One of my favorite new shows from last season’s new crop was ELEMENTARY, starring Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as his companion, Joan Watson.  What started as a solid pilot with great chemistry between the leads (platonic chemistry, which is wonderful), turned into a can’t-miss season featuring ups and downs, and some really great work by a cast of my favorites.

I’m pleased to say that their Season 2 premiere, set and shot in London (which seems to be a theme this year), continues the upward trend.  When Sherlock is called by his former colleague DCI Hopkins (Tim McMullan) to investigate an old case involving old friend and colleague Gareth Lestrade (Sean Pertwee), Joan and Sherlock head across the pond to help.  By the time they make it to the infamous 221B Baker Street, an apartment that Sherlock has kept much to Joan’s surprise, they are surprised to find Sherlock’s brother Mycroft (Rhys Ifans, perfection) milling about.

Sure, there’s a murder mystery to solve (an interesting one involving Lestrade and a rich guy whose wife died), which Sherlock does, quite easily, but the meat of the story is watching the two brothers interact after years of a fractured relationship.  The deftness these two actors have to be surprised, delighted (even if ever so slightly, and just to call names), and annoyed to see each other again (with one of the funniest interactions the show has ever had) is just another reason why Miller remains one of the best in the business, and Ifans is a perfect fit.  A later scene involving Lucy Liu and Rhys Ifans is really lovely, and goes to show how far Joan has come, not only as Sherlock’s, let’s be honest, best friend, but as an investigator herself.  As always, the friendship that Joan and Sherlock share helps him to realize how exactly to be more human and less super-human-investigative-hero.

If you haven’t been watching, now’s a great time to hop on board this solid and reliable show (which sounds like a really boring description, but the fact is, I know I’ll enjoy it when I watch it, and I can count on that for sure).  Let us know what you think after the episode airs!