…it’s actually an interesting example of how Elementary has the ability to create the feeling of serialization without relying on characters like Mycroft and Irene Adler. These last three episodes have really sunk their teeth into judging Sherlock for the kind of person he is.
After last week’s season two premiere, which was very much Sherlock-heavy, “Solve for X” brings Elementary back to its week-to-week procedural proceedings with an episode that gives Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) all of the character-based material. Over the course of its first season, Elementary did a lot of this type of stuff, where we saw the relationship between Sherlock and Watson advance in small steps with one or both being given emotionally interesting moments. So, in that sense, “Solve for X” isn’t all that interesting as an individual episode in the collection of Elementary episodes that currently exist. That said, it’s still a strong example of what exactly this series is and, if a first-time viewer happened to tune in, it still behooves fans to acknowledge that it’s an episode that would probably get someone to come back next week.
