What I’m Watching: Elementary (Season Finale)

Elementary: Season 1, Episodes 23 and 24 “The Woman” and “Heroine” (A-)

Now this was a finale if I’ve ever seen one. Turning the return of Irene and the search for Moriarty into a two-hour event was a brilliant idea, and this double-episode was gripping from start to finish. I did think it was peculiar to cast a known Brit as the American girlfriend of Sherlock Holmes, and it wasn’t long before Natalie Dormer started using her native accent, as this show pulled an enormously creative move and opted to have Moriarty in this universe be a woman, and none other than Irene herself. I suppose it’s not much of a shock considering that Watson’s gender has already been swapped, but it was a major twist and one that was extremely well-handled. The first episode had a foreboding feel to it as Sherlock had to contend with a broken Irene, while the second saw her in an entirely different light, with Watson set to take her down while Sherlock was grappling with this mind-blowing revelation. I’m glad he didn’t actually overdose, but it was so interesting to hear Moriarty explain that she never expected him to get addicted to drugs. Their initial meeting, however staged on her end, was mesmerizing, and it’s rare to see Sherlock so happy to be around someone. This finale, with its bee-naming conclusion, was much more like a cable series season ender, wrapping up its plotlines neatly rather than introducing a major cliffhanger not to be solved until the beginning of next season. While others would dismiss this show as just another CBS procedural, I would classify this as hands-down the best new broadcast network offering of the season. I eagerly look forward to Sherlock’s return in the fall.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Jonny Lee Miller