'Sherlock' season 4 spoilers, news: Martin Freeman speaks out on John–Sherlock bromance; Amanda Abbington talks about split with Freeman
Even though John (Martin Freeman) is already a family man, his friendship with Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) will stay strong in the upcoming fourth season of "Sherlock."
Some fans were initially worried that the arrival of John's baby will change his dynamic with Sherlock. As part of the promotion for the hit BBC One series, BBC Breakfast recently aired a mini-"Sherlock" special featuring the show's stars and creators. During the interview, Freeman was quick to dismiss the idea that the mystery-solving duo's bromance will be broken up. "There's no way that this show could operate without that friendship going on," the actor said.
Also present in the interview was Cumberbatch, who promised viewers that this season will have a proper resolution and climax. He also hinted that the upcoming episodes will somewhat be connected to each other, unlike the previous seasons where each episode focused on a different story.
"There are a huge number of pay-offs in this series," he said. "I think, in the past, you could get away with watching a few episodes in isolation, but this... they're vine branches in the jungle of Sherlock, you have to keep swinging from one to the next to really understand. And really... the pay-offs are massive if you do," the actor added.
Season 4 picks up with John and his wife, Mary (Amanda Abbington), welcoming their new baby girl after their wedding last season. Longtime acting couple Abbington and Freeman recently split, but they had to reunite onscreen to play newlyweds in "Sherlock."
Speaking with Sunday Telegraph, Abbington shared her thoughts on having to play new parents alongside a person with whom her real relationship was ending. Although it wasn't easy, the actress revealed that it's not as bad as most people may think.
"There was no hostility, really, we just said that we couldn't live together anymore," Abbington explained, "so we put everything in place, he moved out to a flat in north London, I stayed at home and we've started a new chapter," she went on to say.
The fourth season of "Sherlock" premieres on Sunday, Jan. 1, at 8 p.m. ET on BBC One.