Elementary backdrop
Drama•Mystery•Crime

The Worst Episodes of Elementary

Every episode of Elementary ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Elementary!

Binge this in 4d 13h•Peaking at 8.9/10

A modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father

Airs on
CBS
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons7

All1234567

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Elementary Season 6 Episode 2 - Once You've Ruled Out God
    6.4/10(799 votes)

    #1 - Once You've Ruled Out God

    S6:E2

    Watson and her half sister, Lin, have conflicting reactions when their estranged biological father dies. Also, Holmes and Watson find themselves on the hunt for a stolen plutonium shipment they fear will be used to make a dirty bomb after a department of energy inspector is killed with a lightning gun.

    Director:Guy Ferland
    Writer:Robert Hewitt Wolfe

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Elementary Season 6 Episode 20 - Fit to Be Tied
    6.8/10(793 votes)

    #2 - Fit to Be Tied

    S6:E20

    Holmes and Watson’s deadly conflict with Sherlock’s former friend Michael intensifies when their newest victim looks to be the serial killer’s latest prey.

    Director:Ron Fortunato
    Writer:Jason Tracey

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Elementary Season 5 Episode 12 - Crowned Clown, Downtown Brown
    6.9/10(897 votes)

    #3 - Crowned Clown, Downtown Brown

    S5:E12

    When Holmes and Watson investigate a clown’s murder upstate, they discover a connection between his death and the creation of a new weaponized virus. Also, Watson helps Bell when he’s targeted by his new love interest Chantal’s ex-husband in attempt to sabotage her career at the district attorney’s office.

    Director:Michael Slovis
    Writer:Jordan Rosenberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 - An Unnatural Arrangement
    7.0/10(1289 votes)

    #4 - An Unnatural Arrangement

    S2:E6

    When Captain Gregson’s home is invaded, Holmes and Watson work to find the masked gunman before he strikes again. Meanwhile, Gregson gives his team some insight into his private life.

    Director:Christine Moore
    Writer:Cathryn Humphris

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Elementary Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    7.1/10(2701 votes)

    #5 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    Detective Sherlock Holmes, along with his sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson, uses his uncanny ability to read people and analyze crimes to assist the NYPD on some of their more difficult cases. In the season premiere, Holmes consults on a home invasion that resulted in murder.

    Director:Michael Cuesta
    Writer:Robert Doherty

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Elementary Season 2 Episode 4 - Poison Pen
    7.2/10(1409 votes)

    #6 - Poison Pen

    S2:E4

    When a financial consulting company CEO is poisoned to death, a woman from Sherlock's past who emerges as a possible suspect.

    Director:Andrew Bernstein
    Writer:Liz Friedman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Elementary

    READ
  7. Elementary Season 5 Episode 2 - Worth Several Cities
    7.2/10(980 votes)

    #7 - Worth Several Cities

    S5:E2

    When the leader of a local street gang abducts Holmes to compel him to find the person responsible for a hit on his men, Holmes and Watson get caught in the middle of an international hunt to recover a centuries old, priceless artifact. Also, Watson debates whether a personal favor Shinwell asks of her is outside her comfort zone.

    Director:Guy Ferland
    Writer:Robert Hewitt Wolfe

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Elementary Season 5 Episode 4 - Henny Penny the Sky is Falling
    7.2/10(928 votes)

    #8 - Henny Penny the Sky is Falling

    S5:E4

    Captain Gregson lobbies to include Holmes and Watson when his unit is selected to receive a city commendation for its exemplary work. Also, as Holmes and Watson consult on the investigation into a financial analyst’s murder, they are drawn into the world of asteroid research.

    Director:John Polson
    Writer:Bob Goodman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Elementary Season 5 Episode 8 - How the Sausage is Made
    7.2/10(914 votes)

    #9 - How the Sausage is Made

    S5:E8

    Joan worries Sherlock’s sobriety is at risk when she learns he has been lying to her about attending recovery meetings. Also, Sherlock and Joan discover a man’s death caused by ingesting poisoned sausage is connected to a lab working on a breakthrough in the artificial meat industry.

    Director:Michael Pressman
    Writer:Mark Hudis

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Elementary Season 5 Episode 10 - Pick Your Poison
    7.2/10(896 votes)

    #10 - Pick Your Poison

    S5:E10

    When Watson is implicated in a DEA investigation into doctors writing illegal prescriptions, she and Holmes search for the person using her medical license to sell drugs.

    Director:Jeremy Webb
    Writer:Bob Goodman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Elementary Season 5 Episode 14 - Rekt in Real Life
    7.2/10(921 votes)

    #11 - Rekt in Real Life

    S5:E14

    Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a former professional eSports video game player who died after being assaulted in front of his fans during a live video stream. Also, Shinwell approaches Joan for advice when his teenage daughter asks to meet with him for the first time in years.

    Director:John Polson
    Writer:Robert Hewitt Wolfe

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Elementary Season 5 Episode 17 - The Ballad of Lady Frances
    7.2/10(889 votes)

    #12 - The Ballad of Lady Frances

    S5:E17

    The police call in Holmes and Watson to consult on a homicide “heard” by a cutting edge gunshot detection system when they can’t find any tangible evidence that a crime was committed. Also, Sherlock and Joan become suspicious of Shinwell when he’s the target of a drive-by shooting that reveals a connection between him and an unsolved murder.

    Director:Aaron Lipstadt
    Writers:Bob Goodman, Jordan Rosenberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Elementary Season 5 Episode 19 - High Heat
    7.2/10(856 votes)

    #13 - High Heat

    S5:E19

    Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a man Sherlock considered one of New York’s worst private investigators. Also, as Holmes stews over being beaten by Shinwell, he decides to take out his aggression by dismantling a local organization of private investigators.

    Director:Michael Hekmat
    Writer:Kelly Wheeler

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Elementary Season 5 Episode 22 - Moving Targets
    7.2/10(860 votes)

    #14 - Moving Targets

    S5:E22

    When a reality show contestant is murdered, Holmes and Watson zero in on another competitor as a suspect, a former war criminal who may be the most skilled killer they’ve ever pursued. Also, for the first time since he attacked Sherlock, Shinwell reaches out to Joan to ask for a favor

    Director:Lucy Liu
    Writer:Robert Hewitt Wolfe

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Elementary Season 1 Episode 4 - The Rat Race
    7.3/10(1851 votes)

    #15 - The Rat Race

    S1:E4

    When Sherlock investigates what appears to be a series of murders at a top Wall Street firm, he may himself fall foul of a sociopathic slayer. Joan is set up on a blind date and shows investigative instincts.

    Director:Rosemary Rodriguez
    Writer:Craig Sweeny

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Elementary Season 1 Episode 13 - The Red Team
    7.3/10(1566 votes)

    #16 - The Red Team

    S1:E13

    While on suspension from the NYPD, Sherlock investigates a suspicious hit-and-run accident involving a conspiracy theorist. Meanwhile, Watson tries to broker peace between Sherlock and Gregson.

    Director:Christine Moore
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Elementary Season 3 Episode 4 - Bella
    7.3/10(1216 votes)

    #17 - Bella

    S3:E4

    Sherlock takes on the case of a stolen artificial intelligence software program, but seeks out Joan when he'd rather disprove the computer's abilities than find the thief. Joan meets Sherlock head-on when she finds out he's met with Andrew without telling her.

    Director:Guy Ferland
    Writer:Craig Sweeny

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Elementary Season 5 Episode 1 - Folie à Deux
    7.3/10(1052 votes)

    #18 - Folie à Deux

    S5:E1

    When a serial bomber becomes active again after being dormant for six years, Watson seeks help from Shinwell Johnson, a former patient whose life she saved when she was a surgeon. Also, Holmes senses Watson is unhappy and questions whether she is still fulfilled by her detective career.

    Director:Christine Moore
    Writers:Jeffrey Paul King, Robert Doherty

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Elementary Season 5 Episode 3 - Render, and then Seize Her
    7.3/10(944 votes)

    #19 - Render, and then Seize Her

    S5:E3

    Holmes learns a secret about Captain Gregson’s girlfriend when she hires him for a case she wants kept off of Gregson’s radar. Also, Holmes and Watson join the NYPD’s search for an abducted woman.

    Director:Alex Chapple
    Writer:Jason Tracey

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Elementary Season 5 Episode 6 - Ill Tidings
    7.3/10(935 votes)

    #20 - Ill Tidings

    S5:E6

    Holmes and Watson investigate a mass murder when a chef and his patrons are poisoned after dining on a tasting menu tainted with snake venom. Also, Detective Bell’s crush on a work colleague makes Holmes realize his and Fiona’s relationship is at an important crossroads.

    Director:Ron Fortunato
    Writer:Jeffrey Paul King

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Elementary Season 5 Episode 7 - Bang Bang Shoot Chute
    7.3/10(906 votes)

    #21 - Bang Bang Shoot Chute

    S5:E7

    Holmes and Watson search for two murderers after a base jumper is shot out of the sky by one killer, and has his parachute sabotaged by another. Also, after Joan’s sister, Lin, thinks she sees Shinwell with a member of his old gang, Joan takes drastic measures to make sure he won’t be drawn back into a life of crime.

    Director:Jerry Levine
    Writer:Celeste Chan Wolfe

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Elementary Season 5 Episode 9 - It Serves You Right to Suffer
    7.3/10(914 votes)

    #22 - It Serves You Right to Suffer

    S5:E9

    When Shinwell comes to Holmes and Watson for help after he’s framed for a gang killing, they have three days to find the real murderer before he is arrested and sent back to jail.

    Director:Aidan Quinn
    Writer:Kelly Wheeler

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Elementary Season 5 Episode 11 - Be My Guest
    7.3/10(925 votes)

    #23 - Be My Guest

    S5:E11

    Holmes and Watson race to find a woman who’s been held captive for years before the kidnapper takes drastic steps to avoid being caught. Also, Watson becomes frustrated when Shinwell refuses to focus on his informant training with her and Holmes.

    Director:Maja Vrvilo
    Writer:Jason Tracey

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Elementary Season 6 Episode 3 - Pushing Buttons
    7.3/10(783 votes)

    #24 - Pushing Buttons

    S6:E3

    Holmes and Watson enter the world of rare antiquities when they investigate a case in which victim was killed during a Revolutionary War reenactment. Also, as Holmes grows frustrated with the length of his cognitive recovery, he finds solace in his growing friendship with Michael.

    Director:Christine Moore
    Writer:Jeffrey Paul King

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Elementary Season 1 Episode 15 - A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs
    7.4/10(1534 votes)

    #25 - A Giant Gun, Filled with Drugs

    S1:E15

    When Sherlock's ex-drug dealer, Rhys, comes around for help, Watson is concerned about Sherlock's sobriety after Rhys implies that Sherlock on drugs made a better detective.

    Director:Guy Ferland
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Once You've Ruled Out God" is the worst rated episode of "Elementary". It scored 6.4/10 based on 799 votes. Directed by Guy Ferland and written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, it aired on 5/7/2018. This episode scored 0.4 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Fit to Be Tied".