I was not even going to do it, I swear. My schedule is full, I am supposed to be devoting the rest of my waking hours to homework, but like a moth to the flame, I was lured in by my enduring affection for Johnny Lee Miller and my life-long devotion to one Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
Weeks ago, I perused the upcoming Fall TV series, picking and choosing which shows I couldn't wait to return, the ones that I was definitely going to preview, created a short 'maybe if I have time I'll give it an auditio' (i.e. Revolution) list. When I read the review for CBS's new show Elementary starring Lucy Liu and Johnny Lee Miller, it the hit my very long NO list. My reasoning, it just did not seem like now was a really good time to introduce another interpretation of Sherlock. I would have to say that even in our culture of excess, the Sherlock market seems a bit saturated right now. There is the Downing/Law duo of the big screen, BBC's excellent Cumberbatch/Freeman combo that has been, in my opinion, as close to perfect as a show can come in.
But sometimes the Universe just offers pleasant little surprises, and who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?
So there it was, ten o'clock, we have just finished watching Glee and the kids are off to bed and I am soon to follow. But, first I have to do the nightly before bed chores. I hear a distressing noise, realise that Fox News has started, so I ran for that remote like I was on fire and it was a bucket of water. I grabbed it, randomly hit the first channel button, which happened to be the channel down, and there it was, the new Sherlock Holmes show. A murder is taking place (I'm folding laundry), Lucy Liu is running through Central Park, (I'm blowing out candles), then she is on the phone discussing someone who left rehab early, but that she was now at the house of said someone...enter Mr. Johnny Lee Miller. She enters his brownstone and proceeds to introduce herself as the employee of Holmes' father whom he has hired to be the recently released from rehab Sherlock's sober companion for the next six weeks. 8 TV's are playing at once, Sherlock pauses them, turns to Liu and....Hallelujah, he gets to keep his original English accent for this role, which in my opinion gives his character a certain authenticity. And he really has no trouble introducing himself even on an intimate level.
Holmes finds sex repellent, all those fluids, all that noise, but he feeds his body's needs as required, but don't get too comfortable because you won't be here long. The two head of to a crime scene, taking the 'tube', where Holmes informs his new addict sitter that "prior to [his] stint in junkie jail, [he] worked as a consultant for Scotland Yard," and part of his post rehab plan is to assume his investigative consulting role in New York. At the scene of a murder, we meet the police investigator, Captain Greggs (so good to see Aidan Quinn), where we see Holmes' famous observation skills at work. Introducing Watson as his valet, or helper helper monkey, Liu is quiet as she observes Holmes at the scene. If you had the same doubts as I did about changing Watson's character to a female, I can assure you that you will be more than pleasantly surprised at the Dynamic Chemistry (in a non-sexual way) between the two. Joan Watson is quiet, observant, tough, and intelligent; she is not intimidated by Sherlock and has no trouble calling him out on his insensitive behavior as well as his bullshit. Miller in this role entertains and enraptures me in the same way that Matt Smith's interpretation of Dr.Who does. Quirky, fast talking, incredibly intelligent, and most importantly witty in his interpretation of the world as well as his own self.
The murder investigation is interesting enough and offers a great introduction into the characters. Proper modernization factors were wonderfully worked in as Google and Facebook were given their due by the detective as one of the ways he uncovers information. There were so many great lines during the show, if I wrote them all down for you, I believe I would be writing the majority of the script. Here were some of my favorites.
Sherlock to Watson: "Why do you hate your job? Two alarm clocks means it is a chore to get up in the morning. No one with two alarm clocks loves their job."
At an Opera where Sherlock is trying to convince Watson to come with him to investigate something, he is hushed, his response: "Shh yourself, they're not even on key."
Again, there were so many more great lines from the overall fantastic first episode. I am looking forward to watching it again. If you like witty and smart TV, then the game is afoot! Take a look at CBS's Elementary and enjoy the show!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
The Fall of the Geeky Girl
It is my favorite season of the year, fall, and here in the valley, Mother Nature really likes to show off. The morning air is crisp and cool, slowly heated up by the afternoon sun, which takes its warmth along with it as it disappears beyond the western horizon. Tonight, I had to close my windows to ward of the chill that had crept into my bedroom; I did so gladly.
Along with the change of weather, the new season is also blowing in other new life changes...and consequently, a necessity for some new coping skills.
Despite all of the dark that life throws my way, there had been comfort found in the new Fall TV season. A return of some of my favorites, as well as a refreshing influx of new and intelligent shows.
I become increasingly more grateful for the intersession of BBC television that I can turn to when I need a dose of just damn good entertainment. With shows like Sherlock, Luther, The Hour, and of course, my beloved Doctor Who fulfilling my empty art starving soul, I maintained high hopes for BBC's newest addition, Copper. Set in the Five Points of New York City in the last year of the American Civil War, the show boasts characters that are as rich and legitimate as the scenery. The overall arc of the story is cliche', a tormented father, Detective Cochran, returns from the war to find his daughter dead and wife missing- he is distraught, feels responsibility, and is determined to discover the truth. A played out plot to be sure, but the setting, actors, and writing are all brilliant enough to make the old and tired feel new and invigorating. The Race issue is finally handled in a way that demonstrates that it was not just the southerners who were prejudiced, Northerners had no more love for the African American race than the Rebels. The Irish struggled to understand how they were fighting and dying in droves in a war for a country that ostracized them. For the elite women, being a widow was considered a blessing while a whore considered marriage the ultimate prize. Copper covers a broad range of the social ails that were occurring in this small area during this era, and somehow, all of them feel contemporary. The distance between the classes, races, sexes, and the confusion that conflicts an individual as the political becomes personal.
I tried out NBC's Revolution, but I could not even get through the first half hour. If that is what we will be wearing 15 years into the apocalypse, then who the hell cares? Yup, just couldn't get past the outfit to even try to get into the rest of it. It really made me long for a good dose of Whedon's Firefly. Now he knew how to do future...
Joe and I are eagerly awaiting Arrow (please let it be good, please let it be good.) Alphas seemed to have lost a little of its magic in the first episode of Season 2, so while I am not current, I will give it another go when I find a little extra time. But with Dexter, Homeland, New Girl, and Treme all coming back, it may have to wait until the mid season break.
Along with the change of weather, the new season is also blowing in other new life changes...and consequently, a necessity for some new coping skills.
Despite all of the dark that life throws my way, there had been comfort found in the new Fall TV season. A return of some of my favorites, as well as a refreshing influx of new and intelligent shows.
I become increasingly more grateful for the intersession of BBC television that I can turn to when I need a dose of just damn good entertainment. With shows like Sherlock, Luther, The Hour, and of course, my beloved Doctor Who fulfilling my empty art starving soul, I maintained high hopes for BBC's newest addition, Copper. Set in the Five Points of New York City in the last year of the American Civil War, the show boasts characters that are as rich and legitimate as the scenery. The overall arc of the story is cliche', a tormented father, Detective Cochran, returns from the war to find his daughter dead and wife missing- he is distraught, feels responsibility, and is determined to discover the truth. A played out plot to be sure, but the setting, actors, and writing are all brilliant enough to make the old and tired feel new and invigorating. The Race issue is finally handled in a way that demonstrates that it was not just the southerners who were prejudiced, Northerners had no more love for the African American race than the Rebels. The Irish struggled to understand how they were fighting and dying in droves in a war for a country that ostracized them. For the elite women, being a widow was considered a blessing while a whore considered marriage the ultimate prize. Copper covers a broad range of the social ails that were occurring in this small area during this era, and somehow, all of them feel contemporary. The distance between the classes, races, sexes, and the confusion that conflicts an individual as the political becomes personal.
I tried out NBC's Revolution, but I could not even get through the first half hour. If that is what we will be wearing 15 years into the apocalypse, then who the hell cares? Yup, just couldn't get past the outfit to even try to get into the rest of it. It really made me long for a good dose of Whedon's Firefly. Now he knew how to do future...
Joe and I are eagerly awaiting Arrow (please let it be good, please let it be good.) Alphas seemed to have lost a little of its magic in the first episode of Season 2, so while I am not current, I will give it another go when I find a little extra time. But with Dexter, Homeland, New Girl, and Treme all coming back, it may have to wait until the mid season break.
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