Many iconic heroes from literary history, due to their status within the public domain, have been adapted countless times to the big screen. There’s bound to be a new film or series about King Arthur, Robin Hood, Zorro, Tarzan, or the Three Musketeers every few years, but there isn’t a character with more screen appearances thanSir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.Many adaptations of the characterhave tried to replicate the tone intrinsic to Doyle’s original stories, but the BBC seriesSherlockmade the radical decision to set the character in modern times, completely inverting expectations about his mythology. AlthoughSherlockdid a great job of revamping some of the most iconic stories from Doyle’s era,Andrew Scott’s scene-stealing performance as the brilliant Jim Moriarty instantly ranked among television’s greatest villains.
Andrew Scott’s Moriarty Added Legitimate Stakes to ‘Sherlock’
What was most remarkable aboutSherlockis that, despite minor shifts meant to reflect the new historical setting, the show was relatively faithful to the dynamics at play in Doyle’s original stories.Benedict Cumberbatch’s version of Sherlock is a dogmatic, isolated loner whose expertise at deduction makes him an integral (albeit obnoxious) ally to London’s Metropolitan Police Force, including Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade (Rupert Graves). After pairing with the veteran John Watson (Martin Freeman)to work on the “A Study in Pink” case,Sherlock realizes that the two have a potentially lucrative opportunity to work together in solving London’s most beguiling cases. As entertaining as the chemistry between Cumberbatch and Freeman was,Sherlockneeded a legitimately intimidating villain in order to raise the stakes. Without a larger threat at play,Sherlockrisked becoming just another network buddy cop mystery series, such as the rival Doyle adaptationElementary.
A sure way to introduce a greater level of intensity to the series is to add Holmes’ most iconic villain, and the series did a great job at building up to Scott’s first debut as the character. Although initially Sherlock’s brother, the governmental agent Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) appears to be a barrier within his new detective agency, it’s eventually revealed that there are more insidious forces at play.Scott’s version of Moriarty is the show’sonly character who is Holmes’ intellectual equal.While many of the most entertaining moments onSherlockinvolve Cumberbatch belligerently proving his opponents wrong, Scott’s Moriarty is a man whose motivations he cannot crack. The conversations between Scott and Cumberbatch spark with energy because Holmes can’t be two steps ahead of his new rival; for once, Holmes is the one who is just trying to keep up.
Beyond the intellectual threat that he poses to the titular detective,Scott’s Moriarty has completely opposite morals compared to Holmes. Although Sherlock is often bewildered and willfully ignorant of the patterns of human behavior, he seeks to bridge a great understanding that would allow him to connect with others. None of that empathy is present within Moriarty; he views his intelligence as a commodity and callously disregards anyone who can’t keep up with him. While Sherlock seems to enjoy pointing out the errors in others’ ways, Moriarty takes a sick pleasure in creating scenarios where people are forced to make morally compromising decisions. By showing the negative effects that extreme intelligence can have, Moriarty forces Sherlock himself to find his inner heroism. It’s a level of nuance that simply isn’t present inother depictions of the character.
Andrew Scott’s Moriarty Is the Best Version of the Character
Scott certainly isn’t the first great actor to step into Moriarty’s shows;Jared Harrismemorably appeared as the ruthless professor inGuy Ritchie’s action sequelSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. While other versions of the villain tend to emphasize his formal background and influence upon London’s high society,Scott’s interpretation of Moriarty embodies modern fears about internet terrorism and outsiderism.Often concocting various schemes to catch the attention of the media, Scott’s Moriarty revels in the opportunity to “play the bad guy” on a public stage. While there are escalating stakes once he begins putting real people in danger, Moriarty can’t help but view his plans as one part of an elaborate game.
Sherlockutilized many of the best works from Doyle’s bibliography as inspiration for Moriarty, with great episodes inspired by the classic stories “The Great Game” and “The Reichenbach Fall.” Despite these classical inspirations,Moriarty’s depiction onSherlockwas retrofitted to reflect Scott’s personality.This is a version of Moriarty who is flamboyant, comically manipulative, and desperately seeking attention; in one instance in the finale “The Final Problem,” he has an entire dance sequence dedicated toQueen’s “I Want To Break Free.” It was a bold reimagining of the character that nonetheless reflected his literary roots as an agent of chaos, leading toSherlock’s Moriarty becoming one of themost defining villains of the modern “prestige television era.”
‘Sherlock’ Suffered Without Moriarty
While the early seasons ofSherlocksparked lively reactionswith their creative new versions of classic narratives, the series began to suffer dramatically in terms of quality as it moved forward.Sherlock’s decline can partially be linked to the absence of Moriarty within the story; without a character that showed what Sherlock could become if his more chaotic impulses took over, Cumberbatch’s portrayal felt rather one note. The dark sense of humor that Scott had introduced to the series was also largely absent, leavingSherlockin an uncomfortable place of self-seriousness.
Although the show attempted to introduce a few new antagonists,there wasn’t another villain onSherlockwho matched Moriarty’s screen presence.Compared to the energetic performance that Scott gave,Lars Mikkelsen’s Charles Augustus Magnussen felt like just another brooding terrorist, andSian Brooke’s Eurus made for more of a half-hearted tie to Sherlock’s past. While these actors can’t be faulted for their performances, it’s hard living up to the incredible work Scott did in modernizing one of the greatest villains of all time.
