{"id":43536,"date":"2026-08-14T04:20:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T23:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=43536"},"modified":"2026-08-14T04:20:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T23:20:59","slug":"14-years-later-sherlocks-best-line-is-still-one-of-the-greatest-quotes-in-tv-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=43536","title":{"rendered":"14 Years Later, Sherlock&#8217;s Best Line Is Still One Of The Greatest Quotes In TV History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The BBC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/db\/tv-show\/sherlock\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Sherlock<\/em><\/strong><\/a> has many memorable quotes, and its best one is still one of the greatest quotes in TV history. Sherlock Holmes continues to be one of the most popular literary characters, inspiring countless artists and making way for a variety of adaptations. In recent years, Holmes and company have found great success on TV, though with reimagined versions that have given them some freshness while staying true to their essence.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>One of the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/sherlock-holmes-modern-tv-shows-ranked\/\" target=\"_blank\">best recent adaptations of Sherlock Holmes<\/a> is the BBC\u2019s <em>Sherlock<\/em>, created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. <em>Sherlock<\/em> is a modern adaptation of the Great Detective, bringing him and his accompanying characters to modern-day London and adapting his cases to current technology, social issues, and more. <em>Sherlock<\/em>, then, follows Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) as they investigate different cases, while also struggling with personal issues.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout four seasons, <em>Sherlock<\/em> featured new characters and adaptations of characters from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\u2019s stories, most notably Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) and Moriarty (Andrew Scott). The latter was the big villain of <em>Sherlock<\/em>, even though he was only around during the first two seasons. Moriarty was at the front and center of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/sherlock-episodes-ranked-worst-to-best\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Sherlock<\/em>\u2019s best episode<\/a>, where he also delivered the best line in the entire show, which still stands as one of the greatest quotes in TV history.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sherlock-rsquo-s-best-quote-shows-why-moriarty-is-one-of-the-greatest-villains\">\n                        Sherlock\u2019s Best Quote Shows Why Moriarty Is One Of The Greatest Villains<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;Credit: BBC via MovieStillsDB&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) sitting on a chair in Sherlock\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sherlock_ljtifh.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) sitting on a chair in Sherlock<\/figcaption><small class=\"body-img-caption\">Credit: BBC via MovieStillsDB<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Moriarty\u2019s presence in <em>Sherlock<\/em> was teased in the first episode, but it wasn\u2019t until the third and final episode of season 1 that he made his official debut. At the end of \u201cThe Great Game\u201d, it was revealed that Moriarty had been hiding in plain sight during the entire episode, as he had been posing as Molly\u2019s boyfriend. This was only the beginning of Moriarty\u2019s role in <em>Sherlock<\/em>, which peaked in season 2\u2019s finale, \u201cThe Reichenbach Fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In it, Moriarty set his plan to bring Holmes down into motion, beginning with shattering his public image and making the world think that the detective was a fraud. Holmes and Moriarty met at 221B Baker Street, where Moriarty partly explained what he had been doing. Moriarty then delivered the following quote, which quickly became viral and ended up being the show\u2019s greatest quote:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIn a world of locked rooms, the man with the key is king. And honey, you should see me in a crown.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Seconds before that line, Moriarty had revealed to Holmes that he could infiltrate anything with a simple computer code, and that\u2019s all the power he needed. This was to show Holmes how powerful and intelligent Moriarty was, and that as hard as he tried, the detective could never defeat him, as he was always a step ahead. The quote also showed how confident Moriarty was, and Scott\u2019s delivery of the line, especially the second part, made it even better.<\/p>\n<p>Moriarty was as intelligent as Holmes, being the only one who could match him, and being on the opposite side of the law further made him the perfect counterpart to the Great Detective. Scott\u2019s version, in particular, was equal parts charming and intimidating, and those qualities were present in his best line.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sherlock-rsquo-s-best-line-marks-the-beginning-of-the-show-rsquo-s-downfall\">\n                        Sherlock\u2019s Best Line Marks The Beginning Of The Show\u2019s Downfall<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;Image via MovieStillsDB&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty in Sherlock season 2 promo shot\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/andrew-scott-as-jim-moriarty-in-sherlock-season-2-promo-shot.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty in Sherlock season 2 promo shot<\/figcaption><small class=\"body-img-caption\">Image via MovieStillsDB<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Unfortunately, <em>Sherlock<\/em>\u2019s best line also ended up marking the beginning of its downfall. <em>Sherlock<\/em> had an unfortunate quality drop in season 3 and got worse in season 4, with \u201cThe Reichenbach Fall\u201d being both the show\u2019s best episode and the beginning of the end. \u201cThe Reichenbach Fall\u201d saw Moriarty\u2019s death, as he shot himself to push Holmes to kill himself too, and the show never recovered from Moriarty\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                              \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"sherlock-reinchenbach-fall-started-show-problems\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>                                                                                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/sherlock-reinchenbach-fall-started-show-problems\/\"><br \/>\n                        <img width=\"440\" height=\"248\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Holmes on the floor wearing a suit in BBC's Sherlock\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/holmes-on-the-floor-wearing-a-suit-in-bbc-s-sherlock.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=220&amp;h=124&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/holmes-on-the-floor-wearing-a-suit-in-bbc-s-sherlock.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=220&amp;h=124&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>Related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \">\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/sherlock-reinchenbach-fall-started-show-problems\/\" title=\"Sherlock's Best Episode Was The Beginning Of Its Downfall, But Not The Cause\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tSherlock&#8217;s Best Episode Was The Beginning Of Its Downfall, But Not The Cause<br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t<\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">The BBC&#8217;s Sherlock had a strong start, but it peaked very early and that marked the beginning of the show&#8217;s downfall, although it wasn&#8217;t the cause.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><em>Sherlock<\/em> seasons 3 and 4 lacked a proper villain with a multi-episode arc, and instead, it only had one-episode villains like Charles Augustus Magnussen and Culverton Smith, both great villains that the show completely wasted. The cases and stories of seasons 3 and 4 were also messy, nonsensical, and hard to believe, and unfortunately, <em>Sherlock<\/em> had a very disappointing finale.<\/p>\n<p>Despite its less-than-ideal ending, <strong><em>Sherlock<\/em><\/strong> is still one of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/best-detective-shows-ranked\" target=\"_blank\">the best detective TV shows of all time<\/a>, and its first two seasons are what earn it a place there. Andrew Scott\u2019s Moriarty is one of the greatest TV villains, and his best line remains iconic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-screen large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"4ad5-46cd-be474894a301\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img \" data-stnl-group-once=\"7iMGniGVmP\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=1\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"480\" height=\"720\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=1\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/7wtsnhkba0fag6r9twffde0i9hl.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=1\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n                                                                                                                            <!--  Display card tags widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                                <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Release Date<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t2010 &#8211; 2017-00-00<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Network<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBBC One<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Showrunner<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSteven Moffat<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Cast widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- Cast widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to watch button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to watch preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden by default --><br \/>\n            <input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"extra-content-4ad5-46cd-be474894a301\" name=\"extra-content-4ad5-46cd-be474894a301\" class=\"expand-extra-info-checkbox css-menu-checkbox\"\/> <!-- Checkbox: control the expandable behavior  of the extra info --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- Display card footer --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- PROS and CONS section --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The BBC\u2019s Sherlock has many memorable quotes, and its best one is still one of the greatest quotes in TV history. Sherlock Holmes continues to be one of the most popular literary characters, inspiring countless artists and making way for a variety of adaptations. In recent years, Holmes and company have found great success on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/benedict-cumberbatch-in-sherlock-season-2-episode-the-reichenbach-fall.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}