mrv3000 | It's a new year

That really was SO MUCH FUN. :D I'll have to see how it stands up on multiple viewings but I think this was my favorite Gatiss-penned episode for either Sherlock or Doctor Who.

I'll do the couple of things I didn't care for first:

Not answering the question of how Sherlock did it. I'm not full of rage about it, it's just more of a SIGH. Because this is exactly the type of thing that Moffat & Co. likes to pull. And then they think they're so very clever when it's really just annoying. So all the fake-out explanations at first were interesting but by the end got tedious.
Crazy Anderson (Philip?) seemed sort of pointless. Maybe he was meant to be a fandom insert? Or maybe it was showing Anderson getting what he deserved? I mean some of it was entertaining, but it never went anywhere. (He was the guy who planted the fake body? Okay...)

But the rest was just plain happy-making!

John and Sherlock's spread-out reunion was great! John kept trying to strangle Sherlock - LOL!!
I already love Mary. :D (DON'T KILL HER OFF, PLEASE. D:) I loved that she was a bit of a fan of Sherlock and was the one to try to smooth things over between them. I also liked that she and Sherlock went off to rescue John.
I loved Molly's involvement as temporary sidekick. I really hope her fiance is not a bad guy because Molly deserves someone who is absolutely not a dick. (Sherlock/Molly is my notp)
Speaking of, I liked John being in Sherlock's head to the point of distraction. It makes their friendship not so one-sided to me. It's not all John needing Sherlock, but Sherlock really does need John.
Benedict's parents as Sherlock's parents! XD I am going to need a million fics now to explain how Mycroft and Sherlock came from those two. XD XD
The plot was alright - nothing stupendous or clever. But I didn't really need that when the focus of this episode was always going to be about the characters. The time flew by as I was watching, which is always a good sign.
Sherlock, you are such a dick with that bomb thing. It was obvious, but it made me chuckle. Because really, does anyone ever expect Sherlock not to be a manipulative asshole? XD

I've probably missed something I wanted to mention, but it's been a while since I've watched a show/episode that's just plain entertaining.