Elementary Review: The Latest Model (Season 7 Episode 10)
On Elementary Season 7 Episode 10 “The Latest Model,” there’s a snag in the plan to interfere with Odin Reichenbach’s brand of problem solving.
As a general guideline, it’s not a good idea to take selfies with unresponsive people slumped on the ground. Not even if you think they’re an actor waiting to jump out and scare you. After all, they could really be dead and a part of the Case of the Week.
Camille’s murder is difficult to disguise as anything else, but her sister, Regina, supposedly died of an overdose a year before. Yet overdoses don’t typically leave people with stun gun burn marks on their necks.
It’s a fittingly depressing case for these two young victims. Regina had given birth before her death, and Camille died seeking justice for what definitely wasn’t an accident.
The revelation of the murderer also presents a somewhat darker version of the expected twist. A friend and supposed advocate for the girls kills Regina when she backed out of the adoption she was facilitating, and Camille to cover it up.
I do wish the real killer could be the abusive, cheating jerk presented by his widow earlier in the episode. Still, this woman reveals her true nature with a painfully desperate “you’re all on drugs” line when accused.
Our leads provide more depictions of places and people I never knew of, like apartments where fashion models live in anonymous and tight quarters. Also a electronic music artist who I think is named Panda Salt, though even now I’m not quite sure.
The single-episode story aside, let me turn somewhat grudgingly back to our ongoing story of Odin Reichenbach, the man who stops people from killing other people by killing them himself.
After shutting down all their electronics for no clear reason, Odin presents Joan and Sherlock with the kind of task they’ve been expecting: evaluating a mark’s intentions before the go-ahead to kill him is given.
If we or our consulting detectives are expecting this process to go smoothly, we’re going to be disappointed. Odin has far too many connections—and I still say he’s reached the point where he’d just rather kill than think.
Why is it that the only way he sees to stop a dangerous person is killing them? This is the question that turns Reichenbach from a vigilante to a villain, and possibly from someone with warped morals to someone with no morals at all.
I’m happy to see that Sherlock and Joan are pursuing the logical options of getting people interference and/or help to stop them acting out dangerous fantasies. I’m considerably less happy about the next wrench thrown into those works.
The man targeted by Odin, successfully tamed from his rage against someone who stole his work, instead kills his parents and then himself, at least according to the police. But why do this?
Are we trying to give credence to the Reichenbach way? There are still ways to stop a man that don’t involve killing him. Holding someone against their will is questionable, but still better than death.
If the goal is only to make our heroes feel guilt, rightly or wrongly, I still can’t get totally on board. Sherlock is correct in pointing out the complete lack of signs for the target going down that path.
Then, of course, there’s the possibility that the entire thing is a setup and Odin killed all three people. At this point, would we really put it past him to do this just to defend his way of cleaning up loose ends?
Yet even if that is true, Holmes and Watson don’t yet know. Things are going to be sticky from here on, but I can only see one successful way out—with Reichenbach’s ultimate downfall.
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.
3 comments
While the abusive, cheating jerk was found not to be a killer, he was still an abusive, cheating jerk that his ex-wife straight away noted to the police and the consulting detectives. Telling people of your awful deeds when you’re dead isn’t much comfort but it is a little, somewhat.
I think Odin was probably appalled when he came across a person with murderous intentions and he chose his course of action quickly. But because he got away with it, he did it again and again. It is unfortunate human nature that sometimes a person going down a wrong path will keep doing it if he can get away with it.
I tried to think of a plausible reason for the future murderer to kills his parents. I think he was stressed at losing all his money on his lawsuit and having to live with his parents. Hopefully Sherlock and Watson may find a glimmer of the real reason in the next episode.
My only question is … what happened to the baby? All of a sudden the murder of the week’s sister turns into a kidnapping (the inept ME didn’t notice a recent birth, literally hours before death). Now this kid at 10 months-1 yr old and was adopted and the dad wants to be apart of he/shes life. Why was there no warm and fuzzy reunion? Did the Odin murder shock have to be more important?
that does seem like a hanging thread. due to episode time constraints, they didn’t address, a lousy excuse though/still. my guess is that nypd having arrest the murderer will clean up the loose ends. there’s no that rightful father won’t be reunited with his baby and the adoptee family will be devastated.
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