Elementary: Into the Woods (7x05)

They kept not saying that one guy's name out loud, and I had no idea who it would be... and then... Odin Reichenbach. Okay, then. Not a character from the original stories, but a pretty chilling and pretty pointed reference, all the same!

Cons:

I'm thrilled that this Reichenbach character is connected to the A-plot, but I'll admit I'm kind of frustrated about the Gregson of it all. I was touched to see Gregson and Sherlock patch things up, but annoyed that we didn't get to see Joan's conversation with him. And then now? I'll admit, it's a bit frustrating that things seem to be patched up on that front with so little effort. We haven't seen Hannah all season. The only drama to come out of Gregson's daughter murdering someone, and Gregson covering it up, is that a bad guy has some blackmail on Joan now. That seems a bit disappointing.

The new captain guy has turned into an incredulous exposition machine. At one point in this episode, he literally regurgitated the plot of the case-of-the-week to Joan and Bell, like he was summarizing it for the audience. He seems more skeptical of Joan and Sherlock's methods, but he hasn't actually posed an obstacle for them yet, so he's feeling pretty pointless to me right now.

Pros:

I like that we're continuing with the A-plot. I've been saying for years that a shorter season would help Elementary with its pacing problems, and that does seem to be the case! With fewer episodes, there isn't nearly as much filler. Sure, the show still follows the formula of a procedural. But there's actual progress on the ongoing story in every episode, and that's a wonderful development. One detail I really liked about this episode is how Sherlock and Joan seamlessly switch places. Joan gets pulled in to the Riechenbach situation, and Sherlock is working on the mystery of the poisoned wine. But at one point, Joan is following up a lead in the case-of-the-week, and Sherlock is picking up where he and Joan left off on the investigation for Odin. They play to each other's strengths and share work between them easily.

The case this week was nothing to write home about, but I appreciated the twists and turns, and I always like it when the solution comes as a mix of regular, mundane detective work, and a flash of brilliant deduction from Sherlock. If Bell hadn't done his due diligence and met the bartender, then Sherlock's insight about the bad guy's shoelaces wouldn't have lead anywhere. Sherlock deduced where the first victim had been killed by identifying mud on her leg, but they still had to run tests and perform autopsies to figure out how the hog died. It's a mix of the mundane and the fantastical.

I think Riechenbach could be an interesting adversary. He's actually a bit Moriarty-ish in the traditional sense. A suave manipulator with a web of contacts and spheres of influence. That's always a fun fit for a villain, and it makes this final season of Elementary feel classically Holmesian in a way I quite enjoy. We don't have a ton of information about this guy yet, but so far I'm definitely intrigued.

Before I finish up, I must shout out my favorite scene, and one of my favorite recurring bits on this whole show - Sherlock disrespecting Joan's personal space and waking her up. It gives such a sibling vibe to their relationship that I think it is so fun. This week, Sherlock doesn't do anything particularly creative. He gets a call from Marcus, so he goes into Joan's room, flops down next to her on the bed, and yells "HELLO MARCUS" to wake Joan up. Joan participates in the phone call still half-asleep, then pulls the blanket over her head when the call is over. Delightful.

That's all I've got. As always, I had a lot of fun with Sherlock and Joan, and can't wait to see what's next.

8/10