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The Worst Episodes of Sherlock

Every episode of Sherlock ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Sherlock!

Binge this in 17h 46m•Peaking at 8.7/10

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

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Sherlock Season 4 Episode 1 - The Six Thatchers
    6.9/10(196 votes)

    #1 - The Six Thatchers

    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

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  2. Sherlock Season 1 Episode 2 - The Blind Banker
    7.4/10(239 votes)

    #2 - The Blind Banker

    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

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  3. Sherlock Season 4 Episode 3 - The Final Problem
    7.5/10(144 votes)

    #3 - The Final Problem

    S4:E3

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

    Director:Benjamin Caron
    Writers:Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat

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  4. Sherlock Season 2 Episode 2 - The Hounds of Baskerville
    7.7/10(218 votes)

    #4 - The Hounds of Baskerville

    S2:E2

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

    Director:Paul McGuigan
    Writer:Mark Gatiss

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  5. Sherlock Season 3 Episode 1 - The Empty Hearse
    7.7/10(216 votes)

    #5 - The Empty Hearse

    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

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  6. Sherlock Season 3 Episode 2 - The Sign of Three
    8.0/10(218 votes)

    #6 - The Sign of Three

    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:Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Steve Thompson

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  7. Sherlock Season 1 Episode 1 - A Study in Pink
    8.2/10(275 votes)

    #7 - A Study in Pink

    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

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  8. Sherlock Season 3 Episode 3 - His Last Vow
    8.2/10(202 votes)

    #8 - His Last Vow

    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

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  9. Sherlock Season 1 Episode 3 - The Great Game
    8.3/10(231 votes)

    #9 - The Great Game

    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

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  10. Sherlock Season 4 Episode 2 - The Lying Detective
    8.3/10(179 votes)

    #10 - The Lying Detective

    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

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  11. Sherlock Season 2 Episode 1 - A Scandal in Belgravia
    8.4/10(254 votes)

    #11 - A Scandal in Belgravia

    S2:E1

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

    Director:Paul McGuigan
    Writer:Steven Moffat

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  12. Sherlock Season 2 Episode 3 - The Reichenbach Fall
    8.7/10(229 votes)

    #12 - The Reichenbach Fall

    S2:E3

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

    Director:Toby Haynes
    Writer:Steve Thompson

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Six Thatchers" is the worst rated episode of "Sherlock". It scored 6.9/10 based on 196 votes. Directed by Rachel Talalay and written by Mark Gatiss, it aired on 1/1/2017. This episode scored 0.5 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Blind Banker".