thrilled to have the chance to do this type of writing again. To be fair, however, I have never blogged. The type of work that I did in the newspaper business was somewhat more old-school than
that.
I do have to confess, though, that my excitement is somewhat tempered by the fact that I am
about to criticize a program that was once very near and dear to my heart. Like many of you, I have been a fan of the CBS series Elementary since it first debuted in September of 2012. The notion of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, or even a modern-day Holmes and Watson team, was certainly not a new one, so CBS was breaking no new ground there.
What was more unique was the concept of making Dr. Joan Watson a live-in sober companion for Holmes, and then letting their relationship grow from there. Jonny Lee Miller was a perfect choice for the ever eccentric Holmes, and Lucy Liu’s portrayal of Watson provided the perfect counterweight to that eccentricity.
I was particularly struck by how different this portrayal was from just about everything that had
preceded it. Traditionally, the character of Watson has always been inferior to that of Holmes, not only in terms of intellect, but also in terms of courage and energy. Even in the phenomenal portrayals of Watson by David Burke and Edward Hardwicke, both of whom adhered fairly closely to the Watson that Conan Doyle introduced to the world, there was still a very obvious gap between the two men in terms of both intelligence and drive, as there was in the original stories. Elementary, in my opinion, was the first treatment of Holmes and Watson that placed them on
relatively equal terms.
As the series developed, I continued to be impressed. For starters, the show utilized many of the original story titles from Conan Doyle, and worked those themes seamlessly into contemporary storylines. I also appreciated the fact that most of the cases that Miller and Liu took on as Holmes and Watson were of relatively local interest, rather than national, or even global matters, although
these types of cases were also sprinkled into the mix in just the right quantity from time to time. Doyle’s writing struck that same balance.
Elementary also found new and exciting ways to incorporate other familiar characters created
by Doyle. Portraying Holmes as a former consultant to Scotland Yard who had relocated to New York created an easy opening through which to introduce Sean Pertwee as Lestrade, and the way the
writers wove in Rhys Ifans and Natalie Dormer as Mycroft Holmes and Moriarty was brilliant. Much to my disappointment, the energy and creativity of the writers did not last. Either that, or they simply lost their ability to introduce new characters and new ideas, and then develop things patiently and thoughtfully, letting the show’s natural momentum and the response of its loyal fan base dictate the storyline from one season to the next.
These last few seasons, I have watched as a host of new and potentially interesting characters
were introduced, only to be yanked from the show just a few episodes later, before they were
ever really able to gain any traction. Nelson Ellis’s character Shinwell Johnson and Desmond Harrington’s Michael are just two examples. Even when new characters were allowed to remain longer, they were often given the axe just as they were beginning to get interesting. Ophelia Lovibond’s portrayal of Kitty Winter falls into this category, at least as far as I am concerned.
With these characters went their storylines, and any hope that the show might continue to break new ground. Each time, the script would instead retreat into a safe zone made up of four main characters:
Holmes, Watson, Captain Thomas Gregson, and Detective Marcus Bell. While Aidan Quinn and Jon Michael Hill deliver stellar performances as Gregson and Bell, that became a formula in need of a good shaking up. What’s more, the show lost its local flavor to some degree, and it seemed as though every other case had national or international implications. That’s fine in the right doses, but it can get old fast.
I’m no fair-weather fan. I never felt betrayed by the show, and never rooted for its demise once it had started to lose my interest. Instead, I kept watching, hoping the storyline would rediscover the magic it once had. While it occasionally showed signs of doing so, these were mostly small sparks that failed to ignite a fire of any kind. That’s why the ending to Season 6 was so satisfying for me.
I’m not really a social media guy, so I had no idea if the show had been cancelled, if there would
be a Season 7, or what was going on. I’m simply not tuned in to the chatter. However, I didn’t really care one way or the other at the time, as I viewed the situation as a win-win.
If the series was over, then it had gone out as it came in. While I would have missed the show, I admired the fact that it seemed to be ending as it had begun, with boldness and creativity. If, on the other hand, another season was in the works, then there was fertile ground upon which to build.
When I first heard that there would indeed be a Season 7, and that Kitty would be making a return as well, I was thrilled. I envisioned all sorts of new storylines for Miller and Liu in London, working with Kitty and Scotland Yard, and perhaps even going up against Moriarty a few more times. None of these things happened, and now it is too late.
Instead of a new and creative storyline, I was treated to merely one episode set in London (with an appearance by Kitty), and then the show returned to New York and to business as usual. I realize that some viewers might appreciate the introduction of James Frain as Odin Reichenbach, and that many will also view the Reichenbach storyline as breaking new ground.
Unfortunately, I think the notion of a tech billionaire with a God complex has been done to death in television, no matter how it gets dressed up and repackaged. I also realize that I am a bit of an old soul, and that I don’t relate well to the attention span of today’s television audience. Nor am I a Hollywood insider. Maybe there were contractual reasons for all of the things that I have just lamented, or certain routes were simply unavailable to the show due to behind-the-scenes issues that I am unaware of. Even so, I can’t get away from the feeling that the show has spent the last several seasons wasting its potential.
As I write this, I fully appreciate the fact that the upcoming August 15 episode “Their Final Bow”
will reintroduce the character of Jamie Moriarty in some fashion, and that a lot can happen in just one episode. Like I said earlier, however, it is simply too late from my point of view.
Elementary has squandered its seventh season (Merely 13 episodes. Remember the good old days, when your favorite program would drop off for the summer and leave you with reruns, to return in the fall with a whole new season of at least 30 episodes?), and the episode on August 15 is, as its name implies, the series finale. That means the reintroduction of Moriarty, while interesting, is meaningless.
Although, what better concept could there be for a spinoff? Should I even dare to dream?
