Elementary

7.6
201243m

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.

Production

Logo for Timberman/Beverly Productions
Logo for CBS Studios

Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: Elementary - Exclusive Preview

Elementary - Exclusive Preview

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elementary opening theme

Seasons

24 Episodes • Premiered 2012

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 1: Pilot

1. Pilot

7.1

Detective Sherlock Holmes, along with his sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson, uses his uncanny ability to read people and analyze crimes to assist the NYPD on some of their more difficult cases. In the season premiere, Holmes consults on a home invasion that resulted in murder.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 2: While You Were Sleeping

2. While You Were Sleeping

7.5

Sherlock uses his powers of deduction to consult on the murder of a young man who is shot upon entering his apartment. Meanwhile, Watson has dinner with her ex-boyfriend, Ty Morstan.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 3: Child Predator

3. Child Predator

7.6

Sherlock and Watson consult on a child abduction case involving a serial killer who is nicknamed "The Balloon Man," because he leaves a signature batch of balloons at each of his crime scenes.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 4: The Rat Race

4. The Rat Race

7.2

When Sherlock investigates what appears to be a series of murders at a top Wall Street firm, he may himself fall foul of a sociopathic slayer. Joan is set up on a blind date and shows investigative instincts.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 5: Lesser Evils

5. Lesser Evils

8.1

Sherlock tries to determine who has been killing weak and terminal patients at a hospital, making it look like they died of natural causes. Meanwhile, Sherlock learns more about Joan’s decision to walk away from her surgical career.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 6: Flight Risk

6. Flight Risk

7.7

Joan is invited to dinner with Sherlock's father. Meanwhile, Sherlock investigates the crash of a small jet, unraveling a mystery beyond a simple accident.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 7: One Way to Get Off

7. One Way to Get Off

7.8

Sherlock assists with a double homicide that has the same M.O. as a series of murders that took place 13 years ago. Meanwhile, after being frozen out by Sherlock, Watson visits his old rehab center in order to learn more about the mysterious man in her care.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 8: The Long Fuse

8. The Long Fuse

7.9

While investigating an explosion that kills two people, Sherlock discovers a crime that’s been lying dormant for years. Meanwhile, Watson encourages Sherlock to finally pick a sponsor.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 9: You Do It to Yourself

9. You Do It to Yourself

7.5

Sherlock uses his trademark deductive reasoning skills to find the killer of a college professor. Meanwhile, Watson gets a call from a former lover who needs her help in disproving hit-and-run charges.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 10: The Leviathan

10. The Leviathan

7.7

Sherlock is called in to investigate when a supposedly uncrackable bank vault called “The Leviathan” is breached. Meanwhile, Joan is pleasantly surprised when Sherlock meets her family and defends her choice to become a sober companion.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 11: Dirty Laundry

11. Dirty Laundry

7.7

Sherlock and Joan investigate the murder of the general manager of a high-end Manhattan hotel whose body is found inside an industrial laundry machine. Meanwhile, since Joan’s time with Sherlock is almost up, he offers her an apprenticeship.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 12: M.

12. M.

8.3

Sherlock is reunited with “M.” a British criminal who appears to have followed Sherlock to New York. Meanwhile, Joan has reservations about leaving Sherlock and taking on a new client.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 13: The Red Team

13. The Red Team

7.3

While on suspension from the NYPD, Sherlock investigates a suspicious hit-and-run accident involving a conspiracy theorist. Meanwhile, Watson tries to broker peace between Sherlock and Gregson.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 14: The Deductionist

14. The Deductionist

8.0

Sherlock pursues Martin Ennis, an unpredictable criminal, before he strikes again. During the investigation, Sherlock is forced to work alongside Kathryn Drummond, the FBI profiler who literally wrote the book on Ennis. Meanwhile, Watson faces eviction from her apartment.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 15: A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs

15. A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs

7.4

When Sherlock's ex-drug dealer, Rhys, comes around for help, Watson is concerned about Sherlock's sobriety after Rhys implies that Sherlock on drugs made a better detective.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 16: Details

16. Details

8.1

Sherlock investigates what he believes will be an open-and-shut case after Detective Bell is attacked. However, the case takes an unexpected turn when the suspected assailant is found dead. Meanwhile, Sherlock encourages Joan to learn self-defense.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 17: Possibility Two

17. Possibility Two

7.8

Sherlock investigates a case involving a wealthy philanthropist who believes his incurable illness was given to him on purpose. Meanwhile, Sherlock tries to teach Joan his deductive skills by sending her to a suspicious dry cleaning establishment.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 18: Déjà Vu All Over Again

18. Déjà Vu All Over Again

7.9

Joan investigates her first solo case when a wife disappears. The missing woman left behind a tear-filled video that mentions a murder on a subway platform. While Joan searches for the vanished lady, Sherlock probes the murder.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 19: Snow Angels

19. Snow Angels

7.9

Sherlock and Joan try to prevent the largest cash vault in the U.S. from being robbed during a deadly blizzard. Meanwhile, Holmes gives shelter to Ms. Hudson, a transgender woman who is recovering from her latest breakup.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 20: Dead Man's Switch

20. Dead Man's Switch

7.9

Sherlock and Joan hunt for the accomplice of a murdered blackmailer who targeted families of rape victims. Meanwhile, Sherlock resists celebrating his first year of sobriety.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 21: A Landmark Story

21. A Landmark Story

8.3

Sherlock resumes his hunt for Moriarty when Sebastian Moran reveals that a man who was thought to be dead from a heart attack was actually on the list of intended victims from Moriarty.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 22: Risk Management

22. Risk Management

8.3

Sherlock agrees to take a case from a man claiming to be Moriarty, hoping it will bring him closer to finding his nemesis. Meanwhile, Gregson encourages Joan to give up the dangerous line of work she has chosen and go back to being a sober companion.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 23: The Woman (1)

23. The Woman (1)

8.2

As Sherlock reels at the reappearance of his former lover, Irene Adler, a series of flashbacks unravel the tumultuous events that led to his downfall into addiction. Meanwhile, he and Joan once again find themselves in the crosshairs of the enigmatic Moriarty.

Still image for Elementary season 1 episode 24: Heroine (2)

24. Heroine (2)

8.4

As Sherlock reels at the reappearance of his former lover, Irene Adler, a series of flashbacks unravel the tumultuous events that led to his downfall into addiction. Meanwhile, he and Joan once again find themselves in the crosshairs of the enigmatic Moriarty.

Cast

Photo of Jonny Lee Miller

Jonny Lee Miller

Sherlock Holmes

Photo of Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu

Joan Watson

Photo of Jon Michael Hill

Jon Michael Hill

Marcus Bell

Photo of Aidan Quinn

Aidan Quinn

Thomas Gregson

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Reviews

M

misubisu

10/10

**Score: 10/10 — A Masterpiece of Character, Chemistry, and Quiet Revolution**

*Elementary* is not just a great adaptation; it is a perfect television series. What begins as a clever, modern-day New York reinvention of Sherlock Holmes evolves over seven seasons into one of the most profoundly human, intelligently written, and emotionally resonant dramas ever to grace the screen. A reconsideration reveals its true stature: this is a **10/10 show**, a landmark achievement where the mystery-of-the-week is merely the elegant framework for a breathtaking exploration of recovery, family, and platonic love.

**The Unparalleled Core: Joan and Sherlock**

The series’ immortal legacy is the **masterpiece in writing and chemistry between Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes.** In Lucy Liu’s Joan—a former surgeon turned sober companion and then partner—the show found not a sidekick, but an intellectual and emotional equal. Jonny Lee Miller’s Sherlock is a raw, vulnerable, and brilliant portrayal of addiction and genius. Their relationship, built on unwavering respect, forensic teamwork, and a deep, chaste love, **is more reminiscent of a UK series in its restraint and depth** than a typical U.S. procedural. It is television's greatest depiction of a chosen family.

**A Constellation of Standout Characters:**

**All of the main characters are a standout.** The supporting cast is never sidelined. The **evolution of the relationship between Joan and Kitty** (the superb Ophelia Lovibond) is a heartbreaking and brilliant study in mentorship and trauma. The complex, fraught dynamics with **Sherlock's father, Morland** (the magnificently shrewd John Noble), and his brother, **Mycroft** (a perfectly cast Rhys Ifans), provide Shakespearean layers of familial conflict, betrayal, and fragile reconciliation. Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn) and Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) are far more than cliché cops; they are integral parts of the family unit, each with their own powerful arcs.

**The Emotional Spectrum: Laughter and Tears**

The show’s genius is its tonal range. **Many times throughout this series I have laughed *with* them and cried *both for and with* them.** The humour is sharp and character-driven, often stemming from Sherlock's bizarre literalism or Joan's dry wit. The sadness is earned and profound—stemming from loss, relapse, betrayal, and the painful cost of doing their work. The happiness is hard-won and therefore infinitely more precious.

**The Verdict:**

*Elementary* is a quiet revolutionary. It took the world's most famous detective and gave him something more compelling than a puzzle: a journey toward humanity, anchored by a partnership that redefined "soulmate." It is endlessly rewatchable, not for the whodunit, but for the who-they-are. It might absolutely **be time to watch it again!** You will find even more layers, more grace notes in the performances, and more appreciation for a show that believed the greatest mystery to solve was the human heart.

**Watch if:** You crave intelligent character drama, flawless acting, stories about recovery and found family, or a fresh, definitive take on Sherlock Holmes.
**Skip if:** You require fast-paced, action-heavy plots or prefer your Sherlock adaptations to be strictly period pieces. This is a slow-burn, emotional, and deeply cerebral masterpiece.

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