- Title: Elementary – All in the Family
- wiki: link
The discovery of a mobster’s decapitated body by Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) working in his new job with Demographics brings him back into contact with Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn), Watson (Lucy Liu), and Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller). Making no inroads with Bell over the recent shooting, Holmes tries a new tack by attempting to insert himself into Bell’s new job and force a confrontation with the detective who still harbors anger over the loss of full use of his right hand.
Although Holmes gets what he wishes, his investigation also stirs up new trouble for Bell when he discovers the leading suspect in the murder is Bell’s new boss Deputy Commissioner Frank Da Silva (Peter Gerety) who has been under the thumb of one of the crime families his entire professional career and sees reigniting a gang war as his chance to earn his freedom. Despite his anger and initial reluctance to trust Holmes, Bell eventually agrees to help when confirms the consultant’s suspicions.
Although he still is far from 100%, the episode ends with Bell back where he belongs in NYPD Homicide and leaves us with a far better status quo between Bell and Holmes. The decapitated mobster also lands Bell and Gregson a couple of high-profile busts, but also a black eye for the department as word leaks out such a high ranking officer was dirty for so long.
The murder of the week works but is far from one of the show’s better mysteries, although the scene with the NSA agent (Tim Guinee) who refuses to admit his real job was very amusing. “All in the Family” is an episode that propelled mostly by character and the resolution of Bell and Sherlock Holmes’ broken relationship. The late night scene of their confrontation where Holmes offers both heartfelt apologetic and harsh words of support Bell needs to hear reminds us how heavy Bell’s situation has weighed on the detective and how closely he values the small group of people he has grown to care for over the past two years.
