Written by Hannah Rummel

Everyone knows that when it comes to Sherlock it is, if anything, one of the wittiest shows on television. The show’s terrific trio of writers, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Stephen Thompson, pour their heart and soul into making Sherlock a brilliant TV series, and I think we can all agree that they’ve done just that.

Because there are just far too many fantastic one liners to choose from, I’ve limited the pool to simply the first episode of Series One for this time around. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched A Study in Pink. I think I have the entire episode memorized (Mostly because I force everyone who visits my house to watch it). With just using A Study in Pink, it’s still incredibly difficult to just pick five quotes. I have done my best to choose the most iconic of them all.

 

5. “Well, don’t commit suicide.” – DI Greg Lestrade

And this marks the moment where we all fell in love with the silver fox detective inspector. After a stressful press conference discussing the similar suicides of three, unrelated people – that Sherlock keeps mysteriously interrupting via text – Greg becomes irritated with questions from the reporters and allows a bit of sarcasm to slip through. In response to the question “…If they are murders, how do people keep themselves safe?” Greg (or Graham as Sherlock likes to call him) replies:

 

4. “Anderson, don’t talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.” – Sherlock Holmes

Now that Sherlock has worked out serial suicide victim Jennifer Wilson’s last message ‘Rache’ is her email password ‘Rachel’ (rather than, as Anderson claimed, an angry note in German) the case is nearing an end and Sherlock is on a deducting roll – so he really doesn’t want the smarmy forensics man butting in. Hence this cutting remark:

 

3. “Bravery is by far the kindest word for stupidity, don’t you think?” – Mycroft Holmes

The infamous Moftiss power play. The moment where most fans believed that the mysterious man with the umbrella trying to enlist John to spy on Sherlock was in fact Moriarty, rather than Sherlock’s melodramatic brother as was later revealed. Captured by someone he believes to be a criminal mastermind, John exhibits the bravery of a soldier to which Mycroft says:

 

2. “I’m just saying… It’s all fine.” – John Watson

After Angelo calls John Sherlock’s date when they go to eat, Sherlock and John have an awkward conversation about Sherlock’s dating preferences. After Sherlock mistakenly thinks John is hitting on him, he tells John that he is married to his work. John, catching on, splutters:

 

1. “I’m not a psychopath, Anderson. I’m a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.” –Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock and John have just returned from their chase of the cabbie around London. The duo go upstairs to discover that Detective Inspector Lestrade has staged a fake drugs bust to see if Sherlock is hiding any evidence from them. Which, of course, he is; he has found the missing suitcase. Anderson makes a quip about the killer having the suitcase and that they have found it in the possession of their “favourite psychopath” to which Sherlock responds (everyone now!):

 

Bonus quote from the pilot episode of A Study in Pink:

“Little old ladies, they’re my favourite. Better than any security cameras.” – Sherlock Holmes

 

Did we miss your favourite A Study in Pink quote? Leave it in the comments!