#elementary 4x12

1x16/4x12

This is the face Sherlock makes when someone he wants to spend time with surprises him by saying they want to spend time with him, too.

I see Sherlock’s connection with Fiona as part of the general exploration of Holmes’ relationships that began in s3: with Watson; with Kitty; with Harlan, Marcus, and Alfredo; with his past (Oscar); with family (which includes the prospect of fathering a child, adopting himself as part of Watson’s family, and of course his father). With most of these, in the end the focus is always on Holmes, not the other person, and I expect the same to be the case with Fiona. Based on his conversation with Watson when he admitted to like-liking her, I’d say the show is using Fiona as the next step in processing Sherlock’s feelings for Irene-who-wasn’t/Moriarty.

Every time I watch this show, I manage to forget and then remember all anew just what a delight Jonny Lee Miller is as Sherlock. I could watch him all day. It’s such a rarity to see an actor on TV who is consistently so completely over-the-top and so completely nuanced at the same time. I can’t think of many other actors who’d have managed to jump up and down on their heels while proclaiming to be so excited as to be ‘practically engorged’ and still made it sound both wary and snide. 

I go on and on about how I love it that Holmes and Watson are so completely platonic, and what a refreshing thing it is not to make them into the tired old ‘will they or won’t they’ cliche. Well, I must repeat myself. Their relationship is an absolute treasure. She is so gleeful when she works out that he ‘likes likes’ that girl. And though I don’t think adding a romantic subplot was particularly needed, I like that they chose a completely surprising love interest for Sherlock to focus on. I don’t know what to make of their budding relationship, because we haven’t really seen them interact, and I don’t really buy the socially awkward Sherlock (his eccentricities and differences do not lie there - he doesn’t find it difficult to interact with people in an accepted and acceptable way, he just doesn’t care), but I’m willing to give it the benefit of a doubt.

The good: Yep, it was very cute. Liu and Miller’s byplay is adorable as always. Watson gets exasperated, Holmes gets prickly. From the open with the toys, to JW’s teasing, to the awkward romance, it was all very cute and sweet. And very inconsequential.

The bad: God dammit writers!! Stop setting up exciting, stakes-worthy shit and then dropping it by the end of Act 1 or playing it off camera. The bombs last week (would really love to see them face an actual bomber -- real ticking clock), the heist this week. I was SO excited and hoping that JW would get to pick that lock in real life, or do something the least bit exciting and dangerous.

And I’m sick of hearing the writers say, well, consultants don’t go into the field and do that kind of stuff ... and then they turn around and have bs non-reality based crap like filling Joan’s room with giant TVs while she’s supposedly sleeping. 

No, by all means, let’s have more sitting on our asses and trying to explain needlessly complicated plot twists -- since it’s a procedural after all. We as viewers wanted to see the damn boxing match and we wanted to see the damn heist -- Holmes and Watson shoulda done it themselves, or at least Sherlock shoulda been directing it remotely, but then he and Watson having to go in and save the undercover cop’s ass. Cripes!!

The ugly: JWDB. Seriously. I loved it when CBS tweeted a Lucy Liu quote this week saying that she didn’t want to play just the sidekick. Well, guess what...

She has no life outside of her interactions with Sherlock. That is the definition of a sidekick. The writers actually had the audacity to tweet last night that Watson was going to give Sherlock advice, as an example of how well they serve her character. Really? REALLY?

The ugliest: So we’re midway through the season now, and we’ve got no overriding theme, no threat, no urgency, no drama. There’s no conflict between Holmes and Watson, no real development of Morland, and no Moriarty of course.

Obviously, there’s no arc. Interesting ideas/character beats are brought up and then immediately dropped (JW’s investigation into Morland, her “race you to the bottom” conflict, not to mention freaking Holmes’ RELAPSE and no sponsor.)

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GdKFjIZlI)