Friday, January 3, 2014

Review: Elementary 2x12 "The Diabolical Kind"


Original air date: January 2, 2014

Do you hear that? That lovely sound of shows returning from their winter hiatuses? Ah, it’s my favorite time of year.  Okay, it’s a close second to the actual holiday season.  Which I hope everyone’s holidays were great.

Elementary makes its return with a familiar face from last season.  There’s been a kidnapping of a little girl and Jamie Moriarty’s men are behind it.  Sherlock convinced that she’s behind it, even from behind bars, goes to her for information.  He discovers she’s no longer in a traditional prison.  Ever since her arrest she’s been trading information for favors and lives more comfortably than one would assume a criminal mastermind in federal prison would.  Yet it is exactly how I would assume Jamie Moriarty would be living in federal prison.  She offers Sherlock her help as long as they continue to get her things from her Amazon wish list.


Sidenote: I’m just going to dote on Natalie Dormer here for a bit.  She is an incredible actor.  The amount of presence she has on screen as Jamie Moriarty is incredible.  She’s terrifying in the role because you just understand how dangerous that character is.  I have no doubt in my mind that like River Song she’s only imprisoned because she chooses to be at the time.  Which is demonstrated by how quickly and easily she’s able to break out of her warehouse later in the episode.

Sherlock struggles with his complicated feelings for Moriarty throughout the episode.  He doesn’t trust her one bit and let at the same time he can’t let her go.  He still loves Irene Adler and a part of him still believes there’s still some Irene left in her.  He was able to overcome his struggles and grow as a person.  Sherlock still holds on to a hope that the same can be said of Moriarty. 

In the end, it is revealed that Moriarty is not in fact behind the kidnapping but is instead the target.  Early in her career she had a daughter whom she hid away with another family.  Her lieutenant kidnapped her daughter and held her for ransom in order to important information from Moriarty.  Moriarty brilliantly escapes from her warehouse and brutally murders her daughter’s captors.  After her daughter is moved to a safer location she calls Sherlock and turns herself in.

Moriarty confides in Sherlock that his letters have affected in ways she had no foreseen.  She resisted killing any of the FBI agents guarding her at the warehouse because she knew it would disgust Sherlock.  The fact that its coming from Moriarty of course makes one wonder how much of what she says is true and how much of it is to ensure Sherlock continues his correspondence with her.   

Favorite bits of the episode?
  • Joan not even phased by Sherlock sitting in the living room in his bee keeper outfit. “Are you out of clean laundry?” How many times do you think that is exactly a thing that has happened?
  • "You look at bit tired." "You look a bit evil." *ZING* Sherlock: 1 Moriarty: 0 
  • [Referring to Moriarty] “She’s gone.” FBI agent looks around panicked to see her sitting quietly on a chair* “I just thought you should get used to hearing that.”
  • The Joan and Moriarty chat.  Moriarty is obsessed with Joan.  Joan beat her and it is weighing heavily on her mind.  She can’t figure Joan out and can’t figure out what Sherlock sees in her as a partner.
  • The fact that Sherlock was making calls on an old style phone because the act of angry hanging up was more satisfying.  I've always said that it’s hard to dramatically hang up on a phone with a touch screen.   You just end up aggressively pushing a button and then gently setting it down on a desk because you don’t want to crack the screen.  It’s just not the same.  Sorry. It's not. 

In conclusion: Jaime Moriarty could in fact kill someone with a single look.  “Faux-iarty” is a word that I need to find more excuses to use in everyday conversation.  And I continue to wonder if Joan took home that giant portrait of herself.  Will she hang in her bedroom?  Or will they make room for it in the foyer?





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