With the newest season of ELEMENTARY to arrive on DVD fans
have the chance to sit back and reflect on that season at their leisure. There
are times when that is the best way to watch the series, studying various clues
and significant moments that will eventually come into play later on in another
episode. One such story involves a man from Joan’s (Lucy Liu) past.
The character of Shinwell (Nelsan Ellis) is one that starts
with fear and moves to mentorship. A former drug dealer and patient of Joan’s
in the past, he has completed his time in prison and returned to the streets.
But rather than go back to his old ways, he’s trying to get his life straight.
What began as a three episode arc ran most of the season as Joan decided to
mentor Shinwell as an investigator much like Holmes had her. While she has high
hopes, Holmes is unconvinced.
The story takes a nice twist when Shinwell makes the
decision to use the skills so far taught to him by Joan and Sherlock and make
amends for his past as a gang member. It involves his going deep undercover
with the gang in the hope of shutting them down completely. But at what costs, his
freedom? His life?
SPOILER ALERT: On the returning front we have Kitty Winter
(Ophelia Lovibond) returning to New York with something neither Joan nor
Sherlock expected, a child. She’s returned not to spring the news on them but
in search of a serial killer that she and Sherlock had worked to catch while in
London.
SPOILER ALERT: And then we have the problems faced by
Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) and the woman he’s becomes involved with,
Chantel (Chasten Harmon). While their romance escalates so does the possibility
of difficulties presented by her ex-husband. When he turns up dead the most
likely suspect is Bell and only the efforts of Joan and Sherlock can set him
free.
Along with these concepts running through various episodes
are the usual lists of crimes that the duo must find solutions for bomb
builders to sexual predators to murdered chefs and base jumpers. The series
never stops doing what it does best, displayed the investigative and attentive
mind of Sherlock as he solves each crime but also adding those same
characteristics to Joan since she has become more partner than mentored
student. It’s been a nice evolution for her character as well as witnessing how
Sherlock adjusts to that as well.
Stand out performances? None. Everyone involved in this
series is tremendous in the roles that they offer. If one had to be chosen it might
be Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock. In part that’s because of the quirks that
make the character so interesting but it’s also from seeing him in other roles
that are inevitably make you compare them. Most notable is his part in the two
TRAINSPOTTING films which have him portraying a character nothing like
Sherlock. There is also the inevitable comparing and contrasting of his
portrayal of the character set against that done by Benedict Cumberbatch in the
BBC series. Both are incredibly enjoyable to watch in their own right with
neither surpassing the other.
The best part about any series of movie involving the
character of Sherlock Holmes is watching and gathering clues on your own as
they are presented each episode. When the reveal finally comes out all of those
clues make sense and you find yourself wondering why you didn’t see it sooner.
The series is incredibly entertaining and one that I hope continues for a long
while. In the meantime I’ll enjoy watching this season over and over again to
find out what I missed the first time around.
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