All eight episodes of Young Sherlock season 1 will be available to stream on Prime Video from March 4, 2026.
Synopsis
When a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes meets none other than James Moriarty, he finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that threatens his liberty. Sherlock’s first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever. Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.
Review
After an incredible year which saw huge successes with both MobLand on Paramount+ and The Gentlemen on Netflix, acclaimed Brit director Guy Ritchie returns to TV this week for the stylish Young Sherlock. Teaming with Deep State creator Matthew Parkhill, Ritchie has created an eight-episode, maximalist take on one of the finest detectives in literary history. It’s a take which is sure to surprise and delight viewers.
Ritchie is no stranger to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s hero having directed 2009’s Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel A Game of Shadows both starring a pre-Avengers Robert Downey Jr. This series doesn’t act as a prequel to those stories so park that theory at the gate before entering. Instead the Snatch director is taking inspiration from his cinematic legacy and applying it to a much more inexperienced Sherlock Holmes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The results of which are a surprising mix of high stakes action, family drama and cerebral investigation.
One thing this series is not is Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat’s critically acclaimed Sherlock which ran from 2010 to 2017. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the two as they are such different beasts and rightly so. Parkhill and Ritchie have moved the concept, its characters and their setting as far away as possible to avoid comparison with such a career-defining performance as Benedict Cumberbatch in the Sherlock role.
Set in the late 1800s Young Sherlock opens with Sherlock behind bars, imprisoned for petty theft. It’s something we quickly learn wasn’t an act of desperation for a down-on-his-luck Holmes. Instead it was simply a challenge for a brilliant mind untapped by those around him. Parkhill co-writes episode one with Peter Harness, crafting a script which becomes exemplary of the series’ playful tone. There’s the grittiness of Sherlock, behind bars brawling with fellow inmates, juxtaposed with his analytical approach to addressing the courtroom and brother Mycroft (Max Irons). Young Sherlock isn’t afraid to land a heavy punch, physical or emotional, when necessary. But neither is it afraid to have fun and revel in the youthful exuberance of its characters.
The series relies on a startlingly well cast ensemble to carry it through each of the eight episodes in season one. Credit goes to The Gentleman casting directors Rory Okey and Daniel Hubbard for masterminding the duo of Fiennes Tiffin and Dónal Finn who takes on the role of James Moriarty. Taking a Smallville-ian approach to the legendary duo we witness their first meeting and initial friendship whilst the seeds are sown to allow Moriarty to assume his status as Sherlock’s arch nemesis in future seasons. The two are electric on screen, falling instantly into a back-and-forth which helps each episode glide through its twisty plot. Whilst Fiennes Tiffin digs deeply into Sherlock’s stoic nature, Finn revels in Moriarty’s carefree nature. Even as the body count rises its Moriarty’s infectious energy which spurs Sherlock on to solve the mystery. It will be interesting to see how the series adapts to portray them as enemies in the future and whether this will impact the overall enjoyment factor of Young Sherlock.
Much of the seasons’ plot development comes courtesy of Zine Tseng as Princess Gulun Shou’an. A visiting dignitary to Oxford who is attacked en route to the college as the inciting incident for this entire affair. Tseng also has solid chemistry with Fiennes Tiffin, creating a romantic spark the series chooses to play with unexpectedly. One of the biggest surprises of the season is just how much the audience comes to care for the princess. It’s a trait of the season which is cemented in a mid-credit scene in episode eight. So be sure to stick around.
Rounding out the Holmes family alongside Fiennes Tiffin and Irons are Natascha McElhone as matriarch Cordelia Holmes and Joseph Fiennes as her scientist husband Silas. After the tragic loss of their youngest daughter, Beatrice, Cordelia found herself confined to an institution, racked with grief. Whilst Silas ploughed on with his work and has been mostly absent from the lives of his remaining children. Both Cordelia and Silas become central figures in the second half of the season. McElhone in particular is another piece of inspired casting for the series.
In a somewhat paradoxical problem for a series named Young Sherlock its biggest issue comes from not giving its lead more of a chance to shine single-handedly. Though the ensemble crackles throughout, the young Holmes deserves just a moment or two to exhibit flourishes of the man we know he will become. Instead he’s often held back and instinctively relies on those around him, utilising their strengths to eventually solve the crimes. Nevertheless that means there is always someone there to provide the vital clue or missing piece to nudge him in the right direction.
The choice to craft the series as an eight-episode season, with an overarching mystery, works perfectly for the streaming landscape. Each episode is neatly woven into the overall plot but still has well defined stories of its own. It takes time to delve deeper into Sherlock’s past with a strong focus on how the loss of his sister impacted the entire family. That loss underpins how each of the Holmes family makes decisions seen right across the season, becoming a foundation from which to build one of the most well rounded live-action interpretations of Doyle’s original stories.
Whether the series will succeed as a binge-watch will remain to be seen. All eight episodes become available this week and there are moments when I immediately pressed play from one episode to another. It feels like a show which could succeed in either this format or through weekly release. Several of its cliffhanger endings have adequate momentum to hold audience attention. Whilst others feel like they may be more successful with a bit of breathing room to allow viewers to ruminate on their revelations. Young Sherlock’s first season may become an experiment in understanding where its audience lies ahead of future instalments.
Verdict
Unburdened by the expectations of what Sherlock ‘should’ be, Young Sherlock reinvents the world of Holmes with swagger, spectacle and surprising emotional weight. Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Dónal Finn’s electric dynamic ensures this bold reimagining never loses sight of its human heart.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
