Pushing Buttons

"Pushing Buttons"
Season 6
Season 6
Episode 3
Episode 3
Directed by	Christine Moore
Written by	Jeffrey Paul King
Aired	May 14, 2018
Viewers (millions)	4.43
Episode guide
Previous	"Once You've Ruled Out God"
Next	"Our Time Is Up"

Cast

Main cast

Jonny Lee Milleras Sherlock Holmes

Lucy Liuas Joan Watson

Aidan Quinnas Tommy Gregson

Jon Michael Hillas Marcus Bell

Featured cast

Robert Vincent Smithas George Nix

Ron Menzelas Brian

Kevin Rayas Kevin

Mike Doyleas Chris Holland

Geno Segersas Fetu

Michael Pottsas Dr. Peter Hanson

Desmond Harringtonas Michael Rowan

Gia Crovatinas Marcy Nix

James Monroe Iglehartas Detective Mason

Juan Carlos Hernándezas Fire Chief Adrian Cruz

Bruce Sabbathas David (Lawyer)

Arnie Burtonas Paul Chambers

Ami Shethas Mrs. Holland

Plot

"The answer we're looking for might lie in excrement, just not the kind you were imagining." — Holmes

At a Revolutionary War reenactment, Lieutenant George's Nix British troops, including Brian and Kevin, are "hit" by American soldiers and fall to the ground. Pretending to be casualties, Kevin sees blood on George's tunic and complimenting him on the realistic effect, he then realizes that George isn't faking a gun shot wound and is dead. Later, Holmes and Captain Gregson examine the scene and question Brian, Kevin and an American reenactor, Chris Holland. They provide confused and contradictory statements, but Kevin says that he heard a .308 before George was shot. As the officers check all weapons, Watson and Detective Bell question Nix's bodyguard, Fetu, who says Nix had received death threats over the manner in which he ran his gym franchises which had bankrupted several franchisees. Fetu provides them with access to the threatening emails.

Hard to devise a less agreeable crime scene.

Visiting his doctor, Holmes reports that his post-concussion symptoms are worsening. The doctor raises the dose of a medication that Holmes is reluctant to take. At The Brownstone, with a splitting headache, Holmes reviews Nix's emails and finds an email from his daughter, Marcy, who severed ties with Nix and threatened to kill him if he came looking for her. As Watson and Bell go to question Marcy, Holmes meets with Michael Rowan at a coffee shop. Relating his doctor's advice and what he believes Watson will say, Michael encourages him to rely on his support system. Marcy Nix lives at a commune with no technology and calmly explains to Bell and Watson that she'd changed her life months before and wouldn't hurt anyone. Her alibi is being on a hike with her commune and with no technology, she'd have no way to arrange a murder. Standing to inherit millions, she claims she'd give it all away. Bell receives a call from Gregson that Nix's house was burned in the last hour, clearing Marcy.

I've found my true self here at the commune.

The next morning in Gregson's office, Bell and Watson review the arson report of the fire at Nix's house. A footprint that matches the soil at the reenactment was found and Watson notices that a collection of antique silver that belonged to Paul Revere is missing. Holmes arrives at the precinct, having slept in due to his medication, and accompanies Watson to the Property Crimes Division. There, they meet Detective Mason, a historical artifact expert, who is miffed at Holmes as he hasn't helped Mason in six years. After telling Mason about the Nix case, he first asks for help with a case involving a stolen antique golf club. Holmes looks at a few photos and solves the case. Stunned, Mason says he'll make some calls for the silverware. Mason's calls pay off and the fire chief who was at the blaze of Nix's house, Adrian Cruz, is questioned at the precinct. He admits to taking the silverware but has an alibi for Nix's murder.

You dumped me and paired up with Marcus Bell.

To prove he didn't start the fire, Cruz takes them to the trunk of his car where he shows them the burnt silverware and a safe containing burnt documents. He points out it wouldn't make sense for him to start the fire and let the valuables burn. That evening at the Brownstone, Holmes wakes Watson with a terrible smell from a solution he's created to restore the burnt documents. Deducing that the accelerant used was meant to destroy the contents of the safe, he's already restored a document which has given him motive and a suspect. At the precinct, Holmes and Watson explain that the documents were autographed by Button Gwinnett. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, his signature is worth nearly a million dollars due to its rarity. They believe that another collector destroyed the documents to increase the value of his Gwinnett signatures.

They couldn't take the heat.

In "the box" at the precinct, accompanied by his lawyer, art dealer Paul Chambers confirms he was at the reenactment and has the second largest collection of Gwinnett signatures in the world. A passionate American history collector, he says that Nix offered to sell his collection to cover legal costs from his gym franchisees suing him. In negotiations just before Nix was killed, he affirms he would never destroy historical documents and offers his full cooperation in order that he'll be exonerated. Holmes re-visits his doctor to seek an alternative to medication which is making him drowsy. His doctor firmly advises a few months rest in the country. At the Brownstone, Holmes finds Watson looking through the restored documents. She tells him that Chambers has been cleared but their conversation with him sparked a realization that the documents themselves are of value. She's found a bounty land grant from 1777 made out to Abner Fulham signed by Gwinnett.

Fight for our new country, we'll let you keep a piece of it.

In 1789, the land was unrightfully sold by the state's governor and Fulham's descendants are suing to reclaim the land. The land's current owner is developer Chris Holland, the American reenactor that Holmes and Gregson questioned at the scene of Nix's death. Confronting Holland at his home while police search it, Bell, Holmes and Watson tell him they've discovered that he called Nix many times in the week before his death, most likely to buy the bounty document from him. They've also found he purchased a .308 rifle and had it fitted to look like a colonial musket. Holland denies any wrong doing and the search of his home turns up no evidence and no rifle. At the Brownstone, Holmes and Watson ponder how Holland managed to ditch the .308 and replace it with a musket as he only had twelve minutes between Nix's shooting and police arriving at the scene.

He had several vague leads.

Looking at photos of the scene, Watson wonders if he put the .308 in a portable toilet. As Holmes looks at the photos, he tells her of his doctor's advise to take a long rest. As Watson proffers a shorter rest, Holmes comes to a realization that involves excrement, but not from the portable toilets. At the precinct, Holland is confronted with his cat's litter box from his garage. The litter was found to have absorbed the chemicals in the exact ratio as the accelerant used to burn Nix's house. Defiant that he'll only receive a short sentence for arson, Gregson informs him that police will be searching the contents of the portable toilets for the .308 and when found, he'll be charged with murder. He encourages Holland to confess to avoid a very hostile prosecution. Later, Holmes meets Michael and tells him his doctor's advice. (♫ Justin Halpin - Omen ♫) Michael asks Holmes to look into a woman from his support group who has gone missing and he thinks it might help Holmes.

It's the center of your undoing.

Music

• Justin Halpin - Omen plays at the end of the episode as Michael asks Holmes to find Polly Kenner.

Gallery