Elementary – Child Predator

• Title: Elementary – Child Predator
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“You tricked me. That doesn’t happen very often.”

 

Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) is called in by Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn) to work on a child-abducting serial killer case when “The Balloon Man” kidnaps his seventh victim, a 10 year-old girl (Katelynn Bailey) who taken from her bedroom. One interview with the grieving parents (Yancey Arias, Selenis Leyva) later, Holmes uncovers an affair and a mistress (Larisa Polonsky) who was in the neighborhood visiting the husband at the time of the abduction and gives the police the first lead in the case. However, when they track the van the Balloon Man used in the kidnapping the don’t find the serial killer but his first victim (Johnny Simmons), alive and well behind the wheel.

Having been raised by the man who abducted him more than seven years ago it takes Sherlock using an unusual amount of tact to try and reach the young man who is their only lead to finding the Balloon Man’s latest victim alive. The young man’s parents (Michael Countryman, Erin Dilly), on learning their son is alive, quickly lawyer up knowing the police may be able to tie their son to some of the Balloon Man’s victim’s over the years. With a single raindrop of information, and an all-night perusal over the case files of all seven victims, Holmes is able to identify the identity of the killer as Samuel Abbott (Christopher Evan Welch) but his apartment is empty except for balloons and a single message demanding the return of his “son.”

Holmes is able to lead the police to the balloon man and rescue young Mariana Castillo, but in doing so he makes a startling discovery about the true nature of the relationship between Adam and Abbott. An iron clad immunity agreement stops the police from going after the real brains of the twisted partnership but it turns out Holmes has one final card left to play. The twist works quite well and gives us our first look at this version of Holmes being fooled into making a mistake. The episode also brings more clarity to the Holmes/Watson working relationship as Holmes struggles to explain to Watson what he needs from her, and why.