Season 5 is the first time – IMHO – that Elementary starts to feel a little tired
“This is in fact my third murdered clown”
Here’s my 10 favourite performances in Season 5 of Elementary
- The late great Nelsan Ellis gets Season 5’s series-long arc as Watson’s former patient Shinwell Johnson whose connections to his previous life of crime end up being a bit tedious sadly, the character never feels like an integral part of the storytelling
- Forever Alias’ Arvin Sloane, you just know that Ron Rifkin’s Wayne Vachs is going to end up satisfyingly villainous in Episode 2 ‘Worth Several Cities’
- And forever Prison Break’s hapless Bellick, Wade Williams’ same predilection for the darker side offers up great results in Episode 11 ‘Be My Guest’
- Ruthie Ann Miles may be Broadway royalty in my house but in that same episode, she’s given nary a name and a passing glimpse as Rockaway Detective
- Debra Jo Rupp is most famous to me for That 70s Show which means her cameo as Sheriff Malick in Episode 12 ‘Crowned Clown, Downtown Brown’ is arrestingly amusing
- Known in the UK for his work in Young Frankenstein, Shuler Hensley’s size is once again exploited as Frank Trimble in Episode 13 ‘Over A Barrel’
- Even if she’s sorely under-used, any presence of Kathy Najimy is a highlight, here seen briefly in Episode 14 ‘Rekt in Real Life’
- Who else should turn up briefly in Episode 17 ‘The Ballad of Lady Frances’ but Meat Loaf as the mysterious Herman Wolf
- Danny Burstein appears in Episode 21 ‘Fly Into a Rage, Make a Bad Landing’ as attorney Ted Winthrop
- And the excellent Tomiwa Edun packs in a huge amount into his multi-faceted role as Akello Akeny in Episode 22 ‘Moving Targets’