The third film in the Netflix "Enola Holmes" franchise, which began streaming today, centers on Enola Holmes, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, as she prepares for her wedding to Lord Tewkesbury, played by Louis Partridge. However, the ceremony is interrupted by the sudden disappearance of her brother, Sherlock Holmes, a role reprised by Henry Cavill.
Directed by Philip Barantini and written by Jack Thorne, the film finds Enola, Tewkesbury, and the newly introduced Dr. Watson, played by Himesh Patel, investigating Sherlock's kidnapping. The plot quickly becomes intricate, involving coded messages, historical grievances, and a hidden treasure.
The Maltese Wedding and Sherlock's Disappearance
Enola is set to marry Tewkesbury, whose first name is Earnest, in Malta at the request of Tewkesbury's mother, who cherished the island due to its significance to her late husband. Sherlock disapproves of the marriage, viewing it as a potential hindrance to Enola's detective career. He is also involved in a secret endeavor in Malta unrelated to the wedding.
On the morning of the wedding, Dr. Watson informs Enola of Sherlock's abduction. Investigating Sherlock's hotel room, they discover clues including a coded notebook and the word "KHOST" scrawled in Morse code on a mirror, suggesting Sherlock may have been taken to Khost, Afghanistan.
Unraveling the Conspiracy
Enola pursues a British soldier she saw Sherlock following, but the soldier is fatally shot by an unseen sniper. Before dying, the soldier utters the word "Wrath." The plot thickens when Tewkesbury's mother is also kidnapped, and her home is set ablaze. Amidst the wreckage, Enola finds war medals belonging to Tewkesbury's late father.
She encounters Mikiel, a Maltese freedom fighter, who believes Professor Adeline Rathe is responsible for both kidnappings. Mikiel reveals that the dying soldier's last word was "Rathe," not "wrath," and hopes Rathe can aid Malta's fight for independence from British rule. Enola begins to notice the marginalized status of Maltese citizens under British occupation.
Moriarty's Return
Enola identifies a piece of fabric found in Sherlock's room as belonging to a mysterious woman. This woman, also pursued by Enola, is again shot before Enola can question her. As she dies, she warns Enola, "She will kill you." Enola realizes the "she" refers to Professor Moriarty, a criminal mastermind previously apprehended by Enola and Sherlock, who escaped custody at the end of the second film.
Moriarty is operating under the alias "Adeline Rathe." After a confrontation with Moriarty, from which Enola escapes with assistance from her mother, Eudoria, the extent of Moriarty's plan is revealed. Moriarty orchestrated Enola's wedding to take place in Malta and orchestrated Sherlock's kidnapping to lure Enola into a trap. The woman Enola was chasing was Moriarty's operative, who had influenced Tewkesbury's mother to choose Malta for the wedding.
The Hidden Gold and Resolution
Enola connects the man in the mask she observed with Tewkesbury's godfather, the brigadier, who served with Tewkesbury's father in Afghanistan. During the Battle of Khost, British soldiers, including the brigadier and Tewkesbury's father, stole gold from an Afghan shrine. Tewkesbury's father, burdened by guilt, reportedly sank the ship carrying the gold, claiming it was lost at sea. The brigadier, however, believes the gold was hidden.
Moriarty, aware of the gold, devised the elaborate clues to lead Enola to its location, aiming to exact revenge on the Holmes siblings and seize the treasure. Enola, Tewkesbury, and Watson locate the hidden gold in a cave. They are confronted by Maltese soldiers hired by Moriarty, but Mikiel and his fellow freedom fighters intervene.
Moriarty flees, pursued by Enola. In a final confrontation, Enola rescues Sherlock and Mrs. Tewkesbury. Sherlock nearly kills Moriarty, but Enola persuades him to surrender her to the authorities. The stolen gold is returned to Afghanistan, and the brigadier is imprisoned for his crimes, a development Mikiel hopes will advance Malta's independence movement.
Tewkesbury, disillusioned by the revelations of British imperialism, renounces his title and takes his birth name, Earnest Tebbity-Gore. Enola remains Enola Holmes. A final scene reveals a sunken ship named "The Wrath of Adeline 1833," hinting at the origin of Moriarty's alias and potentially setting up future storylines.