Elementary 2.01

[selenak]

Not only am I back (not yet at my place, but in Bamberg with the APs, but still), I am reunited with my favourite version of Holmes & Watson (bar the originals).



First of all, a little nitpick: the only reason why Joan and Sherlock are in a taxi upon their arrival in London that I can see is so the episode can get in a few predictable touristy sight shots to signal that yes, not in New York anymore. Because no matter whether they arrived at Heathrow of Stansted, you just don't take the cab from any of the airports around London. You go either by tube or by the express train they correctly use at the end of the episode when they leave again. (It's astronomically expensive otherwise. Also, we do know they came straight from the airport because it's only after the Scotland Yard & Penny meetings that they go to 221 b for the first time. So: call me anal, but that just irked.

On to the fun. This was a clever twist on Lestrade. Now the competent Sherlock version is actually my favourite thing about Sherlock, but you know, while it's been years and years that I've read the ACD canon, I do recall that upon their original introduction in the novels, Gregson is the competent policeman while Lestrade in the very first SH novel is described as getting the credit for Holmes' work. In a scenario where there is only of them around, I'm all for being that one being a competent cop, because otherwise you have the unpleasant "super genius versus stupid coppers" juxtaposition, but having established Gregson already, Elementary could take up the Doyle thing of Lestrade originally having taken credit for Holmes' work and give it an Elementary twist. To wit, it's not that Lestrade is stupid or incompetent (the show is careful to let him be the one who recognizes the name of the 3 D print comissioner, plus of course he's proven right in his original deduction that Penny killed his wife), it's that he is addicted to the glamour and media attention that can come with being a brilliant detective. And then the show ties this with its general addiction red thread; the somewhat wiser Holmes who has gone through rehab and has befriended Joan Watson recognizes the parallels and also that helping an addict doesn't mean enabling, au contraire. As Joan points out at the end, the shoe now sits on the other foot for the first time for him, since our series also lets there be genuine affection between him and Lestrade.

Sidenote: while Mycroft can't know about Gregson and Bell, never having met either of them and having lost contact to Sherlock before they became a factor, I would still dispute his claim that Watson is Holmes' first friend (as opposed to colleague), based on Elementary canon alone, because predating Joan, we got Rhys (a dealer makes a dangerous friend, but the emotional tie between them was shown as quite real), Alistair (I'm not as fond of him as other Elementary fans, but he's been established as knowing Sherlock from childhood onwards), and Ms. Hudson (though I guess the same thing applies to her as it does to Gregson - Mycroft never met her).

Speaking of Mycroft: this version shares little with most other Mycrofts, though there is the nod to original Mycroft's being fat by letting Sherlock harp on the fact this Mycroft used to be, before the weight loss that turns out to be a Joan-deduced plot point. (Also, is that Sean "Son of the Third Doctor" Pertwee?) But while I like my Diogenes Club based murky hinted at spymaster Mycrofts as well as they come, I think I can like gourmet!Mycroft who owns several restaurants and can cook as well. Especially since for a change, the twist on why these Brothers Holmes bicker turns out to be not something that Mycroft has done but that Sherlock has done. Which I find psychologically plausible - Sherlock being an ass because he knows he was in the wrong there, I mean, and getting back to normal when Mycroft finally does something to him.

Sherlock and Joan are a smoothly working team at that point, and I really appreciate the show keeps its record of uniting Joan the floroushing detective with Joan the former sober companion and Joan the former surgeon, i.e. all her skills are being used in the ep. And their repartee is as much fun as ever. Welcome back, team!

Comments

[sabra_n]

Ha, all I could think during that cab ride was, "I bet that's not even the route to The Met." (As it turns out, I was wrong! It really is right in the vicinity of Trafalgar Square and Westminster and such.) But maybe they took the train before they got in a cab to go the rest of the way? Or something?

Mass transit pickiness: Deeply important to me.

[selenak]

I knew it actually was the right toute because I'd walked it this April when I was in London.:) But the cab thing bothered me. Your suggestion makes sense, though - the cab from the train station works! (Still expensive, but affordable.)

[aris_tgd]

That was totally Sean Pertwee; I always love seeing him in things. Even his barely-adequate-by-no-fault-of-his-own Macbeth. ;)

[jesuswasbatman]

In the taxi scene they start off passing Buckingham Palace and end up at Scotland Yard. Thing is those are both on the north side of the Thames, and in between they are crossing Westminster Bridge from south to north towards Parliament. Which really makes no sense. (Although it would be quite rational to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and a taxi from there to New Scotland Yard, instead of carrying luggage on the Underground. But a taxi from Paddington to New Scotland Yard still wouldn't pass Buckingham Palace.) ETA: According to Google Maps the most direct road route from Paddington to Scotland Yard would pass Buck House, but no way would it involve crossing the Thames.

Also, unless there is a change in location that isn't really implied in the show, New Scotland Yard appears to be on the north bank of the Thames somewhere near Tower Bridge and the Greater London Authority building. Which is definitely not true.

[selenak]

Yes, I do suspect the sole production note on this day was "get us some nice shots of London we can use", with actual territorial logic not being an issue. Mind you, this also holds true for every movie I've seen that's shot in Bamberg, but then there are far more people bound to notice if you do this with London....