Five seasons and 120 episodes into Elementary, we are in a good place, following a solid foursome of series regulars through quirky cases, some of them inspired by Doyle’s canon, and a variety of longer arcs, the success of which depend upon your own taste in plotlines, a particular season’s guest star, and how the whole thing … Continue reading FINALE FAKE-OUT: Elementary, Season Six
TV
BOOK CLUB ON THE DEFENSE: The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe
Oh, to be in England! This week marks the eve of Bodies from the Library ’22, the long-awaited return to celebrating face-to-face all things related to the Golden Age of Detection. Most of my friends will be there, but here I am, stuck in the provinces. My Facebook feed alternates between the results of friends’ daily … Continue reading BOOK CLUB ON THE DEFENSE: The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe
THE SAD SAGA OF SHINWELL JOHNSON: Elementary Season 5
Throughout our journey so far through Elementary, CBS’ modern rendering of detective Sherlock Holmes, creator Robert Doherty has found various ways of turning to the original canon of stories by Arthur Conan Doyle for inspiration. We have seen standalone episodes that have either delighted or disappointed us. More significantly, Doherty has used characters – both major … Continue reading THE SAD SAGA OF SHINWELL JOHNSON: Elementary Season 5
DOWNTON ABBEY, A SAME OLD SAME OLD ERA
Yes, my friends, I know: I do not usually review mainstream films here, as this blog is reserved for the mystery genre, albeit in all its forms. Today, however, I saw Downton Abbey: The New Era, and I would like for a moment to contemplate the mystery of Julian Fellowes. Here’s a man, a well-born peer … Continue reading DOWNTON ABBEY, A SAME OLD SAME OLD ERA
DADDY ISSUES: Elementary Season 4
Last time, I credited Robert Doherty, creator of the CBS TV series Elementary, for excellent transitions between seasons, and the entry into Season Four is no exception. In fact, it may just be the best yet. Since the start of the series, the name “Morland Holmes” has been injected into our consciousness. It was Morland who … Continue reading DADDY ISSUES: Elementary Season 4
LET’S FIND KITTY A NEW HOLMES: Elementary, Season 3
One of the most challenging tasks for the creator of a long-running series is how to transition from one season to another. Robert Doherty, the creator of Elementary, has the advantage of having the entire Sherlock Holmes canon at his fingertips from which he can pluck inspiration. Given that his modern-day take on the Holmes legend … Continue reading LET’S FIND KITTY A NEW HOLMES: Elementary, Season 3
HOLMES, SWEET HOLMES: Elementary, Season 2
Welcome back to our exploration of Elementary, Robert Doherty’s modern take on the Great Detective, that ran on CBS from 2012 to 2019. I lasted about a season when the show first appeared, but high praise from friends like Sergio and JJ – and a wee bit more time on my hands for watching TV than … Continue reading HOLMES, SWEET HOLMES: Elementary, Season 2
PODCAST MANIA, PART I: Five Little Pigs
“It’s psychology that interests you, isn’t it? Well, that doesn’t change with time. The tangible things are gone – the cigarette end and the footprints and the bent blades of grass. You can’t look for those anymore. But you can go over all the facts of the case, and perhaps talk to the people who … Continue reading PODCAST MANIA, PART I: Five Little Pigs
NO SHIRT, SHERLOCK: Elementary, Season One
Somewhere between the Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie, some kindly relative introduced me to the World’s Greatest Detective with a collection of six or seven of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous stories about Sherlock Holmes. I think the first story I read was “The Red-Headed League” where, even at the age of 8 or 9, … Continue reading NO SHIRT, SHERLOCK: Elementary, Season One
THE EVIL THAT MEN DO: Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Combo
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely when film noir began and ended. Its antecedents lie in the silent era, in German Expressionism and in the Warner Brothers crime dramas of the 30’s. Our teacher Elliot Lavine offers a specific starting point – 1940’s Stranger on the Third Floor (which I discussed here) – and will rattle off a title or … Continue reading THE EVIL THAT MEN DO: Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Combo
