The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985): Season 2, Episode 6 - The Final Problem - full transcript

After a four month absence, Sherlock Holmes returns to Baker Street following several attempts on his life. Holmes had been away on an important assignment for the French government - recovering the Mona Lisa that had bee stolen from the Louvre. He was successful in his task and appropriately rewarded by the French but he raised the ire of the crime's perpetrator - Professor Moriarty. On the morning of his return, the Professor visited Holmes in his flat and warned him to cease or he would have no choice but to take extreme measures. With several attempts on his life having already taken place, Holmes and Watson head for Switzerland. Moriarty is a relentless pursuer however and he and Holmes have a fateful encounter at the Reichenbach Falls.

When I returned to Baker Street from
a short holiday in the spring of 1891,

I had seen little of Holmes
for some time.

I saw in the papers that
he had been engaged by

the French government upon
a matter of supreme importance

but I could hardly foresee that it
would have so violent a consequence.

It lies with me now
to tell for the first time

what took place between
Mr. Sherlock Holmes

and Professor Moriarity
in that fateful year.

Ah, Mrs. Hudson
has Mr. Holmes returned?

Oh, he has indeed. He came in early.
Must have been before 7:00.

"Morning Mrs. Hudson" he says,



"Have you anything nice
for my breakfast?"

As if he hadn't been away
for four months.

You could have knocked me down
with a feather.

And he's gone
out again I take it?

Yes, yes he had his breakfast
and then

he went out again just after
his visitor left.

Visitor?

An elderly gentleman.

They had words.

I didn't like the look of him,
not at all I didn't.

He had a face like,
like the wrath of God

or should I say the devil.

Indeed.

Should we open a bottle of the best
claret to celebrate Mr. Holmes' return?



Why not?

Very good.

Thank you, Mrs. Hudson.

I learned later that Holmes had survived
three attempts on his life that very day.

But as I waited for him to reappear

Baker Street looked to me as safe
and secure as ever.

Holmes you...

Wait, wait.

What is it?

Air guns,
a rather special air gun in fact.

Watson would you have any objection

to drawing the blinds casually
as if you were alone in this room?

Watson I think you know me well enough

to understand that I am by
no means a nervous man.

But it is stupidity rather
than courage

to refuse to recognize danger
when it is close upon you.

Watson, might I have a match?

Holmes, you're hurt.

Scratches, nothing,
nothing to signify.

You don't look well Holmes.

Well I have been using myself
rather too freely.

I have been somewhat
pressed of late.

How pressed?

Well as I am unable to leave
this room until after dark

and then most likely on the way
that I came.

We do have some time on our hands.

Also I owe you an explanation
for my unceremonious

departure the last time
that we met.

I'll take some notes if I may?

Oh, by all means.
This case...

This case, it is unique
in the annuals of crime.

You will recall that it was
a cold morning

early in the year when I
last left Baker Street.

I had no idea where I was
going or who my client was.

All I knew was that it was
important and abroad.

My destination was the
Musée du Louvre in Paris

and my client none less
than the French government.

Surely this Palais du Louvre is near to
the very heart of France.

It was here that the great Musele held
court and here that Napoleon Bonaparte

was married to the Archduchess
Madam Marie Louise of Austria.

Indeed it is a history lesson in stone.

And now this gallery
contains our finest paintings.

Gentlemen, shall we come to the point?
I presume the Mona Lisa has been stolen.

When I see two hooks and the place

where the Mona Lisa used to
hang and then this talk

of... and scandal.

Yes, now I begin to understand
the delicacy of the matter.

The Louvre is closed on Mondays
for maintenance.

The fact that the Mona Lisa was not
hanging in her usual place

was no doubt due to the fact that
she was in the photographic studio.

It was only later in the day
that a workman found the frame

in a little store room
under the salon care.

We put the glass over the painting
only a month ago.

We feared an acid attack, there was
such a one in Florence recently.

How very fortunate.

Pardon?

Two good thumb prints.

Many artists come here
to make copies of the paintings.

This one seems well done.

Yes, that artist
is particularly clever

and makes a good living
from his copying.

I should like
to meet him sometime.

To make a bad copy
is very easy but a good one.

It takes years of practice.

For instance Da Vinci used
Italian popular wood to paint on.

It is very difficult to find.

To match the original color,
nearly impossible.

It is, uh, full mature, the smooth
blended tones, very subtle and

his brushwork is left-handed.

The crack work, this fine network
of cracks, left, ah.

That is the most difficult
to achieve of all.

And you can achieve it?
How?

That is my secret.

It seems to me that this is something
near to a legitimate forgery.

No, no, no because the copies must
never be the same size as the original.

And, and who would buy one of
my copies as the original

when the real Mona Lisa
is in the Louvre.

But if by chance the Mona Lisa
is no longer in the Louvre?

But of course
you are joking, Monsieur.

Happily the French police
are well ahead of

the British when it comes to
finger prints.

The great Bertillon himself was
kind enough to refer to

my little pamphlet on the subject
as his bible.

As I suspected, our man
had been involved in

petty crime in the past,
a Spaniard named Mendosa.

There, there is your thief.

Not a pleasant specimen.

Mr. Holmes,
France owes you a great debt.

We have not got the man
and more important, the painting.

But he must
be arrested immediately.

He may have already sold it.

No, no, gentlemen
it is my belief that

the painting is still
in Mendosa's keeping.

He is only a pawn
in a much bigger game.

This robbery has been
carefully planned

over months, even years
by a master criminal.

But what professional criminal would
want to own the Mona Lisa?

That is madness.
He can't sell it.

I believe the master criminal is
not interested in the original,

if he can pass off the forgeries as
originals for the same price, Gentlemen.

We must alarm Mendosa,
get him on the move

so he leads us
to the center of the web.

But how?

First we must announce to the world
that the painting has been stolen.

Oh, but that would create
a great scandal both

myself and the director of...

Minister,
please if I may explain.

It would be announced that
owing to the brilliant

and tireless efforts of
yourself and the director,

that the criminal
is about to be arrested.

Mr. Holmes, we must arrest him now.

No.

Now!

Holmes, I understand that the recovery
of the original would make it impossible

for the thieves to sell any copies
however excellent those copies were,

but did you have any clue
to the identity

of the mastermind
behind the whole scheme?

I was satisfied that I had recognized
one of Professor Moriarity's agents.

Moriarity?

Notice the subtle modeling of
the features, beautiful hands,

mood, that smile.

As Walter Payton described her,
the head upon

which all the ends of
the world are common.

The eyelids are a little weary.

No one else has ever had the genius
to paint this masterpiece

except Da Vinci.

But if you look at the paintwork sir.

Leonard's signature at large,
the brush work- mano sinistra,

the bloom, the sfumato technique.

Will you excuse me?

I would say without hesitation that the
general opinion of the art world is

that this is the greatest portrait
ever painted.

I very much regret to
have to tell you sir

that this painting is
no longer for sale.

I don't understand Professor.

I mean, the price maybe?
Well now look, I'll reconsider.

I'll give you a cool four million
and how's that?

I'm sorry Mr. Walker.

The painting is no longer for sale.

Hey, What you guys up to?

Take your hands off me you nick!
Thanks for nothing.

That wretched Holmes
has recovered the original.

These are worthless.

Destroy them, burn them.

Do it yourself
and let no one else see you.

Yes, Professor Moriarity.

I must congratulate you, Holmes.

Such an honor
and so well deserved.

There was no great problem.
The case practically solved itself.

I hear you had a visitor
this morning.

I had not been back in Baker Street
more than half an hour when...

But you cannot go up there sir!

You have less frontal development
than I should have expected.

It's a dangerous habit,
a finger loaded firearms

in the pocket of
one's dressing gown.

You evidentially don't know me.

On the contrary, I think
it's fairly evident that I do.

I can spare you five minutes
if you have anything to say.

All that I have to say
has already crossed your mind.

And possibly my answer
has already crossed yours.

You stand fast?

Absolutely.

You frustrated me in the affair
of the French gold.

So it was you behind
the Red Headed League.

A very ingenious
and welcome tried idea.

High praise from you.

You crossed my path
first on the 4th of January.

By the middle of February I was
seriously inconvenienced by you

and at the end of March I was
absolutely hampered in my plans.

And now with this last business
in France

you have placed me in such a position
by your continual persecution

that I am in positive danger
of losing my liberty.

The situation is becoming
an impossible one.

Have you any suggestion to make?

You must drop it Mr. Holmes.

You really must, you know.

And what if I refuse?

I'm quite sure that a man
of your intelligence

will see that there can be
but one outcome to this affair.

It is necessary that
you should withdraw.

You have worked things in such a fashion
that we have only one resource left.

It has been an intellectual
treat to me to see

the way in which you
grappled with this matter.

But I say unaffectedly that
it would be a grief to me

to be forced to take an
extreme measure.

Oh, you smile sir.

But it really would, I do assure you.

Danger is part of my trade.

This is not danger.
It is inevitable destruction.

You stand in the way not merely
of an individual

but of a mighty organization,
the full extent of which

even you with all your cleverness
have been unable to realize.

You must stand clear Mr. Holmes
or be trouble under foot.

You know I'm afraid that
in the pleasure

of this conversation
I am neglecting business

of importance
which awaits me elsewhere.

Well, well, it seems a pity

but I've done what I could.

This is a duel
between you and me Mr. Holmes.

You hope to place me in the dark.

You hope to beat me.

If you are clever enough to bring
destruction on me, rest assured

I shall do as much for you.

You have paid me several
compliments, Mr. Moriarity.

Let me pay you one in return
when I say that if

I were assured of
the former eventuality

I would,
in the interests of the public,

cheerfully accept the latter.

I can promise you the one
but not the other.

He is the Napoleon of crime Watson.

For years I have endeavored to break
through the veil which shrouded him

and at last
I have seized a thread

and followed it to Moriarity himself.

And now I'm ready to close on him.

If he doesn't close upon you first.

On Monday next, matters will be ripe

but the Professor and all
the principal members of his gang

will be in the hands of the police.

Then will come the greatest
criminal trial of the century,

the clearing up of over 40 mysteries
and the room full of them.

I cannot do better than to get away
for the few remaining days.

It would give me great pleasure
Watson,

if you would come onto
the Continent with me.

The continent?
I'd be delighted Holmes, but where?

Anywhere.
It's all the same to me.

Yes, but won't we have to dispose of
Professor Moriarity first?

It seems to me that we're
under siege in this very room.

And that reminds me
I must be on my way.

Won't you stay the night?

No, it's too dangerous for you
if I stay here.

I will leave the way I came and find
lodgings with my brother Mycroft.

We start tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning?

Oh, yes, it is most necessary.

Now here are your instructions and
I beg of you to follow them to the letter.

We are now playing a double-handed
game with me, Watson

against the most powerful syndicate
of criminals in Europe.

You will dispatch whatever luggage you
intend to take

by a trusted messenger unaddressed
at the Victoria Station tonight.

In the morning you will send
Mrs. Hudson for a Hansome cab,

desiring her not to take the first
or second which may present itself.

You will drive to the Strand
end of La Famules,

handing the address to the cabman

but with a request that
he will not throw it away.

Have your fare ready and the instant
that your cab stops

move speedily through the muse

and time yourself to reach the other
end at exactly a quarter past 9

where you will find
a small broom waiting

close to the curb driven by
a fellow with a heavy black coat.

Tipped at the collar with red.
Into this you will stay

and you will reach Victoria in time
for the Continental Express.

Excuse me sir,
I wonder if you speak Italian.

No, I'm afraid not. I'm looking for...

the gentleman who reserved
this compartment.

Not a sign of him sir. If you're
traveling you better get aboard.

My dear Watson you haven't even
condescended to

say good morning to me.

Good heavens Holmes,
how you startled me.

It is still necessary
to take every precaution.

I did rather fine, Watson.

I see that this express runs
in connection with the boat

so I think we've shaken off
Moriarity very effectively.

Well what will he do then?

What I should do.
Engage a special train.

But he'll arrive too late.

You'll observe from your Bradshaw
that this train

stops at Canterbury and
again at the boat.

Moriarity will catch us there.

Good heavens anybody would think
that we were the criminals.

Let's arrest him
as soon as he arrives.

No, that would ruin everything. If we
should catch the big fish then the smaller

would dart right and left out of the net.
No, no, and the rest is invisible.

Well what then?

We shall get ours at Canterbury.

But Holmes our luggage.

We must give Moriarity
something to follow.

What will we do?

We shall go across country.

Here we are Holmes,
Bradshaw shouldn't let you down.

From Ashford Junction we can take
a 1:00 slow train to Hastings,

then onto the dear old London
Brighton and South Coast line,

Bax Hill on to Lewis non-stop, then
onto New Haven, evening boat to Vienna.

I think we've got time
for an early lunch.

So soon.

There are limits you see
to even our friend's intelligence.

And now Watson, we shall treat ourselves
for a couple of carpet bags,

encourage the manufacturers,
the countries through which we travel

and make our way at leisure
into Switzerland

via Brussels, Luxembourg...

It fell out as Sherlock Holmes
had predicted.

We stayed two nights in Brussels,

then began to make
our leisurely way southeast.

For a charming week we
progressed towards the Alps.

What do you think?

A common enough occurrence
in the mountains.

Nothing like drinking the wine
where it's grown.

All gang safely secured, only Moriarity
escaped the net, signed Mycroft.

He's given them the slip.

I think it would be better if you
were to return to England Watson.

Why?

You will find me
a very dangerous companion now.

Moriarity will devote
all his energies

to taking his revenge upon me
and if I have a companion...

Would you be rid of me?

No, except for the reasons
I've given.

We've been in tight places
before together.

Never as tight as this one.

I'm not leaving you Holmes,

not unless you order me to go.

I've never been to
Switzerland before

but the beauty of the landscape
reminded me irresistibly

of the northwest
frontier provinces of India.

But in spite of the lovely scenery
all around us,

it was clear to me that never
for one instant

did Sherlock Holmes forget
the shadow that lay across him.

I could tell by his sharp
scrutiny of every face

that he was well convinced
that go where we would

we would not be clear of the danger
that was dogging our footsteps.

What was that?

See anything?

No, nothing

It's time we went on our way.

Hans, we're on our way.

At last we reached the heart
of the Bernese Oberland

and came to the village
of Meiringen

where we put up
at the Englischer Hof

then kept by Peter Steiler the Elder.

Uh, Herr Steiler?

The walk over to the hills
to Rosenlawry is very beautiful.

You can stay the night
there and come back the next day

but you must not on any account
miss the falls

of Reichenbach which is only
a small detour.

Uh, there it is.

It is indeed a fearful place.

The torrent,
swollen by the melting glacier.

Plunges into a tremendous abyss

in which the spray rose up
like the smoke from a burning house.

Herr, Dr. Watson.

Herr, Dr. Watson.

Herr, Dr. Watson.

Yes?

Herr Steiler told me to give
you this. It is very urgent.

It seems an English woman
was taken to the hotel

after we left on her way
to friends in Lucerne.

She's had a great hemorrhage.

Tuberculose.

Oh, no doubt.

It appears she's dying.

An English doctor
would be a great consolation.

I'm afraid
I must go back Holmes.

Of course.

Steiler suggests that this lad

shows you the way to Rosenlaui
and I'll join you there later.

A good plan.

Hey!

I trust she's no worse.

You didn't write this?

There is no sick
English woman at the hotel?

No, but it has the hotel mark.

Of course, there was
a tall old Englishman

who came here after
you had gone. He said...

it was the sight of the Alpine stalk
that turned me cold and sick.

He had not gone to Rosenlaui.

I stood for a minute or
two to collect myself

for I was dazed
with the horror of the thing.

And then I began to think of
Holmes' own methods

and to try to practice them.

Holmes,

Holmes,

Holmes.

My Dear Watson, I write these few lines
through the courtesy of Mr. Moriarity

who awaits my convenience
for the final discussion

of those questions
which lie between us.

I'm pleased to think that I shall
be able to free society

from any further affects
of his presence.

Though I fear that it is at a cost
which will give pain to my friends

and especially my dear Watson,

to you.

As you know, my career had
in any case reached a crisis.

And no possible conclusion to it could
be more congenial to me than this.

Indeed if I may make a full
confession to you,

I was convinced that the letter...
was a hoax.

I made every disposition of my property
before leaving England

and handed it to my brother Mycroft.

Good bye and good luck

and believe me
to be my dear fellow,

very sincerely yours,
Sherlock Holmes.

In this situation
I have little doubt

that a personal contest
between the two men

ended as it could hardly
fail to end.

It's with a heavy heart
that I take up my pen

to write these last words
in which I shall ever record

singular gifts by which my friend
Mr. Sherlock Holmes was distinguished.

I shall ever regard him as the best
and wisest man I have ever known.