Which Sherlock episode is loosely based on The Adventure of the Six Napoleons?
Answer
The Six Thatchers
The Sherlock episode loosely based on “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons” is “The Six Thatchers.”
It is the opening episode of the programme’s fourth series and replaces Conan Doyle’s repeated busts of Napoleon with six busts of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The central resemblance is the pattern of apparently senseless destruction: in Doyle’s story, Napoleon busts are smashed because a valuable black pearl is hidden inside one of them.
Sherlock initially suspects a similar search in the television episode. He investigates the disappearance and destruction of Thatcher busts and considers the black pearl of the Borgias as a possible motive. The apparent treasure hunt eventually points instead to a memory stick containing information about Mary Watson’s past and her former identity as an agent.
The adaptation is deliberately loose rather than a direct retelling. “The Six Thatchers” also incorporates ideas and references from other Holmes stories, including “The Adventure of the Yellow Face” and “The Sign of the Four.” Its title is therefore both a clear literary allusion and a clue to the episode’s mystery, while the emotional storyline focuses heavily on Mary, John and Sherlock.