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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S03.E22: The Best Way Out Is Always Through

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in Elementary [V]

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

When a judge is murdered, Holmes and Watson become involved in the interstate search to find the prime suspect, an escaped convict from a privatized prison. When Holmes applies his deductive reasoning to Detective Bell’s new relationship, the romance hits a rough patch.
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AimingforYoko

AimingforYoko

When Holmes applies his deductive reasoning to Detective Bell’s new relationship, the romance hits a rough patch.

There was no deductive reasoning, he observed her in her IAB role.

 

Line of the night:

McCann: She was in SHU, that's solitary.

Joan: Yeah, we get Netflix.

  • Love 6
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Actionmage

Actionmage

I was sort of disappointed for Clyde; it would have been quite the wading area. Okay, a bit on the smallish side, as far as the bowl/cup itself, but still, pretty stylin'.

 

I did not appreciate Joan taking on Marcus' personal life. IA with Sherlock about I.A.B. I liked that Sherlock got Marcus to think about things a bit more, though. I like that the detective from the 12th ( I don't know how, but I'm blanking on her name) didn't  stay angry. That she thought on what Marcus said and found what she felt were truths and acted from that? I liked that about her. That and she isn't opposed to trying to start over with Marcus once things are a bit more settled with her. That is cool. I hope we see more of her.

 

Damn. She's going to be mixed into whatever future plans for Hannah are, right? Please, no TPTB! Maybe let her be a 'I heard'-type source if something like that happens, but not involved with Hannah or her cases.

 

I was never a fan of for-profit prisons; even though this is fiction, it doesn't feel too far from reality. Not because it was in NJ, but anything "for profit", at this point in time, is only about bottom lines not in how the bottom line is achieved. It probably didn't convert anyone from one side to the other, but it was good to have the issue mentioned in a prime time forum.

 

I love Joan, but the end tableau of Our Guys tossing cards into the Stanley Cup was sort of nice. A nice, comfortable easiness with each other. Thank you, Show.

  • Love 6
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thuganomics85

thuganomics85

Nice to see Bell can have a personal life... even it was brief.  As soon as the I.A. twist happen, I knew there was trouble because if there is one thing I've learn from all my cop show viewings, the majority of the police force hate Internal Affairs almost as much as they hate the criminals.  I'm sure there is some truth to this, but, damn, they really take their "code" thing seriously, huh?  At least Marcus finally wised up at the end, thanks to Sherlock.  And the final scene with them was great.

 

I get Joan meant well, but for some reason, I didn't like her butting in on Marcus' personal life, and telling him what she found out.  At the very least, maybe she could have approach the girlfriend herself and get her side first, before telling Marcus.  I don't know; the whole thing just didn't work for me.

 

The case was fun for me, just because there were three faces I recognized, so I didn't automatically pegged the killer.  I know Susan Misner from The Americans, Glenn Fleshler from True Detective and Boardwalk Empire, and Michael Kostroff from The Wire, so they were all on my list.  I originally picked Glenn since he was The Yellow King after-all, but I should have known it was going to be Kostroff's character.  You can't trust Maury!

 

When Sherlock built that elaborate model of the prison, I was totally bummed he didn't have Clyde in it.

 

Finally, I of course loved Sherlock's response to Bell's concerns with "My strongest love is a homicidal maniac!"  Hee!  It is true. And, I still don't blame him.  Moriarty may be a psycho, but dammit, she's an awesome one!

  • Love 4
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stealinghome

stealinghome

Enjoyed this ep as a light fluffy piece that was really fun. Liked a lot of the humor--Watson and Sherlock's low-simmering feud over crime and gender ("Would you prefer women were better criminals???") was hilarious and made me think SO MARRIED more than once. Also "The love of my life is a homicidal maniac," ha. But the best was "You're saying you broke us up with the power of your mind?" Bwah!

 

Poor Bell, but his romantic life felt a bit random.

  • Love 6
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frenchtoast

frenchtoast

I get Joan meant well, but for some reason, I didn't like her butting in on Marcus' personal life, and telling him what she found out.  At the very least, maybe she could have approach the girlfriend herself and get her side first, before telling Marcus.  I don't know; the whole thing just didn't work for me.

It annoyed me at first too, but thinking about it more, I think her concern was more that the girlfriend might either be trying to investigate Marcus or (more likely)  she might be put in the position to report Marcus from something he said. And given how Gruner used her to get to Sherlock and Kitty I can see why she would be concerned. 

  • Love 4
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DeLurker

DeLurker

Poor Bell, but his romantic life felt a bit random.

I'm thinking it isn't.  They'll build a storyline around it later.  Being in a relationship with any of these guys is asking for it.  Sherlock has Moriarty, Joan's boyfriend dies by drinking her poisoned coffee, Gregson's kid is unmentioned until she's in an abusive relationship or taking shortcuts, ...so Bell's IA GF/ex-GF/Future GF (Seana?) has some rough seas ahead.

 

I wanted to see Clyde's attempt to breakout of prison too,

  • Love 3
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basiltherat

basiltherat

Re:  Stanley Cup and hockey being an NBC property -- well, this is set in New York, and they did have two teams start out in the playoffs and sill have the Rangers in it, so I see it as an NY thing.  (Full disclosure:  I'm from Chicago, where our Blackawks had the cup twice in four years!  Just sayin/)

 

In other news:  Marcus, call me !!!!

  • Love 2
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MaryHedwig

MaryHedwig

(edited)
Enter Marcus Bell, the only character with no direct reference in the Conan Doyle material. (From the Previously TV Review)

Actually Joseph Bell (1837 –1911) was Conan's inspiration for the literary character Sherlock Holmes.  Bell was a lecturer at a Scottish medical school who emphasized the importance of close observation in making a diagnosis. To illustrate this, he would often pick a stranger and, by observing him, deduce his occupation and recent activities. These skills caused him to be considered a pioneer in forensic science (forensic pathology in particular) at a time when science was not yet widely used in criminal investigations. Bell was aware he was Conan's inspiration and took some pride in it.

Edited by MaryHedwig
  • Love 3
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iMonrey

iMonrey

 

Poor Bell, but his romantic life felt a bit random.

 

Yes, it felt like it came out of nowhere to me too. It would have been more interesting if they'd started at the beginning when they first met. However, I did appreciate the fact that the whole thing culminated in showing us that time has healed the wounds between Marcus and Sherlock. Sherlock was way out of line to even offer relationship advice to Marcus but then that's Sherlock. It was nice that Marcus showed up at the Brownstone at the end because he needed someone to talk to and Sherlock was the one who gave him the advice in the first place.

  • Love 1
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MaryHedwig

MaryHedwig

Sherlock was way out of line to even offer relationship advice to Marcus but then that's Sherlock.

I also agree with those upthread who wondered if Joan was out of line telling Marcus about Seana's "double life."  Of the two, I could probably more handle Sherlock's meddling than Joan's but that's just me. 

 

Note to self: throwing cards into a silver cup when a relationship falls apart might be as soothing as eating ice cream, and less caloric.

  • Love 2
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Eneya

Eneya

Is it just me who thinks that US police sorely NEEDS IA and the whole hate is very idiotic? Hello... those are the same guys and gals who regularly abuse their power (just open any newspaper) and then there is this indignation that they SHOULD NOT be investigated and held accountable? I find it... troubling. For me Marcus reacted out of character there...

  • Love 11
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stealinghome

stealinghome

(edited)

I also agree with those upthread who wondered if Joan was out of line telling Marcus about Seana's "double life."  Of the two, I could probably more handle Sherlock's meddling than Joan's but that's just me. 

I think Joan's real concern made sense, but was rushed by the writers to get to the rest of the episode. I think it would have seemed much more natural/reasonable if they'd had her find out and decide to tell Bell in separate scenes.

 

Is it just me who thinks that US police sorely NEEDS IA and the whole hate is very idiotic? Hello... those are the same guys and gals who regularly abuse their power (just open any newspaper) and then there is this indignation that they SHOULD NOT be investigated and held accountable? I find it... troubling. For me Marcus reacted out of character there...

Isn't it precisely because a lot of cops abuse their power that they don't like IA, though? I don't think that the show was trying to say everyone in the world hates IA, or even that IA must be totally bad (Bell was super unsympathetic in the restaurant scene very intentionally), but that cops specifically do--which is quite telling imo. It was illustrating the harmful mindset.

Edited by stealinghome
  • Love 2
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Frost

Frost

 

f there is one thing I've learn from all my cop show viewings, the majority of the police force hate Internal Affairs almost as much as they hate the criminals.

 

Even before all of the recent events, the TV attitude towards IAB as 'traitors' really bugged me.  Shouldn't a cop's greatest scorn and contempt be for a fellow cop who goes bad?  I get that they have an incredibly difficult job and it must be tough to think well of humanity when you deal with its dregs every single day.   But I would think a bad cop would be the biggest betrayal of all.  I hope the show can demonstrate a positive relationship with Marcus and the IAB detective. 

  • Love 7
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MaryHedwig

MaryHedwig

The Best Way Out is Always Through

I am embarrassed to admit this because the answer is probably obvious, what I can't figure out how this title is relevant.  Can someone please explain it to me?

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Just Here

Just Here

I am embarrassed to admit this because the answer is probably obvious, what I can't figure out how this title is relevant.  Can someone please explain it to me?

 

The title is from a line in a Robert Frost poem, A Servant to Servants (line 56, bold added):

 

He says the best way out is always through.

And I agree to that, or in so far

As that I can see no way out but through--

 

The phrase seems to be a somewhat common motivational quote (e.g. about perseverance).

  • Love 2
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Wynterwolf

Wynterwolf

I really enjoyed seeing more of Marcus in this ep, and I really liked his chemistry with Shauna, and that last scene with Sherlock was pure gold.  

 

As for Joan, I kinda got the sense that she was maybe a little jealous.  Not in a romantic sense, but Sherlock explained it pretty clearly that they all (all four of them) are essentially alone outside of the work.  And with Marcus being the closet thing Joan has to an equal peer among the other three, (since her relationship with Sherlock is complex, to say the least, and Gregson is essentially in the leadership role), I think that caused her to act a little rashly, without really examining what her motives were before she acted.  It was interesting to see.  

  • Love 1
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DeLurker

DeLurker

I seem to recall that Bell was married and had a kid?  Am I wrong?  Can someone fill me in on what happened to his family if there was one?

The only family I can recall was the brother who just got out of jail. I think that was the ep Sherlock told Joan that Marcus had pasted get face on girls in his stash of girly mags.

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jhlipton

jhlipton

(edited)

Is it just me who thinks that US police sorely NEEDS IA and the whole hate is very idiotic? Hello... those are the same guys and gals who regularly abuse their power (just open any newspaper) and then there is this indignation that they SHOULD NOT be investigated and held accountable? I find it... troubling. For me Marcus reacted out of character there...

I don't think he acted out of character -- from what I've seen, police are pretty hypocritical of IAB and Public Defenders (the latter is pure trash until a cop needs a lawyer).  Even when it's been shown over and over -- In Ramparts Division of Los Angeles; in Ferguson;in Baltimore; all over the US -- that cops will lie and cheat to protect "their own", then claim that it's "just a few bad apples".  Marcus was just being "one of the boys" or, as I called him "pissy little bitch".

 

Tonight they did one of their standard extortion bits to bypass confidentiality laws, but that's OK, because why wait for an easily obtained subpoena when you can break the law with impunity.  There wasn't even a time factor involved -- they could easily have waited the hour or two needed. (In fact, they didn't get any really useful information from the extortion, just a red herring.  Just as well, as any evidence gathered wouldn't be able to be used in court.)

 

=========================================

 

"For-profit" prisons are even more disgusting than "for-profit" schools, for all the reasons listed: terrible conditions, slave labor, etc.  The so-called "War on Drugs" is very much financed by the prison industry.  Yet another way the US has lost its way due to corporate greed.

Edited by jhlipton
  • Love 4
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KAOS Agent

KAOS Agent

Part of Marcus anger came from the fact that she was more of an IAB informant/spy than openly IAB. It's why he shot down her comparison to him taking down a dirty cop last year. He was open about what he was doing. She took the bit where he said she takes shots from the shadows to heart and decided to move to IAB permanently. She'll be openly investigating corruption now instead of spying on her coworkers. Of course, she'll still be despised, but it's more honest than her current role.

  • Love 3
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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

Best part of the whole episode: Marcus + Sherlock chillin' together @ the end.... More more more more please!

Amen and make it so!

I am embarrassed to admit this because the answer is probably obvious, what I can't figure out how this title is relevant.  Can someone please explain it to me?

The title is from a line in a Robert Frost poem, A Servant to Servants...

He says the best way out is always through.

And I agree to that, or in so far

As that I can see no way out but through--

The phrase seems to be a somewhat common motivational quote (e.g. about perseverance).
Frequently episode titles are double entendres, and in this case, I also saw it as a reference (albeit oblique) to the murdered prisoner's way out of the prison.
  • Love 2
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grawlix

grawlix

The only family I can recall was the brother who just got out of jail. I think that was the ep Sherlock told Joan that Marcus had pasted get face on girls in his stash of girly mags.

 

I must have mixed up the actor in another role.   Never mind.  Nothing to see here...

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jhlipton

jhlipton

Part of Marcus anger came from the fact that she was more of an IAB informant/spy than openly IAB. It's why he shot down her comparison to him taking down a dirty cop last year. He was open about what he was doing. She took the bit where he said she takes shots from the shadows to heart and decided to move to IAB permanently. She'll be openly investigating corruption now instead of spying on her coworkers. Of course, she'll still be despised, but it's more honest than her current role.

 

Boo freaking hoo.  Cops like toi say "If you're not guilty, you have nothing to worry about."  Cops go on stakeouts and use informants.  It's just rank hypocrisy.

 

I get Marcus buying into it to a certain extent, but he's a smart guy, and should see the need for people like Seana.

(I got a really bad taste from the Public Defender plot-line on Brooklyn Nine Nine a while back and this whining about IAB just brought it up.)

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Clanstarling

Clanstarling

It was Joan's reason for telling Bell that got to me a little bit - that he might do something against the rules (to help out a cop, but still) and she would find out/have to report it. So, basically, not trusting Bell to perform within the ethics of his profession. When he's been shown to be a pretty ethical guy. (lying and the attempts to get information without going through the trouble of getting a warrant are, apparently, considered okay - and why even innocent people should get a lawyer up front)

 

Most cop shows have depicted IA as terrible people. A recent plot on Hawaii 5-0 had a character with a grudge against one of the main characters (who did, in fact, break the law in aid of another cop - who was breaking the law). They killed off this guy with a certain amount of glee - because he was written (and played) to be as evil as a serial killer. Of course, Hawaii 5-0 is one of the most egregious shows when it comes to having their lead characters commit crimes in service of "the greater good."

 

There was a show once, I can't recall its name, that was the story of a female cop, from a family of cops, who chose to go to IA for career advancement. It was pretty interesting because of the complexity of the impacts on her relationships, and the various reactions to her choices. It didn't last very long.

 

But, to be fair, regardless of the profession, few people really like those who watch over their performance to make sure they go by the rules. The stakes are just higher with the police.

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basiltherat

basiltherat

Well, to defend Joan's actions a little, it may not be that Marcus himself would do anything wrong, but Joan and Sherlock have already been on trial for the methods they use.  And Bell is their NYPD partner, and by extension, their "partner in crime."  Guilt by association.

  • Love 1
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Clanstarling

Clanstarling

Well, to defend Joan's actions a little, it may not be that Marcus himself would do anything wrong, but Joan and Sherlock have already been on trial for the methods they use.  And Bell is their NYPD partner, and by extension, their "partner in crime."  Guilt by association.

True enough, and it may have been part of her thinking. But that isn't what she said.

  • Love 1
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Texasmom1970

Texasmom1970

Best part of the whole episode: Marcus + Sherlock chillin' together @ the end.... More more more more please!

Totally agree. Good to see not only is Sherlock staying adequately sexed, but he also was trying to be sure Marcus was too.

  • Love 2
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basil

basil

Good to see not only is Sherlock staying adequately sexed, but he also was trying to be sure Marcus was too.

 

Loved Sherlock's not-so-subtle suggestion that he would help Marcus avail himself of no strings attached sex, as Sherlock himself was going to indulge in the same in an hour hence.

 

"My friends have friends"

 

I thought that was hilarious.

  • Love 1
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Athena

Athena

This show does have a knack for showing episodes capturing the current zeitgeist and contemporary affairs. However, this is not a political or news forum so please be more aware when posting your opinions about current affairs as relating to the episode. These topics are sensitive for many people and it is very easy for the topic to derail. Please move on from too much political talk. Thank you.  

  • Love 5
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