Elementary: The Latest Model (7x10)

I thought this episode was perfectly average and run-of-the-mill, but not hugely problematic or anything. Let's talk about it!

Cons:

One weakness was that I felt the separation between the case of the week and the over-arching Reichenbach plot more than I usually do. While Joan and Sherlock are working on figuring out who killed a model, they are also dealing with Reichenbach coming to them with a potentially dangerous man, and asking for their confirmation. Both stories on their own have a lot going for them, but they connected so very little that you could have lifted either one and plopped it down in a different episode with no issue. I know that's been true of other episodes this season, but I just really noticed it this time around. I think, despite the shorter length of the season, we're still getting some of that mid-season drag that seems to come in every season of Elementary.

Pros:

The case of the week wasn't anything remarkable, but I did like the escalation of the murders. First, there's a Jane Doe in an alley. As they discover who this woman is, they find that she had a sister who died of a drug overdose ten months previously. But wait - turns out, that was a murder, too. And then in the course of the investigation, they find a private investigator who was trying to figure out how the first victim's sister really died - and he winds up dead, too. As a consequence, the case gets bigger and bigger as it goes. I also liked that the murderer was a clear and present character in the story, who we had set up earlier, and as more evidence came to light, it made sense to point the blame back at her. It was a good mix of mysterious and yet still solvable.

The subplot is where all the good meaty character stuff is, as always. Reichenbach seems to be fascinated with Joan and Sherlock. Last week we had the sinister implication that Odin was going to step in and deal with Joan for interfering, but it appears he has no real desire to do her harm. Instead, he tries one last time to convince them to work with him. And Sherlock does, in a way. He investigates a specific man who Odin suspects is planning a shooting. Sherlock prevents the shooting by the simple expedient of getting into the guy's house and taking his gun. However, the situation ends in tragedy, albeit of an unexpected variety. This guy doesn't shoot up a movie theatre - but he does kill his parents and then himself. Odin blames himself, and Sherlock and Joan as well, for the loss of two innocent lives.

We as the viewing audience know that Odin Reichenbach's Minority Report bullshit is completely crazy. At least, the murder part is. But what makes him an intriguing villain and adversary for our leading duo is that he's not wrong about being able to identify threats based on online activity. How many times have we heard the narrative, after a mass shooting? He was a quiet, unassuming guy, kind of a loner. Oh, but wait - he posted vile, incendiary, violent things online and literally said he was going to kill people. Often, people who are willing and able to commit such acts of atrocity do leaving warning signs before they act. Obviously, killing those people is not the way to go about preventing gun violence. As Elementary often observes, the best way of doing that would be to regulate gun ownership.

I like that Odin seems genuinely upset at what he perceives as a failure and weakness on his part. He was willing to entertain doing things a different way, because he does have a Thanos-esque belief that his actions are justified and ultimately make the world a better place. He's willing to change his process if it means improving outcomes, and getting Sherlock and Joan on his side. But now, after what happened in this particular case, Odin is more certain than ever that his actions are just. I've been enjoying this narrative of a villain courting the heroes to his side, because while we know Sherlock and Joan are not going to be seduced by this man, we also understand that his genuine desire to work with them adds another obstacle in the road to defeating him.

That's all I've got on this one. I can't believe we've only got three new episodes of Elementary left. This show has long held a soft spot for me, despite my general disinterest in procedural cop shows. I hope they stick the landing!

7.5/10