Elementary Review: How to Get a Head (Season 6 Episode 15)

On Elementary Season 6 Episode 15, “How to Get a Head,” a departure becomes a lot more real, and a body turns up without…well, you can probably guess.

Most shows like taking a mundane motive and revealing that it’s actually something shockingly twisted. To be fair, Elementary has done that, too.

Here though, what starts out looking to be a gruesome cult killing just winds up being about…a new tax law? There’s political commentary in there somewhere.

All the same, there does have to be something pretty twisted to make a guy stick a chicken’s head in his decapitated corpse. What did that poor hen do to anyone, anyway?

I would like it on record that it takes only one scene of Gabriel’s “colleague” spilling the truth about his study of the occult for me to peg him as the killer. It really says more about the formula of crime drama than my intelligence, but we’ll set that aside.

By the time we do learn that Sherlock was right about the strange circumstances of this murder being a distraction, things are a little less cohesive, from a presumed dead person still alive to proof somehow involving a toupee.

There is a lovely moment at the end involving a young, pregnant woman gets herself involved by throwing a bottle through the brownstone’s window. Later, she returns to pay for the damages.

Joan, being Joan (and having the topic on her mind) already awaits her. She doesn’t want or need the money, but rather wants to give away a host of baby things. It’s nice to see this storyline touched on for Joan, even when it has few developments.

Meanwhile, the episode involves not only missing heads, but also headhunting. Eventually, someone will need to replace Bell. Sherlock has very specific ideas in mind.

I can definitely see why Gregson wants to bring someone who can temper Sherlock the way Marcus does. Yet I can’t help but feel his reasons for dismissing Sherlock and Joan’s candidate are a little weak.

True, her having briefly helped her partner with a cover-up is dubious, but is less so when she tells the truth in the end. We have every indication she’s been dedicated and honest since then.

Perhaps it would feel a little more thought-out if we weren’t only going by her being “creative”. We know she might be like Sherlock, but do we know she necessarily breaks the rules—or that she couldn’t keep him in line?

Perhaps, too, though, nobody is going to seem quite right after six seasons with Marcus Bell. Assuming he really does go, those are big shoes to fill.

We get a touch of that when Sherlock flat-out says he’ll miss his friend. For him, that’s rather stunningly sentimental. And Bell hasn’t even left yet.

Once again, I can’t help being a little nervous. Why are they making these emotional connections this clear with so many episodes to go? They’ve already threatened Bell’s life once, so he should be safe now. Right?

I’m far from assuming the worst, but I also wouldn’t put it past the show. So keep your fingers crossed. I hate saying goodbye to a beloved character, but so long as it’s not permanent, I’m happy to wish them the best.

What did you think of this episode of Elementary? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Elementary airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.

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