Synchronicity? Or a deliberate poke? Either way, I was much amused when the name Stoller came up in this episode.
As for the story itself, it wasn't half shabby. For one thing, it taught me there's something called "Preppers," which is evidently different from a Preppie. I like it when I learn new things.
The episode begins with a man hiring Sherlock and Watson to find out where a missing doctor is because the man's son is otherwise implicated in the doctor's disappearance. We never see these people again, which is nice because this means the episode does not do the typical circling-around-to-someone-you-forgot thing. Except, well, it kind of does. It just doesn't circle around to these particular people.
Missing doctor turns out to be selling drugs to dealers on the side. Uh-oh.
Missing doctor also turns out to be an aforementioned Prepper. These are people who are intent on being prepared for the apocalypse or whatever other terrible crash our modern world is headed for. When the grid goes down and/or the zombies rise, these people will be ready. They probably all took Revolution as gospel or something. Re-read The Stand regularly. Stuff like that. I don't know if this is a real thing, but it seems plausible. I mean, it's just taking disaster preparedness that much further, right?
So. Missing doctor turns out to be a member of The Keep, which is an exclusive bunker for if and when the apocalypse comes. Stockpiles of food and medicine, generators, etc. Except when Sherlock and Watson check it out, they discover it's all a façade. It also turns out to be the place where the doctor was likely killed, though the body (eventually discovered) was moved.
They chase that lead a bit. Maybe the doctor found out The Keep wasn't legit and the guys running it killed him to keep him quiet. But eventually we circle back to one of the doctor's partners. The selling of drug supplies has destabilized the office and jeopardized an audit. The Keep supposedly has a stockpile of drugs. Two plus two equals two doctors hitting up The Keep to take the drugs (thinking they had plenty of time to restore them later) only to discover there are no drugs. Doctor #2 kills Doctor #1 out of anger and whatever else.
All told, not a bad weave of a story.
B plot involves Sherlock and Fiona—you know, the neuro-atypical girlfriend. (Sounds like an SNL sketch.) They've been dating all this while, though we haven't seen any of that. Haven't consummated the relationship yet because they're taking it slow, which is difficult for Sherlock. He generally does sex separate from emotional entanglement, but he hasn't been doing that because he's exclusive with Fiona and believes she's worth the wait. (Good for him. I mean that honestly and sincerely.) But then Fiona breaks up with Sherlock because she feels like he's handling her with kid gloves and treating her like one of his puzzles. And Sherlock comes back with a very astute observation: that he's the one who is different—atypical—because his relationship experience is very, very limited. That Fiona is one of only two people he's ever found to be worth that kind of effort. Without turning this into a personal essay, I can say that this is a very realistic view.
In all this is one of the better episodes of the season, yet somehow not one of the most enthralling or entertaining. It's like a solidly built house with little to no decoration on it. Foundationally, very sound. But not a lot of curb appeal. Take that for what you will.
But I do have to wonder if the writers ever read this. Because Clyde Stoller? Really? SMH . . .
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