Elementary Review: The Geek Interpreter (Season 6 Episode 19)

Witness possibly the most intense bingo parlor scene on network TV on Elementary Season 6 Episode 19, “The Geek Interpreter.”

In nearly all adaptations of the Holmes canon, the great detective associates himself with people whose methods, like his own, are a little, well, different. Fans of this show know that it is no different.

You may remember Harlan, the guy who does his best thinking after stripping off all his clothes. It only works for math, though. Or, as he puts it:

I only get naked for math.

Of all the things you might imagine a fully-clothed Harlan needing help with, a missing woman probably isn’t one of them. But Harlan’s student is also prized for her mind in the wonderful world of mathematics.

Quite a few things about this case are odd from the outset. The kidnappers get Lily her fancy energy drink of choice. One kills the other when he makes a ransom call, a putting them at risk for…some reason.

There is a trope—one Elementary has already engaged in—where the supposedly innocent victim is actually the mastermind. I can’t help wondering if Lily has her “captors” under control, especially when she conveniently escapes.

As it turns out, no. Lily is presumably just smarter than them. While it’s a little rough around the edges, it is nice to not give in to an easy plot twist. I always like seeing the victims one-up those harming them.

The actual motive for kidnapping, something to do with adjusting floodplain maps for insurance purposes, is not terribly interesting. I’d really prefer it have more to do with bingo.

Speaking of that opening, by the way, the bingo is mostly a red herring. It’s a bit disappointing because a woman who basically acts as a mob boss of a bingo hall? Very cool. (Or maybe it’s just me.)

Bingo, floodplains, and insurance all set aside, this case still goes a lot deeper than it looks on the surface. Here, case and personal drama are tied neatly together.

When Harlan asks for help tracking down one specific student he supervises, there’s an obvious answer as to why. And that answer turns out to be exactly what we expect.

Thankfully, Harlan knows that his position means he can’t follow through on his crush. This isn’t a creepy “professor pursuing a young student” story, however. He and Lily are on even professional ground.

So, once Lily is safe and, with the understanding that their professional relationship will change, the two happily reveal their feelings to each other. From there, we get to something a bit unexpected.

Joan pressuring Sherlock about rejecting all romantic relationships—specifically, those not with someone also known as Moriarty—seems a little sudden. The only trigger we see is Sherlock sleeping a woman to “clear his mind”.

This Sherlock, more emotionally open than in many versions, admits than Joan is right. But neither she nor I realize that this is because he’s already pining for someone.

Let me first say that this muse is beautiful, intelligent, and interesting. Yet Sherlock has slept with many such woman. This does seem a little sudden.

Still, it’s strangely sweet to see Sherlock Holmes awkwardly stuttering his way through asking someone on a real date. Might we see a real, long-term relationship with this new beau?

I won’t be holding my breath too much. I’ve hoped for the same with Fiona. Also, there’s still a part of me that wonders how many personal steps characters are taking may be inspired by a series finale that will now not come for at least another year.

An ongoing romantic arc could be both heartwarming and complicated, given all those other personal arcs currently in the air. Hey, I’m here for it. There may be a good deal of interesting drama to come.

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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