Elementary 2x10

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

Discussion post for Elementary 2x10 'Tremors'.

Spoilers in the comments.

What did you think?

Comments

[flippet.livejournal.com]

Did anyone else notice, when Sherlock is explaining to Watson about the 'token' given to a Knight by his lady (the scarf on the Knight's wrist) - he conspicuously pulls his sleeve over his watch?

What's that about?


Especially in light of the entire story.

Sherlock was *way* too into-the-head of the Knight. (In fact, I'd argue that the way we saw the story told - with clear 'embellishments' that we viewed as if they were not embellishments, but actually happened - means that Sherlock is now an unreliable narrator, and in some way telling his own story, or what will be his story.)

Was the watch a token from his Queen? (If so, I kind of have issues with it. The shilling on his coat was a token, and he got rid of it. Why would he hang on to a watch, especially when you *choose* to wear a watch, and might forget a permanently-attached shilling pin.)

If it was - is the Queen still Moriarty? (If not, then who? He seemed to be self-consciously hiding the watch from Watson - I highly doubt it's from her.) Is the watch old, or new?

Or, was it less about hiding the watch, and more about covering the 'Discipline' tattoo on his wrist - which has been prominently on display this season, at times when Sherlock has been distinctly *lacking* in discipline? (when icing his hand after punching the serial killer, and during the NA meeting when talking about not being as focused as he'd prefer.) (Regardless if this is it or not - I love those little moments/details so hard.)


Also - someone on twitter noted that the 'prosecutor's' name is Cassandra - and if you're familiar with Greek tragedy, you know that in Agamemnon, Cassandra is the seer whose warnings go unheeded, and King Agamemnon is murdered at the hands of his Queen, Clytemnestra.

I'm suspicious that the name isn't an accident, here, given the juxtaposition with the story of the death of a 'Queen' who 'had to be killed' in order to 'save her soul'.


Also, I loved the line about saving a mentally unstable (and innocent) man from prison. I do think that Sherlock was (or will be) identifying very closely with this young man and his turmoil.

Let me know your thoughts, or even if you think this is all a crazy flight of fancy, LOL!

[darknessfactor.livejournal.com]

Wow, I wouldn't have noticed that.

I don't know... it could be something as simple as a nervous habit of his (like bouncing up and down at certain points in his speech). Or it could be something more, like you suggested.

Most likely the 'Queen' would be Moriarty. Maybe it's foreshadowing; a knight's duty is to help his Queen. I'm wondering if they'll reveal that Moriarty's cruelty and apathy to the emotions of others stems from suffering abuse herself. I doubt they will go there, as I think that would undermine her character somewhat, but then again Elementary has always taken a very human approach to the characters. If Moriarty suffered abuse, Sherlock might actually want to reach out and help her. Or maybe he would acknowledge that he himself was in no state to help her and ask Watson to. She and Watson are supposed to have some interesting interactions in the future, too.

I know this is unlikely, but the other possibility for the Queen might be his mother. We've heard him mention his father several times, but I don't believe he's ever even spoken of his mother. I suspect there's a reason for that.

[flippet.livejournal.com]

Check it out at 2:32, see what you think. http://www.cbs.com/shows/elementary/video/ (http://www.cbs.com/shows/elementary/video/)

I wouldn't be surprised if Moriarty suffered abuse - of course, Sherlock couldn't have known that at first, and yet was still attracted. I'll be slightly annoyed if that's so, because it is all a bit too 'neat' and easy. I prefer to think that Moriarty's just a bad seed, but my preferences really don't factor, LOL!


I don't like the vague idea of Watson having suffered abuse either, I really hope they don't go there, making it seem that Sherlock just has a sixth sense for sniffing this sort of thing out and being attracted to it, even if he has no direct knowledge of it.

I mean, that would be somewhat too 'neat' too - if Joan has that more or less same trigger for darkness, but has chosen to basically 'live in the light' instead, while Sherlock feels compelled to flirt with his darkness. It's an old story, often a good one, but we've heard it before. I'd like something more original.


Hm. Queen-as-mother...perhaps. (Though I don't think the watch would figure in, there.)

I don't believe that Sherlock's mother is mentioned in Conan Doyle canon either though, so that's what I chalk that up to. I don't imagine that the writers would pass up a chance to invent their own backstory for it however, eventually.

My personal theory is that she died when Sherlock was quite small, possibly in childbirth (which might explain Papa Holmes’ apparent detachment from Sherlock), or possibly a few years later - enough that Sherlock remembers her in an idealistic, infantile manner. Perhaps she became ill, or there was an accident (or even suicide) - any of which could involve something that Sherlock could blame on his father, perhaps. Sherlock may have been aware of his mother being miserable, or neglected, and wouldn’t have had all the information, just enough to build anger, and resentment, and abandonment issues.

Sherlock was shipped off to boarding school at a young age - it doesn’t require a single parent, of course, but that might make it a more natural course of action, especially for a busy (and possibly grieving) executive. Plus, Sherlock was viciously abused at school - I get the impression that his father was unmoved by whatever protests Sherlock may have tried to make - I find it difficult to believe that a mother would too, which strengthens my presumption that his mother was no longer living to tell. (And a recently-bereaved-and-‘abandoned’ little boy who also happens to be extra-smart makes a perfect target.)

He also mentioned having a...what was it, nanny, governess? this episode, which also seems to lend credence to the idea. Of course, she might have been a busy executive too, I suppose, but I prefer the death angle.