‘Sherlock Holmes’ Season 4 Is Going To Be The Finale? Benedict Cumberbatch Hints About The Show’s Cancellation

"Sherlock Holmes" Season 4 has finally got a release date set after three long years since the last full season. However, reports suggest this could be the end for Sherlock and Dr. Watson, and "Sherlock Holmes" Season 5 would not be happening. How true?

BBC has finally released the much-awaited trailer for "Sherlock Holmes" Season 4 and revealed that the show returns on the small screen on Jan. 1, 2017. But according to The Independent, this could be the last season for the hit British-American crime drama as long been hinted by Benedict Cumberbatch himself.

In an interview with British GQ for the magazine's November issue, Benedict Cumberbatch commented that "Sherlock Holmes" Season 4 already "felt complete." "It might be the end of an era. It feels like the end of an era, to be honest. It goes to a place where it will be pretty hard to follow on immediately," he added, per The Independent's separate report.

Another hint that "Sherlock Holmes" Season 4 is going to be the last is the upcoming season's Episode 2 titled "The Lying Detective." According to the publication, this suggests that the show is following on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's tale "The Dying Detective." In this episode, Sherlock will convince Dr. Watson and the others that he is dying because of a rare disease, which is a setup to make Culverton Smith confess about his nephew's murder.

"Ghosts of the past are rising in the lives of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and terror and tragedy are looming. This is the story we've been telling from the beginning and it's about to reach its climax," showrunner Steven Moffat also wrote in a statement back in April.

While Steven Moffat told The Telegraph, as reported by E! News, that "Sherlock Holmes" Season 4 "absolutely could be" the last time they are doing the show, fans could only keep their fingers crossed. After all, Benedict Cumberbatch and the showrunners are all still willing to do the show. It would not be strange to stop producing new seasons of "Sherlock Holmes" for a while, Moffat added and said, "It could go on forever, coming back now and again."

"Sherlock Holmes" Season 4 kicks off on Jan. 1, 2017 on BBC One.