Yep, I just finished watching the first episode. What do I have to say? Meh.
For those who don't know, Elementary is an American adaptation of Sherlock Holmes set in modern-day New York. Holmes is a recovering drug-addict, and Watson is a female sober companion meant to ensure Holmes doesn't take up drugs again. It also comes right off the heels of BBC's popular Sherlock miniseries. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan of it. The writing is brilliant, the cast is amazing and the length gives them a good time to set out the mystery. So naturally, I was going to be biased going into this. I'll admit, I may not have entirely given it the chance it deserves, but I tried my best to think "Maybe it'll be good, I don't know." And I was also a little tweaked about them clearly changing Watson's gender for the sake of a relationship with Holmes. But, now it's time to start the review.
Warning!! SPOILERS!!!
Yeah, that probably wasn't neccessary, but whatever. Anyways, the story starts off with Watson meeting Holmes watching several different shows at once. He pauses the T.V. , and tells her he's in love with her. He then unpauses one of the T.V.'s to reveal a character saying the exact same thing as him. He then reveals that he's a consultant who hires himself out to the police for free. He heads to the scene of a kidnapping, only to deduce that it was actually a murder. Through the episode he discovers that the murderer was a flower delivery boy who also worked as a part-time serial killer. However, the murderer commits suicide, implying the case is over. But of course, nothing's that simple. Sherlock discovers the killer had been going through therapy to get better, and his therapist was none other than the murder victim's husband, who secretly slipped him steroids instead of his prescribed medication. This in turn caused him to go into a fit of rage and kill the woman the next time he delivered to her. They apprehend the man, and Sherlock and Watson bond.
So, that's essentially the story. There's some stuff exploring Holmes and Watson's relationship, but it doesn't feel like it does much for them. Anyways, what did I think? As I said earlier, Meh.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad show by any means, it just seems so bland for a show about the most iconic detective in literature. The story is fairly basic for a murder mystery, and almost feels padded. Also, the police seem to be somewhat dumber than in real life, or even other shows. Some of the stuff Sherlock points out should be fairly obvious, and yet he's the only one who notices. But in the end it's okay, and nothing comes across as really glaring about it. The acting is also fairly meh. Lucy Liu is bland as Watson, and Jonny Lee Miller seems unsure if he should play the role as a distant and unfeeling person, or a genuinly caring man. Honestly, the best actor was the villian, and that's not a good thing. But at the very least, it's not a bad show, and if you like Sherlock Holmes, crime shows, or BBC's Sherlock, you should give it a chance. But if you want my advice, stick with Sherlock. As I said before, it's got great actors, terriffic writers, good mysteries, and nail-biting season finales. In the meantime, hopefully Elementary will learn how to surpass its name.
