A man in a long coat stands in a rain-slick London street at night, looking up at giant red screens all showing the same grinning face.

Original artwork, not a still

Jim Moriarty

Did you miss me?

— Sherlock · 2010

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Two years of fan theories about a man everyone believed was gone were answered with a four-word taunt that the show then aimed at the viewer too. Andrew Scott's grin and a question became the series' biggest cliffhanger, and the line is now the standard way to announce the return of any villain, ex or old problem.

Context reviewed

In context

Spoilers for SherlockShow the scene

The ending of "His Last Vow", the third series finale of Sherlock (BBC One, 12 January 2014), shows Sherlock Holmes shooting the blackmailer Magnussen to save his friends. Mycroft secures him a way out of prison, a dangerous mission abroad, but within minutes of take-off the plane is recalled: video screens all over Britain are showing Jim Moriarty, the mastermind who dominated The Reichenbach Fall in 2012, repeating one question. After the credits, Moriarty asks the audience directly whether they missed him too.

Sources (3)

Context reviewed

Share this quote