The Final Problem

Anonymous asked: I just found your blog today and have spent many hours looking around here. You blog is excellent. I am totally sold on the idea that the guy from Yard who looked like John was the kidnapper. I am wondering, is there a theory which explains how the 4 assassins fit into the overall scheme of Moriarty's? They don't seem to be essential for the downfall of Sherlock.

First I should say that I think there were only three assassins after the key code, not four. The fourth one was working for Jim and definitely was important in his scheme.

But as for the three who were chasing the key code… No, they don’t seem like they were all that essential to Jim’s plan.

From an out-of-universe perspective, the assassins kept parts of the plot moving and kept us appropriately distracted from what was really going on.

From an in-universe perspective, the assassins did help enhance the myth of the key code. Sherlock also explained that Jim was using them as part of the plan to discredit him—having the assassins protecting him made it seem like Sherlock was pals with a bunch of killers. And Jim may have liked the idea that the assassins were keeping Sherlock alive until it was time to make him jump off of a building.

There may also be something in the fact that the only one of those assassins left alive is the one who was living in the flat directly across from 221B. If you’ve read The Adventure of the Empty House, you’ll know that story has a lot to do with what can be seen through the windows of Holmes’ flat from the empty house across the way.