Overview: In the City That Never Sleeps, one mind never rests. The eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) possesses an unquenchable thirst for intellectual puzzles and a ruthless instinct for justice. As a consulting detective to the NYPD, he takes on bizarre cases that baffle the most seasoned cops. But he can't do it alone. Holmes relies on Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), a former physician who's the one person who can keep up with his racing mind.

DVD Verdict: A modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, with the detective now living in New York City, 'Elementary' is one of ,my favorite shows (bring British) and LOVING Jonny Lee Miller as the broken, pained infamous detective. Funnily enough, the creators of this show reportedly went to great lengths to avoid comparisons or potential copyright issues with the British series Sherlock (2010), which also re-tells the story of Holmes in a contemporary setting. One visual cue that was included as a nod to the British series is Holmes' scarf, which is worn the same way as it is in the UK version.

One HUGE difference is that Dr. Watson is a woman though, of course! Creator Robert Doherty said that one of his motivations in making Dr. Watson a woman was that he wanted to show that men and women can "work and live together and not end up romantically entangled". Also, in case you were wondering, unlike many shows in which a character's tattoos play an important role in the story line, Sherlock's tattoos are NOT added by a makeup artist - but instead belong to the actor who portrays him, Jonny Lee Miller. Unlike Holmes's tattoos, however, Miller's are not self-administered!

Moving on, and this incredibly tense third season sees a fair few changes coming into Sherlock's life. Watson has moved out of the Brownstone, has a new boyfriend, and Sherlock himself is now back from six months in London, England - and aside from trying to worm his way back into the NYPD, where Aidan Quinn as Captain Thomas Gregson has done without him for that period of time, has brought back with him a new protégé, Kitty Winter (Ophelia Lovibond). Add to the fact that even Gregson might well be leaving his post, AND his long time AA sponsor Alfredo (Ato Essandoh) has been dumped as such, by Sherlock himself, and suddenly all he knows is starting to crumble around him.

As for the show? I am, in fact, highly entertained for many reasons, and none of them have anything to do with the purism of the title character nor for the particular crimes that are solved. What entertains me is the inner sub plots that are brought to the characters by both Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, and I've liked Quinn, as well, from way back as The Hitchhiker.

In truth, 'Elementary' is getting better as it progresses. They are moving beyond a simple police procedural. The crimes are getting more interesting. I like it. I don't compare it to the BBC Sherlock. For one thing, the latter isn't tied to the one hour episode with ads format (if you live in the UK, or watch on TV). I also like the Holmes/Watson interaction, as it's a challenge for them to keep the relationship on the right side (ie zero side) of romantic!

In short, 'Elementary' is a GREAT show, with a GREAT cast, and good story lines. The cases may not be as mind-blowing as they were in Sherlock, but they're still better than the average crime-solving detective TV show. And if you can't get into the mysteries, the still-fresh development of Holmes and Watson is sure to draw you in. Coming from a fan of all the modern, and the original versions of Sherlock Holmes, I definitely recommend giving this a continual try, for here in season three, come the end, you will see a Sherlock that you have NEVER seven before, trust me! Anyway, the twenty-four episodes contained on six DVDs here on this third season DVD box-set are all Widescreen Presentations (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and come with the Special Features of:

Watson Style
Hello Kitty Winter
Partners In Crime
The Elements of Deduction
Bell On The Scene
Audio Commentary On The Episode "The Female of The Species"
Gag Reel