"Sherlock" co-writer Steven Moffat recently hinted that the series might not be wrapping up just yet after the Season 4 finale. However, he admitted that he had not yet sat down with Mark Gatiss to talk about the potential fifth season.
Moffat said while they both wanted to keep the series going, they could not do that past the time that it should stop. He also insisted that he and Gatiss would not hand "Sherlock" over to new showrunners just like what happened with "Doctor Who," Digital Spy reported. "
In an interview with GQ Magazine, "Sherlock" actor Benedict Cumberbatch noted that Season 4 would mark "the end of an era" and would certainly be the last outing for the time being. "We won't be doing one immediately after this one airs. You'll see when you watch the new series, that there's a good reason why I said that," he told the publication, hinting that if there's another season coming in the future, chances are it would not be for a little while.
Moffat also seemed to have given "Sherlock" fans a shred of hope in his separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, when he explained why Amanda Abbington's character Mary had to be killed in the first episode of Season 4 instead of the third and last episode. The series creator revealed that there was a huge debate about whether to kill off Mary in the first or third episode.
According to Moffat, fans should not give themselves "those two years" to forget how mad Sherlock and John are at each other. "Let's do it in a circumstance where we have to come back in a week and make this show work again," he said. Moffat's statement allegedly hinted that a fifth season might potentially launch two years after Season 4--a positive sign that he's not totally ruling out the possibility of a renewal.
The previous episode of "Sherlock" Season 4 found the detective in a rather dangerous game with his friend Dr. John Watson and brother Mycroft. The next and final episode, titled "The Final Problem," will find the two in another strained situation as long-buried secrets finally catch up with the Baker Street duo.
"Sherlock" Season 4 airs on Jan. 15 on BBC. Watch the teaser trailer for the Season 4 finale here: