Elementary: Risk Management (1x22)

This episode was full of tension and seemed like a wonderful build to what I already know will be an amazing final few episodes.

The case-of-the-week element was virtually nonexistent there, since the case that Sherlock was working on was all funneled through a drive for more information on Moriarty. Sherlock and Joan hardly cared about the actual case, but only wanted to know how to  get closer to the truth.

I'm only going to speak briefly about this one, mostly because I know that the end of the season has already aired and I'd like to catch up at some point. In all honesty, I think this episode was perfect for what it was trying to be: a buildup.

As such, it really only works as the first act to a three-act structure that will be continued in the last two episodes. It makes it a bit difficult for me to review it independently. However, as a first act, it was awesome!

The case was pretty simple: Moriarty tells Sherlock to investigate the death of a man, and that once he does, Moriarty will reveal more information to him. We get all sorts of twisty plot elements, such as a tracked cellphone, and dead sisters, and plots for revenge, all of which were passably interesting, but it wasn't really where the focus of the episode was.

Sherlock, understandably, is quite obsessed with the idea of finding out more about Moriarty, and Joan wants to help. The focus of the episode was actually this interesting dynamic between Joan, Gregson, and Sherlock, wherein the two men try to protect Joan from getting pulled too deeply in, but she is having none of it. Gregson pulls Joan aside and talks to her about how dangerous Sherlock is, and the following conversation takes place:

Joan asks Gregson if he is "trying to get rid of" her, and says "are you unhappy with my work?"

Gregson says of course not, but that he wants to protect her... when Joan points out that Gregson should be worried for himself, he says that he carries a gun, and Watson cuts in with "and a penis."

Gregson: "You think this is about you being a woman?... No one is closer to [Sherlock] than you are." That puts her in danger, but Joan is insistent that Sherlock needs her. Then Gregson has a fantastic line:

"Guys like him, they walk between the raindrops, they don't get wet. People like you do."

Later, Joan has to have a similar conversation with Sherlock, wherein he says he wants to protect her, but Joan is angry because she wants to be treated as a partner - as equals.

Basically, Joan kicks some ass in this episode. She stands up for herself, and really establishes how personal this has become for her. While we know of course why Sherlock is personally tied to the mysteries of Moriarty, it's nice to have this affirmation that Joan has personal stakes here as well. It adds this whole new dynamic to their relationship.

And then of course there's the ending. Seeing Irene wasn't exactly a shock for the audience members as a whole, but Johnny Lee Miller's outstanding acting made me feel his shock and pain and happiness and sadness and general panic all at once. I was really pleased with the work he did in this episode, and even though I've seen spoilers about the finale of the season, I'm still excited to see how things with Irene end up.

I know this review is embarrassingly short for such a complex and good episode, but I'm falling asleep and I really wanted to get this out there. Like I said before, this is a great Act 1, and I think that Joan's development was particularly good.

9/10