‘Elementary’ episode recap: 'Dead Man's Switch'

We open on Watson coming downstairs to find Holmes tattooing himself. She tells him that she wants to plan for his one-year sober anniversary, but Holmes says he won’t be accepting his chip. Then, he gets a call from Alfredo (his sponsor,) who has a friend who needs his help.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson going to see Ken Whitman. He’s Alfredo’s sponsor. Ken explains to Watson and Holmes that two years ago his daughter Eva used a fake ID to get into a club. A man named Brent Garvey slipped something into her drink and raped her. After he was charged, two others came forward. He then adds that Eva was doing better until he got a DVD in the mail of Eva and Brent with a note demanding $10,000 be transferred into a specific bank account or the DVD would be released online and to the media. The note also said there’s a failsafe in place. If he (the blackmailer) is arrested or physically harmed in any way, an associate of his would release the DVD for him. Ken then explains that he paid the $10,000 but a few weeks later they asked for more money and then again and then a third time. Ken then says he was in danger of falling off the wagon and called Alfredo, who told Ken about Holmes. Holmes replies that he has “a particular disdain for blackmailers.” He adds that he and Watson will find the blackmailer, his associate and “destroy every trace of this vile recording.”

Shoot to Holmes and Watson staking out a man named Charles Augustus Milverton, whose bank account matched the one in the letter. When he leaves, Holmes breaks into his flat, finds his laptop and opens it. He finds more videos of the other girls who were raped then even more videos pop up. Holmes deduces that Milverton is a professional blackmailer. Then, Watson alerts him that Milverton is coming back. Holmes then cuts to the back door but someone is there as well. Holmes managed to hide before either man enters. Milverton comes in and sits down. He then notices the other man, and says “please,” but the other man shoots Milverton multiple times. Holmes cannot see the killer. The man then gathers up Milverton and the laptop.

Shoot to Holmes going to see Gregson as he’s leaving. He tells him to watch the DVD and then join him in the conference room. Holmes then explains what happened but keeps it all hypothetical, in case the accomplice learns of the death and releases the DVD. Holmes then says that he cannot report the murder, officially, for this reason. Holmes then tells Gregson that he wants time to find the accomplice. Gregson wonders if the accomplice might also be the murderer.

Shoot to the Holmes’ brownstone. Watson has gone through the records Holmes brought back. There was a ledger, probably the pay offs. Watson is concerned about Holmes after what he saw. Holmes then tells Watson that he wants to go see Garvey, in case he was Milverton’s accomplice, working from prison.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson to the prison and find that Garvey was recently jumped and beaten to a pulp. They ask him about Milverton. Garvey tells them that he knows about the failsafe because Milverton told him about it when he visited him. Milverton also told Garvey that if told the police, his accomplice would release the DVD. He then says that he didn’t give Milverton the DVD and that he kept them in a storage unit and it was auctioned off when he was arrested. He then says that Milverton was blackmailing him, too.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson examining the ledger at home. Milverton was making 10% payments to someone with the code name “Henry8.” Then, Alfredo texts Holmes and tells him that someone is at Milverton’s door, but by the time Holmes and Watson get there, the man is gone. Alfredo tells them that the man got into a cab and describes him, and adds that he swears he’s seen him before. Holmes then decides to regress Alfredo. He tries to get Alfredo in the trunk.

Shoot to Watson pulling up a video on her phone. It’s a lawyer commercial for Sheriff Duke. Watson shows the video to Alfredo, who says that’s the guy who was at Milverton’s door.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson going to see Sheriff Duke, but he says the name Milverton doesn’t ring a bell. Holmes then smashes Sheriff Duke’s diploma on the wall and points out it’s a fake, which means Duke isn’t licensed to practice law. Then, he admits to knowing Milverton but says he wasn’t his client. It was the other way around. He then tells them that Milverton told him if any sensitive information came across his desk he would use it to help them both get money and insists he isn’t the accomplice or have the failsafe.

Shoot to Holmes’ brownstone. Holmes has bought sobriety chips off the Internet to see what the fuss is about. He tells Watson that two years ago Milverton referred a client to Duke, a man named Abraham Zelner, who sued an airline for removing him from a flight. Zelner is morbidly obese. Holmes postulates that “Henry8” was Milverton’s code name for the fat man.

Shoot to Gregson calling Holmes. He tells him that a man was trying to dump a body in wet cement and that the man claimed he did it because he was being blackmailed. It’s Anthony Pistone, the father of one of the other rape victims. Plus, the media already has the story, which means the fact that is Milverton is dead is out.

Shoot to Holmes talking to Pistone at the station. Pistone tells Holmes that he left cash under a park bench for one of the demands and then followed Milverton. He adds that he smashed the laptop. Gregson then notes there was damage done to the Milverton’s face, post-mortem. Pistone says when he knew he was going to be caught he thought the body was laughing at him, so he smashed him in the face with his boot. Holmes is furious that Pistone put the other victims of blackmail at risk. Bell then tells Holmes that the address for Zelner was a butcher shop, and that they couldn’t find any record of his existence.

Shoot to Watson calling him. She tells him that Alfredo says his sponsor just got a new blackmail demand from Milverton.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson looking at the e-mail at home. The accomplice says he isn’t releasing the videos; instead, he’s taking over the business. Holmes adds that Milverton’s plan backfired, and for the moment, secrets are safe. He then says that the name Abraham Zelner was an alias for Milverton’s accomplice. Holmes wants to go through Duke’s files again since they are the only lead they have. He then thanks Alfredo for all of his help. As Holmes makes tea for the long night ahead of him looking over Duke’s files, Alfredo wants to talk about Holmes getting his sobriety chip, but Holmes replies that he can’t accept it. He says that he doesn’t want to be reminded of his failure. Alfredo tells Holmes that milestones aren’t about him, they’re about the people striving to do the same and seeing that it can be done.

Shoot to Holmes sitting in Watson’s room when she wakes up. He tells her that he thinks he has uncovered the identity of Henry8 and Zelner. He says that Zelner was a pseudonym, he sued the airline in an obesity-related lawsuit and accepted their low offer because his fake name might not stand up to scrutiny. Holmes theorizes that perhaps Zelner had done it before. He then says he looked into lawsuits and found code names. He tells Watson that he didn’t find Zelner’s real name, but he did find photographs for a few of the cases. The pictures show the same man under different identities, although Stuart Bloom doesn’t match the pattern of the code names. Holmes thinks that is Zelner’s real name and his first lawsuit.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson going to Bloom’s house and they let themselves in. The floor is covered with cat litter. Watson starts coughing. Holmes deduces that the litter was put down to absorb strong odors. They then find Bloom dead in the bathtub.

Shoot to Holmes and Watson bringing in the police. Gregson says that it looks like that Bloom has been there for about a week and there is a boot print on his chest. Holmes says that Milverton killed him. Gregson asks why Holmes doesn’t think it was Pistone. Holmes replies that the boot print matches Milverton’s shoe size, a 7, Pistone’s shoe size is 11. But if Bloom hasn’t stepped in for Milverton, who has?

Shoot to Holmes admitting to Watson that he ordered the chips to get a rise out of her and to spark a conversation. He then says that he can’t accept the chip for his one year of sobriety, because he hasn’t been sober for a year. He explains that he snuck out of Hemdale when he was sick. Then, Watson reminds him that he was still sober for the rest of the year, not including that one day. Yet, Holmes is still upset, as says as a man of details, that he had decided to not use drugs, and then he used them. He then tells Watson that he’s having a hard time telling Alfredo and that it didn’t seem right to tell him before he told her.

Shoot to Holmes getting Milverton’s autopsy report, which he doesn’t think is very helpful since he was there when he was shot. Then, Watson looks at it. She finds it odd that Pistone only stepped on part of Milverton’s face. Then, Holmes remembers there were scars there that are now destroyed.

Shoot to Holmes going into the station. He sees Pistone, who’s about to leave on bail. They get him to stay and tell him that four months ago, Milverton went into the station, saying he was mugged. Watson then says they think he lied and that Pistone tracked him down and beat him up until Milverton offered him a piece of his business. Holmes then notes the scars on Milverton look like the emblem on Pistone’s ring. They then mention that Karen, Pistone’s daughter who was raped by Garvey, isn’t Pistone’s daughter but his stepdaughter and they had a history of not getting along. Now, Watson says, Milverton had two fail safes, Bloom and Pistone. Then, Holmes says Milverton took out Bloom, maybe on Pistone’s urging maybe not. Gregson then interjects that a thorough search was done of Pistone’s home and business. They found Milverton’s laptop at Pistone’s office, not smashed. It was in the desk of his brother, who confessed to helping and sending the note to Ken and now Pistone will be going back to prison.

Shoot to Holmes going to talk to Alfredo.

Shoot to Holmes touching up his tattoo, Watson notes it’s after midnight and thanks him for his real anniversary. Then, she gives him a gift. It’s a framed quote:

"The woods are lovely,

Dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And Miles to go before I sleep."

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