May 2016

Sherlock – The Abominable Bride

  • Title: Sherlock – The Abominable Bride
  • IMDb: link

Sherlock - The Abominable BrideTaking place almost entirely in 1895, the natural habitat for Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Doctor Watson (Martin Freeman), “The Abominable Bride” is an unusual episode that allows the modern retelling of the detective’s adventures to journey back to his original hunting grounds. After a brief reintroduction the characters, things start in earnest when Lestrade (Rupert Graves) brings the pair an unusual case of a suicidal bride whose ghost has appeared multiple times to wreak havoc.

The holiday special works fairly well until its final act where it stalls trying to incorporate the show’s current storyline with the unsolved mystery (rather than just allowing the tale to exist on its own).

Available on both Blu-ray and DVD, extras include an extended featurette on the episode and the series, a Q&A about the series, a production diary, and shorter featurettes on the show’s writing and various aspects of recreating the look of 19th Century London for the episode.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #27

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #27With a super-powered D’Hoffryn unmasked as the true big bad of the season, Season Ten’s final arc continues with infighting among Buffy and the Scoobies as there never seems to be enough blame in this issue for the choices each characters has made.

Despite “Hush” and the introduction of Tara, Season Four is the weakest of Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s seven seasons on television. Giving the characters enough space to grow, and grow apart, eventually led to harsh words and incriminations amongst the group (although that time it needed a push by Spike to get things started).

In much the same matter events unfold here with the Scooby Gang at each other’s throats. And, I’d suspect, things will be solved in near identical fashion as the group will come together for a big group hug and final battle before the last minute.

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Person of Interest – Reassortment

  • Title: Person of Interest – Reassortment
  • wiki: link

Person of Interest - Reassortment

While Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Finch (Michael Emerson) are stuck in a medical ward attempting to prevent a deadly outbreak caused by one of Samaritan‘s agents (Joshua Close) all to kill two targets discretely, fans are likely going to be far more psyched with what’s happening in the episode’s B-story. Still fighting to differentiate between reality and the thousands of virtual reality simulations Samaritan has forced her to run, Shaw (Sarah Shahi) makes her latest escape attempt. And, at least based on what the episode offers the audience, this one might even be real.

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DC Universe: Rebirth #1

“Every second was a gift.”

DC Universe: Rebirth #1It always starts with the Flash. Since 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths every major DC Comics’ reboot, realignment, restructuring, or rebirth (so to speak) can be tied back to the character who gave birth the the Silver Age of comics. This time it isn’t Barry Allen at the center of events, but Wally West. Last seen five years ago, Wally returns to the DCU with a bang.

When DC needed to find a way to write themselves out of the mess Ron Marz had made of Green Lantern they called Geoff Johns. Although it’s led to a never-ending rainbow war of ring-weilders and Blackest Night, Johns was able to find a way to bring back Hal Jordan and right a ship which had been taking one far too much water for far too long.

I’ve been worn down by the New 52. DC’s gritty 2011 reboot chose (seemingly at random) what to keep and what to toss away (including decades of established continuity). DC Universe: Rebirth #1 offers something missing in the heart-shaped hole at the middle of the New 52 – an understanding and acknowledgement that every moment is precious.

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