Elementary Review 02 x 21 – The Man With the Twisted Lip
Reviewed by Liz Giorgi
Being Geek Chic For The Baker Street Babe
I would like to make a personal appeal to you today. If you…
Haven’t been watching Elementary.
Have been comparing every episode of Elementary to BBC’s Sherlock.
Have only watched the show with vague interest.
Is this you?
Pay attention. Turn on The Man With the Twisted Lip. Void your mind of any reference to Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Consider Doyle’s original stories and his creation of a character whose love of opiates both gives him a different perspective on the world and drags him into an underworld (both mentally and physically).
But most importantly… And this is worth bolding: Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu are as effective a duo as any in the history of Doyle adaptations and it would be a shame to miss it.
“I am without a peer.” It’s a lonely and dramatic statement, but this is what Sherlock Holmes believes is his greatest impediment to remaining sober. In the opening moments of this episode, Holmes establishes his singular existence in a very distinct way. He is alone in his skill. He is alone in his work. And he is not connecting with others. Don’t misunderstand. He works with others. He values the skills of others. Clearly, even in Joan he sees a partner, but not a peer. As a viewer, it’s a bit hard to relate. But as a person, if one is to tap into their deepest loneliness, it’s clear why this feeling plagues Sherlock. No one wants to be the ONLY.
This story is named after one of Doyle’s favorite stories, but the similarities are minute. A fellow NA member asks Joan and Holmes for help finding her sister, who is a former addict and has mysteriously gone missing. This is just about the only similarity between the original story and the 21st episode in the second season of Elementary. But the path it takes us down is so bizarre, so modern and so unnerving that it’s worth it. Drones are everywhere. They’re killing innocent bystanders (in the case of our missing former drug addict), monitoring conversations and even taking the shape of mosquitoes. And while the case is interesting and definitely worth watching, I’d rather focus my attention on another issue altogether.
Elementary has set up the weirdest love triangle in the history of television. Mycroft wants to dates Watson. Watson think she might like Mycroft. Holmes doesn’t want Watson to date Mycroft. Watson thinks Holmes is being disrespectful. Mycroft thinks Holmes is selfishly hoarding Watson. And somehow, it’s ENTIRELY unsexy. There is no chemistry between Liu and Ifans and while they’re both talented actors, it just reads as an attempt to irritate Sherlock, not like an honest mutual attraction. I kept hoping it would just be over already. But the setup is worth it for one reason: Holmes is forced to acknowledge that while Watson is not quite his peer, she understands him in a more meaningful way than anyone else in his life. And that, is worth respect and acknowledgement.
I’ll save you the spoilers of where this episode went, because the final moments are worth experiencing for yourself. But suffice it to say, I think we’re about to find out JUST how important Watson really is to both the Holmes brothers.
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. 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