Loveable Freak Reviews Elementary: Episode 22 "Risk Management"

(I apologize that I don't have a profile pic right now. I'm trying to change it and Blogger's being stubborn and not loading my options! >:( Tomorrow I'll have one, again...)

  Gotta say, despite way too many ads between sections, I prefer watching Elementary online, now. It's easier for my reviewing AND I can watch Hannibal instead on Thursdays, which does wonders for my mood. (Next week's Hannibal looks awesome, BTW.)

  But enough of that, let's get to reviewing the next episode, which not only gets us further in the Moriarty plot, but gets us closer to finishing the rocky road to the finale  one two three four five!

  Oh, beware:

  So, when we last left Millerlock and Joan, they received a phone call from Moriarty. After explaining his deal to Sherlock, he then hires the consulting detective to investigate a murder in exchange for answers about Irene. But just when Sherlock thinks he's got it figured out, Moriarty throws more curveballs at him, both for the case and regarding what Sherlock knows. Also, there's a sorta subplot where Gregson tries to get Joan out of Sherlock's life for her safety, but not much comes from that except that Joan assures Sherlock she'll see this Moriarty business through to the end with him.

  You know, for a "story arc" episode, I don't have much to say about it. Moriarty sounds intriguing. It's confirmed that he does a lot of manipulation and has a web of connections in the criminal world. You know, Moriarty 101. We still don't learn much about him or see him. We just get Millerlock's deductions based on the phone calls.

  I felt like Joan kinda represented myself here. One, with the "I don't wanna know!" when Millerlock starts bringing up what it was like to (to use the other Adler's "euphemism" because I like using euphemisms...) "have dinner" with Irene. And with the "I don't care, I'm sticking through this"-ness (for her, the Moriarty Conspiracy; for me, the rest of the season...).

  I need to praise Jonny Lee Miller a little on his acting. He did good showing Sherlock's frustration with the case. And there was his emotional breakdown at this week's kinda-sorta-but-not-really-spoiler, which I'm about to get into...

 So, we get more insight into Irene Adler. According to Millerlock, she was a nice lady and was a painter (As someone who enjoys art, I approve of this. Certainly more than a certain other Irene interpretation...). And we and the duo find out at the end that she's not dead. Yup, she's still alive. And she's a blonde (if I had a gif of the scene from Doctor Who where Martha says "Oh, she was a blonde! What a surprise!", I would so put it here.)

  I'm really not surprised. Besides the fact I feel most of the Internet (at least, the sites I frequent) more or less called it (and I sorta did, too, after a while), there was the fact that they announced that the character would be appearing in three episodes, and when I was looking up the number for last week's episode, I accidentally saw a spoiler on Wikipedia saying she was alive. Yeah... Maybe if they kept it a better secret...

  Not sure what my feelings are towards this. If I'm happy or not. On one hand, yay! More canon characters. I would have been ecstatic many episodes ago. Plus: new Irene to discover. But on the other hand, I still barely know this character. I have little attachment to this version so far. She's been a literal non-entity; barely mentioned. More a "device that got the plot going", if anything else. That, and I'm still mourning Moran... *sniff* I miss that psychopath...

  Okay, final thoughts:

• Favorite parts were the soccer ball scene, the light flickering, and kinda Sherlock reassuring Joan he'll make sure she's not harmed for her involvement. And Miller's acting.
• Canon nods were Moriarty describing himself as a spider (as Holmes described him in canon), and Sherlock considering Irene "The Woman", above all of her gender.
• Joan, love that you're staying, but part of me feels the need to point out that it's all fun and games until you're strapped to a bomb vest,  standing in a pool with your best friend and a madman with snipers aimed at you and said friend, who's armed. Felt that needed to be put out there.
• D-did MIllerlock poke fun of/lampshade his "raging heterosexual" status with that "I learned things, Watson! Me!" when discussing Irene? (At least I think that's what he said). Maybe I'm reading too much into this...
• Waitaminute! Irene's a blonde artist... living in a big, mostly empty, fancy house... And has connections to the main character's memories... MY LORD! IRENE IS NAMINE FROM KINGDOM HEARTS! Heck, I think she was even wearing white!

  So far, out of what I'm going to call the "Moriarty Quintology" ("M", "Landmark", this episode, and the two to come), this has the least in terms of contribution. The most it has to offer is Irene, but that's just a quick thing at the end. Kinda disappointing, seeing as the episodes involving Moriarty have been some of the best... It's pretty skippable, I say.

  Well, next week is the last two episodes of the season! Huzzah! I'm almost done! (And Doctor Who ends it's season next week, too... I'm trying to forget that... At least I still have Hannibal...)

  Tomorrow, I FINALLY kick off Marvel May! :D