The episode was supposed to end differently. The ending that aired was written at 3AM, three days before filming. It became the most discussed scene in the show's history.
2026/07/20
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How Sherlock's Most Famous Scene Was Written in Three Hours at 3AM — And Why the Exhaustion in It Is Part of Why It Works
The production schedule had been running for weeks.
The episode was in its final days of preparation. The script was complete, the scenes were broken down, the locations were confirmed.
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The writer knew the ending wasn't right. The structure was correct.
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