I've long been a fan of multi-part episodes of a television series. It gives the creative team the time to produce a more complex, intriguing plot, while giving their characters more depth and a more challenging situation to overcome. And finally, most series almost always undergo significant change among the storylines and characters.
Thursday sees CBS's Elementary screen an episode nothing short of superb that concludes the two part event that kicked off last week. Titled "The One That Got Away", it is written by series creator Robert Doherty and directed by Seith Mann, one of the series' most experienced directors. That track record pays off with the episode bringing together everything the series is renowned for - the excellent writing and directing, the intelligent, well composed storyline, the outstanding Jonny Lee Miller and the classy Lucy Liu, and have created one of the finest episodes the series has seen.
The hour kicks off in past tense - 8 months to be precise - in New Scotland Yard. We see Kitty Winter discussing a case she has been investigating with Detective Inspector Davies concerning the abduction of a young boy several months prior. Kitty is clearly unhappy with the investigation but her own research is rebuffed by Davies and departs, but not before running into Sherlock Holmes in the carpark. That is where the story of Sherlock and Kitty begins.
Several more flashbacks present themselves throughout the hour, and viewers with a keen eye will understand how well they fill in a few holes left unplugged from prior episodes this season. In present tense, Holmes and Watson along with Captain Gregson and Detective Bell continue pressing forward with the difficult investigation with Watson's boss a prime suspect, as we learned in the final moments of last week's episode.
Things don't get any easier for Kitty, who continues to deteriorate as the case gets to her. Not for the first time this season she attempts to seek closure, but this doesn't work out the way anyone could have foreseen. This is the catalyst for one of the most powerful scenes in Elementary's history, between the master Sherlock and protégé Kitty, with the performances by Jonny Lee Miller and Ophelia Lovibond absolutely stunning.
The hour closes with one of the series' - and this season's - most emotional scenes, with beautiful dialog thrown in too. Morals are heavily tested, and you might just learn a new way to break into someone's house. A particular chemical featured earlier this season also resurfaces. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out Elementary's ratings on my TV ratings website, www.seriesmonitor.com/elementary. Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below, and ask me any questions in the comments below!
"The One that Got Away" airs Thursday, January 29, 10|9c, on CBS.
Jimmy
