Why Moriarty is in prison in Sherlock’s Hounds of Baskerville

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BBC brought British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories to life in 2010 through their popular series ‘Sherlock’. The series has equally amused and intrigued its followers through its cases and a never-ending fight between the genius Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch; and a criminal mastermind Professor Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott). The show, due to its popularity among the masses; is now a part of Netflix’s catalog. Obsessed with his nemesis on ‘Sherlock’, Moriarty generates several plots to prove that he is the only one that can defeat Holmes. He emphasizes his importance in Holmes’s career in the following words;

“Every fairytale needs a good old-fashioned villain. You need me, or you’re nothing.”

Sherlock: Moriarty in Prison – Punishment for crimes or part of a masterplan

From his first appearance in season one, Moriarty was depicted as a criminal who could never get caught despite being guilty of many crimes. However, Moriarty we saw locked up in the prison, carving Sherlock’s name on the walls and later being released from in the episode “The Hounds of Baskerville” in the second season. For a lot of fans, the reason as to why he was in the prison remains unclear.

The most accepted reason was found through the analysis of this criminal mastermind’s behavior. In an attempt to gather information about Sherlock, Moriarty gets himself into trouble. He goes into captivity. He uses this period to plot Sherlock’s death. Honestly, fans around the world found it to be very predictable. During his time in prison, he spent a significant amount of time with Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft, who is a government official overlooking the case.

While their interrogation session was going on, Moriarty was able to extract useful information from Mycroft. He used this information in the finale of season two. At that point, Moriarty persuades Sherlock to commit suicide by jumping off the building. The events that led Sherlock to jump were a direct result of the information Mycroft provided Moriarty in prison. This jump also resulted in his death back in the books. Thus concluding; his stay in prison was therefore an important part of the storyline.