The world's greatest detective's greatest adversary is about to return.
Last May, the CBS series Elementary did the unthinkable by revealing that Irene Adler, the love of Sherlock Holmes' life, was actually his diabolical and mysterious arch-nemesis Jamie Moriarty. Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer became the first woman to portray the famous literary villain on screen, completely changing the dynamic between Holmes and Moriarty in a bold, fresh way.
When last we saw Moriarty in the season one finale "Heroine," she was taken into federal custody after Holmes faked a drug overdose and lured Moriarty into a trap when she visited his hospital room. The recent episode "We Are Everyone" revealed that Moriarty has been writing letters to Holmes from prison.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, series executive producer Rob Doherty discusses Moriarty's return in the episode scheduled for January 2, 2014. Doherty describes the episode as "A young girl is kidnapped in New York City, and Sherlock and Joan come to believe that Moriarty may have orchestrated the abduction, which is a tad confusing since she’s been in federal custody for several months now. So in the episode, they seek her out and she becomes something of a participant into the investigation into the kidnapping."
"We’re going to learn a lot more about Moriarty," he continues. "We’re going to reveal some secrets regarding her past and where she comes from and what she’s done to get where she is. You know, it’s definitely an episode with some major twists and we’re excited for it to air."
When asked about how Moriarty's return complicates things for Holmes, Doherty replies, "People who have enjoyed the complicated relationship will not be disappointed. It remains as complicated as ever. It’s very interesting for Sherlock to see her and be around her again. And it’s, of course, not just about how it lands on Sherlock but Joan as well, given that Joan played such a major role in Moriarty’s takedown at the end of the first season. There’s plenty of unfinished business between those, so we single those two out for a little alone time over the course of the episode."
As for how Moriarty feels about all this, Doherty remarks, "She recognizes that she was defeated but she hasn’t quite figured it out yet. I think she’s certainly one to point out that she has a lot in common with Sherlock, but unlike him, she has remained independent to her detriment and ultimately, that’s really what led to her downfall last year. She doesn’t have a Watson in her life, and she could probably benefit from one. Sherlock and Joan as a unit tend to be stronger than Moriarity as a solo."
Elementary airs on CBS on Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST.