Friday, November 1, 2013

CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode # 6 "An Unnatural Arrangement" - Review

Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson in CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 An Unnatural Arrangement

Sherlock takes Joan to a police station to observe cell inmates to sharpen her skills of observation and deduction. Joan protests that they can make better use of the limited number of Friday nights.

A NYPD detective, Craig Basken (Peter Hermann) approaches Joan with a request for assistance in solving a seemingly trivial case.

Captain Tommy Gregson's separated wife, Cheryl Gregson (Talia Balsam) encounters an masked man in her house. The intruder claims to be looking for her husband.

Cheryl shoots at him in self defense and wounds him. The unknown stranger makes his escape.

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James Monroe (Ted King), a neighbor gives his eye witness account of the intruder's escape on foot.

Captain Tommy Gregson (Aidan Quinn) gives access to all of his personal files to Sherlock and Joan, with the intention of catching his enemy.

Talia Balsam and Aidan Quinn as Captain Tommy Gregson and his separated estranged wife Cheryl Gregson in CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 An Unnatural Arrangement

Sherlock notices that one Dustin Bishop has been persistently sending emails to Gregson. Sherlock and Joan break into Dustin's apartment and (surprise, surprise) Dustin has been shot.

Holmes and Joan's investigation leads them to one Jacob Esparza (Armando Riesco) and subsequently Elizabeth Roney (Sarah Wynter).

I recommend the readers to check out the episode for the resolution.

Canonical References
1. Miller's Sherlock deducing that a prison inmate's crime involves a litter of purebred Yorkshire Terriers - In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes deduces that Dr James Mortimer is “the possessor of a favourite dog, which I should describe roughly as being larger than a terrier and smaller than a mastiff.” 

2. Elementary Sherlock deducing that Sam Clennon had military experience in Afghanistan - Sherlock Holmes makes the famous deduction about Dr John Watson in A Study in Scarlet: “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes in CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 An Unnatural Arrangement

3. Miller's Sherlock expresses his disapproval of marriage as something that forces two participants into unhealthy monogamy - The Canonical Holmes too expressed his aversion to marriage, but for completely different reasons. He states in The Sign of the Four: “But love is an emotional thing, and whatever is emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I place above all things. I should never marry myself, lest I bias my judgment.”

4. Joan's statement about Elementary Holmes: “You have been doing this since you were a kid. I have some catching to do” - Sherlock Holmes tells Dr John Watson in The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual - “Yes, my boy, these were all done prematurely before my biographer had come to glorify me.”

5. Miller's Holmes brings Tibetan fried bread to Joan for her breakfast - Sherlock Holmes informs Dr John Watson in The Adventure of the Empty House: “I travelled for two years in Tibet, therefore, and amused myself by visiting Lhassa, and spending some days with the head lama.”

Lucy Liu as Joan Watson in CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 An Unnatural Arrangement

6. A significant deduction involves the silence of Elizabeth's dog, Gotham - This reminded me of “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time” in The Silver Blaze.

Trivia
The song "Heal" from Long Way Down by Tom Odell is played in the closing scenes of the episode, when Elementary Sherlock is observing Joan Watson.

This was another weak episode. I watch the show mainly to catch the nods to Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories.


Ted King as James Monroe with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson in CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 An Unnatural Arrangement


Recommended only to die-hard fans of the show.

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Image Source: CBS 

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