Magnussen is a powerful man. Several ways lead to power. His favourite one: information. Blackmail, intimidation, pressure points... Most people don't assume their weaknesses, and Magnussen manipulates them like a maestro.
To acquire information and use it, he became a media Mogul. As he knows it very well, information can be stolen. That's why Magnussen owns a highly secured vault: a very sophisticated mind palace! (That's actually impossible to believe: no genius can store so many accurate data in his memory) He's got a detailed file on any person of interest -something Doyle's Sherlock also does, but with written index cards.
Why did Magnussen decided to play in (from) UK? Because, according to him, British "good education" make them passive. The argument seems a little bit shortsighted: British people can be seen with flaws, but passivity is not exactly obvious, referring to History. Anyway, Magnussen chose UK. And in UK, one and only one man is as powerful as himself. Mycroft Holmes.
Mycroft has but one weakness: his little brother. Despite his constant scathing criticism, he really loves him. Actually, the Holmes family may be the only persons Mycroft is caring about.
Sherlock Holmes has one obvious weakness: John Watson.
And John Watson chose to marry Mary Morstan, whom past he doesn't know. But Magnussen does!
Is Magnussen the worst villain?
At the end of the 3.3 episode, Sherlock is trapped. Whatever he does, Magnussen wins. Sherlock sees no other solution than killing him. Sherlock, a murderer? I could hardly accept it. At the end of 1.1, John kills the taxi-driver, but Sherlock's life was under immediate threat. That's not the case with Magnussen... Some of his victims may choose suicide, but there is no physical direct danger. I found the end of the Magnussen's case, as the whole episode, a little bit too simple, too quick...
Magnussen's character doesn't seem to me well enough written, compared with others. Lars Mikkelsen certainly performs a cold, subtle, repellent, provocative and thrilling villain. But I never felt very interested in it, not enough to find Magnussen's murder justified.
Is Magnussen the worst villain?
At the end of the 3.3 episode, Sherlock is trapped. Whatever he does, Magnussen wins. Sherlock sees no other solution than killing him. Sherlock, a murderer? I could hardly accept it. At the end of 1.1, John kills the taxi-driver, but Sherlock's life was under immediate threat. That's not the case with Magnussen... Some of his victims may choose suicide, but there is no physical direct danger. I found the end of the Magnussen's case, as the whole episode, a little bit too simple, too quick...
Magnussen's character doesn't seem to me well enough written, compared with others. Lars Mikkelsen certainly performs a cold, subtle, repellent, provocative and thrilling villain. But I never felt very interested in it, not enough to find Magnussen's murder justified.
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