elementary

Elementary, Ep. 2.23: “Art in the Blood” sets up an intriguing finale

Elementary, after all, has done a fine job of loosely adapting Conan Doyle’s work in a contemporary setting, taking certain liberties that have really paid off in the long run. It doesn’t make the decision to use Mycroft in this way disappointing, but I wonder if the character could have remained compelling without having to get the British secret service involved.

Elementary, Ep. 2.22: “Paint It Black” is a solid evolution of the Mycroft arc

There is a certain poignancy to Jonny Lee Miller’s version of Sherlock Holmes in how he acts tough when he is at his most vulnerable. When we saw his reunion with Moriarty earlier this season, it made sense that the easiest way for Sherlock to have to interact with that person was by using biting sarcasm and almost immature name-calling.

Elementary, Ep. 2.17: “Ears to You” does better with its guest character

After an unusually light episode by Elementary’s standards last week, Lestrade sticks around a little while longer in “Ears to You” – an episode only mildly less light. If the tone is still a little bit jarring, the use of Sean Pertwee’s Lestrade is much more effective this time around, as he gets to bounce off Sherlock and Watson in both entertaining and interesting ways.

Elementary, Ep. 2.15: “Corpse de Ballet” is a little too plot-driven

The biggest strength of Elementary as a series is perhaps how well it draws on the relationships of its characters or else how it delves into their individual lives. Even if some episodes have crime plots that are a bit lacking, Sherlock and Joan can almost always elevate the material to make an episode stand out in a way it otherwise wouldn’t have.

Elementary, Ep. 2.13: “All in the Family” – where Sherlock and Watson hang out with the mafia

Cancel the Golden Globes. Cancel next year’s Emmys. Heck, cancel the Oscars just because. And give all the awards to Jonny Lee Miller, Jon Michael Hill and Jason Tracey for acting in and writing “All in the Family” – and this scene, specifically. If it’s ridiculous to clap while watching something by yourself, then call me ridiculous. In an episode of Elementary that couldn’t possibly live up to last week’s epic Moriarty adventure, the CBS Sherlock Holmes procedural returns wearing its two hearts on its two sleeves.

Elementary, Ep. 2.12: “The Diabolical Kind” is must-see television

“The Diabolical Kind” begins like any other episode of Elementary might. Watson walks down the stairs, notices Sherlock sitting in his beekeeping outfit, makes a sarcastic comment about his laundry and exits the brownstone. What follows – a sequence narrated by Johnny Lee Miller, which we find out is from a correspondence with Moriarty – is “The Diabolical Kind” announcing itself as anything other than a typical episode of Elementary.

Elementary, Ep. 2.10: “Tremors” – Welcome to the Greys

Continuing with the previous Elementary episode’s concerns of challenging Sherlock and Joan’s methods of catching bad guys, “Tremors” raises the philosophical and emotional stakes much higher by having Detective Bell get caught in the crossfire.

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