Elementary (2012–…): Season 4, Episode 2 - Evidence of Things Not Seen - full transcript
When Morland offers to use his influence to have Sherlock and Joan reinstated as consultants to the NYPD, Sherlock's mistrust of his father makes him question his motivation to help. Also, ...
Previously on Elementary...
I lied the other night
when I said I hadn't
seen the captain.
Because of my transgressions
neither one of us
will be permitted to consult
for the department again.
Your father called.
He's gonna be here tomorrow.
You've made
a mess, Sherlock.
I'm here to fix it.
Oh, what a shame.
History repeats
itself, I'm afraid.
We're out of
Tienchi Flower.
This happens
to you often?
Well, it happened
rather famously
on your one and only visit
to Baker Street.
Or do you not recall
excoriating me
for not stocking
your favorite tea?
It won't happen today.
I gave up Tienchi
in 2003.
Well, despite of our
infrequent correspondence,
I've not forgotten the core
tenets of our relationship,
so I can spare
you the speech.
I thought
to be a great detective,
one had to be a great listener.
I listened
closely for years.
You're too busy
to have patience for weakness,
real or imagined,
and that hasn't changed.
I don't need reminding
that a relapse is grounds
for eviction.
I told you... I'm here to help.
'Cause that's what you do--
you help people?
I help you... Sherlock.
We might have different
definitions of that word.
Several years ago,
who forced you into rehab?
Who paired you
with Miss Watson?
Who set you on the path
from which you have fallen?
So tell me, Father, how are you
to help me this time?
Give your assent,
and I will see you restored
to the employ of
the New York Police Department.
Why would you do that?
When you had your troubles
in London,
I lost faith in you.
I provided for you in New York
because I wanted you
out of sight and mind.
Little did I know
that the untended corner
of the garden
would grow so strong
and healthy.
Yes, I'm quite robust--
seven whole days sober.
I'm not talking
about the last few days.
I'm talking about
the last few years.
I respect what
you've built here,
the work you've done.
I'm proud of you.
Didn't think I would be.
In the early days,
Miss Watson and I
communicated by e-mail.
She described the support system
you were building.
How your job at the department
was an important part of it.
You have structure
there, friends.
I fear that without it,
you'd struggle.
I have Watson,
I have a program,
and the department does
not have a monopoly
on investigative work.
Perhaps I'm wrong to worry.
You know how often I'm wrong.
I don't know how long
I'll be in New York,
but the offer is
a standing one.
Quite simple for me to reverse
your status with the police
if that's what you
and Miss Watson want.
Well, I can't speak for her.
Of course not.
I am hoping
you will introduce us,
so I can extend
the same offer myself.
And I want to thank her.
She saved my son's life.
Taxes should be raised
on the rich.
A: agree.
B: disagree.
Hey, Dr. Sarkisian,
I-I need a break.
The minimum wage
should be raised.
A: agree, B: disagree.
Seriously, I don't want
to screw up your study,
but I can't take it anymore.
Give me a minute, all right?
Terrorists do not deserve
due process.
A: agree, B: disagree.
Both legal
and illegal immigration
should be curbed.
Hello?
A: agree.
(screaming and gunfire on screen)
Are you guys in there?
B: disagree.
Oh, my God. Oh, my...
♪ ♪
♪ Elementary 4x02 ♪
Evidence of Things Not Seen
Original Air Date on November 12, 2014
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
Hey.
Have you been sitting there
since last night?
Last night, I came home,
you said you were thinking,
I went to bed.
You're dressed for work.
You seem slow today.
Not great timing.
We're due at the scene
of a triple homicide.
What?
We have a job interview.
Sort of. Audition might be
a better way of putting it.
With whom?
Gary Burke. He's FBI.
I met him while
you were working for MI6.
He's a little buttoned-up,
but I think
he's the kind of guy
we can get along with.
Well, he is,
if he's routinely in charge
of triple homicide
investigations.
I don't know how routine it is,
but he caught one this morning.
Three dead at a neuro-economics
lab in Harlem.
Some top-secret research
was stolen.
I convinced him
that he could use our expertise
in neuro-economics.
Are you an expert
in neuro-economics?
I mean, compared
to an FBI agent, apparently.
We can bone up on the way.
He's the only one
who called me back.
Do you want to work or not?
Joan. It's nice
to see you again.
You, too.
You must be Mr. Holmes.
Special Agent Gary Burke.
Thank you for the invitation.
Yeah, about that.
A few ground rules.
I know you guys are used
to having some latitude,
but on this, you go
where I go, and that's it.
Got it?
Okay. We got
two dead scientists,
one dead test subject,
and seven hard drives stolen.
Janitors found the bodies
early this morning.
Would we be right
in assuming that one
of the stolen computers had
the surveillance video on it?
You would.
And the contents
of the other six are the reason
that this is a matter
for the FBI and not the NYPD?
Yes, but, uh, let our DARPA
buddies explain the rest.
They just arrived, too.
- Morning.
- Good morning.
Samuel Meher. Deputy Director.
This is Alta Von See,
our head of special projects.
The director wanted to be
here himself, but he had
to brief Congressional Oversight.
About this?
We fund hundreds of projects,
but these researchers are really
onto something special here.
This is more than a tragedy
for the families.
The work that was taken--
it's big.
I assume you're at liberty to
use more precise descriptives
to explain what was stolen?
How much do you know
about neuro-economics?
We're experts.
Well, I'm not, so go slow.
Dr. Sarkisian and Dr. Weller
were mapping the loci
in the brain
that light up
when emotional responses
are triggered, when opinions change.
They were using
the data to perfect
an algorithm.
It works a little like
a personalized search.
The program curates the news
a user reads online.
Curates?
The program learns what kind
of stories you respond to
and gives you more of what
you want, as a delivery system
for favorable narratives.
It renders users' opinions more fluid.
In a nutshell,
Agent Burke, they're perfecting
the art of brainwashing.
Well, that's not
how we'd put it.
It's... a weapon
of soft power.
Sarkisian and Weller
hadn't presented the results.
They weren't out
of beta-testing.
But we had high hopes.
Dr. Gail Sarkisian.
Figure she was
killed first.
She's closest to the door.
Shots fired from
extremely close range.
Dr. Frank Weller was next.
Shooter double-tapped
him, too. Smooth.
Like a pro.
The test subject
in the next room
was a grad
student volunteer.
Ollie Tate.
No signs of a struggle.
Everything must have
happened quickly.
Like I said,
we're looking at a pro.
Mr. Holmes?
This rat is quite
recently dead.
There are no visible
signs of injury.
Well, there was a lot
of commotion last night.
Maybe he had a tiny
rat heart attack.
You jest, but rats are quite
prone to cardiovascular disease.
How do you think the
killer got inside?
I think perhap
Dr. Sarkisian let him in.
Perhaps she knew him.
On the way in here,
we passed through two doors
which required a key card
for access.
Dr. Sarkisian's is not hanging
on the lanyard around her neck,
as is Dr. Weller's, so...
She was shot
after walking the killer inside.
Mm.
Doesn't look like she kept
much personal stuff here.
Want to get
to know her better.
We should talk to her
family and friends.
Maybe go to her
home, poke around?
We've already got
a team there.
Should we meet them there?
I've got to finish up here,
stay in my lane,
but if you two want
to take off now, that's fine.
"Take off" as in go home?
We want to be as
helpful as we can, Gary.
Our schedule's pretty
open right now.
If we think we need a hand
with anything we find
at Dr. Sarkisian's,
we'll send it to you.
Good enough?
Whilst it's certainly
convenient to investigate
from the comfort of one's home,
I do find the FBI's
team approach a
little off-putting.
We're a team.
I'm confused as to
how much help we can be
attached to Agent
Burke's hip.
A murder investigation is
not a three-legged race.
Well, we prove ourselves
on this one,
and maybe they give a little
more leeway on the next one.
Or we could
return to the NYPD
where our colleagues
already know our worth.
What are you talking about?
I met with Father yesterday.
He's offered to resurrect our
consultancy with the department.
Wait. You actually
saw your father?
He came here while you
were running errands.
Are you okay?
Do I seem otherwise?
Well, you haven't
seen him in what...
five years, more?
Look, I think it's nice that
he wants to help, but you know
we can't go back to the
department-- it's not possible.
Neither was war in the
Falklands, but the old man tends
to get what he wants.
I can't tell if
you're being serious right now.
How much do you really
know of my father?
We've rarely broached the terms
of your initial employment.
Mostly I dealt
with people under him.
I know he's some sort
of international consultant.
It is true, I am not the first
consultant in the family,
but the title is where
the similarities end.
Father's business exists
to grease the skids
so that politicians
and corporations can operate
around the globe.
Sometimes these are
noble ventures.
More often, they are not.
But they happen because
Father is an influence peddler
par excellence.
And if he says he can
restore us, he means it.
What did you say?
I did not.
I'm not sure
it would be worth the cost.
What cost?
The one we would incur
by accepting his offer.
Did he ask us to do something?
No, but it's only
a matter of time.
With him,
there is always a cost.
The toll always comes due.
Anyway...
it's not my decision to make,
it's ours.
Well, he's your father.
But as you said, we are a team.
You deserve a chance
to meet the man,
find out if Morland Holmes
is someone you want
to be indebted to.
I find the Chinese character
suspicious, don't you?
Not their national fiber...
the marking on this note.
It means "beautiful."
I am aware.
The indentations
on the card reveal
that it was used in a bouquet.
"August 20--
a day I will never forget.
XO, DZ."
"D Zed" sent
three more bouquets
with similar notes.
Dr. Sarkisian's little-used
social media accounts
are peppered
with risqué communiqués
from a "DiplomatDan."
Now, as luck would have it,
there is a Dan Zheng
who works as a staffer
at China's U.N. mission.
So DZ,
Dan Zheng, DiplomatDan,
they're one and the same?
I think "SpyDan" might be
a more accurate moniker.
Perhaps even "KillerDan."
He wouldn't be the
first covert operative
to travel with
diplomatic immunity.
Zheng's functional immunity
would not extend to murder,
but he could make sense
as a triggerman.
He's been pitching woo
at Dr. Sarkisian for months,
so she may have
let him into the building.
Okay, but what about a motive?
Spies don't have motives;
they have orders.
I mean China's motive.
PRC government already controls
Internet access pretty tightly.
What would they want with, uh,
Gail Sarkisian's research?
In my experience,
those with a great deal of power
are often the same people
who want a great deal more.
There's little doubt
that the Communist Party
has an extensive and illustrious
track record with propaganda,
and then
Drs. Weller and Sarkisian
come along and perfect the art--
so the question then becomes:
Did China kill to acquire it?
Sorry to keep you waiting.
That's quite all right--
while we awaited your arrival,
we entertained ourselves
by watching our betters
as they processed
Mr. Zheng's apartment.
It's like I told you,
consultants need a chaperone--
we are the FBI.
Kind of big on the rules.
What do we got?
You've seen it all except
the moldy peach in the fridge.
Management says rent was
paid six months in advance.
Hard to say when
this guy ghosted.
We saw some of your agents out
there talking to his neighbors.
Nobody's seen Mr. Zheng
in at least a month.
Sounds like everyone
in the building
kind of hated him.
You guys missed this.
Looks like
an old noise complaint.
Well, it would seem we're on the
hunt for the least competent spy
China's employed
since the Ming Dynasty.
He's ahead of us so far.
This apartment's a stone's throw
from Times Square,
the noisiest part of
the noisiest city in the world,
and yet, Mr. Zheng still managed
to rile his neighbors.
If he's that bad
at blending in,
he'll leave a trail a mile wide.
Yeah. Well...
we don't need a trail.
We just need a ping.
Not a blip, not a bleep.
The stolen computers have got
to be at least a mile away.
So that would tell us
if they were closer?
It's a cell phone
tower simulator.
It sucks up every signal
in a ten-block radius.
When DARPA funds
classified research,
the grant recipients have
to use DARPA computers.
So the laptops that were stolen,
they all have a small,
battery-powered 4G router,
and it would ping if
this unit was close enough.
Listen...
guys, we got to talk.
I'm impressed with how
quickly you dug this guy up.
His disappearing act
is pretty suspicious.
But... this is
probably gonna be the end
of the line on this one,
at least for you guys.
Gary, you know
we can help.
I've seen cases
less sensitive than this
get whisked
out of my hands by DC.
My bosses will do
everything in their power
to keep a lid on this.
They won't want to tip Zheng so
he runs, and they sure as hell
won't want to start
a slap fight with China.
This whole thing is gonna be
sorted out very quietly
and at a very high level.
No, you're wrong.
Excuse me?
This isn't gonna
be handled by DC,
and it's not
gonna be quiet.
It's gonna be loud.
...as calls intensify
for accountability from DARPA,
State Department officials won't
say if the Chinese government
will respond
tonight or tomorrow.
No additional information
is available...
Good news.
I'm not the leak, either.
Not the most bracing
interrogation
I've experienced,
but I thought their technique
was adequate. You?
Sorry about the third degree,
but you get
why it had to be done.
New people, new leak.
Your superiors have
reason to be panicked.
I'm not sure whether the
media is more exercised
about the existence of a propaganda
program or the fact that it was
insufficiently guarded.
I think DC's more concerned
with how this affects
the manhunt.
If Zheng wasn't
on the run before, he is now.
I want to thank you both
for all your help.
We just got cleared.
You're gonna cut us loose now?
I'm sorry.
We're in crisis mode here.
We're circling the wagons.
Perhaps you'd reconsider
if I could tell you where
you'll likely find Dan Zheng.
What do you mean?
Well, my theory is admittedly
in its larval stage.
Its development
is being hampered
by a lack of access.
There's only so much
to be gleaned by glimpsing
through a crack in a door.
You give us just a moment
inside that room,
and then tell us
whether we belong in your wagon.
Well, as you can see,
there's a silver lining
to the leak--
11 million New Yorkers
have become de facto
deputies in your search.
And at least one
of their tips
was legitimate-- Zheng was seen
at the World Trade Center.
We have a mobile team rolling
at the World Trade Center?
No pings yet, but we got
25 people canvassing.
I might suggest
a more promising place
to trawl for your quarry.
I'm reasonably sure
that that satchel
Mr. Zheng is carrying
is a drummer's bag--
it's meant for skins and sticks.
There were some strange
indentations in the carpet
at Mr. Zheng's apartment.
In light of the
noise complaint
that Watson found,
and now that bag...
Um, well, they were
made by a drum kit.
- So what?
- So that noise complaint
was over a year old.
Kit's gone,
but he obviously still
has some of his gear.
He's been playing
somewhere else.
There are seven different
state and federal
law enforcement agencies
hunting this guy,
and you think he was on his way
to practice his drumming?
There's a subway station beneath
that building with access
to the 1 train
and Columbus Circle,
home to the Bernstein
Music Conservatory,
being the densest concentration
of music rehearsal spaces
in the city-- I could
think of worse places
to lie low.
Let's pull a
team together.
It's worth a shot.
Did we earn our place?
For now.
Hey, we should
tell your father
we're not gonna make it
to his office.
Last time
I missed a meeting with him,
it took years to get back on
the calendar, so you should go.
On my own?
Well, my absence might
be a good thing.
I tend to be a distraction
when I'm around Father.
I look forward
to your thoughts.
Mr. Holmes?
Miss Watson is here.
Miss Watson.
At long last.
I assume Sherlock
won't be joining us.
Yes, work intrudes.
I'm sure you, of all people,
understand.
Just as well. I wanted a chance
to get to know you myself.
Please.
I wish my business brought me
to New York more often.
Yes, this is
a nice office
to never use.
I gather my son told you
a bit about me.
His opinions, his...
colorful renderings of our past.
I know you two
don't get along.
If you think that Sherlock
is the only one
who considers me an enemy,
you'd be wrong.
He doesn't consider you
an enemy.
An antagonist, then.
No. I think he
just thinks...
you're a terrible father.
I assume he explained my offer.
He said that
you could get
the NYPD to take us back.
He made it sound like
you could just wave
a wand, or something.
I wouldn't wave a wand,
I would pick up a phone.
And what do you want in return?
Nothing.
You find that hard
to believe?
I find it hard to believe
that charity brought you
to a place like this.
Charity didn't.
Solving problems did.
Mm.
Is that what Sherlock and I are?
Problems?
Heroin is a problem, Joan.
You know that
better than most.
When I hired you
to tend to my son,
I had no idea
I was teeing up a partnership.
Nor did I foresee
the benefits
of working
with the American police.
But it happened, it worked.
I want it to work again.
We got a bounce
in the computers here
on the southwest corner
of this block.
I want Marshall and Barrios
to take the even floors.
O'Neill, Singer,
you take the odds.
Now, you get any pushback,
anybody wants to see a warrant,
you hit me on the radio,
we'll line it up.
No shortcuts.
Okay? Let's go.
I'm feeling a bit
vestigial at the moment.
I'll, um... just be
in the coffee shop.
Okay.
Yeah, it's Burke.
Yeah, they're
on their way in.
Yeah,
I'll let you know.
I will. Yeah.
♪ ♪
You forgot to assign...
♪ ♪
If he has a summons, just make
it clear he's not here about...
Where'd you get that?
One day you're going to have
to explain to your agents
whether B is odd or even.
B as in "basement."
The other things were too
far down in the Dumpster
to reach without getting
absolutely filthy.
But I'm sure you've
got people for that.
That was in the trash?
I assume
Mr. Zheng put it there
after he copied
the research and wiped
the surveillance footage
of the three murders
he committed.
Yeah, it's Burke.
You're kidding me.
On my way.
Dan Zheng just
turned himself in.
Says he's innocent.
It is beyond dispute
that my client
could not have authored
the tragic events in Harlem.
He was at the symphony
here in Manhattan
when they occurred.
And yet your news media
has turned him into
an international pariah.
No one has made the claim
that Mr. Zheng
pulled the trigger
himself.
The relevant fact remains
his relationship to
one of the decedents.
Mr. Zheng could've
called Dr. Sarkisian
and induced her
to welcome an accomplice.
Please, forgive
the interruption.
We can't control
what the press
has been writing.
No, of course.
It is a free country,
as you are all
so fond of saying.
And yet my client
falls under suspicion
for having once dated
an unmarried woman.
Are you at least going
to ask him how the computers
came to be found
on the same block
as rehearsal space
rented in his name?
Every person in
this hemisphere
knew Mr. Zheng
was your suspect.
The culprit clearly
dumped the CPUs
in your path
to frame him
and, by extension, our country.
You have nothing.
Hey.
What are you doing?
Working.
In my office?
Technically,
it's my father's office.
Or did he sweeten
the offer today
and throw in the brownstone?
What did you think of him?
I don't know.
I mean, in some ways he was
exactly what I was picturing.
In some ways, he wasn't.
Explain.
No horns,
for one thing...
no pitchfork.
And he seemed pretty sincere
about what he wanted for you.
The most confounding part.
I mean, I'm still
thinking it over,
but...
I didn't get the impression
we need to rush
into any decisions.
Nor should we. Not at such
a critical moment in our case.
I thought we got benched.
What is all this?
Well, that depends.
On...?
On how you feel
about being made
an accessory
after the fact.
When I found the
stolen computers today,
I had a moment alone, so...
I sent myself copies of
Dr. Sarkisian's data--
correspondence,
notes, etcetera.
That is extremely illegal.
But entirely prudent.
Who knows how long
it's gonna take the FBI
to draw all
the proper inferences
and realize that China
is owed an apology?
What are you talking about?
Are you able to detect
a difference
between these two?
No.
I mean, it's been a while
since my neurology rotation.
Should I?
Another test of your ability
to compare and contrast.
Are they the same
or different?
They're identical.
Yes. Except
in one key respect--
the dates at which
they were administered.
They are
before-and-after surveys
from Sarkisian
and Weller's experiments.
They were beta-testing
their algorithm.
Volunteer subjects were
put through a battery
of brainwashing protocols,
and none of them worked,
at all.
So this guy was especially
resistant to propaganda?
They all were.
Hundreds of grad students
signed up to be guinea pigs.
DARPA's proprietary algorithm,
meant to change
hearts and minds,
couldn't nudge anyone
from "mildly supporting"
to "mildly opposing"
even the most milquetoast
of policies.
Retiring the penny, for example.
That's some
pretty bad propaganda.
Dr. Sarkisian
admitted as much herself.
She wrote an e-mail
to her partner
stating her intent to withdraw
a grant proposal
for further funding.
And Weller concurred.
"Our current understanding
of neurological processes
"is simply not sufficient
to design a system
by which those processes can be
effectively manipulated."
If Dan Zheng
is to be believed-- and I think
at this point he is--
his last assignation
with Gail Sarkisian
was the same day
this e-mail was sent.
So you think she told him
that her program
was a dud,
and he lost interest.
He learned what
he had been sent to learn
and then reported back
to the PRC government
that they had nothing to gain--
and nothing to fear--
from an American
propaganda program.
So the Chinese didn't do it.
Worse than that, Watson.
I think three people
died for nothing.
I think we have
to tell the FBI.
Tell them what? That I stole
some top secret research?
Or that we have eliminated
one billion Chinese suspects
in favor of one
neo-reactionary monarchist?
I wouldn't phrase it
exactly like that, no.
But Maurice Antonov has
two really good motives.
Only one of which we're
adequately prepared to present.
So why not just go with that?
The guy divorced Gail Sarkisian
six months ago.
Ex-husband hates ex-wife--
kills her, kills the witnesses.
Stealing the computers
may have just been
a way to throw everyone
off the scent.
I'd rather not present
a theory of the crime
I do not believe.
Simple stories sell.
You've been reading
too much propaganda theory.
I do not wish
to bamboozle the FBI
into pursuing Mr. Antonov--
I want to question him myself.
And if he fits,
present a complete thesis
of his true motive.
This is a man
who blogs as Henry IX,
who advocates
for the restoration
of a Tudor-style monarchy
in the 21st century.
Yeah, but being a kook
doesn't make him less likely
to be a killer.
My point
is that if Antonov did do it,
it might not be because
he grew to hate his ex-wife,
but because he was
still in love with her work.
Sarkisian's earliest experiments
were designed
to push her subjects
towards neo-fascist beliefs
about the failings
of democracy,
a protocol Antonov suggested.
I submit that he hoped
his wife's software
could sell his ideas
to the masses.
Yeah, but we don't know if he
still thought that was possible,
or if he knew the propaganda
algorithm was a failure.
Precisely.
It should be a simple enough
question to ask the man.
Congratulations.
I-I didn't realize
I had dropped enough clues
for anybody to find me.
But you are
the first of my followers
to uncover my identity.
Why are you anonymous,
Mr. Antonov?
Won't it be more difficult to hasten
the demise of the American imperium
from behind a pseudonym?
Ah-ah, let's be clear.
I never suggested
that I become king,
only that someone should.
It's an opinion that is...
not very socially acceptable
at the moment.
One day.
Well, how are you
in such high spirits
with modernity and progressivism
eroding the natural order?
Do you have some
fresh reason for optimism?
Of course.
The two of you.
The truth draws
talented people
like moths to a flame,
more every day.
Acolytes.
Is that what you'd call us?
You're... kindred spirits.
I mean, I'm sure
you know your Plato.
"There will be no end
"to the troubles of humanity
until philosophers
become kings."
Actually, we're not acolytes,
we're detectives.
And I'm with Churchill,
I'm afraid.
"Democracy is the worst form
of government,
except for all the others."
We were wondering
where you were
three nights ago,
around 9:00 p.m.
This is about what happened
in Gail's lab.
There's evidence that suggests
that you wanted
to use her algorithm
to push your ideas online.
I was here.
I was hosting a seminar
on Thomas Carlyle.
It started at 7:00
and ended at 10:00.
There are over a dozen witnesses
who will vouch for me.
You know something,
Mr. Antonov.
And why would I help a tool
of a bloated and dying empire?
Because you don't wish to be
doxxed as a public servant?
I mean, what would
your followers think
if they realized you suckled
at government's teat?
Look, you have the wrong idea.
No one would have killed Gail
for that algorithm.
It didn't work.
And you know that how?
Well...
she never changed
her password.
I would... check
on her sometimes.
We had 11 good years,
and I missed her.
Gail was disappointed
with the program, obviously,
but... well,
she was nervous, too.
She wasn't sure at all
how her patron would take it.
What patron?
A man named Samuel Meher.
He works at DARPA.
He... put his neck on the line
to fund the
whole project.
He was very intense.
I didn't like the way
he talked to her in e-mails.
I would have
said something...
If it hadn't meant admitting
to cyber-stalking your ex.
I never would have hurt her.
Yeah.
Good luck overthrowing
the government.
Don't put us against the wall
when you get those
firing squads going, will you?
You buy Meher
as a suspect?
Well, he's ex-military;
he's capable.
It's worth checking
Sarkisian's e-mails
for his intimidating comments.
Would you mind running
his name at the FBI?
And if they ask
why I'm looking?
Oh, tell them it was ordained
by the architect
of a techno-feudal monarchy.
Are you looking
into Samuel Meher?
Oh, you get copied
on my searches?
All guest log-ins
are monitored.
Got to be able to account
for your activity.
I didn't...
I didn't even know
you were coming
into the office today.
So... what's up?
Well, Sarkisian and Weller
reported to Meher.
He was their champion.
I just wanted to make sure
their relationship was a good one.
And what about this stuff?
Sonic-pressure shields.
Robotic dogs.
Nanotechnology.
Yeah, these are other projects
that Weller
was administering funding for,
for the same lab that got hit.
I was just wondering
who else had access.
Just keep me in the loop
next time, okay?
Sure.
What's a mansion
got to do with Meher?
Oh, this is something else
for another case.
Well, I know
what consultants make, Joan,
so if you're looking
for a new place,
might want to lower your aim.
How did you fare
at the FBI?
Not well.
I did not find anything
in Samuel Meher's background
that would suggest
he would kill three people
to cover up a botched project.
Mm. Well, I'm hardly surprised.
I'm beginning to sour on him
as a suspect myself.
Why is that?
Well, aside from the victims...
no one suffered
a worse result from the crime.
I'm sure Mr. Meher
would reject the old adage
that there's no such thing
as bad publicity, hmm?
So, a secret brainwashing
program that everyone thinks
has fallen into the hands
of the Chinese.
I'd say this qualifies
as a PR nightmare.
Is that Tienchi Flower tea?
Mm. It was on my mind today.
Amongst other things.
I've decided to take Father up
on his offer.
I don't think
he's entirely correct
that the department is essential
to my "support system."
Our work certainly hasn't been
a boon to my well-being of late.
But there are
other considerations.
I believe
it would make me happy.
That matters.
You're not worried
about the cost?
One could argue
it was paid long ago.
What does that mean?
If I've learned one thing
over the last
couple of years, it's the
importance of making amends.
Sometimes they should
also be accepted.
Well, if it's
all right with you,
I think I need
a little more time.
Of course.
Two op-eds calling for
Samuel Meher's dismissal.
If he was behind the murders
it was the ultimate act
of self-sabotage.
You know, just because
an algorithm
can't sway public opinion,
doesn't mean
a good, old-fashioned
scandal can't.
Maybe we should look for someone
who did benefit from all this.
When we get back, let's send
those specs over to Gilchrist.
I've... uh... just...
Hi.
You're the
consultants, right?
The ones working
with Agent Burke?
Samuel Meher
said that you were back
in town to meet
with Senator Shapiro.
- That's right.
- I imagine you'll be
meeting with every member
of the Armed Services Committee
that approves
presidential appointees.
Now the head of your agency
is retiring.
Now that Mr. Meher's career
is in the tank,
you're the heir apparent.
It's a possibility.
It's-it's also, uh, motive.
Three murders, theft of some
top secret research...
I mean, it's a big move,
but you would need one
to leapfrog Meher
on the org chart.
In a few months you're going
to be controlling the strings
to DARPA's $2.8 billion budget.
I don't have a clue
what you're talking about.
"Dan Zheng,
a suspect first identified
by the New Jersey
Dispatch."
Now, they don't break a lot
of national news in Trenton,
but this was the paper
you trusted your
scoop with because
you went to college
with their managing editor.
Given the First and Fifth
Amendments, it's unlikely
that you would ever be outed
as the source
of the leak,
but who else makes sense?
You didn't know
anything about Dan Zheng
when you committed
the murders.
But when he became a suspect,
you took advantage.
You heard the FBI was
gonna be looking for him
around Columbus Circle,
so you dumped the stolen
computers right in their path.
So I'm not
just the leak, then.
I drove up from DC
in the dead of night
and killed three people,
like some kind of super spy?
No. You had an accomplice.
It was her.
I'll tell you what.
Uh, you can look anywhere
you want for my accomplice.
I'll turn over
my phone records, my e-mail,
my bank statements--
anything you want.
It's all gonna be picked through
when I get
confirmed to run the agency,
anyway.
You can be the first to vet me.
Well, that's it.
That's the last of it.
Every piece
of personal correspondence
and financial data.
Every last phone
record and e-mail that
Alta Von See surrendered
to the FBI.
I have examined
all of it and I have not been
able to discover her accomplice
or even the slightest whiff of impropriety.
Ugh. So that
rancid smell
isn't impropriety?
It's hákarl.
Fermented Icelandic shark meat.
Brain food. It's...
a shock to the senses.
I thawed some out
after you fell asleep.
I needed something to...
dredge us out of this funk.
That stuff is contributing
to the funk, trust me.
Oh, come on.
Burke was clear about
returning the evidence
in the same condition
we got it in.
Yes, heaven forfend
that the law enforcement unit
designated Burke, Agent Gary
would get
his papers back stained.
His operating system
might shut down.
The FBI aren't robots.
You're just upset
because we got a lecture
for talking to Alta Von See
without him.
You sure he's not a machine
programmed to follow
Bureau protocol?
I'm sure DARPA has one
in the works, along with
a panoply of mechanical dogs,
sonic pressure shields,
cargo transport blimp...
What is it?
I think I may have discovered
Alta Von See's accomplice.
There's only way
to know for sure.
When is the last time
you dissected a rat?
Alta, you are not
a swift woman,
you are not
fleet of foot.
I'll admit I did not think
you capable of this crime.
I should not have
discriminated.
You are very clever.
We did you a favor
coming all the way
out here for whatever
the hell this is.
You're not gonna let this man
insult my client.
Clever is a compliment,
counselor.
You want insults, just wait.
You'll be hearing
"triple murderer" in a minute.
That is what I'm implying,
Ms. Von See.
That without
any particular skill
or training with firearms,
you were able to create
a bloodbath here
that would look like
the work of a professional.
You did this yourself.
I know you said there'd be
no reason for me to talk,
but do you mind if I say that's insane?
You seemed awfully bold,
volunteering all of your bank
and phone records.
We assumed
we'd find the person
who helped you
execute your plan.
Not to mention
three innocent people.
The problem was we were looking
for a person, not a device.
What is that?
Do you want to explain
or shall I?
This is a sonic pressure shield.
It is a truly ingenious--
albeit fascist--
piece of technology.
The DARPA-funded scientists
across the hall
have been developing it
as a crowd-control device.
It emits a direct blast
of low-range
sonic waves which vibrate at the
same frequency as lung tissue.
would you like a demonstration?
The idea is for police
to use it on unruly protesters.
To disrupt their breathing
and incapacitate them.
You used it to turn
Gail Sarkisian, Frank Weller
and Ollie Tate
into sitting ducks.
By the time you entered the room,
your targets were essentially
out on their feet, suffocating.
You could approach them
at your own speed
and then shoot them,
point blank, without risk
of being overpowered.
This is crazy.
- You don't have any proof.
- Actually, that's not true.
The shield's power
may be invisible,
but its effects
are not.
You shot your
three victims
before their lungs
could be damaged badly enough
to show up in an autopsy.
But there was a fourth victim.
Frank Weller's pet lab rat.
As you can see,
the otherwise healthy rodent
has perished from asphyxiation.
I personally don't know
what I'm looking at
but even if I did, who's to say
Ms. Von See did this?
I'll say it.
We found traces of blood
at the bottom of the shield,
so we know it was used.
And there was an odd streak
on the baseboard
in the closet across the hall,
where the shield
is stored.
Black rubber.
This...
compels you to hand
over your crutch,
so we can test the rubber tip
for a match.
If it does...
Good luck explaining
why you were locked in a closet
with a bloody murder weapon.
You know, it could be worse.
Imagine how embarrassing
this would all be
if it had come out
during your confirmation
hearing.
Sorry to interrupt.
Ms. Watson is here to see you.
She wasn't on the schedule.
It's all right, Jessica.
Please take a seat.
I'm fine, thank you.
Did you misplace my number?
Some things are better
to discuss in person.
Like violating
campaign finance laws,
bribing elected officials,
that sort of thing.
Sherlock didn't say much
about you over the years,
but he said enough.
I didn't think
I should trust you.
So I didn't.
I think you'll recognize this.
It's a small estate
in Southampton I used to own.
Up until very recently.
You sold it a few days
after Sherlock relapsed.
That's right.
The price jumped out a me.
Three million
below market value.
It's not
a great deal for you.
I don't know that
it's as bad as you think.
No. Probably not.
Not when you consider
that same lucky home buyer
did you a big favor.
He funded a super PAC that
supports the district attorney.
And just like that,
Sherlock is no longer
facing criminal charges
against Oscar Rankin.
Would you like a drink, Joan?
No, thanks.
I don't know
what to tell you.
There are things that money
can't buy,
but fewer, perhaps,
than you'd like to believe.
I'm curious.
Why kick over rocks
if you really don't
want to know
what's beneath them?
I take it you're here alone
because you haven't
told Sherlock.
No, I haven't.
I hope you have the good sense
to keep it that way.
My son was born
with a malignant sense
of self-righteousness.
I have little doubt that he
would expose the arrangement,
probably land himself
in prison just to spite me.
Be back where he was
a few days ago:
adrift, uncertain, at risk.
You took quite a risk yourself.
I've always been willing to go
to lengths to protect Sherlock.
So have I.
You should keep that in mind,
because Sherlock
is gonna call you tonight
and he's gonna accept your help.
He wants to go back to the NYPD.
I'm gonna go with him.
That's good news.
I can't imagine why you would
deliver it as a threat.
Doesn't have to be.
But if you're gonna be a part
of Sherlock's life again,
I want to make one thing clear.
I'm not gonna let you hurt him.
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
I lied the other night
when I said I hadn't
seen the captain.
Because of my transgressions
neither one of us
will be permitted to consult
for the department again.
Your father called.
He's gonna be here tomorrow.
You've made
a mess, Sherlock.
I'm here to fix it.
Oh, what a shame.
History repeats
itself, I'm afraid.
We're out of
Tienchi Flower.
This happens
to you often?
Well, it happened
rather famously
on your one and only visit
to Baker Street.
Or do you not recall
excoriating me
for not stocking
your favorite tea?
It won't happen today.
I gave up Tienchi
in 2003.
Well, despite of our
infrequent correspondence,
I've not forgotten the core
tenets of our relationship,
so I can spare
you the speech.
I thought
to be a great detective,
one had to be a great listener.
I listened
closely for years.
You're too busy
to have patience for weakness,
real or imagined,
and that hasn't changed.
I don't need reminding
that a relapse is grounds
for eviction.
I told you... I'm here to help.
'Cause that's what you do--
you help people?
I help you... Sherlock.
We might have different
definitions of that word.
Several years ago,
who forced you into rehab?
Who paired you
with Miss Watson?
Who set you on the path
from which you have fallen?
So tell me, Father, how are you
to help me this time?
Give your assent,
and I will see you restored
to the employ of
the New York Police Department.
Why would you do that?
When you had your troubles
in London,
I lost faith in you.
I provided for you in New York
because I wanted you
out of sight and mind.
Little did I know
that the untended corner
of the garden
would grow so strong
and healthy.
Yes, I'm quite robust--
seven whole days sober.
I'm not talking
about the last few days.
I'm talking about
the last few years.
I respect what
you've built here,
the work you've done.
I'm proud of you.
Didn't think I would be.
In the early days,
Miss Watson and I
communicated by e-mail.
She described the support system
you were building.
How your job at the department
was an important part of it.
You have structure
there, friends.
I fear that without it,
you'd struggle.
I have Watson,
I have a program,
and the department does
not have a monopoly
on investigative work.
Perhaps I'm wrong to worry.
You know how often I'm wrong.
I don't know how long
I'll be in New York,
but the offer is
a standing one.
Quite simple for me to reverse
your status with the police
if that's what you
and Miss Watson want.
Well, I can't speak for her.
Of course not.
I am hoping
you will introduce us,
so I can extend
the same offer myself.
And I want to thank her.
She saved my son's life.
Taxes should be raised
on the rich.
A: agree.
B: disagree.
Hey, Dr. Sarkisian,
I-I need a break.
The minimum wage
should be raised.
A: agree, B: disagree.
Seriously, I don't want
to screw up your study,
but I can't take it anymore.
Give me a minute, all right?
Terrorists do not deserve
due process.
A: agree, B: disagree.
Both legal
and illegal immigration
should be curbed.
Hello?
A: agree.
(screaming and gunfire on screen)
Are you guys in there?
B: disagree.
Oh, my God. Oh, my...
♪ ♪
♪ Elementary 4x02 ♪
Evidence of Things Not Seen
Original Air Date on November 12, 2014
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
Hey.
Have you been sitting there
since last night?
Last night, I came home,
you said you were thinking,
I went to bed.
You're dressed for work.
You seem slow today.
Not great timing.
We're due at the scene
of a triple homicide.
What?
We have a job interview.
Sort of. Audition might be
a better way of putting it.
With whom?
Gary Burke. He's FBI.
I met him while
you were working for MI6.
He's a little buttoned-up,
but I think
he's the kind of guy
we can get along with.
Well, he is,
if he's routinely in charge
of triple homicide
investigations.
I don't know how routine it is,
but he caught one this morning.
Three dead at a neuro-economics
lab in Harlem.
Some top-secret research
was stolen.
I convinced him
that he could use our expertise
in neuro-economics.
Are you an expert
in neuro-economics?
I mean, compared
to an FBI agent, apparently.
We can bone up on the way.
He's the only one
who called me back.
Do you want to work or not?
Joan. It's nice
to see you again.
You, too.
You must be Mr. Holmes.
Special Agent Gary Burke.
Thank you for the invitation.
Yeah, about that.
A few ground rules.
I know you guys are used
to having some latitude,
but on this, you go
where I go, and that's it.
Got it?
Okay. We got
two dead scientists,
one dead test subject,
and seven hard drives stolen.
Janitors found the bodies
early this morning.
Would we be right
in assuming that one
of the stolen computers had
the surveillance video on it?
You would.
And the contents
of the other six are the reason
that this is a matter
for the FBI and not the NYPD?
Yes, but, uh, let our DARPA
buddies explain the rest.
They just arrived, too.
- Morning.
- Good morning.
Samuel Meher. Deputy Director.
This is Alta Von See,
our head of special projects.
The director wanted to be
here himself, but he had
to brief Congressional Oversight.
About this?
We fund hundreds of projects,
but these researchers are really
onto something special here.
This is more than a tragedy
for the families.
The work that was taken--
it's big.
I assume you're at liberty to
use more precise descriptives
to explain what was stolen?
How much do you know
about neuro-economics?
We're experts.
Well, I'm not, so go slow.
Dr. Sarkisian and Dr. Weller
were mapping the loci
in the brain
that light up
when emotional responses
are triggered, when opinions change.
They were using
the data to perfect
an algorithm.
It works a little like
a personalized search.
The program curates the news
a user reads online.
Curates?
The program learns what kind
of stories you respond to
and gives you more of what
you want, as a delivery system
for favorable narratives.
It renders users' opinions more fluid.
In a nutshell,
Agent Burke, they're perfecting
the art of brainwashing.
Well, that's not
how we'd put it.
It's... a weapon
of soft power.
Sarkisian and Weller
hadn't presented the results.
They weren't out
of beta-testing.
But we had high hopes.
Dr. Gail Sarkisian.
Figure she was
killed first.
She's closest to the door.
Shots fired from
extremely close range.
Dr. Frank Weller was next.
Shooter double-tapped
him, too. Smooth.
Like a pro.
The test subject
in the next room
was a grad
student volunteer.
Ollie Tate.
No signs of a struggle.
Everything must have
happened quickly.
Like I said,
we're looking at a pro.
Mr. Holmes?
This rat is quite
recently dead.
There are no visible
signs of injury.
Well, there was a lot
of commotion last night.
Maybe he had a tiny
rat heart attack.
You jest, but rats are quite
prone to cardiovascular disease.
How do you think the
killer got inside?
I think perhap
Dr. Sarkisian let him in.
Perhaps she knew him.
On the way in here,
we passed through two doors
which required a key card
for access.
Dr. Sarkisian's is not hanging
on the lanyard around her neck,
as is Dr. Weller's, so...
She was shot
after walking the killer inside.
Mm.
Doesn't look like she kept
much personal stuff here.
Want to get
to know her better.
We should talk to her
family and friends.
Maybe go to her
home, poke around?
We've already got
a team there.
Should we meet them there?
I've got to finish up here,
stay in my lane,
but if you two want
to take off now, that's fine.
"Take off" as in go home?
We want to be as
helpful as we can, Gary.
Our schedule's pretty
open right now.
If we think we need a hand
with anything we find
at Dr. Sarkisian's,
we'll send it to you.
Good enough?
Whilst it's certainly
convenient to investigate
from the comfort of one's home,
I do find the FBI's
team approach a
little off-putting.
We're a team.
I'm confused as to
how much help we can be
attached to Agent
Burke's hip.
A murder investigation is
not a three-legged race.
Well, we prove ourselves
on this one,
and maybe they give a little
more leeway on the next one.
Or we could
return to the NYPD
where our colleagues
already know our worth.
What are you talking about?
I met with Father yesterday.
He's offered to resurrect our
consultancy with the department.
Wait. You actually
saw your father?
He came here while you
were running errands.
Are you okay?
Do I seem otherwise?
Well, you haven't
seen him in what...
five years, more?
Look, I think it's nice that
he wants to help, but you know
we can't go back to the
department-- it's not possible.
Neither was war in the
Falklands, but the old man tends
to get what he wants.
I can't tell if
you're being serious right now.
How much do you really
know of my father?
We've rarely broached the terms
of your initial employment.
Mostly I dealt
with people under him.
I know he's some sort
of international consultant.
It is true, I am not the first
consultant in the family,
but the title is where
the similarities end.
Father's business exists
to grease the skids
so that politicians
and corporations can operate
around the globe.
Sometimes these are
noble ventures.
More often, they are not.
But they happen because
Father is an influence peddler
par excellence.
And if he says he can
restore us, he means it.
What did you say?
I did not.
I'm not sure
it would be worth the cost.
What cost?
The one we would incur
by accepting his offer.
Did he ask us to do something?
No, but it's only
a matter of time.
With him,
there is always a cost.
The toll always comes due.
Anyway...
it's not my decision to make,
it's ours.
Well, he's your father.
But as you said, we are a team.
You deserve a chance
to meet the man,
find out if Morland Holmes
is someone you want
to be indebted to.
I find the Chinese character
suspicious, don't you?
Not their national fiber...
the marking on this note.
It means "beautiful."
I am aware.
The indentations
on the card reveal
that it was used in a bouquet.
"August 20--
a day I will never forget.
XO, DZ."
"D Zed" sent
three more bouquets
with similar notes.
Dr. Sarkisian's little-used
social media accounts
are peppered
with risqué communiqués
from a "DiplomatDan."
Now, as luck would have it,
there is a Dan Zheng
who works as a staffer
at China's U.N. mission.
So DZ,
Dan Zheng, DiplomatDan,
they're one and the same?
I think "SpyDan" might be
a more accurate moniker.
Perhaps even "KillerDan."
He wouldn't be the
first covert operative
to travel with
diplomatic immunity.
Zheng's functional immunity
would not extend to murder,
but he could make sense
as a triggerman.
He's been pitching woo
at Dr. Sarkisian for months,
so she may have
let him into the building.
Okay, but what about a motive?
Spies don't have motives;
they have orders.
I mean China's motive.
PRC government already controls
Internet access pretty tightly.
What would they want with, uh,
Gail Sarkisian's research?
In my experience,
those with a great deal of power
are often the same people
who want a great deal more.
There's little doubt
that the Communist Party
has an extensive and illustrious
track record with propaganda,
and then
Drs. Weller and Sarkisian
come along and perfect the art--
so the question then becomes:
Did China kill to acquire it?
Sorry to keep you waiting.
That's quite all right--
while we awaited your arrival,
we entertained ourselves
by watching our betters
as they processed
Mr. Zheng's apartment.
It's like I told you,
consultants need a chaperone--
we are the FBI.
Kind of big on the rules.
What do we got?
You've seen it all except
the moldy peach in the fridge.
Management says rent was
paid six months in advance.
Hard to say when
this guy ghosted.
We saw some of your agents out
there talking to his neighbors.
Nobody's seen Mr. Zheng
in at least a month.
Sounds like everyone
in the building
kind of hated him.
You guys missed this.
Looks like
an old noise complaint.
Well, it would seem we're on the
hunt for the least competent spy
China's employed
since the Ming Dynasty.
He's ahead of us so far.
This apartment's a stone's throw
from Times Square,
the noisiest part of
the noisiest city in the world,
and yet, Mr. Zheng still managed
to rile his neighbors.
If he's that bad
at blending in,
he'll leave a trail a mile wide.
Yeah. Well...
we don't need a trail.
We just need a ping.
Not a blip, not a bleep.
The stolen computers have got
to be at least a mile away.
So that would tell us
if they were closer?
It's a cell phone
tower simulator.
It sucks up every signal
in a ten-block radius.
When DARPA funds
classified research,
the grant recipients have
to use DARPA computers.
So the laptops that were stolen,
they all have a small,
battery-powered 4G router,
and it would ping if
this unit was close enough.
Listen...
guys, we got to talk.
I'm impressed with how
quickly you dug this guy up.
His disappearing act
is pretty suspicious.
But... this is
probably gonna be the end
of the line on this one,
at least for you guys.
Gary, you know
we can help.
I've seen cases
less sensitive than this
get whisked
out of my hands by DC.
My bosses will do
everything in their power
to keep a lid on this.
They won't want to tip Zheng so
he runs, and they sure as hell
won't want to start
a slap fight with China.
This whole thing is gonna be
sorted out very quietly
and at a very high level.
No, you're wrong.
Excuse me?
This isn't gonna
be handled by DC,
and it's not
gonna be quiet.
It's gonna be loud.
...as calls intensify
for accountability from DARPA,
State Department officials won't
say if the Chinese government
will respond
tonight or tomorrow.
No additional information
is available...
Good news.
I'm not the leak, either.
Not the most bracing
interrogation
I've experienced,
but I thought their technique
was adequate. You?
Sorry about the third degree,
but you get
why it had to be done.
New people, new leak.
Your superiors have
reason to be panicked.
I'm not sure whether the
media is more exercised
about the existence of a propaganda
program or the fact that it was
insufficiently guarded.
I think DC's more concerned
with how this affects
the manhunt.
If Zheng wasn't
on the run before, he is now.
I want to thank you both
for all your help.
We just got cleared.
You're gonna cut us loose now?
I'm sorry.
We're in crisis mode here.
We're circling the wagons.
Perhaps you'd reconsider
if I could tell you where
you'll likely find Dan Zheng.
What do you mean?
Well, my theory is admittedly
in its larval stage.
Its development
is being hampered
by a lack of access.
There's only so much
to be gleaned by glimpsing
through a crack in a door.
You give us just a moment
inside that room,
and then tell us
whether we belong in your wagon.
Well, as you can see,
there's a silver lining
to the leak--
11 million New Yorkers
have become de facto
deputies in your search.
And at least one
of their tips
was legitimate-- Zheng was seen
at the World Trade Center.
We have a mobile team rolling
at the World Trade Center?
No pings yet, but we got
25 people canvassing.
I might suggest
a more promising place
to trawl for your quarry.
I'm reasonably sure
that that satchel
Mr. Zheng is carrying
is a drummer's bag--
it's meant for skins and sticks.
There were some strange
indentations in the carpet
at Mr. Zheng's apartment.
In light of the
noise complaint
that Watson found,
and now that bag...
Um, well, they were
made by a drum kit.
- So what?
- So that noise complaint
was over a year old.
Kit's gone,
but he obviously still
has some of his gear.
He's been playing
somewhere else.
There are seven different
state and federal
law enforcement agencies
hunting this guy,
and you think he was on his way
to practice his drumming?
There's a subway station beneath
that building with access
to the 1 train
and Columbus Circle,
home to the Bernstein
Music Conservatory,
being the densest concentration
of music rehearsal spaces
in the city-- I could
think of worse places
to lie low.
Let's pull a
team together.
It's worth a shot.
Did we earn our place?
For now.
Hey, we should
tell your father
we're not gonna make it
to his office.
Last time
I missed a meeting with him,
it took years to get back on
the calendar, so you should go.
On my own?
Well, my absence might
be a good thing.
I tend to be a distraction
when I'm around Father.
I look forward
to your thoughts.
Mr. Holmes?
Miss Watson is here.
Miss Watson.
At long last.
I assume Sherlock
won't be joining us.
Yes, work intrudes.
I'm sure you, of all people,
understand.
Just as well. I wanted a chance
to get to know you myself.
Please.
I wish my business brought me
to New York more often.
Yes, this is
a nice office
to never use.
I gather my son told you
a bit about me.
His opinions, his...
colorful renderings of our past.
I know you two
don't get along.
If you think that Sherlock
is the only one
who considers me an enemy,
you'd be wrong.
He doesn't consider you
an enemy.
An antagonist, then.
No. I think he
just thinks...
you're a terrible father.
I assume he explained my offer.
He said that
you could get
the NYPD to take us back.
He made it sound like
you could just wave
a wand, or something.
I wouldn't wave a wand,
I would pick up a phone.
And what do you want in return?
Nothing.
You find that hard
to believe?
I find it hard to believe
that charity brought you
to a place like this.
Charity didn't.
Solving problems did.
Mm.
Is that what Sherlock and I are?
Problems?
Heroin is a problem, Joan.
You know that
better than most.
When I hired you
to tend to my son,
I had no idea
I was teeing up a partnership.
Nor did I foresee
the benefits
of working
with the American police.
But it happened, it worked.
I want it to work again.
We got a bounce
in the computers here
on the southwest corner
of this block.
I want Marshall and Barrios
to take the even floors.
O'Neill, Singer,
you take the odds.
Now, you get any pushback,
anybody wants to see a warrant,
you hit me on the radio,
we'll line it up.
No shortcuts.
Okay? Let's go.
I'm feeling a bit
vestigial at the moment.
I'll, um... just be
in the coffee shop.
Okay.
Yeah, it's Burke.
Yeah, they're
on their way in.
Yeah,
I'll let you know.
I will. Yeah.
♪ ♪
You forgot to assign...
♪ ♪
If he has a summons, just make
it clear he's not here about...
Where'd you get that?
One day you're going to have
to explain to your agents
whether B is odd or even.
B as in "basement."
The other things were too
far down in the Dumpster
to reach without getting
absolutely filthy.
But I'm sure you've
got people for that.
That was in the trash?
I assume
Mr. Zheng put it there
after he copied
the research and wiped
the surveillance footage
of the three murders
he committed.
Yeah, it's Burke.
You're kidding me.
On my way.
Dan Zheng just
turned himself in.
Says he's innocent.
It is beyond dispute
that my client
could not have authored
the tragic events in Harlem.
He was at the symphony
here in Manhattan
when they occurred.
And yet your news media
has turned him into
an international pariah.
No one has made the claim
that Mr. Zheng
pulled the trigger
himself.
The relevant fact remains
his relationship to
one of the decedents.
Mr. Zheng could've
called Dr. Sarkisian
and induced her
to welcome an accomplice.
Please, forgive
the interruption.
We can't control
what the press
has been writing.
No, of course.
It is a free country,
as you are all
so fond of saying.
And yet my client
falls under suspicion
for having once dated
an unmarried woman.
Are you at least going
to ask him how the computers
came to be found
on the same block
as rehearsal space
rented in his name?
Every person in
this hemisphere
knew Mr. Zheng
was your suspect.
The culprit clearly
dumped the CPUs
in your path
to frame him
and, by extension, our country.
You have nothing.
Hey.
What are you doing?
Working.
In my office?
Technically,
it's my father's office.
Or did he sweeten
the offer today
and throw in the brownstone?
What did you think of him?
I don't know.
I mean, in some ways he was
exactly what I was picturing.
In some ways, he wasn't.
Explain.
No horns,
for one thing...
no pitchfork.
And he seemed pretty sincere
about what he wanted for you.
The most confounding part.
I mean, I'm still
thinking it over,
but...
I didn't get the impression
we need to rush
into any decisions.
Nor should we. Not at such
a critical moment in our case.
I thought we got benched.
What is all this?
Well, that depends.
On...?
On how you feel
about being made
an accessory
after the fact.
When I found the
stolen computers today,
I had a moment alone, so...
I sent myself copies of
Dr. Sarkisian's data--
correspondence,
notes, etcetera.
That is extremely illegal.
But entirely prudent.
Who knows how long
it's gonna take the FBI
to draw all
the proper inferences
and realize that China
is owed an apology?
What are you talking about?
Are you able to detect
a difference
between these two?
No.
I mean, it's been a while
since my neurology rotation.
Should I?
Another test of your ability
to compare and contrast.
Are they the same
or different?
They're identical.
Yes. Except
in one key respect--
the dates at which
they were administered.
They are
before-and-after surveys
from Sarkisian
and Weller's experiments.
They were beta-testing
their algorithm.
Volunteer subjects were
put through a battery
of brainwashing protocols,
and none of them worked,
at all.
So this guy was especially
resistant to propaganda?
They all were.
Hundreds of grad students
signed up to be guinea pigs.
DARPA's proprietary algorithm,
meant to change
hearts and minds,
couldn't nudge anyone
from "mildly supporting"
to "mildly opposing"
even the most milquetoast
of policies.
Retiring the penny, for example.
That's some
pretty bad propaganda.
Dr. Sarkisian
admitted as much herself.
She wrote an e-mail
to her partner
stating her intent to withdraw
a grant proposal
for further funding.
And Weller concurred.
"Our current understanding
of neurological processes
"is simply not sufficient
to design a system
by which those processes can be
effectively manipulated."
If Dan Zheng
is to be believed-- and I think
at this point he is--
his last assignation
with Gail Sarkisian
was the same day
this e-mail was sent.
So you think she told him
that her program
was a dud,
and he lost interest.
He learned what
he had been sent to learn
and then reported back
to the PRC government
that they had nothing to gain--
and nothing to fear--
from an American
propaganda program.
So the Chinese didn't do it.
Worse than that, Watson.
I think three people
died for nothing.
I think we have
to tell the FBI.
Tell them what? That I stole
some top secret research?
Or that we have eliminated
one billion Chinese suspects
in favor of one
neo-reactionary monarchist?
I wouldn't phrase it
exactly like that, no.
But Maurice Antonov has
two really good motives.
Only one of which we're
adequately prepared to present.
So why not just go with that?
The guy divorced Gail Sarkisian
six months ago.
Ex-husband hates ex-wife--
kills her, kills the witnesses.
Stealing the computers
may have just been
a way to throw everyone
off the scent.
I'd rather not present
a theory of the crime
I do not believe.
Simple stories sell.
You've been reading
too much propaganda theory.
I do not wish
to bamboozle the FBI
into pursuing Mr. Antonov--
I want to question him myself.
And if he fits,
present a complete thesis
of his true motive.
This is a man
who blogs as Henry IX,
who advocates
for the restoration
of a Tudor-style monarchy
in the 21st century.
Yeah, but being a kook
doesn't make him less likely
to be a killer.
My point
is that if Antonov did do it,
it might not be because
he grew to hate his ex-wife,
but because he was
still in love with her work.
Sarkisian's earliest experiments
were designed
to push her subjects
towards neo-fascist beliefs
about the failings
of democracy,
a protocol Antonov suggested.
I submit that he hoped
his wife's software
could sell his ideas
to the masses.
Yeah, but we don't know if he
still thought that was possible,
or if he knew the propaganda
algorithm was a failure.
Precisely.
It should be a simple enough
question to ask the man.
Congratulations.
I-I didn't realize
I had dropped enough clues
for anybody to find me.
But you are
the first of my followers
to uncover my identity.
Why are you anonymous,
Mr. Antonov?
Won't it be more difficult to hasten
the demise of the American imperium
from behind a pseudonym?
Ah-ah, let's be clear.
I never suggested
that I become king,
only that someone should.
It's an opinion that is...
not very socially acceptable
at the moment.
One day.
Well, how are you
in such high spirits
with modernity and progressivism
eroding the natural order?
Do you have some
fresh reason for optimism?
Of course.
The two of you.
The truth draws
talented people
like moths to a flame,
more every day.
Acolytes.
Is that what you'd call us?
You're... kindred spirits.
I mean, I'm sure
you know your Plato.
"There will be no end
"to the troubles of humanity
until philosophers
become kings."
Actually, we're not acolytes,
we're detectives.
And I'm with Churchill,
I'm afraid.
"Democracy is the worst form
of government,
except for all the others."
We were wondering
where you were
three nights ago,
around 9:00 p.m.
This is about what happened
in Gail's lab.
There's evidence that suggests
that you wanted
to use her algorithm
to push your ideas online.
I was here.
I was hosting a seminar
on Thomas Carlyle.
It started at 7:00
and ended at 10:00.
There are over a dozen witnesses
who will vouch for me.
You know something,
Mr. Antonov.
And why would I help a tool
of a bloated and dying empire?
Because you don't wish to be
doxxed as a public servant?
I mean, what would
your followers think
if they realized you suckled
at government's teat?
Look, you have the wrong idea.
No one would have killed Gail
for that algorithm.
It didn't work.
And you know that how?
Well...
she never changed
her password.
I would... check
on her sometimes.
We had 11 good years,
and I missed her.
Gail was disappointed
with the program, obviously,
but... well,
she was nervous, too.
She wasn't sure at all
how her patron would take it.
What patron?
A man named Samuel Meher.
He works at DARPA.
He... put his neck on the line
to fund the
whole project.
He was very intense.
I didn't like the way
he talked to her in e-mails.
I would have
said something...
If it hadn't meant admitting
to cyber-stalking your ex.
I never would have hurt her.
Yeah.
Good luck overthrowing
the government.
Don't put us against the wall
when you get those
firing squads going, will you?
You buy Meher
as a suspect?
Well, he's ex-military;
he's capable.
It's worth checking
Sarkisian's e-mails
for his intimidating comments.
Would you mind running
his name at the FBI?
And if they ask
why I'm looking?
Oh, tell them it was ordained
by the architect
of a techno-feudal monarchy.
Are you looking
into Samuel Meher?
Oh, you get copied
on my searches?
All guest log-ins
are monitored.
Got to be able to account
for your activity.
I didn't...
I didn't even know
you were coming
into the office today.
So... what's up?
Well, Sarkisian and Weller
reported to Meher.
He was their champion.
I just wanted to make sure
their relationship was a good one.
And what about this stuff?
Sonic-pressure shields.
Robotic dogs.
Nanotechnology.
Yeah, these are other projects
that Weller
was administering funding for,
for the same lab that got hit.
I was just wondering
who else had access.
Just keep me in the loop
next time, okay?
Sure.
What's a mansion
got to do with Meher?
Oh, this is something else
for another case.
Well, I know
what consultants make, Joan,
so if you're looking
for a new place,
might want to lower your aim.
How did you fare
at the FBI?
Not well.
I did not find anything
in Samuel Meher's background
that would suggest
he would kill three people
to cover up a botched project.
Mm. Well, I'm hardly surprised.
I'm beginning to sour on him
as a suspect myself.
Why is that?
Well, aside from the victims...
no one suffered
a worse result from the crime.
I'm sure Mr. Meher
would reject the old adage
that there's no such thing
as bad publicity, hmm?
So, a secret brainwashing
program that everyone thinks
has fallen into the hands
of the Chinese.
I'd say this qualifies
as a PR nightmare.
Is that Tienchi Flower tea?
Mm. It was on my mind today.
Amongst other things.
I've decided to take Father up
on his offer.
I don't think
he's entirely correct
that the department is essential
to my "support system."
Our work certainly hasn't been
a boon to my well-being of late.
But there are
other considerations.
I believe
it would make me happy.
That matters.
You're not worried
about the cost?
One could argue
it was paid long ago.
What does that mean?
If I've learned one thing
over the last
couple of years, it's the
importance of making amends.
Sometimes they should
also be accepted.
Well, if it's
all right with you,
I think I need
a little more time.
Of course.
Two op-eds calling for
Samuel Meher's dismissal.
If he was behind the murders
it was the ultimate act
of self-sabotage.
You know, just because
an algorithm
can't sway public opinion,
doesn't mean
a good, old-fashioned
scandal can't.
Maybe we should look for someone
who did benefit from all this.
When we get back, let's send
those specs over to Gilchrist.
I've... uh... just...
Hi.
You're the
consultants, right?
The ones working
with Agent Burke?
Samuel Meher
said that you were back
in town to meet
with Senator Shapiro.
- That's right.
- I imagine you'll be
meeting with every member
of the Armed Services Committee
that approves
presidential appointees.
Now the head of your agency
is retiring.
Now that Mr. Meher's career
is in the tank,
you're the heir apparent.
It's a possibility.
It's-it's also, uh, motive.
Three murders, theft of some
top secret research...
I mean, it's a big move,
but you would need one
to leapfrog Meher
on the org chart.
In a few months you're going
to be controlling the strings
to DARPA's $2.8 billion budget.
I don't have a clue
what you're talking about.
"Dan Zheng,
a suspect first identified
by the New Jersey
Dispatch."
Now, they don't break a lot
of national news in Trenton,
but this was the paper
you trusted your
scoop with because
you went to college
with their managing editor.
Given the First and Fifth
Amendments, it's unlikely
that you would ever be outed
as the source
of the leak,
but who else makes sense?
You didn't know
anything about Dan Zheng
when you committed
the murders.
But when he became a suspect,
you took advantage.
You heard the FBI was
gonna be looking for him
around Columbus Circle,
so you dumped the stolen
computers right in their path.
So I'm not
just the leak, then.
I drove up from DC
in the dead of night
and killed three people,
like some kind of super spy?
No. You had an accomplice.
It was her.
I'll tell you what.
Uh, you can look anywhere
you want for my accomplice.
I'll turn over
my phone records, my e-mail,
my bank statements--
anything you want.
It's all gonna be picked through
when I get
confirmed to run the agency,
anyway.
You can be the first to vet me.
Well, that's it.
That's the last of it.
Every piece
of personal correspondence
and financial data.
Every last phone
record and e-mail that
Alta Von See surrendered
to the FBI.
I have examined
all of it and I have not been
able to discover her accomplice
or even the slightest whiff of impropriety.
Ugh. So that
rancid smell
isn't impropriety?
It's hákarl.
Fermented Icelandic shark meat.
Brain food. It's...
a shock to the senses.
I thawed some out
after you fell asleep.
I needed something to...
dredge us out of this funk.
That stuff is contributing
to the funk, trust me.
Oh, come on.
Burke was clear about
returning the evidence
in the same condition
we got it in.
Yes, heaven forfend
that the law enforcement unit
designated Burke, Agent Gary
would get
his papers back stained.
His operating system
might shut down.
The FBI aren't robots.
You're just upset
because we got a lecture
for talking to Alta Von See
without him.
You sure he's not a machine
programmed to follow
Bureau protocol?
I'm sure DARPA has one
in the works, along with
a panoply of mechanical dogs,
sonic pressure shields,
cargo transport blimp...
What is it?
I think I may have discovered
Alta Von See's accomplice.
There's only way
to know for sure.
When is the last time
you dissected a rat?
Alta, you are not
a swift woman,
you are not
fleet of foot.
I'll admit I did not think
you capable of this crime.
I should not have
discriminated.
You are very clever.
We did you a favor
coming all the way
out here for whatever
the hell this is.
You're not gonna let this man
insult my client.
Clever is a compliment,
counselor.
You want insults, just wait.
You'll be hearing
"triple murderer" in a minute.
That is what I'm implying,
Ms. Von See.
That without
any particular skill
or training with firearms,
you were able to create
a bloodbath here
that would look like
the work of a professional.
You did this yourself.
I know you said there'd be
no reason for me to talk,
but do you mind if I say that's insane?
You seemed awfully bold,
volunteering all of your bank
and phone records.
We assumed
we'd find the person
who helped you
execute your plan.
Not to mention
three innocent people.
The problem was we were looking
for a person, not a device.
What is that?
Do you want to explain
or shall I?
This is a sonic pressure shield.
It is a truly ingenious--
albeit fascist--
piece of technology.
The DARPA-funded scientists
across the hall
have been developing it
as a crowd-control device.
It emits a direct blast
of low-range
sonic waves which vibrate at the
same frequency as lung tissue.
would you like a demonstration?
The idea is for police
to use it on unruly protesters.
To disrupt their breathing
and incapacitate them.
You used it to turn
Gail Sarkisian, Frank Weller
and Ollie Tate
into sitting ducks.
By the time you entered the room,
your targets were essentially
out on their feet, suffocating.
You could approach them
at your own speed
and then shoot them,
point blank, without risk
of being overpowered.
This is crazy.
- You don't have any proof.
- Actually, that's not true.
The shield's power
may be invisible,
but its effects
are not.
You shot your
three victims
before their lungs
could be damaged badly enough
to show up in an autopsy.
But there was a fourth victim.
Frank Weller's pet lab rat.
As you can see,
the otherwise healthy rodent
has perished from asphyxiation.
I personally don't know
what I'm looking at
but even if I did, who's to say
Ms. Von See did this?
I'll say it.
We found traces of blood
at the bottom of the shield,
so we know it was used.
And there was an odd streak
on the baseboard
in the closet across the hall,
where the shield
is stored.
Black rubber.
This...
compels you to hand
over your crutch,
so we can test the rubber tip
for a match.
If it does...
Good luck explaining
why you were locked in a closet
with a bloody murder weapon.
You know, it could be worse.
Imagine how embarrassing
this would all be
if it had come out
during your confirmation
hearing.
Sorry to interrupt.
Ms. Watson is here to see you.
She wasn't on the schedule.
It's all right, Jessica.
Please take a seat.
I'm fine, thank you.
Did you misplace my number?
Some things are better
to discuss in person.
Like violating
campaign finance laws,
bribing elected officials,
that sort of thing.
Sherlock didn't say much
about you over the years,
but he said enough.
I didn't think
I should trust you.
So I didn't.
I think you'll recognize this.
It's a small estate
in Southampton I used to own.
Up until very recently.
You sold it a few days
after Sherlock relapsed.
That's right.
The price jumped out a me.
Three million
below market value.
It's not
a great deal for you.
I don't know that
it's as bad as you think.
No. Probably not.
Not when you consider
that same lucky home buyer
did you a big favor.
He funded a super PAC that
supports the district attorney.
And just like that,
Sherlock is no longer
facing criminal charges
against Oscar Rankin.
Would you like a drink, Joan?
No, thanks.
I don't know
what to tell you.
There are things that money
can't buy,
but fewer, perhaps,
than you'd like to believe.
I'm curious.
Why kick over rocks
if you really don't
want to know
what's beneath them?
I take it you're here alone
because you haven't
told Sherlock.
No, I haven't.
I hope you have the good sense
to keep it that way.
My son was born
with a malignant sense
of self-righteousness.
I have little doubt that he
would expose the arrangement,
probably land himself
in prison just to spite me.
Be back where he was
a few days ago:
adrift, uncertain, at risk.
You took quite a risk yourself.
I've always been willing to go
to lengths to protect Sherlock.
So have I.
You should keep that in mind,
because Sherlock
is gonna call you tonight
and he's gonna accept your help.
He wants to go back to the NYPD.
I'm gonna go with him.
That's good news.
I can't imagine why you would
deliver it as a threat.
Doesn't have to be.
But if you're gonna be a part
of Sherlock's life again,
I want to make one thing clear.
I'm not gonna let you hurt him.
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man