Elementary: Dead Man's Tale (5x18)

A really solid episode, actually! I enjoyed the case of the week more than I usually do, and the Shinwell plot took a very sharp turn that I'm extremely excited about.

Cons:

It's possible that the case of the week, which involved hidden pirate's treasure, took a few too many turns. There were so many suspects, so many new pieces of information, that it got a little convoluted. We've got the discovery of the body in a storage unit, the reveal that the victim was stealing stuff from dead people without heirs, the revelation about a notorious pirate's captain's log, the back-and-forth about the ship wreck and who got to it first... it just got a little messy in places.

Pros:

But that's a small complaint, because I actually liked the way the plot dipped in and out of so many different possibilities. There were several points where people flat-out confessed to pieces of the mystery, having no idea about the larger case going on around it. And hidden treasure is always a fun concept for a show like this. Lots of great moments of dialogue, particularly from Gregson and Bell, as the gang navigated this world of illicit artifact sales, salvage expeditions, and more. I loved the moment when Bell talked about the Ark of the Covenant, and Sherlock replied "that's in a warehouse in Yemen." Priceless. If anybody would know, it would be Sherlock.

And then you've got the subplot. Which, wow. Sherlock is now convinced that Shinwell is a cold-blooded murderer. Joan doesn't want to believe it, but after listening to the testimony of Shinwell's victim's little brother, she's forced to admit that she's brought a murderer into their lives. Sherlock and Joan butt heads about what to do from here. Joan thinks that Shinwell is the lesser of two evils - he wants to work to take out SPK, so they should let him do that. Sherlock, meanwhile, knows that Shinwell is only out of prison because he, Sherlock, suppressed the fact that he broke parole. Anything that Shinwell does, it's on Sherlock's head. It's a delicious conflict.

There's something so cold about Joan's assessment that Shinwell can be a means to an end. It's hard to hear her talk like that. But... does she have a point? And Sherlock can take such a hard line about things. I agree with him in this case, but it seems that sometimes he projects his self-loathing on to other people in order to justify his own behaviors.

This episode ends with something of a cliffhanger. Shinwell shows up and knocks Sherlock down, kicking him repeatedly and warning him to stay away. Shinwell reveals that SPK tricked him into thinking that his friend was a traitor, and that that's why he shot him all those years ago. And now, he's determined to take down SPK no matter what it takes. Sherlock and Joan better steer clear.

This is intense. Shinwell leaves Sherlock lying on the sidewalk, and ostensibly he'll be okay, and be able to go home and tell Joan what's going on. But Sherlock and Joan have such different ideas about what to do, so there's bound to be more tension. Will Joan still want Shinwell to help bring down SPK, or will his attack on Sherlock be enough to convince her he needs to be behind bars? And... should Shinwell be behind bars? Is he the lesser of two evils? I mean, yes... but still. I love questions like this, were I really don't know what I think the answer should be. This is Elementary at its finest.

I guess that's it for this one. I'm bummed at the thought of this show possibly ending, but happy that we still have some gems like this episode in the chamber. I can't wait to see what happens next with Shinwell!

9.5/10