We are James Moriarty.
What They Say:
“A Scandal in the British Empire Act 2”
Following William’s plan, Albert invites Irene to a masquerade, where a game with the famed “Lord of Crime” as its theme is being played. Dressed as a man, Irene uses the game to contact Albert, pleading for her safety in return for the stolen papers.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As with the first season, this one got its first episode streamed a week before its official premiere, which meant each had a week off for simulcast viewers before the second episode. In the first season, this worked out okay, because that first episode was a little removed from the rest of the series anyway. It was an anime-original episode to give viewers a taste of what the series would eventually become, and the second episode began the story chronologically. On the other hand, this season opened straight into a multi-part arc, one longer than the usual two-episode stories we’ve gotten so far even, so taking a week off just as we get into it feels like it could disrupt the momentum a bit.
However, this second episode of the arc has a very different tone from its predecessor. We spent a lot of time with silly Sherlock/Irene antics last time, but now it’s full Moriarty time, and not the Moriarty that usually gets the starring role.
Before presenting the main event of the masquerade ball, the episode spends a moment with the three Moriarty brothers, performing their own highly proper yet sinister version of a huddle. They point out something that we may have forgotten with the series dedicating so much time to specifically William. It’s not just that this version of James Moriarty has an extra name and two invented brothers; the three brothers all have “James Moriarty” in their name because they are collectively the James Moriarty of Sherlock Holmes lore. Together the three of them comprise the legendary Lord of Crime.
For the first time, this concept is put into practice, with Albert more than earning his title as a worthy James Moriarty. Compared to Louis – who acts as William’s butler even in private, functions as the muscle to their schemes far more than the brains, and loses his composure far too easily – Albert is much more like William despite not being the one with a blood relation. He can at least come close to matching wits with William and is essential to many of the brothers’ plots, but he always humbly plays the supporting role even though he would be plenty capable on his own merits.
Finally, Albert accepts his potential and takes the role that William would normally be given as a matter of course, even boldly declaring himself as the Lord of Crime, James Moriarty. The entire masquerade ball scene is not only effective in building Albert’s character and the Lord of Crime mythos in general but also one of the strongest sequences of the series to date in terms of building tension and delivering a satisfying climax.
Most interesting is Albert’s discussion of the role crime plays as a means to their goals, and how it relates to Irene’s own philanthropy. There are great parallels drawn in the irony of executing a nobleman for his evil acts of burning down a building he owned to fulfill his goals, murdering in the process, as Albert did the very same thing to get his adopted brothers to where they are.
Some of it, admittedly, does have to be taken a little abstractly to truly appreciate it. Taken as a literal representation of their reality, it’s a tall order to suspend disbelief to the point of accepting that this ball would simply carry on happily with the corpse of a just-murdered guest lying in the middle of the floor. But as a visual metaphor for Albert’s philosophy, it’s an effective image, and enhances an already well-written speech. The presentation isn’t as smooth as would be ideal, but it gets its point across well enough.
Albert’s time in the spotlight during the masquerade ball is a highlight of the episode, especially his conversation with Irene. William’s very brief appearances in the episode are hardly necessary, proving Albert just as competent a compelling protagonist as either him or Sherlock. But even when Irene returns to Sherlock with a renewed perspective, we get right into explosive action that soon turns into an opportunity for Sherlock to pull out his own clever tricks and suave one-liners that restore his status as an equally worthy protagonist and one worthy of the heavy name he carries.
The truth of Irene’s papers are revealed, and with them major implications for everyone involved. This is a lot bigger than the crimes any of these participants have dealt with so far, and they each find themselves in a very unique position within the plot.
In Summary:
It’s satisfying to think about how much Moriarty has improved since its first episode six months ago. It may not be approaching masterpiece territory anytime soon, but it’s on a good track to remain one of the most worthwhile shows in a relatively unimpressive season. Despite being the “part 2” to the season premiere, this episode explores very new material for the series, giving Albert the chance to feel like a true protagonist and using that to dig into the philosophy of him and all three brothers in a highly effective manner. There are still some silly contrivances to deal with as always, but the balance is shifting in the right direction.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Funimation
