Television: Elementary, "Under My Skin"

One of the writers evidently remembered Alfredo and said, "We should probably use him for something," meaning he got a story line this week. Holmes spots an interloper at an AA meeting, one he's seen before at another meeting, and at first believes the man is following him. But when cornered the man admits it's Alfredo he's tracking. (And we, sadly, miss out on what might have been a fabulous scene of Holmes playacting an angry, jilted lover.)

It turns out Alfredo was fired from a car alarm company and, because the company is also badmouthing him and taking his customers, Alfredo is bent on revenge. Which he achieves by . . . Moving the cars? I don't know, but when Holmes confronts him, Alfredo draws the line. He tells Holmes they are not friends, merely sponsor and recovering addict. It's the kind of thing Holmes would have said once upon a time, but we've seen this character grow and develop beyond that. Here he extends that growth by firing Alfredo as his sponsor so that he can be his friend.

Does this mean we'll see more of Alfredo now? ::shrug::

The main story was of a doctor in Brazil using unsuspecting Lap-Band patients as drug mules. The patients would fly to Brazil for the surgery, where it's much cheaper. But as they say: you get what you pay for? The doctor didn't actually do the surgery; he removed "unnecessary" organs (stupid extra kidney!) and filled the patients with medical-grade heroin only to have men on the U.S. side find and kill the patients and cut the drugs out of them. From a plot perspective, it was quite unique and interesting. Too bad it was patently clear who the bad guy was. I mean, any time you get Jonny Lee Miller and Fisher Stevens in a room together . . .

Not a lot of Watson-Holmes interaction this week, which is a shame because that remains the show's strongest point. However, it was very nice to see Bell coming into his own a bit, making some smart deductions and decisions. And for some reason, I cannot ever see Clyde without laughing. So while the two central characters are the best part of Elementary, the show does benefit from branching out to supporting cast now and then. Otherwise, it would be too claustrophobic and too cloying. More turtle!