- Title: Elementary – Dirty Laundry
- tv.com: link
As Watson’s (Lucy Liu) contract as a sober companion for Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) nears its final days the detective and his Girl Friday investigate the murder of the manager of a Manhattan hotel whose body was found stuffed in one of the hotel’s laundry machines.
Early suspects include the woman’s recently unemployed husband (Mark Moses) and the head (Jake Weber) of the charity organization where the victim spent most of her free time, but when those leads quickly turn to dead ends Holmes begins investigating a string of high-end call-girls (Leigh Ann Larkin, Elizabeth Masucci, Natalie Toro) who the victim helped keep a low profile as they worked the hotel’s more lonely clientele (whom she was also secretly videotaping).
Watson befriends the victim’s daughter (Melissa Farman) who has a history of substance abuse and a far greater understanding of her mother’s true nature than she’s ready to admit. What Holmes discovers on the hidden video isn’t blackmail material but proof that both the young girl’s parents are anything but what they seem. They’re entrenched Russian spies.
Russians spies are too Cold War to not seem a bit awkward (bordering on laughable), but I’ll admit it does give the mystery of the week an unexpected twist. And that’s not the only one. As “Dirty Laundry” comes to a close so does Watston’s time with the detective. Despite Holmes’ numerous attempts to get Watson to agree to stay on as his apprentice, the doctor inform Holmes she already has another client lined up and will be leaving at the end of the week. I was a bit surprised Watson didn’t choose to take Holmes up on his offer (as I was hoping she would choose to stay rather than remain out of obligation or duty), but the preview for next week’s episode foreshadows plenty of reason for the doctor to stick around as Elementary introduces another important character in the Sherlock Holmes legend – Moriarty (Vinnie Jones).
