Elementary 2x10

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

Discussion post for Elementary 2x10 'Tremors'.

Spoilers in the comments.

What did you think?

Comments

[darknessfactor.livejournal.com]

All of these are great points. I'm especially interested in the one about him blaming his 'nature'. What if that's a defense mechanism? A way of coping with (not only the accusations of others) himself when he makes mistakes? Maybe there's a small part of him that acknowledges that sometimes what he does isn't always right, and he shies away from that part of himself.

Oooh, I'd really like to know if he has been keeping up a correspondence with Moriarty since episode three. At first it seemed to me like he would ignore her letters and pretend like she didn't exist (which isn't exactly healthy, either), but like you mentioned: he has a fascination with murderers. Maybe his communications with Abigail serve as foreshadowing to the present time. He's doing the same with Moriarty in order to understand the workings of the mind of a criminal.

[flippet.livejournal.com]

Maybe his communications with Abigail serve as foreshadowing to the present time. He's doing the same with Moriarty in order to understand the workings of the mind of a criminal.

Oooh. yes! I hadn't connected those two specific points, but I think you're absolutely on to something there. :-) (This is why I love to bounce my ideas off of other people - they always come up with something I hadn't thought of.)

I think he's going to feel that if he armors himself up enough, he'll be able to get what he 'needs' from her, without being sucked in by her. But his current emotional 'betrayals' and mis-steps are going to trip him up. He is too damaged in the emotional arena to get by without help, but when he refuses that help out of arrogance....bad things will happen.

I also have a sneaking suspicion that Moriarty isn't even the 'bottom' that he's going to hit - she'll just be the catalyst and a swipe on the way down. Whatever Mycroft is cooking up sounds bigger (and Rob Doherty has said something to the effect that Moriarty isn't necessarily the 'big baddie' of this season).

Maybe there's a small part of him that acknowledges that sometimes what he does isn't always right, and he shies away from that part of himself.

I fully agree.

I do love to see him try, though. (Step Nine, the attempt to 'help' Bell.) It's a beautiful thing.

[darknessfactor.livejournal.com]

He always has that 'lost puppy' look on his face when he's fumbling to help someone. A bit like he doesn't quite understand what he did wrong in the first place.

I've also noticed lately that the only people he seems to show real, heartfelt compassion for are victims of abuse like himself. In that one episode when he rescued the slave girl, and later when he helped the woman who was taken by the serial killer, he puts aside all pretenses and is the most sincere we've ever seen him in his willingness to help them. There's no awkwardness to the way he does it. He's surprisingly kind.

Just wondering if that has anything to do with it.

[flippet.livejournal.com]

Yes! That's exactly why/where I don't believe him when he says that he is not a nice man.

He has hard edges, certainly, and not all of them are learned - I am willing to believe that some of them are most certainly innate.

But he *does* have tenderness and compassion in his heart, and that is an integral part of him as well. This is what Watson sees, and is drawing on.


His treatment of Watson is the exception to the rule (at least in his mind) - and that's interesting.


My thoughts just wandered in this direction...he's drawn to and compassionate to people who are broken in ways that leave them open to deep darkness - abuse victims. The two women you mentioned, Abigail, even the boy who later turned out to be the Balloon Man - before that part was apparent.

We're going to learn more of Moriarty's backstory - will this be part of it too? It would make sense.


So the interesting bit to me is...why is Watson the seeming exception? Is there more darkness in her than we've yet seen?


Ennh, I'm probably overthinking it. Would be interested in your thoughts on the watch/token below, though.

[darknessfactor.livejournal.com]

No, you're not over-thinking it at all. I just read somewhere that Rob Doherty had this idea about Watson's past - that her mother divorced her birth father and re-married. So we might find out a bit more about Watson's birth father.