‘Elementary’ season 2, episode 12 review: Natalie Dormer’s Moriarty returns with a shock

Did Moriarty’s return on “Elementary” Thursday night bring in the unexpected? Natalie Dormer gave another tour de force in the character, and we also learned far more about her than we ever imagined going into it.

Let’s start first of all what has to be the biggest stunner: Moriarty has a daughter! While the child does not belong to Sherlock (as she was born far before “Irene Adler” ever met him), it was a moment that she neglected to ever mention, given that she did not care for the child. Nonetheless, she actually became a victim of sorts in this case as her child was kidnapped in an attempt to secure an inordinate amount of money.

We also learned through all of this the full extent of Sherlock’s communication with her, and the mental conundrum that he goes through time and time again. While from one standpoint he realizes the amount of danger that she brings to him and his world, he cannot completely let her go. That is why he will probably continue to work with her against his better judgment at times, as she is the only one who seems to understand him fully (though Watson tries). She is also a person who will unfortunately never change. You saw a glimpse of that when she informed Holmes that there was no reason for her to try to escape, since she would be out of jail as a “free woman” soon enough.

While both Moriarty and her child appear to be fine now despite a few scary moments, and Sherlock seems to be ready to move forward for the time being, how long will this last before there are some changes again in this world? Dormer will surely be back, as this dance is far from over. The only question is whether or not she makes good on her proclamations when she does. Grade: B+.

Did you think that Dormer’s return suited the show well at this time, and did you see the plot twist with her daughter coming? Share below.