S03.E03: Just A Regular Irregular

[dr pepper]

If Joan moves back, it should be with terms. Like she chooses how her room is furnished, and Holmes doesn't come in without knocking.

As for the football player, he's got a stupid human trick now, and will be expected to do it on talk shows.

[theatremouse]

Are we supposed to assume that Joan's been assaulted in the past from the epilogue?

For now at least, I'm assuming that is what they meant to imply. Something about the editing/framing of the shot struck me as "reveal"-ey. I don't think it was meant to suggest she was there either as a supporter, as she sometimes was with Sherlock, or because of her kidnapping. Unless they're going to eventually reveal that more happening during the kidnapping than just what we saw. Until we see otherwise, I think they're suggesting she was assaulted some other time in the past that has not yet been discussed onscreen.

[paigow]

For now at least, I'm assuming that is what they meant to imply. Something about the editing/framing of the shot struck me as "reveal"-ey. I don't think it was meant to suggest she was there either as a supporter, as she sometimes was with Sherlock, or because of her kidnapping. Unless they're going to eventually reveal that more happening during the kidnapping than just what we saw. Until we see otherwise, I think they're suggesting she was assaulted some other time in the past that has not yet been discussed onscreen.

 

Hopefully, this will be resolved during the current season.

[novhappy]

Once again, the whole plot made no sense. none. zero. zilch. Ridiculous.  To flush out an anonymous poster who outed a lottery scam, killer sets up this game but doesn't start trying to find his target until the 9th installment. And then he tortures and kills whoever he finds there and he's going to keep doing it until his guy shows up.  And this accomplishes what?  It's not like the lottery is going to go back to having the scammable games if the guy who pointed it out is dead? so...revenge?  Whatever.  This show started out as competently written but is very poorly written now.  And having Joan out of the brownstone removes the only fun part of the show- the funny one-liners and awkwardness of them living together.  

[Betweenthisandthat]

Until we see otherwise, I think they're suggesting she was assaulted some other time in the past that has not yet been discussed onscreen.

 

I read from one of the writers on twitter that it was meant to show Joan supporting Kitty.  It was on the Elementary Writers twitter as an answer to a question about it.  Maybe more will be made of it later, but I don't know if this interpretation which I've seen in several places was what we were supposed to get out of Joan being there.

[MaryHedwig]

I read from one of the writers on twitter that it was meant to show Joan supporting Kitty.  It was on the Elementary Writers twitter as an answer to a question about it.  Maybe more will be made of it later, but I don't know if this interpretation which I've seen in several places was what we were supposed to get out of Joan being there.

Yeah, I think the director could have made that clearer by not having Joan sit in the circle right next to Kitty.  I remember when Joan was supporting Sherlock she would sometimes even be sitting right outside.

 

Joan was kidnapped and seconds away from her death at gunpoint so she does have a harrowing story to add to that share circle.  I also remember her kidnapper saying that she was "too pretty to be a cop" which put the threat of sexual violation on the table. I am not saying that sexual violation happened but how could Joan not have been worried about that?

 

The women in the survivor support group did not look like they came from central casting.  I can't imagine, but is there a possibility that that was a real group and those are real survivors?

[theatremouse]

I can't imagine, but is there a possibility that that was a real group and those are real survivors?

Extremely unlikely.

[Danielg342]

I thought the episode was great. The case was actually interesting this week- as opposed to just obtuse- and I thought it was plotted pretty well. Having Harlan Emple and his neurotics just sealed the deal for me, especially how rounded he was as a character- he just wants to be liked, and good on Sherlock to recognize that.

Was mildly disappointed with Phil Sims' cameo. I mean, it was neat to see- I'm a football fan (Bills, though) and I've watched many a CBS game Sims has called (although I don't think of him as one of the game's best color commentators)- and I thought of having Sims be one of Sherlock's Irregulars was a nice twist (especially how he used football as a cover for the knife throwing thing), but his cameo meant nothing to the episode. I would have preferred if Sims' skills turned out to be of use in solving the case (at least) or if Sims played a character who would be involved in the case (such as being one of the competing mathematicians or being the factory worker that let Emple in or something like that), but I'll take what I can get.

Learning that Kitty was a rape victim was an interesting reveal...I mean, I predicted she was troubled in some way but not in the way I thought of. I also thought it was written and acted pretty well- Kitty made no big scenes about her torment, and Olivia Lovibond gave a nice detached performance that let on that she was struggling with a need for help against her feelings of helplessness and a fear of being “a bother.” I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but she was very believable- how many other Hollywood victims go for theatrics and be an overt “pity party”? So I have to commend the writers for their performance here.

I also probably should blast Sherlock for being so manipulative that he found a way- through Kitty- to bring Watson back into his life, but I think in doing so it would negate the fact that his heart was in the right place. I know if I was Watson I would have liked it better if Sherlock simply asked, but she knows that's just not his style.

Lastly, I enjoyed the script in this one...lots of nice zingers. My two favourites (both directed at Emple):

“Well, here's some math for you- we've got one dead body and one live body...”- Thomas Gregson in the interrogation

“What makes you think I wouldn't recognize an anagram of my own name?”- Sherlock Holmes, calling out Emple's usage of the pseudonym “Mo Shellshocker”

[paramitch]

Myself, I'm hoping Andrew has a more prominent role at some point soon, as he's played by a terrific actor, Raza Jaffrey, whom I've liked since the British series "Spooks," and who is doing nice work this season of "Homeland," as well. So I'm kind of thinking at some point Andrew will have more to do than just look cute and wander in and out of scenes. (Although I wish they'd let Jaffrey keep his lovely English accent, but I guess that would've been too many Brits with Holmes as well.)

 

I'm cautiously all right with Kitty, thus far. Holmes has always shown himself to be good with wounded people, so his gentleness with her doesn't surprise me.

 

I was surprised by the last scene here, as it really seemed to imply that Joan was at the group for herself, too. It made me think that perhaps the kidnapping or even other aspects of their work have affected her more than she shows.

 

I know Liu as Watson can come off as cold, but I really like her and think that she's actually highly compassionate and warm, just contained and undemonstrative. To me, Liu's Watson is someone who actually seems to feel emotions deeply, but for that very reason she is all the more private about them. So I find her kind of a puzzle, in a great way -- she's a truly unique character, and I love that.  Meanwhile, I admit that I miss the Watson/Holmes apartment cuteness, but I also get why Watson would do what she has. However, the total split between the two isn't working for me so I hope the show abandons that fairly quickly and just allows them to work together the way God and Conan Doyle intended.

[johntfs]

It does seem like Joan is still punishing Sherlock for his eight month disappearing act--she seems very angry in her scenes with him, especially in the one where Sherlock referenced the two of them as Kitty's parents, as if Joan doesn't want to be tied to Sherlock in anyway--and I hope the show addresses this soon because it's becoming painful to watch Joan's coldness.   

 

I thought it was more like "No, Sherlock, the fully grown up young British woman is ]not our child."  It was more than Joan was a little horrified that Sherlock was apparently seeing (and likely treating) an adult as though she were a child to be parented.