It started badly for me. As soon as I saw that the episode involved Holmes finding a missing child, BBC Sherlock flashed into my mind. Just like with the missing phone in episode one, I couldn’t ignore the parallel. Sherlock hunts down two missing children in BBC’s The Reichenbach Fall, and I was fully prepared to leap to their defence and point out yet another Elementary rip-off.
But as the episode progressed, this was clearly different and was actually a very good story with a nice twist towards the end. I enjoyed the plot and the standard of writing was strong. Holmes’ deductions were much better too, felt more natural and responsive – less forced. And rather than throw in Holmesian things in a tick-box sort of way – the bees, opera etc., this episode integrates them better. We see Holmes being insensitive with panic-stricken parents, refusing to sleep while absorbed by the case and explaining to Watson why conversation between them sometimes needs to be a one-way thing. The relationship between Holmes and Watson is nicely developed and still thankfully free of any sexual tension.
So am I converted? Well, I suppose I’m warming up but still have issues with the lack of canonical references and the links to BBC Sherlock. Husband thinks I’m wrong to be so sceptical and is really enjoying the series. I must admit – episode three was the best yet in my opinion.
Barefoot on Baker Street 
Thanks for your post. I struggle with Elementary. I want so much to like it, as not only am I a Sherlock (BBC series) fan, but I love Jonny Lee Miller. I’ve watched every episode, waiting to find something that hooks me. And there definitely are little moments (his relationship with Capt. Gregson, for one). Lucy Liu is certainly an interesting Watson. And I like her backstory, what we’ve heard of it. But the writing is just not that good. I’ve decided I’m going to watch the full season, but I’m not hopeful it will continue after one season, and I’m not certain I want it to.
You are so lucky having the posibility to watch Elemetary and compare it with Sherlock, or not to compare it but enjoy it. Here in Germany we don’t have the posibility to watch it. Maybe it will be over here in some month, but probably wtih a horrible dubbing (like it is with Sherlock and most of the other series). So I have to wait for the DVD release. Until than I just enjoy reading about series and trying to deside if its worth waiting for the DVD. So thank you for your review which makes me think it is worth to give it a try.
This is one of the best shows on tv today, it’s about time Holmes was modernized a bit
You know, I really don’t see that many parallels to Sherlock. Yeah, there was a phone in both shows’ first episodes, but the reasons they were there were incomparable. In elementary, the big clue was a bag of rice, not the phone anyway. However I really didn’t take to elementary until the third episode either. That was the first time I could really see JLM as Holmes, although I took to Lucy Liu instantly, she’s just awesome.
While I am glad a Holmesian is warming up to Elementary but not too a huge extent, I’m still disconnected from the series. It’s still disappointing from a Holmesian prospective. I can’t reconcile with Holmes at all or Dick, a slang for a detective I prefer to call when I caught the series in Sky Living. I want to at least have a nice perspective how the relationship could be taken in modern day and Watson as an Asian American doctor too. There’s nothing I could describe that show my disappointment with the take. It would be a whole new ball game if the writers realized the potential and make something not out of a procedural. I’m still disappointed that the writers aren’t adapting the stories. They are trying to stay as far as they can from BBC Sherlock, but it ended up being barely recognizable. BBC Sherlock uses reality and Canon as a base, but overall they did not use the stories extensively but elements from the cases and sometimes the cases if it fit well in the plot. That could be seen in the Great Game.
Before I get on a rant, I was not surprised by the general tentative reception.
I liked Elementary. Caught a few episodes on streaming. As far as contemporary American detective series go, I think it’s rather good. Don’t feel much for the usual procedural detective drama of CSI persuasion.