatiss has taken to Twitter to reveal that production for "Sherlock" season 4 has officially begun. This was later followed by series co-creator and showrunner Steven Moffat's statement, as per TV Line, confirming that filming had started. He also revealed a little teaser of the plot.
"Ghosts of the past are rising in the lives of Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) and terror and tragedy are looming," Moffat teased. "This is the story we've been telling from the beginning and it's about to reach its climax."
According to the report, the term "climax" may not necessarily mean that season 4 will be the final season of the show but as an exaggeration of the impending action that is yet to unfold in the season. The report also cites Moffat in confirming that there are plans to keep the series going for many years more.
The official synopsis for the season indicates that Sherlock will find himself back in London, moments after he was being banished from the country at the end of season 3, in order to combat his rival Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) yet again. However, Sherlock won't be the only one who will get into a heated conflict this season.
According to the synopsis, Watson and his wife Mary (Amanda Abbington) will deal with yet a different kind of issue: becoming parents. In the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary and Watson's marriage did not last long and eventually the two parted, with Mary being killed off later in life. It appears that this tragic end may be postponed if the two are expected to have a child in season 4.
In a report from Screen Crush, it is stated that while an official release date has yet to be announced, it is expected for season 4 to premiere in early 2017, most likely after New Year's.
