How absolutely dreadful to see a cult series like this to fall under the knife of terrible directing, unstructured scenario and horrible production. This episode is useless. It fails to tell a consistent story, it fails give a focused view, it ruins the series's integrity and leaves the viewer in confusion. Though I wouldn't say it was unexpected. Last year's episode had questionable qualities too, but being branded as a 'special' it had delivered at least a semi consistent experience and had integrity on it's own, as a 'special'. My most pessimistic expectations were that this sort of season beginning would mark the start of a lackluster chapter in Sherlock's story, more commercially oriented and rushed. But certainly not to the extent that this episode came to be. My expectations were low. But even in spite of this this episode was a complete and utter failure. The quality of 'The Six Thatchers' is more comparable to a mid season episode of Dr. Who, rather than an earlier Sherlock episode. Probably it's time to give Elementary a try.