'Elementary' - S3E14 - 'The Female of the Species' -

This week we pick up with the conclusion from last weeks episode, Joan's boyfriend is poisoned and at the beginning of this weeks episode we find out he died.
Joan blames Elana March, a criminal Joan helped put away a number of episodes ago.
Joan doesn't want any help dealing with her loss and struggles throughout the episode while Sherlock gets involved with another case.
Holmes' case involves missing Zebra's.

Elana is eventually killed before Joan can finish proving it was Elana who killed Andrew.
The long absent Moriarty takes credit for Elana's death, suggesting Moriarty wants Joan all to herself.

I found this episode very well acted and found a few more redeeming qualities in it than last weeks episode.

Holmes' case was very un-important and any case could have served just as well in the story line.

This week we found the role of 'Watson' being played by Detective Bell, and for the most part I think it went well.

We know Bell was serving as a stand in for Joan while Joan grieved, but the story line also suggested that not only was Holmes attempting to make some amends for getting Bell shot, but it also felt like Bell was filling in for Kitty  this week as Holmes' new student.
In that relationship this week, I found the dialog between Bell and Holmes when they were checking out the purple van to be very reminiscent of how Holmes will have Watson give his thoughts and then tell Watson that just about every point he made was wrong.

Bell serving as Watson this week worked.

We get a nod to The Criterion also in this episode.

Again, the case itself proved a little disappointing while the interaction between Bell and Holmes was well done.

I like the fact that Moriarty may be making a come back at some point in the future, and I liked the Canonical connection suggesting her reach and control as the mastermind behind all things criminal.

Once again Holmes' antics were kept to a minimum.
And that always serves the show well. Another failing of this show is the seemingly oft repeated types of crimes and type of criminal, and that is a little bit of a let down.

Another Canonical connection is Watson returning to the brownstone after the death of a loved one (Canonically, a wife, in this show a lover).

Holmes' use of the name Sigerson as an alas.

I give this episode;