Elementary: The One That Got Away (3x12)

Oh my God I cried. I literally, literally cried. I rarely cry when watching TV, and I've certainly never gotten this emotional over this show before, but my goodness. This was depressing. Let's just jump in, shall we?

Joan and Sherlock talk about Del Gruner, wondering if he could possibly be Kitty's rapist. Del calls Joan and fires her, which is certainly suspicious. The NYPD tries to question Del, connecting him to the scene of Kitty's rape, and questioning him about his broken fingers. However, Del has excuses for all of the coincidences, and the case doesn't go anywhere. Sherlock and Joan start looking into other potential victims of Del's, trying to find a way to conclusively connect him to some of the cases.

They come across a woman named Tabitha Laird, who seems to be suspiciously connected to Del in some way. Joan goes to a charity gala and taunts Del about what she suspects, and Del gets especially angry when Tabitha comes over. Something is clearly going on with this woman. Sherlock puts it together - Tabitha Laird's son was adopted. He's the biological child of Del Gruner and one of his victims. If they can prove the biological connection, Del will be caught for sure.

However, they can't find Del. Turns out, Kitty has him. Earlier, Kitty had told Sherlock she was leaving to go back to London, but she actually stayed around. She kidnaps Del and brings him to a warehouse. She has him tied up and is planning on torturing and killing him. Sherlock knew that Kitty never really left New York, due to a tracking device on her phone. He finds Kitty and talks to her. He tells her that she saved him, and that they will always be friends, no matter what Kitty decides to do with Del. Kitty doesn't kill Del, but she does burn his face off and leave him for the police to find. This time, she really does leave New York, calling Sherlock from the airport to say goodbye.

We also get flashbacks to when Sherlock and Kitty first met. Sherlock saw something special in Kitty and wanted to help her learn to be a detective. However, after pushing her too hard, Kitty leaves in anger, saying she wants nothing more to do with Sherlock. Later, Kitty shows up and apologizes for leaving. She wants Sherlock to keep training her. Sherlock, who had been on the verge of a relapse, resolves to continue training Kitty, and he throws the pack of heroin he had stolen long ago into the fire, recommitted to his sobriety.

So, I don't think I really have complaints, if I'm honest. There's just one thing: is that really the end of Kitty? Are we not going to see her again? God, I hope not. I loved her to death! Having her around really added something new and special to the show. Even if we don't see her for a while, I do hope she eventually comes back.

Honestly, this episode was just everything I ever could have hoped for. The biggest draw for me was the relationship between Kitty and Sherlock. My God, does this tug at the heartstrings. I wasn't expecting to feel so strongly about the two of them, but WOW. There's one moment that really encompasses how I feel about their relationship. While they're talking on the phone, Kitty says to Sherlock: "You know what I haven't said to anyone in a really long time? I love you. Isn't that the saddest thing?" OUCH. God, what a perfect moment. And the look on Sherlock's face was just enough to break your heart.

The other touching moment was in the flashbacks, when Kitty came back to continue working with Sherlock. Sherlock is sitting alone, crying, when Kitty shows up. Serious kudos to Johnny Lee Miller, for some of the best crying I've ever see on camera. It was a real punch to the gut. The fact that he was so close to relapsing was a bit shocking to me, but it does make sense in retrospect. Sherlock tells Kitty that she saved him, and I think that's truer than Kitty initially realizes. If she hadn't shown up that night, he very likely would have relapsed.

Also, I liked the way the case was solved. There weren't too many convoluted steps along the way, but there were still some twists and turns, and when I found out about Del's son, I was genuinely shocked. I do feel really bad for that Tabitha lady. What a shock for her!

Then there's Joan. She didn't have a ton to do in this episode, but I liked the way that her love for Kitty was also apparent. Even though she didn't have any scenes with Kitty, you could just see Joan's feelings of connection for her shining through. She was angry that she had been duped by Del, and when she talks to Sherlock about it, he tells her: "join the club," now that they've both been manipulated by psychopaths. Joan also asks Sherlock for assurances that Kitty is okay, but doesn't push for more information about what happened between them. That's what's so great about Joan, though. She knows when to be there and when to back off. She doesn't let jealousy cloud her feelings. She knows that there are things about Sherlock she can never understand or share.

God, this was a good episode. It had me weeping by the end. I don't even know what to say, except for that this was the best episode of Elementary I've seen in a long time, and I can't wait for more. If this is the end of Kitty, I'm going to miss her terribly!

9.5/10