Sherlock - Series 4

Spoiler-free.

The dynamic duo, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and the notorious duo Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are back for a fourth and possibly final season. After being an adoring and happy fan of the series for a few lovely years, I gave favorable reviews to the third season in 2014, but lost my obsession. Two more years brought actual disappointment with a gimmicky and unmemorable Christmas special. Now another year has passed, and, a fourth season. This I went into willing, but not determined, to enjoy. And these are my resulting impressions:

This is the season cast? Lestrade barely got a cameo and Molly was a puppet. I miss Lestrade...

The Six Thatchers: Not a great start. What I wanted more than anything was to see the boys get back to their regular crime-solving ways; which they did, and which was portrayed on screen via screen text and montage giving us glimpses of wacky and intriguing cases, but never giving us enough information to actually understand what happened, or how it was solved. Things looked up as Sherlock takes up investigating a body found in an exploded car that had no right being there. This is the stuff I love and for a few minutes I felt the thrill that the first two seasons had in excess. Then Sherlock is distracted by the Six Thatchers case, and that turns promptly into drama for the rest of the episode.

The episode ends up having a ton of reveals, but none that satisfy the curiosity we had. It's less, "Oh that makes sense now!" and more, "Oh they tricked me." It's cheap misdirection instead of taking great pains to set up a hard problem with a clever solution and include enough clues to solve it. The villain was revealed out of nowhere, and then the necessary was done. Because it was necessary. But everything felt wrong; the whole episode felt like it was plodding through the motions, yet if it had actually been going through the motions, rehashing the formula, I probably would've enjoyed it more.

Three guesses as to who's gotten in the way of Sherlock's crime-solving. Hint: It's not the baby.

The Lying Detective: I had more hope for this episode, thinking that after the last one, the Case of the Week formula would be picked back up. Happily, I was right, mostly. This episode featured Toby Jones as a chilling villain who comes up against a washed-up Sherlock, who throws himself recklessly into the case. This one hit all the checkpoints; observations and deductions, Sherlock being an amusing sociopath, (on that note I loved Cumberbatch's performance in this ep, and the wide range of Sherlock's complexities displayed) and reveals that, if not as cleverly projected as the best have been, were also not insultingly impossible.

Actually, this episode had a truly great reveal at its end. Disguises so rarely work on me in shows and films, but this one I bought from the start and never questioned. It was all out in the open, undeniably possible to notice, yet I never did. Well done indeed. This episode even managed to pack a heftier emotional punch than the previous, simply because the drama and emotions were contained to their proper place as an enhancer of the plot instead of its driving force. It was used to increase urgency and reward in the end, and was welcome.

The Lying Detective was written by Moffat. The first ep was writ by Gatiss and the last was a combined effort. By that evidence it is clear that this isn't all Moffat's fault.

The Final Problem: Technically, I would say this episode is better than the first of the season, but personally it offended me so much more. It ignored established aspects of characters for the sake of The Mighty Moffat Twist; it established facts only to turn around and throw them in our faces later, and it put its characters through so much far-fetched mental torture in completely strange and unexplained ways and locations, that it all felt like fanfiction with a genre twist of demented sci-fi horror.

At this point it's not inaccurate to call it fanfiction, actually. Yes, Moffat and Gatiss created this show, but it was based on an existing character and existing stories. They were adapting; great, clever adapting too, with all those little twists and nods so well-calculated and fit into the plot. But the Sherlock stories have now veered away from the original Sherlock Holmes into this ignorantly pompous fabricated soap opera. It's their right as show-runners and writers, but this is not what I'm here for. I'm here for Sherlock Holmes; deductions, crime-solving, stunning intellect; fun! This episode was not fun. It was manipulative, brazen and haughty, smugly feeding its starved audience spam that's been grilled up like a steak, and basking in the contrived glory of how smart it is.

This show is in danger of having created some seriously sad irony with the episode title choice here. It could be the Last Mistake the show makes.

Maybe this will be the end of Sherlock. They end the season without the typical cliffhanger to torture fans with for the next few years (in case it's not renewed I guess) and scraped together some kind of open-ended resolution, but loose ends and plot holes abound. So little was actually wrapped up. What a mess. I feel as though I've been insulted for my loyalty. I was never unconditionally loyal to the show, only to the aspects of it that I loved and thought were good, but I have been more forgiving. Now the infractions are intentional and impossible to ignore, and I'm done picking through grimy rubble to enjoy what I can. There's barely anything left to be loyal to. The spell is broken. Goodnight, Sherlock Holmes.

Doctor Who - Series 8

Paragraphs containing spoilers are marked.


Episode 1: Deep Breath

The Twelfth Doctor's first episode, and it wasn't a great start. For most of the episode I was with Clara (Jenna Coleman) -- confused by and wary of the new lead of the show. Peter Capaldi's Doctor started out crazy -- I mean complete bonkers -- and it was almost too much, though I finally decided I approved right around when he discovered he was Scottish, so he could complain about things. Still, at the end of the episode it didn't seem like he'd fully discovered himself yet, (though being a complaining Scottish grump seemed to be his defining characteristic) and I know now that was because this whole season was about his figuring out who (you know, WHO) he was.

(Mild Spoilers)

As far as the plot for this episode, it was convoluted and overshadowed by The Doctor's confusion -- or maybe the confusion rubbed off on it. The nod back to Ten's "The Girl in the Fireplace" and the Clockwork People was interesting though, and the gimmick of them having to hold their breath to hide from them made it sufficiently creepy. But I can't for the life of me remember what the dinosaur had to do with anything.

2 stars.

Episode 2: Into the Dalek

If the first episode didn't make it clear enough (which it didn't) then this episode's sole purpose was to establish that The Doctor doesn't really know himself. A Dalek tells him he'd be a "good" Dalek, and the look on his face clearly says he's considering it as a possibility. The rest of the episode was rather boring, as it all could have probably fit into 25 mins, instead of 45. Even Danny Pink's (Samuel Anderson) highly anticipated introduction was slightly marred by him and Clara hitting it off on the entirely wrong foot.

2.5 stars.

Episode 3: Robot of Sherwood

This one I was actually looking forward to, and hoping it would be the beginning of an upward climb for the series, but instead I felt it sink even further. Basically, this story, with all its potential, was completely uninteresting. The most enjoyable part was The Doctor sparring with Robin Hood (Tom Riley) at the beginning. Then there was way too much of the same two bickering, and Clara is again on our side wishing they would just stop and concentrate on the plot. Unfortunately, there wasn't much plot to focus on, and it was almost unbearably hokey (I'm thinking of the archery contest right now...).

3 stars.

Episode 4: Listen

(Spoilers!)

After all the wind going out of my sails from the week before, the terrifying premise of this episode was a wonderful surprise, and in the scary moments, I began to think that this may be the freakiest Who ever. But when the plot twisted, the number of holes matched the number in my newly sagging sails. I still don't understand what in the world they were thinking with this. If the villain was just The Doctor projecting, then WHO WAS HIDING UNDER THE BLANKET? And don't tell me some kid playing a prank -- that's baloney. Also who was the last-man-on-Earth dude who looked exactly like Danny? And Clara's part on Gallifrey was weird and also didn't make sense -- how was it possible for her to even go there? This whole episode twisted around awkwardly to try and develop The Doctor's continually confusing character, and it wasted a pretty cool and creepy idea. I've never been one to be afraid of "something" under my bed, but now, getting up in the middle of the night never fails to remind me of this episode.

3 stars.

Episode 5: Time Heist

Finally -- this episode I really, actually, properly enjoyed. It wasn't near perfect, but was significantly better than the previous four, with mind-bending, timey-wimey (if predictable) twists, and a nice, classic stand-alone (and timey-wimey) plot. What really set it apart for me though, was the addition of two characters (Jonathan Bailey and Pippa Bennett-Warner). Both of them felt as fully developed as Clara and The Doctor and they fit in perfectly -- I even found myself wishing they could be permanent additions. It did revert back to slight triviality near the end, but it didn't keep me from happily concluding that "I liked it."

4 stars!

Episode 6: The Caretaker

(Mild Spoilers)

AKA, "The One Where Danny Finds Out About The Doctor." And this one was only bothersome because I really, really, REALLY wanted Danny to hit it off with The Doctor so he could start traveling with them, and then everything would be wonderful and hunky-dory. Instead they hate each other even more than Danny and Clara did at first, and Danny mean-spiritedly accuses The Doctor of being a soldier, something The Doctor despises. This was annoying, because Danny is mean for no good reason, and because I'm really tired of The Doctor hating soldiers. Otherwise the episode wasn't particularly memorable, but not bad either.

3 stars.

Episode 7: Kill the Moon

(Spoilers!)
 
THIS was the bad episode. The rest of them in comparison were downright masterpieces. I don't even want to get started because I'll take up too much space with explaining everything that was wrong with this episode. Let's count as many as I can: 1. Random little girl travels with Doctor and Clara instead of Danny. 2. Spiders -- what were they again? 3. The Doctor leaves. 4. Clara has two choices-- except she has three. 5. The Doctor had a (stupid) plan all along. 6. (And this is the killer) The moon is an egg. 7. Two seconds after hatching the moon-monster lays a new moon -- which is just as big as it is. 8. Clara tells The Doctor to "Leave! Now! And never come back!" (Actually, I rather liked that bit.)

1.5 stars!

Episode 8: Mummy on the Orient Express

Instead of leaving and never coming back, Doctor and Clara go on a farewell tour on The Orient Express -- in space of course. And besides the terrible drama and tension between the two of them, this was not at all a bad episode. It was nice and creepy, had a nice mystery to it, and I liked the gimmick of the countdown clock in the corner of the screen. The twist was a little hokey but worked, and it was all resolved simply and neatly. My only complaint was that with the title, I was expecting "The Unicorn and the Wasp" Part 2, with more Christie/Poirot references, and did not get it. The, "Are you my Mummy?" was good though.

3.5 stars.

Episode 9: Flatline

(Spoilers!)

This was the most consistently scary of this season, and an overall a very solid episode. The villains were very frightening and original, and actually had evil intentions, which is becoming rare for Who these days. Plus, the list of seemingly harmless things for Whovians to be scared of continues to grow with the addition of wall murals. Fantastic. I loved all the classic building suspense up to the "blam! this is super creepy and scary" moments. Like when you realize the dude is probably a mural with how still he is, but they make you wait for a second before panning the camera over.... and then you know. The stuff involving the miniaturized TARDIS was occasionally silly, but in a more fun way than typical. There was limited drama in this one too, and I appreciated the break.

4 stars.

Episode 10: In the Forest of the Night

(Mild Spoilers)

Another episode with an intriguing premise whose ending failed to live up to the promise. I suppose they painted themselves into a corner with this one, but the fact that the world being saved had almost nothing to do with the actions of The Doctor and co., after focusing the entire episode on their efforts was underwhelming and disappointing. Also there were a number of plot holes, mostly caused by time fillers, which doubles the offense. Also, environmental "morals" annoy me to no end.

2.5 stars.

Episode 11: Dark Water

(Spoilers!)

After a weird and falter-y beginning (seriously, what was it with the volcano stuff? Was that really necessary? No, it wasn't, and it was out of character for Clara, even if her one true love did just die. We all know he'll show up again.) This episode picked up in the middle which we all wondered where they were, where Danny was, what was going on, and what was the significance of those skeletons sitting in water tanks. And just after all those questions were answered it plunged back down again. I could talk about how disappointed I am at the identity of Missy (Michelle Gomez), or how even if she wasn't a woman how her trite and petty behavior would still annoy, but in won't. Instead, let me ask this: why in the world didn't they use the Dark Water more?? They used it to conveniently hide Cybermen, and then forgot about it? The Doctor should have used it in a twist to his own advantage!

2 stars.

Episode 12: Death in Heaven

It is amazing with how much I disliked the first part of the season finale that I liked the second part as much as I did. It did not start out well, with the climax of stupidity being (Spoiler) where Missy escapes on the plane SO easily. That was so contrived, oh my goodness. (End) But then, then ending made up for it all, and it surprised me into not only liking the finale enough to be excited for the Christmas Special, but it also made me look at the season overall with general approval; because The Doctor's character arc is finally resolved, and he remembers who he is. Even as I despised some parts of this season I never blamed Capaldi, or even his Doctor for the failings. I thought I could see a good (in both senses of the word) Doctor in there somewhere if only the writing would allow it to come out. Well, I say it was 11 episodes late, but better late than never.

Best of this ep:

(Spoilers)

When The Doctor and Clara are lying to each other to comfort the other, not knowing that telling the truth would bring the most comfort, but also seeming to find comfort in thinking that the other is happy...

"Love isn't an emotion, it's a promise."

"I'm not a good man, and I'm not a bad man! I'm not a hero, I'm definitely not a president, and, no; I'm not a officer. You know what I am? I am... an idiot! With a box and a screwdriver, passing though, helping out..."

"Never trust a hug; it's just a way to hide your face."

3.5 stars, sir!

Here's to the Christmas Special seeing Twelve continue along this upward-turned path with confidence and pizzazz! And complaining, and frowning eyebrows!

Here's how I rank this season, best to worst, with their ratings:

1 -- Time Heist (4)
2 -- Flatline (4)
3 -- Death in Heaven (3.5)
4 -- Mummy on the Orient Express (3.5)
5 -- Listen (3)
6 -- The Caretaker (3)
7 -- Robot of Sherwood (3)
8 -- In the Forest of the Night (2.5)
9 -- Into The Dalek (2.5)
10 -- Dark Water (2)
11 -- Deep Breath (2)
12 -- Kill the Moon (1.5)

Saint Nick Frost. Should be interesting!

Sherlock Series 3 - His Last Vow

Major spoilers within!

So I was watching some Sunday night telly when Steven Moffat strolled up to me and ripped my heart out. He waited a few minutes, and crammed it right back in. Then he topped it off with a slap to the face and a wink -- all the while giggling maniacally in a Scottish accent.

So how was your weekend? Catch the big game? It was on.

It all began how I was afraid it might -- it's been a while since John and Mary tied the knot, and Sherlock has been slipping out of their lives, and the excuse of his being undercover is not acceptable enough. But of course, since it's a Sherlock episode, he drops back in within a perfectly acceptable time frame. Then the classic, witty, banter-y Sherlock starts up, just with a strangely more ominous undertone than the previous two episodes. John impresses and amuses with self-defense skills. Sherlock confuses by being in a relationship with Mary's maid of honor and acting suspiciously normal about it. And a bad guy is introduced; Charles Augustus Magnussen, a creepy, controlling blackmailer and businessman.

Played by Lars Mikkelsen.

Following is a fantastic scene of crime-solving (crime-committing) fun -- John learns how to break into an office the Sherlock way, complete with sneakiness, fore-planning, morally questionable trickery, and lots of wit. This is exactly what I love about Sherlock. So obviously, from there, things go completely sideways.

If you read my reviews for The Empty Hearse and The Sign of Three, you may have noticed a strong pattern of unreserved approval of the character of Mary Morstan/Watson. She charmed me from the very first second, even though I saw the word "liar" mixed in with her other characteristics Sherlock deduced. I ignored it, but in my defense, so did he.

I was severely less charmed when she shot Sherlock in the chest after he caught her about to murder Magnussen. She's not the person we were led to believe her to be, and the previously ignored word swirls around in the minds of audience and dying protagonist alike.

A la Star Wars: "NOOOO, it can't be true! That's IMPOSSIBLE!"

At this point I had to put my shock aside to be impressed, yet again, with the representation of Sherlock's mind palace, as he deduces his way out of death. His friends appear and help him, telling him what to do, and silently speaking volumes to his growing character -- in the first two seasons the cold, superior, sociopath Sherlock only ever saw data in his palace. (This is also where Benedict Cumberbatch's impressive acting skills are most obvious. They're never anything less than impressive of course.)

Sherlock stands with Molly over his body as she calmly explains what's happening and how to survive it.

Then, back to panicking.

Check out this cute picture from The Sign of Three. Of course I don't notice the HORNS until now... that wasn't accidental. Things in Sherlock never are.

Moffat's signature feather-ruffling style of writing has never been more effective on me, but eventually, and to great relief, he let us off the frazzling rollercoaster and restored Mary's goodness with believability. The drama finished off with a flourish -- a lovely scene between John and Mary as they return to being the charming, lovable Watsons. A huge round of applause to Amanda Abbington -- never before has anyone sold Moffat's trickery so convincingly. Martin Freeman also delivers as we've come to expect, with both the betrayed Watson, and the adorable, forgiving Watson.

He puts up with so much...

Now, only two more twists to cover. One, Magnussen's glasses, the twist being that they don't feed him data in a far-fetched futuristic manner as implied. This one's simple; instead, as he said, he has a great memory. We witness two neat mind palaces in the episode.

And two, is Moriarty back? I won't fall for it until it's proved beyond all doubt, and an animated photo of him with the voices of other people saying "did you miss me?" is not nearly enough evidence. Alternate theories are everywhere; it's Moriarty's brother, or, it's a different villain pretending to be him for attention. Here's my first thought: you know when John's all like, "Sherlock, you have a plan, right?" Well, he did.

I suppose it goes without saying that anticipation for the fourth series has already graced us with its persistent presence. So just one last thing 'til next time:

Good one, Moffat... good one.

You got me.

Sherlock Series 3 - The Sign of Three

Warning: Mild spoilers.

If I had one even slightly significant complaint for the first episode of the third series of Sherlock "The Empty Hearse" it would be concerning the lack of attention the mystery of the episode received. In that case, this review, for episode two, should be considerably shorter, because it was just as great as the first, but with the addition of a typically and aptly puzzling, involving mystery. Here, as per usual for this fantastic show, we're given enough information to figure it out ourselves, but we don't, and when all the separate elements of mystery fall into a connected pattern at the end we are wowed.

Although, to be fair to myself, I did figure out a couple of little things.

But that's not to say the rest of this episode was exactly like the giddy, fan-serving first episode. Not at all, in fact, this is probably the most unique Sherlock yet. It takes place entirely during John's wedding to Mary, mostly while Sherlock gives a long, and occasionally surprising best man speech, while flash-backs gradually fill in details, and the mystery blends together with equal parts of charming development for our beloved characters.

No so much these guys, but here's a picture of them anyway, so they won't be left out.

Sherlock and John's brotherly relationship is back in order now, and there's not anything else to add -- they're simply as great as ever. But Mary... I love Mary. I could go on and on about her. She's a wonderful and helpful and hopefully permanent addition to the crime-solving group. There is one thing in particular that I adore about her, that makes me wholeheartedly approve of her; she likes Sherlock, and, Sherlock likes her. It doesn't seem like it'd be a big deal, but after the train wreck that Mary was thrown out of in the latest Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes film, the fact that Mary and Sherlock not only tolerate, but actually enjoy each other just makes me giddy with fangirly happiness. This episode had a theme of Sherlock worrying about entering the status of third wheel, but honestly, those three fit together just as perfectly as they did as two, and if he does move out of their life, I might be annoyed because I can't see it making any kind of sense.

"We go together like rama lama lama..."

Snappy and stylish filming is everywhere in this episode. The moving freeze-frame of the bridal party captured the joyful moment splendidly, and the time-lapse of food disappearing was delicious-looking way to show time-progression. I loved the portrayal of Sherlock's mind palace as a courtroom as he converses with several people on the internet -- a brilliant and impressive look into his mind.

The scene where Mary plays John and Sherlock telling them separately that they should encourage the other to begin a case in order to get them out together is another great example of her amazing, playful character, and a very amusing scene. The disastrous stag party sequence is also very amusing as John and Sherlock get stupidly drunk and then attempt to go sleuthing, with much hilarity ensuing.

The new quintessential "Sherlock" hat?

And then things get serious with Sherlock continuing to grow more "human." It is an interesting curve-ball that I never saw coming, and continuing to grow boldly since the first sign of it in "The Empty Hearse" but always, staying within the character, to perfection. For a model example, notice the scene where Sherlock recounts the moment when John asks him to be his best man. And watching the way the character handles the change is almost as awesome as watching the actor supply it. Benedict Cumberbatch is a master at his art, leading this immaculately crafted show to amazing heights. Bravo!

Sherlock Holmes has never been more relatable.

Sherlock Series 3 - The Empty Hearse

(Spoiler warning!)

The game is on!

"How did Sherlock survive the fall?" Finally, the burning question has been put to rest. Not, beyond-a-shadow-of-doubt answered, mind you, but disposed of nonetheless. It appears there was simply too much pressure for the perfect, astonishing solution that was, in all honesty, impossible to find. And that is why we ever-loyal fans -- "the fans who waited" -- were treated to every one of our tiniest desires for the return of the world's greatest detective, save one.

Here are some of the delicious and brilliantly executed "how's" we do get answers to.

How does John cope for the long two years?
Very much like we have; with difficulty. And we find him on the verge of taking the leap that proves he's moving on -- marriage (and visiting Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) for the first time in two years). Even though we and the rest of the universe may hate the mustache, Martin Freeman is as loveable and as endearing as ever in the role of Watson, and we are completely on his side with the whole Sherlock-not-being-dead debacle. His fiance, Mary Morstan (played my Freeman's real-life long-term live-in girlfriend Amanda Abbington) is not only a welcome addition, but she suddenly seems a necessary member of the show. How did they manage the first two seasons so well without her? Can't answer that one.

Look at them. They so know they're part of one of the greatest television shows ever...

How has Sherlock been staying busy?
By hunting down the rest of Moriarty's gang around the world. (And he was so busy he didn't even have time to get a haircut.) Obviously (as he himself would say) Benedict Cumberbatch continues to instill awe through every miniscule detail of his performance as Holmes, and in the episode, comedy is his feature. Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) is his most consistent companion throughout the episode, they have some amusing (if hard to follow) scenes, and their being related is increasingly believable, as they have a serious discussion over a game of Operation, and then practically confide in each other under the guise of an argument, all the while trying to prove themselves to be the smarter one.

How does Sherlock break the good news to John, and how does John take it?
Short version: not dead. And, very simply, hilariously. This is probably the best sequence of the show -- Sherlock finally uses a disguise, and it's all fun and games until John notices what going on. We've all known we want John to just deck the offending sleuth ever since we knew this scene would exist, but who would have thought the result would be so thoroughly and hilariously satisfying? You want a punch? How about a headbutt? Above and beyond. We're going to get spoiled with these levels of awesome!

"It is, you might say, like a face from the past." "Great, I'll have that one please." "It is familiar, but with a quality of surprise." "Well surprise me." "Certainly endeavouring to sir."

How does the band get back together?
Well, the game is on, and there's a case to solve, my dear Watson! But while Watson is coming 'round, Molly (Louise Brealey) assists Sherlock, and it's unexpectedly cool. (DI Lestrade (Rupert Graves) makes an appearance, but is mostly insignificant in this episode, hopefully they'll make up for that later.) Eventually though the two man team is back, almost as if nothing had ever happened... for a while. As far as Sherlock mysteries go, this plot isn't at the top of the mind-blowing scale, but it was certainly acceptable, even for the high standards of the show, and within, held some aptly intense and impressive moments.

And I have never laughed more during a Sherlock episode. The restaurant... and the other restaurants, and in fact the whole episode was littered with successful laugh lines. Moriarty and Sherlock giggling together while tricking John in the Scottish girl's theory nearly had me in stitches from the ridiculousness, (before they took it too far). But the best, most outrageously brilliant moment has to be in Anderson's theory -- Sherlock swings though a pane of glass, ruffles the shards from his hair, and plants a kiss on Molly with proportions of cheesy suave that would make Agent 007 jealous.

"You have missed this, admit it. The thrill of the chase. The blood pumping through you veins. Just the two of us against the rest of the world!" Well, I know I have...

And what about that fall?
Three possibilities were shown, and only one was plausible (and not ridiculous) but apparently even that one isn't definitive. Not if you don't want it to be. Personally, I haven't spent the last two years in elaborate theorizing, so I'll accept it happily. It makes sense. It's simple and effective. It uses all the clues from The Reichenbach Fall. Still, no version will be without-a-doubt accepted by every obsessive Anderson without some serious convincing. If John believes it, that would be a good start.

So who knows, maybe eventually, John will be the last person on earth to wonder and suddenly say, "Hey, Sherlock, how did you do it anyway?" And Sherlock will smile and take a telling deep breath....

Doctor Who Challenge Part III

Next to last post for the Doctor Who Challenge -- questions 12 through 19. And we're off!

12 - Funniest moments?
Really, way too many to even count, so, here's one. Anytime Eleven is embarrassed is usually hilarious.

13 - Moments that made you cry?
Not many of those -- I'm not a big crier. And when I do, it's more because of overwhelmingly happy things instead of actual sad things. I definitely welled up at the end of Vincent and the Doctor, when they bring him to the art museum, and Bill Nighy is monologue-ing about how Van Gogh was the greatest painter of all time. And then also when The Doctor and Amy come back, and Amy finds that they did change one other thing... It's happy in a sad way, and so sweet!

14 - Saddest episode?
"The End of Time Part II" when my beloved Ten regenerates.
Ten: "I don't want to go!"
Me: "NOO, I don't want you to go either!! You're my favorite!"
[regeneration]
Eleven: "Oh, I've still got legs!" Etc...
Me: "YAY, Eleven! My favorite!!"
So, not too sad then... I also found "A Christmas Carol" to be very sad and good.

15 - Favorite friendship?
Ten and Donna comes immediately to mind. They banter like there's no tomorrow, and look like they're having a blast with it. They have a special kind of chemistry you can't fake, and a relationship like that that never turns romantic is always highly appreciated by me. This is as close to romance they ever get:



16 - Favorite couple?
Oh, I have many, many of those. I am a girl after all!

 

The one constant in Doctor Who; The Doctor and his TARDIS. True love.

17 - Favorite actor?
Favorite actor... this is difficult. I can't even choose who my favorite actor in general is! How about this; I'll limit it to guest stars -- some of my favorite actors guest-starring on Doctor Who!

Colin Morgan, aka Merlin, being all dark in "Midnight."

Andrew Garfield (the latest in the role of Spider-Man) had a sweet character in a two-part-er!

Ferb of Phineas and Ferb, anyone? Thomas Brodie-Sangster also got a two-part-er.

Hugh Bonneville being all Pirate-y in that pirate episode, "Curse of the Black Spot"

18 - Favorite actress?
I'll do the same for the ladies.

Carey Mulligan, one of my all-time favorite actresses as the gorgeous girl, Sally Sparrow.

Felicity Jones in "The Unicorn and the Wasp" She also starred along with Mulligan in Northanger Abbey.

Daisy Haggard being sweet as Sophie in "The Lodger." In Sense and Sensibility, she shows she can be impressively annoying as well.

19 - Favorite writer?
Well, based on my favorite episodes, I have to say Moffat, and suppose that's true, even though he is mean to us poor fans sometimes. (Ha, sometimes!) When he took over, the show improved dramatically, but he writes so many episodes, and they're not all my favorites. I also enjoy episodes by Mark Gatiss, and all (two) of Neil Cross' episodes.

Be sure to check back in two days for the FINALE, and the last question! Allons-y!

The Sherlock Holmes of Today - Part II

Now it's time for the television shows! As I mentioned in Part I, there's two to cover. Both modernize the classic character, but that's about where the similarities end, even though one practically copies the other.

I'll save the best for last, (If you're one of those people who eat dessert first, just scroll down until you see awesomeness! Do what you want!) and start with the American one. It's Elementary. No, really, that's what it's called.

Tagline? "New Holmes. New Watson. New York."

 After the amazing success of BBC's Sherlock, the Americans, who can't be original to save their lives, wanted to start up a US version. They received "no" for an answer, so they decided to just do a copy, but make enough changes so the shows would be obviously different. Remember three sentences ago when I said Americans can't be original to save their lives? It's a CBS drama, and they made Watson a woman. I rest my case.

Lucy Liu is Joan Watson, to be exact. And Jonny Lee Miller was cast as the famous detective, who recently both moved to NYC, and gave up drinking and using drugs. Joan is a "sober companion," hired my Sherlock's father to keep him on the straight-and-narrow. Holmes consults with the NYPD on their most baffling cases, and Watson accompanies him to crime scenes and such, and of course, eventually becomes helpful. As soon as her work keeping Sherlock clean and sober is over... well, let's just say we all know she won't be leaving.

Now Watson's being turned into a woman was a little hard to swallow, but Lucy Liu really isn't bad. I just don't think of her as Watson, and problem solved. And Jonny Lee Miller actually makes a rather good Sherlock. His being British is very helpful, and he is plenty smart, insensitive, and annoying... in a way that makes him fun to watch. I credit him with making the show work.

...but if you look at this picture and immediately think "Watson and Sherlock"... you should seek help.

As you know, CBS crime dramas are all very similar, but usually with one unique feature. Elementary plays by those rules very well. There's always an interesting crime to solve, and not too much time is spent in the drama department. It's classic CBS... with Sherlock Holmes! If CBS dramas aren't your cup of tea, I doubt this would win you over, but if you don't mind a little formula -- as long as it's well done -- it's worth a viewing.

No matter how much I like Elementary though, when compared to Sherlock, it crumbles away into nothing and is shown for the cheap imitation it is.

I now give you... the real deal.

AWESOMENESS. THIS IS IT.

The BBC drama Sherlock has only had two seasons so far, and each season consisted of only three episodes. Of course, each episode is twice as long as any American show; an hour and a half instead of forty-five minutes, and every mystery is absolutely rich with intricacies. And as everyone knows, when something is rich, you consume it in small servings. Even though you never want to.

Creators and writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (who also plays Sherlock's nosy brother Mycroft) know how to update things right. Sherlock is set in modern day London where Dr. John Watson has just come back Afghanistan. He's introduced to Sherlock Holmes because they both need a flatmate, and next thing you know, they've moved into 221B Baker Street, and John is tagging along with Sherlock in his adventures as a "consulting detective." John's therapist thinks he has post traumatic stress disorder, but the fact is that the opposite is true. John misses the danger of war, and working with Sherlock is exactly what he needs. And Sherlock soon discovers that John can be very helpful to him as well.

For instance, John becomes very good at handing him things.

What I love about this show is... everything. Ok, one of the things about this show that makes me very happy is the respect shown for Arthur Conan Doyle's original work. There's tons of great wink-wink nudge-nudge references to classic Holmes stories, and the mysteries themselves are modernized takes on original classic stories, insuring that we simultaneously still respect Conan Doyles's genius, while also appreciating the awesome and clever ways the stories have been reworked. The words "loosely adapted" do not, in this case, make me want to run away screaming.

In Part I, I said that Downey Jr. and Law's interpretation of Holmes and Watson's relationship was my favorite bit of the movies, and I said they balanced each other. Well. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock, and Martin Freeman's Watson COMPLETE each other. With perfection. There's no other way to say it. The way these two bounce off each other with Moffat-penned wit, and that chemistry that cannot be faked produces a special kind of  indescribable enjoyment you can't find anywhere else.

Above: Two brilliant actors, and one smiley face.

Alone, on their own merit, they are just as good. Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch are both spectacular actors, and fortunately will probably soon be getting the recognition they deserve. But this series really shows off their acting skill. The pitch-perfect writing helps I'm sure, but finding and portraying the right balance of Sherlock's more human side, and, well, less human side has got to be hard. (Not to even mention his warp-speed speaking pace!) But when the moment dictates that we should either love or hate Sherlock, I have no problem with happily complying. Watson, we're always supposed to love, and that's easy, but Freeman also gets a wide variety of emotional scenes that he plays impressively. Mrs. Hudson and Mycroft are regulars, and good additions to the show. Moriarty and Irene Adler get their time to shine too, and shine they certainly do. Even the cops and detectives Sherlock works with are not wasted characters.

Cumberbatch and Freeman are hands down the best Holmes, best Watson, together, simply the best, in every way possible. They are better than CBS and they are better than Robert Downey Jr., and I'm not sorry to say it. Those versions have their merits of course, and I do enjoy them all, just differently. It never fails to make me happy when anyone says "ok, Sherlock, let's go" or, "how did you deduce that, Sherlock?" and it comes out without a trace of sarcasm. It's the little things.

I don't want to start comparing shows to movies by giving out star ratings to these shows, and I think you've got the gist of what I think anyway. When it comes to TV, it's usually, "watch it" or "don't watch it," -- and in that case, Elementary and the much superior Sherlock would both get the same rating -- but there is a third category, and Sherlock is one of a few shows that fits in it; "watch it over and over." Yes, I am Sherlocked.
Watch at once, if convenient. If inconvenient, watch anyway. Could be....