This Friday, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch will face off as hobbit and dragon, respectively, in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  On January 1, 2014, they'll be back together for real as Sherlock makes its long-awaited return.  BBC One has released a new trailer for the upcoming third season, and you'll see that Sherlock is his old, Sherlock-y self, and explaining his resurrection is the least of his worries.  Two years have passed, Watson has moved on, and there are also those pesky mysteries that need solving.  Three new, 90-minute episodes aren't a bad way to ring in the new year.

Hit the jump to check out the new trailer.  Sherlock returns on BBC One on January 1st; season three will premiere in the U.S. on January 19th.

Via BBC One:

And here's the interactive trailer: