Englisches Seminar

der Christian-Albrechts-Universitt zu Kiel

Modul E-Lit-B, Evil Incarnate: Concepts of Villainy
Dr. Andr Schwarck
Sommersemester 2014

Every fairy tale needs a good old-fashioned

villain.
Task on Sherlock
In the British adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes, the
TV series Sherlock, professor Moriarty is displayed as an entertaining and yet
highly effective villain. This effect pays much to the fact that the show centers
around an anti-hero who himself becomes a master in disguise and plotting. In
your essay, describe how much the constellation between the protagonist and
the antagonist itself contributes to Moriarty being received by many viewers as
extraordinarily evil. Apart from aspects pertaining narrative and fiction you may
employ all levels of film analysis to support your argumentation.

von Simon Pals, Matr. 1008742

LAG Anglistik/ Nordamerikanistik, Sportwissenschaft (4. Fachsemester),
Spanische Philologie (2. Fachsemester)
simon@ferdinand-pals.de

Table of contents
1. Introduction .................................... Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert.
2. Analysis ................................................................................................ 3
2.1. First encounter ............................................................................... 3
2.2. Tea conversation............................................................................ 5
2.3. Rooftop scene ................................................................................ 7
3. Conclusion ........................................................................................... 8
4. Bibliography ......................................................................................... 9

1. Introduction
In the following, I am going to focus on the clever and deceptive villain of
the modern TV series Sherlock, which features the consulting detective
Sherlock Holmes and his friend and roommate John Watson solving crimes in
the 21st Century London. I am going to analyse in how far the constellation
between Sherlock and Moriarty enhances the extent of the perceived evilness
of Moriarty.
In order to narrow down the analysis, I am going to limit myself only to
selected scenes. In the first part, I will be examining the few sequences of the
first series that form the introduction of Moriarty to the viewer as well as the
establishment of his relation to Sherlock. Then, an important scene from The
Reichenbach

Fall

(second

series,

third

episode),

namely

the

tea

conversation, will be the centre of my investigation. Finally, I am going subject

myself to the climax of the second series, the rooftop scene.
With the mentioned objective in mind, I will be employing three different
levels of analysis in each part. On the narrative level, I will be looking at actions
taken by the characters as well as the motives and results. Furthermore, fiction
plays a major role in this series, which is why I will be concentrating on aspects
connected to the distinction of reality and fiction as well. As a third level, I am
going to apply techniques of the continuity editing system of films, which let us
draw many conclusions on the emphasis of certain parts of the narrative and
fictional world. Finally, I will present the conclusions that I will be deducing from
the analysis.
However, I want to put emphasis on the fact that there are limitations to this
work. I will certainly not give an elaborate presentation of the shows general
contents nor will I address those aspects of the narrative world that do not stand
in direct connection to my topic. To be able to keep my focus on the central
problem of this piece, I may neglect as well descriptions of other important
figures of the series, if not necessary for the argumentation.

2. Analysis
2.1.

First encounter

In the first two episodes of Sherlock, the viewer is presented with brief
references to the villain controlling the overall actions of the criminals. In the first
episode, A study in Pink, the taxi driver, who turns out to be a serial killer,
mentions a fan of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, 2014) sponsoring him for his
murders. One could call this scene the establishment of the tense but highly
interesting relation between Sherlock and Moriarty. The taxi driver forthrightly
points out Sherlocks weakness that makes him match so well Moriartys
behaviour, when saying that Sherlock is not the only one to enjoy a good
murder(Sherlock, 2014). Sherlock seems to be curious about the meaning of
the drivers next sentences: Theres others out there just like you, except youre
just a man. And theres so much more than that (Sherlock, 2014). A sign of
fear may be deduced from the cameras depiction of Sherlocks face in a closeup shot that shows that his nose is trembling. Even though Sherlock inquires to
know what he is referring to, the driver refuses to give away more information at
that moment. However, right before his death, Sherlock tortures him to receive
the name. Enduring the pain, his very last word before dying comes out in a
frightening cry: Moriarty (Sherlock, 2014). This scream introduces the central
villain for the very first time and has a great effect on the initial impression that
the viewer gets. Not given much information about Moriarty, the viewer is thus
eager to know more about him, who then seems to be a terrifying man paying
serial killers to arouse Sherlocks attention. The tension is further being
enhanced by the fact that Sherlock has absolutely no idea who or what
Moriarty is, but that it is still assumable that Sherlock will be keeping this threat
in his head.
In the second episode, the Chinese criminal Soo Lin Yao fails her mission
to kill Sherlock. At the end, she is seen in a videochat apologising to her boss
called M before getting shot by a sniper. The viewer had not been confronted
with Moriarty during that episode despite the reference evoking interest at the
end of the first episode. The occurrence of a superior villain called M,
obviously hinting at the before-mentioned Moriarty, makes the viewer even
more curious about him. At that moment one realises that Moriarty is more
powerful than a common evildoer, because he stands above the villains of the
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first two episodes and is ruthless enough to kill them if they fail. Sherlock is not
present in that scene, but it becomes visible to the viewer that even though he
succeeded in saving his friends lives, he did not find out more about the
criminals leader: Moriarty, overseeing the actions of his subordinates, appears
extraordinarily evil, because he seems to be ahead of Sherlock, a detective who
is usually known to be superior to any kind of criminal. The impression of
Moriarty being the very first one to draw level with Sherlock when it comes to
intellect is even more intensely elaborated on in the third episode of the first
series.
In the episode The Great Game Sherlock and Moriarty meet personally for
the first time. Sherlock, while examining a current case with John in the
laboratory, is being introduced by Molly Hooper, the pathologist at St.
Bartholomews Hospital and Sherlocks assistant in many cases, to her new
boyfriend Jim. As we get to know later, Jim (Moriarty) had only used Molly in
order to draw nearer to Sherlock. On the fictional level, one can conclude that
Moriarty is perfectly deluding not only Sherlock, John and Molly, but also the
viewer in this scene. This being the first time Moriarty is shown personally, he
plays the role of a gay, silly and clumsy fan of Sherlocks, knocking over things
in the laboratory and secretly leaving his number for Sherlock. This delusion,
which Sherlock falls for, is carried out by Moriarty in order to show his skills in
deceiving people. In another scene, Sherlock finds out that once more the to
him still unknown Moriarty is responsible for the murders and crimes, he leans
back in his chair and looks out of the window with a clearly worried face. This
moment is accompanied by dramatic music underlining the threat that poses
Moriarty.
Shortly after, in the final scene of the first series, Sherlock gets to know him
face-to-face for the first time. When Moriarty appears, he is shown in a medium
shot, most of his face at first hidden and then slowly appearing from behind a
wall. The viewer as well as Sherlock, who turns around in surprise, is then
confronted with a grim-looking facial expression, the head slightly lowered and
the eyes looking straight forward. He appears from behind his hideout with his
hands in his pockets, depicted in a long shot through a window. At that moment,
a quiet but steady sequence of music starts to play, increasing the tension.
Walking slowly towards Sherlock, Moriarty keeps changing his facial
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expressions as well as his voice between singsong, slow tone and terrifying
screams echoing through the swimming pool. Combined with the horrific
statements he makes (e.g. Ill burn the heart out of you (Sherlock, 2014)),
these factors contribute to the fact that Moriarty is being perceived by the viewer
as evil and superior to Sherlock, who is presented to the viewer as unusually
perplexed. This juxtaposition of the clueless protagonist Sherlock and the
dominant antagonist Moriarty highly raises the perceived evilness of Moriarty.
Moreover, the episode ends in a cliffhanger showing John and Sherlock
being targeted by multiple snipers, while Sherlock risks his life aiming himself at
the explosive belt lying on the ground next to Moriarty. Sherlocks approach
seems to be that it would be more important to kill Moriarty than to survive
himself, which is a final contribution to the impression of the villains established
evilness.

2.2.

The tea conversation

After breaking into the three most secure places of London and not being
found guilty in court, Moriarty comes to Sherlocks flat (second series, third
episode), where they have the probably most crucial conversation in the series,
as it shows Moriartys motive to destroy Sherlocks reputation and lays the basis
for the final problem, as he calls it.
The start of this scene shows Moriarty unlocking the front door, his shadow
growing larger and larger as he enters, which resembles the very common
depiction of bad guys in movies. After entering Sherlocks flat the camera
moves along a horizontal line depicting Moriarty walking to the table to pick up
an apple from the fruit bowl. This track, as is it generally referred to, shows all
of Moriartys body except his head, which creates an extraordinarily frightening
impression. Having picked up the apple, in the next shot the camera slowly
moves in a tilt on a vertical line from Moriartys knees to his head, depicting his
face in a medium shot, while he is looking around the room in a seemingly
disinterested way.
During the conversation, the eyeline match is mostly established through
the shot reverse shot convention, changing between the faces of the two
looking off-camera in opposite directions, thus assuming that they are looking at
each other. At the very beginning of the conversation, Sherlock is still standing
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up to pour the tea. Thus, Moriarty is shown from Sherlocks perspective in a

high-angle shot, while saying, in connection to their relation, that every fairy
tale needs a good old-fashioned villain (Sherlock, 2014). This shot exhibits a
wide, but somehow ghastly smiling face of Moriarty, while Sherlock, shown in a
reverse shot, seems puzzled, which contributes to the high impression of this
symbolic phrase in the depiction of Moriarty as being exactly that villain.
Moreover, Moriarty does many little things to contradict Sherlock, like sitting
down on Sherlocks armchair although having been offered another one. Of
course, such little pieces can only hint at what really becomes apparent in this
scene, which is the fact that Moriarty is developing to be the matching
counterpart for Sherlock. As co-creator and Mycroft Holmes actor Mark Gatiss
says, Moriarty is what becomes to define Sherlock as a hero. He realizes his
place in the world (Sherlock, 2014). No criminal has ever been able to
challenge him the way Moriarty does. The villain himself points out the odd
constellation between similarity and contrast quite clearly during the tea
conversation, stating: You need me, or youre nothing. Because were just
alike, you and I. Except youre boring. Youre on the side of the angels.
(Sherlock, 2014)
On the fictional level, it may be perceived that Moriarty creates another
delusion, because he makes Sherlock believe that he is interested in the
possession of a computer code that can break into a system in the world. This
is certainly not the case, as it later becomes apparent that his real objective is to
destroy Sherlocks reputation and kill him. Once more, the viewer is confronted
with a Sherlock who is being tricked into believing things and who does not
seem to be able to avoid being played by a superior Moriarty, who is thus
portrayed as an evil master of disguise and plotting.
Towards the end of the scene, Moriarty utters a humorous but effectively
terrifying statement when saying that he could blow up NATO in alphabetical
order. Being established in an unusual medium shot from the far side of the
room, it enhances the emphasis on a high scale. All these factors together
underline the great importance of the tea conversation when looking at the
depiction of an evil Moriarty.

2.3.

The rooftop scene

The final climax of the constellation between the protagonist and the
antagonist, the rooftop scene, presents to the viewer more depictions of
Moriarty as an extraordinarily evil villain. Moriarty sitting on the edge of the St.
Bartholomews Hospitals rooftop waiting for Sherlock. As Sherlock joins the
scene, Moriarty stops the song Staying alive that had been playing on his
phone, thus creating for the viewer a symbolic reference to Moriartys intention
to end life, whether it may be Sherlocks or his own.
After standing up, a dramatic music starts playing quietly, and the camera
shows Moriarty circling around Sherlock as if he were a hostage or someone of
inferior status. Combined with his frequently shown grim smile, he makes the
impression of a rude enemy. During their dialogue, Moriarty reveals his true
intentions when saying that there is not computer code that is of any interest,
but that Sherlock needs to die. He is shown as being disappointed while
ridiculing Sherlock: No, no, no, no, no, this is too easy. This is too easy. There
is no key, doofus! Those digits are meaningless. Theyre utterly meaningless.
(Sherlock, 2014) The high repetition of the words no, easy and
meaningless as well as the utterance of the word doofus in a loud scream
contribute to the high impact this moment has on the viewer.
Furthermore, Moriarty himself addresses once more the reason that makes
him such an effective villain; he is the only one that knows who to deal with the
fact that Sherlock has a weakness for complicated and ingenious crimes. He
knows how to delude him in a way that he goes after clues that in fact do not
matter. He points this out in the following statement I knew youd fall for it.
Thats your weakness. You always want everything to be clever (Sherlock,
2014).
Moreover, there is another feature that we do not come across for the first
time during the analysis. The more we perceive Sherlock as insecure and
inferior the more we get the impression of Moriarty being the one and only
villain that is evil enough to beat him. During the rooftop scene, one can deduce
this by looking at some of the expressions that depict Sherlock as foolish, such
as But the rhythm, Then how did you or Do it? Do Do what?
(Sherlock, 2014), some of which are being interrupted by a screaming Moriarty.

3. Conclusion
As a conclusion, the constellation between Sherlock and Moriarty in the TV
series Sherlock accounts for the villain as being perceived as extraordinarily
evil by the viewer in many different ways. Most importantly, one can deduce
frequently the fact that Moriarty is the only villain of the show so far that
becomes a genius in effectively deluding Sherlock, not only during their first
encounter, but also during the tea conversation and other parts of the series.
Secondly, in connection with his evil opponent, Sherlock is often being depicted
as inferior. This plays a major role in the tea conversation and most certainly
during the rooftop scene, where Moriarty explains his plans to him. If such is the
case, the viewer is strongly affected by the impression of a losing Sherlock, thus
perceiving Moriarty as the superior evil villain that in the end wins over the
detective.
Furthermore, Moriartys statements often entail rude and terrifying
expressions that make him not only a classical but also a frightening villain in
front of the viewer. More than that, the techniques of the continuity editing
system of films contribute on a high level to Moriartys evilness, combined with
the employment of mostly dramatic music throughout many of sequences that
feature Moriarty and Sherlock.
Finally, Moriartys evilness is further enhanced by the fact that Sherlock has
to go far in beating him by faking his death for two years, and that it then takes
him two years to dismantle Moriartys criminal network, as alluded to in the third
series. In the third series, we get to know that Sherlock had kept up a by far
bigger delusion to Moriarty, pretending not to understand the final problem and
thus intentionally playing Moriartys game in order to beat him. One must keep
in mind though, that during all of series two, episode three, the viewer doesnt
know about this notion and perceives Moriarty as the superior and winning one,
which is a great enhancement of the apparent evilness that is being depicted.
Every fairy tale does indeed need a good old-fashioned villain. Sherlocks
craving for an equal match is truly satisfied by the deceitful Moriarty and the
constellation between these two contributes strongly to the extent of Moriarty
being perceived as extraordinarily evil.

4. Bibliography

Sherlock. Complete series 1-3. 2014. Steven Moffat & Mark Gattis. DVD.
Hartswood Films Ltd.

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