WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 12 of Moriarty the Patriot, "A Scandal in the British Empire, Act 1," now streaming on Funimation.
In the first part of Season 1 of Moriarty the Patriot, one of the most intriguing aspects of the finale was the appearance of Sherlock Holmes' brother, Mycroft. He was revealed to be in service of Britain's Queen, heading up MI6 and being tasked with a mission that's important to the Crown.
Now, as the second part kicks off, fans get to see just how badass Mycroft is, and, from the way he carries out his shadowy operations, it's clear the series could benefit from more of the lesser-known Holmes.
Mycroft makes a bombastic entrance in Episode 12, fighting off Sherlock at his Baker Street apartment in a brilliant hand-to-hand affair, which ends with him shooting Sherlock in the head with a paint gun. He jokes to "Sherly" that he's beaten him 637 times, which shocks Watson. It's an effective way to show what Mycroft's deal is, painting him as a more much physical person than his brother. He's definitely someone the series could do with, bringing a more action-oriented flair to the usual cerebral cat-and-mouse games between Sherlock and Moriarty's team.
More Mycroft also means more MI6, which means more agents and a lot more weapons joining the fray as well, which could pump a bit more energy into the series. And it would make sense to the story, as MI6 needs to recover sensitive intel from Irene Adler, the American actress who apparently stole something that could endanger the Royal Family.
Mycroft having a stronger presence would also give Sherlock someone new to play off of, giving room for more the banter and sibling rivalry between the Holmes brothers that's already so great. There's also a comedy dynamic between Mycroft and Watson. On his own, Mycroft is a breath of fresh air but in their crew, he'd bring a bit more life, personality and a greater physical edge, as Moriarty's clique seems to have one over on them with mercenaries like Moran.
This also creates tension in the government, as Mycroft has Lt. Colonel Albert, Moriatry's brother, as his main operative. Albert's now using the Moriarty crew that Sherlock wants to take down, so if Mycroft gets involved more, he could realize the very dissidents he wants to eliminate from the country are right under his nose as saboteurs.
Someone as interesting as Mycroft is wasted in the shadows, as both sides are tethered to him in dramatic ways. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, Mycroft was also a government official, and someone Sherlock touted as a better detective but less ambitious. Netflix's The Irregulars made the mistake of sticking to this, having him in the background with his cult, the Golden Dawn, but it just wasted the opportunity for him to work closely with Sherlock. If this anime rectifies that and has Mycroft giving more than just advice on women, it'll truly make the Holmes brothers a force to be reckoned with and even the playing field against Team Moriarty.
