Elementary: You've Come a Long Way, Baby (6x11)

I want Natalie Dormer!!

Cons:

Usually the cases in Elementary contain a degree of subtlety that I really admire. It's not that they're unsolvable and too clever, but they're logical and the way in which the case is solved makes good sense. This case wasn't bad, but the clue that led to the reveal of the murderer was the exact OPPOSITE of subtle. Joan takes the time to point out a secretary's screensaver on her computer, containing pictures of her bulldogs, then later finds out there's a secret contact helping with the smuggling called "the Bulldog." Wow. That was incredibly stupid.

The subplot this week actually disappointed me, despite the focus on Moriarty. See, Morland wants Sherlock to help him kill Moriarty. Sherlock manages to get in touch with Jamie, through an intermediary, and they arrange a ceasefire which will last until Morland dies of old age. This feels like yet another way for this show to push back a meaningful confrontation with the most exciting villain in all of Holmes canon. Of course, we've still got Michael the serial killer floating around out there, so I guess this season will still have a climax... maybe we're saving the dreaded Moriarty for next season? But in that case, why get my hopes up?

Pros:

Despite the really obvious clue drop, I did rather enjoy the case this week. It's fun to see Joan take the lead and so deftly solve a case. Sherlock had very little to do with the case, so Joan, Bell, and Gregson got to make all the connections and do all the detecting. That can be fun to see once in a while. I also like the idea of an undercover agency trying to expose bad guys, but then becoming bad guys in their own right. It was a clever double twist, because at first you get the twist of the NYPD butting heads with an undercover operation, but then you get the later twist that these guys can't be trusted.

I'm disappointed by the delay tactics, but obviously I'm still thrilled we got Moriarty-related material this week. Johnny Lee Miller really knocks it out of the park in the scene where he goes into the cafe, sees one of Moriarty's paintings, and leave his message to the woman behind the counter. There's so much rage and confusion and... excitement? I guess? Warring inside of him. I also like the fact that Sherlock told Joan what was going on right away. I can almost always trust this show not to pull stupid drama involving Joan and Sherlock lying to each other needlessly. Sherlock tells Joan, and Joan reacts with understanding. I like the fact that despite how evil Moriarty is, Joan respects that Sherlock loves her, in a twisted way. She knows it's more complex than a straightforward rivalry.

This is a short review, but there's really not much more to say about this episode. I was disappointed by what I view as another delay to the great Moriarty's return (if, indeed, we ever get to see it). But despite that, we got a decent case-of-the-week, and some great moments between Sherlock and Morland.

8/10