History Trivia / Elementary

** Lucy Liu has directed an episode in each season starting with "Paint It Black" in season 2. Her subsequent episodes are "Female of the Species" from season 3, "Turn It Upside Down" from season 4, "Moving Targets" from season 5 and "The Adventures of the Ersatz Sobekneferu" from season 6.

* DirectedByCastMember:

** Jonny Lee Miller [[https://twitter.com/ELEMENTARYStaff/status/908019228665511941 directed]] the sixth season episode "Give Me The Finger".

** Watson doesn't appear in "Rip Off" as she's in Copenhagen after eloping with her boyfriend in the previous episode.

** "Paint It Black" from season 2 and "Female of the Species" from season 3 were directed by Lucy Liu.

** Jonny Lee Miller [[https://twitter.com/ELEMENTARYStaff/status/908019228665511941 is directing]] an episode of the sixth season.

* DuelingShows: With Creator/TheBBC's ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''. This show is closer to this trope rather than a TransAtlanticEquivalent. It's debatable, really, considering the two shows air in different countries at different times.
** FandomRivalry is more accurate. The shows themselves are hardly competing financially, but fans of each respective show continue to argue over which is better, despite the fact that the shows, while sharing a similar premise, are vastly different; ''Elementary'' is more of a procedural, while ''Sherlock'' is more of a mystery drama. This hasn't been helped much by Creator/StevenMoffat and other ''Sherlock'' alumni sharing their [[http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s205/elementary/news/a381974/steven-moffat-on-elementary-cbs-have-changed-sherlock-too-much.html less than shining opinions]] of ''Elementary''.
*** That said, Creator/BenedictCumberbatch actually praised ''Elementary'', and [[http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s129/sherlock/news/a536827/benedict-cumberbatch-jonny-lee-miller-is-great-as-sherlock.html in particular]] Creator/JonnyLeeMiller's performance as Holmes. So, kind of a mixed bag.
** It doesn't help that CBS asked BBC for the right to create a US remake of ''Sherlock'' and were turned down (''Sherlock'' was doing very well on Creator/{{PBS}}). They then announced that they would be making ''Elementary''. It's understandable that some felt that CBS were making an American {{Expy}} with just enough differences that BBC couldn't call foul.

* ScullyBox: Joan wears ''a lot'' of CombatStilettos due to the height difference between Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller (5'3 and 5'10 respectively).

** Let's face it, how many people [[spoiler:truly believed that Irene was dead]]?
** [[spoiler: Many were also screaming ''called it'' at Irene being Moriarty.]]

* In the French version, Holmes is dubbed by [[Series/{{Psych}} Shawn Spencer]].

** Again in "Dead Man's Switch" we have a blackmailer called Henry 8, referencing UsefulNotes/HenryVIII of England. Natalie Dormer, who plays Irene Adler, had her first major role in television as Anne Boleyn, the second Henry VIII spouse in ''Series/TheTudors''.

** It doesn't help that CBS asked BBC for the right to create a US remake of ''Sherlock'' and were turned down (''Sherlock'' was doing very well on PBS). They then announced that they would be making ''Elementary''. It's understandable that some felt that CBS were making an American {{Expy}} with just enough differences that BBC couldn't call foul.

* IKnewIt: That in the episode "M.", the "M." [[spoiler:wouldn't stand for [[BigBad "Moriarty"]] but [[TheDragon "Moran"]]]].

** "Serves You Right to Suffer" from season 5 is xdirected by Aidan Quinn, which explains why his character Gregson [[AbsenteeActor doesn't appear in the episode]] (although he's mentioned a few times).

** Gregson isn't in "Paint It Black". It's the first episode in which one of the four major characters doesn't appear.

* ActingForTwo: [[spoiler:Natalie Dormer effectively has to play three different characters: Irene Adler in flashbacks, Irene Adler in the present with PTSD, and Moriarty. Of course, the former two don't actually exist.]]

* DirectedByCastMember: "Paint It Black" from season 2 and "Female of the Species" from season 3 were directed by Lucy Liu.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Film/{{Kill Bill}} O-Ren Ishii]] has given up being the leader of the Yakuza and decided to become a sober companion and later, consulting detective.
** From "Lesser Evils": In other news, [[Series/{{Suits}} Daniel Hardman]] is still an asshole.
** Also, Series/EliStone apparently got a new mission from God: Adopt a British accent and work as a consulting detective in New York.
*** [[Film/{{Hackers}} Zero Cool/Crash Override]] must have gotten in trouble again Hacking The Planet, he's taken on a whole new identity.
*** Apparently [[Film/CharliesAngels Alex Munday]] left the Townsend Detective Agency to become a doctor. After that, she quit, and is now Sherlock's sober living companion and sidekick.
** Adam Kemper previously was a member of [[Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld Sex Bob-omb]].
** Creator/KeithSzarabajka may or may not have been falsely convicted of murder in "One Way to Get Off".
** [[Series/{{House}} Lisa Cuddy]] being attracted to Holmes shouldn't be much of a surprise, given her relationship with another American Sherlock expy.
*** Edelstein previously played a call girl in ''Series/TheWestWing''. The timeline fits surprisingly well for her character here and there to be the same.
** Looks like [[Series/{{Leverage}} Nathan Ford's ex-wife Maggie]] had a big change of career, and TookALevelInJerkass as well.
*** Alternatively, [[Series/CovertAffairs Joan Campbell]] got fired from the CIA and is now an FBI profiler.
** [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy Jonathan]]/[[Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand Batiatus]] is Sherlock's former drug dealer.
** Sherlock picks [[Series/BlueBloods the Rev. Darnell Potter]] as his sponsor.
** It's not the first time [[Series/DirtySexyMoney Carmelita]] was the mistress to wealthy men. Incidentally, Candis Cayne and Creator/LucyLiu had previously worked on ''Dirty Sexy Money'' together.
** Hey, it looks like [[Series/RoyalPains Jill Kelly left the Hamptons]] and became a killer thief.
** [[Film/{{Amadeus}} Salieri]] is a particularly clever SerialKiller PsychoForHire in Moriarty's employ.
** [[{{Series/GameOfThrones}} Margaery Tyrell]] seems to have dropped the idea of becoming Joffrey's wife and instead became Holmes' lover back in London. [[spoiler: And at some point between the two, she became a criminal mastermind.]]
** [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy Imhotep]] has taken up smuggling.
** [[Series/BreakoutKings Shea]] is Marcus Bell's brother.
** ''Elementary'''s version of Mycroft is [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan The]] [[RhysIfans Lizard]].
** Whilst his [[spoiler: MI6 handler]] is [[Film/WithnailAndI Danny the Dealer]] and his boss is [[Series/FatherTed Bishop Brennan]].
** [[Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Tiana]] is now a surgeon.
** If you're a fan of Broadway, you'll notice quite a few familiar faces including:
*** [[{{Theatre/Gypsy}} Gypsy Rose Lee and her sister June]] from the 2008 revival in two separate episodes.
*** Theatre/{{Cinderella}} from the recent revival.
*** [[Film/{{Newsies}} Jack Kelly]] from the 2012 Broadway production.
*** [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} Lord Farquaad]] from the 2008 musical.
*** The original [[{{Theatre/Wicked}} Nessarose]] in a tiny cameo as a plane crash victim.
*** [[Theatre/LesMiserables Cosette]] as a board member at Canon Ebersole.
*** [[AnythingGoes Billy Crocker]] from the 1988 revival, having a lover's tiff with Ms. Hudson.
*** The Martas from both the 2005 revival production and the 2011 concert version of ''{{Theatre/Company}}''.
*** [[Theatre/{{Urinetown}} Hope Cladwell]].
** [[Series/TheMentalist Gale Bertram]] is now head of security for a Swiss bank.
** [[Series/MadMen Harry Crane]] likes to do math shirtless.
** [[Series/TheWestWing Lord John Marbury]] is [[spoiler:the actor who pretends to be]] Sherlock's father.
** Turns out [[Series/BreakingBad Gale Boetticher]] was an Ukranian doctor turned janitor all along.
** Creator/GinaGershon plays the main villain in "Enough Nemesis to Go Around".
** Kitty played Carina, the Collector's assistant in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' who commits suicide using the Infinity Stone.
** [[Film/{{Hackers}} The Plague]] is still up to no good.
** [[spoiler: [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Denethor]] ]] is Sherlock and Mycroft's father. Or you may know [[Creator/JohnNoble him]] better as [[spoiler:[[Series/{{Fringe}} Walter Bishop]]]].
** A long-lost daughter [[spoiler:or so she claims]] in "Miss Taken" was a [[Series/IntoTheBadlands young assassin]].

*** In Hackers, Miller played a smart guy who hates big, powerful corporate and government interests and spends a lot of time on the Internet. All of which describe Holmes.

** A long-lost daughter in "Miss Taken" was a [[Series/IntoTheBadlands young assassin]].

*** [[{{Newsies}} Jack Kelly]] from the 2012 Broadway production.

*** [[{{Urinetown}} Hope Cladwell]].

** [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy Jonathan]]/[[SpartacusBloodAndSand Batiatus]] is Sherlock's former drug dealer.

** [[TheMummyTrilogy Jonathan]]/[[SpartacusBloodAndSand Batiatus]] is Sherlock's former drug dealer.

** [[TheMummyTrilogy Imhotep]] has taken up smuggling.

* InternetBacklash: The series was attacked quite viciously by a portion of the ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' fandom.

* ThrowItIn: The bit in "Snow Angels" where Holmes gives some cash to the homeless vet, advising him to find a hotel to stay in during the blizzard, was improvised by [[https://twitter.com/ELEMENTARYStaff/status/319997518505201664 Jonny Lee Miller]] because Sherlock is not without some compassion.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Michael Cuesta, who directed the pilot, initially wanted to cast Rupert Friend as Sherlock. But after seeing the actor's audition tape, he decided to cast Friend in another pilot he was doing, ''Series/{{Homeland}}''.

** [[spoiler: [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Denethor]] ]] is Sherlock and Mycroft's father. Or you may know him better as [[spoiler:[[Series/{{Fringe}} Walter Bishop]]]].

* FakeAmerican: Sherlock occasionally does this while trying to obtain certain details, like the locations of persons of interest. [[TheCastShowoff Jonny Lee Miller]]'s accent is surprisingly flawless... but then, anyone who saw ''EliStone'', the fifth season of ''Series/{{Dexter}}'', ''Film/{{Hackers}}'' or would already know this.

** [[spoiler: [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Denethor]] ]] is Sherlock and Mycroft's father.

** Whilst his [[spoiler: MI5 handler]] is [[Film/WithnailAndI Danny the Dealer]] and his boss is [[Series/FatherTed Bishop Brennan]].

* FakeAmerican: Sherlock occasionally does this while trying to obtain certain details, like the locations of persons of interest. [[TheCastShowoff Jonny Lee Miller]]'s accent is surprisingly flawless... but then, anyone who saw ''EliStone'' or watched the fifth season of ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' would already know this.
** ''{{Hackers}}'' as well, for that matter.

** [[Film/Hackers The Plague]] is still up to no good.

* ThrowItIn: The bit in "Snow Angels" where Holmes gives some cash to the homeless vet, advising him to find a hotel to stay in during the blizzard, was improvised by Jonny Lee Miller.