Winter is coming.
The motto of the house of Stark from Game of Thrones applies to my fears regarding CBS's Elementary as we wind toward to the end of the season. Or to put it more precisely . . . .
Dougherty is coming.
Oh, it hasn't been documented yet. The Elementary episode guide on Wikipedia still has no writer credits for the final two episodes of the season. But we've been here before: about five or six episodes before the end of the season, Jason Tracey writes a particularly good episode, and I'm thinking, "This show might actually be improving!" And then the show's creator returns.
Yes, Dougherty is undoubtedly coming. And that's never a good thing.
The first time was the initial series pilot and second episode, with a Watson who was a hired babysitter for Mr. Elementary after a failed medical career.
The second time was the serial exsanguinator named Sebastian Moran, teased as "M," and not coming close to either designation. Not a high crime, but our first big sign since the pilot that the Canon of Holmes was being used as a doorstop at the Elementary offices.
The third coming of the Dougherty was the complete elimination of Irene Adler from any Elementary existence. She had already been killed before the series began, but finding out that she never truly existed at all in this world was sadder than the Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows Irene demise.
The fourth coming? Restauranteur Mycroft Holmes destroys the contents of 221B Baker Street. He also apparently slept with Joan Watson, off-screen during this episode.
Fifth time around? Jamie Moriarty lectures Joan Watson about her inferiority after painting a huge portrait of the ex-doctor. Moriarty has a little girl and she and Mr. Elementary are pen pals. She also can escape from magic bracelets. Irene Adler might have been wiped from existence in the Elementary-verse, but Moriarty might have suffered a worse fate . . . there are probably more threatening My Little Ponies at this point.
And now, Dougherty surely comes once more. Having decimated Irene, the Professor, 221B, Mycroft, and Moran, what's left? Well, Miss Hudson is probably safe in non-appearance limbo. Mary Morstan is probably too freshly on Sherlock for a Marvin Morstan to show up and sweep Joan off her feet. Rumors of Mr. Elementary's father finally showing up abound, but unless he's Grimesby Roylott or Professor Presbury, there's no danger of major anti-Canonical weirdness there.
But then, that's most weeks on Elementary. It's at the season breaks when it starts to get truly worrisome.
And the season break is coming.
The ongoing investigation of Sherlock Holmes, reported from the Peoria, Illinois outpost of Baker Street's dirtiest half a dozen.
At the risk of having "Sherlockian" unceremoniously ripped from my credentials:
ReplyDeleteI've stopped watching.
There. I said it. At least five episodes sit untouched in my DVR queue. They are likely to remain there, too. I'm watching old Brett episodes instead, and have practically memorized all 9 episodes of BBC Sherlock, neither of which make me want to throw things at the television.
P.S. I find My Little Ponies absolutely horrifying.