"Sherlock" returns after a gap of two years, with three new episodes brimming with mysteries and introduction of new characters. The third season of "Sherlock" will follow the motif Rat, Wedding and Bow.

The Rat: "The Empty Hearse": The first episode of the upcoming season will pick-up two years after Sherlock Holmes jumped down from the roof of Bartholomew's Hospital. We wonder if Sherlock Holmes is the 'rat' that is rated out as there is a threat of a terrorist attack on London. The new extended trailer and the synopsis of the first episode suggest that Sherlock will arise from his empty grave to find that things are not the same, anymore. Baker Street is no longer the way he left it two years ago and Watson has changed too. There will be a reunion between Sherlock and Watson which will have a tinge of bitterness. Also, the love interest of Watson will be introduced to the audience. Mr Watson is all set to fall in love. The new creepy villain, Charles Augustus Magnussen, will surface to take the place of the dead Prof. Moriarty.

The Wedding: "The Signs of Three": As the motif 'Wedding' suggests Dr Watson will marry Mary Morstan, and Sherlock will be the best man. Amanda Abbington will play the role of Mary. According to Amanda, she will become a "third wheel" in the relationship between Dr Watson and Mary.

The Bow: "His Last Vow": It is the final episode of "Sherlock" Season 3 and one can expect a clifhanger. If reports are to be believed then there will be a lot of tears in the final episode. Michael Price, composer of "Sherlock," had tweeted: "Sherlock ep3. More strings than ever before. More epicness. More tears."

We wonder if someone is going to die for real in "His Last Vow". It is highly unlikely that Sherlock would cheat death, twice. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have indicated that there will be a couple of more seasons of "Sherlock" which means Sherlock is not dying. He might announce his mini-retirement.

In an interview with MTV, Cumberbatch described the upcoming season of "Sherlock" in two lines: "There's a reunion, there's a marriage and there's a new villain. That's pretty much it."

The first episode of "Sherlock" Season 3 is scheduled to air in January 01, 2014. Prior to the first episode, there is a bonus mini-episode that will air on Christmas Day, December 25, 2013. The mini episode is called "Many Happy Returns."

"Sherlock has been gone for 2 years. But someone isn't quite convinced that he's dead...," according to the synopsis of the mini-episode.