A late start to the season results in a mere three week break over the holiday period for CBS's Elementary, which returns on January 7 with an outstanding hour.
Tamara Jaron writes this episode with Guy Ferland directing "Miss Taken", which sees Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson attempt to solve the murder of a retired FBI agent, who met a grisly end courtesy of a wood chipper.
We've seen the walls of the Brownstone plastered with thousands of pieces of paper previously, but I can't recall seeing coverage this complete previously in this series. Sherlock's plan of attack can be deduced from the following:
Typically I'm averse to color coordination, but I dare say it brightens the place up.
The case itself is one of the best attempted in this series, and it's done outstandingly well. We learn from the FBI agent's widow that despite retiring, her husband couldn't resist the temptation to continue examining a handful of unsolved cases he had come across in his long career. One such case brought about his demise.
Parenthood alum Ally Ioannides joins the guest cast as, well, who knows. She is the prime suspect in the case, but an expert liar and imposter, which gives Sherlock a run for his money. It's an exciting duel to witness, but who will come out on top?
Meanwhile, Joan visits her stepfather, who, as noted in the press release, wrote a novel with the characters based very closely on herself and Sherlock. Though Joan's reaction to the situation is predictable, the same cannot be said for her partner. The creative team also cleverly play around with the history of the Sherlock Holmes character, noting how the character has inspired many a novel, film and television show.
The last wee spoiler I'll leave you with is the following quote from Sherlock. As far as unorthodox approaches to solving a crime go, Sherlock is king, but he may have managed to top his previous efforts in this episode:
It's a very small bomb with a very big bang.
In all, "Miss Taken" goes down as one of my favorite episodes ever of Elementary. The case will keep you on your toes and guessing all the way. Be sure not to miss it! Drop a comment below if you've got any questions and I'll see if I can answer them.
Elementary's Midseason Premiere, "Miss Taken", airs January 7, 10|9c, on CBS.
