Sherlock gained a large fanbase when it first aired on the BBC in 2010, and has since become notorious for its long wait times between seasons. It has been three years and counting since Season 4, which is the longest hiatus yet. Fans are beginning to wonder if the show will ever come back at all, and the outlook is not particularly promising.
The finale of Season 4 did not leave many loose ends. It concluded with Sherlock and John resuming their old life on Baker Street and seemingly without any major foes left to vanquish, so if Sherlock were to get a Season 5, what direction could it possibly take? In a departure from tradition, the last episode did not end on a cliffhanger. The final shot of Sherlock and John running off to fight more crime seemed to be an epilogue, not the opening of a new chapter.
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Neither the cast nor the crew appear to be hopeful about the prospect of another season. Andrew Scott who plays the criminal mastermind Jim Moriarty said in an interview with Digital Spy that Season 5 was unlikely to come to fruition. He stated that another season is not a complete impossibility, but it is incredibly unlikely. When asked if he would return, he is quoted as saying, "I don’t know. No. It depends. I would just listen to what their idea was, and just put forward a couple of my suggestions.”
Martin Freeman, who plays Sherlock’s flatmate Dr. Watson, has stated that another season would need to be exemplary to entice him. In an interview with Collider, Freeman stated, “They’re few and far between, the discussions about Sherlock...But the way the story went, in the last series, felt like, if not a full stop, then certainly a semi-colon or an ellipses. It felt like a pause.” Although this does not mean that a new season will never come, it certainly dispels the rumors that another season is currently in the works. On the other hand, Sian Brooke seems more optimistic about reprising her role as Sherlock’s sister. She's quoted in an interview with Digital Spy saying, "I would say it might come back...and I would love to be part of that.” However, this hopefulness still does not indicate that another season is being discussed.
Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, who served as the shower’s creators, have been preoccupied with their BBC adaptation of Dracula. The team stated in an interview with Radio Times that there have not been any dedicated discussions about the future of Sherlock. Although a fifth season is not entirely out of the question, Gatiss says that they have “no immediate plans," to revisit the series.
Benedict Cumberbatch in particular saw an explosive level of professional success following Sherlock. His commitments to the Marvel Cinematic Universe may make the chances of a Season 5 rather slim. The same can be said for Martin Freeman, who also has a prominent role in the Marvel films.
The cast and crew have not technically closed the door on Season 5, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the show will make its return any time soon. It has become clear that there are currently no talks about where the series can go from here. Sherlock fans have proven themselves to have a seemingly infinite amount of patience, still retaining hope for more content three years after the last episode aired. Despite this, it may finally be time to admit that the game may have been on for the final time.