‘Elementary’ Recap: The Return of Kitty Winter

This week’s ‘Elementary’ saw the return of Sherlock’s former protegé, Kitty Winter, after a two-year absence. Kitty’s return to New York wasn’t for a quick hello, she came to warn Sherlock they might be next on an assassin’s hit list.

Elementary welcomed back Kitty Winter (Ophelia Lovibond) this week in part one of a two-part episode arc. What brought Kitty back to New York after a two-year absence? Why a murder of course! When several people connected to a case they worked in Kitty’s early days wind up dead, she begins to suspect foul play. She also believes that she and Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) are next on the list of victims.

A Return to New York

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Sherlock attends the funeral of a barrister he knew back in the UK. The man seemingly died of a heart attack. At the funeral, our favorite detective begins receiving texts from a mysterious number alerting him to the fact that the man’s death was anything but natural. Sherlock is directed to the grave of a window washer who shares his first name. Who’s waiting for him at the grave? None other than Kitty Winter, his former protegé.

Kitty has come back to New York because she suspects that someone is killing everyone involved with a case that they worked on together back in the UK. The judge, prosecutor, and defense lawyer have all died in the last few months. The case in question involved an American man, Eli Kotite, convicted of vehicular manslaughter. The deaths began after Eli served his four-year prison sentence. Kitty suspects that they are next on the hit list.

Sherlock pays a visit to Eli at a swanky private club. While in prison Eli was assaulted, and as a result is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The detectives suspect that he paid a professional to carry out his revenge plan because whoever the killer is, they’re good at what they do. So far the deaths haven’t been ruled murder. Sherlock, Joan (Lucy Liu), and Kitty begin to investigate the latest death, ruled as natural causes due to a heart attack. They suspect that the medical examiner missed evidence of some kind of poisoning.

Photo Credit: Elementary/CBS, Acquired From CBS Press Express

Gregson (Aidan Quinn) is hesitant about opening an investigation into it. But when the body of the latest victim is dug up and set on fire, Gregson realizes that they might be on to something. While they’ve lost any evidence of what the man might have been poisoned with, they do get one clue. Sherlock finds a hair that most likely belonged to the killer. There isn’t enough for DNA evidence but it does tell them that they are looking for an older man with graying hair that dyes his hair red.

Kitty and Joan go to talk with the M.E involved in the case. It doesn’t take them long to figure out that she’s clearly been paid off. Meanwhile, Sherlock and Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) go to speak with the widow of the most recent victim. She does remember seeing an older man with red hair the day her husband died. She’s able to give them a description of the man, enough for them to compile a sketch.
The M.E is brought in for questioning and though Detective Bell offers her a deal if she tells them who the killer is, she doesn’t take the bait. Later Eli calls Sherlock and asks him to meet. He thinks he knows who the real killer is. Alas, before he can meet with Sherlock he falls to his death from his balcony.

The police think Eli killed himself because the police were getting too close. Sherlock thinks that he was murdered,and that Eli was telling the truth during their phone call. Kitty and Joan find evidence to back up that theory. As the three detectives are making their way back to the brownstone they discover police and other government agents searching the brownstone. Sherlock tells Joan to get Kitty somewhere safe, while he alone returns to the brownstone.

The man with the red hair is waiting for Sherlock at the brownstone. It turns out he’s a government agent in the intelligence community and he’s there to arrest Sherlock!

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Kitty’s Secrets

Photo Credit: Elementary/CBS, Acquired From CBS Press Express

Throughout the episode, Joan suspects that Kitty isn’t telling them the whole truth. Eventually, Joan follows Kitty back to where she’s staying and discovers what Kitty has been hiding. It turns out that during her two years away Kitty gave birth to a son, Archie. Joan wonders why Kitty kept it from them, Kitty explains she thinks Sherlock would be disappointed in her. Of course, Joan realizes that there’s more to the story than that. Kitty explains that after this case is over she’s quitting being a detective. She’s going to work as a counselor for a group that rescues human trafficking victims.

Kitty does eventually come clean to Sherlock, at least about Archie. For the first time in five years, we see the detective truly stunned and at a loss for words. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see Sherlock’s thoughts on the revelation during this episode. The case ramps up and the detectives are called away to deal with that.

Are you excited about Kitty’s return! Let me know in the comments!

Elementary airs Sundays at 10/9c on CBS.