In the Season 3 finale, viewers found out that Sherlock's dad, Morland (played by John Noble), was heading out to New York after learning that his son had submitted to his drug addiction. It was previously revealed, however, that Morland has been an absentee father to Sherlock (played by Jonny Lee Miller) since he was a boy, so his arrival to the Brownstone isn't something that makes the detective thrilled.
Executive Producer Rob Doherty told Entertainment Weekly of the rundown. "Once he [Morland] arrives, Sherlock does not appreciate the attention or the distraction that his dad represents. For him, it's too little too late. This is a father and a son with a very complicated history. I'd say for at least a couple decades, Sherlock's father has been out of sight, out of mind. This is going to be a big adjustment for Sherlock to have [his] dad nearby," Doherty explained.
Morland was the one who paid for the rehabilitation of Sherlock. His father was also the one who employed former surgeon Joan Watson (played by Lucy Liu) to be the sober companion of Sherlock.
At the end of her contract as Sherlock's sober companion, Joan wants to extend her stay at Sherlock's side, but Morland refused her further assistance. Sherlock then hired Watson as his partner on being a NYPD consultant.
Doherty further explained to Entertainment Weekly the plot having Morland as Joan's original employer, saying, "When Joan does meet dad, there will be some friction. When Morland arrives and makes a genuine and surprising attempt to help Sherlock, Sherlock has to rethink his relationship with his dad. [But] as the season progresses, we're going to see that Joan is worried that dad is a little more like the guy Sherlock has described versus the guy he seems to be now. She'll be keeping a careful eye on him."
The first few episodes of Season 4 will circle mostly around the father and son relationship of Sherlock and Morland.
The new season of 'Elementary' will be available for viewing this Nov. 5, at 10 p.m. on CBS.
