Sex sells, right? What better way to try and keep a viewing audience than starting an episode of Elementary with some half naked chicks going all striptease and a shirtless Sherlock Holmes handcuffed to a chair?

This had to be a special Super Bowl episode, my dear Watson.

"The Deductionist " got the lucky task of following up one of the biggest events on television, and it was willing to try and go big for the hour by including porn, sword fighting and a serial killer who might find himself as a member of The Following.

I was a little surprised at the amount of murder that took place in the episode (if the kiddos had stayed up, this hour was definitely not geared towards them) but in the bigger picture it was really meant to let Holmes reflect on the nature of change and his being.

Certainly the idea of a killer who suddenly tries to alter his profile is an interesting one and I was hooked on where the journey would take viewers.

And it was a neat twist that the sick sister who needed her killer brother's kidney was really in on his master plan the whole time. I did not see that one coming.

The same could be said for Holmes' former profiler flame, Kathryn, getting attacked. But at least she survived, so it was all happy for her in that respect, but I was surprised that she even got hurt.

Of course, having that past love get under Holmes skin was entertaining to see, especially because he is practically a genius at his work. And to top it off, she's essentially the female version of Holmes with her own super smart skills.

Yet, beyond all his quips and love affair jokes, the real underlying problem was that he felt uncomfortable in being profiled by her when he couldn't do it himself. The fact that she claimed he would be headed towards self-annihilation would be a hard thing for anyone to hear.

Yes, she got the drug addiction right, but Holmes has obviously turned his life around. As quirky as he is, he's a master sleuth and back on usual track. I mean, who else can deduce where a killer is based on listening to radio frequencies? Looks like the bad guy should have just bought an iPod.

As crazy as Holmes' final challenge was to the murderer, it was more so a simple test for himself to gain evidence that he can change.

If anything, the fact that he has Watson, like she said, is a huge positive. She's there for him.

I'm definitely glad that Watson also was able to smartly figure out little details like the junk food or even the tape when it came to her own apartment. She may be the sound mind to Holmes' overactive one, but it's nice to see that she can be more than just the friend helping him along.

It may have been hilarious that her apartment was being used to film porn, but having a friend watch that film to analyze for continuity instantly turned this pal into one of best types of friends you can have. You'd think Watson would keep the couch as a memento or something.

I do understand the desire to up the ante when it comes to the sex and violence, especially because you want the show to stand out, but it's not always necessary when you've got a good story and entertaining characters.

Did it hurt the episode in the long run? No, it was just that extra stuff to try and butter up the already decent installment. Overall, it was a pretty good hour that really showed off the character of Holmes and the type of crimes he really loves to figure out.

Plus, closing the hour out with a little last-minute humor, character camaraderie and a toothbrush mystery that Watson might never solve?

Touchdown, Elementary.

Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.