Elementary: Under My Skin (3x21)

An okay case of the week, and an excellent subplot. Let's take a look.

The episode opens with an ambulance getting pulled over. Everybody inside is shot, except for the patient inside, who is driven off with the murderers. Gregson and the team catch the killer pretty much immediately, and he tells them where the patient's body is. It looks like she's been gutted. Pretty quickly, they realize that this girl was an unknowing drug mule. She had what she thought was a bypass surgery to help with her weight, but in reality she was being stuffed full of drugs. They track the operation to a doctor, who at first claims that he was strong-armed by gang members into being involved. Eventually, however, they discover that he's the real culprit.

Meanwhile, Sherlock notices a suspicious man at one of his anonymous meetings. He thinks he's being followed. When he confronts the man again, he learns that he wasn't being followed, but Alfredo is. Turns out, Alfredo got fired from his job working for a certain car security company. He's been breaking into cars protected by this security company in order to get his revenge. Now, they suspect him and have hired a private investigator to track him down. That was the man Sherlock saw at the meetings. Sherlock confronts Alfredo, but Alfredo rudely reminds him that they're not friends - Alfredo is Sherlock's sponsor, and they shouldn't blur the lines between that relationship and friendship. Sherlock is upset by this. He arranges a stunt wherein a lot of the company's cars get hacked and moved, which humiliates the company.

Alfredo is mad at Sherlock for getting involved, but Sherlock has an announcement to make. He and Alfredo are friends. It's true, and there's nothing they can do about it. Sherlock fires Alfredo as his sponsor so they can be friends, and asks Alfredo to help him find a new sponsor.

So... in terms of complaints? I liked the B-plot with Alfredo a lot, but it felt sort of oddly disjointed from the main plot thread of the week. Sherlock would be working on the case, and then he'd periodically just take a timeout to have his little subplot with Alfredo. I wish there could have been a way to connect the two threads more.

That's really only a small complaint, though. I liked the case of the week because the murderer was identified pretty much first thing. There were multiple twists afterward that made things more and more complex and interesting. Joan got a chance to shine, given the fact that doctors were involved. She helped identify the killer by noting the type of material used for stitching up a dead body. I always like when we see her expertise come in handy.

Alfredo is the best. I just loved everything about the subplot, even if it did feel sort of random. I want more Alfredo, and I want it now! My favorite moment was when Alfredo told Sherlock that they weren't friends. It was such an odd thing to see - Sherlock, wanting to be friends with somebody and being shot down? That doesn't happen! And then, in a fantastically Holmesian way, Sherlock comes to the conclusion that they are friends, and that there's nothing more to be said about it. Alfredo sums it up hilariously: "you're firing me so you can be my friend?" Sherlock responds: "yeah." I also loved it when Alfredo asked if he could ask Joan out. Sherlock realizes he's joking right away, but still. Alfredo and Joan? That would be strange!

The episode's funniest moment was definitely when Sherlock was tracking down the guy who was following Alfredo. He confronts the guy at his kid's theatre rehearsal. He threatens that his kid and all his friends will hear the very loud, tragic end of their love affair, unless he speaks. What a creative threat! Sherlock actually stands up, prepared to start wailing through a breakup, but fortunately the guy stops him.

I guess that's all I've got for this one. I'm sorry this review is so short!

8/10