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S05.E06: Ill Tidings

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in Elementary [V]

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

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Holmes and Watson investigate a mass murder when a chef and his patrons are poisoned after dining on a tasting menu tainted with snake venom. Also, Detective Bell’s crush on a work colleague makes Holmes realize his and Fiona’s relationship is at an important crossroads.

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MisterGlass

MisterGlass

It showed on time here and just finished.

The main case was a bit too twisty for my tastes.  I enjoyed the brief appearances of Clyde and our newly returned medical examiner.  I'm quite surprised that they seem to be removing Fiona already.  And by Skype, even.  I assume the actress is involved in something else and was unavailable.

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33kaitykaity

33kaitykaity

9 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

It showed on time here and just finished.

The main case was a bit too twisty for my tastes.  I enjoyed the brief appearances of Clyde and our newly returned medical examiner.  I'm quite surprised that they seem to be removing Fiona already.  And by Skype, even.  I assume the actress is involved in something else and was unavailable.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winnah!  Betty Gilpin was on Masters of Sex this season as a doctor who is also a swinger.  

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fauntleroy

fauntleroy

Committing mass murder just to do an art heist seems like...overkill literally.

Nice red herring with the mushrooms!

As for the hiding place for the art, call me an amateur, but I don't hide my loot at home, no matter how clever I think the spot is at the time. I can't think of a dumber place to store it in terms of keeping it in decent condition. How did it even fit? Would have to fold it? Humidity? More bother than it would be worth seems to me.

The "dark net" seems like a too-easy path to take for clues. You'd think its denizens would be more discrete.

I was expecting something fishy going on with the DA.

Too bad about Fiona, that's twice now at least, recurring characters got other jobs. Must be pretty busy that she (and Alfredo) can't get a scene or two in. Maybe different filming locations?

Lucy Liu can sure wear the heck out of a suit I liked her attire much better this time.

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33kaitykaity

33kaitykaity

(edited)

Wish, hope, suspicion, perception, pick the word.  My lack of optimism comes from Betty Gilpin's IMDB page.  She's a very busy girl.  It seems as though her turn as the fascinating -- to me anyway -- Fiona turned some casting heads in Hollywood.  

Edited by 33kaitykaity
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tootsie

tootsie

Wait. Did I fall asleep between scenes? (Yes, it's more than possible. Likely even.) One moment a chartreuse snake (Or else I need to adjust the color) is slithering toward Watson's ever-stylishly-clad feet & Holmes is checking what to do (then pause for commercial) and the next scene the snake has taken up residence in the brownstone. Did I doze off during its capture? Or was this another time when subsequent dialogue explained a plot turn? Honestly, if we could get this show on even an hour earlier, I might be able to keep up.

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iMonrey

iMonrey

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Committing mass murder just to do an art heist seems like...overkill literally.

This had to be the most convoluted case they've ever had. I know there are always red herrings but boy, talk about going in a completely different direction than they started out in. 

I'm guessing there's some reason why they couldn't say "New York Stock Exchange," right? Because there's no such thing as the "US Stock Exchange." And the brief glimpse we had of the trading floor looked like the NYSE. Is it a brand name thing? Like they needed permission to say NYSE? Whatever.

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I thought for sure the dude from Heroes was gonna be the killer. Why else have him on?

I know, right? Are you that hard up for work lately, Sendhil Ramamurthy? Maybe the show figured out we're gotten wise to the fact that any time there's a recognizable actor playing one of the suspects, he/she is always the guilty one in the end. Clever!

I get that the actress playing Fiona isn't available for a long term or recurring storyline but the whole relationship between Fiona and Sherlock felt half baked, and then got the bum's rush. That's kind of disappointing. She seemed like such an interesting match for him and then it just kind of went nowhere. 

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Clanstarling

Clanstarling

5 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I thought for sure the dude from Heroes was gonna be the killer. Why else have him on?

Me too. I'm always willing to immediately believe Mohinder is a murderer. I was shocked when it turned out to be the cook. OTOH, it was a good fake out.

3 hours ago, Eneya said:

Not a wish. :) Let me say, I think it may be more about them actually talking about it and figuring it out sounds more like the show's style.

Given that the quote bandied about, and which Sherlock recited before he answered Fiona at the end, was about being clear with bad news, I doubt they'll have them work it out. It's too bad. Was it just me, or was anyone else surprised when the actress smiled fairly broadly a couple of times in the skype chat early on. Seemed a little out of character to me.

It did seem to be an awfully convoluted plot to steal some paintings. What was it, 7 murders, just to get the stock exchange to take him seriously?

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NYCFree

NYCFree

The paintings were worth sixty million dollars.  With seven intended victims, that's eight and a half million per corpse, people are murdered for twenty bucks in real life.

i found the snake cutaway scene very disjointed as well.

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dargosmydaddy

dargosmydaddy

Isn't it police protocol to search a dwelling thoroughly first to make sure no one's lurking with a gun before they start looking for other things. So why was Marcus upstairs calmly talking to Sherlock about where the art might be, while Joan is left to discover the body (and the snake)??

I miss Elementary being on Thursday, and beginning/ ending on time. I gave up and went to bed after Joan found the snake. Did they really keep a poisonous snake? And there was a Clyde sighting?

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johntfs

johntfs

Any scene featuring Holmes and Watson dealing with the snake would likely involve them mistreating it (grabbing it, spraying with a fire extinguisher, etc) which would break real life animal cruelty laws.  Best to just show it, cut away and have the trained snake wrangler humanely remove the animal for its next scene which shows that Holmes and Watson dealt with the snake offscreen because they're baddasses.

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fauntleroy

fauntleroy

(edited)

I doubt the paintings would be worth much for a while, being too hot to sell and associated with several murders. Unless he had a buyer already? I don't remember that.

Also, Joan could maybe have just walked slowly away from the snake.

Edited by fauntleroy
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MaryHedwig

MaryHedwig

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Best to just show it, cut away and have the trained snake wrangler humanely remove the animal for its next scene which shows that Holmes and Watson dealt with the snake offscreen because they're baddasses.

I can't argue with your logic, but I would have loved another scene of repartee and a clever solution. Maybe even Marcus could have come to the rescue this time.

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Was it just me, or was anyone else surprised when the actress smiled fairly broadly a couple of times in the skype chat early on. Seemed a little out of character to me.

I thought the same thing. Her affect range seem too board: not in line with the actress' portrayal of the autism spectrum in previous episodes. The shadow side of me wondered if a few good romps in the hay with Sherlock had cured her of...

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Clanstarling

Clanstarling

4 hours ago, NYCFree said:

The paintings were worth sixty million dollars.  With seven intended victims, that's eight and a half million per corpse, people are murdered for twenty bucks in real life.

Well, yes. But that's generally in a brutal hold-up/mugging, with stupid, often drugged out perps. Not generally a factor in art thefts.

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kay1864

kay1864

(edited)
18 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Was it just me, or was anyone else surprised when the actress smiled fairly broadly a couple of times in the skype chat early on. Seemed a little out of character to me.

I thought it was that she was genuinely happy and possibly in love--emotions she hadn't experienced much in her life.

Edited by kay1864
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kay1864

kay1864

Heh.  The "impressionist" Legrand was completely made up, as were his works.  I assume that "Nurse Descending a Staircase" is a parody of "Nude Descending a Staircase" by Marcel Duchamp (a painting featured in the 1969 Disney classic The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes).

Odd that they couldn't just use prints by say Matisse.

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Loandbehold

Loandbehold

(edited)
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Did they really keep a poisonous snake? And there was a Clyde sighting?

Sherlock didn't want animal control to just kill the snake, so he took it home (how?) to await a snake or zoo handler buddy to come and get it. As for Clyde, he reluctantly gave up his living quarters to house the snake.

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The paintings were worth sixty million dollars.  With seven intended victims, that's eight and a half million per corpse, people are murdered for twenty bucks in real life.

Reminds me of the old, old George Carlin routine. Paraphrasing: On the West Side today, a man was murdered and $20 was stolen. A senseless killing. Meanwhile, over on the East Side a man was murdered and $1,000 was stolen. A sensible killing.

Edited by Loandbehold
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PaulaO

PaulaO

According to Sherlock, Clyde was on walkabout because his cage was sublet to the snake.  I'm fine with Sherlock and Fiona breaking up because I don't care about his private life.  I am not interested in his feelings/who he dates, etc.  For me, the show is about the mystery, not Sherlock's private life.  Although I want Bell to get together with the ADA.  (Assistant District Attorney, not American Dental Association).

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iMonrey

iMonrey

I don't really care whether or not Marcus hooks up with the ADA since we've never seen her before that I can recall. But I did think it was cute that as soon as Sherlock realized he was interested in her, he piped up that the whole thing was his fault and was willing to help be Marcus's wingman. When he does things like this, it sort of belies the general impression that he's so aloof and above human interactions and relationships he'd never lift a finger to get involved in any of them. 

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thuganomics85

thuganomics85

I actually didn't predict the killer, since I thought for sure it was going to be Mohinder... err, Sendhil Ramamurthy.  He had all the classic staples: well-known TV actors, only one scene but featured enough to think he'll be back, etc.  Guess not!  Although, wow, talk about taking an art heist to an extreme.  I know Sherlock tried to compare it how a pickpocket uses a busy crowd to get their mark, but this was close to setting off a bomb in a crowded area to pickpocket their mark.  Yikes!

I was wondering when we were going to check in on Fiona.  And.... it looks like he might break up with her, already.  I do suspect this probably isn't the original plan, but Betty Giplin's availability is limited.  Sort of like I wouldn't be surprised if they planned on more Moriarty, but then Natalie Dormer went on to awesomely be a pretty big name now.

Not sure where they are going to go with Marcus and the ADA, since love interests on this show aren't big focal points on this show, but I did love Sherlock being a good wingman once he saw what was going on.

Eugene is back and a Clyde appearance!

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MoreCoffeePlease

MoreCoffeePlease

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Lucy Liu can sure wear the heck out of a suit I liked her attire much better this time.

She did rock the suit.  I definitely pay special attention to her wardrobe, and she has some killer shoes as well.  The suit was quite the change.  I am glad that she didn't wear one of those weird neck-tie things that she has been sporting this season.

I loved how she was excited about the prospect of Marcus having a love interest.  Super cute.

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NYCFree

NYCFree

I noticed they moved up to the Bronx courthouse for the exterior courthouse scenes.  I didn't think much of it, until I saw on Bull (don't judge me) that they are using the Bronx Supreme Court as well.  I just find this interesting as a NYer.

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Trey

Trey

20 minutes ago, ZoqFotPik said:

While they are some of the most venomous snakes in the world, taipans are generally not very aggressive and will only attack if cornered or suprised. Joan could have simply walked slowly away from the snake.

Which is probably what she did do but they just didn't bother to show it.

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MaryHedwig

MaryHedwig

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While they are some of the most venomous snakes in the world, taipans are generally not very aggressive and will only attack if cornered or suprised. Joan could have simply walked slowly away from the snake.

So how come you knew that and Sherlock didn't? (Not to say you are not smarter than Sherlock, but....)

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kay1864

kay1864

17 hours ago, MaryHedwig said:

So how come you knew that and Sherlock didn't?

Indeed.  That was an odd moment, for Sherlock not to have a useful fact stored in his brain-attic.  It felt weird for him to have to look it up on his phone.  *Especially* when he later knew that the snake over the terrarium was nocturnal.

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fauntleroy

fauntleroy

Knowing a lot of random facts seems less useful these days as we all have the equivalent of Sherlock's arcane knowledge available at our fingertips. So maybe just as well they focus on his deductive skill and downplay his mastery of facts.

On the other hand him observing the chat on the "dark web" seemed one step better than just googling something. Kind of a copout, sleuthing-wise. But I have sympathy for the writers who have to come up with complex explanations weekly.

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jhlipton

jhlipton

On November 17, 2016 at 11:45 AM, kay1864 said:

Indeed.  That was an odd moment, for Sherlock not to have a useful fact stored in his brain-attic.  It felt weird for him to have to look it up on his phone.  *Especially* when he later knew that the snake over the terrarium was nocturnal.

That was after he looked up "What to do if a taipan is slowly slithering toward you", wan't it?  One of the answers might have been "wait until nightfall".

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theatremouse

theatremouse

(edited)

The snake he mentioned later, where the water wasn't dispersing, was a different snake. Still when he first recognized what kind of snake was involved with the crime, he seemed to know plenty about it. So combining what we're shown in all the snake-related scenes, I think it's fair that he somehow knew enough about snakes and perhaps more specifically the impact of their venom, to speak confidently on the poison angle, but knew less about the "how to best interact with them in person" side of things since he was semi-confident on the noctural statement. So from that, I think the googling what to do was smart and reasonable given they did manage to establish he wasn't an expert in all things snake. And obviously since he was an expert in the poison angle, he'd want to be very careful and not guess when he weren't sure given both Watson's and his own proximity to the snake.

If it were JUST to make that one joke, it's incredibly weak since they cut off there and then it was just tadaa resolved. So it does reek a little of "we need a good moment for the commercial" and having been forced to write that. But it also fit in enough with the rest of the episode that it wasn't completely illogical or inconsistent to me.

Edited by theatremouse
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Charlesman

Charlesman

Just catching up on Elementary. Part of the premise to this episode is the story of Dan Kaminsky, who discovered a bug in the way the internet was programmed that would have allowed him to snoop on all web traffic worldwide, basically by getting his home laptop trusted as the keeper of the internet 'phonebook'.

After coming forward with the bug (and not using it for nefarious gain), he was deemed trustworthy enough to be one of the seven "recovery key shareholders" who would be able to "reboot" the root internet should it ever collapse.

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