Elementary 2.15
Feb. 7th, 2014 08:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which we get an important bit of Joan's backstory, lovely friendship moments and another ACD canon nod re: Holmes' monograph on tobacco.
We also get a bisexual suspect who's innocent of the charge and not punished by the narrative for either her sexuality or her success, which is always good. But most importantly, we did get that separate Joan investigation I thought we would early on last week, and aside from a solved case, it also led to more Joan character backstory. I loved how the revelation of her having a schizophrenic homeless bio dad was presented: not as a "woe, I'm genetically tainted" angst or issues with her adopted father who raised her, but as giving her added awareness and emotional investment in the plight of the homeless, as well as the knowledge that there's only so much you can do when someone has a mental illness which doesn't cause him (or her) to harm others - taking, or not, the meds is that person's choice. Joan handling this backstory by supporting homeless shelters and homeless people in general rather than going on a quest for dad strikes me as very her. And Sherlock's response to being entrusted with this news is one of the reasons why I love their friendship; volunteering the covers and offering to go to the park with her was something very much in the line of staying with her when she was waiting for her ex the addict.
(Incidentally: it came up in the comments last week, and this week reminded me again that Elementary's Sherlock Holmes is one of the few characters who is presented as being into casual sex without this being treated as either part of his dysfunctions or something he only does because he's not capable or not courageous enough for a sexual relationship which is also an emotionally deep one. Moriarty both as Irene and then as herself was/is such a one, but the show gives the impression that Holmes did the casual sex both before his experience with her and after he lost her - it isn't something caused by her or related to her.)
I wondered whether Holmes being a ballet fan goes against his disinterest in opera in the pilot but decided it didn't; one can very well like the former but not the later(and vice versa, of course).
Good to see Bell in the field again. Also I noticed Watson felt free to comment on this (and be openly glad about it) but not Holmes.
The smarmy attorney looked a bit like Michael Madsen. I really liked the actress playing Iris the ballerina, but they were clearly only guest stars of the week, whereas the guest who wasn't actually IN the episode but much talked about, Watson's bio dad, is someone I expect to show up before this season is over.
We also get a bisexual suspect who's innocent of the charge and not punished by the narrative for either her sexuality or her success, which is always good. But most importantly, we did get that separate Joan investigation I thought we would early on last week, and aside from a solved case, it also led to more Joan character backstory. I loved how the revelation of her having a schizophrenic homeless bio dad was presented: not as a "woe, I'm genetically tainted" angst or issues with her adopted father who raised her, but as giving her added awareness and emotional investment in the plight of the homeless, as well as the knowledge that there's only so much you can do when someone has a mental illness which doesn't cause him (or her) to harm others - taking, or not, the meds is that person's choice. Joan handling this backstory by supporting homeless shelters and homeless people in general rather than going on a quest for dad strikes me as very her. And Sherlock's response to being entrusted with this news is one of the reasons why I love their friendship; volunteering the covers and offering to go to the park with her was something very much in the line of staying with her when she was waiting for her ex the addict.
(Incidentally: it came up in the comments last week, and this week reminded me again that Elementary's Sherlock Holmes is one of the few characters who is presented as being into casual sex without this being treated as either part of his dysfunctions or something he only does because he's not capable or not courageous enough for a sexual relationship which is also an emotionally deep one. Moriarty both as Irene and then as herself was/is such a one, but the show gives the impression that Holmes did the casual sex both before his experience with her and after he lost her - it isn't something caused by her or related to her.)
I wondered whether Holmes being a ballet fan goes against his disinterest in opera in the pilot but decided it didn't; one can very well like the former but not the later(and vice versa, of course).
Good to see Bell in the field again. Also I noticed Watson felt free to comment on this (and be openly glad about it) but not Holmes.
The smarmy attorney looked a bit like Michael Madsen. I really liked the actress playing Iris the ballerina, but they were clearly only guest stars of the week, whereas the guest who wasn't actually IN the episode but much talked about, Watson's bio dad, is someone I expect to show up before this season is over.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-07 09:34 pm (UTC)I also liked the underplayed but very real message that the homeless are very vulnerable to being used and that the police have little to no interest in looking into crimes against the homeless. It is a very real issue and I was really invested in that part of the story, even more than the murder. Admittedly casting Scott Cohen an actor I recognize from several shows was a huge honking clue that he would be the murderer, based on the best known guest star is always the one who did it.
I was quite annoyed when I went to a review site, that didn't like this episode. Them not liking it wasn't the problem, different strokes and all that. The problem was they went into a whole lecture on how they hate back stories and all back stories should be eliminated. It linked to an article about eliminating back stories in movies as well. I was annoyed that they did not mention this dislike of back stories when Irene/Moriarty was brought in or when Sherlock and Watson went to London and met Mycroft filling in more of Sherlock's back story. The did not criticize Bell having a drug addict brother, or Gregson being separated from his wife. No, it is only when we get a low key look at Watson's back story that it needed to be discussed. I couldn't help but think that the issue was getting a back story on a female character. The fact that the critique of back stories in movies mentioned 3-4 movies with female back stories and only one movie that included a male back story and that one had back stories for all the characters in the movie, male and female alike.
Anyway, I'm glad to find someone who liked this as much as I did. The lack of shaming of sexual behavior is something I really appreciate, just as I appreciated that Ms. Hudson was simply an interesting person, not a transgendered woman who had to be discussed in detail.
I didn't think I'd care for Elementary, but it is becoming one of my favorite shows because of the mature way then handle the characters.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-08 01:44 pm (UTC)The show approaches many topics that way, which makes it feel more authentic to the diversity of real life. It's become one of my favorite shows, too. Oh, and I love how Sherlock is so rooted in his body, too, which turns into a simple matter of fact. He eats, sleeps, has sex, which makes so much sense to me that his addiction is a big part of his life. A very well done AU.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-08 03:34 am (UTC)I really liked the way they handled Iris, that she had grown attached to Nelly and was surprised by her own depth of feeling related to giving up a role, and that she was generally admired by multiple people as a great artist, not shamed. The paparazzi guy with his rage that was more about exploitation was a nice red herring because he was gross but not cruel.
Sadly the homeless mystery was based on a real case. Real cases.
Shakesville does regular Elementary recaps with a very particular viewpoint. She loves the show and criticizes it a lot. I disagree with lots of her points, but reading her reviews makes me enjoy Sherlock more as a show that is actively engaged in women and gender and minorities and addiction - class is one part where they fall down because Sherlock's class status is so unclear, IMO. (Shakesville is a very contentious site btw, and a bit odd).
no subject
Date: 2014-02-08 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-08 01:47 pm (UTC)She lives the serenity prayer that way, changing the things she can and accepting those she can't. Her reveal helps me understand better why she's such a great sober companion and WHY she is so good, plus why she'd choose to be one after being a surgeon. At the time, that choice didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And at the same time, her pursuing the case and helping a homeless man shows how dedicated she is to her new career. I like Joan more every episode.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-08 02:17 pm (UTC)She lives the serenity prayer that way, changing the things she can and accepting those she can't.
That is a wonderful observation; I wouldn't have made the connection, but now that you've done so, I can't help but wonder whether the writers intentionally were inspired by it - i.e. wanting to show Joan living the serenity prayer.