Elementary 2x24

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

Discussion post for Elementary 2x24 'Art in the Blood'.

Pretty sure this is the season finale.

Spoilers in the comments.

What did you think?

Comments

[p-for-polkadots.livejournal.com]

No, no, no. What a mess. As a season finale disappointing and so damn boring. How on earth did they even manage to make so much plot nonsense this level of boring?

I've never liked this persistent woobiefication of Sherlock in the first place, but now Mycroft as well? Seriously? He's got some daddy issues and that's why he joined MI6, because his rich, upperclass father and his clever little brother never expected anything from him. Boohoo, what a tragedy. While Mycroft intrigued me at first, I can now only hope he will go away fast and stay away.

Sherlock doesn't get exactly what he wants and behaves like a toddler. Again. Am I actually supposed to feel sympathy here? I like Sherlock and Joan living together, I do, especially because this kind of closeness can be both exhilarating as well as a dangerous kind of codependence. And yes, his persistence of having things his way (as Joan rightly pointed out) could be a great starting point to explore the toxic aspects of their arrangement, but sadly, I'm pretty certain it's not intended to be seen that way. Furthermore, the hints of him using again make it even worse, because Sherlock isn't a maladjusted teenager in the throes of puberty with a strong no-one-can-possibly-understand-me syndrome and the inability to think before he acts (even if he tends to behave like one). No, he is an adult, and a very clever one at that. So the repercussions of him doing drugs again, especially the guilt and responsibility Joan would undoubtedly feel (which would likely lead to her living with him again) are intentional. That might not be the only reason, because I don't doubt that Sherlock's distress is genuine, but it is a reason.

I'm also disappointed with Joan's character in those last few episodes. She's treated as little more than a pawn between Sherlock and Mycroft or something precious that can be hurt and thus be used as leverage. If she is supposedly so essential, then I can't see it at the moment. She can obviously handle herself (that little chat with the hacker collective as safeguard was very elegant, I have to say), but in the end the story isn't about her. No, it's about the effects her character and her actions have on two men in her life. That's not what a main character is, that's a plot device.

And then there's the end with Sherlock endeavouring to become a secret agent. That this is out of character for a canonical Sherlock Holmes doesn't really concern me, because this isn't ACD Holmes. But it's out of character for this Sherlock, too. It just doesn't make any sense. And no, I don't count moping about Joan moving out as a valid reason.

If all this is supposed to set the stage for the next season, I'm honestly not sure if I'm going keep watching for long.