‘Sherlock’ Season 4: Redbeard Surfacing, Connected To Third Holmes Brother? Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman To Lose Mark Gatiss As Mycroft?

"Sherlock" Season 4 does not only poses a James Moriarty ghost possibility haunting Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch). Redbeard, may resurface in "Sherlock" Season 4 but not as Sherlock's childhood pet but as a code for the third Holmes brother.

Holmes Finds A Redbeard Link In 'Sherlock' Season 4?

As Parent Herald reports, co-writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (Mycroft Holmes) promised that ghosts from the past will arise in "Sherlock" Season 4. If so a Redbeard connection may be revealed for or by Holmes in "Sherlock" Season 4.

In the Arthur Conan Dolye canon, Redbeard was the pet bloodhound that Sherlock had in childhood and lost tragically. Sherlock fans believe that the great detective at 221B Baker Street became emotionally disconnected after losing Redbeard.

Director @rtalalay discusses working on the first episode of series 4 with @EW: https://t.co/KHiemUUURM #Sherlock pic.twitter.com/aO3Bzg85hv

— Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) July 19, 2016

Redbeard And The Third Holmes Brother In 'Sherlock' Season 4?

Digital Spy recalls that "Sherlock" Season 3 teased a highlighted Redbeard written on Mycroft Holmes' notebook. Fan theory says though Redbeard may not be about a pet bloodhound but about the third Holmes brother.

Early buzz was strong for "Sherlock" Season 4 delivering a third Holmes brother in a family reunion with Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Gatiss. Expectation fizzled when no actor for the third Holmes brother was confirmed for "Sherlock" Season 4.

'Sherlock' Season 4 To Reveal Redbeard IS The Third Holmes Brother?

Sherlock fan theory on Quora proposes that Redbeard may be the code for the third Holmes brother. The strongest argument says Sherlock could not have been so damaged if Redbeard simply referred to his childhood pet.

Instead heartbreak for Sherlock over Redbeard may be a projection of what happened to the third Holmes brother. The theory further proposes that Redbeard, or the third Holmes brother, is responsible for the broken relationship between Sherlock and Mycroft.

Entertainment Weekly emphasized that the 2016 Comic Con panel must clarify if the bloodhound seen with Benedict Cumberbatch during filming is a Redbeard reference in "Sherlock" Season 4. This Redbeard tease may be critical to the tragic arc of "Sherlock" Season 4.

Mycroft Dead In 'Sherlock' Season 4? Redbeard Return Linked to Death Of Second Holmes Brother?

Meanwhile, Parent Herald cites Mark Gatiss in the promise of a tragedy in "Sherlock" Season 4. Digital Spy proposes that this tragedy may actually be the death of Mycroft Holmes on "Sherlock" Season 4.

Referring to the same notebook where Mycroft wrote the name Redbeard, this Holmes brother also wrote Vernet. The media outlet proposes that while Vernet may refer to the French artist relation to Sherlock and Mycroft, the emotionally challenged Holmes brother may be afflicted with Vernet Syndrome.

If Mycroft is dying, then the third Holmes brother resurfacing in "Sherlock" Season 4 would make sense. Which is your favorite theory on "Sherlock" Season 4 on the third Holmes brother, Redbeard, James Moriarty, Culverton Smith and any other element you root for in S4?