Part of the fun of this final season of Elementary is pondering which way the series is going to turn.

Both London and New York were represented on Elementary Season 7 Episode 1.

Unfortunately, the episode reflected Joan's mood.

While she had impulsely followed Sherlock to London on Elementary Season 6 Episode 21, now she wasn't so sure.

That's because CBS pulled a fast one on the series' producers. 

The powers that be figured Elementary Season 6 would be its last and so designed a melancholy ending.

When serial killer Michael Rowan, who had been stalking Sherlock, was found murdered, FBI Agent Malick liked Joan for the crime, since Michael had attacked Joan on Elementary Season 6 Episode 20.

The fact was that Hannah, Gregory's daughter, killed MIchael, who had murdered her roommate. Sherlock determined that the captain had covered up for her, but Joan wouldn't let Sherlock turn in Hannah.

So Sherlock did the noble thing and said that he had killed Michael, in order to clear Joan. He then left for England.

Related: Elementary Photo Preview

Law-enforcement in his home country owed him too much to ever turn him over for trial, but he could never return to New York.

Then John also did the noble thing, following Sherlock to London to continue their partnership, flipping things with her being the stranger in a new land.

In New York, Marcus was heading to a new career in the Marshall Service, while Gregson lived with the regret that what he had set in motion to protect Hannah had cost his two dear friends.

Not the greatest series ending ever, but not the worst either. 

Then, after Season 6 was filmed, CBS decided it wanted more, thus the birth of Elementary Season 7.

OK. This was a great opportunity to bring back some of the many British characters who had been featured in earlier seasons for one last turn.

Marcus would move on, Gregson would retire, and Sherlock and Joan would get new (or renewed) supporting characters and solve cases against a different backdrop.

That could still happen, but that doesn't seem to be the direction in which the narrative is going.

Instead Elementary seems to be trying to have it both ways, one foot in New York and the other in London.

And things have gotten worse for Joan.

Sherlock has always been a bit of a self-centered man-child, but now he's content to be home and oblivious to Joan's discontent.

Meanwhile, Joan is away from her family and friends and only has Kitty on whom to lean.

Hasn't Kitty grown in the past few intervening years? Being a single mother can't help but ground a person.

You know things are out of whack when young Kitty is the voice of reason. As she told Sherlock, "You were running away from something. Joan was running to something."

Related: Elementary Season 6 Episode 21 Review: Whatever Remains, However Improbable

She also has to deal with DCI Jones, who views this thoughtful, big-hearted woman as a stereotypical, ugly American.

Jones wasn't making Joan feel welcome referring to her sarcastically as "Doc."

Things weren't any better back in New York. Marcus pieced together what led to Sherlock and Joan's departure and was pushing Gregson to fix the situation.

He didn't want to think that his mentor set the tragic arrangement in motion.

No one is to blame other than Michael (and the incompetent Malick to a lesser degree). Unfortunately, "He needed killing" isn't an accepted legal defense.

Gregson protected Hannah. Sherlock protected Joan. They're all victims of circumstance, to a degree.

Sherlock and Joan have successfully established themselves as consultants at Scotland Yard. And the bizarre cases still find them.

Such as the case of the week when a tabloid model (a perfectly British thing) has acid thrown in her face by a robber.

Who knew throwing acid as a weapon was on the rise in Great Britain?

There's a storytelling opportunity here to use sociological developments unique to the British Isles as narrative fodder unfamiliar to Americans.

Also, it's a chance to showcase actors rarely seen on American broadcast TV. For instance, there was a Boston Legal reunion featuring Saffron Burrows (Ruby Carville) and Tara Summers (Nurse) among the guest stars.

The Elementary formula worked when set on the other side of The Pond.

Sherlock and Joan solve an obscure crime before the theme song then dismiss one likely suspect after another from the case of the week before circling back to someone barely met earlier as the murderer.

Why change what has been so successful for six seasons?

Still, it's even more fun when there's more than one British accent delivering the sarcastic punchlines, whether it's DCI Jones or newspaper maven Ruby. 

It doesn't appear that this is to be the direction, though. Instead, the writers seem to be in a New York state of mind.

Joan is feeling the pull of home. Gregson's getting shot could the impetus to get the duo back there, although there's still the tricky question of how Sherlock can return.

Related: Get CBS All Access via Amazon Channels for Hit Shows, Exclusive Originals & Live TV! 

Maybe, with her father on his deathbed, Hannah will admit what she did, and somehow, it turns out to be self-defense. Although I seem to remember that she stalked Michael (which was only fair).

Either direction would work, but I vote for them staying in London. Let Marcus move on and Gregson retire.

To check out Elementary the New York Years, watch Elementary online.

Where will Sherlock and Joan end up?

How did you like the London supporting characters?

What did you think of Joan as a blonde?

Comment below.

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.