Change is coming to Elementary, but something big looms on the horizon that will change everything for the three detectives. Find out what in our recap of “Seed Money.”

Life is strange, but it can also be good. Much like the procedural elements of Elementary. Some weeks a case acts as a mirror for a character’s development. Sometimes they are a fun distraction to keep setting road blocks in their way. The latter is used for this week’s Elementary season 3, episode 10, “Seed Money.” Floral genetics and drug cartels are the hurdles of choice for Joan and Sherlock to find ways over as the case continually interrupts their attempts to announce new changes.

The scene involves three dead bodies, two of whom died in their sleep due to the fumes from the torched body in the basement. Holmes and Watson believe it is the result of a botanist’s ties making genetically modified marijuana for the Brazilian SDS drug cartel.

With Kitty offscreen again this week working on her own, more on that later, Sherlock and Joan are left to examine the scene themselves. As they peruse Clay’s apartment, Joan checks in on Sherlock who informs her that he as decided to return to meetings and will get through the lull in his life. He detects that there is something more to be said and presses with, “and how are you?” The question comes as much of a shock to Joan as it did to us, but the case interrupts before she can respond.

Kitty’s case is to find Tessa, the daughter of another support group member who keeps going missing. After a round of talking to friends and going through her computer, all Kitty can come up with is a single deduction; Tessa is a brat.

Sherlock offers her the chance to try his approach to achieving a new perspective, but not everyone can pull off hanging upside down shirtless and looking that good while doing it. Kitty tries, and fails, to organically bring Joan into the conversation which leads Sherlock to another round of everyone’s favorite game, “Let’s Wake Up Joan Watson!” This week, Sherlock opts for a blender with fruit smoothies for breakfast. He also broke into her apartment to accomplish this.

After navigating the conversation around another factor of the case, Sherlock broaches the subject of Joan’s news. She informs him that she took a permanent position as an in-house investigator for LEDA, an insurance firm. Sherlock has a history of being a flight risk when it comes to change, hence the reasoning for her hesitation. Before he can respond, the Captain rings.

One single Taiwanese orchid, worth a quarter of a million dollars, makes its rounds at flower shows. That was until it was stolen a year ago and now resides in Clay’s botany lab. Sometimes it saves time having Sherlock’s store of facts available at all times. The flower was sold via online auction where the money represents different amounts and the pictures often conceal their items in plain sight.

All roads lead to Agrinex, where Barbara Conway serves as senior vice president of the bee genocide. Or at least that is what Sherlock blames her and the company for. She is revealed to be the purchaser of the same single rare orchid. Genetics can be an amazing tool if you know how to manipulate the genes just right. It turns out Clay knew how to manipulate them enough to make exact clones.

Back at the brownstone, Sherlock congratulates Joan and tries to get his news across, but another call from the Captain arrives.

The ties with a criminal organization are clear once two more bodies wind up outside the AgriNex building shortly after Sherlock and Joan’s visit. Barbra returns for more questioning and explains the triangle that connects Clay, AgriNex, and SDS. Clay grew genetically modified weed for SDS and that skill set caught the attention of AgriNex. However, Clay was killed before a deal could be negotiated for his release from SDS ties.

Season 3 has been a turning point for Joan and Sherlock. After the initial shock of Sherlock’s return and the learning curve with Kitty, Joan and Sherlock found their rhythm. If nothing else, their separation made them realize how important the other was to them. Multiple times this season already the pair have expressed their appreciation for the security of each other’s confidence.

Sherlock is hesitant to reveal his news to Joan fearing she will mistake it as a sign that he has lost value in their relationship. He plans to ask Kitty to officially become his investigative partner. Her progress is something he takes great pride in and he makes a point to note it was possible because of Watson’s influence.

What the writers chose to do with the news made this story worth dragging around the flowers and torched bodies. It could have gone one of two ways. Joan could see Sherlock’s proposal as the torched corpse of their past partnership. She chooses however to carry on seeing their relationship as the yellow clivia. A beautiful reminder of their past together that requires some funky smelling nourishment every now and again.

The result of the Agrinex versus the SDS boils down the bags of plant food hinted all over the episode. The food is a special blend that allows the genetically modified flowers Clay grew for his love interests thrive. It turns out Barbara’s ties with Clay ran deeper than a work connection. A confrontation got out of hand once Barbra found out that Clay was seeing other women and she accidentally killed him. Instead of fleeing, she decided the frame the SDS cartel for the murder.

Kitty’s investigative prowess is shown in two small bits across the episode as she hunts down Tessa and finds the clues she was trying to plant to frame her biological father. There is no doubt that she will make a great partner.

In the final moments of the episode, the Captain calls Sherlock right before he announces to Kitty the idea of their partnership. Alone on a pier with a dead body, the Captain draws Sherlock’s attention to the markings found on the victims back. They are the same scars Kitty bears from the time she spent captured.

At the midway point of the season, it is finally time for Kitty Winter’s tale.

Watch Elementary season 3, episode 11, “The Illustrious Client,” Thursday, January 22 at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS.