Captain Gregson's Daughter: Writing Extraordinaire

In Season 6 of Elementary, Captain Gregson's daughter (Hannah) unintentionally destroys our heroes' lives.

It is a great example of a character's flaws, carefully delineated in previous seasons, bringing about tragedy and devastation in a strong episode finale. It's classic. And extremely well-rendered. And proves, once again, why the "big bad" is always less interesting than the flawed bad with a human face.

*Spoilers*

Hannah (Liza J. Bennett) isn't evil. She is spoiled, self-entitled, and short-sighted. Although both Sherlock and Joan acknowledge her flaws, they take no active steps to check her, mostly due to their respect for Captain Gregson. Gregson knows her flaws and can't bring himself to check her, a problem exacerbated by her being an alcoholic.

Is Hannah being a recovering alcoholic a cheap way for the writers to get us to sympathize with her?

I don't think so. The writers have made it clear that Sherlock's ownership of his own addiction is the mark of true adulthood. They hold out hope for Hannah--maybe, she has finally reached a point where she will take responsibility for her actions rather than "wanting what she wants when she wants it." Maybe. (Redemption in Season 7?)

In Season 6? No. Even if Hannah is more sinned against than sinning, her fundamental flaws make her blind to other people's pain. If either Sherlock or Joan had killed the big-bad (excellently played, as always, by Desmond Harrington), they would have thought beyond the narrow confines of their personal selves. They would have considered each other, Gregson, the NYPD, their families. They would have been intelligent and logical enough to keep the people they love safe.

Here's the truth about empathy: it is rooted in logic, not emotion. It is the product of an ability to see the whole picture, not the tiny upset of the moment. Hannah lacks it, and her lack leads to the heroes losing not their literal lives but the lives they built and crafted and fought for.

Why do we love Holmes and Watson, the classic characters as well as Elementary's version?

Because they are truly human. They truly look out for others. They think beyond the needs and wants and demands of the moment. They are excellent foils to Hannah.