Elementary episode 2

Jonny Lee Miller's performance is still superb, even more manic this week but it's such a pity that Elementary is such a poor relation to the BBC's Sherlock. I think this show would have been better if it had not been related to Sherlock Holmes at all - as a standalone crime drama it may have been a massive hit but it suffers alongside the inevitable comparison with the superior modern day Sherlock Holmes. Casting Dr Watson as a woman is a big mistake, and already we have had the sparring between her and Holmes with Holmes even appearing jealous of her ex-boyfriend in this episode.

The storyline this week used a coma to create a spin on the impossible murder scenario and it did it quite well, but the relationship between Holmes and this hot Watson got in the way, with sub-plots introduced to build sexual tension between the pair. One thing I do like about this series is that the storylines are mostly unrelated to the original Doyle canon, which the BBC show so cleverly updates, with only a few references thrown in her and there. One gets the feeling that the writers do not know the canon as well as the writers of the BBC show, but this is one of the few strengths since this is not Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes but rather a grittier take on the Moonlighting scenario, with two characters who just happen to be named Holmes and Watson.

The show took a dip in the ratings stateside for the second episode, and it will be a pity if it doesn't go past the first season because it has many good points - Miller's performance is the strongest feature and if we do get episodes featuring the Doyle characters, Moriarty and Irene Adler then this series could become essential viewing.