Elementary: Once You've Ruled Out God

May 9, 2018 7:43 PM - Season 6, Episode 2

Watson and her half sister have conflicting reactions when their estranged father dies; Holmes and Watson hunt for a stolen plutonium shipment they fear will be used to make a dirty bomb.
posted by litera scripta manet (5 comments total)

I feel like this episode could have benefitted from being split over two or even three episodes. In general, I wish they would do more multi-episode mysteries aside from whatever season long overarching villain they decide on, but particularly for this episode, I think the mystery could have leant itself to being spread out more.

I especially wish they had spread this out more so that we could have had more time to focus on the non-mystery aspects. We don't even find out Joan's biological father died; we just end up at the funeral, and in general it felt like she didn't get adequate space to deal with this. Maybe it will be brought up in later episodes, but I doubt it.

Did anyone realize that the government agent guy was going to be a double agent? I definitely didn't see that one coming.

One other thing that's been bugging me: So in the last couple episodes of S5, we saw Sherlock hallucinating. Are we supposed to assume that was just his brain trying to get him to seek treatment rather than an actual symptom? More generally, despite the occasional headache, it seems like he isn't really that impaired, but at the end of last season, he was so bad that he forgot about Shinwell's funeral. I know the symptoms come and go somewhat, but still.

Also, it seems weird that Sherlock wouldn't go to the funeral with Joan at the start of this episode, unless she explicitly asked him not to.
posted by litera scripta manet at 7:49 PM on May 9, 2018

The interviews with suspects have convinced me that they're playing one of the Falloutses...

(Suspect) What do you mean? What are you talking about? I didn't do nuthin' and you can't prove I did! I want a lawyer!

(Sherlock) [SPEECH 90] Are you sure you shouldn't just confess for no reason?

(Suspect) You're right. I did it.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:02 PM on May 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

I know the symptoms come and go somewhat, but still.

Yeah I really hope this is a malady with an actual arc and not just "Hey it comes and goes to suit whatever we need to have happen in the plot"
posted by jessamyn at 8:10 AM on May 12, 2018

I've clearly watched too many Elementaries because my reaction on meeting the government agent was 'Are they going to make him the villain? Because we've had this plot before.' Though it was a lot more incoherent this time - it makes no sense that there was radiation in the bunker, for example, unless the Dutch crooks anticipated Sherlock recognising the gravel in the delivery truck tires.

Better were the Holmes/Watson scenes (much as I agree with everyone's concerns about how the PCS will be handled) and better still were the Joan/Lin scenes, which were sensitively played - though the too-short emotional arc was wrapped up overly neatly for my tastes.

Oh, and the costuming remains top-notch. I'm cautiously hopeful that this series is a return to form overall.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 3:37 PM on June 13, 2018

Hi! Playing ketchup.

I've clearly watched too many Elementaries because my reaction on meeting the government agent was 'Are they going to make him the villain? Because we've had this plot before.'

I too got the blizzard episode vibe here, with the Lone Fed who's on the case and the overly-convoluted mystery.

I really hope this is a malady with an actual arc and not just "Hey it comes and goes to suit whatever we need to have happen in the plot"

Sherlock's foil is always himself. Criminals are no match! So he has battled his addiction and his attitude as barriers between himself and a case's solution (and/or whatever relationship drama is on the side) in the past, and now it's time for him (his mind) to overcome the limitations of his ailing brain.

...which is the shit you write as an excuse for lazy plotting and character dev down the road, so who knows?

As for Michael, I'm curious why Sherlock doesn't look at him and immediately have alarm bells going off in his head? Did Michael just get lucky introducing himself at a particularly vulnerable moment? Is it because of the role Sherlock's granted him, Sort-of Sponsor? That's a weird blind spot that I'm going to be more suspicious of if it lasts the entire season.

HOWEVER it does remind me of the infamous HANNIBAL blind spot every. single. character. on that show had for the bad guy; maybe Elementary will go super-camp this season?
posted by carsonb at 7:07 PM on June 16, 2018