Elementary #5 - a review

I really liked this episode and I think all the characters involved are really growing with the show.

I think of all the canonical cases that could be captured in any of the shows, this episode probably had the least amount (so far)  of identifiable  individual canonical stories, while at the same time offering many 'traits' we have become so use to in the tales

We have reference to Holmes' bee keeping interests.
We have Holmes barricading himself in the hospital room to keep others from destroying evidence by trampling all over it.
His knowledge of chemistry and biology is wonderfully done in the exchange with Watson over dinner plans of sushi.
We see a display of his lack of concern or respect for ones social standing by his treatment of the head doctor and the hospital administrator.
The experimenting on a corpse.
And probably a few I have missed.

Throughout the canon, it has often been argued, that Holmes would not exist without Watson and, of course, that Watson would not exist without Holmes.
I think this episode displays this better than any others so far.
Lucy Liu's Watson is always a grounding force for Holmes, being perhaps his only real touch with reality. Miller's Holmes is played well as a socially immature individual who would probably not really find his true potential without Watson's guidance.
Lucy Liu's Watson, unfortunately could not use Afghanistan as the place where she received her wounds, so the writers devised a closer to home source for the injuries.
When we read the canon, we learn that Watson is an emotional wreck when first he encounters Holmes, and throughout the tales Watson gradually heals and goes back into practice.
Liu's Watson is suffering emotional injuries from occurrences in her career, and slowly throughout these early episodes we see Holmes, whether intentually or not, helping Watson deal with those wounds.
I felt this episode really handled that well.

I also think some of Holmes' skills at observation and deduction are really being handle well in some of the more comical exchanges throughout the show.