Friday, December 13, 2013

Elementary Season 2 - episode 11 - 'Internal Audit'

Holmes and Watson are called in to help investigate the gruesome murder of a high stake financier who has embezzled lots of his clients money.
Holmes notices that prior to his being shot, the victim was about to commit suicide and was interrupted by the murderer.
The episode also continued to explore the ramifications of Holmes actions that lead to Det. Bell being shot.

For me, the episode once again fell into the habit of bringing an issue about Holmes up one week, which I think was really done well last week, and then milking the same theme too much the next week.
That would be OK if on that second week, the deductions and observations, the things we love most about Holmes, were a little stronger within the case. Not that there were not a few.

I like the fact that Holmes is going to wrestle with this issue about Bell, but that can not be the main theme two weeks in a row without having stronger Sherlockianisms included.

It is good that Holmes is not allowed to resolve the issue with Bell in just one week (even when I don't always like the characteristics Holmes develops at times when wrestling with the issue) It is showing growth in the character. And I like the fact that Watson is holding her ground on the issue also.

It is going to be interesting to see over the rest of the season if Bell's new assignment involves Holmes in international terrorism.

The mystery in this episode was a good one and had some good twists. Richard Masur is one of the best at playing slimy hidden under a likable character.

Although there were a few Canonical references I think they were a little weak and had been done a few times before. I like how he discovered the suicide hidden in the murder.

References I caught ( and I am counting on Buddy2blogger to find more).

- His knowledge of botany
- His knowledge of geology
- How he hates distraction when working on a case

Quick question; Is technology becoming the new Baker St. Irregulars?

To give the show a little credit, it is having to build themes over several weeks to complete the back story of Holmes personality over, hopefully, several seasons.

Although a good episode, and definitely no one of the weakest, this week, for me, because it lack good Sherlockian habits, I give it


out of five. At least he didn't throw away any more Yorkshire Puddings.


3 comments:

  1. "milking the same theme too much the next week" - Apt way to put it.

    B2B.

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  2. Last year I read a pastiche collection called "Sherlock Holmes: The American Years" edited by Michael Kurland (a mixed bag like all pastiches collections). There was a story called "The Case of the Reluctant Assassin" by Peter Tremayne. Apparently, he has written a series of Holmes pastiches where his Holmes is of Irish descent and Tremayne's pastiches explore that aspect of his Holmes. An episode of "Elementary" like "Internal Audit" (and "Tremors") explore Doherty's version Sherlock and thus is less concerned with Doyle's mythos. (Moffat does the same thing but because he is rejiggering Canonical sources the Moffatian or non-Doyle aspects of Benedict Cumberbatch's performance is easily overlooked.) I would wish "Elementary" would integrate the Canonical more often.

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    Replies
    1. A agree, and I think it is one of the biggest failures of an otherwise OK episode like this one.

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