The 1st Cours already gives us a clear idea of what the man called William James Moriarty is capable of doing. In fact, the series didn’t hold back and started off with young William plotting with his brothers to destroy his adoptive parents’ house. This time around, we’re shown more of his exploits. Unlike the first one, however, the 2nd Cours is more focused on the grander scheme of things. The cases they’ve tackled are mostly with great purpose. Each plan seems to be a single step towards achieving a greater goal.

That being said, Moriarty’s plans haven’t mellowed down. In fact, they’ve only been darker and more sinister. There’s even an instance wherein he killed a father, albeit a corrupt noble, in front of his children. Not only that, he even taunts the child to come after him after amassing knowledge. It may be for the greater good, but that is within the gray area at best.

Moriarty the Patriot is like a chess game. It’s a series filled with complex stratagems and multiple moving pieces. The 1st Cours has already introduced some big names, but the 2nd Cours expanded it exponentially. The series introduces renowned characters both inside and outside the Sherlock Holmes universe. The brilliant and vibrant artstyle makes the debuts grander, and Milverton’s character, with his pale skin and snake-like eyes, is the one who benefited most from this. Even though other characters like Irene Adler and Adam Whiteley don’t receive the same love in terms of design, they made up for it with amazing art when it matters most. For Adam Whiteley, that unfortunately means after a twisted and unnecessary bloodshed.

Right from the get go, the series has cemented its goal to the viewers. Moriarty has always wanted to change the system through any means necessary, and that’s what he did. What makes it interesting is that the story takes a different path towards the end. Unlike the 1st Cours wherein everything falls within Moriarty’s expectations, other characters’ influences come to light in the 2nd Cours. The downfall of this, however, is the number of episodes.

With a slew of characters and only limited the number of episodes, some arcs feel rushed. Milverton’s arc is the prime example of this. Rather than having a slow-paced narrative like the 1st Cours, the 2nd Cours only brushes through storylines it could have explored further. The ending, however, is nothing sort of mediocre. Instead of killing Moriarty, we're given another The Reichenbach Falls event, which is rather brilliant in our opinion. It’s not just a befitting ending, but it also offers the possibility of having a second season. Maybe that will hasten if the author becomes broke.