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My first instinct was to kill you. Quietly, discreetly. But then, the more I learned about you, the more curious I became. Here, at last, seemed to be a mind that rivaled my own, something too complicated and too beautiful to destroy.

— Moriarty, "Heroine"

Jamie Moriarty is the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. After Holmes interrupted several of her plans when he worked for Scotland Yard, she tricked him into falling in love with her so she could study him, introducing herself as art restorer Irene Adler. Even after her arrest and imprisonment, she continues to have a great impact on him, and he writes her letters because she is the only person he can relate to.

Biography[]

History[]

S01E23-Holmes Adler second date

Holmes asks Irene out.

When Holmes interrupted several of her assassination plans in London, Moriarty at first considered killing him. Intrigued by his deductive abilities, which she compared to her own, she created the identity of Irene Adler and arranged for him to visit her. As Irene, she was an American in London who restored historic paintings, stealing some so that she could properly preserve them, which Holmes chose not to report her for. Moriarty's passion for art is one of the few characteristics she retained as Irene. She seduced Holmes so she could study him and, finding he wasn't a threat to her other operations, staged Irene's death (leaving a pool of her blood and a note signed "M", the modus operandi of her primary assassin Sebastian Moran), and resumed her business as Moriarty. Moriarty was unaware of Holmes' subsequent descent into drug addiction and showed genuine regret when she found out about it.

Before she met Holmes, Moriarty had a brief affair with Joshua Vikner and became pregnant. After giving birth, she gave her daughter, Kayden, up for adoption to the Fullers, a wealthy infertile English couple who later moved to New York. Despite her extremely ruthless nature, Moriarty kept close track of her daughter and clearly cared about her. Holmes notes that Moriarty seldom involves herself directly in her operations, since she is the head of her crime syndicate and it poses a risk. However, she is perfectly capable of operating alone as she hunts down and kills her various rogue agents single-handedly.

Season 1[]

Moriarty is first mentioned when Holmes captures the assassin Sebastian Moran, who was killing on behalf of Moriarty using a serial killer's M.O. Holmes interrogates Moran, believing he killed Irene Adler because the scene of her "death" had the same M.O. Moran knows he was in prison when Irene's murder happened and concludes Moriarty "killed" her and framed him, having never met Moriarty. He offers to give Holmes as much information on Moriarty as possible to get revenge for the betrayal. Holmes vows to bring down Moriarty and avenge Irene.[1] Moriarty leads Holmes and Joan Watson to a mansion in Brooklyn, where they find her as Irene, alive.[2]

S01E24-Moriarty w gun

"Let me win."

Appearing as if she has been held captive, and very convincingly faking symptoms of PTSD, she is checked into a hospital and eventually moves in with Holmes under his care. When someone breaks into his house and leaves a flower at her bed as a supposed threat, Holmes takes her to a safe house and plans to elope with her. While changing with her back turned to Holmes, he notices that the set of moles on her left shoulder blade, which used to ressemble the Auriga constellation, was missing the largest mole. Suddenly, Holmes begins to realize that Irene couldn't have been held captive, because her captor wouldn't have her moles checked and/or removed "Because why would he? Why would he care?". Now knowing she faked her death he suspects her of working for Moriarty, causing Irene to angrily abandon him. Later, when one of her assassins, Isaac Proctor, who has gone rogue attacks Holmes, Irene saves him by killing Proctor.[3]

009 Heroine episode still of Moriarty and Joan Watson

"You're a sort of mascot."

She reveals herself to be Moriarty and details how she tricked him back in London. Holmes has interfered with a plot she has in NYC and tells him to let her win or she will hurt him. Moriarty's plot involves kidnapping the daughter of a Greek businessman nicknamed the "Narwhal." Holmes deduces that Moriarty is forcing the Narwhal to assassinate a Macedonian diplomat, thus damaging the likelihood of Macedonia joining the European Union (which is obstructed due to a spat with Greece) and switching its currency to the Euro. Moriarty has bought huge quantities of Macedonian currency and stands to make a billion dollars if the plot succeeds. Moriarty meets Watson for lunch to figure her out and insults her. Despite Holmes warning the NYPD, the Narwhal is able to kill the diplomat and the plot appears to succeed. He's dismayed at Moriarty being one step ahead of him.

S01E24-Holmes Moriarty hospital

"You know she solved you. The mascot."

Holmes is next seen in the hospital having overdosed and is visited by Moriarty. Holmes asks questions which she answers that give details about the plot which includes multiple murders. She offers to take him away with her and heal him. Holmes reveals that he didn't overdose and that another person has figured her out - Watson. Watson hatched her own plot to let it appear that Moriarty has won, knowing that her love for Holmes would bring her to his rescue. Holmes has recorded her admission and Watson, Captain Gregson and Detective Bell arrive. Moriarty is arrested and the Macedonian money she has acquired is frozen.[4]

Season 2[]

Natalie Dormer guest stars as Jamie Moriarty Irene Adler with Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes with a painting of Joan Watson in CBS Elementary Season 2 Episode 12 The Diabolical Kind

"Hoped to show you my work someplace less bleak."

Holmes writes a letter, wondering if he believes in the possibility of truly knowing another person and claiming "yours is the only opinion I trust." He receives a reply, ending with a hope that he will continue writing. The letter was sent from Newgate Prison, and is from Moriarty.[5] When a seven-year-old girl named Kayden Fuller is kidnapped and her father shot, Holmes and Watson hear the ransom demand. Holmes quickly recognizes the voice as that of the man who previously pretended to be Moriarty, whom Moriarty herself described as one of her subordinates. Assuming Moriarty gave the order for the kidnapping, Holmes and Watson visit her at a prison black site. She's made a large painting of Watson's face in perfect detail. Moriarty denies being involved in the kidnapping, but offers to give information in exchange for prison favors. Holmes refuses, but shortly afterwards discovers she has been recruited as a consulting agent by her FBI handler, Ramses Mattoo, who brings her to work with the NYPD.

S02E12-Moriarty Matoo

"You'd be surprised what I'd do for love."

Despite numerous anti-escape measures in place, Holmes believes Moriarty will escape. Moriarty provides information on the kidnappers and is accompanied to the kidnapping scene by Watson. Moriarty admits she finds Watson more intelligent and interesting than at first, and that part of the reason she and Holmes write to one another is because they are the only ones who can understand and relate to the other. When the kidnappers ambush and kill two policemen, Holmes believes Moriarty is somehow responsible. Devon Gaspar, one of the kidnappers and a former Moriarty lieutenant, calls and puts a frightened Kayden on the phone. Watson notices that Moriarty is angry when listening to the call. Moriarty is returned to her prison cell. Holmes discovers code in the sketches Moriarty made of the kidnappers but is surprised to find that Moriarty isn't behind the kidnapping; she's a victim, as Kayden is her daughter.

Moriarty escapes her prison using glass shards of her paint jars to neutralize her stun bracelets (cutting her wrists badly) and strangles Mattoo unconscious. She tracks Gaspar and the kidnappers down in an old building she owns and kills them all. She calls the police and demands that Holmes be the only one sent in for her. She tells Holmes that Kayden has been re-situated and she placed her for adoption, knowing that knowledge of Kayden's existence would make her vulnerable. Moriarty believes she will soon be free and thanks Holmes for his letters. She begins to pass out from blood loss so Holmes carries her outside for treatment where Watson believes she will recover.[6]

Season 3[]

Moriarty writes a letter to Watson expressing her admiration for Watson's career and her displeasure at the attempt on Watson's life. She then arranges the death of Elana March to protect Watson. She also hints at an "unfolding game between Holmes and herself," of which she says Watson is a player.[7]

Season 6[]

After Morland Holmes became head of her organization in 2016 to dismantle it, Morland tells Holmes that Moriarty has escaped custody and is targeting him in order to regain control of her organization.[8] In 2018, Holmes brokers a truce between Moriarty and Morland via one of her lieutenants, Ellory. Moriarty agrees to let Morland remain the head of her organization until he dies of old age. Holmes threatens that if Morland is killed by her, that he'll become the head of her organization.[9]

Season 7[]

Moriarty apparently dies from unknown causes, though Holmes believes she has faked her death.[10]

Skills[]

Painting[]

Moriarty is a talented painter and art restorer. She also knows a great deal about paintings and art history.

High intelligence[]

Moriarty is criminal mastermind, capable of creating elaborate plans with a high degree of success, as well as an ability to memorize complex codes.

Psychology[]

Moriarty is highly skilled in psychology. While not seeming to have a degree, she can read people very well, as well use it to manipulate them, and predict with a high degree of accuracy what most of them will do.

Trivia[]

  • The episodes featuring Moriarty were written with Natalie Dormer in mind. She was cast before the episodes were written.[11]
  • The name that her supposed kidnapper was called by, Mr. Stapleton, is a reference to a character in Conan Doyle's, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
  • A letter she sent to Holmes shows her return address as Anemoonstraat 86, 5271 GS Sint-Michielsgestel, The Netherlands.[12]
  • She mentions having a mentor who shared the same enthusiasm as her.[6]
  • The painting Moriarty is restoring when Holmes first meets her is Peter Paul Rubens' "The Incredulity of St Thomas".
  • While waiting at a prison to see former Escarra drug cartel member Zuniga, Holmes mentions to Watson that he still writes to Moriarty.[13]
  • See also Professor Moriarty on Wikipedia, whom Elementary's Moriarty is based on, and Irene Adler on Wikipedia, whom Elementary's Irene Adler is based on.

Quotes[]

What say we go stop this bitch.

— Watson, "Heroine"

The woman is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma I've had sex with.

— Holmes, "The Diabolical Kind"

The great love of my life is a homicidal maniac. No one's perfect.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Season 1, episode 12: "M."
  2. Season 1, episode 22: "Risk Management"
  3. Season 1, episode 23: "The Woman"
  4. Season 1, episode 24: "Heroine"
  5. Season 2, episode 3: "We Are Everyone"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Season 2, episode 12: "The Diabolical Kind"
  7. Season 3, episode 14: "The Female of the Species"
  8. Season 6, episode 10: "The Adventures of Ersatz Sobekneferu"
  9. Season 6, episode 11: "You've Come a Long Way, Baby"
  10. Season 7, episode 13: "Their Last Bow"
  11. Elementary Writers (@ELEMENTARYStaff). "We had cast Natalie Dormer as Irene Adler before we had written these episodes. So we had her squarely in mind when this finale was written." May 17, 2013.
  12. Season 1, episode 7: "One Way to Get Off"
  13. Season 4, episode 1: "The Past Is Parent"
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