So Sherlock has just concluded its third series and left fans with yet another tantalising ending that will no doubt play a big part in Series 4 – Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) is back! And now here we are again wondering what is really going on.

Just as Sherlock is being flown out of the country for murdering Charles Augustus Magnussen, every screen across England simultaneously flashes up with a message from the assumed dead Moriarty who taunts: “Did you miss me?”

Exclaims Mycroft, “That’s not possible… That is simply not possible!”

Watson and Mary are just as puzzled as the fans right now:

Mary: “But he’s dead. I mean you told me he was dead, Moriarty.”
Watson: “Absolutely, he blew his own brains out.”
Mary: “So, how can he be back?”
Watson: “Well if he is, we’d better wrap up warm. There’s an east wind coming.”

Following the credits we then see a scene of Moriarty addressing the camera and seemingly breaking the fourth wall. He asks once again: “Miss me?”

So the question, is he actually back from the dead? Assuming he faked his death as well as Sherlock, it would arguably be easier. The gun he used to shoot himself could have been fake and emitted a loud sound. A concealed blood pack could have completed the illusion. There’s also the chance that Sherlock wasn’t telling Anderson the truth about how he faked his own death in the Series 3 opener. Perhaps he knows more than he’s letting on?

There’s equally the possibility that Moriarty is still actually dead but planned all this before he shot himself. He could have recorded a series of video messages and set them on a timer? Or perhaps he has an accomplice left in his criminal network doing his bidding on his behalf. Could Sherlock and Watson be subject to one last game? After all, as Sherlock says “the game is never over.”

What do you think? And are you happy to see Moriarty again?