PilotWatch: ELEMENTARY

CBS Thursdays @ 10/9c

What's it about?
ELEMENTARY stars Johnny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases.  Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.  A successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a penance.  However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients.  He informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and he's devised his own post-rehab regimen - resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City.  Watson has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs.  But Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator.  Sherlock's police contact, Capt. Tobias "Toby" Gregson, knows from previous experience working with Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, and welcomes him as part of the team.  With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes now running free in New York solving crime, it's simple deduction that he's going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it's elementary that it's a job for Watson.
(from CBS.com)

You should watch if...
• ...you like your crime procedurals gussied up with a bit of flair.
• ...you like your television shows with a bit of stylish cinematography.
• ...you're curious to see whether or not the world has room for yet another adaptation of Sherlock.

So, how was it?
Between VEGAS and now ELEMENTARY, this seems to be the season of CBS trying to disguise their crime procedurals inside what initially appear to be more interesting shows (a period gangster drama, an adaptation of a beloved character).  Thankfully, ELEMENTARY manages to succeed where VEGAS falters, due largely to the fact that it doesn't really try to hide that it's a procedural.  While I tuned in to VEGAS expecting a network version of BOARDWALK EMPIRE only to be disappointed by its procedural nature, with ELEMENTARY, everyone was expecting a show about an eccentric British detective solving a series of murders in New York City.  Maybe it's because my expectations were more in line with what I ended up getting, but I by far preferred ELEMENTARY.

The one thing the two shows do have in common (other than being procedurals) is the high quality of actors that were attracted to the projects.  ELEMENTARY stars Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock (you may remember him as the villain Jordan Chase from Season 5 of DEXTER or as the hallucinating lawyer ELI STONE), and Lucy Liu as Watson (no introduction necessary, I hope).  Mr. Miller brings the same kind of manic energy to the role that has become synonymous with the role of Sherlock.  That high-pitched energy may take some getting used to for some viewers (much like Dr. House's eccentricities), but it's a rhythm you settle into eventually.  And whereas other actors who have portrayed Sherlock have imbued that frantic energy with playfulness or insanity or what have you, Mr. Miller fills his mania with a deeply-rooted sadness.  He's obviously very intelligent, driven and socially inept like all Sherlocks, but there's a depression to the role that I'm interested to see explored more fully (that will also answer the question of his "fall from grace" and departure from London, I'm sure).

Casting Ms. Liu as a female Watson was a stroke of genius.  She's actually a very underrated actress (coming off a great arc on SOUTHLAND), and brings a nice juxtaposition of steeliness and insecurity to her role as a former surgeon who finds herself relegated to glorified babysitting.  A large part of the thrill of the first hour was watching Liu's Watson discover how much she actually likes solving crimes.  The creators have promised that there will never be any romance between Holmes and Watson, and I hope they keep that promise -- their relationship is already so well-crafted and specific, it'd be a shame to ruin it with will-they-won't-they drama.

The pilot is beautifully shot, with a gorgeous slow-motion murder opening the hour.  Other standout shots include a visit to the opera and the grisly discovery of a body.  The murder mystery itself was, if not the most brilliant, at least serviceable in introducing the audience to Sherlock's capabilities.  Sherlock has always been unique in the way that he solves crimes, and that will help ELEMENTARY remain memorable against the countless other procedurals on the air (I hope).  Instead of using high-tech forensic tools or chasing suspects on foot through grungy alleys or battling it out in the courtroom, Sherlock is old-fashioned in his clue gathering.  He simply notices things that no one else does, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of both the world and the human mind that help him piece things together that no one else can.  He's more Hercule Poirot than Gil Grissom.

ELEMENTARY may not be the most unique new show this season -- it's another procedural, another adaptation of an oft-adapted source -- but it has enough going for it in its strong leads, its detail-oriented crime-solving, and its beautiful cinematography, to make it a sure-fire hit for CBS.  And what Sherlock fan won't want to stick around to see this version's take on Moriarty?

And the verdict is:
Solid. I'm interested and will definitely keep watching.
With the built-in brand name, I don't think there's any way ELEMENTARY won't be one of the biggest drama hits of the season.  I predict a long life for this show.  And it may actually have the honor of being only the second show I've ever followed on CBS (the first being THE GOOD WIFE, natch).  For someone who's not a huge procedural fan, I'm interested enough to give this one a shot for a while.  Hopefully it continues to live up to its stellar pilot.

What about you, Fellow Addicts?  Did you love ELEMENTARY?  Or are you too tired of the countless Holmes adaptations to give it a shot?  Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!

What did you think of ELEMENTARY?