Sherlock season 4 debuted all over the world on January 1st of this year. The traditional three 90-minute long episodes completed the season and have left scores of fans of the BBC's latest show about the world's top consulting detective wondering when Holmes and Watson will be together again. It's become an increasingly high-stakes question as the careers of Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit), respectively, seem to make it more and more difficult to get Sherlock and John together.

This has been a common problem since the series began, with Sherlock taking more and more time off between seasons, partially due to the increased demand of both actors, who have taken to headlining some major Hollywood franchises and are both involved currently involved in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

To answer the question about the show's future, Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss (who also plays elder Holmes' brother Mycroft), intimated in an interview that the fourth series may, in fact, be the last for the iconic pair, despite the fact that both Cumberbatch and Freeman were signed for five seasons.

"I honestly don’t know if there will be any more. It’s incredibly difficult to get Benedict and Martin’s diaries to align. And obviously we left it in a very happy place…if that’s the end I’d be very happy where we left it"

The Cast of Sherlock Season 4

His last remark being in reference to 'The Final Problem', which aired on January 15, 2017 to mixed reviews from both critics and fans a like. The last shot of that episode is Sherlock and John reunited as the team they are destined to be, running out of a building in London called Rathbone Place -- presumably after Basil Rathbone, one of the most famous actors to have portrayed Holmes -- as it explodes. Gatiss went on to address this final moment:

"The last day tends to be an odd day—it’s never quite as you imagine it. But we did actually try and contrive it so the very last shot was Benedict and Martin running out of the building.

Then we realised that we had to do one last shot the next day of Martin falling over—so that’s how it ended. As usual these things end with a whimper."

On the one hand, it might be a good thing if Sherlock has met its end. On top of the scheduling nightmare that their production must certainly be, the drop in quality has been obvious as the lead actors have continued their upward trajectory.

On the other hand, the off-handed remark made by Gatiss may be just that. Moffat has not come out and confirmed this, neither have Cumberbatch or Freeman, nor the BBC itself -- where the decision ultimately lies. Fans of the show are surely hoping that this is just something Gatiss said and will not spell and end for the latest adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventures.

Next: Sherlock Season 5: Where Could the Show Go From Here?

Sherlock season 4 is available on Blu-ray right now.

Source: The Sun