Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Elementary S3E15 - 'When your number's up" - But who's counting. . . . a review.

We know who the bad guy is right away. Holmes and Watson don't.
But, we don't know the motive.

Holmes and Watson investigate a series of murders involving victim compensation.

Murderess Dana Powell (played by the very talented Alicia Witt) thinks she deserves more than what she is going to get from the death of her husband on an airline flight crash.
She sets out killing other relatives of the victims to increase her amount of compensation making her case for what each one is worth.
Holmes and Watson and the NYPD first think it is a plot to discredit first the compensation attorney then the airline.
The plot was interesting in it's various twists and made for a good story. Alicia Witt played a convincing bad guy in a very sociopath way.
Although the plot did not offer much in the way of Sherlockianisms, Miller's Holmes was well played in a very subtle and controlled way that always seems to benefit the show.
Canonically all I came up with was the use of (but no mention of) the 'irregulars'.

Much of the story still focused on Watson's getting over the death of Andrew and here decision to return to Baker St.

Canonically a couple of discussions can be found in that story line.
In the Canon, not much is made of Watson's return to Baker St. after the loss of Mary. Matter of fact it is barely covered at all. How did Watson deal with his grief and loss? Was Holmes there at all for him? Was his loss of his wife really the reason he returned to Baker St.?

Another discussion point may be; What did Watson bring or have in Baker St.
In this episode of Elementary we find Holmes insisting on Watson keeping some of her belongings and still maintaining her own space once she returns to Bakers St. Canonically we know Watson had very little when he first met Holmes, but over the years we learn very little about what was his in Baker St. A couple of photos and maybe a writing desk. Once there anything else?
Did he maintain the severe habits learned in the military and kept very little? Or were there things never mentioned.

What I also picked up from this episode pertains to Doyle as much as it does Watson.
Canonically Watson never gives up his practice. In 'Elementary' Watson does.
Historically, although not completely, Doyle gave up most of his medical habits and at times played the detective. Is Joan Watson more like Doyle or more like Watson?

I enjoyed this episode, mostly again for the restrained performance by Miller. The plot was good with a strong supporting cast.

Because it made me think, I can fairly give it;

4 comments:

  1. Joan is not a doctor in this show and is almost as good a detective as Holmes himself. In my opinion, she only shares her last name with Conan Doyle's character.

    B2B.

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    Replies
    1. Well, that's a little harsh for just 'playing the game', but. . .
      Joan started out as a doctor and followed another path, and you are correct that she has not performed as a doctor on the show, but it is referenced and she has used her skill at certain times throughout.
      And as far as just sharing the last name of one of Doyle's characters, well, aren't all actors who play the role doing that? For better or worse.

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    2. "And as far as just sharing the last name of one of Doyle's characters, well, aren't all actors who play the role doing that? For better or worse." - Unfortunately, it tends to be worse as far as most of the recent adaptations are concerned. The Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by the lead actors in both the Guy Ritchie directed movies and the recent Russian Sherlock Holmes TV series only shares his name with Conan Doyle's character. In all other matters, there is not much in common between them.

      Ditto for CBS Elementary. Only BBC Sherlock comes closest to the Canon and even that show takes a lot of liberties....

      B2B.

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    3. Well the point of my points was, and maybe I didn't make it clear enough was; One Elementary has 'Watson' giving up her medical career, where Canonically Watson never does. Two, It seems, for the most part, unlike Watson, Doyle did give up hes medical practice.
      I was not arguing the lack of Canonical norms in any media adaptation.
      If we have to have it perfect to 'play the game', there is no point in watching any media presentation on Holmes. Even Brett was not perfect, nor were the shows he was in.

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