That punny episode title was indicative of a distinctly peculiar new case facing Holmes and Watson on this week's fun and unpredictable Elementary. A presumed wife-killer claimed to be receiving ransom notes from her captor...again, after already going through a supposed kidnapping of the woman a few years back. However, his story gained some credence once he was sent a set of ears that seemed to have been severed from his still-alive wife. While tackling this weird and twisty mystery, Sherlock and Joan also had to deal with the indecisive meanderings of Lestrade, who was still staying at the Brownstone.
I was very happy to see not only Gareth Lestrade, but also the roosters Romulus and Remus, back this week! The only thing funnier than Holmes' annoyed reactions to Lestrade's lazy, between-jobs, finding-himself shenanigans was all of that combined with Lestrade being harassed by the roosters. While this week's bizarre case provided an ample challenge for the crime-solving duo, it was Holmes and Watson's very different approaches to dealing with Lestrade that provided the chief entertainment. Sean Pertwee continues to bring welcome dimension to the role of Lestrade, seeming at various intervals to be a charming, amusing fool; an imposing grump; and finally, once again, and even while still rather ridiculous - a capable investigator in his own right.
I hadn't given much thought to it previously, but Watson was all too correct in noting that after Bell's injury, Holmes rejected a slew of NYPD detectives whom he deemed inferior. Sherlock does not deign to work with just anyone; he demands a strong and talented investigator by his side. Thus, he must have identified Lestrade as just such a man back when they first began to collaborate. Lestrade simply lost sight of his own abilities once he began to appropriate those of Holmes on the public stage. And more than ever, after losing the admiring crowds and feeling debased before Sherlock's superior skill, Lestrade was unable to rise above his inferiority complex. What's really neat and enjoyable about his character is that with the slightest Lazarus carrot of a hint that he is, indeed, awesome, Lestrade immediately jumps back on his high horse, parading his delightful and obnoxious ego.
Holmes didn't quite seem sure of how Lestrade should be handled. One thing he knew for sure was that more direct help from him would only keep Lestrade hampered and unable to stand on his own merit. So while he might have manipulated Lestrade into getting out of the brownstone sooner (much to his own relief) by giving an assist of some kind, Holmes respected the man's need to fly solo enough to back off. Since Watson holds no such lofty role in Lestrade's eyes, she was able to more assertively point out to Lestrade that he was letting his life drift into mediocrity by wallowing. She encouraged him to investigate his own recent mugging, which Lestrade did with aplomb, rising quickly to the occasion and almost instantly shifting from a sad sack to a clever and decisive detective. Of course, the simultaneous return of his absurd ego left him smugly noting the ease with which he solved the case...then assuming, falling back on old habits, that Holmes must have engineered it as such. After discovering the rooster feather at the mugger's apartment, Lestrade might have felt irritated that Holmes had (he thought) handed the criminal to him on a silver platter. But then he realized that he, Lestrade, had figured out Holmes' game (as he saw it), and that meant he had outsmarted the great master detective.
Comparable to the recent Castle episode "Room 147," "Ears to You" had one of those cases at its center that defied most theories throughout the hour. Why would the husband draw attention to himself by bringing the ears forward if he was guilty? Yet, his killing the culprit on the train tracks seemed to imply that the husband was covering his own crimes up by eliminating a witness. Once Holmes and Watson determined that the wife was not only alive, but also roaming quite free, matters turned even more confusing. I had to wonder if the former husband and wife were somehow in on a nutty money-making scheme together. Yet ultimately, through a disgusting reveal that the wife had been growing a pair of extra ears on her back, we learned that she was indeed a money-grubbing criminal, abetted by her new, plastic surgeon husband.
As creepily unbelievable as this plot seemed at first, I must admit that this short of complicated, even convoluted explanation is a callback to the original Sherlock Holmes tales, and that Holmes was actually able to figure it out is another cool acknowledgement of his complex and intense range of scientific and medical expertise. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes may not have known (when he first met Watson) that the Earth revolved around the Sun, but he would have had no problem cracking the case of the ear-growing, back-from-the-dead villainess due to its presence in his intellectual wheelhouse.
Joan again displayed her delicate grasp of tough love in her interactions with Lestrade, and her scenes with Holmes were, as always, a joy. Lestrade is unable or unwilling to discern the difference between her partnership with Holmes and his own, that of her self-actualization and ability to communicate with Holmes as a respected and valued equal. Her cleverness as an investigator was also on full display as she pondered this week's wacky case.
Holmes' working on defusing mock (?) bombs as one of his many hobbies was used as a nice bookending devise in this episode. The first bomb had Holmes assuming its consequences, should the timer run out, merely amounted to a loud noise or some such small inconvenience. But he revealed to Watson that the new device he was defusing at the end of the hour would really explode should he fail. As Watson nonchalantly went about her kitchen rituals (I love the way the two friends often interact in this domestic environment), Holmes expressed some mild surprise that she was staying put. Watson explained simply that she had faith, reflecting in a lovely way the basic yet vital trust she's come to put in Holmes. As a recovering addict, a man with crude approximations of social skills, and a detective who often pursues leads with reckless disregard of personal safety or most rules, Holmes might not be trusted by too many people. Yet due to their fascinating and implacable bond, Watson is the one individual destined to build a successful and nurturing partnership and affectionate friendship with Holmes. It's this connection that makes the show a rousing success.
Holmes decided to let Lestrade keep thinking he had outwitted Sherlock, not only because it got rid of Gareth, but also as it boosted the man's self-esteem so wonderfully. Seeing him all puffed up with a misled sense of triumph only brought on by his remaining doubt in his own abilities to crack a case himself was hilariously apt. It was a fitting conclusion to this story arc for Lestrade, but I hope we'll see him back soon.
What did you think of this week's episode? Share your thoughts in the comments!
About the Author - Virginia Mae Fontana
Virginia is happy to be reviewing The Vampire Diaries, Hart of Dixie, Nashville, Beauty and the Beast, Elementary, Witches of East End, Covert Affairs, and Devious Maids for Spoiler TV. She is a college English instructor and enjoys obsessing over films and pop music - in addition to tv shows, of course! You can find her blog, SugarRushed, at http://virginiamaeblog.blogspot.com/ and her Twitter handle is @SugarRushedBlog
