Elementary: Art in the Blood (2x23)

After such a fantastic episode last week, I was hoping for another great installment this time around. Unfortunately... well, let's take a look and then we can talk about it.

So, we start off with Sherlock going to Bell and Gregson, still in full panic mode about Joan. Then... he gets a phone call from her! Joan tells him that she's at home, and to come straight there. He does, to confront his brother. Mycroft explains that he's British Intelligence. Sherlock is shocked that his brother could have hid this from him all these years, and is furious that his deceit put Joan in such a dangerous situation.

Sherlock then goes to meet Mycroft's fellow MI6 agents, and they ask for Sherlock's help with a case, in exchange for their help in saving Joan's life. The case is as follows: a former operative of MI6 named West, who had gone somewhat off the grid due to his paranoid delusions, was insisting he had more information to give British Intelligence. West then turned up dead. MI6 wants Sherlock to figure out if there's anything more going on. It turns out there is: when they go to examine West's body in the morgue, they discover his arms have been removed.

Their investigation leads them to discover that West had invisible tattoos put on his arms. He said the information was vitally important. His ex-wife is the one who tattooed him. Meanwhile, Joan tells Mycroft they have no future together, but then Mycroft explains why he got involved with MI6 in the first place: back while Sherlock was heavy into drugs, he had inadvertently helped a terrorist evade the British Government. Sherlock was facing heavy jail time, but Mycroft was offered a deal. If he got involved in MI6, they would leave Sherlock alone. Joan and Mycroft sleep together.

The police find the gun that killed West, and it contains a good set of prints. Sherlock recognizes a distinctive scar on the prints, and realizes that they are Mycroft's. He rushes over to Mycroft's place to find Joan there. He demands that Mycroft flee, saying that it's clear he's being framed for murder.

So... complaints?

Why the hell did Joan and Mycroft fall into bed together? This whole episode, I was really happy with the way their relationship was playing out: Joan is furious at Mycroft. Joan tells Mycroft that they have no future, because he kept so many secrets. Joan finds out that Mycroft only kept those secrets for Sherlock's sake. All of this I like. I don't mind Joan forgiving Mycroft, or at the very least understanding his actions. What I do mind is why that means they suddenly have to sleep together.

Look, I'm not against Joan/Mycroft as a pairing because I don't think Rhys Ifans is attractive. I know a lot of people have been throwing that around. I couldn't care less about that. What I do care about is that Joan and Mycroft have no chemistry. Seriously. Both of these actors are phenomenal at what they do, but when you stick them in a room together, their dynamism and energy is just sucked away. They are not well matched as actors, and it really, really shows. And from a story point of view, there doesn't seem to be any reason for them to get together. It's all about Sherlock. Seriously. What does their relationship do for Joan's character? She couldn't have picked a man more tied up in Sherlock's life if she tried. For real. Maybe she should date Bell or something. I'm sorry I'm going on a rant about this, but it seriously annoys me.

But there were a lot of fantastic elements to this episode, and they should not be ignored.

First of all, Sherlock's reaction to finding out that Joan is okay. He seemed so shaken. He didn't even know what to do with himself. He gets right up in her face and just stares at her for a good fifteen seconds, drinking in the sight of her. And later, he apologizes to her for what happened, and starts to say "if anything were to happen to you - " His worry is tangible, and it's so great to see.

On the flip side of this, Joan is just trying to find a way to move forward with her life. She doesn't want to dwell on her experience. She wants to work, and move towards recovering. She also wants to move out of the Brownstone. I really hope she goes through with this, and they can start a new chapter of their relationship, where Sherlock can learn to be okay without her, and Joan can find a life outside of him.

Then there's the ending to this episode. God bless you, Sherlock Holmes. I mean, you've made a hell of a lot of mistakes, but instantly knowing your brother had been framed? Love it. It was a well executed fake out. At first, I was sure that Sherlock was storming in to confront Mycroft for what he had done. And then... he tells him he's being framed, and that they all need to run. I love it. Such a great moment for their relationship. Obviously they have a very tumultuous brotherhood, but Sherlock has enough trust and knowledge of Mycroft to know where the lines are drawn. That's delightful.

Bottom line? I'm annoyed at the direction of the Mycroft/Joan relationship. I think it's coming across very awkwardly, and it's not working at all. But still, I'm very anxious for the finale!

7.5/10