ERMERGERSH! NEW SHERLOCK FOOTAGE!

Okay, so Sunday, the BBC released a promo for all their original dramas. And among them was Sherlock, and it featured some new footage!

Here it is...

  I can't resist a little analysis...

  There's not much to say about the Sherlock footage. A good chunk of it is Sherlock in different places. There is a part where Sherlock is talking to John, mentioning how it's quote "you and me against the world" in what I believe is a Canon quote. Also, his beautiful perfect lip is split. Either John decked him for making him believe he was dead, or that's a result of the adventure...

  But there's the part that's got me and the fangirls all excited:

CUMBERLOCK. ON A. FREAKING. MOTORCYCLE. HECK. YES...

 

  Moffat and Gatiss (I'm more inclined to believe the later) are spoiling us. I'm not sure who's on the bike with Cumberlock though. The figure suggests a woman. Now, she's wearing a red jacket like I've seen Amanda Abington wearing in set pictures. So it most likely could be Mary Morstan. But I'm also kinda hoping it's Molly, because I ship it  I ship it so hard reasons... Or, it could be another woman me and the Cumbercollective will be jealously screaming "get off our man" to... ;P

 

  But, whoever it is, IT'S BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS SHERLOCK ON A MOTORCYCLE! *swoon* All we need is him to wear glasses and I'll be completely satisfied fanservice-wise...

  Anyway, that's all I gotta say. Can't wait for Season 3. I'm really excited for this one. And SAVE ME WITH "THE EMPTY HEARSE" GATISS!!! YOU'RE THE ONLY WRITER ON THE SHOW I CAN THOURGHLY RELY ON!!!! DX

"Please, Jim, Will You Fix It For Me?"

... So, my beloved Benedict Cumberbatch did not win at The Golden Globes.

  I am dissapointed. He really deserved it. Oh, well; he still has that Crime Thriller Award (which looks SO MUCH COOLER by the way...) But he's still amazing. It just be nice if The Hollywood Foreign Press Assosiation could've rewarded it...

  In other news, I've decided I'm never watching Hatford and McCoys as it is no doubt awful and not as good as Sherlock... >:(

Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock (BBC) -"The Reichenbach Fall"

 

  Due to the sad nature of the episode reviewed, to keep any of the fans still crippled with "Reichenfeels" calm, smooth jazz will be deployed...

 

 

   ...Well, that's just depressing...

 

  Yes, the time has come at long last to review the second season finale of Sherlock, "The Reichenbach Fall". Certainly the biggest downer of the series, known for causing uncontrolled sobbing in the fandom, frustration for not being able to figure out how the heck Sherlock pulled off what he did, and the possible amusement and feeling of victory for the creators and writers. Let's go in, shall we?

 

  And since this is one I can't really discuss without spoiling anything:

 

I got a new gif to use. (Strangely works for the episode, doesn't it, Whovians/Wholockians?)

 

  (Oh, and FYI, I may have a "semi-graphic" picture (it has blood), just... be forewarned, and don't say I didn't tell you)

 

  Sherlock's fame has reached an all-time high. He's been dubbed a "hero", the press has nicknamed him and John (much to their chagrin), and the media seems to love him (which worries John, since he knows they can turn at any moment). But Moriarty's baaaaack, having committed the crime of the century, and manages to get deemed "not guilty". And that's certainly not the final problem Sherlock faces. Deception, depression, and a tragic cliffhanger ensue.

 

   Surprisingly, Steve Thompson wrote this... and it was good. Though, I don't know how much say Moffat and Gatiss had in the episode, or how much the other writers have in the other guy's episodes in general. Who knows, some of the things I thought were terrible in the other episodes could have been the other guy's ideas (Gatiss could've suggested the "John mistaken for Sherlock" thing to Thompson, Thompson could have suggested the terrorists at the end of "Belgravia" to Moffat, Moffat could've told Gatiss Moriarty needs to be 7% more camp, etc.), I have no idea what it's like when they're writing. But, I'll give Thompson the benefit of the doubt. He made the episode work, and it's leaps and bounds better than his contribution last season.

 

  Moriarty here was absolutely magnificent. At his best. Like I said in my "The Great Game" review, I think he toned down this episode. He still does some weird things with his voice (*high-pitched* "Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"). But overall, I think Scott reined it in this time. The whole plan he had was awesome and pretty well-crafted. He ruins Sherlock's credibility and forces him into doing something... drastic. And you got to give him props for having a roughly more than three-month long plan, and almost everything to go off without a hitch. He was absolutely a chessmaster/puppetmaster here. And I loved it. He certainly went out with a bang (in more ways than one...)

 

 Martin Freeman as John was top-notch as far as acting goes this episode. He gave a fantastic performance. This kind of shows why the man has a BAFTA for his role on the show. And, again, shows why they should have sent the whole season to the Emmys instead of one freaking episode. The whole time, you know John is trying to keep Sherlock's best interests in mind, and wants to protect him.

 

  I also loved Molly's character, here.  True, I already adored the character, but she was great here. First of all, she's come a long way from the girl we met in "A Study in Pink". And, of course, she wants to help Sherlock. She knows something's wrong with him, and he's hiding it, and she wants to help him sort it out. And you can tell Sherlock's come a long way, too. He's gone from callous and thoughtless when it comes to her, to telling her she's "always counted", and relying on her to... well, we still don't know what he needed her to do, which is one of the many reasons we need the third season to come out.

 

  And now, the big thing I need to discuss: the "death" of Cumberlock. Oh, sweet mercy, the death of Cumberlock. On the roof of St. Bart's, Moriarty threatens to have John, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade all killed unless Sherlock jumps from the building, and kills himself so Sherlock can't force him to call off the assassins. Sherlock then has a heartbreaking phone call with John down bellow. He even lies and tells John to tell everyone he really is a fake. Then, he jumps off the building...

I'm trying to make the fandom laugh a little more and handle the feels...

...It's a coping mechanism... 

 

  ...Or, not quite. We see him alive at the end. He somehow managed to survive. But we saw him fall. We saw the body. There are multiple theories floating around the Internet, and, of course, the two creators barely help with their clues. The frustration with the lack of season three continues.

 

  The whole last act is rough, and left me wanting to hug every regular character (except Molly, because she's no doubt in on Sherlock's survival and probably fairly fine). First of all, we have Mycroft Holmes. Mycroft was forced to give Moriarty details on Sherlock when he was interrogating him (sorry I'm terrible at explaining everything, just watch the episode if you haven't already). Moriarty then used that to mix with his lie when he tricked the press into thinking Sherlock was a fraud. I feel bad for him. Especially since I don't think Sherlock ever got his apology. And, unlike the version aired on PBS, we get to see him read the paper with the news of Sherlock's death. It made it kind of worse. Fighting or not, selling him out in a human moment of weakness or not, he loved Sherlock.

 

  Then there's Lestrade. He had to arrest Sherlock (who is no doubt considered his friend by now) when they (Anderson and Donovan, mostly) suspected he might've been manufacturing the crimes he solved. I think he still believed (or wanted to believe) in Sherlock. And he wanted to sort this all out correctly. He even warns Sherlock they're coming to arrest him. But then Sherlock ran off with John before anything could be sorted out. The last time he see him alive is Sherlock handcuffed to John and pointing a gun! We never see how he reacted, which is good and bad to me. Bad, because I'm curious to see what his reaction was. Good, because I think if they added his reaction, I would have probably lost it.

 

  Mrs. Hudson's was sad too, I mean, he was like a son to her, it seemed. The last time she saw him was being arrested.

 

  And, of course, there was John. Dear me, John. His whole monologue in the cemetery to Sherlock's tombstone was so sad. Again, thanks in part to Martin's performance. The two were so close! And there's the whole "seeing your friend suddenly die" thing, and... and his life seemed to be so sad before the two met. And... GAH!

 

  Now, before I go to last minute thoughts, I think I should mention my reaction. I thought this was so sad. I didn't cry or suffer an emotional breakdown like some fangirls say (and I've seen...sorta). But I don't cry that much with entertainment. But, I will say this: I almost did. I had a lump in my throat, my eyes were watery, and I felt numb this re-watch. And I can only think of three other times I remember I've nearly cried over some movie/show I've seen (E.T., "The Parting of Ways" episode of Doctor Who, and The Avengers (though the latter was more happy tears)). That is an accomplishment enough.

 

  Okay, last minute thoughts:

•  I'm just going to say it now: I think the creator's "Sherlock behaving out of character" clue is him asking for Anderson's help in the kidnapping case...
•  Besides the fact the episode is a reinterpretation of "The Final Problem" (as Moriarty constantly reminds us), the canon nods I caught are one of Sherlock's deductions about the reporter, a hanging"suicide" that's not a suicide that Sherlock solves, the abduction of children from a school, and The Diogenes Club. And, as a bonus, one of the men in the Diogenes Club is an actor who's previously played Sherlock Holmes in the 1960's!
• My favorite scenes were most of the ones involving Moriarty, the Molly scenes, and the entire last third of the episode.
• I really liked the song "Sinnerman" from the "preparing for Moriarty's trial" scene.

  And with that sad but good ending to another season of a good show, I end my Sherlock reviews for now. They won't start shooting the next season until March, I have no idea when they'll finish and start airing, or when America gets to see the episodes. Tonight, I have to get back to Elementary. Maybe it'll be good. And will do a better job of getting me through the hiatus. At the very least, I'll get to watch Joan Watson be awesome some more.

  Anyway, I've waited this long, right?



Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock (BBC) - "The Hounds of Baskerville"

 

 

  Yay! After the disappointing "A Scandal in Belgravia", came my second favorite episode overall (and favorite this season): "The Hounds of Baskerville"!

 

"I ain't afraid of no hound!" (Yes, I HAD to make the joke...)

 

   Henry Knight goes to Sherlock for help. When he was a little boy, he saw his father killed by a "monstrous hound". He believes it's still out there, so Sherlock and John drive out to Dartmoor. Is the beast from the local millitary research outpost, Baskerville? And why does Henry call it a "hound"? Emotions, revelations, character development, fear, and foreshadowing for the finale ensue.

 

   Before I begin gushing, may I just say some things about this DVD I forgot to say in the "Belgravia" review? First of all, I'm happy that this DVD has an ad for the DVD of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, like Shadows had for the season 2 DVD. ^_^ Also, I have to wonder why they had to use the creepy promo picture of Moriarty on the cover, out of all the possible pictures to use.

 

GAH! KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!!!

   Anyway, back to the actual episode. This one was, of course, written by Mark Gatiss. Gatiss is probably my favorite writer on Sherlock so far, mostly because he's proven to be the most consistent on the show. Moffat wrote my favorite "A Study in Pink", but I feel he didn't do as well as he could have with Irene Adler on "Belgravia". And of course Thompson wrote the worst episode, "The Blind Banker", but wrote a good episode with "The Riechenbach Fall". Gatiss, however, has written two episodes I thought were good and I liked. Heck, I kind of wish he'd write more for Sherlock than Doctor Who (he's not so consistently good (to me) there.)

 

  The whole mystery is a pretty good one. And it has a pretty good twist. I'm actually going to try not to spoil it, but just in case it or any others slip through my gushing:

...I need a new gif of River, this one's getting old...

  Anyway, there are also some other shocking reveals as well as the one to the mystery, like: OH MY GOSH, CUMBERLOCK CAN DRIVE! And Lestrade's name isn't, in fact, "Detective Inspector"; it's Greg! (Though, I'm still calling him Lestrade, it's what I'm used to and that's an awesome last name (as most last names from the Canon can be. Kind of like how I don't call Moriarty "Jim" because a villain named "Jim" is too weird and "Moriarty" is cooler...) And, in the end scene/foreshadowing, we find out that Moriarty has become the Sherlock Fandom waiting for season 3!

 

  But, joking aside, I really like this episode. First of all, Sherlock gets more of his humanizing exploration of emotions he started last episode, as he feels fear and doubt for the first time. And it is amazing. Cumberbatch just absolutely sold it with his performance. Seriously, just look at the scene where Sherlock's breaking down in the pub and tell me why 1) this man didn't get a BAFTA for his role yet, 2) why they didn't send this or the other episodes to the Emmys instead of "Belgravia", when this surely would have got him one, and 3) why he shouldn't get a Golden Globe January 13th. (I'd post it, but I can't find the whole scene on YouTube and I don't want to post five clips all together and take up space.)

 

  Plus, we have Sherlock apologizing again, this time to John, in his own way. It's heartwarming.

 

  And John gets some good moments, too. He gets to do a little deduction of his own. Granted, he's wrong again, but I'll give him this: he was rather clever with the "UMQRA" red herring. I think I forget sometimes (with how noticeable the other two Watsons currently out there are about it) that Freeman's John is rather clever, too. And I feel bad about not giving him enough credit in that regard. And I think, while last season showed "John the doctor" more, this one's more "John the soldier." 

 

Yes, please!

 

  And, as I feel the need to do, I must talk about Mycroft and Lestrade, here. Mycroft only has two brief appearances here. But I absolutely adore this annoyed face he has when he finds out Sherlock's impersonating him in Baskerville. To me, it's almost like he saying, "Oh, not again, Sherlock..." And Lestrade joins in around the end. He gets to be/feel awesome, too. And I think this was the episode I decided "I really like Lestrade! Even if he has the marksmanship of a Stormtrooper! :P"

 

  Oh, and did I mention that Mycroft sent Lestrade out to Baskerville to keep an eye on our favorite duo? Now I'm curious how they know each other. Are they almost bros or just acquaintances? When did they cross paths, "A Study in Pink" (the only time they were relatively close to each other we've seen in-show) or another time? Will we get to finally see them interact next season? (Fingers crossed for the latter.) And is it strange I kind of wish John and Mycroft would've had this conversation next episode on the matter, as a joke/call back?:

 

...Maybe I spend too much time with the fandom...

  And, as one last gush, I really thought the graphics were top notch this episode. They're usually good, but this episode stands out to me. Especially when Sherlock goes into his "mind palace". And, I usually don't bring up "atmosphere", but this one did have a nice, creepy atmosphere to go with the creepy concept. Well done on that part, Gatiss!

 

  All right, last minute thoughts:

 

•  There are too many good scenes to count here, again. Just watch this episode, it's amazing.
•  The canon nods, besides the many nods to the source material adapted: The Hound of the Baskervilles, we have a mention of Sherlock using a harpoon on a dead pig to solve a case, Sherlock saying he needs something "7% stronger" (the 7% solution of cocaine, anyone?), a little something from another story (I'm still trying not to spoil this one), and Sherlock saying someone (here, Lestrade) looks "brown as a nut", I believe. And of course, we get the "Whatever remains" line! :D
• "It's an experiment" is probably the best justification for anything ever, next to "FOR SCIENCE!" 

  Overall, this is a spectacular episode! It's fantastic! It is amazing! It is brilliant! It's a good episode. Again, it's up there with "Pink" as far as quality goes.

  ...Just in time for the writers to rip the fandom's heart out with "The Reichenbach Fall"! Next time, I wrap up the Sherlock reviews until season 3 ever arrives...

Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock (BBC) - "A Scandal in Belgravia"

  Hoo boy, the time has come at last to review "A Scandal in Belgravia", and explain my problem with it.

  So, after a brief recap of the final events of "The Great Game", and the (rather humorous) resolution to the cliffhanger, life goes on as Sherlock and John do more cases. But in the middle of one of Sherlock's latest cases, Mycroft drags him away from it. He wants Sherlock to aid him in getting some...compromising photos of a female member of the royal family and... *shudders* dominatrix Irene Adler. (Oh, that hurts to write). This leads to a six month game of cat-and-mouse. Deduction, seduction, and some of my faith in Moffat's destruction ensues.

Eh, you probably figured, but just to be safe...

  Yeah, you can already see my problem with this, so let's just get it over with. I dislike what Moffat did with Irene Adler. I'll admit, upon re-watching, I saw shades of the Irene Adler I love in the Canon and the Guy Ritchie movies: A clever, capable woman who's a good match/opponent for Sherlock. I can see what people like about this version. But it's hard to appreciate it when she's got so much "fanservice" heaped on her.

  First, there's the whole matter of her profession here. How the heck does "Opera Singer/Adventuress in the 19th Century" equal "21st Century gay/bisexual (she identifies herself as gay in-episode, but then it's revealed she has feelings for Sherlock, so...) dominatrix"? Well, I tried doing the math and it didn't add up. But after I dismissed it at "fanservicy-wericy, Moffaty-Woffaty stuff", I looked up something just to double-check my facts here (as I write this review, actually), and apparently (according to Wikipedia (though that in itself is rather dubious truth)) "adventuress" (at the time of the original "A Scandal in Bohemia" story), meant "courtesan", which int turn means mistress or (in today's society) high-class prostitute. So, I guess I see where he was coming from with that.

  Doesn't mean I like it.

  I mean, honestly, did you have to take that little detail and blow it up? Seriously, dominatrix? You couldn't have gone with anything else?

  I mean, even knowing the courtesan thing, now, that wasn't really that big a thing with the Canon one, it was just a minor detail that she'd had an affair (or "affairs", possibly). It's not something that's a big part of her character. More of a cliffnote. Here, we get plenty of reminders that she "knows what men like". Honestly, Moffat, on Doctor Who you had the character Amy, who was a "kissogram", and you didn't drag that out hardly ever. And there's the fact that he and Gatiss said on the commentary for "Pink" that they wouldn't make a big deal out of the whole "drug" thing, since it didn't matter much in canon anyway. But we're exaggerating something most people probably wouldn't realize? I don't like that.

  It sort of similar to the problem I have with Millerlock on Elementary. He has things I'll admit I like about him, and traits from canon, but one of the things I can't quite get past with him is the fact he (to use the euphemism from this episode) "has dinner" with random women.

  I mean, of all the female characters to mess up with (for me, anyway), you chose one of my favorites to mess up with? And it's a shame, I usually like the female characters he writes (River Song, Clara/Oswin Oswald, etc.). I guess I wish Irene could've been more like them instead of what she was like, too.
 (And I feel obliged to add that I mean no disrespect to Lara Pulver, the actress who plays her in this show. She did an amdittedly good job with the role presented, and she seems like a very nice woman from what I've seen.)

  And there's the fact we have a whole scene where Adler's naked (albeit everything inappropriate is obscured by camera angles) in front of Sherlock (and eventually John). Really, Moffat, really? I mean, I know it had two points in-story (throw off Cumberlock's deductions, and give him a way to get her measurements), but really? That was the option to go with? And apparently, it caused a minor controversy in England, because things like that aren't allowed to be shown there pre-watershed (the cutoff at 9:00, before they show more adult programing). So, yeah...

  And finally, there's the whole matter of the ending. After Sherlock's final "confrontation" with Adler, Mycroft reveals to John some time later that she was captured by Middle-Eastern terrorists and beheaded. Or so he thinks. Turns out Sherlock managed to get there and secretly save her. (Hooray. She gets to live while the movie version gets killed off in the first few minutes of the second movie to rarely be brought up again and the unknown Elementary version is apparently dead if you believe Millerlock...) Oh, the questions it's since raised for me...

  First of all, I don't think terrorists work the way they do as shown there. Second, Irene gets to make a last text with her own cell phone. Uh, do terrorists allow that? (Forgive me if I don't know how such things work, I've been fortunate not to be involved in such things.) Let alone with their victim's own phones? And how'd Irene Adler tick off the terrorists anyway? Did she mess around with a prominent member and blackmail them? How far does her business extend? And how did Sherlock find out she'd be in Karachi, anyway? Let alone get in there in time? It just raises too many questions!

  But even after reciting the MST3K mantra of "It's just a show, I should really just relax", why was the scene necessary? After all, in Canon, Irene more or less saved herself by by fleeing to America with her husband and taking the photo with her, and outwitting Sherlock by using his pride against him when following him. Here, she needs Sherlock to come in and save her. It's kind of sad when the version from the 19th century (a time I don't associate with "feminist") seems better than the 21st in that regard.

  But enough moaning and groaning! I think I have to be fair and mention the positives. Besides Irene, this episode had some very decent things. Mostly with characters.

  There were some really nice interactions between all the regular characters. First of all, there's John, who spends the episode looking out for Sherlock throughout the whole episode, trying to do what's best for his friend. Then there's the interactions with Mrs. Hudson. I've sort of ignored it these past few reviews, but I love the mother/son-eske relationship between Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock (and to an extent, John). It really sweet andI feel it's most prominent here. Especially when Sherlock nearly destroys an American agent for harming and threatening her.

  Also, there's Molly and Sherlock. We see a little more of her standing up to Sherlock when he's being... well, Cumberlock. You can see a bit of a turning point with the two, when she calls Sherlock out for the horrible, blunt things he says. And I felt good that she at least got an appology and kiss on the cheek from Sherlock. Lord knows the woman earned it.

  Plus, Mycroft got some good scenes, too. We get to see more of him caring about Sherlock in his own way. Such as trying to console him after Irene's first supposed "death" (she fakes being dead twice here), in his own way. And there was the conversation between John and him when they try and deside what to tell Sherlock when they think terrorists killed her.

 Speaking of Sherlock, as usual, Benedict is awesome as Sherlock. As is the character. He's firing on all deductive cylinders. And he proves when it comes to some fights he gets, that he's got them moves like Downeylock. Ooh, and we get to see him half nacked. And the female portion of the fandom rejoiced. ;)

  And just some last minute Lestrade love here, seeing as this is the season I started to adore him, I loved him talking another inspector through working with Sherlock. And it was nice to hear he was helping John deliver a drugged-up Sherlock back to 221B (even if he was recording the whole thing on his phone...) And they even invited him to Christmas! ^_^ And now, I take a moment to appreciate Lestrade's face when he sees Molly all dolled up...

Oh, you... ^_^

  Alright, last minute thoughts:

 -Canon nods (besides this being a reinterpretation of "Bohemia") include: the counter stuck on 1895 on John's blog (that being the "best year" for Sherlock), "the client is illustrius" ("The Illustrius Client"), and "The wheel turns, nothing is ever new" is a quote from Canon, too, I think.

 -I don't have too many "Favorite scenes", but I do like the opening scene (until we get our first glimpse of Adler...), the Buckingham Palace scene, the Christmas scene, and Sherlock taking down the American agent...

 -Speaking of Americans; man are we jerks here...

 - I'm now convinced Moriarty can somewhat break Fourth Wall and read the subtitles, for some reason. (Though the movie version can do "Holmes-O-Vision", so it wouldn't suprise me...)

  -Funny, in the first movie, Irene Adler drugged Downeylock (though it was through a drink, not a needle like this one did) as well, and he was naked afterwords with a pillow to cover him up. Cumberlock covered up with a sheet, but his half-naked scene was before the scene where he's drugged . Okay, I'm calling it now: if we ever see Irene Adler on Elementary, she's going to/ will have drugged Millerlock at some point, while he's naked covered up with an air matress! :P

-Okay, so we have: Molly who's got a crush on Sherlock, Moriarty who at least flirts with Sherlock, characters who've (at one point or another) thought John's romatically involved with Sherlock, and now Irene who has a crush on Sherlock. HOLY CRAP! Just imagine if he was trying! O_O

Well, if Violet Hunter (or even that girl Sherlock gets engaged to for crime-solving purposes in "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton") came to play, or anyone ELSE reveals they have/had feelings for him or anything of that nature, I think he gets a free sandwich at Speedy's...

 -Fun Fact: all the cases in the opening montage of cases can be read on the blog (yes, they actually have an in-character blog for John, along with Sherlock's website, and even a blog for Molly Hooper which soldifies my desire to hug her if she were real). They're pretty good reads, and based on canon cases.

  Overall, it wasn't up to the standards I have for Moffat when it comes to writing. Like I've said, this episode (along with most of season 5 of Doctor Who) kind of damaged my faith in him as a writer. Oh well, you can't write gems all the time. And, to be fair, it was a decent episode (minus Adler). Not one of his better season kickoffs. But still a better episode than "The Blind Banker".

  Well, only one thing left to say: GATISS! I NEED YOU TO SAVE ME AGAIN! MOFFAT DIDN"T DELIVER THIS TIME!

Oh, and Happy New Year's Eve...

 

Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock (BBC): The Great Game

  *phew* I apologize for my ranting last review. It's just, last episode was dull and some of the things were stupid when I thought about them... But okay, I'm good now.

  Anyway, with "The Blind Banker" failing to match the wonder of "A Study in Pink", we move on the the first season/series finale of Sherlock: "The Great Game" by written by co-creator and actor on the show, Mark Gatiss!

  Sherlock, after being in a state of boredom from lack of work, receives a phone resembling the one from "A Study in Pink". IT soon turns out Moriarty was the one who sent the phone, and the villainous scoundrel sends a series of puzzling crimes his way. Our beloved sleuth must solve in the time allotted by the criminal, otherwise innocent people strapped to bomb jackets go boom! These cases include: A cold case from Sherlock's past, a man's disappearance, the host of a daytime TV show's death, and a forged painting. Also, Mycroft seeks Sherlock's assistance with a murder case/theft as well, so Sherlock sends John out for the task. The answer to the question "who is Moriarty?", brilliance from the two leads, what TV Tropes calls "Foe Yay", and a cliffhanger ensues.

  ...Do I even have to say it at this point? There are some...

  Alright, first of all, it was fantastic to have some familiar faces (Lestrade and & Mycroft) again this episode. Oh, Lestrade! I missed you! Last episode was awful! The other DI was so dull! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE US AGAIN, YOUNG MAN! >:( And of course, Mycroft's always great to have. (Minor note, I smiled at Mycroft's reason he wasn't investigating the murder/theft himself being that it "requires legwork". Oh, Mycroft, you lazy man...)

  There's a lot to say about John, here. We get to see more of the "John as Cumberlock's conscience" thing I mentioned in "Pink". He points out when Sherlock is going a bit too far when pointing something out to Molly (I'll get to that later...),and calls out Sherlock for lacking concern for the people Moriarty's endangered; only seeming to care that the cases get solved. And, I noticed that John got to shine a little bit here, too. Like I said, Sherlock sends John to handle Mycroft's problem, and John actually seems to get close to the solution before Sherlock jumps in at the end. Heck, he even gets to make a few deductions himself. Granted, they weren't all right, but you could see his logic behind them, they were sound ideas, and he tried, darn it! And that's all that mattered and I liked it!

  Sherlock, as always, was brilliant. And, while he is rather unsympathetic to people at times, he still gets some good moments. Like at the end, after the first confrontation with Moriarty, when the first thing he does is get John out of the bomb jacket. It reminds us, "hey, our tin-man detective does have a heart!" Trust me, he gets better next season.

  The cases were good, too. I enjoyed the Carl Powers murder and the Connie Prince murder cases. The Janis Cars disappearance was kind of eh. The painting one was alright, and the Bruce-Partington plans was worth it to see John be clever.

 

  Okay, now the BIG thing this episode, Jim Moriarty! I know Andrew Scott's portrayal Moriarty is kind of "love him or hate him". Personally, I like him. I'll explain why.

  At first, I'll admit, when he first comes in, I was thinking: "This is Moriarty?" But he kinda grew on me. Yes, his voice was weird this first episode with him. He kept going form high-pitched, to shouting, to normal. It was funny, but at the same time a tad annoying. I think Andrew Scott was having a little too much fun with Moriarty this episode. But I think he at least reigns it in more by the second season/series finale.

  And, when I started turning on my analytical portion of my brain. He kind of works as Cumberlock's villainous foil. Jim Moriarty is kind of an unpredictable psychopath. Sherlock, while still a bit crazy himself, is at least a bit more contained (at least in comparison). This Moriarty's rather flirtatious, and Sherlock made it clear in episode one that that sort of thing wasn't "his area". Plus, with Moriarty being a "consulting criminal" here, it sets him up as the sort of dark counterpart to Sherlock I view the character as in general. But, I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into it.

  I also kind of think he's a fun villain. Kinda camp, but fun. And, considering I also like John Simm's version of The Master on Doctor Who, who's quite similar to this Moriarty, maybe I just like that type of villain. The point is, I like him. I'm not saying everyone has to like him, it's all opinion. Heck, there are characters people like that I really don't care much for. And I can see where the people that dislike this version are coming from. That's all.

  Though, there is one thing I need to address about Mr. Moriarty; two words: "Hello. Sexy." Oh, sweet lord, this line. I swear this was my reaction when I first saw this episode and heard this:

I kid you not, I did this...

 

  I then proceeded to laugh.  Anyway, logic tells me: "He's trying to mess with Sherlock's head." But then a louder voice says, "That's no fun! We can't get joke fodder for humor comics from that! THINK OF THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LULZ!" (Yes, I am mildly insane. What was your first clue?") Either way, it's gonna stick with me and I will never let this version live it down. Ever. >:D 

  Anyway, last minute thoughts:

• The nods to canon this episode include: Sherlock shooting the wall in boredom, The Bruce-Partington plans being reinterpreted, maybe Mycroft not willing to do legwork, John chronicling the duo's adventures, "I'd be lost without my blogger" ("Boswell, in canon), "five pips" ("Five Orange Pips"), a mention of "Bohemia", and Sherlock saying Molly's gained weight since she started dating "Jim from IT" (*cough*Moriarty*cough*) (Sherlock says the same thing about Watson after marrying Mary in "A Scandal in Bohemia (I think).). Oh, and a modified version of Sherlock's "Attic" monologue from A Study in Scarlet appears. And Sherlock having a network of homeless people to be his eyes and ears in the city is probably based on the Irregulars from canon, too.
• My favorite scenes are the opening one, the wall-shooting scene, the scene where Sherlock's disguised as a museum guard, and the end scene. The planetarium scene was rather clever, too. Plus, when Sherlock starts watching "crap telly".

I also like the "You scratch their backs..." "...And then I disinfect..." exchange. And this possible subtle joke I just noticed, where the news says Connie Prince (the TV host) died at 48, but when Lestrade shows the dynamic duo her body, he says she was 54.
• Sadly, I haven't seen the commentary on this episode yet. It's Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Martin Freeman, so I'm sure it's entertaining. And it has the infamous "Rupert Graves is good at football and has five children" quote...
• The Golem is creepy as heck! DX

  Anyway, this was a decent episode and a decent finale. Was it "A Study in Pink" calibre? No. But it was waaaaay better than "The Blind Banker".

   It ends on a cliffhanger, like I said, and left me eager for the next season. Especially since the first episode of the new season was written by Moffat! And it was a version of "A Scandal in Bohemia"! What could go wrong?

  ...We'll see when I review "A Scandal in Belgravia"...

Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock (BBC): "The Blind Banker"

  Well, after the magnificent fantasticness that was the first episode of Sherlock, I was excited for the next episode, "The Blind Banker"...

Never has a gif worked so well...

 ...That excitement didn't last...

  Well, let's get on with it. An old classmate of Sherlock's calls him in to investigate a strange symbol that was spray-painted in his financial-trading job thing's building, on one of the higher levels inside. Turns out one of the traders and later another guy are killed impossibly. They both were killed within their home, when no one can get in. They also both receive the same coded message before they died. A plot involving a Chinese smuggling ring, John having a bad week, some stupidity on our heroes's part, a bizarre misunderstanding, and general boredom ensues.

  Oh, and did I mention John "collegezones" Sherlock this episode? No? Because he does.

It's worse than the friendzone, in that they don't consider you a friend (yet)... (and yes, I realize I misspelled "college", but I can't exactly fix it, now)

  Yeah, if you haven't guessed yet, I'm not a fan of this episode. I'm probably going to rant a wee bit, so expect...

 The episode was written by the Steve Thompson, the third writer on Sherlock and not one of the "creators". Needless to say, it's not his best work. He'll get better come next season. Someone on TV Tropes described this episode as feeling like Moffat and Gatiss "simply left The Blind Banker writer Stephen Thompson out of the creative loop, not discussing or showing him anything from either episode. "It's Sherlock Holmes, and it's in the modern day. You figure out the details."" And that's kind of what it feels like.

  This episode is probably the most "filler-like". There's really not much that carries over to the next episode. Only three things: a spray can that's only used for a canon nod in the beginning, John's girlfriend Sarah (who I'll discuss later) who only appears once that episode and serves little more than as a place for John to stay after a fight with Sherlock, and a brief "cameo" from Moriarty at the end.

  We also don't see much of the reoccurring characters who aren't Sherlock or John. We only get a brief appearance from Molly, and two brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances by Mrs. Hudson. Unless you count Moriarty's cameo-via-text. Everyone else is a new character. We get no Lestrade (boo!) and no Mycroft (boo, but understandable, since there's no real way to shoehorn him in, here.).

  So, let's talk about some of the new characters we meet. First there's Sherlock's old classmate Sebastian Wilkes. He's a jerk, I don't like him, moving on. Then there's DI Dimmock, the new inspector to fill in for Lestrade while he's gone. He's uninteresting, he's not Lestrade, and I don't care much about him. He's not my inspector!

  John also gets a girlfriend this episode named Sarah Sawyer. She's an alright character, too. I loved it when she automatically starts beat the guy who's attacking Sherlock during John and her's date. John has good taste in women. It is kind of a shame that she didn't get more time on the show, since she only only appears in one scene next episode, and later breaks-up with John off-screen. She was kind of wasted, actually. Though, since I love Watson with Mary Morstan (I'm hoping she appears in series/season 3), I'm not completely heartbroken.

  There's not much to say about Sherlock this episode. He's still good, but the boring badness of this episode kind of dulls it.

  As for John, this was like the universe hated him this episode. The only things that went semi-well for him was getting a girlfriend and getting a job filling in at a surgery (which I'm going to assume is the British equivalent of a regular doctor's office) (but we never hear about the job again, like almost everything else this episode... T_T). Here are the ways the episode picked on him:

1. The self-checkout fiasco (though I admit, those can get annoying...)
2. He's mistaken for a graffiti artist and ends up getting a court summons
3. Falling asleep at his job (Hmm, maybe that's why we never hear about his job again...though he does end up using that to ask Sarah out, so it wasn't a total loss for him...)
4. Sherlock inviting himself along on John's date, and said date quickly becoming a "Circus Blitz".
5. Him and Sarah getting abducted by the smugglers. And finally...
6. He's mistaken for Sherlock and almost has Sarah killed by the smugglers (I'll get to that later...)

  It's kind of sad, really. Funny at points, but sad...

  Sadly, there is some stupidity on the part of our heroes in the museum scene. They know Soo Lin, a character who was a former smuggler, is marked for death by the Black Lotus (the smuggling gang), and one of the only people who can help them crack the code. So what does John do when Sherlock runs off to confront the group's assassin? He runs to save Sherlock, leaving Soo Lin alone to face her doom even though Sherlock told him to stay put! *facepalm* Honestly, John, I love that you're so loyal to Sherlock, but for the love of all that's good, THINK, MAN!

A dramatic re-enactment...

  Speaking of the smugglers, The Black Lotus, they are a little infuriating, too. First, there's kind of the whole "racist" thing. Every Chinese character here is somehow involved with the smuggling ring. Soo Lin was only a former one and probably the only real "good guy" one, but as I said earlier, she gets killed. Yeah... that's not unfortunate implications right there.

  Then there's the whole "mistaking John for Sherlock" thing. That was stupid! Their logic was stupid! Okay, I can give them the "he had Sherlock's card, a check made out to Sherlock, and the circus tickets reserved in Sherlock's name" thing, that's slightly feasible. But then they use John's sarcastic comment that "I'm Sherlock Holmes, and I always work alone, because no one else can compete with my massive intellect!" from earlier in the episode as evidence. CAN THESE PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND BLOODY SARCASM!? Honestly! Did these people not look up who Sherlock was? At all? They knew there was a Sherlock Holmes and what he did, but come on!

  And it's revealed Moriarty helped them get into England, and that they were at least somewhat in communication with him. Did he not think to tell them "Hey, there's this guy out there: Sherlock Holmes. He's about 6'0; dark, curly hair; Glasz eyes; wears suits, a trench coat, and scarf; has cheekbones. He's clever as all get-out, you can't miss him. Try and avoid the meddler..." I mean, he told the cabbie who Sherlock was! He couldn't just give them a picture or something?

I couldn't resist parodying this comic from Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton, her comics are funny. I regret nothing.

 

  Was it all an elaborate scheme to Holmes? You know, I'm convinced this incident's the reason he sends photos of Sherlock to Irene Adler two episodes later.

  UGH! The more I think about this episode, the more I pick it apart! It hurts my head, make it stop!

 Okay, last minute thoughts:

• The only scenes I really liked were the first scene with Sherlock fighting a random dude we never get much story about as John fights with the self-checkout machine, the part where Sherlock bobs around the trading office, and the whole "I remember it... I took a picture" thing.
• The book code seems to be based on the one from The Valley of Fear. The plot itself I read is supposed to be based on "The Dancing Men". Which, I guess if you squint, I can see the similarities. But it's very loose. Like, "hanging tenaciously by a single fraying thread and one tug will completely disconnect it" loose.
• There's no commentary on the DVD for this episode (and only this one for Season 1). Maybe the people on the show don't like talking about it, either...
• I started thinking, "Wait a minute! What did Watson do for money before he got his own practice after marrying Mary in the canon? And after he moved back in with Holmes and sold it? Did he do med stuff from 221B like we saw him do in the Guy Ritchie movie? Ugh."
• The sad thing is, when Elementary did an episode involving an illegal Chinese group, they at least let the good new character have a happy ending (and there's, of course, Joan played by the fabulous Lucy Liu). Yes, Elementary actually handled something slightly better than Sherlock. And in a terrible episode. You should feel ashamed, Thompson.

  Ugh. Glad I got this one over with. This is my least favorite episode in the whole series. All I have left to say is, GATISS! SAVE ME WITH THE NEXT EPISODE!

Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock (BBC)- "A Study in Pink"

  Well, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I know I did. One of the things I got this year was copies of both season/series one and two of BBC's Sherlock! And since 1) I'm obviously going to watch all the episodes, 2) I have no Elementary to review this week (I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying my break from it to watch the one I  fully like) , and I've been wanting to review it anyway, I'm going to review the show that finally complete me sold me on Sherlock Holmes!



Well, at least Fluttershy's excited...

  Anyway, let's start from the very beginning, a very good place to start, "A Study in Pink"!

  In this episode, John Watson, fresh from Afghanistan and wounded, is trying to adjust to civilian life and needs a place to live. A friend of his happens to know someone who needs a flatmate: Sherlock Holmes. The two move into 221B Baker Street, and no sooner than when they both get to the flat, Detective Inspector Lestrade comes over to get Sherlock to come help with a case. Four seemingly unlinked people have committed suicide the past couple of months, and all in the same manner. Sherlock invites John to come with him and help, and adventure, intrigue, the reveal of a more sinister force out there, and the beginnings of one of the greatest fictional friendships ever ensues.

 

 

 Oh, and beware, I may have some minor...

 

  Anyway, I really, really love this episode. It's a good, strong episode. With really good writing. I said it before with my Top 9 New Doctor Who Episodes, but Moffat (who was in-charge of writing this episode) is really good at writing first episodes of seasons. At least, four out the five times I've seen him start a season he is (we'll get to the one exception next season).

  Alright first of all, let's start with the man himself, Sherlock. I love Benedict Cumberbatch's version of Sherlock. Yes, he can be rude, but it's not in a hate-able way (if that makes sense). And yes, I love his snark.  He's amazing in the episode, and (unlike a certain other modern Sherlock), I liked him right off the bat. And it felt good to see the "relationships aren't my area" Sherlock, again.

 As an anecdote, I should mention that when I first heard Benedict's voice, I was surprised to hear it. It's so deep and, well, Alan Rickman-eske. Honestly, am I the only one unfamiliar with him who was surprised to hear this baritone come out of him?:

  Another interesting thing about Sherlock here is probably my favorite line from the episode: "I'm not a psychopath, Anderson, I’m a high-functioning sociopath, do your research." It was just an awesome comeback. Though it should be pointed out he's not really a sociopath, technically speaking. Some article I read (well, skimmed) went out of it's way pointing that out (I'd link to it, but it felt like it kept saying the same thing, basically it comes down to something sociopaths don't KNOW they're sociopaths, and he obviously has empathy and treats John and Mrs. Hudson well.). But of course, anyone who watches this show could probably tell you (if you don't mind me jumping ahead a bit)
:

"Sociopath.

"My left."

"Foot."

  Sorry, I minor tangent.

  Let's move onto John. I love John here, too. Martin Freeman, first of all, plays the "straight man to the strange" type really well (just look at The Hobbit, for instance). This is probably the most we see him use his medical skill to help with a case this episode, though, since it does feel like they focus more on the soldier aspect. Watson here is just loyalty incarnate on this show; they've barely known each other a day and he's already willing to kill a man to protect Sherlock. And we get to see this version as more along the lines of Cumberlock's conscience. Plus, he gets to be awesome in this episode when he makes the greatest shot ever: he shoots a man in the shoulder from another building, through two windows and across an alley, with a hand gun, and doesn't miss.

  Speaking of the relationship, I like it on this show. They have good chemistry. It's not quite up to the levels of Downeylock and Law!Watson, but then again these two have only just met. I also had to laugh at some of the teasing the show did about a certain interpretation relationship of the two leads. Especially a hillariously awkward conversation between the two leads at dinner:

  Oh, John, it's only going to get worse for you on this show...

 On to other characters! I really like Lestrade here. The more I re-watch this show, the more I appreciate him. You can see this guy is rather competent, and that's why he's a DI. And the way he gets into 221B to search it near the third act was great, too. Plus, in the last scene, I noticed this time a little smile after Sherlock tells him to forget what he said about who killed the serial killer and goes over to John. He knows what John did... :) Nicely done, Rupert Graves.

Words of wisdom...

  Also, we have Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft, here, played by co-creator/writer Mark Gatiss. The way they introduce him here was clever. They made it ambiguous, until the end, as to whether or not he was Moriarty. I have to say, there's something about this Mycroft I like and identify with. One of the things you get from him is that you can tell he loves and cares about his brother, despite the issues these two have in this incarnation. Seeing this as an older sibling who butts heads with her younger brother, but still loves and cares about him at the end of the day, I can kind of sympathize with him.

  There are also some new characters who are exclusive to this show. First of all, there is Molly Hooper, a pathologist who has a crush on Sherlock, whom I just adore. There's also Anderson and police Sgt. Sally Dovovan, two people working for Scotland Yard. I don't think anybody likes those characters, and that's kind of the point. Donovan, in a way, has a a minor redeeming quality, as she tries to talk John out of staying with Sherlock, since she thinks he's a psychopath, but she's still not all that likeable. And all we love about Anderson is picking on him.

 The story/mystery was good. One of the things I like is that each case is treated like an adventure.

  Some non-character story things to squee about here are this series's trademark subtitle-things. Basically, every text or typing in general has the words floating in the air on-screen, you you can read what's being said. It's quite creative. Also, we actually get to SEE Sherlock's deductions and thought processes here, via subtitle-things. It's also creative and clever. And it helps to follow his train of thought and see inside his head.

  One last full note: I love the music on this show. The theme song is excellent, as is the background music. The standouts being "Final Act" and "The Game is On".

  I also watched this episode with the commentary, (it was Moffat, Gatiss, and Sue Vertue (a producer on the show and also Moffat's wife). It was a little dull, but some interesting things from it were:

• I got a kick out of whenever Moffat and Gatiss went fanboy. The two are longtime Holmes fans, and officially started working on this show in 2007, so I'm glad it worked out for them.
• There is a 60-minute pilot version of this episode (from 2009), that I'll review later (it's also on the DVD). Maybe for my 200th Post...
• Apparently it was the other writer for the show, Steve Thompson's, idea to make Gatiss Mycroft.
• Matt Smith (the 11th Doctor on Doctor Who), had originally auditioned for John Watson.
• They think that Sherlock's drug use is "always overstated", so they didn't make a big deal out of it. (Oh, hindsight, you are hilarious).
• I kind of geeked out whenever they said something I agreed with, such as 1) they said that underneath, the stories are of the greatest friendship ever (I agree). And 2) one of them (Moffat, I believe), described what was happening to John this episode was him "going down the rabbit-hole", which is a term I often use to describe when Watson meets Holmes.
• The origins of how they got the deerstalker in season 2 are on this commentary track!
• I felt the need to point out that they had an error when they were going on about the antagonist's motives in A Study in Scarlet. I was like, "No, sirs! Jefferson Hope wasn't married to Lucy! They were engaged, but when he left town, the two Mormons killed her father and married her to one of them, and she died of a broken heart so he sought revenge!" I then laughed at the fact that the girl who's only been reading those books for less than a year was correcting the guys who've been reading them since they were kids. ...I'll try not to bring it up if I ever meet them...

  Last minute thoughts:

• There are too many favorite scenes, exchanges, and lines to count here. Just... watch the episode.
• The episodes filled with nods to canon: first of all, the whole story is a reinterpretation of A Study in Scarlet, the "Come at once if convenient" texts were from Canon, as was "A three patch problem" (though it was a three pipe problem (I forget where they're from). The thing about John being shot in the shoulder but having a limp this episode was a nice nod to the fact Doyle was inconsistent as to where the good doctor was shot (In Scarlet, it was the shoulder, and in The Sign of Four it was the leg). Speaking of Four, the cell phone deduction was a variant of the watch deduction from that book.
• Where the heck did Sherlock get John's cell phone number early in the episode?
• I have a weird obsession with how the cabbie says "bottle." (it's like "Bah-el") Dunno why, I just do...

  Overall, this was a great episode. I sucked me in, and did all the things a good first episode should do. Unlike Elementary's pilot. It's my favorite episode of the series, and the one I've watched the most. Now I've got to watch my least favorite episode of the series, which ironically comes next...

  Next, I review "The Blind Banker"...

Thanksgiving Thank-You Notes 2012

  Last year at Thanksgiving, I wrote some "thank you" notes (in the style of  Late Night with Jimmy Fallon). So this year, I'm going to do it again! And boy, do I have a lot of people to thank!

*Que Thank You Note Music*

Thank You, Joss Whedon,

For for making the BEST. SUPERHERO MOVIE. EVER.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, "Final Act" from Sherlock's Soundtrack,

For keeping me sane while fighting freaking Young Xehenort in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. I could've killed someone if not for you!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance,

For making me a fan of Riku.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Skepkitty,

For doing your blog, The Half-World. It's always entertaining to read your MSTs.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Sherlock,

For finally convincing me to read the books, and subsequently making me a Sherlockian.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Robert Downey Jr.,

For being awesome. 'Nuff said.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Guy Ritchie,

For making one of the best movie series EVER!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Hans Zimmer,

For being a fantastic composer!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Joan Watson/Lucy Liu,

For being awesome!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Christopher Eccleston,

For being my favorite Doctor. You, sir, are fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Steven Moffat,

For writing both my favorite Doctor Who episodes and favorite Sherlock episode.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Neil Gaiman,

For being a fantastic writer.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Mark Gatiss,

For writing my second favorite Sherlock episode, and being Mycroft.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Jude Law,

For setting my Watson standards, and just being neat.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Martin Freeman,

For RIPPING MY HEART OUT IN "THE REICHENBACH FALL"! ...Oh, and being charming...

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Benedict Cumberbatch,

For being wonderful. 

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, buddy2blogger,

For being the closest thing to a regular I have here, following my blog, and reading my Sherlock posts.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, UnicornSlayer,

For reading and commenting on that fanfic of mine. And encouraging my use of gifs. And following me.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Lythium33,

For the commenting conversation on the end of the world. It was really fun talking to you. Oh, and for following me!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Anonymous (however many people you are),

For the comments. Especially my old friend who I know is (one of the) anon(s). I miss you!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, Insane Guy of DOOM,

For killing me off spectacularly in that trollfic of yours! That made my life!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, ASBuisnessMagnet,

For actually commenting here. And the shout-out and cameo in your fanfics!

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, TROXA and xion-puppet,

For more or less reassuring me that my Xion-defending post wasn't a terrible rant-y thing to post after all...

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, abby.spiaggi, OGO, and Neelam Ali,

For following this little blog of mine.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Thank You, My Family and Friends,

For being wonderful family and friends. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be in my life.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

And...

Thank You, All My Readers I Failed To Mention Earlier,

For taking the time to read my ramblings, ravings, and rantings (oh my!).

I appreciate you guys.

Sincerely,

Loveable Freak

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Enjoy your holiday, however you celebrate...

I Just Remembered What I Dislike About Award Shows...

  So, last night I watched The Emmys. It was alright, not awesome. Anyway, I wait for two whole hours JUST to see if my boys Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (oh, and the other people who work on Sherlock, and the show itself) were going to win an award. I knew they were nominated, I just wanted to see if they'd win. And oh boy, was I disappointed.

  ...They totally mispronounced ALL their names when they won! ;)

  *sigh* I wish that were so. No, none of the people nominated won. What the heck, Emmys? It didn't win anything last year, either. What, are you just prejudiced against Sherlock? Or are you just "nation-ist"? (Well, "nation-ist" against anything but Downton Abbey...) I mean, seriously! Seemed like everything but two of the winners were American stuff.

 I don't exactly know how submission works for these things, and I don't know if they were only allowed to send in one episode due to length. But, seriously, what difference should that make? It may have movie-length episodes, but it's still a TV series. Personally, I thought they shouldn't have gone with "A Scandal in Belgravia". I mean, the episode was alright (not my personal favorite), but I think the other two were better. Like, say, "The Reichenbach Fall". THAT was a good episode, especially when it came to Cumberbatch and Freeman's acting. I knew what was coming, and they still managed to punch me in the emotional gut!

  Seriously, I don't think it's fair that they lost in every category. I think they should have rated the series on a whole, not just one episode. I mean, there's an arc in the episodes. It just bugs me. Granted, I haven't seen the other shows that were nominated, but I'm not interested in them (like the whole "Sarah Palin" TV movie thing. I don't care about politics.). I dunno, I think they kinda got snubbed. And I feel bad they pretty much flew out there for nothing.

  *sigh* Well, there goes the adorable picture of Chibi!Benedict and Chibi!Martin playing with their Emmys, while Chibi!Andrew Scott was sad he couldn't play Emmys with them, and Martin going over to him and saying "It's okay, we can play BAFTAs later..." And Benedict being all, "I heard that!"

...You know. And stuff. Wow, I have too much free time.

 But I guess there's always the chance The Golden Globes will be  nice and give them a nomination this year (please). Though with my luck, they either won't be nominated or they won't win... (Boy, I'm optimistic, today!)

  Well, despite what The Emmys thinks; Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Steven Moffat, and all you other guys who just make this show great, you're all winners to me. And if me and the fans had our way, we'd be taking all the awards and giving them to you all.

 And I guess, in the end, that's all that really matters.