Although I hated BBC's nutcase Moriarty, I can see the BBC show as a twisted alternate-universe version of the canon. I can't see that in Elementary. It's just another show about a special detective with amazing insight. I thought I'd be able to watch it on its own merits, without comparing it to BBC, but I couldn't watch without comparing it to canon, because it IS still supposed to be Sherlock Holmes. When Holmes said, "Sometimes I hate it when I'm right," I had to go. There's no version of Holmes who would say that. I didn't like Liu's Watson either; I couldn't see any damn reason she'd stay and put up with him.

Fascination with his abilities. Something that gets her out of rut she really does not like.

Joan would stay with Holmes because she's a professional, and he's not done anything to not deserve the professional care she specifically can provide. It's not like she chose to get paid for that because she'd have a lot of time to sit around braiding each other's hair and discussing mash notes.

Leaving the professional aside--she's clearly fond of him, so I have no idea why she wouldn't stay, why she wouldn't put up with him.

I think of all the things, a hired Watson is the thing I look sideways at the most. I don't mind the relationship at all--I quite like it, actually. I like the show. But I don't get what line they were drawing from the text to here.

And I remain unseeing of the line from the text to BBC's Moriarty. I did a text search after he started spouting his bullshit and pretending to be a quailing normal, and the position he was putting Sherlock in....and I had no idea what they were talking about.

I think of all the things, a hired Watson is the thing I look sideways at the most. I don't mind the relationship at all--I quite like it, actually. I like the show. But I don't get what line they were drawing from the text to here.

Yeah, this is where I'm at.

Plus she's being paid to.

edit: I'm quite eager to find out about Holmes' dad and if they're going to work Mycroft into this. I'm sorry some aren't enjoying this, but I've always enjoyed reinterpretations of Holmes. Heck, some of the BBC Holmes is quite fun, it's just a couple of elements that put me off.

I think of all the things, a hired Watson is the thing I look sideways at the most. I don't mind the relationship at all--I quite like it, actually. I like the show. But I don't get what line they were drawing from the text to here.

I wish she was more obviously fascinated with him and his abilities.

wish she was more obviously fascinated with him and his abilities.

There was a heck of a tell at the end of the last episode. Holmes had commented that she put her hair back, which she only did when there was a man around she found attractive, because she thinks she looks best that way. At the very end of the episode, she put her hair back, and Holmes kind of blinked at it.

There was a heck of a tell at the end of the last episode. Holmes had commented that she put her hair back, which she only did when there was a man around she found attractive, because she thinks she looks best that way. At the very end of the episode, she put her hair back, and Holmes kind of blinked at it.

I don't want her to be attracted to him, just fascinated in a non-sexual way.

I'm enjoying it, I just think it's Holmes and Watson in name only.

I think of it as playing off Holmes and Watson rather than a version of Holmes and Watson. Where Sherlock really does try be a version (and I don't think succeeds) I don't think Elementary is trying. I think the writers have read the stories, because the dialog contains extensive quotes from the stories. But they are deliberately telling a different story with different character that kind of has echos of Doyle canon. I don't know quite how to put. Think how behind Supernatural there is an echo of an alternate universe where the boys are not heroes but deluded serial killers. Not subtext - just another story than the one told that lives on the other side of the mirror. Good story telling often has that - another story different from and even opposed to the one than the tale being told. Such stories on the other side of the mirror are not subtext, yet glimpses of them show through. Elementary is not in any way the story of the Doyle canon; yet glimpses of that canon show through from the other side of the mirror.