The WORST episodes of Elementary
Every episode of Elementary ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Elementary!
Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare – a sober companion, Dr. Watson. A successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a penance. Holmes resumes his work as a police consultant in New York City and Watson has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. But Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator. With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes now running free in New York solving crimes, it’s simple deduction that he’s going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it’s elementary that it’s a job for Watson.
#1 - T-Bone and the Iceman
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/12/2015
Holmes and Watson investigate a murder that initially looks like a road rage incident, but takes a new direction when they learn the victim was flash-frozen at the time of death. Also, when Watson’s mother finds out Joan’s brother is cheating on his wife, she puts Joan in the awkward position of confronting him about the affair.
#2 - Who Is That Masked Man?
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/25/2016
When Holmes’ investigation into the attempt on Morland’s life pushes their strained relationship to the breaking point, the identity of Sherlock’s mother is revealed. Also, when three gang members are murdered, Holmes and Watson are amazed when an elderly woman emerges as their prime suspect.
#3 - To Catch a Predator Predator
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/6/2016
Holmes and Watson have plenty of suspects when they investigate the murder of a man who led a secret life as a vigilante, “catfishing” sexual predators on dating sites and publicly shaming them. When Shinwell’s criminal record prevents him from finding a full-time job, Holmes disagrees with Watson’s plan to help him.
#4 - The Games Underfoot
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/10/2015
When an archeologist is murdered, Holmes and Watson believe the man may have been killed for what he discovered during his last excavation in a local landfill. Also, Sherlock’s relationship with Alfredo, his friend and former sobriety sponsor, hits a rough patch.
#5 - Bang Bang Shoot Chute
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/20/2016
Holmes and Watson search for two murderers after a base jumper is shot out of the sky by one killer, and has his parachute sabotaged by another. After Joan’s sister, Lin, thinks she sees Shinwell with a member of his old gang, Joan takes drastic measures to make sure he won’t be drawn back into a life of crime.
#6 - Rekt in Real Life
Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/19/2017
Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a former professional eSports video game player during a live video stream. Shinwell approaches Joan for advice when his teenage daughter asks to meet with him for the first time in years.
#7 - Bits and Pieces
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/28/2018
Holmes and Watson retrace Holmes’ steps after he finds himself in possession of a severed head and no memory of the past six hours or why he has it.
#8 - The Eternity Injection
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/8/2015
When Watson joins forces with Holmes and Kitty to locate a missing nurse she used to work with, the woman’s trail leads them to another person who has recently disappeared.
#9 - Tag, You're Me
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/19/2015
When Sherlock finds himself distracted by his father’s ongoing presence in New York City, he offers to help Morland resolve a work issue in exchange for his prompt departure home. Also, Holmes and Watson’s investigation into the double murder of two men who looked alike leads them into the world of facial recognition technology.
#10 - When Your Number's Up
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/19/2015
Holmes and Watson follow a blood trail into the world of wrongful death compensation when they investigate a series of murders in which the killer leaves envelopes of cash on the victims. Also, Holmes makes a generous gesture towards Watson as she suffers through the aftermath of a personal crisis.
#11 - High Heat
Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/16/2017
Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a man Sherlock considered one of New York’s worst private investigators. Also, as Holmes stews over being beaten by Shinwell, he decides to take out his aggression by dismantling a local organization of private investigators.
#12 - From Russia with Drugs
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/4/2019
Sherlock and Joan investigate the murder of a criminal who made his living by stealing from other criminals. When Gregson resumes leadership of the precinct, he suspects his interim replacement is responsible for one of his best detective’s suspicious departure.
#13 - Moving Targets
Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/7/2017
When a reality show contestant is murdered, Holmes and Watson zero in on another competitor as a suspect, a former war criminal who may be the most skilled killer they’ve ever pursued. Also, for the first time since he attacked Sherlock, Shinwell reaches out to Joan to ask for a favor.
#14 - Down Where the Dead Delight
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/4/2016
Holmes and Watson must search for a killer without any physical evidence to aid them after a bomb is detonated in the New York City morgue. Also, Watson is suspicious when an NYPD detective she’s in a grudge match with asks her to consult on a case.
#15 - Our Time Is Up
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/21/2018
Watson considers making a major life change after reading her own therapy file while Holmes and she investigate the murder of her former psychologist.
#16 - Evidence of Things Not Seen
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/12/2015
When Morland offers to use his influence to have Sherlock and Joan reinstated as consultants to the NYPD, Sherlock’s mistrust of his father makes him question his motivation to help. Also, with no work offers coming in, Watson wrangles a gig with the FBI investigating a triple homicide in a top secret research lab.
#17 - The View From Olympus
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/2/2015
When a driver for a ridesharing company is intentionally run over by a city cab, Holmes and Watson wonder if it’s a case of professional jealousy. A casual romance Holmes has with one of his longtime “Irregular” consultants becomes complicated when the woman makes a shocking request.
#18 - Crowned Clown, Downtown Brown
Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/15/2017
When Holmes and Watson investigate a clown’s murder upstate, they discover a connection between his death and the creation of a new weaponized virus. Watson helps Bell when he’s targeted by his new love interest Chantal’s ex-husband in attempt to sabotage her career at the district attorney’s office.
#19 - The Ballad of Lady Frances
Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/19/2017
The police call in Holmes and Watson to consult on a homicide "heard" by a cutting edge gunshot detection system. Sherlock and Joan become suspicious of Shinwell when he's the target of a drive-by shooting that reveals a connection between him and an unsolved murder.
#20 - One Watson, One Holmes
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/9/2015
Holmes and Watson find themselves in the middle of a civil war being fought on the Internet when a member of Everyone, the anonymous hacker group they periodically work with, is murdered.
#21 - Folie à Deux
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/2016
When a serial bomber becomes active again after being dormant for six years, Watson seeks help from Shinwell Johnson, a former patient whose life she saved when she was a surgeon. Holmes senses Watson is unhappy and questions whether she is still fulfilled by her detective career.
#22 - Red Light, Green Light
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/13/2019
An explosion at a traffic stop puts Sherlock and Joan on two separate tracks of investigation as they try to determine whether the attack was gang-related or a terrorist attack. Sherlock and Joan suspect there is more for them to discover regarding the recent attack on someone within their inner circle.
#23 - Once You've Ruled Out God
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/7/2018
Watson and her half sister, Lin, have conflicting reactions when their estranged biological father dies. Holmes and Watson find themselves on the hunt for a stolen plutonium shipment they fear will be used to make a dirty bomb after a Department of Energy inspector is killed with a lightning gun.
#24 - You've Got Me, Who's Got You?
Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/20/2016
When a vigilante dressed up as a comic book hero is murdered, Holmes and Watson need to find the man's true identity and find his killer. Also, Morland makes a surprise donation to Watson’s favorite charity, in order to compel her to do him a business-related favor.
#25 - All My Exes Live in Essex
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/26/2015
When Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a fertility lab technician, they discover the woman had a secret personal life that leads them to multiple suspects. Also, the tables are turned on Watson when she’s investigated by an NYPD detective.