My New Obsession with Sherlock

As I've said, I often come to things late, but my new obsession is Sherlock on BBC, which of course I've caught up with on Netflix. I adore both Benedict Cumberpatch (god I love a baritone) and Martin Freeman as actors anyway, but I was immediately drawn into the chemistry they create onscreen in this unique and modern take on Sherlock. I especially appreciate that Dr. Watson is a blood and guts real person with a dark side, and not a bumbling sidekick. I had to watch the entire series to date before I could move on to any blogging or reading this Christmas break. It is hilarious and wonderful that they also have Dr. Watson's blog available to read (and even for Sherlock to hack).

All Soul's Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

Loved all three books.

True Blood, Alas...

I haven't been able to bring myself to write about the final season of True Blood until now because it was so disappointing! Disappointing that it was ending but also such a disappointing plot. This last season was only about tying up loose ends succinctly. They killed off main characters for drama, with no real connection to emotion. They oversimplified all the resolutions. And at times, dare I say,  I was actually bored! And I'm sorry, even the sensuality was ruined during the sex scenes with Bill and Sookie because of the gross Hep-V infected veins everywhere. The only redeeming thing about the last season was that they did bring Sookie's character to a close that was harmonious with the books and Charlene Harris's vision of her: Sookie never did turn vampire and she was going to go on to live a happy human life.

I can see where the creativity had worn out, though--they had no place to go. They rushed through Eric and Sookie's romance, which could (and should) have taken them through at least one more season, and they had already killed off Queen Sophie Anne long ago. But I would have liked to see the vampire conference, a romance with Quinn the Weretiger, the brushed off drama with Debbie Pelt's family, and something with Mr. Cataliades! There was more that could have been explored, if not for what I suspect was a fear to keep Sookie and Bill--or the actors at least--apart too long. Charlaine Harris was able to keep their tension alive through many more books, even though they were no longer in a relationship. Sookie never got back with Bill and he never asked her to kill him--come on!--and she still moved on to a happy human life. A much better resolution in my opinion, than having her so weak as to have to erase Bill from existence in order to survive. Ah, well. Still a phenomenal job overall albeit a thud of an ending.

Netflix Newbie

For some reason I always come late to things, but then I come back with a vengeance. It's amazing to me that we live in a world where all the back episodes of anything you ever want to watch is right at your fingertips. Netflix has taken full advantage of this and created several of its own series, releasing not one episode at a time, but whole seasons worth of episodes to watch at your convenience. I was casually going on to watch another episode of the second season of Orange is the New Black when I noticed a new series--well, not new, just new to me--The Killing on Netflix. It stars Merielle Enos, from the movie World War Z, which I liked, so I thought I would check it out. One episode and I was hooked! I have spent the last few days watching the entire first THREE seasons, because I haven't been able to stop watching it. Then as I finished it (I have only to wait for season 4 on August 1st!), I looked at another series on Netflix--Hemlock Grove, also another addicting winner.

Acadia Falls by Carol Goodman

I'm a fan of Carol Goodman, whose stories always seem to revolve around academics or academic environments (boarding schools, universities, etc.) with characters whose lives are often affected by fate and sometimes the supernatural. I've also read The Sonnet Lover and The Ghost Orchid.

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

The first book in a new series by Charlaine Harris, Midnight Crossing is an interesting mix of worlds: Returning from the Harper Connelly series is psychic Manfred Bernardo who moves to the tiny town of Midnight, where everyone seems to have a secret. However the world of Sookie Stackhouse is ever so weirdly incorporated, because apparently there is a vampire living in Midnight as well. The Harper Connelly series was not related to Sookie Stackhouse series at all, and even though Harper had a kind of psychic ability, the supernatural element ended there. Charlaine Harris is pushing the envelope on the suspension of disbelief here by combining the two worlds. Although the plot/mystery is not not the most engaging one I've ever read, the book was comforting and easy and reminiscent of two other series that I adore.

The Walking Dead: More Darryl Please...

I'm somewhat enjoying the ultra-slow peeks into the lives of the survivors of the prison--because how else could they do it really? They need to draw you in and focus on a couple of characters at a time--just to torture us. That's okay. Character development in service of my anticipation isn't a bad thing. A couple of issues, however:

1. What's with the lack of Darryl? The little bit that they showed between Beth and Darryl was unremarkable. But that's just me; I love Darryl. I want to know more about what's going on in his head, besides the fact that he wants to sit down and is sad.

2. Why did no one have a rendezvous point planned? They obviously had a plan to load the bus in case of emergency, but no set points to meet up anywhere. That would have been helpful. Hey, they planned enough to bring formula for Judith, but not to have a Plan B?

3. Are you telling me that the Terminus people only just now showed up to discover the prison, as it's imploding? Realistically they could have shown up a day or a month earlier.

The whole thing with Maggie and Glenn--I feel bad for them, but her freak-out was kind of boring. I'm not sure what to say about Tara yet--she was in shock in the cage after her girlfirend got shot by Lizzie--but Tara seems to have lost all her bravado (rightly so)... wasn't she a cop before the zombies? She seems a little whiny despite her trauma. I know, I always think characters should be stronger than they are. I did enjoy the episode despite my minor questions/complaints.

And what is it with Lizzie? She is seriously deranged; and yet perhaps this is just the new world they all live in. Only the deranged survive. Those poor bunnies! At least they could have used them for food; what a waste! And poor Judith too--almost happily smothered by Lizzie, even as zombies approached to get her sister. Freaky!!

As for Carol reappearing, not surprising. You had to know she survived. It's fascinating she shows up with Tyreese and he doesn't know she was the one who killed his girlfriend. Great plot twist. And of course Judith is alive! I never thought for a moment that she was dead; it's also ironic that Carol, the one who was exiled by Rick, will be the one who saves his baby daughter. Perhaps she will raise Judith to be a killing machine like Lizzie, only to meet Rick years later!