Ep 20. The Art of Sleights and Deception

Elementary season 5 episode 20, titled "The Art of Sleights and Deception," follows the dynamic duo of Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson as they investigate a complicated murder case involving a magician's assistant. The episode starts with a group of magicians rehearsing for an upcoming show when one of the assistants, a young girl named Ava, is found dead in a prop trunk. The police quickly label it an accidental death, but Sherlock is not convinced and takes on the case.

As the investigation unfolds, Sherlock and Joan discover that the world of magic is not as glamorous as it seems, and that there is a dark side to the art of deception. The magicians they encounter are all hiding secrets, and the more they dig, the more complex the case becomes. Along the way, the viewer is treated to a mixture of old-school sleuthing techniques, impressive deductive reasoning, and a glimpse into the intricacies of stage magic.

One of the first suspects that comes to light is the lead magician, a man named Thaddeus. Thaddeus has a reputation for being a bit of a womanizer, and Ava was known to have a crush on him. However, Thaddeus has an alibi for the time of Ava's death, and the team moves on to consider other possibilities.

As the investigation progresses, they discover that Ava was not just a magician's assistant, but also an aspiring magician herself. She had been practicing magic with tricks that she learned from the other magicians, and this knowledge is key to cracking the case. Sherlock and Joan start connecting the dots, realizing that Ava's murder was not a simple accident, but instead a carefully orchestrated crime.

The episodes take us through a series of hoops as they unravel the web of deception and secrets behind Ava's death, encountering a number of twists and turns along the way. Ultimately, they narrow down on a list of suspects, including Thaddeus, his ex-wife, and one of the other magicians who harbored feelings for Ava, and work to eliminate possibilities until they find the true culprit.

The final act of the episode is a thrilling sequence that sees the team work through a number of possible scenarios until they finally deduce the killer, and with the help of other magicians, they manage to catch the culprit.

Overall, "The Art of Sleights and Deception" is a classic episode of Elementary, delivering on the show's trademark mix of traditional detective work and innovative storytelling. It's a fun and engaging episode that's sure to leave viewers guessing until the very end, as Sherlock and Joan work to uncover the truth behind Ava's death and bring the culprit to justice.