Editorial: Moffat Takes (Canonical) Female Victiories Away In Sherlock

 So, two days ago, while at work, I was thinking to myself, when I realized something, something slightly troubling, about one of my favorite shows, Sherlock. And I thought I would share it.



Spoilers for "A Scandal In Belgravia" and "His Last Vow"

 Oh, Steven Moffat. Where do I even begin with you?

 He's kind of become rather infamous for his sexist comments (and other very terrible comments in general), and his writing (which can also be quite sexist). As for me? Well, I don't agree with a lot of what he says. A LOT of what he says. And I will admit: his writing isn't as good as it was to me three years ago. Though I will give him credit: he has written some of my favorite Doctor Who episodes and my favorite Sherlock episode. And I think season 8 of Doctor Who is showing signs of improvement from the last two specials (though part of that could be the new Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi). Other than that, I have noticed a decline with his work. And I do think he needs a ego/reality check. I may even be so bold as to compare him a bit to Frank Miller. Sort of.

 But anyway, when I was thinking, I realized something about Sherlock:

 Moffat took away two female characters victories from canon, and gave them to Sherlock.

 Okay, hear me out: let's start with the one that got me thinking of this: "His Last Vow".

 So, in that episode, it's revealed "Mary Morstan" was actually a former secret agent and assassin, who was being blackmailed by Magnussen. When Sherlock discovers this, she's about to kill Magnussen, but is unsuccessful because of Sherlock's intervention. (I'll go more into my thoughts on this twist on Mary's character in my review of the episodes, which I hope to start next week).

 Now, I know some people bring up that she's a lot like Canon!Moran, but honestly, I think these people overlook that she's sort of a compostion of Mary and one of Milverton's (the character Magnusson is based on) victims, who is actually successful in her attempt on Milverton's life.

  Anyway, later, towards the end of the episode, it's Sherlock who gets to kill Magnussen, sparking all the in-universe drama and blah blah blah, stuff I'll get into in the review. Anyway, it's something I noticed. Mary, one of quite a few women who's been directly victimized by Magnusssen, doesn't get to kill the man. No, instead our male hero (who's not as victimized, IIRC) gets to kill him because... Protagonist.

 That feels sort of wrong.

 But then there's the even worse offender. The often criticized "A Scandal In Belgravia". At the end of my second least favorite episode, Irene Adler is inexplicably turned into a damsel in distress for Sherlock to somehow miraculously save. Really.

 Now, in the Canon, it was not even remotely like that. Canon!Irene is never captured by terrorists, she gets away to America safely with her not-Sherlock husband to live happily ever after, taking and disposing of the photo that Sherlock, Watson, and The King of Bohemia (long story) are after. She never needs Sherlock. Heck, she was even bold enough to follow Sherlock in disguise (as he is high off his assured victory over her), and TELL THE MAN GOODNIGHT before leaving. It was really awesome, both for how subtle it is, the fact she got one over on SHERLOCK, and that this was written in the Victorian Era, which I don't usually associate with feminism.

 (This is part of the reason I take offence to this comment I heard Moffat make in a panel about the ending to "A Scandal In Bohemia" being boring.)

 Anyway, I think it is worth noting is both episodes are written by Steven Moffat. While, as I've said before, I'm not sure how the episode writing goes for the show (for all I know, Gatiss suggested the ending of "Belgravia" and Thompson suggested Sherlock shooting Magnussen), but I'm more inclined to point the finger at Mr. Moffat.

 I will admit, Molly does get some victories, but she's an original character to the series. These are characters based on charcaters hundreds of years old.

 I think this is a rotten thing, and something I hope they avoid in the future. Though, given Moffat's track record, I ain't getting my hopes up. Hey, BBC, Thompson, Gatiss! If any of you happen on this, can you slap some sense into Moffat?

Editorial Freak: Are Movies And TV Series' Overusing Fake Out Death?

 

Warning! This Contains Spoilers For: Sherlock (Seasons 2 and 3's finales, specifically), Supernatural (mainly season 9), The Avengers (and to an extent Agents of SHIELD), Thor: The Dark World, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who)

 

You know, I kinda did...

 So, the last episode of Sherlock season 3 has aired in America, and revealed the next cliffhanger: Moriarty (or as I've started calling him here: "Scottiarty") is alive as well. I kinda suspected it (Moffat kept insisting he was dead a little too much for me). So, I figured this was a perfect time to discuss something of a trend/trope that seems to be cropping up in the movies and TV shows I like: The Fake Out Death.

 Yes, it seems that a lot of shows are using this. They pretend to kill a character (or in some cases, legitimately kill) a character, only to bring them back. And to be honest, it's gotten kind of old.

 I started feeling this when I saw Thor: The Dark World for the first time. As many who saw that know, somewhere around the third act, Loki is apparently impaled through the chest and killed by Skurge. It's sad (legend says you could hear Tumblr collectively go comatose with shock), but then at the end it's revealed Loki has survived being mortally wounded, and has in fact taken Odin's place (literally).

 Now, besides me wanting more explanation as to how Loki survived, I felt a little bored with this sort of thing. It seemed to me like it came up too much in the last two years.

 Two big offenders of this are Doctor Who and Supernatural.

 I read a very interesting post (that I highly recommend), that brings up how Steven Moffat doesn't really "kill" many characters off in Doctor Who, when you think about it. Heck, the most notable example is Rory. Every time he got killed, he seems to come back. When he finally did bite it, it was that he just died years after being time-displaced (long story). Not being killed (presumably).

It's Rory, Amy. It's 33.3% of his shtick.

  Heck, Moffat's undone THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN' GENOCIDE OF THE GALLFREYANS AND THE DALEKS!

 There was also the recent Christmas Special where The Doctor regenerates, but the whole episode The Doctor goes on and on about Eleven being his last regeneration, and that if he dies at the time of the special, it's forever, yadda yadda. Yeeeah, we already knew about Capaldi being the next Doctor. But that's more an issue of false/failed drama than anything else.

 Supernatural does it worse, though. While the show has an infamously high death toll (at this point, it's easier to count the living characters), there has also been quite a bit of characters un-dying. Especially in season nine, where we not only have Cas briefly die in one episode, but the next bloody episode Charlie freaking dies for a few minutes. While it's nice when a beloved character comes back (especially with the dwindling number of reoccurring characters), I think this is also a flaw with the show. It starts getting harder to accept the legitimate deaths when they arise. Seriously, let Death do his job, writers!

Maybe, Death. Maybe...

 I think this is one of the things I like about Game of Thrones: that when they kill a character, they stick with it. There's not even that "I'm a main character/regular" immunity. Nope, sorry, Ned! Being on the poster won't save you now! And don't get me started on the Red Wedding (there's one way to wrap up a subplot). Heck, the one time they had a "revival" it went bad and ultimately led to that character having to die for good. Death is death.

 Now, am I completely against bringing characters back from the dead? No. I can accept some of them.

What? It's not too soon, anymore!

 Let's take one of the most famous "recent" examples: Sherlock's faked suicide at the end of season 2. We knew he was alive at the end of the episode (heck, anyone who'd read "The Final Problem" knew he'd live...) Besides the inevitability of this, I was fine with it because it had weight to it. There was the aftermath for everyone, the suspense of how everyone would react to seeing him again, the mystery of how he did it... It worked to the story's advantage and had repercussions. (Heck, I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they do with Moriarty's return in season 4. The story opportunities...)

 There's also The Avengers, where Coulson "died"...

XD I love this bit from the gag reel...

 That also had weight. It helped motivate the team to get their crap together. But it also had ambiguity. We couldn't be sure that Coulson was coming back. All we had was confirmation that Fury lied about Coulson's trading cards being on his person when Loki impaled him through the chest (yeah, I'm starting to believe people in the MCU can't be killed by impalement...). It also provides an early mystery in his spin-off, Agents of SHIELD. Heck, even when it's revealed how he's alive, there's the ramifications of Fury playing God and Coulson dealing with this reveal.

 My problem with Loki's "death" in Thor: The Dark World was there was little weight, I felt. He died and it was just: "Welp! On to the next thing!" (The same could be said of Frigga's death, but that's another thing). It doesn't leave much impact.

 I guess what I'm saying is: writers, if you're going to kill a character and bring them back, at least let there be ramifications or some degree of weight to it. Or, if not, at least use Fake Out Deaths sparingly. And please, just cool it on them for a while, okay? Okay. We're good.

So, I Watched Last Night's Elementary

 And while most of the episode was typical Elementary, I have three things to say:

1. I take back some of my complaints against Dormeriarty. She was awesome here. Much improvement. I accept her now.

2. I now (somewhat tongue-in-cheekly) ship her and Joan now. Partially because of the painting, partially because I refuse to ship either of them with Millerlock. They can both do so much better… ;P

3. They used the term "Feauxiarty"… I… I used the term to describe the red herring Moriarty in my review of the episode "A Landmark Story"… It might be a stretch but… Do… Do the writers read my blog? O_O 

…I… I gotta wrap my site in tinfoil now. See you guys later…

Loveable Freak (Sort Of) Reviews (And Sort Of Analyzes) BBC Sherlock: "Many Happy Returns" Minisode

 

    SCREAMING! It's here! The minisode is here early!

 

 

 

  *ahem* Sorry. So, I'm going to do my best to review this beautiful little thing. You know the drill (thought the video is towards the end for those who haven't see it yet):

 

Oh, you don't know how good this feels to write a Sherlock review again...

 

  So, when we last left everyone, Sherlock was supposedly dead. This takes place an unspecified time after "The Reichenbach Fall" (we can assume it's before John grew Harold his magnificent moustache). Everyone seems to be trying to move on from Sherlock. Except, surprisingly, Anderson, who insists to Lestrade ol' Sherly's alive, solving crimes around the globe and working his way back to England. Lestrade tells the now ex-forensics specialist to let it go, and goes to deliver some things of Sherlock's he had to John. Including a DVD with an uncut birthday message for John. Feels, brilliance, and sheer amounts of excitement in the fandom ensue.

 

  Alright, let's start with the big thing here: ANDERSON STILL BELIEVES IN SHERLOCK. ANDERSON. "SYLVIA" (according to Gatiss) "SHERLOCK AND THE FANDOM'S PUNCHING BAG" ANDERSON STILL BELIEVES IN SHERLOCK HOLMES. Needless to say, at least on Twitter (yes I have a Twitter, no I won't tell you who I am), everyone's opinion has done a 180. It's sweet that, despite how cruel he and Sherlock were to each other, he still believes that he's out there. And it's impressive he's the one clever enough to notice the pattern. I kind of liked Anderson in a "lovingly make fun of him" way, but now I like him even more. Plus, we get a taste of Anderson and Lestrade's relationship. Lestrade seems genuinely concerned about Anderson's obsession with Sherlock (that cost Adnerson his job), and tells him about how they all want him back. And Anderson gets a few jabs at Lestrade.

 

  What's next? Will Donavan be portrayed as a decent person this season? Is Sherlock and Anderson's relationship going to change? Will this season be to the fandom with him what season 2 was for me with Lestrade? GAH! Excited.

 

  Also, everything to do with the DVD was pretty touching. And it was fantastic to see Martin Freeman's John and Cumberlock again. Oh, Cumberlock, I missed you. There was light humor with recording!Sherlock asking about what to do in the video, refusing to go to the birthday dinner because there's people, and insisting all John's friends hate him.

 

  Then comes the awesome part when John rhetorically tells the recording's Sherlock to come back. To which the recording says "Okay!" and says how he'll be back. Meanwhile Lestrade passes a well-dressed bystander with a newpaper, an article reading "The Game Is Back On", and smiles. This, two, rasises questions, in a good way. Is the bystander Sherlock? Or Mycroft? Is Lestrade in on the faked death now? Is it sort of like my favorite fanfic, "The Full House", in that case? GAH! I am so excited!

 

Okay, final thoughts:

• Now that we're all attached to Anderson, I'm afraid Moffat and Gatiss are going to kill him. I hope not, but if it happens, I called it...
• This is notably written by both Moffat AND Gatiss. *insert joke about it taking two writers to write a 7-minute short but one to write a 90-minute episode*
• I missed everything about this show...
• I can't pick a favorite thing, since this was only 7 minutes and it was brilliant throughout. So just watch it. In fact: here it is on YouTube:

 

                              

 

  Overall, it was a brilliant short/minisode. I loved this and it only fuels my excitement for the next season even more. I can't wait until the show officially returns on January 14th for the States (and January 1st for England...) Though I will hold off on reviewing the season until I get the DVD or Blu-Ray. I just prefer to review when I can pause it to jot down notes. That's something I disliked reviewing season 1 of Elementary the way I did 98% of the way. But I digress.

 

  Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas, readers and Sherlockians. And I wish you all many happy returns...

Couldn't find a gif of the minisode wink, so here's the original Cumberlock wink...

 

BBC's Christmas Gift For Sherlockians

  So, guess what? The BBC and Moffat will be somewhat merciful this Christmas! They will be premiering a "mini-episode" of Sherlock for Christmas! I don't know the full details of "Many Happy Returns", but it will be available online and I read it had to do with someone who does not believe Sherlock's dead...

 So despite Doctor Who having The Doctor regenerating in their Christmas Special, and Supernatural leaving us off with pain, tears, and a dead beloved character we're already in denial about (yeah, they're brimming with holiday spirit...), it's nice that Sherlock of all shows is giving its fans something to e happy about... ^_^

AMERICA US SHERLOCK SEASON 3 DATE CONFIRMED!

 Well, I at least have something to be happy about today, despite my displeasure with last night's Supernatural...

 THE US RELEASE DATE FOR SHERLOCK SEASON THREE IS CONFIRMED! JANUARY 14TH, 2014!

 I don't know when The UK gets it, but I know it's slightly before us (but luckily it's not obscenely early like last time. Maybe it'll be easier to avert spoilers...)

 ALL MY HAPPY GIFS, NOW!

 

...That is all...

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

Loveable Freak Reviews A Fanfic- The Full House By Emcee (of Archive Of Our Own)

Alright, I KNOW I said I was gonna do an MST-style review of a less-than-stellar fic. I say a lot of things. It is coming up, but the thing is, I've just read a GOOD fanfic, and I want to review that now! I need to share my thoughts on it! Ladies and gents, the Sherlock fanfic, "The Full House".



 Here's the story: after The Fall, Sherlock goes to stay with Molly while he tries to dismantle Moriarty's Criminal Network. He even employs a familiar face to help. But plenty of complications arise, especially our favorite consulting detective's feelings towards a certain pathologist. Relationship upgrades, sinister plots, and really good writing ensue.



  As you no doubt guessed, this is a Sherlolly fic. I'll admit, as much as I'm cool with and like Sherlock not being romantically involved with people, I'm a sucker for Sherlolly. And this is very well-written, and in-character for Sherlock on his side: he views the relationship as an experiment, but his feelings do grow. And he does worry for his ability when he thinks his feelings grow too much. And it continues on the character's in-show development: Molly growing more of a backbone with Sherlock, and Sherlock becoming a real boy and dealing with his emotions (which I am admittedly a complete and total sucker sucker for).

*ahem* When done RIGHT! >:(

Plus, John's reactions to Sherlock and Molly are gold.


  And it's not just the romance. There is adventure in this, too. There's the ongoing plot of taking on the still-alive Moriarty, taking down Moran, and Moriarty's Network. Plus, the author, Emcee, throws in a very interesting twist on one of my favorite Canon stories: "The Copper Beeches". There's more to the fic than just, "Sherlock and Molly become an item. That's it. Nothing else."



The pacing is also good. The romance doesn't happen all at once, the adventure doesn't just completely disappear, it's still brought up. It's pretty well-balanced. Even when there's a "brief break-up", it's handled for a good amount of time, in-character, and it's not just forgotten when they inevitably get back together.

 

I also have to praise the fanfic for something. She(?) (I'm guessing the author's a she) ACTUALLY made me like Irene Adler here. As I've said, the characters are in-character. Irene's no different. But, with how she handled the character, here, I actually enjoyed when she popped up. Yes, a FANFIC WRITER did a better job with the Sherlock version of Irene than Moffat! I guess it goes to show one of my philosophies is true: it doesn't matter if an idea is good or bad, it often depends on how you handle them.

 

Also, it's hilarious and made me feel emotions! Emcee writes some pretty hilarious scenes and exchanges between the characters, especially between Sherlock and John. And I did feel stuff as I read. There was the obligatory squeeing and "aw"-ing over my kinda irrational, fueled only by emotions/cuteness/sympathy OTP, of course (What can I say? Fic!Sherlock (Ficlock (?) ) could be so adorkable here! I'M A SUCKER FOR ADORKABLE!). And I admit to getting a bit mad at Ficlock during the "brief break-up" thing. I understood why he did it, but I still got mad! Brava(o), author. Brava(o)...

 

One more thing to sweeten the pot about this fic. The author CLEARLY knows the original Canon. There are so many Canon references I caught. When someone works in nods to the whole "James/John Name Continuity Error" and Irene's surname at the end of "A Scandal In Bohemia", you KNOW they read the Canon. That also makes it worth the read.

 

Final Thoughts:


-Too many favorite parts in this fic to list...


-So, in this fic, Anthea's a lesbian. That... Makes sense, actually. It works. HEADCANON ACCEPTED!


-I should also note the author worked in a scene where Sally Donavan was not treated as a terrible person. THANK YOU, EMCEE! Can... Can we have her write for the show? She can take Thompson's job! :P


- Ooh! Another gush! "The Full House" features artwork from one of my favorite fan artists, lexiken! Her deviantArt can be found here. 
 

  Overall, I love the fic. It's well-written, and is possibly it IS my new favorite fanfic. I highly recommend it. If you ship/like Sherlolly, you'll love it. And even if you don't, I'm sure you'll enjoy it for the writing, in-characterness, and the canon references. I will warn you, it IS 50 chapters long, so it will take a while to read. But it is worth it. The fanfic can be found here. 

  There is a sequel (and a couple side stories). I'm only now starting to read the sequel, "The Party of Four" (which I think will be as good as the first). The side-stories are optional to read. I don't recommend the "aphrodisiac" one, though. It's events are referenced in the original, and I was cool with it just referenced in the main story... The others are fine! ^_^


Okay, I swear I'll finish the MST thing (it's proving problematic. I'm getting so nitpicky), but I have two kinda "editorials" I want to do first...

200th Post Special! Loveable Freak Reviews Sherlock: The Unaired Pilot

  Oh hey, I've gotten to 200 posts! And so soon after the 2nd Anniversary of the blog! *squee* If only I could've had both the same day...

  Anyway, I wanted to do something special. Last year, I did my first MST of a Sherlock Holmes Trollfic. I thought that maybe this time, I could do a review of something. But it would have to be something special...

  ..I'm going to review the unaired pilot version of "A Study In Pink"!

  Yes, back in the distant year of 2009, when David Tennant was The Doctor and every celebrity ever was dying, Moffat and Co. shot the pilot episode for his an Gatiss's fanboy brainchild, Sherlock. The original pilot, while still the same story, is different than the finished product, a big difference being it's 60 minutes as opposed to 90 (BBC requested they change the format. And bless them for it!). So, how does it compare to the final product we know and love? Come along, readers!

  Just in case... Erm...

 
  Like I said, the story is pretty much the same. Ex-Soldier meets Man. Ex-Soldier finds out Man is a Consulting Detective. Consulting Detective drags Ex-Soldier along to solve a case of serial suicides. Ex-Soldier and Consulting Detective start World's Greatest Bromance. Pretty simple. The difference is the execution.

  Since it is 60 minutes long, there are notable things missing in the story. For example, we never see John's Afghanistan dreams, or flashbacks to the "suicides" of the victims (here it's 5 instead of 4. Yes, Moffat actually resisted killing an extra person... I'm shocked too, Wholockians...), and there's no fake drugs bust. But a big exception has to be that the entire Mycroft subplot and the mention of Moriarty are absent from the first episode. AND PILOTLOCK (as I'm calling it) HAS NO DEDUCTION SUBTITLES! D: THOSE ARE CUMBERLOCK'S THING! It's really weird.

  In fact, a lot of things in this pilot are really weird. It all feels so... off from what I'm used to. The actors are delivering the same lines, but they feel different. Mostly the delivery. For example, take the whole "What happened to the lipstick...Your mouth's too small now..."/"Okay." exchange between Sherlock and Molly became sadder with how Loo Brealey delivered it here. I mean, it was already kinda sad but a little funny in the original, since to me her tone kinda sounded like she was going to put the lipstick back on again. Here, she sounds just sad. And in need of a hug.

  Plus, on the technical side, the sets are different and feel weird too. The mortuary is so dark and feels so dreary and the flat feels so claustrophobic (and the paint is gaudy). The video quality is not as polished, too (though maybe that's just lighting... :/). Even the freaking soundtrack feels off! THE FREAKING SOUNDTRACK! I know it's just the pilot they used to get the show picked up, and they most likely didn't have the same budget they have the actual show, but it's almost into "uncanny valley" territory for me. Or at least, weird AU.

 Also, Donavan is played by a different actress (she must be a Time Lady!) and Anderson has a beard. He shaved it, but it doesn't matter. It'll still be there... waiting.

  But, there still are additions to this original version of "A Study In Pink" that aren't in the final product. For example, we actually see Lestrade at the crime scene of one of the murders (before the one Sherlock stepped in).Mrs. Hudson apparently was originally supposed to own Speedy's in this strange alternate world (the sign read "Mrs. Hudson's Snax and Sarnies" in Comic Sans. Bless her heart... (Also, before my fellow non-Brits Google it, a "Sarny" is just another word for "sandwich". See, this educational!) The way Sherlock runs into the serial killer and the most of the third act is different, too. Plus, Sherlock gets to be Batman! :D

 Also, there are some nice Easter Eggs in this scene where Sherlock sends emails. He sends one to Mycroft (with the famous "when you've eliminated the impossible" line, one to Gregson (yes, further confirmation he exists in this world), and one to a Jones (don't know which Jones, but hey! Another Canon inspector exists! *Insert character development joke at Elementary's expense here*). Another thing I caught while pausing was the article on Lestrade in the newspaper John was reading. From the visible snippet, you can kinda get some insight into Lestrade's situation from his perspective. Apparently he was facing "mounting pressure under the watchful eye of the new police commissioner and Mayor of London" to solve the case. My poor, sweet, silver-haired, probably-in-his-late-forties-when-they-shot-this baby. In fact, that whole thing makes me realize I'd love to see the whole series from Lestrade's perspective... I CALL FANFIC DIBS!

  And, as much as I complained about line delivery feeling off, some of the lines and scene changes I preferred here. Special mention goes to the way the "and I said "dangerous"" and "either way, you're wasted as a cabbie" are delivered.

 Anyway, let's get to Final Thoughts:

• Favorite parts are the new third act, "Drunk"!Sherlock, and when Sherlock has his Batman moment. (Honorable mention goes to the dinner conversation, which is somehow even more awkward...)
• Wait, so Sherlock had a man named "Davies" arrested? I see now how Moffat came to be in-charge of Doctor Who...
• So Cumberlock just splashes it into his face, Millerlock can't/won't drink... Is Downeylock the only one with no problems with alcohol?
• I swear, Benedict's voice sounds higher here... and that Cumberlock had an extra shot of sass in his coffee...
• Also, what was up with Stamford's accent here? Sounded different... I couldn't place it, it was throwing me off...
• "Halfway Decent Murders" is so my new band name... Or my Tumblr's name if I ever break down and get one...
• "We're searching for a psychopath?" "So we're having another psychopath help out?" Hey, it worked for Silence of the Lambs, Anderson! (Also, apparently Anderson is a doctor... This is news to me...)
• "Feed you up"? Is that what they called it in 2009? Either way, I'm using that euphemism now...
• John, do you go to nice restaurants with all your male companions... See, this is why the "Defensively Heterosexual John Watson" meme exists... (Sorry, I couldn't resist the joke...)

  ...So, that's my two cents on the pilot. Yeah, it's bizarre, seeing how the show is now, but it wasn't so bad. Still wouldn't trade the final "A Study in Pink" for this one, though. You can find the pilot either on the Season 1 DVD/Blu-Ray or on the Internet somewhere.

  Thanks for sticking around for the 200th post, here's to 200 more!

  Next post, I want to try that MST/Review thing I've been wanting to experiment with...

Sherlock Season 3 Speculation: Charles Augustus Magnussen

 I have a new theory about season 3! 

 Okay, so a few weeks ago, it was announced that the character of Charles Augustus Mil- Erm... Magnussen was joining Sherlock in the upcoming and highly-anticipated season. Also, it's been known that John Watson is, in fact, getting married to Mary Morstan as well, presumably in "The Sign of Three". Now here's what I'm thinking:

 What if Magnussen will play a role in the events of "The Sign of Three"?

 For those unaware of Canon, Magnussen's canon counterpart blackmailed women who were getting married. Meanwhile, the story Mary debuted in, The Sign of Four, had Holmes solving the mystery surrounding Mary's father, her mysterious benefactor, and her inheritance, all while she and Watson fall in love (Aww...). 

  So, what if instead of (or as well as) the inheritance plot, we have Mangussen blackmailing Mary (perhaps about her father) and her having to turn to Cumberlock for help? The show has combined stories together before. Besides, the original had a small man from a primitive island being sent to kill people, and I don't think that'd fly so well in a 21st century adaption as it did in the Victorian Era...

 I can't help buy think this will happen. I mean, this can't be a coincidence... So tell me what you guys think...

Loveable Freak Blathers On About Elementary One More Time Because Why Not?

  So, next month is when Elementary starts season 2. I figured maybe now I should look back on the show overall (now that I've cooled down a bit) and settle the big question: was/is the show any good?

  First of all, I feel the need to apologize about my rant about "Dormiarty". She really wasn't THAT terrible of a Moriarty, looking back. I think my harshness just stemmed from my general frustrations with the episode, tiredness from watching/reviewing it, and expecting a lot more. I guess if she comes back, things could be better. She was new, so she was a target. (And there's only so many ways to pick on Millerlock...) Just need to get it out there.

  That out of the way, I figure I should discuss the two elements. (I may end up comparing a lot, so...)

STORY/WRITING:

  This is sort of a big problem for me. The writing on this show is very... hit and miss. Sure characters may get good lines, but the stories can be rather lackluster, and often at times feel formulatic (especially early on). If you look back, VERY few episodes were fantastic this season for me. I think only 5 episodes out of the whole 24 episodes ever got me truly invested (though there were some honorable mentions...). Heck, the first episode was incredibly lackluster when compared to, say, the first episode of Sherlock or the first episode of Hannibal. And let's NOT discuss "Dirty Laundry", shall we? (that, "Bugs" from Supernatural, and "The Blind Banker" episode of Sherlock are my standards for bad TV writing...)

  I'm especially disappointed in how the "story arc" was handled. It was pretty much all but forgotten until late in the season. And it started off so well, but kinda lost steam. Compare Supernatural (a show with a similar "episodes a season" count). They always try and keep some semblance of the seasonal story arc going on, but still take the occasional "filler break". If Elementary wanted to be more episodic, fine! Just don't tease me and leave me hanging.

 Though, to be fair, I did hear they chose to start the "Moriarty" arc at episode twelve so, in case they WERE cancelled, they could end on a mystery. Then they got the extra episodes for the season picked up. Then two more added to that. So perhaps it was more of a timing thing, not having a whole hiatus to plot out everything for the season. Plus, more episodes meaning they needed more filler. If that's the case, then it's that sort of stuff that makes me ticked off at executive meddling. Hopefully, given that they've had all summer to work out what they want (and knowing that they're in a good place with the network), maybe season 2 will handle any and all story arcs better.

CHARACTERS

  Hoo boy, characters...

  You all know I love Joan Watson. She is definitely one of my favorite interpretations of Watson so far. (And to think I was worried). Heck, I'd almost prefer would prefer the show if it was just her character. Lucy Liu does well as her, and I almost wish she was in another adaption than this. I like that she's competent (almost to the point I wonder why she doesn't do more solo work (besides friendship)). And I like how her relationship with Sherlock has developed. And they kept it platonic, not even doing that much teasing at something more romantic (even though it'd be less "taboo")! I pray that the freaking execs and crew keep it that way. We need more platonic guy/girl relationships on TV! Not every duo has to hook up down the line! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?

Plus, she's in my most-exploited gif! :D

  As for Millerlock... Oh boy... If Joan's one of my favorite Watsons, Millerlock's one of my least favorite Holmeses. Jonny Lee Miller, to be fair, does do well at certain things in this role, and plays his character as written fine. He has some good snarky lines, some refreshingly human moments, and does some impressive things. But in the beginning, the character seemed unsure what kind of Sherlock he would be. An anglamation of his current fellow Sherlocks? Something all-new, all-different? It was distracting. He eventually settled on "broken genius". Which, to be fair, was fine. But the big thing is, that while he could convince me he was Sherlock at some points, he would then do something that to me is very Un-Sherlockian. I'd be watching and the illusion would be broken by him having a prostitute over/discussing his... *ahem* exploits, or even just those emotional breakdown/comprises he was having with "Irene"/Moriarty. He's just... not THE Sherlock for me...

  Finally, the supporting characters... Sweet merciful Doyle, the supporting characters. They're either underdeveloped or hardly used. Seriously, how much can you say about Gregson or Bell? It's hard for me to feel much attachment to them when I'm given so little about them to get attached to. Heck, in "The Rat Race", after Sherlock and Gregson's conversation at the end, I was hoping for more development in their relationship, like him developing into a surrogate father to Sherlock "Daddy Issues" Holmes (a la how Bobby is to The Winchesters on Supernatural). But then "The Red Team" crushed that with his "mistrust". Which, even that was more of an informed trait that was barely ever mentioned again!

  There's kind of an opposite problem when it comes to the other supporting characters introduced later on: they're not used enough. Seriously, characters like Ms. Hudson or Alfredo, who have the potential to be interesting, get forgotten for episodes on end. Or, in the case of my beloved Sebastian Moran, get unceremoniously killed off in their second appearance... (SEBASTIAN! YOU MADE THIS FUN! NOW SOME OF THE FUN HAS DIED! And I was singing, "Bye bye, Mr. assassin guy....")

 
  ....Sorry about the big lipped alligator moment, there...

  I mean, take shows like Sherlock, Supernatural, or Hannibal. I'm far more invested in almost all the characters and care more about them. Their respective writers do good to ensure that. I care plenty about Sherlock's supporting cast. I've put effort into remembering the names of the forensics team on Hannibal. Even on Supernatural, where death doesn't necessarily mean "gone forever", I feel attachment to the characters and am sad when they suffer/die (except Bela Talbot. I did not like her. She was on there too long...). Here, I feel little attachments besides to Joan, the turtle (who even he doesn't appear much), and maybe Ms. Hudson (and her one appearance.); and unless they had much impact or are a regular, I don't remember many names...

 ---

  So, ranting and accentuating the negative aside, is Elementary very good?

  I say it's very middle of the road. It has potential, and sometimes it lives up to it. But for the most part, it can be very "eh". But, if it's getting people into other Sherlock Holmes-related things, who am I to fault it? I feel that if an adaptation can get someone into whatever the source material is, it's done something right. For example, you know that movie adaption of  Fantastic Four? The first one? A lot of people didn't like that one. But believe it or not, it's what helped get me into superheroes and comics. I can't fault it for that. (the second one can rot at the bottom of a Wal-Mart $5 movie bargain bin, though... and ironically, guess which one I own? *sigh*)

  So I guess what I'm saying is, it's fine, but very flawed (Elementary, I mean...).

  Now, the big thing: will I actually watch season 2, and will I review it like last season?

  First of all, yes, I think I will casually watch season 2. Some shows improve with time (heck, even "New Who" and the first season of Supernatural weren't that good in the beginning (forgive me, dearest Christopher Eccleston, I enjoyed your season in the end)...), but got better as time went on. I think maybe now that they have better footing, the show good be better.

  Second of all, no, I will not be reviewing the show episode-by-episode like last time. It was a little draining, and I felt they got a bit repetitive (there's only so many ways a girl can say "this was alright, but not awesome"...) I know a lot of people read them, and it was nice to have a post up on almost a weekly basis, but I can't put myself through that again. I may review/share my thoughts on the season as a whole later, possibly. 

  But I doubt they'll have much to pull me... What's that? They're adding Mycroft to the show next season, starting with episode one? And he'll be played by Rhys Ifans, the guy who played both The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man AND Luna Lovegood's dad in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

  DARN IT, DOHERTY! YOU DRAGGED ME IN AGAIN!

*Beep Beep* Breaking Sherlock Season Three News!

 WE HAVE A NEW VILLAIN CONFIRMED!

  Yes, now that "Scottiarty" is dead (Moffat and Gatiss confirmed it at Comic Con, though I'm still a little skeptical (Rule #1 of Fandoms: The Writers Lie)) there's a open position for "Nemesis for Cumberlock" over on BBC's Sherlock. And now we got an applicant!

 Ladies and gentlemen, I present: Charles Augustus Magnussen!

Yes, he's obviously supposed to be "Charles Augstus Milverton" (don't ask me why they changed the name), the antagonist from the short story he shares a name with in the canon. He was a blackmailer of women. The character recently (briefly) appeared in the Elementary episode "Dead Man's Switch" (you can see my review here). Yeah, I'll probably end up comparing the two when I inevitably review whatever episode he's in.

  Interestingly, he played by Lars Mikkelsen. If you're not familiar with him (I'm not), than you may be familiar with his brother, Mads Mikkelsen. He (the brother) plays the titular character on Hannibal. (He was also in Casino Royale, but I only really care about the other role... ;P) *Ahem* Said it before and I'll say it again: Everything I Love Connects To Sherlock Holmes (Six Degrees of Sherlock Holmes) (It's only a matter of time, Supernatural.).

  I'm excited. In Milverton's story, Sherlock is pushed into doing questionable things. It'll be interesting to see if the same happens here. I can't wait. And I'm sure Lars Mikkelsen will do fantastic as Charles Augustus Magnussen, the character will no doubt be another fantastic addition to the cast.

 So long as he doesn't make Hugh Dancy cry, we're good! ;)

Dear Other Fandoms, HELP A FANDOM OUT! Sincerely, A Fannibal (Or, "How One Show Can Greatly Benefit From The Help Of The Other Show's Fandoms, And Vice Versa"...)

  Okay, so I know Marvel May hasn't been working out as well as I hoped. (I didn't know I'd be this busy, and that last Elementary review kinda burned me out, leaving me unwilling to get to the next two X-Men... :( I'll try and do better these next few days...) Anyway, I kinda wanted to talk more about a show that's become very dear to me. And by talk, I mean plead for help...

  You see, I've become hooked on Hannibal. It's great. It brings me joy to watch. And, on Twitter (no, not telling y'all what my Twitter name is...) I've been hanging out with the fanbase, and we are all incredibly nice people, considering we watch a show named after cannibal serial killer. But we're also really worried, too. You see, we haven't gotten word on whether or not our beloved Thursday Night Obsession is going to make it to next season. We're supposed to get word by June 1st, but that only gives us one more week to do anything. We've had pretty successful Twitter campaigns, but we can't be sure.

  So, I'm going to make a plea. I've been trying to covert people on my Pintrest, but I think I can use my blog for this, too. Please watch this show! It's bloody brilliant!

  I've even prepared a plea/case for at least four of the fandoms to convince them why they should give Hannibal a chance...

"SuperWhoLockibal"? Eh? Eh?

ELEMENTARY

  Okay, I know you guys know I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this show. It's just not for me. But, think about it: your show wrapped up for the season last week. You have a huge gap in your Thursday plans and DVRs. Why not fill it with another show. It's just reruns now of Elementary, you won't miss anything. Besides, if you couldn't check out Hannibal because it was on at the same time, now you can. Your show is safe, it's getting another season. So why not help a show that's on the bubble?

  Plus, Will Graham is a bit like Sherlock, in that he's gifted at what he does. Plus, he's troubled but kinda cute. Kinda like Millerlock is troubled. And, Will's played by Hugh Dancy, who's British, but is really good at covering his accent. I couldn't even tell.

  I'm just saying, you need something to fill the void.

SHERLOCK

  Ah, my people! Long have we suffered in this hiatus! Our sanity has been worn to it's very fibers, and worn thinner still! But, hark, I have found something that has filled the whole in my heart, Hannibal! It has proven to be a show on par with Sherlock in quality. It's like America's equivalent to Sherlock in that regard. It's clever, it's great to look at. And it has murders! Lots and LOTS of murders!

  As I told the Elementary Fandom, Will Graham is cute, gifted, but troubled, girls! And again, played by a British actor... Just saying. Also, he has lots of dogs.

  And, if you're missing Moriarty, Hannibal is deliciously creepy. Mads Mikkelston does great at his job. His Hannibal a lot more subtle than Scottiarty, but he's also strangely likeable. Heck, he might be the sanest person on the show! No lie! And, yes, he's strangely kind attractive, too. I'll admit. Plus, he dresses sharply. STUPID HANDSOME CANNIBAL!

...What am I doing with my life?

DOCTOR WHO

  Again, our show won't be back until November 23rd, the 50th Anniversary. What else do we have to do? Our buddies Sherlock and Supernatural don't have anything else out for now. Merlin ended last year. And I think Hannibal deserves a try, Whovians. I don't know how else to bait you that I haven't already used, yet. Handsome guys, cleverness, Oh wait! But it also has creepiness! Lots and lots of creepiness! You thought Moffat gave you nightmares? Wait until you see what Brian Fuller and his crew cook up (pun partially intended)... I elaborate in my plea to Supernatural...

SUPERNATURAL

  You, too, my friend, have to wait for your next season, and Hannibal is great. You want nightmare fuel? We GOT nightmare fuel! The death tableaus are so creepy and gory. They aren't so horrifying that it's indecent, but they are still pretty creepy for primetime. How do people made into slowly dying comatose mushroom farms, bodies made into angels, human cellos, and totem poles of bodies sound? That make up for scary monsters? Speaking of which, next week's episode? The killer hides under the beds of his victims and drags them under. *nods* That sounds like sweet dream fuel, eh? It'll keep your need for horror whetted.

***

 And, I can't believe I'm going to make a plead to this side of any fandom, but...

  Fans of slash pairings! Those who ship stuff like Johnlock, Merthur, Destiel, etc. May I present you to Hannigram?

  (Okay, before I go further, I want to make it clear that I don't ship it. I'm not a big "ship guy/guy pairings" girl. I may jokingly ship something/joke about a guy/guy pairing. And, if I'm being honest, there are some of those pairings I like as guilty pleasures, at least. But I don't ship Hannigram. I can kinda see where they're coming from, but I don't. But, I'm not all "RAWR! YOU SHIPPERS MAKE ME SICK!" about it. I'm at the point in my life as a fangirl where I'm like, "*shrugs* Shippers gonna ship." It's inevitable. I have a whole post planned on shipping...)

  Yes, we have Hannigram. The fandom ships a cannibal serial killer with a empathic mental case. One's a sharp dresser and I guess qualifies as a bad boy, the other is a handsome woobie you want to hug and make everything okay for. (I can't believe I'm writing this...) They have some moments. And did I mention they both have a surrogate daughter of sorts, Abigail Hobbs? Heck, this week, Hannibal outright said, "we are her fathers now"! (I'm breaking down laughing. I'm really doing this? I'm going this far?) That alone is fanfic fuel, shippers!

  Okay, I gotta stop... I can't keep that up anymore...

***

  But see? I love this show! I just want it to do well! I don't want it to be one of those shows ended in it's prime, when it had so much more to offer. While shows that have gone on too long and don't deserve it anymore get to go on, like say Two and a Half Men (oh, sweet lord, let it die, CBS! It's not good anymore!) Please, please, PLEASE watch it! For the love of quality TV!

  This is my design plea...

Loveable Freak Reviews Elementary- Epsiodes 23/24- "The Woman/Heroine"

  Well, after nearly eight months of watching every episode, the time has come at last to finally review the first season finale of Elementary! This is a day late because I sat at the computer for and hour and twenty-seven minutes watching both episodes, and quite frankly, I was done sitting at the computer after that. Plus, I had to... process... some things...

  But nonetheless, let's get into the last two episodes of Elementary! (I'm reviewing them together because I WANT TO GET THIS OVER WITH!)

Everybody now!

  When last left Sherlock...

I couldn't find a gif of this without editing... Apologies... You... you get the point...

 Yeah, shortly after I wrote the "Risk Management" review, I read Buddy2Blogger's review of the episode, and I realized how Millerlock's little breakdown is ridiculous, in a way. While Miller's sadness could work in another role, here's the thing: HE'S PLAYING SHERLOCK HOLMES! He wouldn't react this way! He's not really an "emotion person". It's actually quite rare in canon to see him get emotionally worked up (an example being when Watson gets shot (again) in canon). So, really, it's kind of unintentionally cheesy/narmy. I think Downeylock in A Game of Shadows and, in and even better example, Cumberlock in "The Hounds of Baskerville", showcase "I'm having an emotion" better for Holmes's character. Just sharing. Especially for later in this review.

  Anyway, yeah, Irene Adler was revealed to be Irene. In part one, Millerlock goes on a rollercoaster of emotions (sigh). He opts out of searching for Irene's kidnappers to take care of Irene (and because he's a little emotionally compromised right now), leaving it to Joan to find out. The rest of part one/"The Woman" alternates between Joan working the case of Irene's kidnappers mostly solo, Millerlock trying to care for his seemingly basket case of a... sigh... girlfriend, and DOING THE TIME WARP multiple times for flashbacks to Millerlock and "Dormdler"'s relationship.

   Okay, first of all, let's get it out of the way, Millerlock and Dormdler's "love story" was... kinda eyeroll-inducing. Mostly for it being so any romantic thing ever. Eh, I was not moved. And Irene seemed a bit dull. Though there may be a reason for that we'll get to a little later... And Millerlock continues to be so not Sherlock with his emotions and... activities... but also HE KNEW ASTRONOMY IN THIS EPISODE! SHERLOCK! DOESN'T! KNOW! ASTRONOMY! It was the WHOLE REASON he gave the "mind is like an attic" speech in A Study in Scarlet! D;<

  On the flipside, I liked seeing Joan work the case on her own. I keep thinking how awesome it would be, if they do some sort of "Final Problem" situation, if they had a miniseries of Joan taking over Sherlock's consulting job for him after his fake death. I'd watch the HECK out of that! Maybe Gregson and Bell would finally get better development. And it'd finally cut out the less than stellar Millerlock! I can dream...

Okay now the big thing before we get into part two, the reveal of Moriarty. It turns out Moriarty isn't a man at all. Moriarty is a spider a woman. Specifically, THE woman. Yup, Irene Adler was a lie. Moriarty was Irene. Yeah... I'll admit, it's an interesting idea, and it's cool to see another female version of a character, buuuut... I think it fell flat. I'll explain when we get to part two.

  Part Two, "Heroine", is Sherlock and Joan trying to stop the recently revealed Moriarty, with Joan worrying about Sherlock being past his breaking point and possibly relapsing.

  Okay, let's talk about "Dormiarty" a little bit... I didn't like her. I think she fell flat compared to other Moriartys. It was like she was trying to be like "Harriarty" (Jared Harris's Moriarty), with her trying to make a profit off of the animosity of two nations (gee, sound familiar?). But I think she tried too hard. Her plan, really, was a little convoluted. I mean, I still don't fully understand everything about it beyond 1. Get Grecian to shoot Macedonian, 2. Get the countries ticked off to avoid a name change and join in European Alliance thing, 3. Profit!

 And there were two other things. One, it was revealed that Dormiarty HAS REAL FEELINGS FOR MILLERLOCK!

 

 WHAT THE HECK!? That is... why!? WHY DOES GIRL MORIARTY HAVE TO HAVE FEELINGS FOR SHERLOCK!?  I mean, come on! This is what we were fearing with girl Watson WITH MORIARTY! I mean, I'll admit to joking about Scottiarty having a stalker crush on Cumberlock, in a tongue in cheek way, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WANT MORLOCK/SHERIARTY/WHAT EVER YOU CALL IT FOR REAL! Heck, the whole thing almost feels like some strange fanfic!

 

 Also, in the end, this Moriarty gets arrested. And it seems like she's not going to work the system quite like Scottiarty did. Ahem. WORST! MORIARTY! EVER! I feel awful that I'm saying this about the first female Moriarty. I wanted to like her. Maybe someone else would do better with that idea. I should be used to disappointment from this show.

 

  But luckily, on the flipside, Joan was once again awesome. She's the one I feel ultimately caught Dormiarty. It was her plan and her seeing that Moriarty had... ugh... feelings for Millerlock. Yes, it's even more official, she's one of the best Watsons ever. How were both of these characters from the same show?

 

Okay, final thoughts:

• Favorite parts were pretty much every time Joan was awesome. She was the best thing in these episodes.
• Canon nod I caught: "Irene's" "captor" being called "Stapleton" (a character from The Hound of the Baskervilles).
• So, one of Moriarty's employees has the last name of "Proctor"? XD Okay, I need to make a joke few people will probably get: "I SAW ISSAC PROCTOR COMUNNING WITH MORIARTY!"
• So, the status on this show is Joan>Dormiarty>Millerlock? I'm completely cool with this...
• Was I the only one getting Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade vibes from Millerlock and "Irene's" date in the catacombs? Heck, it even had a blonde who turned out to be evil and be attracted to the hero!
• I kinda giggled when Millerlock said narwhals were "The Unicorns of the Sea", seeing as I was thinking of a certain song on the Internet (minor language)...
• Speaking of giggling at Millerlock, for some reason, I kept snickering at his face at odd times. Either my lack of seeing him as a credible Sherlock has reached a zenith, or this show has finally made me crazy...

  

  Overall, these were very "eh" episodes. For reals.Moriarty and Irene Adler turned out to not be so great, and while Joan was awesome, she couldn't save the overall episodes. But at least it's over. I want to give a separate post about what I feel about the show as a whole next week (though you probably get the idea, I just want to elaborate on it. Besides, I like to read myself type) but for now, it's all over...

  It's over...

 It... Is done... IT'S FINALLY DONE! MY UNBREAKABLE VOW WITH MYSELF IS FULFILLED! NO MORE ELEMENTARY! I SURVIVED 24 EPISODES! I'M FREE! I'M FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

 
Gifs cannot express my joy... CUE HAPPY MUSIC OF YOUR CHOOSING!

Loveable Freak Reviews Elementary: Episode 22 "Risk Management"

(I apologize that I don't have a profile pic right now. I'm trying to change it and Blogger's being stubborn and not loading my options! >:( Tomorrow I'll have one, again...)

  Gotta say, despite way too many ads between sections, I prefer watching Elementary online, now. It's easier for my reviewing AND I can watch Hannibal instead on Thursdays, which does wonders for my mood. (Next week's Hannibal looks awesome, BTW.)

  But enough of that, let's get to reviewing the next episode, which not only gets us further in the Moriarty plot, but gets us closer to finishing the rocky road to the finale  one two three four five!

  Oh, beware:

  So, when we last left Millerlock and Joan, they received a phone call from Moriarty. After explaining his deal to Sherlock, he then hires the consulting detective to investigate a murder in exchange for answers about Irene. But just when Sherlock thinks he's got it figured out, Moriarty throws more curveballs at him, both for the case and regarding what Sherlock knows. Also, there's a sorta subplot where Gregson tries to get Joan out of Sherlock's life for her safety, but not much comes from that except that Joan assures Sherlock she'll see this Moriarty business through to the end with him.

  You know, for a "story arc" episode, I don't have much to say about it. Moriarty sounds intriguing. It's confirmed that he does a lot of manipulation and has a web of connections in the criminal world. You know, Moriarty 101. We still don't learn much about him or see him. We just get Millerlock's deductions based on the phone calls.

  I felt like Joan kinda represented myself here. One, with the "I don't wanna know!" when Millerlock starts bringing up what it was like to (to use the other Adler's "euphemism" because I like using euphemisms...) "have dinner" with Irene. And with the "I don't care, I'm sticking through this"-ness (for her, the Moriarty Conspiracy; for me, the rest of the season...).

  I need to praise Jonny Lee Miller a little on his acting. He did good showing Sherlock's frustration with the case. And there was his emotional breakdown at this week's kinda-sorta-but-not-really-spoiler, which I'm about to get into...

 So, we get more insight into Irene Adler. According to Millerlock, she was a nice lady and was a painter (As someone who enjoys art, I approve of this. Certainly more than a certain other Irene interpretation...). And we and the duo find out at the end that she's not dead. Yup, she's still alive. And she's a blonde (if I had a gif of the scene from Doctor Who where Martha says "Oh, she was a blonde! What a surprise!", I would so put it here.)

  I'm really not surprised. Besides the fact I feel most of the Internet (at least, the sites I frequent) more or less called it (and I sorta did, too, after a while), there was the fact that they announced that the character would be appearing in three episodes, and when I was looking up the number for last week's episode, I accidentally saw a spoiler on Wikipedia saying she was alive. Yeah... Maybe if they kept it a better secret...

  Not sure what my feelings are towards this. If I'm happy or not. On one hand, yay! More canon characters. I would have been ecstatic many episodes ago. Plus: new Irene to discover. But on the other hand, I still barely know this character. I have little attachment to this version so far. She's been a literal non-entity; barely mentioned. More a "device that got the plot going", if anything else. That, and I'm still mourning Moran... *sniff* I miss that psychopath...

  Okay, final thoughts:

• Favorite parts were the soccer ball scene, the light flickering, and kinda Sherlock reassuring Joan he'll make sure she's not harmed for her involvement. And Miller's acting.
• Canon nods were Moriarty describing himself as a spider (as Holmes described him in canon), and Sherlock considering Irene "The Woman", above all of her gender.
• Joan, love that you're staying, but part of me feels the need to point out that it's all fun and games until you're strapped to a bomb vest,  standing in a pool with your best friend and a madman with snipers aimed at you and said friend, who's armed. Felt that needed to be put out there.
• D-did MIllerlock poke fun of/lampshade his "raging heterosexual" status with that "I learned things, Watson! Me!" when discussing Irene? (At least I think that's what he said). Maybe I'm reading too much into this...
• Waitaminute! Irene's a blonde artist... living in a big, mostly empty, fancy house... And has connections to the main character's memories... MY LORD! IRENE IS NAMINE FROM KINGDOM HEARTS! Heck, I think she was even wearing white!

  So far, out of what I'm going to call the "Moriarty Quintology" ("M", "Landmark", this episode, and the two to come), this has the least in terms of contribution. The most it has to offer is Irene, but that's just a quick thing at the end. Kinda disappointing, seeing as the episodes involving Moriarty have been some of the best... It's pretty skippable, I say.

  Well, next week is the last two episodes of the season! Huzzah! I'm almost done! (And Doctor Who ends it's season next week, too... I'm trying to forget that... At least I still have Hannibal...)

  Tomorrow, I FINALLY kick off Marvel May! :D