Looking backward, going forward? “The abominable bride” and fan f(r)iction

The BBC’s “Sherlock” is believed to have pleased even the most fervent Sherlock Holmes fans, yet “The Abominable Bride” episode caused a serious amount of friction within the series fandom. To escape numerous stereotypical trappings, the creators of the show offered a modernised setting, and thus not only did they transcend the Grand Game but also made the show an instant transcultural success. Deciding to place Sherlock in his “original” surroundings in the Christmas special, they fell into the trap of their own making, since their own text became one of the adapted ones. References to the Canon and its adaptations were the driving force throughout the three series, but the amount of auto-referentiality was a step backward as far as the viewers and “gamers” are concerned.