What do Trainspotting, Charlie’s Angels, a rooftop covered in bees, and a pet turtle named Clyde have in common? 

Welcome to our case file on season 1 of Elementary, which ran on CBS starting in September 2012.

Sarah and Marisa walk us back to 2012 and reminisce about watching the show when it aired, dissect its first season and the portrayals of its characters, and consider what Elementary is attempting to do in taking Holmes out of London in the 21st Century - and reimagining Watson as someone very different than we usually think of her.

Is Watson still Watson, when his gender or his Britishness is in question? Is Vinnie Jones the best Sebastian Moran out there? Why do these bees make us want to cry?

Note: Our discussion contains pretty significant spoilers for the plot of season 1 of Elementary - so if you haven't seen the show and want to remain un-spoiled, GO WATCH IT. What are you waiting for?

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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A violent crime, a terrible betrayal, a shocking death… and mongeese.

From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Crooked Man” is a complicated and compelling puzzle of a story that circles around betrayal, disability, empire, real-world events and Victorian geopolitics.

Content warning: CROO is chock full of Victorian racism, ableism, and imperialism. It comes baked into the plot of this one.

More info, that illustration we reference, and our reading list: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-crooked-man

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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"It's every man's business to see justice done."

From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Dan Heidt.

More info: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-crooked-man

This narration was read by Dan Heidt. Dan is a songwriter and podcaster from Columbus, Ohio. His podcast, "Flies in the Kitchen" features conversations with creative folx from all genres, in all settings. Dan previously recorded several stories for Librivox, an online audio archive of public domain publications, and when not blabbering into a microphone, he is building SUVs for Honda Manufacturing and enjoying life with his wife and 4 cats. His debut album, 'The View From Up Here', is available on all streaming platforms as well, for your listening pleasure.

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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Missing engineers, missing gangs, and missing thumbs - “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” is a delicious macare story about near-death experiences, the perils of working in engineering, and Sherlock Holmes’ lack of tact.

This week’s discussion delves into the inherently Gothic nature of this somewhat understated tale, how much we love when Watson’s doctor skills get to shine, and the interesting tension of detective stories without any real conclusions.

Content warning: Not to spoil the plot of this one, but a guy's thumb is chopped off. Gross! Kidnapping, claustrophobia and gore.

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb

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"The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements which they had found within, and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb."

From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Remy.

Remy (he/him) is a plushie maker, character illustrator, TTRPG and video game designer, and a multimedia artist. He has a side project where he reviews detective fiction and mystery media called "A Study in Spectrum" due to his lifelong special interest in and love of Sherlock Holmes.

Bluesky: @orchidrabbit.bsky.social
Tumblrs: orchidrabbit.tumblr.com, studyinspectrum.tumblr.com
Websites: https://orchidrabbit.neocities.org/blog/, studyinspectrum.bearblog.dev

Read more: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-engineers-thumb

We love to get email! [email protected]

Want to narrate a story? Read more here: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/read

Upcoming stories include: Silver Blaze, Beryl Coronet, The Empty House!

"The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" raises a lot of visceral feelings about the voyeristic nature true crime, centering women in their own stories, dysfunctional families and why exactly Holmes and Watson have a little drunk lunch date during a crime investigation. Listen to our discussion of the story now!

Sarah & Marisa previously appeared on "From Adler to Amberly" to discuss this story - listen to that episode here!

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-cardboard-box

“'There were three sisters altogether. The old one was just a good woman, the second was a devil, and the third was an angel.”

From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Jenna Hanchey.

Jenna Hanchey is a critical/cultural communication professor by day, and a speculative fiction author and audiobook narrator by...uh...earlier in the day. All of her work, whether research or creative, aims to imagine and enact better futures. Her fiction has been published in Daily Science Fiction, the Apex Patreon, and Stupefying Stories, and is forthcoming in Nature: Futures. For more of her audiowork, check out the Bloodlines series by Emily S. Hurricane.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennahanchey

Website: www.jennahanchey.com

Read more about the show: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-cardboard-box

The goodness of roses, stormy petrels and a shockingly good breakfast all come to play in "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" - a perfect short story that has it all. Political intrigue! Brotherly betrayal! Practical jokes! Weird monologues!

We cover everything from Watson's old school friends to Holmes's theatricality in today's discussion. Thanks for listening!

Dear listeners - We need narrators for upcoming stories! More details here: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/read

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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"The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by William Wandless.

“It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.”

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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Holmes is hired by a young clerk to investigate a suspiciously good job offer - and ends up in a case of identity theft and robbery. "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk" is an odd little story with a dramatic twist in the middle that stands it apart from other similar tales.

We discuss Dr. Watson, M.D., how much we long for a better robbery story than this one, and Watson's enduring crushes on men who look like rugby players in this week's discussion.

Content warning (and SPOILER ALERT!): This story contains a fairy graphic depiction of a suicide attempt by hanging. We read the passage out loud and discuss it.

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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