Elementary Review: From Russia with Drugs (Season 7 Episode 7)
On Elementary Season 7 Episode 7 “From Russia with Drugs,” Sherlock interferes with foreign drug attacks while Gregson tackles an issue much closer to home.
When setting a murder up to look like an accident, there are some situations that are believable and some that aren’t. Then there’s leaving a body with a literal trail of cash bundles leading up to someone killed with illegal drugs.
To be fair, the victim is the kind of guy we could believe setting up such a scene to his girlfriend to show off his new riches (there’s a great little discussion comparing him—and Sherlock’s father— to Scrooge McDuck,) but still.
If nothing else, a Sherlock who doesn’t immediately dismiss the notion of an accident might also not dismiss the idea of a drug that kills through skin contact. The infamous Holmes line about the possible and impossible still looms large.
Perhaps the oddest thing about this case is that it seems almost entirely detached from the overarching story of threats and blackmail looming against Sherlock and Joan. We get a recap at the start of the episode, but little mention after that.
Instead, the crime takes a usual “anything but straightforward” approach of eventually giving us two victims who killed each other, one with the help of a third party. We do have to see someone get arrested, after all.
As such, this could be considered a filler episode, but I really hope it doesn’t get relegated to that. The other storyline we focus on deserves much more attention than that.
Even in the #MeToo era, most shows tackle issues through the lens of a single incident. Elementary starts this way as well, with a woman quitting the force for what she tells Gregson is a new job, raising his suspicions.
Yet when the captain gathers evidence that the man who briefly replaced him might be living up to the worst of his reputation, he has a hard time persuading her to take on everything that will come with making accusations against a decorated officer.
Besides the all-too-accurate points about the backlash that will mean everything from mocking to death threats, she points out that removing one man does not change a systematic issue. That’s something we don’t hear often enough in these stories,
I also appreciate that we were given time to sit with the interim captain for several episodes prior to this story. I wouldn’t have said he gave off any “creepy” vibes before—and that’s largely the point.
Plenty of people accused of such things give off every air of being standup citizens in public. Some only target select victims they can keep quiet, but even widespread abuse can be hidden when it happens in a community that doesn’t want it getting out.
Captain Gregson is what we should want in anyone in a position of power—someone who wants respect for (in his case) law enforcement, but who uses that as a reason to combat abuse, not cover it up. He knows that respect should be earned and upheld.
Especially with everything we’ve seen recently, it’s good to be reminded that Gregson is, at his core, a good person who knows right from wrong. More shows should follow this lead. More importantly, more real people should, too.
P.S. I don’t know if it was intentional (a new episode on a holiday is surprising even if ratings don’t matter much in a final season,) but airing one about Russian influence on Independence Day is quite the fun coincidence. That counts as “fun” in 2019, right?
What did you think of this episode of Elementary? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Elementary airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.