Doctor Who: Winter is Coming

Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman

             Coming into the new Doctor Who Christmas special, especially knowing that the most recent beloved companions were no longer going to be there (Oh Ponds), I was anxious to see how they were going to pull off bringing in Clara, the new companion played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.  Last season, Coleman played Oswin, a modern girl who tragically and heroically died after realizing she was a Dalek.  How then, would the writers of Doctor Who bring her back from the dead?  While the episode only added to the mystery, it managed to offer some truly  terrifying carnivorous snow.  In no particular order the episode was an above par Christmas story for the following reasons.

1.  Matt Smith, the Doctor, grieved for the Ponds, but ultimately couldn't resist the call to save the world and don a bowtie, because bowties, quite like snow, are cool.

2.  The Doctor pretended to be Sherlock Holmes, which is a wink to fans of the BBC's other brilliant show Sherlock, which is also headed by Doctor Who show runner Steven Moffat.  If we can't have new Sherlock episodes until 2014, at least we get a bone.

3.  Gandalf played the voice of the evil snow.  I kept telling my little brother that the villain's voice sounded like Sir Ian McKellen, and was very happy to verify my guess with IMDb.  I kept wanting the snow to shout, "You shall not pass!"

4.  Multiple times, the phrase, "Winter is coming" was uttered.  I love a good Game of Thrones reference.  At least, I really hope it was intentional.

5.  Did I mention that Gandalf was in the episode? That is pretty much the best surprise of all.

6.  The END!  When Clara revealed that she remembered being Owsin, I screamed.  Clara is full of such energy and stands to bring a new, shiny spark to the show.  Her pluck and brains, and of course the mystery surrounding her make her an ideal companion for the show.  As much as saying goodbye to the Ponds made me weep, it was in the spirit of regeneration.

I am so ready for the new season and all the surprises and energy it will bring.  Doctor Who is truly a wonderful Christmas gift, and this year's special was no exception.

Crocodiles and Captains

Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time

               If you watched last Sunday's Once Upon a Time, "The Crocodile," you now know the beginnings of Captain Hook, at least according to OUAT.   In all of his swashbuckling  Irish, guy-liner glory, Hook inspired fandoms before he even appeared on the show. Played by Colin O'Donoghue, Hook's story was, as always, different from what I expected.  This time, that wasn't always for the better.  Good old Rumplestiltskin loses his wife to the Captain's charms.  Frankly, I hated that part of the story.  Rumple's wife abandons her child and deserts her husband for selfish love.  When Rumplestiltskin rips her heart out later, causing part the Captain's hatred of him, I wasn't that devastated.  The best and most surprising part of the origin tale followed that Rumple, with his slick skin and gleaming trickery, is the crocodile who plagues Captain Hook.  Hook loses his hand over a magic bean that serves as a portal to other worlds.  Rumple slices the Captain's hand clean off to get the bean, only to later discover the Captain tricked him (and went off to Neverland to plot his revenge against "The Crocodile").

               Once Upon a Time, this one time, I didn't love your intro of the Captain.  You redeemed yourself though, with a very interesting and twist filled ending (which promised interesting beginnings).  While I still have a Sheriff sized hole in my heart, I will gladly welcome the addition of the swaggering pirate whose evil/good mixture makes him as dynamic as all of Once's characters.  On a side note, the creators of the show (who just happen to be Lost writers, which explains A LOT) revealed that the Sheriff/Huntsman was originally going to be Sherlock Holmes and that other characters that are not strictly fairytale will appear in future episodes.  I had always assumed the Sheriff was initially supposed to be Robin Hood.  I like the surprise though, and the fact that the show is raiding the shelves of stories for more great characters.  That and the fact that the writers started raving about Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock, which made me love them even more.

                Back in Storybrooke, I enjoyed Rumple's alter ego Mr. Gold facing Belle with honesty, owning up to the notion that he collects magic (and power) to hide his fear.  As for Belle, the library scene, and the fact that she's becoming more complex and empowered  made me grateful that Emile de Raven is now a series regular.

              I am certainly excited for next week's episode, where we find out the fairy tale identity of Mr. Whale.  It looks as though he is not the Whale from Pinocchio at least at first, but will instead be Dr. Frankenstein.  I always assumed that Dr. Whale was a man in the fairytale world who did something terrible, causing him to be cursed and turned into a whale.  I doubt I can actually predict OUAT writers, but you've go to admit it's an interesting theory.  To see how wrong I am, tune in Sunday at 8:00 on abc.

It's Elementary

Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes: Elementary

          CBS's new hour long drama Elementary has all the elements of good television.  Starring Jonny Lee Miller as a modern Sherlock Holmes who uses his genius to solve crimes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson, his sobriety partner, Elementary places the two character in present day New York.  The series premiered Thursday, with a good (not great) episode.  Miller played Holmes with an interesting mix of neurosis and charisma.  His chemistry with Lucy Liu was intriguing.  When he interrupts Watson at an Opera, refusing to be quiet until she acknowledges him, I saw a flash of the unique potential friendship/codependency.
           
              That was just it though.  I saw potential.  The actual mystery wasn't very interesting.  It never invested me in the crime or the characters like BBC's truly masterful modern spin on Sherlock's tales entitled quite simply Sherlock  and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character.  I really like Sherlock's stories, and really want to like Elementary.  If however, the crimes grow too...well, CBS procedural, I may not stick around.  The premiere did tantalize a backstory about something going terribly wrong in London, causing Sherlock to relocate and spiral into addiction.  If the show delves into that very interesting backstory and raids from the classic Sherlock mysteries and character, I will absolutely watch it, enjoying it as a different spin on a truly mysterious and wonderful man.  For now, Sherlock is still my favorite version, but I'm willing to cheat on it.  That is, if Miller gets a better scarf.  Seriously.  What do you call that pattern?  Rainbow plaid?

Downton Abbey Plays Dirty

Downton Abbey Season 3

               If you have avoided Downton Abbey thus far, I am equal parts impressed and sad for you.  The brilliant British import about the twisted lives of the wealthy Crawley family and their servants hooked me last year when I marathoned through the first and second season.  Set in the 1910's and 20's, the series capitalizes on escapism drama with a heart.  Fans don't casually watch it.  They LOVE it and make an event of it when it finally makes its way across the pond to America.  Here's my problem.  Season three debuts in Great Britain Sept. 16th.  It doesn't come to America (via PBS) until January 2012.  In the age of the internet, it is sheer stupidity to not air shows in the same time frame.  Downton should take a cue from Doctor Who, a British show which now airs on BBC America on the same approximate day as in England.  I love Downton Abbey, which makes it all the crueler that I know England has it first, and for four months.  I feel the same way about Sherlock, another British import that airs months late in America. As a British television lover, I just think it's dirty.  Check on the new trailer for season three here.  The trailer features music from the choir used on The Social Network trailers.

Sherlock Withdraw: Reasons to Wait

Cumberbatch and Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson

     
      With two, three episode seasons already completed, BBC utterly genius Sherlock leaves viewers hungry for more.  There was an almost two year gap between the first and second season.  Steven Moffat, creator of the show and current Doctor Who runner argues that each 90 minute episode is a movie, and should be treated as such.  He does not believe it our favorite boys from Baker's Street will be gone from the television for too long.  Until then, there are reasons to practice patience when suffering from Sherlock withdraw.

1.  Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes with equal parts wit and charm, is staring in Star Trek 2 possibly as the villain.  Very exciting indeed.

2.  Martin Freeman (John Watson) will be seen in the next three Hobbit films as Bilbo Baggins and Cumberbatch will be playing the dragon.  It eases the aching heart a bit, doesn't it.

3.  Steven Moffat is busy making Doctor Who fantastic, adding a new companion for The Doctor and perhaps answering the ultimate question: Doctor WHO.  If you aren't watching it, you should be, stat!

4.  We know Sherlock survived his dramatic fall after defeating Moriarty, so now it is only a matter of waiting for the certain to be brilliant reunion between Watson and Holmes. The longer the wait the better the drama.  (Think Jin and Sun in Lost).

5.  Each episode is like a movie.  We've got six movies in the past two years.  What's waiting another year for one more?  Odds are the new season will be out in 2013.

6.  Good things are worth the wait, and Sherlock may just be one of the best shows on television, period.  It is certainly my favorite of the Sherlock Holmes interpretations.

7.  Fans are used to suffering for their passions.  (Firefly fans, I see you and I'm one of you).  It gives people something to fuss about.

8.  With Moriarty out of the picture, fans get the chance to speculate on the next villain. In Moriarty, Sherlock found an opposite and an equal, who went absolutely mad.  The next villain will need to up his game to match or even surpass such a man.

     Take heart Sherlock fans, the wait will be worth it.  If you've yet to see Sherlock, you have six wonderful episodes of masterful television.  Enjoy!

Sherlocked

Sherlock: The Clear Winner

         
            Sherlock has made a comeback in a big way.  Then again, to have a comeback, you have to have left, and Sherlock Holmes has never really been off the minds of his fans since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first created the crime solving agent for good.  The man has inspired countless movies, shows, and books. With a new show cleverly titled Elementary and set in modern day New York City in the works for the new television season, Sherlock has also dominated the big screen with Robert Downey Junior's sleuth.  Elementary stars Johnny Lee Miller as the famed detective and Lucy Liu (an egad female!) as Joan Watson.  It isn't the first time the stories and characters of Sherlock Holmes' world have been changed.  House, which recently closed its curtains, focused on the Sherlock-like relationship between House and his best and arguably only friend Wilson.  The real question is, is there room for Elementary, when a truly masterful Sherlock is on bbc and pbs?  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Holmes with acidic power in the Steven Moffat run and aptly named Sherlock, with Martin Freeman (Bilbo in the upcoming Hobbit movies) playing his war veteran best friend Watson.  The show is set in modern London, and has become an international hit with its two short, three episode seasons.  The show honors traditions and arch-enemies like Moriaty while adding new flavor and hightened humor and danger.  In short, it is my favorite of the giant Sherlock empire.  I appreciate the Sherlock movies, and can get sucked into an occasional episode of House, but Sherlock sticks and stands out above the rest.  Perhaps Elementary's saving grace will be that it will be a normal, multi-episode show, whereas Sherlock runs more as a mini-series.  I, like others who love Sherlock Holmes, will at least give it a good objective chance.  Like a parent who has another kid, Sherlock fans will just have to let their hearts make room for another version of their favorite detective.  Unlike a parent with another kid, if Elementary stinks, the fans can say goodbye.