S03.E20: A Stitch In Time

[Athena]

Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a professional skeptic, a man who debunked paranormal, religious and scientific phenomenon for a living. The case becomes urgent when his homicide reveals a potential threat to homeland security. Also, Captain Gregson’s daughter and fellow NYPD officer, Hannah, asks Watson for help with one of her cases.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a professional skeptic, a man who debunked paranormal, religious and scientific phenomenon for a living. The case becomes urgent when his homicide reveals a potential threat to homeland security. Also, Captain Gregson’s daughter and fellow NYPD officer, Hannah, asks Watson for help with one of her cases.

 

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-9yIN3E48Y

[Actionmage]

While not the most challenging of cases, it was interesting.  

 

It saddens me to have anyone consider Anita Gillette "a little old lady", no matter her age. She was fun.

 

The not fun person? Hannah Gregson. I get her points, but Joan had equally good ones too. We may see more of Officer Gregson, depending on how much ambition she has.  I thought briefly that Hannah may be Joan's Lestrade. I hope not.

 

I was happily surprised to see Mr. Bogosian in the credits; he is a wonderful defensive mope. We also go an Irregular sighting, too!

 

Hopefully, we'll get Ms. Hudson, Alfredo, and either the Nose or Pam, the Snowplow driver in before summer. And of course, Clyde. There is never enough Clyde. What? Pam could have a situation.

[DeLurker]

Aiden Q's voice sounded a bit off to me in that final scene with Joan. Glad he knows what's up with his kid.

The Irregular looked like he was cringing when Holmes touched his shoulder.

[thuganomics85]

Bogosian!  I knew it was going to be you!  The recognizable face always is involved somehow!

 

Interesting that they brought back Hannah Gregson, only for her to end up being a problem for Joan.  She clearly is not against taking shortcuts or using people to increase her standing in the police force.  Didn't predict that they would take a character who was sympathetic in her first episode, and make her kind of shady here. At least Gregson himself figured it out too, so Joan isn't forced to keep it from him.  But I wonder if this is going to be brought back up again.

 

Fun to see Mason again.

 

Not my favorite episode.  I hope they will be ramping things up soon, since the season is about done.

[shapeshifter]

Thing I loved most: Joan's outfit towards the end with the Piet Mondrian-inspired print blouse and the translucent white sweater.

Thing that bugged: Bogosian's character got caught because the painting he used to pay off the not!terrorist was the Picasso in the front room, so Sherlock had seen it earlier. Too easy.

I would rather they cut a deal with the Iraqi American that involved him doing community service--but he killed the ghost buster with the garden gnome, so I guess not.

Edited April 18, 2015 by shapeshifter

[basil]

Thing that bugged: Bogosian's character got caught because the painting he used to pay off the not!terrorist was the Picasso in the front room, so Sherlock had seen it earlier.

 

 

One of the writers or show runners must be an art lover, as references to various painters or paintings are common.

 

This episode boiled down to a variation of The Sting - critical information was held up just long enough to make the right bet.

[sinkwriter]

I don't know why, really, but I found the episode kind of boring. In fact, at one point (with about 20 minutes remaining in the episode), I paused it to go look up something online (before I might forget what I wanted to look up), and an hour later I finished my searching and emailing, only to realize the episode was still on pause and I needed to finish watching it. Oops.

 

It just didn't seem to have much going on. Though I did love the brief scene where Sherlock's Irregular (Mason?) was helping with the not-internet project. The kid was amusing, and I liked how Sherlock encouraged him.

[GaT]

I'm not finding the episodes all that interesting lately. I hope they don't plan on pushing Hannah Gregson because she's not interesting at all. Unless they plan on killing her.

[Izeinwinter]

That plot couldn't possibly have held together very long. An outage followed by an additional 4 millisecond delay on a transatlantic cable would blatantly obviously be sabotage/someone inserting a clumsy tap/ect, and thus cause the operators of said cable to go over it with a microscope, and determining where the box was inserted wouldn't take long. On the other hand, if it doesn't trace back, the couple of days until they find it and rip it out might well generate quite substantial amounts of money..

 

Not overly happy with where they took Gregsons daughter, but I think that may just partially me missing Kitty and wanting someone to take up part of that role. 

[Primetimer]

Sherlock takes down a trader. (No, not a trader of bees.)

Read the story

[basiltherat]

I LOVED that the murder weapon was a garden gnome!  Anyone who is also on the Young and Restless board will recognize the reference.

 

I absolutely covet the asymmetrical chairs in Bogosian's living room.  I may be able to get them cheap at the garage sale.

 

I congratulated myself on recognizing a Picasso and Joan's Mondrian blouse (which was fabu).

[iMonrey]

 

Fun to see Mason again.

 

I did not remember this character. When was he first introduced, and under what circumstances?

 

When he asked Joan "does this look like the internet?" it was one of the rare times she actually smiled.

[Xantar]

So I'm guessing this was an adaptation of The Adventure of the Red-Headed League. Someone tries to get an otherwise uninvolved person out of the house in order to dig a tunnel underneath to access something and gain massive wealth. There's even a reference to marks on the Iraqi guy's knees which give away what he's doing. And if I squint sideways at it, the fact that the underground cable was called "Ruby" may be a reference to the Red-Headed League.

 

Nerd references aside, though, I agree that the case was uninvolving. I find the character interactions quite good, but the case in each episode has been weak lately. It may be that they need to start branching out into something besides murder. I know that's the bread and butter of police procedurals, but part of what made the original Sherlock Holmes stories so interesting was that they could have involved any old bizarre thing which might not have even been illegal. 

[stealinghome]

I caught this episode after having missed the previous few, and thought it was good fun. I found the mystery engaging enough, though of course the real highlight is always the Holmes/Watson relationship, and they were, as always, delightful. For a moment I thought they were setting up Joan/Hannah Gregson, but then I was like, nope, read THAT one wrong! And I too am curious as to whether that was a one-off or whether Hannah will come back more.

 

What really stood out for me in this ep though was the Joan/Gregson relationship. After Holmes/Watson, I find it to be the sweetest relationship on the show. Gregson has such a soft spot for Joan, but in a totally professional, respectful way.

[roseha]

I did not remember this character. When was he first introduced, and under what circumstances?

 

 

I believe he appeared in Bella, if I'm not mistaken.  Whether he appeared previous to this season I'm not sure because I started watching this year, but I remember Sherlock commenting to the effect that Mason was a typical modern name given to children by parents who wouldn't dream of taking part in such a profession.  So maybe that was his introductory scene.

I enjoyed the episode though I agree the Hannah subplot was dull and probably took away from time that could have been better spent between Sherlock and Joan.  Maybe the writers came up with it to give Gregson more to do.

[DeLurker]

 What really stood out for me in this ep though was the Joan/Gregson relationship. After Holmes/Watson, I find it to be the sweetest relationship on the show. Gregson has such a soft spot for Joan, but in a totally professional, respectful way.

On a different show I would like to see Lucy Liu and Aiden Quinn as a couple but not this one.

The daughter is totally undeveloped. Hope they don't do a longer story arc with her in it because I just won't care (no matter how fond I am of the under used Gregson).

[MaryHedwig]

Nice bread-and-butter episode but I can't wait for the story arc that will carry us through until the end, and powers that be, there better be one.

 

In the opening sequence, the Good Samaritan driving while talking on the phone, illegal in my state, appeared to be talking to a daughter/son at college on the west coast that was trying to end the call abruptly with out of "concern" that the call was too late for the father.  The driver did not fit the profile of a man with children in college, and I am not talking about his ethnicity, but maybe that was the point.

 

Now let's talk about the tunnel digger/murderer.  He must of driven that car and stopped on the tracks because it was mentioned that the victim had been dead for an hour.  So this "amateur" killer hauls a hefty man by himself up the basement stairs, through that house such that the police could find no evidence, pushed him into a car (the victim's car? did he hot wire it?), drove with a dead man by his side, placed the car on the tracks just as a train was coming (how did he know a train would be coming just at that time?)  He almost hit the Good Samaritan/angel's car and then somehow pushed the corpse over to the driver side and ran away without Good Sam noticing?  Wow, for a rookie, he has skill and flare, doesn't he?

 

I sure hope Sherlock protect Clyde from those bees.  Maybe he was at the precinct with Joan.

 

I loved the "fatherly" protection that Sherlock gave the soon-to-be-ex cult victim.  It reminded me of the most touching scene of the entire series, the one in which Sherlock comforts an enslaved Russian prostitute.  It is scene like that that makes me think that Sherlock is deep down a bundle of raw caring nerves, despite his protests.

Edited April 18, 2015 by MaryHedwig

[shapeshifter]

I LOVED that the murder weapon was a garden gnome! Anyone who is also on the Young and Restless board will recognize the reference...

The Closer did it too, and I guess it's fairly common--at least in fiction:

previously.tv/elementary/all-the-usual-bollocks/

Sherlock and Joan are, sadly, called in to solve the murder of Mr. Boyd, a professional debunker Holmes admired. Boyd -- who was tragically killed by a garden gnome, a fate that will surely come for us all...

Edited April 18, 2015 by shapeshifter

[KAOS Agent]

 

And I too am curious as to whether that was a one-off or whether Hannah will come back more.

 

Please, no. Hannah is awful. First with her abusive partner and allowing him to walk scot free because she didn't want to be seen as a victim not caring that any future romantic partners will also most likely be abused by this guy (good thing Kitty put a scare into him) and now allowing the guys at the top of the drug operation to get away because of her ambitions. I was glad that Gregson sees through her and has more respect for the good and highly qualified people he works with than he has ambitions for helping his daughter move up the chain. I liked that he told Joan not to help her again.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In the opening sequence, the Good Samaritan driving while talking on the phone, illegal in my state, appeared to be talking to a daughter/son at college on the west coast that was trying to end the call abruptly with out of "concern" that the call was too late for the father. The driver did not fit the profile of a man with children in college, and I am not talking about his ethnicity, but maybe that was the point.

I don't understand what you mean. What does a man with kids in college look like and how is it different from the guy who was shown?

Edited April 18, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[shapeshifter]

Nice bread-and-butter episode but I can't wait for the story arc that will carry us through until the end, and powers that be, there better be one...

And I too am curious as to whether that was a one-off or whether Hannah will come back more.

Please, no. Hannah is awful...

I haven't read any spoilers, but it looks like the Gregson daughter issues may very well be the story arc for the rest of the season. While this could be shark-jumpingly awful, I think they can pull it off with Sherlock and Watson psychologically manipulating the situation.

[Zahdii]

I was wondering if it turned out that because Gregson's daughter jumped the gun on the case that Watson helped her with, the big guys at the top of the scheme were able to go on to commit other crimes, some that included one or more people dying.  When the truth came out, and it was discovered that holding off on the arrest of the neighborhood robberies might have stopped the top level bad guys before things got to murder, it would be interesting to see what happened next.

 

Would Hannah Gregson step up and admit that her own ambition contributed to the murders, would she try to somehow further her career by inserting herself into the investigation or trying to manipulate Watson or her father again?  Or would she recognize and admit that she let her own personal agenda get in the way and do her best to help, or at least think about another career choice? 

 

There's a lot of ways to play this out, but I'd prefer that she only be mentioned or shown now and again until the episode where it all comes to a head.

[theatremouse]

Please, no. Hannah is awful. First with her abusive partner and allowing him to walk scot free because she didn't want to be seen as a victim not caring that any future romantic partners will also most likely be abused by this guy (good thing Kitty put a scare into him) and now allowing the guys at the top of the drug operation to get away because of her ambitions.

I think both episodes involving Hannah basically tell us all she cares about are her ambitions, regardless of her own personal safety or that of the general populace. Which for me, makes her a shitty police officer, but perhaps a quite realistic one (not that all or most are necessarily like that, but there are plenty of cops as well as people in any profession who don't really care about doing good; they care about looking good). Not everyone is so altruistic, even in standard do-gooder professions. Politicking often wins over strict morals/ethics/the greater good etc.

Actually, kudos whoever said it, she Hannah does actually strike me a bit like Sherlock's criticisms of Lestrade.

Agreed this is going to be tremendously uninteresting unless they're heading for Hannah's choices to lead to her death or other extreme calamity. Hopefully it gets there fast (or slow but unmentioned in the interim).

Edited April 19, 2015 by theatremouse

[caseylane]

I actually kind of like the Hannah story. I like that she's selfish and an average cop. With Gregson set up as her father it would be far too easy to make her super special. Instead she's got a lot of negative qualities. I also love that her father is well aware of her failings, even as he loves her. Don't want to see her a lot but she could be one of those rare recurring characters that pop up once in a while and I wouldn't complain.

[dr pepper]

The main plot was dumb. It was obvious that, if the device wasn't doing anything with the data, then obviously it was meant to add a delay.

[Trey]

The main plot was dumb. It was obvious that, if the device wasn't doing anything with the data, then obviously it was meant to add a delay.

But not everyone would realize that even a four second delay could have an effect on trading on the stock market.  They could have been a little quicker on the uptake though.

[theatremouse]

Not second. Millisecond, I think they said. And I thought it was presented as obnoxiously slow (pun intended) on their parts not to realize the possibility immediately given it did seem to be public knowledge that investment firms literally planned where to put their offices based on the speed and location of said cable. So it seems like basically from the get go once they realized what the target was, the hypotheses on the table should've been: stealing/rerouting info or futzing with the speed and then they'd just conclude which were correct after picking apart the device. It was a really anticlimactic answer.

[jhlipton]

I loved the "fatherly" protection that Sherlock gave the soon-to-be-ex cult victim.  It reminded me of the most touching scene of the entire series, the one in which Sherlock comforts an enslaved Russian prostitute.  It is scene like that that makes me think that Sherlock is deep down a bundle of raw caring nerves, despite his protests.

 

I thought it was cheap.  Every "church" like this is a "cult".  Just once I'd like it to be aboveboard, with no hinky leader and members there because they believe.

 

I was wondering if it turned out that because Gregson's daughter jumped the gun on the case that Watson helped her with, the big guys at the top of the scheme were able to go on to commit other crimes, some that included one or more people dying.  When the truth came out, and it was discovered that holding off on the arrest of the neighborhood robberies might have stopped the top level bad guys before things got to murder, it would be interesting to see what happened next.

 

Cops arrest the lower level guys all the time (on TV at least) and get them to roll on their bosses.  What Hannah did is actually standard procedure on most shows.  

I found her action acceptable, even if her motivation was off.

[Helena Dax]

When we met Hannah I said she cared more about her ambition than that guy's future victims. She's a shitty person and a shitty cop. 

 

Loved that Sherlock was able to de-brainwash that girl in ten seconds, it was hilarious. 

[FormerMod-a1]

Cops arrest the lower level guys all the time (on TV at least) and get them to roll on their bosses.  What Hannah did is actually standard procedure on most shows.  

I found her action acceptable, even if her motivation was off.

 

I'm not so sure about that.  It's not like she showed the evidence or thought process to superiors and then arrested the guy.  Or even that she went and got an arrest warrant and arrested the guy.  She made it so that she just "happened" to see  him, then followed him (with her partner) to wherever (again somewhere she already knew about via the evidence she showed no one) and then arrested him.  That's a lot of subterfuge.  

[Guest]

Not second. Millisecond, I think they said. And I thought it was presented as obnoxiously slow (pun intended) on their parts not to realize the possibility immediately given it did seem to be public knowledge that investment firms literally planned where to put their offices based on the speed and location of said cable. So it seems like basically from the get go once they realized what the target was, the hypotheses on the table should've been: stealing/rerouting info or futzing with the speed and then they'd just conclude which were correct after picking apart the device. It was a really anticlimactic answer.

I'm not so sure they don't make up most of the finance stuff.  The largest trading software platform in the country, Bloomberg, was down for hours on a recent Friday.  How many milliseconds is that?  I know program trading exists but it's not like there aren't delays in buying/selling stock, under all circumstances.

[theatremouse]

Oh I have absolutely no idea if any of the premise of the episode were true to real life functional money happenings. However, given the facts (in the universe of the show) presented in-episode, I thought the plot was absurdly obvious and therefore boring, and annoying to wait for the characters to catch up there was such a lantern hung on it.

[McKinley]

Oh I have absolutely no idea if any of the premise of the episode were true to real life functional money happenings.

 

My husband was telling me about a story that he thought may have been the real-life inspiration for this case, described in the book Flash Boys by Michael Lewis (CBS interview here).  Brad Katsuyama, head of the Royal Bank of Canada's stock desk in New York, encountered a problem where every time he tried to place a large trade, the order would only be partially filled and the price of the stock would go up.   He and an expert on high-speed fiber optic networks, Ronan Ryan, figured out that his trades were routed to 13 exchanges in New Jersey, but it took varying amounts of time (measured in milliseconds) to reach those exchanges.  High-frequency traders were watching the exchange where his trades arrived first, and then front-running those trades in the milliseconds before his orders reached the other exchanges.  RBC developed a software program that would stagger the sending of the orders so they would reach all of the exchanges at the same time, and he was once again able to fill his trades without interference.

 

My husband recalled them as not using a software program to make the delays, but a hardware box called a "looper" that would allow them to control the signal delay.  But we can't find where he read about that.

 

Another possible source of inspiration could be (from IEEE Spectrum):

 

"The New York Stock Exchange, at 11 Wall Street in lower Manhattan, might seem the epicenter of U.S. stock trading. In fact, the real action takes place about 50 kilometers away, in a huge, windowless building in suburban Mahwah, N.J. NYSE Euronext opened a 400 000-square-foot (37 000-square-meter) data center there in 2010. This is where the New York Stock Exchange houses its “matching engines”—servers that link together a vast number of buy and sell orders coming in from traders. It’s also where the exchange leases space to companies that want their computerized trading equipment installed as close as possible to these matching engines so as to limit signaling delays, both in receiving market information and in executing trades. ... This data center is thus a key hub for U.S. financial markets. No wonder it’s protected by armed guards, hydraulically operated steel barriers, and bomb-sniffing dogs. The high-frequency trading firms that colocate their equipment there enjoy a valuable speed advantage over others that are not so strategically placed. Some of those tenants had even hoped to garner a fraction of a microsecond’s edge by positioning their equipment especially close to the exchange’s matching engines. But that’s impossible, by design. 'Everyone routes through the same set of switches, the same core network, the same local area network, and then [the data] is delivered at the same speed to each colocation customer’s top of rack, wherever they are located—no one has an advantage,' says Don Brook, global head of infrastructure for the NYSE. 'The last piece of secret sauce to make that happen isn’t really that secret: Every cable is the same length, whether you are 10 feet away or 500 feet away.'

Although it seems rather wasteful to have kilometers of fiber-optic networking cable looping around in circles above the server racks, fairness (and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) demand such attention to detail in leveling the playing field among the exchange’s colocated customers." (emphasis added)

 

I know that I really appreciate the writers of this show not only tying the stories into the original Holmes' stories, but also into a wide array of real current events.

Edited May 1, 2015 by McKinley