Elementary 1.20
Apr. 28th, 2013 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakI'm sitting in a train, supposedly there are children playing on the railroad ahead, which means delays of uncertain duration, which means time to write my Elementary review after finally having managed to watch the latest episode earlier this afternoon.
This one actually tackled a Doyle case (of sorts) via Charles Augustus Milverton the blackmailer, but while Holmes' loathing of blackmail was good to see (and not news, see earlier cases where someone was exploited), the "meat" of the episode was in the unique-to-Elementary ongoing subplot/ narrative of Holmes as a recovering addict. I was thrilled we saw Alfredo once more (two eps in a row), and even more thrilled this time we saw him acting specifically as Sherlock's sponsor. (Show, not tell is always best.) Moreover, the Joan and Sherlock scenes around the topic of his one year sobriety anniversary adressed something else important, that she's not his sober companion anymore, which means new boundaries around addiction questions, but otoh of course she still is very aware of anything touching the topic. Saying he was right and backing of but offering to be there for conversation if he wants to talk was the right choice.
Holmes' later admission that back in the day, after he had decided to check himself in for rehab, he had a relapse one day later, and how much that humiliated and disconcerted him both fits with Holmes specifically - long in denial about needing help from other people, clinging to the idea he can kick a drug habit whenever he wants, because he's Holmes - and with the in depth way this show deals with drug addiction and the aftermath. The respect it has for the programms that get so often mocked in pop culture. For sponsors like Alfredo and sobriety companions like Joan. Alfredo telling Sherlock that the anniversary ritual wasn't about him so much as it was for the other addicts, to help them and encourage them, being a case in point. And then Joan finds a present that is perfect and specific, and I just love their friendship to bits.
On the non drug recovery front, I also loved the scene with Holmes and Gregson, wherein Holmes lays out the problem the anouncement of Milverton's death could cause. These two had a long way to go after the relationship got shattered by what Holmes did to Moran and his lack of apology afterwards, and rightly so, but now I think we're back to emotional intimacy, not least because Gregson can see Holmes is acting out of concern for the victims here, and because he's not lied to but told what is going on from the get go.
In conclusion: only a few more eps until the season is over, and then the waiting until the next one will be horrible because I've grown to love these characters so damm much, and this ep only reinforced why.
This one actually tackled a Doyle case (of sorts) via Charles Augustus Milverton the blackmailer, but while Holmes' loathing of blackmail was good to see (and not news, see earlier cases where someone was exploited), the "meat" of the episode was in the unique-to-Elementary ongoing subplot/ narrative of Holmes as a recovering addict. I was thrilled we saw Alfredo once more (two eps in a row), and even more thrilled this time we saw him acting specifically as Sherlock's sponsor. (Show, not tell is always best.) Moreover, the Joan and Sherlock scenes around the topic of his one year sobriety anniversary adressed something else important, that she's not his sober companion anymore, which means new boundaries around addiction questions, but otoh of course she still is very aware of anything touching the topic. Saying he was right and backing of but offering to be there for conversation if he wants to talk was the right choice.
Holmes' later admission that back in the day, after he had decided to check himself in for rehab, he had a relapse one day later, and how much that humiliated and disconcerted him both fits with Holmes specifically - long in denial about needing help from other people, clinging to the idea he can kick a drug habit whenever he wants, because he's Holmes - and with the in depth way this show deals with drug addiction and the aftermath. The respect it has for the programms that get so often mocked in pop culture. For sponsors like Alfredo and sobriety companions like Joan. Alfredo telling Sherlock that the anniversary ritual wasn't about him so much as it was for the other addicts, to help them and encourage them, being a case in point. And then Joan finds a present that is perfect and specific, and I just love their friendship to bits.
On the non drug recovery front, I also loved the scene with Holmes and Gregson, wherein Holmes lays out the problem the anouncement of Milverton's death could cause. These two had a long way to go after the relationship got shattered by what Holmes did to Moran and his lack of apology afterwards, and rightly so, but now I think we're back to emotional intimacy, not least because Gregson can see Holmes is acting out of concern for the victims here, and because he's not lied to but told what is going on from the get go.
In conclusion: only a few more eps until the season is over, and then the waiting until the next one will be horrible because I've grown to love these characters so damm much, and this ep only reinforced why.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-28 10:02 pm (UTC)Holmes as recovering addict: Out of a pack of excellent portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, he's my favorite Holmes to date. And your summary of the episode lines up with my own feelings, especially how much I'll miss the show until next fall.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-29 05:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-29 06:14 pm (UTC)Another interesting note, I thought, was the vigilante revenge killing story (especially since it had a Holmes-Gregson scene, and they fall out over exactly that). Gregson is initially very sympathetic, but then it turns out that the vigilante is also the blackmailer. This show seems to consistently take a dim view of people taking the law into their own hands, especially men on women's behalf.
I haven't read the original story for a while, but originally it was one of the blackmailer's female victims that offed him, was it not? And Holmes let her get away with it. (I'm possibly mixing it up with another case).
no subject
Date: 2013-04-30 05:26 am (UTC)This show seems to consistently take a dim view of people taking the law into their own hands, especially men on women's behalf.
Quite true, and unusual in that during the last decades, there were more and more shows where the vigilante approach was presented as superior. But not here.