‘Elementary’ season 3, episode 5 preview: ‘Rip Off’ promo, ratings fears

We’re going to start this “Elementary” preview with another discussion about the CBS show’s ratings, mostly because we did not quite think we’d be in this position right now with the show. While it never looked like a smash hit, two years ago it did feel like this had the standard trajectory for a procedural on the network: Six seasons or so.

What happened since? Waning viewer interest is part of it, but so is airing against “How to Get Away with Murder,” NFL football, and having a terrible lead-in courtesy of the struggling comedy “The McCarthys.”

Next week, the show has another big challenge: Airing on Thanksgiving. This is not a move that many shows out there care to attempt anymore. Maybe there is a possibility, though, that this could work. Think about it. Many people will be in food comas, finishing up football games from earlier in the day, and bored out of their mind at their in-laws. We remember watching many a rerun of shows we never even watched regularly on Thanksgiving night growing up, so we are willing to wager that this show has a shot.

Now that we’ve said all of this, let’s get into the next episode. There is a brain vs. brawn theme present via the promo below, and some most-likely-awkward comedy to go along with that. The official, but short, synopsis released by CBS also teases that you’re going to have a chance to see everything from heists to concerns over Gregson’s future:

“Sherlock and Kitty investigate the murder of a small postal store owner whose death is connected to the illegal diamond trade. Also, Captain Gregson puts his career in jeopardy when he hits a fellow NYPD officer.”

That’s a lot to throw into one episode, but we hope first and foremost that it is fun. We don’t really want anything else on Thanksgiving.