TV Review: Elementary - Super Bowl Episode # 14 - The Deductionist

Jonny Lee Miller and Kari Matchett in Elementary

Howard Ennis (Terry Kinney) is a serial killer who has killed several women. He was caught based on the work of Kathryn Drummond (Kari Matchett), professional profiler.

Eight years after he has been imprisoned, Howard is released temporarily to perform a kidney donation for his sick sister, Patricia Ennis (Jessica Hecht). Howard escapes from the scene of operation after killing everyone around him.

NYPD calls in Kathryn again to apprehend Howard. Holmes is also involved in the investigation and he openly resents Kathryn’s efforts.

Watson does some research and finds out that Kathryn had published Holmes’ profile in an article termed “The Deductionist”. Holmes lets Watson know that he was intimately involved with Kathryn and tried to teach her the methods of observation and deduction.

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Kathryn did not explicitly name the subject of her article but Holmes is still ruffled at some of the points made. Kathryn predicted that Holmes is destined to destroy himself.

Holmes does not believe in Kathryn’s abilities. Patricia on the other hand, does have faith in Kathryn and believes she is the one person who can stop Howard.

Like Holmes, Howard Ennis too holds a personal long grudge towards Kathryn. He blames Kathryn for the deaths of his parents.

Going into more details will be spoiling the mystery. The mystery component is pretty good and rivals that of Episode # 3 (Child Predator) for being one of the best the show has offered so far.

Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson

Canonical References:

1.   Miller’s Holmes is able to escape out of his handcuffs in the opening scene – The Canonical Holmes is an expert in picking locks. In The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, Holmes displays his burgling kit, complete with keys, glass-cutter and a jimmy.

2.   Miller’s Holmes is seen practicing his single stick skills on a dummy – Watson mentions about Holmes in A Study in Scarlet: “Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.” Holmes himself states in The Adventure of the Illustrious Client:  “I’m a bit of a single-stick expert, as you know.”

3.   Holmes deduces Howard fooled the machines in the operation theater by practiced meditation of lowering his heart rate and pulse rate – Holmes himself did something similar in The Adventure of the Dying Detective. He also mentions: “Malingering is a subject upon which I have sometimes thought of writing a monograph.”

4.   Holmes deduces that the blood stain has been diluted with some chemical agent (Propofol) – Watson mentions that Sherlock Holmes has profound knowledge in Chemistry in A Study in Scarlet

Kari Matchett as Kathryn Drummond 

5.  Miller’s Holmes displays some knowledge of astronomy – Watson mentions that Sherlock Holmes has nil knowledge in Astronomy in A Study in Scarlet. This is an indirect reference to the number of inconsistencies in the Canon. One example is the shifting nature of Watson’s war injury.

6.   Miller’s Holmes openly expresses his disdain for Kathryn Drummond’s abilities – This reminded me of the contempt held by the Canonical Holmes for the abilities of Scotland Yard officers.

7.   Miller’s Holmes detects the presence of frankincense mixed with carrot seed – Holmes states in The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier: “I have, as my friend Watson may have remarked, an abnormally acute set of senses, and a faint but incisive scent was apparent.”

8.   Miller’s Holmes wakes up Watson from her sleep - In the Canon, it has happened in many cases – either due to the sudden visit by a client (The Adventure of the Speckled Band) or after Holmes has had a sudden brainwave (The Man with the Twisted Lip).

The Canonical Holmes’ sense of humor is one of my favorite Sherlockian traits. I enjoyed the comedic touches that Miller brought to his performance in this episode. I especially liked his reference to Kathryn’s profession as “pseudoscience”.

Lucy Liu’s Watson also gets to shine in her storyline. She applies her client’s methods and is able to resolve her problem with her landlord to her advantage. Her medical knowledge comes in handy too in the investigation.

Terry Kinney is effective as the serial killer. Terry successfully portrays an individual who is quite creepy and cunning at the same time.

Terry Kinney as Howard Ennis

A good episode and hope they continue to become even better in the future.

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Holmes’ abduction and torture of Sebastian Moran has not gone down well with Captain Gregson and he has suspended Holmes. Watson continues to stay with Holmes, even though her contract was not extended by her employer.

Holmes likes conspiracy theorists and is particularly close to Len Pontecorvo, a conspiracy theorist of some repute. When Len does not respond to Holmes’ text messages, Holmes decides to check on his whereabouts.

Holmes breaks into the house of his fellow conspiracy theorist and finds his corpse.

The title of the episode refers to Army War Games. Len has discovered the identity of one of the members of the Red Team of 2009. This member was killed a few months back in a case of mugging that according to Len was staged.

Holmes determines the names of the remaining teammates. One of them, Carlo Anillo has been diagnosed with an early onset of Alzheimer’s. Holmes deduces that Carlo is actually a victim of domoic acid poisoning.

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Holmes tries to help the official force in the case but is thrown out of the building by Captain Gregson. 

Sherlock and Watson continue to work on the case independently. They encounter “Bill”, who later turns out to be one Colonel Todd Clarke.

Shortly after Sherlock’s visit, Todd gets murdered and Sherlock finds himself as the suspect. To keep the review spoiler-free, I encourage the readers to check out the episode for themselves.

Canonical References:

1. Holmes and Watson discussing about Napolean Bonaparte – Reference to Professor Moriarty, the “Napolean” of crime.
2. Holmes forgetting about food when he is totally absorbed in his work – The Canonical Holmes does this in many of the cases.
3. Miller’s Holmes breaks into Len Pontecorvo’s house – The Canonical Holmes broke into the house of Charles Augustus Milverton to retrieve some documents.
4. Holmes’ deduction about domoic acid poisoning – Reference to Watson’s listing of Holmes’ skills and limits in A Study in Scarlet: “Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally.”
5. Sherlock introduces himself as a temporarily suspended consultant for the NYPD and Joan as someone who prevents him from doing heroin to “Bill” – Reference to the dry sense of humor possessed by the Canonical Holmes.
6. Holmes makes some deductions based on Len Pontecorvo’s finger nails  - Holmes states in A Study in Scarlet: “By a man's finger nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt cuffs—by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed.”
7. Miller’s Holmes smashing the listening device to smithereens – In The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, Holmes breaks the bust of Napolean to retrieve the missing black pearl.
8. “…why keep me from my work. My work is the greater good” – Reference to the French proverb stated by Holmes in The Adventure of the Red-Headed League: “‘L’homme c’est rien–l’oeuvre c’est tout,”. The French proverb translates to: “The man is nothing, the work is all”
9. Sherlock informing “Bill” that the surviving members of the Red Team are under his protection – Holmes makes a similar statement to Steve Dixie in The Adventure of the Three Gables: “Well, just bear in mind, Steve that the lady in that house, and everything under that roof, is under my protection. Don’t forget it.” 
10. Detective Bell remarks to Captain Gregson that it would probably be easier to fire Holmes if they ever actually paid him – The Canonical Holmes often took cases without consideration for compensation or recognition of any kind. 
11. Miller’s Holmes states to another character: “I judge people by their behavior” – Holmes states in The Sign of the Four: “It is of the first importance not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities… I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellant man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.”
12. Miller’s Holmes blows a whistle to call a cab – In The Adventure of the Empty House, Holmes uses a whistle to summon the official force, after he captures Colonel Sebastian Moran.

Lucy Liu as Joan Watson

This was a good episode. The mystery component was OK.

Miller’s performance was definitely the highlight. The Holmes-Watson chemistry is great and results in some nice exchanges. I especially enjoyed their conversation in the car, while waiting to follow a character.

Miller does some of his best work as Holmes. He has some great dialogues:

“I am smarter than everyone I meet, Watson”

“So far, none of the conventional ways of getting oneself killed apply”

“Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, Watson”

Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes

I look forward to the post-Super Bowl episode “The Deductionist”.

Click here to read all my posts about CBS Elementary.

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