Having brought the elusive Jaime Moriarty to justice at the end of season one, Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson return for another season of mysteries-of-the-week, some of which will ultimately lead into a final showdown with a major villain. In the course of repeating this through-line, they will tangle with a number of figures from Holmes's past, including Inspector Lestrade (played by the ever-reliable Sean Pertwee) and Sherlock's brother Mycroft. And of course Ms Moriarty will pop up at some point.
In so immediately highlighting that this season follows a very similar narrative pattern to the first, I am perhaps doing Elementary a bit of disservice. And so I will immediately add that those mysteries-of-the-week remain generally satisfying, the interplay of the cast remains solid, and I enjoyed watching it.
I'm even likely to watch more of the show: it just might need to be a while before I do. The basic formulae used in the plots for this season were just a little too close to those of the last for it to feel fresh. It was decent entertainment, but a bit too familiar and 'safe' in its execution. I think perhaps a slightly larger main cast would help: something to spark up the interplay of characters in new directions.
Overall, if you're a fan of these kind of quirky mystery shows with oddball lead characters, this should probably tick all the boxes for you. If on the other hand your interest in the form is not so committed, and you have already seen the first year's worth of episodes, then this might feel a little too safe and familiar to you. That was the case for me.
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