Coming up: House of Cards

The result of the poll of what show I should watch next is House of Cards. I started it, and I have to say, it's looking good.

He does have a way with words.....

Share Thursday: The Powerpuff Girls by Geek & Sundry

I clearly don't write a new post everyday, but sometimes I want to share and just don't have original thoughts. So here you go--someone else made a thing that I like, and I want the world* to know.

The article is called "5 Reasons We're Looking Forward to More Powerpuff Girls" and it's by Teri Litorco.

Click the picture or the link in the post above to see the original article.

*The tiny world that lives in my head. But the rest of the internet is free to see it as well.

The last season of America

Psych

In case you think I only watch heavy, emotional, dramatic, heartbreaking, therapy-requiring shows, I'm happy to say that's not true.

The thing about Snapchat is that anyone can, with very little effort, be very entertaining. Oh, wait, I was blogging about Psych, not my new favorite social media. I guess I'm easily distracted, like the main character, Shawn.

This is one more of those Sherlockian characters that it seems the world just can't get enough of. (See Elementary, or The Mentalist, or Sherlock, or maybe even Chuck.) One character, endowed somehow with supernormal* abilities of deduction and crime solving, joins up with law enforcement to do what they can't... catch bad guys. The concept doesn't have much bearing in the real world, but it makes a fascinating fictional study. What if there was that one person that could solve the unsolvable?

*Supernormal: a word I made up meaning more than normal, but lacking the connotation of something unexplainable by science.

Silliness aside, there's more than one reason to watch this show. For one--well, the silliness. The show is full of gags and jokes. The two main characters, Shawn and Gus, play off each other well in every circumstance, whether they're getting along or fighting. They depict a kind of friendship that is refreshing to see on a TV show. 

Two friends who are wholly committed to their friendship. They're not without their trials, of course, which leads to the next point. The show has subtle depths that are well illustrated in the relationship of the main characters and their relationships with others. It's almost a coming of age story for the millennial who has fought adulthood tooth and nail. 

So, to binge or not to binge? Binge, definitely. Maybe even watch a few episodes between episodes of one of those darker, heavier, depressing shows that I keep loving. 

Dollhouse

A lesser known Joss Whedon show, Dollhouse wasn't even on my radar until a friend of mine told me to watch it. And then this happened...

Remember her?

Firefly

Remember her?                                 Remember him?

Buffy and Angel...and Buffy again.

Firefly

And him and her?

Much Ado about Nothing and Cabin in the Woods

In case you're thinking I left anyone out, and I probably have, this post is already overwhelmed with gifs. Let it go. 

I wouldn't go so far as to call this a reunion cast. For one, they weren't all in the same shows or movies. But it's definitely a Whedon cast. As such, you know they were chosen for their roles carefully and expertly.

That being said, it's no surprise that this show is all about the characters. Each one has a vital piece in the story, and it is complex. But not too complex to follow. The episodes keep you on the edge of your seat and you don't even wait for Netflix to automatically start playing the next--you're hitting the button yourself, demanding more.

That being said, this is a show that messes with your mind. In the end it's something you're grateful for, like school, but the process is painful. 

In a good way.

Is this show bingeworthy? Yes, you'll binge it without even noticing. But, as with some of the previous shows I've talked about, binge with care. Take a walk every five episodes or so. Call your mom. Watch a flower grow. Take note of whether or not your technology seems to have taken over your life. 

Wallander

First of all, the fact that I googled "Wallander gifs" and there were only gifs of Tom Hiddleston is both sad and fantastic.

I know no one cares as much as I do.

In general, I don't expect that most people are aware of this show. It has a weird description -- a Swedish crime drama cast with British actors and produced by BBC.

What?

Here are a few fun facts about it.

1. It did the three one-and-a-half-hour-episodes-per-series thing before Sherlock. Because it worked for them, Stephen Moffat did it with Sherlock.
2. It was the second time Tom Hiddleston and Kenneth Branagh worked together before Hiddleston was cast in Thor, which skyrocketed his career. (Feel free to fact check that, I'm now questioning whether or not it's technically true.)
3. Nicholas Hoult guest starred on the show, also toward the beginning of his career. 

I'm going to give this show the same caveat I gave Luther. Binge with care! It's an emotionally wrecking show. 

In a good way. 

Similar to Luther, it follows the events in one Swedish law enforcement officer's life. (But Luther isn't Swedish. It's not similar in that way.) I keep throwing out that it's set in Sweden because I think that it's intriguing, but it's not a distracting factor of the show. Every once in a while a character will have a name I'm not used to hearing, but all in all, it's a wonderful, subtle aspect of the show. 

And last, but most definitely not least, there's great news! A fourth season will be released in May after being off the air for four years. If you're wondering where you can watch this, it will premiere on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS May 8. 

After that I'm sure it will be on Netflix at some point. 

Elementary

Fair warning: Some of this is going to be about Elementary, but most of it is going to be about Sherlock Holmes.

My early impression of the show was that it was predictable. Not a positive critique, I know. But it wasn't boring. The story was fun and moved along with good pace. Eventually I realized I had been sucked into the plot without even noticing. My official opinion: Binge it!

Now I'm going to address an issue that confused people at the very beginning of the show. Why did CBS decide to start a modern day Sherlock Holmes show, featuring a main character actually named Sherlock Holmes, when BBC was doing the same thing? (See Sherlock)

First of all, CBS and BBC are separate entities and are allowed to do what they want. Yikes! Back off!

Second, they really are different shows. While the BBC/Moffat/Gatiss took their show in a direction which replayed the original stories in a modern light, Elementary simply recast the character of Sherlock Holmes in New York City, and let the stories follow.

I want to clarify that when I say "simply" I don't mean to imply that they undertook an easier path than Sherlock. The story lines do incorporate some other classic characters, but they have their own, unique plot lines that have a lot to live up to with the plethora of Sherlock Holmes remakes and re-imaginings that are out there already. And I do believe that they stand their ground.

And that's no mean feat.

A Study in Scarlet was first published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, and he continued publishing stories until 1927. Just so you don't have to do the math, that's 40 years. That's four novels and so many short stories that I didn't want to count them. (I'm sure someone else has and has published a tweet or something.)

Since then people have been writing stories with singular individuals who are the only one of their kind. They have enormous mental faculties and a disdain for emotions. Hopefully this doesn't blow your mind, but Spock (yes, that Spock) was patterned after Sherlock Holmes.

I've already listed several modern shows that use this character type, (see The Mentalist), and I would entertain suggestions that Batman himself isn't too far from it.

My final point about Elementary: they've managed to make three full seasons and are in the middle of a fourth. That's more than 70 episodes, whereas Sherlock has only managed 10 so far.

Yeah, I know, apples and oranges. Leave me alone.

Luther

Before I enter into the deserved adulation of the show, take heed. I do not recommend binging this one. The episodes are long and intense, and more than one or two, while tempting, can lead to a very warped view of humanity. And humanity is bad enough. 

Luther is amazing. It's not trying to be a police procedural, and it's not trying not to be. The character development throughout the three series currently online is detailed and completely believable. Within reasonable boundaries of character growth, they don't deviate from their established pattern. 

This show is dark, and gritty. It makes you root for the good guy, and wonder, maybe, who the bad guy really is? 

If you're concerned it might be too dark and scary, there are moments of levity and life that put a warm glow on everything. The take-away, for me: Life is worth it even if it's hard.

On top of all that, Idris Elba is a totally cool guy, and a phenomenal actor. Put him on your list of "anything this actor is in I will watch."

Too cool. Definitely cooler than me.