Sherlock Special: New Trailer and Air Date

A new trailer for the upcoming BBC Sherlock is here, as well as the official release date, which will be on January 1st! Finally, BBC and PBS are airing the series at roughly the same time, similar to how Doctor Who is aired. The title of the episode will be "Sherlock: The Abominable Bride," and, of course, it will be set in 19 century London like the original stories. As a fan of almost every adaptation of the legendary detective, I am ecstatic! And, in the upcoming "Reader's Choice," you can vote for me to post "5 Unconventional Sherlock Holmes Adaptations," which, as the title describes, will focus on 5 adaptations that you might have never heard about. Please check back tomorrow for more details!

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Sherlock Returns with a New Special

Sherlock returns! Yes, BBC's Sherlock returns with an upcoming 90 minute special. From the above clip, this special appears to be fun self-aware throwback to the original stories set in Victorian England. Apparently, after the special, the series will return with its usual three episode season. Obviously, I am excited for this new special! I am curious as to whether this is going to be entirely self-aware or only that small part of it, and if it is going to adapt one of the original stories. Either way, this should be a blast to watch! What do you think of this Sherlock special? Please comment below and let me know. Also, sorry everyone if I am late commenting. My computer is dying, so I have to figure out how to fix it.

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Elementary - Season 3 Review

Elementary, the American adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes character.

Plot Summary: In the aftermath of season 2’s finale, Sherlock, Watson, and Sherlock’s new apprentice, Kitty Wilson, solve crimes for the NYPD. 

Plot: 6.7/10- Like most crime procedurals, Elementary maintains a relative status quo with a mystery every week. The standard mystery episodes range from surprisingly inventive to predictable. Several of the earlier episodes featured intriguing concepts, although the resolutions were nothing groundbreaking.

On the other hand, the series featured a few episodes that affected the season as a whole. The first half introduced a new character and her story arc was resolved by the mid-season mark. The mystery involved in that episode is nothing special, but it is fairly well written. Thankfully, the season finale itself offered a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. Maybe the series will find a way to change the status quo without compromising the Sherlock-Watson dynamic next season, but that incredibly unlikely.

Characterization: 6.8/10- After the events of the previous season, Sherlock and Watson's relationship is different than the earlier seasons. Sherlock now has a new apprentice named Kitty Winter, a young woman with a dark past. Kitty is an interesting character with a dynamic different than Watson, which worked for the series. However, the obligatory plot convenience to bring Sherlock and Watson back together often felt contrived, which made Kitty’s existence feel irrelevant at times. Thankfully, her story is resolved in a satisfying manner.

Sherlock is essentially the same eccentric detective that you know from the previous season. He does change slightly throughout the season thanks to his friendship with Watson. Despite certain things happening, Joan Watson is also essentially the same, which is really not a bad thing.

Captain Gregson is sidelined for the majority of the season, and considering that his character was always the least interesting, that was probably for the best. Detective Bell is entertaining as always, as his role is slightly expanded.

Acting: 7.0/10- Jonny Lee Miller's portrayal of the legendary detective, as before, does not take any risks, yet he is still very entertaining to watch. 

After three seasons, he knows how to play the character, and he continues to do so with the same energy of before. One strange thing is that sometimes Miller sounded as though he was sick due to the nasally sound of his voice. I wonder if Miller is prone to colds or has allergies. Either way, this is not a slight on the actor, because it happens to everyone.

Lucy Liu continues to be one of the best adaptations of the Watson character to date, and her performance is as consistent as ever. The supporting cast is reliable, and, as expected from the genre, the one-off characters are all acted well enough.

Humor: 7.5/10- Sherlock's rudeness and lack of reverence of social standards continues to be the mainstay of the comedy, and it is just as funny as ever. 

Entertainment Value: 7.2/10- Thanks to the character dynamic, Elementary is a fun series to watch, even when the mysteries are predictable and unremarkable.

Overall: 6.7/10- Elementary is a consistent procedural that delivers exactly what you expect each season, and season 3 is no exception. It might not be groundbreaking, but it is at least entertaining.

Closing comments: As a whole, Elementary is an above average crime drama that I plan to continue watching until its final episodes; there is not much more to say.

Recommended for: Procedural fans, Sherlock fan,

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Mr. Holmes Trailer Review

Mr. Holmes, the most recent Sherlock Holmes adaptation that is set to hit theaters later this year, is a film that follows an elderly version of the famed detective as his ingenious mind begins to fade. My initial impression of this teaser is that it going to be more of a character piece rather than a classic Sherlock mystery, and while the trailer makes the film appear to be almost Oscar Bait, if executed well, Mr. Holmes could be brilliant take on the classic detective. Sir Ian McKellen plays the titular hero, and if you are going to cast an elderly Holmes, there is absolutely no one better for the role. Bill Condon directs the film, as well as co-writes the screenplay, and he has won Academy Awards for screenplays, so he is a proven and capable filmmaker. The film is based on the novel A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin, and while I have not read it, it is generally considered to be one of the better Sherlock stories that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not write. Oddly enough, the film has already been screened in Berlin to generally positive reviews, so maybe this is already an Oscar contender. Even though an Oscar winning drama is great and all, I am hoping that the film's mystery will be engaging and worth solving to go along with the dramatic character elements. Other than that, I will have to wait for either another trailer or reviews from more trusted sources before deciding on my opinion of the film; after all, this is only a teaser trailer. What did you think of it? Please comment below and let me know. Also, do not forget to check back tomorrow for my review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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Happy Birthday Sherlock Holmes!

Happy Belated Birthday Sherlock Holmes! To celebrate, Hamlette over on The Edge of the Precipice is hosting a Sherlock Holmes birthday blog party and giveaway. Officially, Sherlock's birthday is said to be yesterday, but I did not get a chance to answer these questions yesterday, so I am answering them now. Also, sorry everyone for the lack of a full post today, my original plans had to be changed at the last minute. However, please check back tomorrow for my review of the Ant-Man trailer and Friday for my review of the fantasy epic Rage of Bahamut: Genesis.

1.  When and how did you first encounter Sherlock Holmes?

My father has always been a big fan of the stories and various adaptations since before I was born, so I always known about Sherlock Holmes in one form or another. However, if I were to guess, I would say that my first encounter was with one of the Basil Rathbone films.

2.  Please share a fact or two about yourself related to Holmes.  (You've read the whole canon, you've been to Baker Street, you're an official BSI member, etc.)

Well, I cannot boast anything like having read all of the stories or being a part of anything. However, I am one of the few people I know that actually watched BBC Sherlock when it first aired rather than hearing about how good it was from everyone else. 

3.  What are three of your favorite Holmes adventures?

Having only read a couple of stories, I cannot rank my favorite stories. I can, however, rank my favorite adaptations: 

BBC Sherlock: "The Reichenbach Fall"

BBC Sherlock: "His Last Vow"

BBC Sherlock: "The Great Game"

4.  What draws you to the Sherlock Holmes stories?

The mystery genre is one of my favorites, and Sir Arthur Conan played a large part in the creation the modern mystery gener. Also, the intellectual of Sherlock is another aspects draws me to it.  

5.  If you were going to give Sherlock Holmes a birthday present, what would it be?

No idea. I am terrible at these questions. Ah, I've got one: the entire collection of the Sherlock stories to hear his opinion of them, haha!

6.  If you could climb into a Holmes story and replace any one character for a day, who would you like to be?

Providing I am assured to live, being Sherlock in any of them would be cool.

7.  Please share some of your favorite Holmes-related quotes!

"Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street." (the first good one to come to mind)

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Sherlock: His Last Vow Review

"His Last Vow," the heart stopping finale to Sherlock's season three. *Major spoilers are ahead, if you have not seen the episode, either click here to watch the season in its entirety or just read the spoilers if you do not care for whatever reason.* Now that the spoiler warnings are out of the way, let the review commence!
Wow, what n amazing episode! In some ways, the movie reminded me of Skyfall. Sherlock is faced with a new menace, Augustus Magnussen. After the character was briefly seen at the end of "The Empty Hearse," we are finally introduced to Sherlock new foil. Despite not matching Sherlock's greatest adversary, Moriarty, he was nevertheless a worthy adversary for Sherlock to defeat. Skipping straight to the shocking reveal that Magnussen's "Appledore Vaults" is actually his Mind Palace, that was unexpected to say the least. However, the twist was not without heavy foreshadowing and clues. Sherlock's Mind Palace has been given an expanded importance this season and how it is shown was also given a boost with the bigger budget. Possibly Sherlock's greatest mental asset turning out to the thing that ultimately defeats him was nice twist. Obviously though, Magnussen's is not as smart as Sherlock because he did not see all of the options. Sherlock killing Magnussen was the only viable option he could have taken if he wanted to save John and Mary. That scene left me speechless for a few minutes. But, that was not the only shocking twist of "His Last Vow," Mary turning out to be a former agent was utterly unexpected. The first time Sherlock read Mary with his "Sherlock Vision," you could see "Liar" among the many words floating around Mary, which I noticed when watching the episode. However, what I did not expect was that being a "Liar" was an important aspect of the plot and that her secret was so big. While many might disagree, "His Last Vow" is one of the best works of television I have seen since "The Reichenbach Fall," but it might actually be even better than that masterpiece of television. It is nearly perfect with only one discernible flaw, which I will discuss later.

While it was not explained clearly, Magnussen's "Pressure Point" display was actually his Mind Palace as he sees it in his head, or at least that is what I thought it was, which is intriguing and I am glad not everything about it was blatantly explained. Side note, the Inception sequel should be about cracking the "Appledore Vault!"

Oh yes, how could I forget that Sherlock has a girlfriend? Well, not anymore. My first reaction to Sherlock and Janine being together was: "What the heck! Well, maybe Sherlock is human after all." Of course I figured that he is only using her for some purpose, which turns out to be gaining access to Magnussen's office, but the scene, and John's reaction, were priceless nonetheless. Also their interaction after Sherlock wakes was great!

The only negative that I can find in the episode is Sherlock's Mind Palace when he is shoot. The scene was drawn out too long. Sure, Sherlock can think incredibly fast, but what happened in that scene bordered on science-fiction. Even though Andrew Scott's cameo as Moriarty was cool, his scene in particular was far too drawn out, and it began to loose its effectiveness towards. However, the earlier sequences of the scene were wonderfully stylistic and unique. It made you feel as though you were inside Sherlock's mind, presenting the audience with a surreal experience.

Mycroft's mentioning of dragons that Sherlock needed to slay, seemed like a vague reference to Cumberbatch playing Smaug, although it was an important metaphorical meaning to the story.

Nearing the end, I felt that splitting Sherlock and John up once again was unnecessary, especially since rebuilding their friendship after several more months apart because of Mycroft's mission. Thankfully however, a metaphorical Dragon for Sherlock to slay has appeared so that he can redeem himself in the eyes of his superiors. Moriarty's returning message, "Did you miss me," was a fun way to give Sherlock a reason to come back, particularly since the world now knows that Moriarty was behind the plot in "The Reichenbach Fall" episode, not Sherlock. My only concern with season three is that Moriarty might actually come back through some kind of Moffat magic or time-travel, which will hopefully not happen. My hope and guess is that this Moriarty scheme is something that he either setup to happen from beyond the grave, or one of his subordinates set it up.

The Good: Jaw dropping plot twists, Cumberbatch is always the best, Freeman is particularly strong in the episode, Legitimately emotional moments, Mind-bending Mind-Palace trip, Strong mystery, Perfect ending, Strong drama, Magnussen was a worthy adversary, Perfect comedic timing, Smart and witty dialogue, Epic scale, Sherlock has a girlfriend, Magnussen flicking off Watson, Shocking reveals, Superb stylistic direction,

Mystery: 10/10- The mystery in "His Last Low" had more to do with the over arching mystery of Mary, as well as the "Appledore Vaults," both of which were executed perfectly. Trying to deduce Mary's motivates was an intriguing angle that was resolved effectively. To clear things up for anyone that was confused, Magnussen was blackmailing Mary, which is why she almost killed him. My only question about the episode is who is the other Holmes brother that apparently died? I have read that fans of the original source material theorized that there was another Holmes brother, even if he was not actually named.

Characterization: 9.9/10- After two episodes that placed a heavier focus on character development, seeing an episode that is more focused on the mystery and the plot was a refreshing return to the norm. However, that is not to say that the characters did not receive development, to the contrary, Sherlock had some good brotherly bonding with Mycroft, and Mary was further developed as character. Her backstory was interesting and it took some unexpected turns. The scene where Watson and Holmes listen to Mary case was brilliant, positively brilliant, "You are a client Mary, that is what you are now." Wow, what a perfectly executed scene. The revelation that John subconsciously desires danger and excitement, which is why he loves Mary and why he befriended Sherlock. Even though that is an interesting direction for the character, I am not sure if that makes sense as to why he loves Mary since she was basically a normal person when before he discovered her secret.

Acting: 10/10- Martin Freeman gave a standout performance in the episode. His scene as he portrays Watson's struggle after discovering that Mary lied was amazing. It was perfect. Saying that Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect as Sherlock is getting a redundant, but it is certainly true. Mark Gatiss continues be excellent as Mycroft. Amanda Abbington's performance as Mary Watson was even better than in past episodes as she is given more material, and her natural chemistry with Freeman remains. Lars Mikkelsen plays a rather fun and suave villain, albeit one that resembles a Bond villain a little too much. Cumberbatch's real life parents reprise their roles as Sherlock's parents, and they are rather good in the role. Also, Louis Moffat, Steven Moffat's son, plays the younger version of Sherlock and he actually looks surprisingly like Cumberbatch.

Soundtrack: 10/10- Is there any more that can be said about Sherlock's fantastic score? It is fantastic as always.

Direction: 9.9/10- Being that my only minor compliant with the episode is that the Mind Palace scene dragged on a bit too long, the direction or editing of those scenes could have been a bit better. Despite this, the rest of the episode's direction was as strong as usual.

Humor: 9.5/10- "His Last Vow" focused more on a serious plot than the previous episodes of the season, but that is not to say it was without humor because there were many humorous moments throughout the series. Not only was Sherlock and Mycroft's exchange outside their house an excellent character moment, it was hilarious! Mrs. Holmes exclaiming  "Are you two smoking!" and Sherlock quickly replying "It was Mycroft!" was both a funny moment and a great representation of how brothers normally act, which is always a pleasure to see. Also Sherlock and Mycroft's lines, "You're loose would break my heart," with Sherlock responding, "How the h*ll am I suppose to say to that!" were, again, superb.

Relative Rating: 10/10- "His Last Vow" might be the best episode yet.

Overall: 10/10- Overall, "His Last Vow" blew my mind! With tons of logical plot twists and turns, the episode always kept me guessing, and it presented some truly amazing dramatic scenes. The episode was amazing! And remember, "I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath; do your research. Merry Christmas!"

What did you think of the episode? Please comment below.

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Sherlock: The Sign of Three Review

Thoughts: "The Sign of Three," the second episode of Sherlock's season (or series) three.
*Major spoilers are ahead, if you have not seen the episode, either click here to watch the episode in its entirety or just read the spoilers if you do not care for whatever reason.*
Now that the spoiler warnings are out of the way, let the review commence!

After the first episode of the season being a fun fan-service filled romp that dealt with the aftermath of Sherlock's fake death, "The game is....something." "The Sign of Three" presents Sherlock with his greatest challenge yet, giving a a Best Man speech at Watson's wedding! What at first seems to be an odd and disjointed series of flashbacks about of the duo's escapades that Sherlock recounts turns into a fun episode that has a complex and intriguing mystery. For starters, the humor in "The Sign of Three" was, again, absolutely perfect! Seeing Sherlock and John completely plastered and "cluing for looks" was one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time. The opening with Lestrade almost catching the robbers and then being called by Sherlock because Sherlock needed "Help" and it turning out all he needed was help preparing the Best Man speech was comedic gold, granted most of the episode was comedic gold, like "You bring me tea in the morning? I just thought it sort of happened." And of course the gif below.

One of the many hilarious parts of the episode

The Good: Skillfully woven mysteries, Sherlock and John getting hammered!, The utter hilarity of everything, Sherlock's Mind Palace, Irene Adler cameo, Smart and witty dialogue, Solvable mystery, Sherlock's Best Man speech, Pitch perfect characterization, Sherlock and John's friendship is further explored, Many quotable lines, Janine is a fun new character,

Mystery: 9.3/10- After the oddly disjointed series of stories that Sherlock tells the crowd at the wedding, they all tie together brilliantly into a mystery that is actually solvable by the audience. The introduction of Major Sholto made the fact that he would be part of the mystery of the episode rather obvious since why else introduce a new character to the story, but how it all went down was smart. Tessa knowing John's middle name and mentioning the wedding was something that I figured was important when she said it. My only problem with the mystery, and the episode in general, was the belt preventing a person from know that he was stabbed. Is that actually possible? If a doctor were to confirm it is actually possible, I would believe it, but it was still a rather far fetched way to kill someone.

Characterization: 10/10- Again, "The Sign of Three" delivers in spades in the characterization department, particularly the middle part of Sherlock's Best Man speech where Sherlock talks about how he never expected to anyone's best friend, which excellently demonstrated one of the best portrayed friendships in all of fiction. While some moments seemed a little too much like a sitcom with the wedding, there was superb character development throughout the episode. Mary setting Sherlock and John on a case without the other knowing that she is pulling all the strings was great, and Mary's character in general was better developed.

Acting: 10/10- Benedict Cumberbatch is obviously amazing as Sherlock and Martin Freeman is equally excellent. Alistair Petrie's performance as Major Sholto was good for his role, although the fact that he was an important part of the mystery was made a little obvious. Mark Gatiss has several excellent scenes, mostly during the Mind Place parts, but his version of Mycroft is quite possibly the best.

Soundtrack: 10/10- Michael Price's score is continuing the brilliance of his previous work on the show. The distorted version of the Sherlock theme while they were getting drunk was perfectly fitting for the situation.

Direction: 10/10- As with the first episode of the season, "The Sign of Three" featured some skillful direction and stylistic choices. When Sherlock and John were drunk the visual effect effectively conveyed Sherlock's disorientation with the hilariously drunken text presentation while investigating the room. The introduction of the more visual Mind Palace as Sherlock attempts to solve the mystery of the ghost that dates the women was an interesting way to show everything that happens inside his head.
The unexpected cameo by "The Woman" Irene Adler with Sherlock saying, "Get out of my head" was the best way to give a nice nod to the character.

Humor: 10/10- As stated previously, "The Sign pf Three" was packed with smartly written humor from Sherlock drinking a cup of tea with an eyeball that he accidentally drop in it, to Sherlock using his deductive skills to help Janine find a new boyfriend to Sherlock admitting that he learned something on YouTube, all of it was positively hilarious! Sherlock's opinion of John and Mary's marriage, which he states in the lines,"Two people who currently live together are about to attend church, have a party, go on a short holiday and then carry on living together. What’s big about that?" was a rather humorous comment on the declining state of marriage in today's society, which is unfortunately true. Overall, it was quite possibly the funniest episode of Sherlock to date!

Relative Rating: 9.8/10- Among middle episodes of Sherlock's run, "The Sign of Three" is, by far, the best the series has yet to produce. It is probably better than the first episode of this season.

Overall: 10/10- "The Sign of Three" is continuing the strong character development of our dynamic duo while simultaneously piling on some of the best humor the series has to offer and a well developed, albeit slightly unbelievable, mystery.

What did you think of the episode? Please comment below.

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Sherlock: The Empty Hearse Review

Now that Sherlock has been officially released in America, here is my full spoiler review of the "The Empty Hearse."

After two very long years of waiting for return of the critically acclaimed and fan favorite series Sherlock, how could anything live up to the impossibly lofty expectations that nearly everyone anticipates?
*Major Sherlock Spoilers Ahead*

"The Empty Hearse" opens with a scene that answers our long awaited question: how did Sherlock survive the "The Reichenbach Fall," or does it? Well, not exactly. Next Lestrade calls "bollocks" on Anderson's theory. My first reaction when the scene started was: "Yes! We finally get to see how he did it!" and then after he used the bungee cord and kisses Molly I figured it was probably Anderson's theory, aka Moffat trolling us. On a side note, the tech music in that scene was great; I am listening to it while writing this review. In addition, we now know that Sherlock faked his death to take down Moriarty's organization, and seeing Mycroft, played brilliantly by co-creator and writer Mark Gatiss, again was good fun, especially the brotherly rivalry interaction between the two. However, I am a bit confused since Mycroft and Sherlock seem to agree that Mycroft is the smarter of the two. Isn't Sherlock suppose to the be the smarter one? Also, even though Mycroft does not like personal interaction, he does not seem to have the social ineptitude that Sherlock displays, considering his high position in the government.

Among all of the mystery of how Sherlock survived, why he faked his death, and exactly what happened at the end of the "The Reichenbach Fall," we all know what we wanted to see in this episode, the reunion of Holmes and Watson, and it really did deliver what we were hoping to see. Everything about that aspect was absolutely perfect. From John punching, headbutting, and tackling Sherlock to perfectly timed musical cues that add to the comedy of the situation, everything about the reunion was, well, perfect. Throughout the scene I nearly died of laughter multiple times. It was comedic genius and Watson's reaction was exactly what I was hoping to see.

The best and intended way to experience "The Empty Hearse" to its fullest degree is have watched the "The Reichenbach Fall" around the time it air, which is about two years ago, and then waited until for those two long years because "The Empty Hearse" caters directly to those fans, or at least the ones that have been eagerly anticipating Sherlock's return. Having the two back on screen together reminds me how much I have missed the show in its absence.

Having Andersen be the head of the "The Empty Hearse," a group of Sherlock conspiracy theorists, essentially mirroring the real life fandom was rather hysterical! Also, the episodes pokes fun at the absurd "fan" ideas that imply that Sherlock and Watson are homosexual in anyway, which was hilarious! Particularly with Watson proclaiming to Mrs. Hudson that he is "Not gay!"

Molly teaming up with Sherlock as a replacement for John was a lot of fun. She claims to have moved on from her crush on Sherlock since she is now engaged, however when we meet her fiance he turns out to be a virtual clone of Sherlock in terms of how he dressing and looks.

Not surprisingly, Freeman and Abbington have fantastic chemistry since they are a real life couple, although the best of her character comes in the following episodes.

We get to see Sherlock's parents, who are played by Cumberbatch's real life parents, which is kind of cool.

The Good: Cumbertach remains the best, Perfect character beats, Superb stylistic direction and camera work, Tons of fan-service and meta humor, Even better presentation of Sherlock's mind, Freeman is beyond excellent, Hilarious throughout, Watson's mustache, Perfect chemistry between the actors, Satisfying answers, Stunning cinematography, Memorable quotes,

The Bad: Less focus on mystery,

Mystery: 8.3/10- For my Sherlock reviews I have a new category to give a rating, the actual mystery featured in the episode. With the character development and fallout from last season's cliffhanger resolved, the quality of the mystery suffered. Even though it did have its merits, the actual mystery was lacking in clues for the audience to pick up, however the resolution of the mystery was satisfying.

Characterization: 10/10- "Characterization" is another new category where I rate how well effectively the episode progresses the characters since, in the end, characters are the most important part of almost any story. "The Empty Hearse" featured possibly the best character development and overall characterization of any episode of the series yet. Much thought and time was given to John and Sherlock's friendship and how the events of the previous episode effect that. The addition of Mary Morstan was more than welcome. Thanks to a strong performance by Amanda Abbington, Mary seemed like a realistic and believable character. Even though he is not featured heavily in the episode, Lestrade is given an excellent character moment as well.

Acting: 10/10- Benedict Cumberbatch is the definition of perfection as Sherlock and Martin Freeman continues to give a believable and likable performance as Watson. As stated previously, Amanda Abbington is a more than welcome addition to the cast and Rupert Graves' Lestrade is as great as ever.

Soundtrack: 10/10- Sherlock's soundtrack returns as brilliant as ever with many familiar themes that perfectly fit Sherlock Holmes and his endeavors.

Direction: 10/10- Jeremy Lovering's direction of "The Empty Hearse" was positively superb. There were so many intriguing stylistic choices, camera movements, transitions, and editing throughout the episode. While the previous episodes of the series has shown us, the audience, an inside look into Sherlock's brain through floating text and an occasional inner monologue, the presentation is even better in this episode than ever before.

Humor: 10/10- The first half of the episode made me laugh more than probably anything I have seen in a very long time. Also, the dialogue was witty and fast paced, and the actors delivery was spot on.

Relative Rating: 9.7/10- The relative rating compares the episode to the other episodes of the series, not television in general. For example, the worst episode of Sherlock, "The Blind Banker," which was still better than the majority of what is on TV today, would rate around a 8.2/10, and the best episode of Sherlock at this point, “The Reichenbach Fall,” would rate a 10/10. Therefore, since "The Empty Hearse" is not the best episode of the series, albeit it one of the best, it receives a rating of 9.7/10. Most likely, my explanation made absolutely no sense.

Overall: 10/10- Overall, "The Empty Hearse" serves its purpose brilliantly as it resolves the events of the previous episode as well as providing fans the needed return of everyone's favorite detective. The episode might not be the best Sherlock episode yet, but the pitch perfect characterization is more than deserving of a 10 out of 10.

Since I tried to avoid spoilers when the episode first came on, please let me know if you have written a review and leave a link to it in the comments if I have not commented on it yet!

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Sherlock Season 3 Ep. 1 Reaction

Yes, I watched the highly anticipated Season 3 of Sherlock! And it was fantastic! While the episode was not entirely perfect, but it was most certainly worth the two year wait. To be clear, this is a non-spoiler reaction to the episode. If you have not seen the episode, you are safe from spoilers. You may be asking how an American like myself managed to watch the episode, and that question be answered shortly along with how you can also watch the episode. As for "The Empty Hearse," it was so much fun! I have not had such an entertaining time watching a television show since The Day of the Doctor back in November; it was that good. However, despite how fun the episode was, there was one minor flaw: the mystery, which was mostly a side story this time with the main story being John and Sherlock's reunion. As expected, we are also introduced to John's fiance Mary Morstan played very well by Amanda Abbington, who is Martin Freeman's real-life wife. But the real stars of this episode is easily Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. They were fantastic to say the least. Not only were they excellent, the writing of the banter between Sherlock and John must be commended. The early part of the was positively hilarious! There was so much fan-service and meta-humor throughout the episode. Overall, the episode was a welcome return to one of the best shows ever made. My full spoiler review detailing exactly what the minor flaw was as well as the other plot details, will be coming sometime in the future when I am certain that most of you have seen the episode. If you live in a country that has not aired season three of Sherlock yet, you can watch "The Empty Hearse" as well as the other episodes by clicking here on this link. Go to the site at your own risk, however it worked for me and the video quality is full 720p. Additionally, I am not entirely sure if the is technically pirated or not. Also, do not forget to check back tomorrow for the Iron Man 3 giveaway!

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New Sherlock Teaser Trailer and Official Premiere Date

A new teaser trailer to Sherlock is here! It is not much, but anything Sherlock related is big because, supposedly, America will be getting to see the series on January 19th and Britain will be seeing it in December. During Sherlock hiatus, the fandom has grown surprising strong, making BBC's Sherlock one of the most popular television series on the web, which is impressive considering that the series has been off the air for so long at this point. As for the teaser, I suppose that is our first look at Sherlock and Watson's first meeting and the fans freaking out about Sherlock's return are more than likely not part of the actual show, rather just a part of the marketing campaign. What do you think of the teaser? Please comment below and check back tomorrow for my review of the recent Agents of SHIELD episode.

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New Sherlock Holmes Movie with Ian McKellen.

Breaking news for Sherlock Holmes fans, a new Sherlock Holmes movie, staring Ian McKellen, and based the novel, A Slight Trick of the Mind, is officially in production! Bill Condon is set to direct and McKellen will be playing the elderly detective as he struggles to fight his deteriorating mind and solve a mystery that is half a decade old. At first my reaction was shock that yet another Sherlock Holmes movie adaptation was being made, but on second thought, this could be an excellent idea, because a more mystery oriented Sherlock Holmes feature film is long over due and McKellen is probably the best possible choice for an older Holmes. Both as Gandalf in the Middle Earth films and Magneto in the X-Men films, he is an excellent actor in terms of acting gravitas. While director, Bill Condon, has won awards for his work with McKellen in the past, my only concern upon viewing his filmography is that he directed the final two Twilight movies (using the term loosely), so he has made complete and utter crap in the past. My other concern is that it might be a cash grab considering the success of the various Sherlock Holmes adaptations across multiple forms of media. From the description of both the book and what the movie is said to cover, they appear to be different, but I have not read the book. As for the movie, I am hoping that it will be more focused on mystery and the character of Holmes because a less flashy Sherlock Holmes movie would be an excellent contrast to the other fantastic adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work currently being made. Overall though, I am both hopeful and excited for the new film, and it will most definitely be a film that I want to see. What are your thoughts on this potentially exciting news? Please comment below. 

  

 

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Sherlock Teaser Trailer!

 

The Sherlock teaser trailer has finally been released! And Watson has a mustache!? I can just imagine Sherlock saying something like: "John, what is that growing on your face?" While the teaser shows very little actual footage, which is probably a good thing, it really just implies that Sherlock is, indeed, back after a painful one and a half year wait for the next season. Moffat please get season four out much quicker! If anyone is interested in reading it, I plan to write reviews for each episode of season three, so would anyone be interested in reading those reviews? Also are you excited for the new season of Sherlock?

 

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Elementary (Sherlock Holmes) Season 1 Review.

Thoughts: Elementary is an American adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories that aired on CBS and features some large differences with the original source material, namely Watson being a woman. If you read my review for the pilot episode, which you can click here to read, I was extremely skeptical about said change and the series in general. To my surprise however, both Watson and the series were great. The majority of this review is spoiler-free and I will give due warning before any real spoilers are stated.
At first the series appeared to be just another procedural crime drama like other thousands of clichéd ones on network television today however, after several episodes it quickly separated its self of the pack with better characters and more likeable characters than most other shows and some good mysteries. While there were some mysteries that could not be solved from the audience's perspective, others were well written mysteries with just enough information given to solve it, although a few were kind of obvious. The first thing anyone watching the series should know is that Elementary is not a good adaptation in terms of being faithful to the source material. The problem is that the series does not resemble Sherlock Holmes compared to the source material (according to a knowledgeable friend) and only uses characters' names and a few aspects of said characters to make people want to watch it. While I have not read many of the stories (one to be exact and it was a very long time ago), I know someone who has read every Holmes story written by Doyle and I have read many posts by super-fan and fellow blogger Buddy2Blogger. Also I have always been a fan of many Sherlock adaptation and I have seen the recent films, BBC's Sherlock, many of the old Bail Rathbone films and a few other. However, I do plan to read "A Study in Scarlett" at some point later this year whenever I have the time.
Because this is a review of the series as a whole, any statements made are referring to combination of all episodes, for example Jonny Lee Miller's performance was excellent for the most part, yet there were a few episodes where he was not on his A-game. Now a look at the characters:

Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes: Miller's take on the character has a few of the same qualities as the many previous incarnations of the Great Detective and he brings something new to the table. His mannerisms are probably the best aspect of his performance. Miller is a lot of fun to watch as the, he delivers his dialogue with wit and often good comedic timing during some scenes. His chemistry with Lucy Liu as Watson is great and it is refreshing to see a non-romantic relationship between a man and woman, hopefully it will stay that way. A big topic of the show is how Sherlock is a recovering drug addict and Watson is his "sober companion" for several months. My biggest problem with his portrayal is not necessarily Miller's fault as it is the writers'; Holmes is a womanizer and with the except of the deceased Irene Adler, he is only interested in the physical aspect of relationships. Fortunately this is only covered to much extent in the a few episodes, particularly the pilot and "The Deductionist". Something else that will probably annoy fans is that Holmes becomes emotionally compromised, which interferes with his deduction abilities, contrary to the source material.

Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson: Yes, I know that I said making Watson a woman was a terrible idea but it actually turned out surprising well. She was one of the best parts of the series. Keeping somewhat to the source material, Joan Watson is former surgeon who became a "sober companion" for reasons later explained as the series progressed. Unlike many of the Watsons that have been portrayed in other mediums, Liu's version is much more useful and becomes a capable detective later in the series. Her banter with Holmes is often quite humorous and Miller is usually at his best when acting off of Liu.

Aidan Quinn as Captain Tobias "Toby" Gregson: Typically in most Sherlock Holmes adaptation Inspector Lestrade works with Holmes as his conduit to the law, in this version however, Aidan Quinn as Captain Gregson plays in a similar role. Gregson has a history with Holmes when the two were back in Scotland Yard and Holmes was working as a consultant. Quinn gives a solid performance as a typical New York cop. Captain Gregson is loosely based on a character mentioned in "A Study in Scarlett" (thanks Buddy2Blogger for the info).

Jon Michael Hill as Detective Marcus Bell: Bell is Gregson's assistant and often conflicts with Sherlock's theories, especially early on in the series. While there are a few episodes were he is given some character development, Detective Bell is mostly a background character. Bell is not a character from the Sherlock Holmes cannon, however he is named after Joseph Bell, who is credited as inspiring the character of Sherlock Holmes (thanks Buddy2Blogger again for the info).

Natalie Dormer as Irene Adler: As it is revealed early on in the series, Irene was murdered by the mysterious Professor M and is only shown in flashbacks.

There are two main opinions of Elementary. 1: The fan for the most part, absolutely hate it or at least dislike it. 2: Many of the critics opinion ranges from good to fantastic, but in general critics the reviews are positive. Being a critic, I believe the show to be very good and definitely worth a watch and among the scripted show I watch on network TV, it is the best. Also the series is often in the Top 10 most viewed shows every week and it has already been renewed for another season.


Overall: 8.2/10- As with any TV series, not all episodes are fantastic, more often than not however, Elementary is an excellent mystery series with good use of humor and entertaining characters.

Closing comments: Basically, if you are a fan of the source material you will probably dislike it, however I recommend you give it a shot if you are the least bit interested and if you are not a fan or just enjoy good TV it is definitely worth watching.

Thank to Buddy2Blogger for answering my questions about the Sherlock Holmes source material. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan I recommend checking out his blog, just be careful of spoilers in his recent Elementary reviews.

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Elementary Pilot Review.

I finally got around to watching Elementary. As you have probably read in my previous post about Elementary, I was skeptical yet optimistic. Particularly about Lucy Liu as Watson, however she was just fine in the role. The problems are with the writing, it was basic homicide crime drama, which I will touch upon later. Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock was solid, he played the crazy "know-it-all", fun to watch type well, but very similar to Robert Downy Jr., and Benedict Cumberbatch. Miller and Liu played off each other well and had a good presence on screen. The episode introduced the characters and gave enough back-story, yet left some to be revealed in later episodes. It was also entertaining to watch for the most part. Overall the series reminded me of 1/3 classic Sherlock, 1/3 Unforgettable (another crime drama, which I only watched briefly), and standard homicide drama. This is Elementary's main issue; from the other previews it does not seem that it will be much different in the coming episodes. (Note: I know someone very well that I consider to be a Sherlock Holmes expert, who has read every story and has seen just about every TV series and film, therefore some of the opinions about this version compared to the original is from his input.) Sherlock Holmes is not just about solving basic homicides there is much more, which the recent Robert Downy Jr. films and Benedict Cumberbatch TV series has captured very well. There needs to be a variety of mysteries, not just standard "Crime of the Week" type series, like half the shows on network TV. Also it could even change the names of the characters and remove a few references and no one would know that it was Sherlock Holmes, although that is a little over exaggerated of an example. Despite these problems, the episode itself was actually good and overall entertaining. The mystery was solid, yet it could not entirely be solved by the audience with the evidence given. While I am not sure if I will continue reviewing each episode of the series but I will definitely continue watching the series. Have you seen the new series? Please comment below with your thoughts about the series.


Overall: 7.3/10- While Elementary brings little new to the normal crime drama, it is a fun rendition of the classic detective.

Note: Elementary is rated "TV 14" and does contain violence and other content. 



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New Sherlock Series: Elementary.

 

Tonight is the premiere of the new America Sherlock Holmes TV series, Elementary. While it will be very difficult to top the BBC Sherlock TV series or the Robert Downy Jr. movies, I hope Elementary will be good. Although, I have low expectations for the series, especially since Dr. Watson is being played by Lucy Liu, which is a large change from the original character. I have yet to actually finish a Sherlock Holmes story, but I very much enjoy many of the Holmes' many film and TV adaptations, and I always enjoy a good mystery. Do you plan to watch the series? It premieres tonight on CBS. Also be sure to check out my Top 25 Lord of the Rings character list that I posted today. Also be sure to check out my two earlier posts today, Top 25 Lord of the Rings Characters. and Avengers Have Arrived!

 

 

 

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Sherlock Season 2 Tonight and What's Coming Next.

The highly anticipated season 2 of Sherlock is finally here in America! It premiers tonight on PBS at 9pm Eastern time. Be sure to check your local listing. After one of the most shocking cliff hanger endings to a TV series Sherlock is back with three new episodes. The series is not a long series but really more of three mini movies since each one is 90 minutes long. This Sherlock series is the best iteration of the classic detective since the 1984 TV series. I highly recommend the series to Sherlock Holmes fans and mystery fan alike. Do you want me to review the next episodes in the series? Please comment and let me know.

That plans for this week are to post The Amazing Spider-Man trailer review tomorrow followed by a few different reviews (maybe Sherlock review) starting Tuesday and then The Avengers review followed by some "Beyond The Avengers" information about the next movies Avengers movies that are coming.

Be sure to click here to check the guest post Narnia review from earlier today.

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