I've been trying to not feel this way because unlike some people I know, I did not hate any episode. Every single one of them brought something else on the table, something we hadn't seen before.

But now that the season finale has aired, I can't help but think that Mark Gatiss/Steven Moffat got so enamoured with the ideas for future episodes that they completely forgot to pay attention to these ones.

Charles Augustus Magnussen, such an incredible enemy of Sherlock Holmes wasted like that? Now I know that our 'Napolean of Blackmail' wasn't going to be carried forward to the next season but was such a death the best exit?
A man who has so much knowledge that he can hold countries hostage is foiled by Sherlock Holmes doing the only logical thing? This was something even Lestrade would have anticipated. And what was he really? He didn't get a chance to be an actual villain, he didn't get a chance to actually pull the strings. He was just a plot device to have John's and Mary's relationship 'exposed'.

And honestly, if Moriarty is actually alive then this show has lost it's way. Sherlock is an incredibly good drama but when things don't have any consequences, what's the fucking point of it all?

I agree with some commenters here that he's probably actually dead and someone (probably Sherlock) is using his 'I can hack into every phone' trick to force Mycroft to let him stay.
I sure as hell hope he doesn't turn out to be their long lost brother, now that would be Doctor Who levels of shit.

Basically what I'm saying is that this season could've not even happened and it wouldn't change a thing.

Anyway, just had to get this rant/thoughts out of my head.