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Will Sherlock Season 5 Premiere In 2021? Possible Release Date, Spoilers, News & Updates


Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America

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It's been almost five years since the finale episode for Sherlock Season 4 aired and fans can't seem to wait any longer for Sherlock Season 5 to premiere. Unfortunately, there is still no confirmation whether new episodes of the Benedict Cumberbatch-led series will ever be released. But one thing's for sure, Sherlock Season 5 won't premiere this year.

When will fans get an update regarding Sherlock Season 5?

Sherlock Season 5 has yet to be confirmed by BBC One and Netflix.
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Credit: BBC One/Netflix

According to reports, Netflix will make an official announcement about the fate of Sherlock Season 5 this month. Since it's already halfway through September, an official announcement could happen very soon.

However, there's always a possibility for Netflix to delay any official announcements regarding Sherlock Season 5. After all, the schedules of Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are quite hectic these days. So, the future of the hit series will depend entirely on whether these two could reprise their roles.

In 2017, co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat acknowledged the fact that Cumberbatch and Freeman became even more famous after they starred in Sherlock. But the major downside to this is that the actors always have a slew of other work commitments.

"Re: Sherlock's future – for those of you asking, it's definitely the end. Of Chapter One. Dr. Watson is now Doyle's brave widower and Sherlock Holmes has become the wise and humane version of the main run of the stories (we've focused, so far, on the cold Holmes of the early days.) Whether we ever get to Chapter Two – our boys consciously living the myth and battling wrong-doers – rather depends on our two stars. I'd be slightly surprised if we never made it again. But I've been surprised before," Moffat wrote on Facebook.

SherlockSeason 5 possible plot

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock.
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Credit: BBC One/YouTube

Several storylines can be explored in Sherlock Season 5. However, the co-creators also admitted that, unlike the previous seasons, Season 4's ending was written in such a way that it could be the show's final episode ever.

Unlike the seasons prior, Season 4 didn't end with major cliffhangers that had to be resolved.

While speaking with Radio Times, Gatiss explained that the first four seasons of Sherlock served as a backstory for Dr. Watson (Freeman) and Sherlock (Cumberbatch).

"The reason we [ended with] Rathbone Place is that, actually, if we do come back – and we would love to come back – we could absolutely very easily start with a knock at the door and Sherlock saying to John, 'Do you want to come out and play?' They have become the two heroes that we always knew them to be," Gatiss said.

Sherlock Season 5 could also see Sherlock continuing to explore his humanity after coming to terms with it in Season 4. There is also a possibility for the character to reunite with his siblings, Eurus (Sian Brooke) and Mycroft (Gatiss) in the upcoming installments.

Which characters could return to Sherlock Season 5?

Martin Freeman plays Dr. Watson in Sherlock.
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Credit: BBC One/YouTube

Some of the characters that could return to Sherlock Season 5 include Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs), who works as Sherlock's landlady. The lead character's arch-rival, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) could also appear in multiple episodes of the series.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been any word regarding the possibility of seeing some favorites in Sherlock Season 5. And there's also no news regarding the new faces that could join the hit series.

What does Benedict Cumberbatch have to say about Sherlock Season 5?

Benedict Cumberbatch is unsure if he would reprise his role as Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Season 5.
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Credit: BBC One/YouTube

While promoting his movie, The Courier, Cumberbatch was asked whether Sherlock Season 5 would eventually get the green light. The actor suggested that there's still a glimmer of hope because the series hasn't been formally axed. However, he also admitted that he doesn't know much about the future of the show.

"I'm the worst person to ask on this because I never say never, obviously. But I don't know. And I'm the worst person to ask because my slate's pretty, pretty full at the moment, as is Martin [Freeman, Watson] and all the other key players involved. So, who knows? Maybe one day, if the script's right. And I say 'the script,' maybe it could be a film rather than the series. Who knows? But anyway, not for now," he said.

Where to watch old seasons of Sherlock?

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Credit: Amazon Prime Video

While waiting for an official announcement, you can rewatch old seasons of Sherlock online. The options may be limited for now, but there's always a possibility for more streaming platforms to release the series.

Amazon Prime currently streams Sherlock Season 1. However, the entire season is not for free. In order to watch all episodes from Season 1, Amazon Prime subscribers need to pay an extra $9.99.

Netflix used to stream all four seasons of Sherlock, but the streaming platform removed them from their long list of shows earlier this year.

Sherlock Seasons 1 to 4 isn't also available for streaming on Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney Plus either.

For now, all fans can do is wait until Netflix makes an official announcement about Sherlock Season 5. If the series will be renewed for another season, expect the new episodes to be as exciting as the ones from Seasons 1 to Season 4.

If Sherlock Season 5 won't be a go, fans could rest easy knowing that the writers were able to tie the storylines together and not leave them with major cliffhangers last season.

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