REVIEW: ‘Moriarty the Patriot,’ Episode 21 – “The Sign of Mary”

At long last, we check back in with Sherlock in Moriarty the Patriot Episode 21, and this time he meets John Watson’s fiancé: Miss Mary Morstan. The anime series from Production I.G. adapts the manga of the same name by Ryosuke Takeuchi and Hikaru Miyoshi. Based on the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the story follows the trio of the Moriarty brothers as they strive to weed out corruption in the British empire. They hope to overthrow the caste system from the inside and start a revolution. To do this, they become a “necessary evil” called The Lord of Crime. The manga series is published in English by VIZ Media and is available to read on their Shonen Jump app.

Sherlock is shocked to find out that John has been seeing a woman behind the scenes and is now engaged to her. Mary Morstan is finally introduced to the infamous detective, and Holmes is waiting for the catch. Nothing can get past him, as Mary reveals that in addition to wanting to meet her fiancé’s friend, she needs his help finding out what happened to her missing father. Sherlock remains suspicious, especially considering the case quickly turns into a literal treasure hunt.

While the show is dominated by its male cast, the writing had done decently well by Miss Hudson and Irene Adler when they appeared. With Mary Morstan in Moriarty the Patriot Episode 21, it is a bit of a different story. Nothing is wrong with her being meek, but we don’t really learn all that much about her. She feels more like a device to further the plot. Granted, in the show’s defense, she is supposed to have an air of mystery about her. However, since Mary isn’t very involved in the investigation with John and Sherlock, her characterization takes a backseat in the writing, and it shows.

Tuning back into Sherlock and John’s world for Moriarty the Patriot Episode 21 was a smart move. It is nice to actually solve a mystery along with the characters again. Generally, when following Team Moriarty, they are the ones elaborately creating a mystery for others. Tracking down legendary treasure is some good traditional fun. The show also adds a more comic layer to Sherlock and John’s relationship with the introduction of Mary. Not only is he shocked to find out, but now Sherlock is determined to make sure she is “worthy” of his partner in true best friend fashion. It adds a fun, relatable layer to the man.

Moriarty the Patriot Episode 21 feels a lot more like a traditional Conan Doyle story, which works great as a check-in on Sherlock and John’s lives during The Lord of Crime’s adventures. It is nice to see another lady in the cast, but unfortunately, Mary Morstan has yet to be given enough time to become her own character outside of a catalyst for this episode’s case. It is a very enjoyable episode, although it may not be the most memorable for viewers. It is a solid outing for the anime, nonetheless.

Moriarty the Patriot is streaming now on Funimation.