Elementary, Season Seven, Episode Eleven: Morland v. Reichenbach?

There's something truly Mycroftian in the fact that CBS's Big Brother is on before Elementary. Almost like the true Mycroft wants to remind us that the show made him an idiot restauranteur in early seasons of the show, then killed him.

But Big Brother is over quickly enough, and (SPOILERS TIME! And seriously, this is one of Elementary's best episodes, you might want to consider watching it before my recap/review drivel.) Sherlock and Joan are back, and dealing with Odin Reichenbach's plottings of "organized vigilantism." And Joan, in particular, has had enough of Reichenbach's shyte.

And it's Daddy Holmes time!  Morland Holmes is here, and a jovial "Shall we attack it together?" is the kickoff for the theme music. Morland is a curious mix of Mycroft and Moriarty, so one can't be sure if this is going to be a joyful all-out team-up, or a source of more friction and dead bodies than Sherlock or Joan would care to see.  Two more episodes left and tonight's "Unfriended" is directed by Lucy Liu, as well.

No distracting side-cases tonight, just trying to pin a murder on Odin Reichenbach so Morland's "higher grade" of government flunkies can cancel Reichenbach's out and send him away.

"Stewart Pringle" is a new online identity for Sherlock, a potential mass shooter persona built to lure Reichenbach's machinations in. While that goes on, Morland is cozying up to a fellow power broker. It's kind of great to see an Elementary tale that isn't following the usual path. No Bell, Gregson, or that depressing precinct and its interrogation rooms. Just Sherlock catching one of Reichenbach's people in his trap and Joan with a new associate searching her apartment.

Joan and Sherlock are like a two-headed hydra of detection, and Joan is carrying most of the load at this point, which really shows how far she's come in seven seasons. She's got one of Reichenbach's agent's victims figured out, just in time for the first commercial break!

And Sherlock is here to explain Joan's deductions to the killer after the break, he gives her full credit, so it isn't really mansplaining. Sherlock seems to be the one who is doing more sympathizing with woman they need info from, and then walks in on Joan doing the weird activity that actually has a detective purpose. It's an interesting flip-flop of the usual Holmes-Watson dynamic.

Sherlock is, however, still the one who has kidnapped a woman and is holding her in the basement against her will . . . which is pretty much a crime. He must think Reichenbach is a Milverton level crime. It's fascinating to see the horseshoe crab blood murder trail, which might be woven into a more normal Elementary tale, but this time it's about Odin Reichenbach, who is looking to take a fall, as Holmes and Watson connect him to the crime, while Morland gathers forces to kick Odin out of his own business empire.

Next week's episode is the one entitled "Reichenbach Falls," but man, that guy seems like he may be down by the end of the episode. And hey, it's Marcus Bell, and the precinct, and Odin Reichbach slumming in the cop shop's conference room. Even though they've met before, this is the Holmes-Moriarty meeting of this tale. Reichenbach warns Holmes off, Holmes doubles down, Reichenbach doesn't back down. Are they going to wind up in a high place, ready to take a dive together?

Lucy Liu directs herself into a badass confrontation with Reichbach's agent. Morland starts pulling some "good Moriarty" moves. Sherlock admits he didn't think his father would come and help him, and Morland's reply gives us what might be this whole series's arc:

"Don't I always."

Morland is there for his son. When Sherlock's addiction got the best of him, Morland had him in rehab and sent him Joan Watson. Morland, basically, created this whole show. I'm starting to worry that he's not going to survive the rest of the series, with all this goodness coming from him. It's like he's being set up for a good eulogy. Uh oh. Something is coming.

Morland is old Moriarty. Reichbach is new, techno-Moriarty. Well-played, Elementary!

Got a feeling this one is going to be a big cliff-hanger at the last commercial break.  Wait, why is my screen black . . . what is the local affiliate . . . phew, they're back. Sherlock is bringing in Gregson's help, who hasn't been in on the Reichnbach business at all thus far. And Captain Gregson is taking it personally. Nice.

And here it comes. Yep. Watson and Bell don't even have to say the name.

This just got personal for everybody.

Good job, Elementary. I mean it. Two episodes left.