‘Elementary’ season 2 spoilers: Natalie Dormer not returning this season as Moriarty

Here is the problem that “Elementary” has really run into when it comes to casting Natalie Dormer for one of its most-important characters in Moriarty: While they have a supremely talented actress, they have also booked someone who has a huge roster of other things that she is currently working on. Obviously, “Game of Thrones” is the actress’ full-time job, but she also has a role in “Mockingjay,” the next edition of “The Hunger Games” film franchise.

The news about Moriarty not returning for season 2 due to Dormer’s commitments came out Wednesday at CBS’ TCA panel, and it was one of the least surprising things that we heard all day long. Typically, this actually would be the time for Dormer to do more episodes, given that “Game of Thrones” starts filming in the early summer and carries on until the middle of the fall. However, “Mockingjay” has most likely made things so much more complicated.

So if you are hoping to see more of one of Sherlock Holmes’ most-significant characters, then you better hope that the series does get some sort of pickup for a third season. Right now, we are worried thanks largely to the fact that many of CBS’ other series are performing so well. As we detailed recently, the race may between it, “The Mentalist,” “The Good Wife,” “Hawaii Five-0,” and “Blue Bloods” as to what will survive. With only one hour for-sure open for the new season, we imagine that one of these five shows (and possibly two) will be canceled at some point before the May sweeps come to a close.

But in shifting the focus back to Dormer for a minute, let’s ask the following question to you: Is having her play Moriarty worth it, even if she can barely fit the show in to her schedule? Let us know your thoughts!