After watching the "Elementary" episode "The Diabolical Kind" on CBS.com, I read two comments - each on one side of a particular topic. The topic? Moriarty.
One commenter, Pam H, suggested that constantly bringing back Moriarty could hurt the show. She even compared "Elementary" to "The Mentalist" saying the former is heading down the same path as the latter in that it will drag out the same storyline for quite a while. Pam H also noted she didn't think the actress playing Moriarty (Natalie Dormer) was good.
Another commenter, Viper T, said they loved Moriarty and the relationship between her and Sherlock. This commenter also added they thought Natalie Dormer was a great actress.
So that's the question - Should "Elementary" continue to bring Moriarty back?
The answer? Yes.
I understand what Pam H is saying. There are times when bringing back the same bad guy can hurt a series. (For example, when "Bones" continued to bring back Pelant.) However, there is something different with Moriarty.
First of all, Moriarty is a staple in any version of Sherlock Holmes. That name and that character can't really go anywhere.
Secondly, it was brilliant of the writers to make her (and Watson) a woman. In addition to putting the two minds against each other, it also provides the possibility that those two minds are the only ones that can understand each other. Many times it seems as if they belong together.
Thirdly, as a "Game of Thrones" fan I think Natalie Dormer is a great actress, and her portrayal of Moriarty is superb. The on-screen chemistry between her and Johnny Lee Miller, who plays Sherlock, is superb. It's hard not to get invested in the back and forth in which the two characters partake.
Moriarty doesn't need to go anywhere. However, if the writers do not continue to make her character as interesting and as crafty as she has been so far, then her supporters may lose interest in the character.
"Elementary" airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.
