While Sherlock season 4 may still be a long way off, it is never too soon to speculate about the upcoming season. So, this goes without saying, but before we get into it, SPOILER ALERT! Read this if you are either caught up with Sherlock or you frankly just don’t care about spoilers. That being said, let’s dive into it. So, the big question mark is what does Moriarty’s appearance at the very end of season 3 mean for next season? Is Moriarty alive? Will he be the villain for season 4? In short, the answer is both no and yes. I truly believe without a doubt the Moriarty is dead, so why can’t he still be the villain for season 4?
It’s no secret that defeating a mastermind as evil as Moriarty comes at a very high cost. The mad man himself was ready to risk it all to defeat Mr. Holmes, even going so far as to shoot himself in the face to win. It’s kind of hard to survive that, so I don’t think he did. But, all good villains have a plan. And that’s why I think we have said goodbye to one Moriarty and need to get ready to say hello to an even more dangerous Moriarty. In the books, there was more than one James Moriarty. It was a group of brothers all named James, and all around the same level of intelligence. So, what if Sherlock has just traded Moriartys, and new one has revenge in his heart for the death of his brother? Another thing to consider is the title. In the original stories, Sherlock’s arch enemy is PROFESSOR James Moriarty. Comment below if I’m wrong but I don’t believe Andrew Scott’s Moriarty was ever once called Professor, leaving the door wide open for the Professor to still make an appearance. 
Another thing to consider is the family connection. While it is never fully explained, it is obvious that Mycroft was involved in helping Sherlock beat Moriarty. So, who’s to say that Moriarty didn’t also have some family help from his older brother as well? How much scary would it be if Sherlock vs. Moriarty was revealed to be family vs. family? Finally, his name alone means he can carry on. Even among causal fans, it is known that Moriarty is Sherlock’s arch enemy. So why would the show kill off the biggest villain they have after only the second season? Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have said they have had Moriarty planned out for some time, so killing him off in season 2 is far from his last appearance. Imagine if the insanity and murderous nature of James Moriarty was just a warm up for the Holmes brothers for the real danger, his brother, The Professor! It would give a whole new meaning to I O U!
movieguy17 