Episode: "Gutshot"
Directed by: Guy Ferland
Written by: Jason Tracey & Robert Doherty
Air date: May 30, 2019
As expected, the case of the attack on Captain Gregson is exactly the motivation that Sherlock and Joan needed to go back to New York. It's enough for Holmes to risk his freedom, especially considering his decision to reveal his return to the FBI at the end of the episode. Although both Sherlock and Watson appear to consider this visit temporary it looks like we're going to stay in NY for a while. Very likely that it will be till the end of the series. As much as I'd prefer to have the two operate from London, in this particular case, it makes all the sense in the world for them to want to solve the mystery of what happened to their old friend. No place like home. Marcus shares all the details of the investigation with Joan and is left to believe that Sherlock remains in London. Meanwhile, Holmes is not only back in New York he's also not exactly hiding in the Brownstone. He actively searches for any clues that could lead the police to the people responsible for the Captain's injuries.
By the end of the episode the case appears to be solved. At least on the surface. Captain Gregson was on his way to find a body of a troubled teenager, Tim Bledsoe, reported missing for eight months, when his killer shot the Captain in order to prevent the discovery. The shooter is eventually identified as a former Army officer and an electrician named Patrick Meers. His confession to the crime leaves no doubts regarding his involvement. However his motive to kill Tim is a very different case. He shares a story about their fight outside of a bar, a dropped assault charge and all his anger around it that eventually led to a confrontation with a gun and unintentional shooting. Patrick fails to mention a very important detail, though. The fact that Tim Bledsoe was involved in a ferry bombing plan, as discovered by our main characters during the investigation. It appears there's much more to the events surrounding Bledsoe's death, but for now Meers is locked away for both the murder and attack on Captain Gregson. I like a good mystery so I'm glad it looks like we're building towards one. Of course it also gives Sherlock and Watson a reason to stay and continue their work in New York.
My favorite part of the hour has to be the moment when Sherlock goes to see Captain Gregson in the hospital. He uses the opportunity to share exactly how he feels about their situation, hopeful that Gregson might just be able to hear him. I'm glad he was honest. He's clearly hurt by his friend's behavior, especially towards Watson, however he does understand his reasons. At least partially. Of course the Captain would want to protect his daughter, but the way he chose to do it changed everything. "I would have understood. I would have helped you." Sherlock's words carry a painful regret which makes the next part even more meaningful. Despite all that's happened Holmes offers his forgiveness, wishing he could have done it a lot sooner. The conflict between these two was the worst thing about last season's ending for me. I'm glad to see Sherlock choosing to move past it and get his friend back. Although Captain Gregson is not in a position to respond, in this episode we get a chance to see Paige again. I think it's been quite a while since her last appearance but she was perfectly placed here. Her conversations with both Watson and Holmes are exactly what they needed and I'd be happy to see her again before the show's end.
Episode: "The Price of Admission"
Directed by: Thomas Carter
Written by: Tamara Jaron
Air date: June 6, 2019
The episode picks up shortly after the ending of the previous one. Sherlock is placed in the interrogation room at the FBI and asks to meet directly with Assistant Director of the FBI George Eagen. It's clear he has a plan in mind to ensure his freedom, however it's not one that I expected. I assumed that he would convince the FBI that they need to work together against the common threat, a terrorist group we learned about in "Gutshot". But it quickly turns out that is not the case at all. Holmes pretty much demands his freedom in exchange for silence. He knows about the crimes that Eagen has committed and the connection with Sherlock's father. It's quite a confrontation and Jonny Lee Miller does a wonderful job in the scene. Although Sherlock manages to achieve his goal by the end of the hour and the charge against him is dropped it seems things may have just gone from bad to worse. In order to make sure that FBI gets "the person responsible" for Michael Rowan's murder the AD finds himself a different scapegoat. What's more, the man is found dead in his cell, with a full confession to the crime by his side. It's an incredibly dangerous game that Sherlock has put in motion and now he becomes implicated in a death he hasn't seen coming. Although sadly he probably should have... "The price of admission" is high and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it.
In terms of case of the week, it turned out to be a pretty interesting one. Krypsona Storage Services is a company that allows its clients to store any and all items in a number of storage units with a promise of a complete secrecy. When the Site Manager named Virgil Gwinn is murdered in one of these units, the detectives soon discover that he's made extra money by blackmailing the Krypsona clients with the secrets he's discovered when searching through their personal items. One of the secrets he stumbles upon ends up being relevant to the Eritrean–Ethiopian conflict. That's when an appraiser, Sebastian Florenti, looking out for his own interests during the conflict informs one of the sides that Gwinn is a threat to the country and its government sends a hit man to kill Gwinn.
The two things that stood out to me the most in the episode, outside of Sherlock's meetings with Eagen, have to be Holmes "convincing" the person responsible for Gwinn's death to confess to the crime and the reveal that Marcus knew about Sherlock's return all along. Of course he would, he is a great detective and a good friend after all. I don't like whenever a smart character is suddenly portrayed in a different way just to fit the plot so this one was a relief. His reunion with Holmes was nicely done. As for the scene where Sherlock persuades Florenti to confess, that's yet another example of what a dangerous enemy Holmes can be if he chooses to. His method was certainly effective and most definitely not a standard, acceptable approach. One other thing worth to mention from the hour. We are introduced to the new (temporary) Captain of the 11th Precinct, Captain Dwyer. His appearance is brief, so there's not much to say about his character yet. However he does appear to be focused on the big picture, trying to keep two Precincts working and is inclined to trust the detectives to do their job. I definitely expect him to speak up if he doesn't agree with something important but for now he's not exactly looking for any details. "He said he trusts us." "Well, then I suppose he'll do." This quick exchange between Watson and Holmes pretty much sums up his introduction. Let's see what's going to happen next.
1. Marcus: "If anyone has a problem with you being here, they can take it up with me."
2. Joan: "Remind me why we're not staying someplace else."
Sherlock: "This was more than just our home for six years. It was our laboratory, our sanctum santorum. Where else to tackle a case that important?"
Joan: "I don't know. Someplace there's a working toilet."
3. Sherlock: "What you did to Watson... You jeopardized everything. Yeah. I know Hannah's your daughter, so... I would have understood. I would have helped you. And-and I want you to know that I forgive you. Of course I do. Should've got yourself shot a lot sooner, we could have settled this all then."
4. Eagan: "Confessed killers usually don't get to command a meeting with the head of the New York field office."
Sherlock: "And yet you came."
5. Marcus: "Do I even want to know?"
Sherlock: "Probably never."
6. Sherlock: "I'm just being selfish. I want it all. Always do."
What did you think about "Gutshot" & "The Price of Admission"? Any favorite scenes or quotes? Feel free to let us know in the comments. As always, thanks for reading!
