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The third season of Sherlock came to its close on American television last night with the finale episode “His Last Vow,” where Sherlock finally faced the mysterious blackmailer Charles Augustus Magnussen. Played by Lars Mikkelsen, the character is based on the titular villain of Doyle’s story “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” who was in turn based on the real-life blackmailer Charles Augustus Howell. And that’s just the first of many hidden references and shout-outs. Read on to learn more!

WHAT WE SEE: This episode is entitled “His Last Vow.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The title references Sherlock’s vow, made at the end of the previous episode, that he would do anything to protect John, Mary and their unborn child. It also calls back to Doyle’s “His Last Bow,” the final Holmes story chronologically.

WHAT WE SEE: Charles Augustus Magnussen answers questions before a parliamentary committee.

WHAT IT MEANS: In the episode “The Empty Hearse,” a news report had mentioned a parliamentary committee was summoning Magnussen for an inquiry.

WHAT WE SEE: Magnussen approaches Lady Elizabeth Smallwood and discusses the incriminating evidence he has against her husband. She then decides to contact Sherlock Holmes.

WHAT IT MEANS: In Doyle’s “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” Lady Eva Brackwell enlists Sherlock Holmes after Milverton threatens to reveal incriminating evidence about her past to her fiancé.

WHAT WE SEE: John searches for Kate Whitney’s son Isaac in a crack house. He also finds Sherlock, who says he is undercover.

WHAT IT MEANS: In Doyle’s story “The Man With the Twisted Lip,” Watson visited an opium den in search of Kate Whitney’s husband Isa and similarly found Holmes, who was working undercover.

WHAT WE SEE: In the lab at St. Bart’s, Molly slaps Sherlock after his return from the crack house and says, “How dare you throw away the beautiful gifts you were born with?”

WHAT IT MEANS: This mirrors the opening scene from Doyle’s story “The Sign of Four.” Watson confronted Sherlock Holmes about his use of cocaine (which was legal at the time) by asking, “Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed?”

WHAT WE SEE: In the St. Bart’s lab, Sherlock is impressed by the observational skills of Bill Wiggins, whom he met at the crack house, and recruits him as an agent.

WHAT IT MEANS: A boy named Wiggins was introduced in the very first Holmes story “A Study in Scarlet.” He was leader of the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of homeless children who occasionally acted as Holmes’ eyes and ears.

WHAT WE SEE: In Sherlock’s apartment, he easily gets the better of his brother Mycroft and forces him against the wall.

WHAT IT MEANS: In Doyle’s stories, Mycroft has the superior intellect but Sherlock has superior combat training in fencing, boxing, Japanese martial arts, singlestick fighting and firearms.

WHAT WE SEE: Sherlock compares Magnussen to a shark, asking if John has ever studied a shark in an aquarium. He mentions that while he has dealt with murderers, psychopaths, terrorists and serial killers, none turn his stomach like this blackmailer.

WHAT IT MEANS: In Doyle’s original story, Holmes compared Milverton to a snake and asked if Watson ever studied serpents in a zoo. He added, “I’ve had to do with 50 murderers in my career, but the worst of them never gave me the repulsion which I have for this fellow.”

WHAT WE SEE: Sherlock tells John that Magnussen has a personal fortress called Appledore, which houses vaults of information he uses to blackmail others.

WHAT IT MEANS: In “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” the villain lives in the Appledore Towers estate in Hampstead.

WHAT WE SEE: Magnussen looks at Sherlock and reviews his pressure points. The list reads: Irene Adler, Jim Moriarty, Redbeard, Hounds of the Baskerville, opium, John Watson.

WHAT IT MEANS: Most of the references are obvious — except Redbeard, who was first mentioned in the previous episode “The Sign of Three” and revealed here as Sherlock’s childhood dog.

WHAT WE SEE: To John’s shock, Sherlock reveals that he has dated and proposed marriage to Janine to learn Magnussen’s schedule and gain entry to his office.

WHAT IT MEANS: In the original Doyle story, Holmes adopted the identity of Escott, a plumber, to court Milverton’s housemaid. After getting engaged to her, Holmes revealed to Watson that he had done this to gain entry to Milverton’s home. Watson was appalled, but Holmes assured his friend that there was a romantic rival ready to pursue the housemaid if “Escott” disappeared.

WHAT WE SEE: After breaking into his offices, Sherlock sees that Magnussen is about to be shot by Mary. Sherlock reveals himself, stopping the assassination attempt.

WHAT IT MEANS: In “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” Holmes and Watson broke into Milverton’s home and witnessed a woman confronting and shooting the blackmailer. This turned out differently, however: When she continued her attack, Watson tried to stop her but Holmes held him back and they silently agreed that the murder was justice.

WHAT WE SEE: In Sherlock’s memory palace, a mental avatar of Mycroft appears and the detective suddenly feels like he’s a child again.

WHAT IT MEANS: The younger Sherlock is played by Louis Moffat, son of the show’s co-creator Steven Moffat and series producer Sue Vertue. (This episode is very much a family affair; Moffat’s mother-in-law Beryl Vertue also serves as executive producer.) Louis Moffat also voiced one of Moriarty’s hostages in the season 1 episode “The Great Game.”

WHAT WE SEE: In the hospital, Janine tells Sherlock that she’s decided to retire in a cottage in Sussex. There are beehives left behind by a previous owner, but she plans to remove them.

WHAT IT MEANS: In Doyle’s original stories, Sherlock retired from crime fighting at a relatively young age. He then moved to a cottage in the Common Downs in Sussex. While there, he kept beehives and published his studies about the insects.