Sherlock’s third season premiered Jan. 1 in the U.K., but won’t hit the U.S. airwaves until Jan. 19, and spoilers on how Sherlock survived his great fall and his long awaited reunion with Watson abound. Read at your own risk.

Audiences last saw Sherlock plunging to his death in the season 2 finale “The Reichenbach Fall” in 2012. It was revealed at the end of that episode that the famous freelance detective had faked his death. Fans have been desperately waiting for the third season to find out how Sherlock faked his death, and, more importantly, what it will be like when Watson finds out.

Star Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock in the show, teased fans at Comic Con this summer, pretending to reveal the great secret to Sherlock’s survival. Now, fans finally have the answer: with the help of Mycroft and Molly, Sherlock managed to orchestrate the fall to appear to be dead.

How Sherlock Faked His Death

Sherlock really did jump off the roof, but there was a carefully placed airbag to break his fall. Meanwhile, Molly came in with the dead body of a Sherlock look-alike, painted Sherlock with fake blood, and, when Watson (Martin Freeman) was distracted, switched the bodies again, leaving Sherlock alive and well and a dead look-alike heading underground. Thanks to a carefully timed bicycle crash and well placed extras, Watson missed all the theatrics and believed Sherlock to be dead.

This, at least, is the explanation according to Sherlock in “The Empty Hearse.” There is another theory posited in the episode, though it strongly resembles the one above. Anderson, the detective hated by Sherlock more than any other, believes that Sherlock did not jump, but used Moriarty’s dead body as a double and, with the aid of Mycroft and Molly, tricked Watson. The only difference in this new theory is that Watson needed to be hypnotized by Derren Brown to keep him from seeing all the tricks involved in the secret plan.

Watson And Sherlock Reunion

As for how Watson reacts when reunited with his best friend after two years, he is understandably furious. Watson makes Sherlock work for his forgiveness, and even gives Sherlock some well-deserved punches.

Other fun tidbits from the new season of Sherlock: Sherlock’s parents make an appearance, and are played by Cumberbatch’s real life parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton, and Watson asks his girlfriend, Mary, to marry him.

Based off the promo for the third season’s second episode, the wedding does not go off without a hitch.

Sherlock “The Empty Hearse” will air Sunday, Jan. 19 at 9:58 P.M. on PBS Masterpiece.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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