Broadchurch

And we're back to the doom and gloom. Crime and drama, depression, deep dark secrets--this show has it all.

--BUT--

Broadchurch is completely bingeworthy. Despite the weight of the content, it keeps you wanting to know what happens next.

My biggest complaint was the gap between the end of season one and season two being released. Many questions were left unanswered in the first season. The main plot of the series was well concluded, but some character development seemed to be lacking. All fears were allayed when season two came out, but boy was it a long wait.

Then there's this...

I don't even have to tell you, he said it himself.

But for real, David Tennant is fantastic. Many are familiar with him now because of Jessica Jones, Doctor Who, or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Some may be surprised to find that he's also a Shakespearean actor... or maybe you're not surprised, because he's so freaking good. Regardless of whether you're familiar with him or have never heard of him before, he alone is worth sitting down and watching this show from beginning to end.

Olivia Colman plays the foil to David Tennant's character so that you can't imagine anyone else being in the part. Her character anchors the show to a kind of reality most anyone can relate to. 

And she's so darn likable!

The chemistry between the two characters is what keeps this show from being entirely too dark. There's humor in the doom, and it works perfectly. 

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.....

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.

Chuck

I'm an optimist. I am more likely to enjoy something than not. I want to like things, and often genuinely do. But every once in a while I just can't fake it.

It's actually very strange, because I do love the actors in this show. And normally if I love the actors, I won't notice if I don't like the show. But alas... 

Chuck starts off great. It's funny, action packed, and interesting. But all too soon (by the end of season two, maybe the middle of season three) it took a serious turn that I couldn't handle. It's not that it became a serious drama and lost all humor. But the weight of the crises wasn't counterbalanced by that humor and the effect was boredom. I wanted to do anything other than keep watching. And a pretty good clue that something has reached its binge-worthy peak is that you don't want to keep watching. 

I won't say don't watch it at all. It's not the worst thing out there by any stretch (see my rant about Scandal in my How to Get Away with Murder post). You may even binge the first two seasons without issues. But be prepared for a sudden drop in velocity and a strange urge to start cleaning your kitchen, or bathroom, or dog, or neighbor's dog. 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Created by Tina Fey and friends, Netflix original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is one of the best new shows...

...

...well...

...ever, I guess.

Set in the ubiquitous NYC, it seems like it could be a little familiar. Small town girl moves to the big city, enamored with the glitz and glamour until suddenly real life kicks in.

But, no! It's--okay, it's very much like that, but wait--it's so much deeper than that.

so much deeper

So many topics are delved into that you might think it's too much, but the writers strike the perfect balance between depth and levity. Every character has time to grow and develop. No one person has all the answers, everyone is flawed, yet because it's fiction, justice prevails anyway. (And in this case, a little sugarcoating is not just okay, it's required. It is a comedy, after all.)

And another thing. There's nothing wrong with taking a cliche idea and doing it really well. At their bones, most every story is the same. It's the detail and definition that sets them apart.

and trust me.

The Mentalist

This is where we enter the gray area of binge-worthiness. Maybe the area of guilty pleasures. It's up to you to decide.

There are some fundamental things wrong with The Mentalist. For example, it's a very typical police procedural. The plot is formulaic and predictable. You don't have to be a mentalist to do most of what they do. You don't even need to be a trained police person.

By the way, why is it that police procedurals are all about police not following procedure?

You and me both, Simon.

Whatever. Here's the thing: I binged it anyway. 

The Mentalist is one of several new refreshing cop dramas with a consistent humorous twist. It's well funny. It's got an engaging villain, as well, which makes a show like this much more interesting. The arc of the story from beginning to when they catch kill discover lose reveal the bad guy follows consistent character traits as they are developed throughout. 

Another thing to note about The Mentalist is that it's one of several neo-Sherlock Holmes** stories. Among these are Psych, House, M.D., Elementary, and Castle. 

**Sherlock Holmes is one of the most copied characters in literature, for very good reasons. Not only has he impacted stories, but the original detective mysteries changed the way actual crime scenes were treated, leading to the meticulous way evidence is collected from crime scenes now.

 My final fun fact about the show is that more than one actor's native accent is not American. Can you guess whose?

No, he's not in it.