Sherlock backdrop
Crime•Drama•Mystery

The Best Episodes of Sherlock

Every episode of Sherlock ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Sherlock!

Binge this in 17h 46m•Peaking at 9.6/10

A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.

Airs on
BBC One
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons4

All1234

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    Sherlock Season 2 Episode 3 - The Reichenbach Fall
    9.6/10(44684 votes)

    S2:E3

    The return of Moriarty. The crime of the century. Can Sherlock possibly survive?

    Director:Toby Haynes
    Writer:Steve Thompson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Sherlock Season 2 Episode 1 - A Scandal in Belgravia
    9.4/10(47371 votes)

    S2:E1

    Blackmail threatens the monarchy and Sherlock is about to meet the woman who beats him.

    Director:Paul McGuigan
    Writer:Steven Moffat

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Sherlock Season 3 Episode 3 - His Last Vow
    9.2/10(34415 votes)

    S3:E3

    A case of stolen letters leads Sherlock Holmes into a long conflict with Charles Augustus Magnussen, the Napoleon of blackmail, and the one man he truly hates. But how do you tackle a foe who knows the personal weakness of every person of importance in the Western world?

    Director:Nick Hurran
    Writer:Steven Moffat

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Sherlock Season 1 Episode 3 - The Great Game
    9.0/10(32888 votes)

    S1:E3

    A strange clue in an empty room, a blood-soaked car, a priceless Old Master, a deranged bomber. With the clock ticking, the curtain rises on a battle of wits between Sherlock, John and the shadowy stranger who seems to know all the answers...

    Director:Paul McGuigan
    Writer:Mark Gatiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Sherlock Season 4 Episode 2 - The Lying Detective
    9.0/10(31454 votes)

    S4:E2

    Sherlock faces perhaps the most chilling enemy of his long career: the powerful and seemingly unassailable Culverton Smith – a man with a very dark secret indeed.

    Director:Nick Hurran
    Writer:Steven Moffat

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Sherlock Season 1 Episode 1 - A Study in Pink
    8.9/10(37505 votes)

    S1:E1

    A war hero, invalided home from Afghanistan, meets a strange but charismatic genius who is looking for a flatmate; it is London, 2010, and Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes are meeting for the first time. A string of impossible suicides has Scotland Yard baffled - and only one man can help.

    Director:Paul McGuigan
    Writer:Steven Moffat

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Sherlock

    READ
  7. Sherlock Season 3 Episode 2 - The Sign of Three
    8.9/10(31619 votes)

    S3:E2

    Sherlock faces his biggest challenge of all – delivering a Best Man’s speech on John’s wedding day! But all isn’t quite as it seems. Mortal danger stalks the reception – and someone might not make it to the happy couple’s first dance. Sherlock must thank the bridesmaids, solve the case and stop a killer.

    Director:Colm McCarthy
    Writers:Steve Thompson, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Sherlock Season 3 Episode 1 - The Empty Hearse
    8.8/10(34451 votes)

    S3:E1

    Two years on from reports of his Reichenbach Fall demise, Sherlock resurfaces as London comes under threat of a huge terrorist attack. John, though, has mixed feelings about his friend's shocking return.

    Director:Jeremy Lovering
    Writer:Mark Gatiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Sherlock Season 2 Episode 2 - The Hounds of Baskerville
    8.3/10(30777 votes)

    S2:E2

    A hound from hell. Sherlock's most famous case. But is a monster really stalking Dartmoor?

    Director:Paul McGuigan
    Writer:Mark Gatiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Sherlock Season 4 Episode 3 - The Final Problem
    8.2/10(31930 votes)

    S4:E3

    Holmes and Watson travel to Europe to escape Moriarty's vengeance.

    Director:Benjamin Caron
    Writers:Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Sherlock Season 1 Episode 2 - The Blind Banker
    7.9/10(32412 votes)

    S1:E2

    A mysterious cipher is being scrawled on the walls around London. The first person to see the cipher is dead within hours of reading it. Sherlock plunges into a world of codes and symbols, consulting with London's best graffiti artists. He soon learns that the city is in the grip a gang of international smugglers, a secret society called the Black Lotus.

    Director:Euros Lyn
    Writer:Steve Thompson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Sherlock Season 4 Episode 1 - The Six Thatchers
    7.6/10(28305 votes)

    S4:E1

    Why is someone destroying images of Margaret Thatcher? Is there a madman on the loose? Or is there a much darker purpose at work?

    Director:Rachel Talalay
    Writer:Mark Gatiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"The Reichenbach Fall" is the best rated episode of "Sherlock". It scored 9.6/10 based on 44684 votes. Directed by Toby Haynes and written by Steve Thompson, it aired on 1/15/2012. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "A Scandal in Belgravia".