Elementary Review: 02 x 13 – All In The Family
Reviewed by Liz Giorgi
Being Geek Chic For The Baker Street Babes
Let’s solve a mystery this week, friends. Why bring Moriarty back and then just pretend like she never showed up at all? After her return last week, I was hopeful the season would be headed in a new direction that acknowledged both the difficult dynamic of loving someone who is definably evil and the changed relationship between Holmes and everyone around him because he is clearly capable of this deep love. And yet, this week, it’s like it never happened. I get that she might be back in future weeks, but because we know it’s not the end, this week feels like filler.
Moriarty’s return wasn’t the only huge missed opportunity. Holmes and Watson are having a hard time developing working relationships with the other members of the NYPD. It turns out Detective Bell is missed in more ways than one now that he has taken on a new role in a counter-terrorism unit. It gives the show a reason to bring him back, but not on a counter-terrorism case, which is a bummer. I was hoping for hacking and patterns and data – a real chance to show another side of Holmes’s incredible mind. Despite this, it was great to see Bell again, especially out in the field and working alongside others. Holmes latches onto a bit of hope that he can get involved in this new mafia case Bell is investigating and maybe repair the relationship between the two for a bit. If things go really well, perhaps he and Bell can even work together again in the long-term.
The case itself is kind of hokey, though. It’s one you’d expect to come up at least once a year from a crime procedural: a dirty cop is helping out the mob. Ugh. It’s expected, but it’s not much fun.
The only real highlight this week was a particularly emotional scene between Holmes and Bell when Holmes confronts the Detective for not having enough faith in himself to complete physical therapy for his tremor, which was brought on by a bullet he took for Holmes. Bell claims he isn’t ready to forgive Holmes, but the truth is, he isn’t ready to move on himself. Holmes knows friendship isn’t the end goal here, but rather, getting Bell back on the streets. He’s a talented and much needed member of the NYPD, working alongside Holmes and Watson or not. Bell says it’s not as easy for everyone else as it is for Holmes. He could not be more wrong. So when Holmes shouts that he is a drug addict who also had to overcome some serious personal doubts to be a functioning member of the team, we all know it’s true. Jonny Lee Miller is astoundingly vulnerable in the scene and a delight to watch. The producers did the scene a real service by leaving it unscored, so all the quiet silences between the two hang in the air with tension and fear.
The upside is that by the end of the episode, Bell is done reviewing patterns behind a desk and back working as a field officer. It’s unclear whether his tremor is better or if he can shoot a gun, but my guess is, he’s right where he belongs.
Did I mention Holmes is wearing a bow tie in the first shot of the episode? Yeah, that was the other highlight. I know, I know, grasping. But still, it was adorable and charming and it turns out, I like a polished Holmes quite a bit.
Liz Giorgi is the Baker Street Babes’ Elementary Guru and runs the fantastic nerdy blog Being Geek Chic. You can find her former reviews of Elementary here on her site.
She’s a writer and filmmaker based in Minneapolis. She’s also a contributor for Apartment Therapy and The Mary Sue.
You can contact her at elizabeth@beinggeekchic.com and follow her on Twitter @lizgiorgi
