Elementary: To Catch a Predator Predator (5x05)

I actually wasn't as big a fan of this episode as I have been the last couple. It wasn't anything terrible, but it just sort of passed me by.

Cons:

The main case was about sexual predators and cat-fishing. The whole thing was just unpleasant. We've seen many stories where Sherlock feels morally superior to the people he's investigating, but often it's because the people are wealthy businessmen who don't care about the little man. There's some real honor in rejecting wealth. Being disgusted with perverts is not exactly a stretch, though. Of course they all hate men who prey on teenage girls. But what did we learn?

The end result of the case was that a victim of sexual assault was the murderer. As far as twists go, it was fairly well executed. I, like Sherlock, rather liked the girl who ended up guilty. But it felt like such a dissatisfying way to end things. I wanted to lock up some monsters, not a young woman who went through terrible trauma as a child. I get that we're not always going to get a happy ending wrapped up in a bow, but this conclusion left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

Pros:

All that being said, I did appreciate the twists and turns in the main case, as the story kept me guessing until the very end without being unnecessarily opaque. We had multiple layers of people trying to catch bad guys, people trying to catch the people who were catching bad guys, people using the "predator predators" for their own motives, and various levels of guilt and culpability. There was something very effective about not knowing which of the involved parties was a predator and which were vigilantes.

And also, speaking of Sherlock being morally superior, I loved the moment when he cat-fished somebody for information, and said he didn't feel bad about the deception on account of this woman's character. Turns out, she wants to open a new Ayn Rand society because the New York chapter is "too charitable." Ha! I wouldn't feel bad about cat-fishing somebody like that, either!

The subplot was more captivating. It involved Joan trying to help Shinwell find a job. He's not having much luck, so Joan has the idea of training him to be a detective. Sherlock thinks it won't work, and he turns out to be right. Shinwell just doesn't think it's the right job for him. As the episode ends, we see that somebody from Shinwell's past, ostensibly somebody with a criminal background, is sniffing around. He doesn't seem thrilled that Shinwell is hanging around a "cop." Uh oh!

I liked this plot thread barbecues it continued to explore the tension between Joan and Sherlock. Joan wants to train somebody else to her profession, while Sherlock thinks of the work they do as a "calling." Joan wants to give Shinwell a chance, while Sherlock reminds her of his earlier failure as a teacher: "You're referring to Kitty. Kitty, who never graduated, burned a man's face off and fled the country?" Joan: "she had a lot of baggage." Sherlock, referring to Shinwell: "And he doesn't?!"

These conflicts are not enough to break up their partnership, or even to seriously rock the boat. But they serve as a continual reminder that Joan and Sherlock have some fundamentally differing beliefs about their lives and their purposes. It keeps things interesting to have these differences teased out.

The intrigue with Shinwell continues to grow. I've actually started to care about him and wish for his success, so this added drama of a fellow criminal coming around to make life difficult for him is actually pretty upsetting. Hopefully we get lots more of Shinwell and his connection to Joan in the future.

That's all, folks.

7/10