Elementary 102 discussion post

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

Elementary 102 'While You Were Sleeping' just finished airing.

What did you think?

Spoilers for the episode in comments.

Comments

[venusinthenight]

I like these little twists they've got going in the episodes. First a doctor prepping his wife for a murder and exploiting one of his patients, then a woman faking a coma to have an alibi for killing her half-siblings. Whoa.

I also love the little nod to A Study in Scarlet at the beginning. (I'm referring to the scene where he explains to Joan how his mind works.)

And the violin!

While I like the other detective working with Gregson, I'm holding out hope we'll see Abreu again at some point. Fingers crossed.

And while Sherlock and Joan try to unravel each others' mysteries, they continue to learn little.

Meanwhile, Ty Morstan is just... ugh, no.

And now for a two-week wait for 1x03. :( :( :(

[princealia.livejournal.com]

omg it's even better than last week! And I am loving Bell, he cracks me up lmao

I'm still trying to get over THE Stradivarius violin making an appearance aksdfjads

[ms-mmelissa.livejournal.com]

Loved this ep.

I have to say that the chemistry between Liu and Miller is amazing. Their interactions at this point are so sharp and on point. The second AA meeting, where he starts snidely playing "the world's smallest violin" (lol) and she promised she would stab him with a tack if he started drifting off, crackled. And I also loved the scene between Sherlock and Joan's ex.

Case of the week was better imo than the premiere's but not that interesting. The relationship between Sherlock and Watson is really what sells the show for me.

BTW does anyone know where I can get the music for the show? There was a really great piece that was obviously an original show composition playing over a Joan/Sherlock fight. Anyone have a youtube link or something?

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

I liked this episode more than the pilot, but most pilots are missing a little something as they have to cram so much into a single episode to try to hook everyone for one reason or another.

I thought that the episode seemed to flow better from scene to scene. You got more character depth, more layers were slowly peeled away. You got glimpses of who Sherlock and Joan really are underneath the shells they’ve both built around themselves for various reasons. And as these layers are stripped down, they’re getting to know one another better.

Sherlock and Joan work more as a team in this episode than they did in the previous one, but again, they hadn’t known one another very long then. Give it another couple episodes and they’ll be great together.

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this episode. The mystery was fun even if it was implausible, and Watson continues to be frustrated by Holmes but standing up for herself.

And I really liked Bell -- I have to admit I thought Sherlock had really gotten pissed off and punched him. I was very surprised that was all a put-on. (I was sure there wasn't a real third sibling, but I thought it was something Sherlock thought up on his own.)

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

One thing I loved was that moment of Capt. Gregson greeting his old friend and immediately switching vernacular to sound more Noo Yawk and less Standard Business accent - he knows this man and can use his natural voice.

Very happy that Detective Bell (another Doyle reference!) was treated with respect, and reached an accord with Holmes - I'm kinda tired of the detective-show trope of White Guy Hero is foiled by either a prissy woman detective or a by-the-book POC detective, he's proven to be right at the end, and the woman/POC comes begging his forgiveness for ever doubting a white man. As someone said, now BBC Sherlock has to step up by treating Sgt Sally Donovan with some freakin' respect!

[midori-yee.livejournal.com]

"I'm kinda tired of the detective-show trope of White Guy Hero is foiled by either a prissy woman detective or a by-the-book POC detective, he's proven to be right at the end"

YES! Have you watched House? Omar Epps's first episode was EXACTLY like this. His character was a stickler and totally "by the book" and then House solves the patient case by being an "impressive" maverick, causing Epps to lose face in the process. Ahhh you are so so right.

I have been very sensitive to how CBS is portraying POC and women in Elementary. Although it's definitely been mixed (casting a woman as Watson, but then showcasing graphic violence against women in the pilot episode), there are signs of promise. Thank you for your comment. You hit the nail on the head re: that trope!

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I've seen this trope play out in cop shows like Starsky & Hutch, One West Waikiki and The Sentinel too - and God knows how many of the crime dramas I've never watched. I sometimes MST problematic stuff to remind myself that this is all a white privilege construct: "Oh, forgive us for ever doubting you, Mr. White Man!"

[midori-yee.livejournal.com]

Just curious, what recommendations would you have of TV shows or movies that have positive portrayals of POC? I'm always on the lookout for them because, as you said, racist tropes like the one you mentioned are quite common. Most recently I've only been watching Community, The Mindy Project and Elementary because they are the LEAST racist (implicitly or explicitly) shows I could find.

By the way, what does MST stand for?

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

MST is short for Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (also MST3K) - a local cable show from Minneapolis about a guy and some robots commenting on bad films - that exploded into a national craze. To MST ("mistie") is to talk back to the TV, snarkily or to object to dated or problematic material. (For example, every time a woman gets hit in a film they boo loudly.)

I don't know a lot about current shows (and I have $20/month cable), but one good one is DEXTER on Showtime - set in Miami with a lot of POC characters. Some open-eyed look at whiteness and white privilege and how it affects POC in positions of authority.

[midori-yee.livejournal.com]

great, thank you!! :)

[ms-mmelissa.livejournal.com]

Butting in to recommend Scandal which has Kerry Washington in the lead as well as a large cast with a few poc as supporting characters.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads-up!

[ms-mmelissa.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda tired of the detective-show trope of White Guy Hero is foiled by either a prissy woman detective or a by-the-book POC detective, he's proven to be right at the end, and the woman/POC comes begging his forgiveness for ever doubting a white man.

I've just started watching Fringe and I swear I have this comment ringing in my ears every episode. It's amazing how relevant it is. The main cast is mostly white and all the guest star poc seem to have paper thin characterization and exist only to be criticized by a certain (white, male) lead who chastises them for having such narrow views. It's kind of gross, tbh.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Bleah. As I keep saying when I bring this up, you know something's racist if white people notice it.

[honor-reid.livejournal.com]

Loved this episode. I am really enjoying watching the partnership/friendship of Joan and Sherlock. Really loved both AA meetings they were very funny. I agree with gardnerhillabout Detective Bell I am glad they didn't make him out to be a fool just to make Sherlock seem smarter. Because there can be more then one smart person in the room at one time.

I am liking how Miller and Liu are portraying Sherlock and Joan it is different yet there are obvious similarities. Can't wait till the next episode I just wish it was sooner then two weeks!

[dref22.livejournal.com]

I really love Liu and Miller together, they are perfect in this show. I loved the scene where Sherlock threatened the guy after noiticing he is a druggie.

[vvipforseungri.livejournal.com]

I think what really makes this show is Liu and Miller and how on-point they are. I love the chemistry between them. I find myself shipping the two, even though I absolutely detest the idea of having John become Joan just so that there can be sexual tension between the two. It's a bit confusing. But anyway, they're what keeps me intrigued.

I understand that the cases can't be as complex or intricate (or even similar) to those shown in BBC's Sherlock, and that they must all resolve by the end of the hour's time, but I feel as if the cases are too dumbed down and obvious. As if an American audience wouldn't understand. I'm not saying I knew that the cellphone was in the rice, or that the woman had her doctor fake her coma, but there were so many hints that it wasn't as fun. The show is also less intense than BBC's Sherlock (sorry for all the comparisons...). I don't know, I'm not impressed with the show so far, but I like what I see between Liu and Miller so I'll definitely keep watching.

Even though I don't like that they're "together" at all haha.

[liesmiths.livejournal.com]

Episode discussion tag now exists. (: