Elementary: Ears to You (2x17)

Lestrade continues to mix things up in this latest episode of Elementary, and Sherlock and Joan help in solving a very mysterious case. Let's get straight into the story.

A man named Gordon Cushing receives a package containing two severed ears, with a note saying the ears belong to his wife. Several years ago, Gordon's wife disappeared, and everyone thought he had killed her. They had been unable to prove it, but the stigma of it all has been following him around for several years. Joan and Sherlock are on the case. Along the way are the typical twists and turns... Sarah Cushing turns up alive, and with both of her ears, to boot. A few twists later, and it turns out that Sarah had ears grown out of her own back with help from her new husband, a plastic surgeon. She was then able to try and extort ransom money out of her old husband.

In subplot news, Lestrade is still living at the bunker, and he's driving Sherlock crazy. Although Lestrade has been getting lots of offers, he doesn't have the confidence to take a new job, because he thinks he's hopeless without Sherlock. Joan tries to help him out. Lestrade goes out and gets drunk, and ends up getting mugged. Joan is angry that he's been drinking around Sherlock, but she gets him some files on the mugger and encourages him to work on the case. Lestrade does so, and actually manages to find the mugger very easily. So easily, in fact, that he believes Sherlock set the whole thing up to give him his confidence. He tells Sherlock that he didn't fall for his little trick, but Lestrade still takes a new job anyway. Sherlock tells Joan that he honestly didn't interfere, and has no idea what Lestrade is talking about.

I'll start by saying that the case was sort of dull. It started off really good, actually - I was very interested in the ears, and in this man who insisted he wasn't guilty, and also that he had fallen out of love with his wife long before she disappeared. He seemed like a very interesting character. But then it just turned out to be a stupid plastic surgery plot. I feel like they had something really good going, and then they squandered the opportunity.

The subplot was a lot of fun, though. Lestrade is a really interesting character. He's done a lot of bad things and yet I still have real sympathy for him. I think my favorite little detail from the whole episode is when Joan gets mad at Lestrade for his drinking. She has this moment of true panic for Sherlock's well being, and it just reminds me that Joan will probably never stop being Sherlock's sober companion, at least in part.

Other little details that I enjoyed: Romulus and Remus. Joan already went back on her word not to feed them! There was also a lovely little moment when Sherlock and Joan are going to go interrogate someone, but Lestrade shows up to the precinct so Joan tells Sherlock to go ahead without her. Sherlock looks concerned and more than a little disappointed that Joan won't be going with him. So sweet!

Wow, this is a very brief review... sorry about that... I've been pretty busy lately. It's probably best that I keep these short. The main plot was a bit shrug-worthy, but the stuff with Lestrade was good, and I always enjoy Joan and Sherlock's relationship.

7.5/10