Elementary - Red Light, Green Light - Review

Episode: "Red Light, Green Light"
Directed by: Jonny Lee Miller
Written by: Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Air date: June 13, 2019

That's one way to start the episode. Sherlock's nightmare about his friend's funeral said a lot about how he feels about the possibility. But mostly it seemed out of place and honestly just strange for me. Even Sherlock seemed disappointed by his subconscious and its repetition. Luckily it was only a quick scare before we get to see Captain Gregson waking up and finally reuniting with Holmes. It was a quiet scene, but surely an emotional one. Sherlock's reaction alone was great but I'm glad Gregson used the opportunity to try to mend their friendship and in response Holmes told him that they can simply move on, look forward and don't waste any more time on this conflict. I'm happy to know that the writers opted for a quick reconciliation, it was quite terrible to lose this relationship the way we did last season, after everything they've been through. But Captain's return wasn't focused only on his interactions with Sherlock. He also pointed out a lie in his shooter's confession. It was a simple matter of timing but there's clearly much more to it than we realize.

It looks like Joan is taking the lead on this investigation. She paid a visit to both Patrick Meers and his wife and learned a bit more about his background and behavior. He lost his temper at one point during their conversation while his wife unintentionally helped Watson find a clue in a game that he had been playing, and apparently used to communicate with the other members of the terrorist (?) group he's a part of. At this point we're not exactly sure what sort of group it really is and what exactly are they planning but the stakes are definitely getting higher with Patrick's scene at the end of the episode. His wife is clearly somehow involved in his actions and she is expected to pass on information to his friends - Joan Watson is trouble. It looks like she might be getting closer to the truth. I'm certainly interested to see where it's all going and exactly how much trouble our heroes are in.

Meanwhile the case of the week started with a memorable death scene. It felt especially cruel when it's revealed that one of the victims was a woman who chose to help the people hurt in an accident which she had witnessed. Her kindness led to her dying and as it's eventually revealed all this pain and death were all because of money and business competition that went terribly wrong. Just a truly sad thing to realize. On the other hand, we haven't exactly seen much of Captain Dwyer so far, but he did have a fun little moment in the middle of the episode. The way that Sherlock and Joan chose to interact with a number of federal agencies during the investigation certainly took him by surprise. Since their actions achieved their intended effect he didn't focus on any negative consequences and even got involved in the case for a bit. It was good to see him more engaged with our characters. I do wonder how long he's going to stick around. For now I don't mind his presence and the new perspective he brings to the group.

Another thing worthy of mention when it comes to the episode. Since the second victim, initially suspected to be the real target, was a member of Mara Tres gang, during the hour we follow Sherlock as he visits an old acquaintance, NY boss of the gang named Halcon Zelaya. Welcome back, Jon Huertas! It's such a different role for him than the ones that I'm used to (Castle, This is Us). However, it does appear like Halcon Danny changed his life too. Since the last time we've seen him he has left the gang and focused on being there for his family, even becoming a coach for his son's team and removing his memorable tattoos. Truth be told I don't remember much about his character from the previous seasons, but I did like the role he played here. Eyes and ears, a good source of information for a rather complex case. Since we are in the last season after all, I'm expecting to see more guest stars showing up. Let's see where we'll go next.

And last but not least, congratulations to Jonny Lee Miller for directing the episode. I believe it's his third one already for the show. Well done.

1. Sherlock: "I'm disappointed, really. I mean, not in you, but in myself, my subconscious. You'd think it would find new ways to express my concern for my friend."

2. Gregson: "Paige said you'd come to see me. I don't know what you said but I appreciate you not pulling the plug."

3. Sherlock: "If I end up in a crate, you'll know I should have left well enough alone."

4. Saul: "Actually, it's Maranek-Halevi. My wife made me get it hyphenated."
Marcus: "No judgment here."
Saul: "Then I already like you more than my brother."

What did you think about "Red Light, Green Light"? Any favorite scenes or quotes? Feel free to let us know in the comments. As always, thanks for reading!