Elementary Season 3 Episode 15 Review: When Your Number's Up
Tanya Moat
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Joan officially moved back into the brownstone on Elementary Season 3 Episode 15, but questioned whether or not Sherlock really wanted her there.
Of course, he did Joan. You complete him.
Never fear, he did not say anything so out of character, but he did, once again, show that he does have deep affection for her.
One of the very best things this version of Sherlock Holmes has done is humanize Sherlock in a way that he is still the brilliant and rude know-it-all we love, while also being capable of caring about others; as demonstrated by how he took over Joan's packing and moving, much to her annoyance (he did break into her apartment to do it!), while also secretly renting her apartment.
Watson: Do you want me to live here or not?
Sherlock: I do. I have never wavered on that.
Her anger was certainly understandable, as was Sherlock's decision to rent her apartment. He was doing it for her. Out of concern over her haste to move back in, he wanted to give her an option if she later came to regret the decision.
I worried in the aftermath of trauma that you might be ... overadjusting. That moving back might not be the progression you believe it to be, but it might be a regression, a retreat into the safety of the known. I suppose I just wanted to be sure that I hadn't been too quick to encourage. That I haven't unwittingly cast myself in the role of an enabler.
Sherlock
Joan did make a hasty decision to move back, although it's not necessarily the wrong choice. It's great that Sherlock was self-aware enough to know that it might not be the best choice if done for the wrong reasons; to look past getting what he wanted (Joan back where he felt she always belonged), to instead do what was best for her.
His character growth has been done in a very organic and real way, as has Joan's growth from sidekick to partner. This is where the show shines. Sometimes, I just wish they had more compelling cases to investigate.
Leaving bundles of cash on dead bodies was certainly an intriguing set-up. It was also a nice change of pace to know the murderer before Sherlock and understand her motivation, even as self-centered as it was.
The murderer, Dana Powell (played with devious delight by Alicia Witt) was a great character. It was all about Dana, Dana, Dana. She was manipulative, deceitful and deeply entitled. So, in other words, a killer of our times.
Honestly, it would be more fun if she had been given a chance to match wits with Sherlock. He deduced fairly quickly that she was the killer, but couldn't understand why she would want a lower compensation payout. It was a sticking point for me, too.
It surprised me when we saw the beautiful mansion she lived in because I had assumed, as did Sherlock and company, that the murderer would be someone who benefited from the fixed payment. At first blush, Dana would lose out on millions and she definitely seemed like the gimme more type.
It's a good thing she will spend her remaining years in prison, because she had no compunction about killing if it meant she could keep her beautiful home and lifestyle. There was a lot of tension in the scene with her sister, and I was worried there would be one more victim with the way she was grasping that knife. I wonder how she would have spun it if she had killed her sister.
We'll never know, but I bet we can all take an educated guess on which prison she chose: the deep hole or the one with view?
I mean ... it really comes down to just this, Mrs. Powell. What do you think you deserve?
Sherlock
Sherlock had a good read on her, but I personally prefer to think of her wallowing in a deep hole myself.
We ended with Joan and Sherlock back at the brownstone. Joan did take Sherlock's words to heart and staked claim to the basement to create her own space/office. There will be no enablement, nor regression, but only moving forward. Now that's the Watson who Sherlock needs and wants as his partner and roommate.
What did you think of "When Your Number's Up"? Were you surprised that Sherlock rented Joan's apartment? Do you like knowing the killer in advance or being surprised? Let me know in the comments below.
If you missed the show, you can watch Elementary online via TV Fanatic at your convenience.
