S8E12: "Death in Heaven"

Well that tied up a lot of loose ends.

#Disclaimer:
I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. As always, I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E11: "Dark Water"

It's me again!

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. As always, I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E10: "In the Forest of the Night"

It's me again!

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. As always, I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E9: "Flatline"

It's that time of week again...

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. As always, I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E8: "Mummy on the Orient Express"

Guess what?

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E7: "Kill the Moon"

As usual:
I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E6: "The Caretaker"

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E5: "Time Heist"

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E4 "Listen"

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E3: "Robots of Sherwood"

What happens when "a timeless hero...and the Doctor" are mixed? 

I write under the assumption that you've seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly here, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

S8E2: Into the Dalek

This episode was absolutely phenomenal. It has great writing and a fantastic plot.

I am writing under the assumption that you have seen the episode if you go past the page-break, which is only visible if you're on the home-page of the blog. Any other way, you must have clicked directly there, in which case, there is your error. I do not give a synopsis, I give a critical reaction.

A Quick Note on Speculation

Hi All, I just wanted to let you know that I will not be partaking that much in speculation or the foreseeable future. As you may know, I am a college student, and this semester will be the busiest I have had so far. Not only is it a time thing, but it is also because enough speculation goes on on sites like Facebook and Tumblr (check out both of our pages there--links below!) and if I do any it will be there. I will be covering the new episodes here like I have since I started this blog, though!

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S8E1: Deep Breath

This episdoe, rightfully so, had a lot of hype surrounding it. Not only was it a series premier, but it was the premier of the new Doctor.

I don't think many people had much doubt that Capaldi would be fantastic, aside from the people who are still upset that he's not young like Matt and David were. But let that go. He was absolutely fantastic, as most expected. The character's arch through out the story was clear: he starts out confused and disoriented from regenerating, and becomes more and more coherent as the story goes on. That was done beautifully, not only in the acting, but it was a finer moment for Moffat's writing as well. The scene about the bedroom was just perfect.

No Title: There are Just No Words.

This isn't really a post that has too much to do with Doctor Who. But it is still a post that needs to be written. Because something cannot be seen if it does not exist.

Mrs Doubtfire is quite posibly one
of my favorite movies ever.

By now, everyone who knew who Robin Williams is (note that I refer to him in the present tense--he will always be alive, in our minds and on film) probably knows that he has died. If you had not, I am so, so sorry to be the one to break the news to you. I can't say that a celebrity's death has ever caused an emotional response as deep as his passing has. The fact that it is likely a suicide makes it even more close to me. As soon as it was revealed that it was a suicide, everyone who had ever loved Mrs Doubtfire or Aladdin has immediately become The World's Best Suicide Prevention Advocate. While it is fantastic that the issue is getting the attention it is due, why did we need to lose one of the century's best performers for it to have that attention?

People assume that depression, and mental illness in general, is something that is obvious. But it's not. It's something that can hide for a long time, even in plain sight. 

Those of you who have seen this post already know about my struggles with my condition in a broad sense. But let's talk, let's really talk. 

The big thing that set my mental illness into motion happened in 2004/5. In short, and not to disclose any one else's personal information, my parents separated. I was about 10. I did not start self-injury until I was almost 17. The signs were there. Everything that would build up to that first cut fell into place quite nicely. So incredibly quietly that I was completely unable to identify how it all began until quite recently. I laid those pieces, some of them, in response to others being laid. Like how when you do a puzzle, to extend our metaphor, you put together the outside pieces first (if you didn't know that, enjoy your pro-tip for the day!) Yes, I made choices. But those choices were made in response to my biological programming having an error. If you're familiar with Star Trek: The Next Generation, (if you're not, go watch it; it's fantastic!) you know that Data's positronic brain establishes pathways in response to repeated stimuli. Ours do as well. It is a basic part of how we learn. We see a colour, someone tells us it is purple. Wash, rinse, repeat. Eventually, you learn that that is purple. This is how almost all learning takes place.

I'll get back to the point. The more those connections are reinforced, the stronger they become--and the harder it is to break that pathway. It becomes a habit. A few years after that habit was developed, I reached a roadblock. That behaviour was no longer producing the desired effect. It's like how an addict eventually needs more of the drug to get their high. (Do NOT read that as that I had done drugs. That is not the habit I am referring to at all.) So, my "drug-of-choice" changed. It became self-injury. No--not became, the self-injury was added to the mix. That first disorder did not leave.

Since this is primarily a DW blog,
lets add some DW to it.

A sad byproduct of self-injury that it is not only a sign (a very big, red sign) of depression, but it also causes depression if the person isn't already depressed. It's a bit wibbly-wobbly: the cause-to-effect isn't always what it is assumed to be. I don't know which came first for me. But I do know what happened next. I became suicidal. I lost count, but am proud to have survived no less than 4 suicide attempts. A lot of that number depends on what one considers an attempt. But the only person whose definition of attempt matters is mine and my doctor's. 

Ultimately, I had over five hospitalisations in a psychiatric unit, all occurring within two years of each other. This November will mark two years since the end of my last stay. Hopefully, that date will stay that way. 

When someone has cancer, it starts in one part of the body and can spread to others if not accurately diagnosed and treated effectively. This process is called metastasis. Mental illness does this as well. Of course, it all stays within your brain, but it moves to different parts, different manifestations, often without leaving that first place entirely, if at all. And just like other, more physically tangible diseases, it can leave it's mark on your body. Self-injury in all it's forms is not only seen in depressed patients. (Fun fact? We are not the only species to self-injure.) It can happen in patients with a multitude of disorders. 

"So, Ley, what are you getting at?"

Here is what I am getting at. The biggest thing we need in to do to prevent suicide is talk. I did not talk about that first disorder because I was scared of the consequences--disappointing people, losing friends, the whole deal. Because I was worried about people's reaction, it didn't get any light thrown on it until it was--almost--too late. If that stigma hadn't been there, if I wasn't worried about getting in trouble, there would be a totally different outcome. The fact of the matter is that even as I write this, I have a filter, because I know the same people who I didn't want to disappoint will probably see this, even now that I know that doing what I did wasn't quite as much of a choice as it was a requirement of my biology. We need to recognise that mental illness is not a choice the patient makes. I didn't wake up one morning and thing, "You know what would be fun? If I establish a set of learned behaviours that will ultimately lead to multiple suicide attempts! Yeah, let's do that." Once we rid ourselves of the assumption that people choose to have a mental illness, we can talk about it. And once we can talk about it, we can prevent it. Maybe Mr. Williams' death will really start a conversation about all this. We've been dancing around the issue of mental health for far too long. Let's not just have this death be a point in our society's road where we could have taken a shortcut but did not.

I think it's at least worth a try.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. If you live outside the US, click here for a the listing of the equivalent service in your country. It will get better, it really will--I promise.

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Hello Again, Old Friend.

I've a post I'm about to publish. Usually, I'll give an update and reason for my extended absence in the newest post, but when you see it, I think you'll realise why that just didn't feel right. So, I'm using this post instead

The last time I posted here was in April. Wow, had a lot happened since then! The biggest thing is that I directed a show called "Imbalances." You can read more about that here. Aside from that, which I started working on in May, I finished my first semester of my sophomore year at Hartwick College. My GPA for the semester was a 2.8, which may not sound awesome to some, but for me it was really fanatstic. My biggest time commitment was working at a summer camp, in fact the one I went to as a child, and where I was first exposed to acting--and, for those of you who don't know, I'm majoring in Theatre Arts so its very special to me. In the AM I'm a counsellor for older 2s and younger 3s--the kids being born in 2011, basically. In the afternoons, though, I teach improv to 4 years old through those entering 8th grade. Or, at least I make a very commendable attempt.

I'll leave you now. Know that I will be covering Series 8, and you will likely see a review of Star Trek: The Next Generation on here soon as well as one for ACD Sherlock Holmes.

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From Pete's World: "Sherlock Holmes" and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"

Even though I saw the fantastic Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes (which was when it came out) before I saw him in Iron Man (which was less than a month ago), to a certain extent I can't help but see the RDJ Sherlock movies as Tony Stark a having created time travel. But then again, there's a lot I chalk up to time travel these days.

The RDJ Sherlock movies are possibly better than both Elementary and Sherlock and it must be said that it did come out before either of those series started, having been released Christmas day in 2009 (Yes, the day we began to loose David...) They are set in the Victorian era, as per the original novels/short stories. The costuming is superb, as is the set design. Musically, the score is very similar to Sherlock, which I like.

The dynamic between Holmes and Watson (Jude Law) is the main development point in the first film, although the plot is captivating as well. Also introduced in the first move are Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), Mary Morston/Watson (Kelly Reilley), DI Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), and at they very end, Moriarty (Jared Harris).

Moriarty is the main focus of A Game of Shadows, and the ending is the same as "The Reichenbach Fall," down to the point that Sherlock did, in fact, survive. Unlike Sherlock, there has been no third instalment, although Jude Law has confirmed another one!

What the two films do masterfully is not model the books. They borrow the characters and their dynamics, and certain story elements like the "death" of Sherlock and Moriarty in the Reichenbach, but, as far I can tell, the plot lines are not directly modelled off the novels/short stories, as the plots are in Sherlock and to a certain extent Elementary are. What this does is makes it so that even if you know the original canon, you can't predict the resolution of the plot. The element is mystery is still there while you can enjoy the chemistry between the characters.

Comedy is also excellently executed in both films, even though they both have very serious, dramatic elements. One of the running jokes, so to speak, is that Holmes keeps experimenting on Gladstone, the dog Sherlock and John shared while living at 221b (the first film starts the day John moves in with Mary) and it always appears that the dog has died, where as he actually has not.

Overall, both of these films get 4.5 stars. The loss of that half star is from the fact that, in the second movie especially, there are scenes with elongated fire-fights in them, which I personally find dull and repetitive. Anyone who enjoys the ACD novels/short stories, Sherlock, Elementary, or even that other Sherlock Holmes movie I wrote about must watch these two films!

PS. Stephen Fry is Mycroft. Enough said.

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From Pete's World: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (2010)

Every time someone watches this movie, ACD has a seizure in his grave.

Don't confuse me saying that with me saying that it is bad, because that is not at all what I am saying. If we are to define the quality of a movie by it's ability to captivate the audience, then this film is fabulous.

This bastardisation of Sherlock Holmes has many redeeming qualities, and at the top of that list is the cast. Ben Synder plays an excellent Sherlock Holmes in his film debut and Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood, Ianto Jones) steals the show as Watson.

Staying true to ACD's canon, the piece is narrated by Watson. In this film, it is that Watson is about to die, and he dictates to a character called Miss Hudson. (In the story he narrates, the housekeeper is a Mrs Hudson, so it is unclear if this woman is her descendant or if he's confused because he is about to die). If I'm not mistaken this Miss Hudson is the same actor who played the girl Casanova told his story to in the David Tennant Casanova. It's a very analogous role.

Beyond here, I won't say anything plot wise. It's really quite a crazy story, involving a kracken, a velociraptor, an ancestor to Iron Man, a pilotable hot-air balloon, and a fire-breathing mechanical dragon who would make Smaug proud. Aside from anything beyond this being a spoiler, it is also to absurd to try to explain.

Overall, I give it 2.5 stars. Most of what is taken away is because the writers treated the iconical characters of Holmes and Watson in a way Sherlockians would call sacrilege, not to mention that they name Sherlock's brother Thorpe. Thorpe. If you're not going to call him Mycroft, okay, fine...but Thorpe? If you're someone who is in to the Sherlock Holmes aray of media, do watch this. If not, watch something else Sherlock first (like BBC's Sherlock or CBS' Elementary): this is definitely not for beginners.

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Advertising For and With Doctor Who

Allow me a preface: as a student at a liberal arts college, I have to write many papers, etc. that aren't exactly what I'd like to write about. For instance, this is something that I wrote for my Psychological Science class. Our unit for this was Social Psychology (I happen to know that the professor is a huge Tolkien fan, so he probably understands how obsession works...) and the module was persuasion techniques. There is some technical vocab in the piece, so here are some definitions that you might like to know:
When I say that an ad uses central processing, what I mean is that it tells you facts about why you should buy (etc.) a certain thing, and tries to use logos to convince you. Ie, "this new Maserati can travel through space and time!" When I say that an ad uses peripheral processing, it means that the ad creates a distraction of sorts to advertise to you. Ie, perfume/cologne ads with two sexy people about to make out. I kid you not when I say that that is the example the professor gave in class. Hey, its college: we're all adults here, right??

BBC America’s MetroNorth Advert Campaign

These ads are on train in NYC. They are simplistic, which grabs attention because it contrasts with most other Metro North ads. If that’s not the only thing that grabs the attention, “TARDIS and “Time Lord” are not in the vernacular for most New Yorkers (although the number is certainly on the rise!) Since the TARDIS is a space/time transportation apparatus, it actually could get you home 700 years ago, although if you live in NYC where these trains run, you home was marsh land 700 years ago. The new vocabulary sparks curiosity—“what the hell is a TARDIS?” New Yorkers are always looking for the newest, shiniest thing, so maybe a TARDIS is that new Maserati? (I wish) 
These ads are peripheral. Nothing really generally has happened any time I was on a Metro North train (I live just outside NYC). Most ads have interesting pictures and the very small text that is simply not legible from more than maybe four feet away. In a train, you are certainly not running between cars to find a poster that best explains why you should purchase a car, and this is the same. Most (emphasis on the “most”) people just kind of find what television shows they watch, and don’t actively search for it (most of us who watch Doctor Who would actively search for a new series, but then these ads are wasted on us because we don’t need to be advertised to in order for us to watch it; we already do in a quasi-religious manner).

BBC America’s Use of Online Meme Theory

This ad is also peripheral processing. It is meant for to be seen via social media. The official Doctor Who page shared it, and then it counts on people who “like” that page would “like” it  or share it with their friends so It gets more publicity simply because they know the awesomeness that is Doctor Who. The image started on Facebook and also ended up on Twitter and Tumblr. Also I believe I used it for something on my site as well. As an online ad, it plays with the concept of “going viral”. Putting it in the news feeds also is subliminal messaging, as an uninterested person might just scroll by, but still they saw the ad and it reached their processing, making them more likely to notice more Doctor Who ads in the future. If they, the next day, happen to be in a Metro North train and notice more prominently the afore mentioned ads, Doctor Who has successfully entered their minds, and I wish them luck purging it from there—but than again, I don’t suffer from an obsession to Doctor Who. I rather enjoy it.

These last three ads all play on commonly known expression. “My Other Ride is a ________________”,  “If You Lived Here, You’d be Home by Now” and “Trust Your Doctor” are generally not new phrases for people. They take the attention from a known phrase to get your attention and deviate from it to make their advertising point

Using Doctor Who’s Popularity in Other Businesses

This ad is different from the rest yet still refers to Doctor Who. It is a magazine advert for the University of East Anglia, where Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith got his degree in acting. Although UEA has “university” right in the name, it is a business: their product is education. All schools that charge tuition are businesses. This ad could be more for central processing. In general, one does not decide to go to college on a whim, and looks for a good school. It appeals to logos. It states that many well-educated people have gone there, and even one huge actor. Then, it appeals a combination of pathos and logos with the happy, hopeful student, proud to share his place of higher education with 826 distinguished people. There is a major downfall to the ad: if you prefer Tenth Doctor David Tennant over Matt Smith.

Usually, on this package, there would be the Birds Eye fisherman, a figure much like the fisherman on Gorton’s fish products in the US. Here is the joke: In Matt Smith’s first episode, “The Eleventh Hour,” he is having an insatiable craving, ultimately fulfilled by a midnight-snack of fish fingers (basically the UK’s equivalent of fish sticks, but rectangular) accompanied by custard (think vanilla pudding but a little more liquidy). Ever since then, fans have loved to eat the unlikely pairing of food. And I will say from personal experience that it is also quite good. This isn’t quite an ad, but it actually uses a bit of central processing. I know if I were looking for fish fingers and couldn’t decide on which brand, the Eleventh Doctor in the corner would most definitely persuade me to choose that brand. It is also peripheral processing because his being there has undoubtedly grabbed the attention of some fangirl who bought the fish fingers simply because Matt is on them.  As a side note, the people at Birds Eye were a little amusing—they gifted Matt a year’s supply of fish fingers for being on the box, which is extra silly because he’s said in interviews that he really doesn’t care for fish fingers and custard.

All these ads work together: ads like the first three point people in the direction of Doctor Who and then campaigns like the last two use that interest to promote their business.

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One Year Later

Yes, I am aware that today is the 19th and I actually
started this wonderful blog last year on the 18th.
I will tell you simply what happen: I forgot.

Here is what I have to say about this milestone:

TARDIStyle became more than I possibly ever imagined. In one year, we had 38,721 people from every continent on the planet (except Antarctica, as far as I know) view this site. I simply cannot believe how many people have seen my work, and that is not all. As my loyal readers know, I was published on FBI-Spy, and have no idea how many people have seen that, as well as how many people have seen the posts I managed to have synced to our Tumblr. The 239 our Facebook is a number I would like to see rise, but the 771 people who have followed our Twitter amaze me. I truly love interacting with all of TARDIStyle's amazing fans.

Now, a look to the future. As we all know, the beginning of Peter Capaldi's run as the Doctor is slated for August. That's about five months away, so I can't say that there will be much activity with the blog proper until then. However, that doesn't mean I won't be writing about the good Doctor. An official announcement: this Sunday, I was hired to write for CSO Fanzine. I have decided what I will be writing about, but you'll have to wait until the next issue is published this summer to see what it is! I promise you a good, intellectual article of the type that is the crux of this blog. Also, I am in negotiations with another fanzine, which I will not name until it is official. I am so excited that my writing will be in print; I can't even explain it.

Sooner than the summer, you can expect to see non-Whovian posts. I am listening to "Welcome to Night Vale" and will post about that once I am caught up. Also, I've been audio-booking Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, and you can expect to see posts about that soon as well. I'm sure I will also write more about CBS's  Elementary as well. I finished Torchwood: Miracle Day a few weeks ago and owe you guys a post on that as well. You can also look forward to more TARDIStyle Talks on YouTube as I convert the files.

And now, some shameless self-promotion: As always, TARDIStyle is looking for new contributors. If you're interested, please contact me via email, mention or direct message on Twitter, private question on Tumblr, or inbox message via Facebook. We need all types, and no experience is required--just a drive to write well. Please also know that if you are in other fandoms as well, we would love to have you on the team as well--your writing doesn't have to be about Doctor Who! I am especially interested in writers who are not in the USA, but by no means is that a bar on American writers! This is simply for the international exposure. Please contact me if at all interested!!

I am so proud to have had stuck with this blog for a year. I hope to make it last for many more, but I can't do it without readers. If you enjoy TARDIStyle, please tell your friends about it and follow us on our social media accounts (see below). And thank you all so much for the support and love you have given me so far.

Allons-Y!!

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From Pete's World: Elementary (S1E12 through S2E16 "The One Percent Solution")

In my earlier post about CBS' Elementary, not only was I somewhat factually inaccurate, but also had only seen the first half of the first season. Now, I am completely caught up (The last episode to air was "The One Percent Solution"), and I have also read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four,  and the collection of short stories included in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This gives me an increased perspective of what is taken from ACD's work and what is CBS' own creation.

Sherlock producer Sue Vertue

Elementary creator
Robert Dohetry

On the topic of CBS' own creation, I have come across information that is very interesting. When Sue Vertue, producer of BBC Sherlock learned that CBS would also be doing a Sherlock Holmes-based show, she took some interesting actions to assure that there was no copyright infringement from CBS' production on the rights BBC Sherlock has to elements of Sherlock Holmes. As ACD published his stories about over a century ago, and is now since dead, the characters in his stories and their plot is somewhat public domain. However, the way BBC Sherlock (and Elementary, for that matter) presents their characters is under their copyright. In short, Vertue took steps to make sure that CBS was not, in essence, making an American version of Sherlock, which is why the two productions are so incredibly different. I imagine that both productions are walking a very fine line with each other's presences. It has also, I assume, puched Elementary (and to some extent, Sherlock) to think outside the box and get creative with their story lines.

Natalie Dormer as Irene

Now, for plot. If you are looking for a general overview of Elementary, please refer to the earlier Pete's World post here.
The second half of Elementary's first season deals with Moriatry and Irene Adler, and the writers take a very interesting plot-twist. In the first episode of Season 2, we meet two pivotal characters. First is Gareth Lestrade (played by Jon Pertwee's son Sean!!) and the other is Mycroft Holmes.

Sean Pertwee as Lestrade

Yes-there is a Lestrade  and a Gregson. In BBC Sherlock, the characters are combined in to Greg Lestrade. In ADC cannon, there is a Gregson and a Lestrade. It begs the question--why did BBC Sherlock decide to have the characters combined?

Rhys Ifans as Mycroft

Mycroft is a whole separate bundle of joy. He looks old and a little sleazy, and is a successful restaurateur. The Sherlock-Mycroft relationship seems to have more family-based tension in Elementary, while in Sherlock it is more of an all-around stressed relationship.
Also introduced in the first episode of season one is 221b Baker Street. It is where Sherlock lived before he moved to New York.

Now that I have finished a fair amount of ACD canon, I'm resizing a lot of what I said about Elementary's Sherlock being not very based in cannon is predominately false. One thing I specifically remember is that ACD Sherlock practices single stick. However, it is likely that Sherlock got to a lot of classic ADC Sherlock traits before Elementary could get to them.

My hopes for this show are still very high, and I believe it has been renewed for a third and fourth season.

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Introducing Danny Pink

As a more-than-avid fan, I am signed up to receive updates with the BBC concerning Doctor Who. In an email today, some very interesting news has been releases, primarily the announcement that there will be a new reoccurring character in the Twelfth Doctor's first series (slated to start in August)

Anderson as Danny Pink

The character, as you might have inferred from the title of this post, is named Danny Pink. He is played by Samuel Anderson, whose past works include The History Boys, Gavin and Stacey, and Emmerdale. What the BBC has released in this matter is that Danny is a colleague of Clara's at Coal Hill School. Regarding starting work on the show he says:

I was so excited to join Doctor Who I wanted to jump and click my heels, but I was scared I might not come down before filming started! [...] It's a quintessential part of British culture and I can't believe I'm part of it. It's an honour to be able to work alongside Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman and I can't wait to show people how my character becomes involved with such a fantastic duo.

Now, steering away from the facts.

Last autumn, commotion in the fandom came about when the programme was called racist. I find it interesting that they have now cast a black actor in a new role. That is all I have to say about that at the present time.

If you've seen some of my other writings, you may know that I am not a fan of how Moffat made the transition (or lack thereof) into the Eleventh Doctor. The "mistakes" he made coloured my entire opinion of the 11 because so much about the show changed with the end of David's run and the start of Matt's, and also with the change of showrunner, all at the same time. With the change to Twelve, there is no change in showrunner (although I really want one soon) and we are, as far as we know, keeping Clara (also to the dismay of many). Introducing a new companion with a new Doctor didn't work last time (I did love the Ponds, nothing on them), and I can only hope that it is played better this time. We do know that filming has already started, but since Doctor Who is not filmed in a linear progression (i.e., episode 4 may be filmed before episode 2) I just can't say with any certainty that Danny will or will not make an appearance in the TARDIS in the first Capaldi episode--or, may he not be on Team TARDIS at all?

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From Pete's World: Elementary (through S1E12 "M.")

Sherlock: perhaps the original fandom. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the Sherlockians back around the time of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who used the concept of cannon outside of the biblical context.

Of course, there is the BBC's Sherlock--the downfall (sorry for using "fall"...) of which is that there is so little material. But there is also CBS's Elementary with Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. Although the it is the second season that is currently being broadcast, there is already a lot to go on. The first season was 24 episodes and some similar number for season two is expected, I believe.



The set-up of the series is pretty different. Sherlock recently relocated to New York City from London, after completing drug rehab (in the greater NY area, I assume). He is a consultant to the New York Police Department, having the contact with Captain Gregson (for the BBC Sherlock fans, he's the Lestrade equivalent) after working with him on something I don't quite recall post 9/11. Watson is his "sober companion," hired by his absentee father to assist Sherlock in staying clean after rehab. Irene Adler also plays a role--however, much different than in the BBC version. She is dead a year and a half before the start of the series, and her death was what pushed Sherlock to use.

Having the Watson character be female presents a very different dynamic compared to that of BBC's presentation. It adds a certain amount of opportunity for some intense shipping. For me, I am yet to even want to indulge in that. Watson  is introduced to Sherlock in a professional capacity, and she seems to, at least at this point, have every intention of it remaining that way. There have been, although, hints that she did become romantically involved with past clients, which definitely are placed to ignite the idea of Holmes and Watson being together in the viewer. While the idea of a female Watson may deter people from the series, I personally find it to be one of the things that makes this interpretation very different from others. Lui's performance in the role is sublime.

Miller's portrayal of the sleuth also creates as sharp a contrast as possible to that of Benedict Cumberbatch's. In part this is through the writing and physical appearance of the characters. In all ways, Miller's Sherlock is far more grungy. He constantly looks unkempt, coated in stubble and tattoos. Personality wise, as TARDIStyle Talk (formerly the podcast) participator Desmond points out, this Sherlock is much more human, and less of the "god" that Moffat presents his Sherlock to be. Miller's is not a man trying to be a god; he is a man simply grasping to being human.

Also unlike BBC's Sherlock, there has, so far, been no mention of Sherlock living at 221b Baker Street, and he is yet to been seen in a deer stalker. But, fear not: he still wears a scarf--a plaid one in red and black. For everyone who Cumberbatch's violin playing made melt, I will send one warning: Watson finds Sherlock's old violin and suggests he take it up again, after which Sherlock sets it aflame. In general, this is not a "retelling" of the Sherlock story-it borrows the characters and their relationships with each other, but, thus far, to my knowledge, there has been no obvious parallel to a Doyle story, such as what Moffat did with "The Hound of Baskerville."
This lack of similarity is completely intentional. When Sue Vertue, producer of BBC Sherlock found out that Elementary was going to be a thing, she made sure that CBS understood that they would take them to court if she thought that it was becoming akin to an American remake of her show. I understand that she screened the pilot episode before it even aired.

I will be revisiting the series as I watch more of it. In a nutshell, here's what I have to say: this version of Sherlock Holmes is much different than any one I've seen before. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys BBC's Sherlock, Fox's House (surprise in the episode "The Long Fuse"), and also Bones. If you're genre savvy, you'll figure a few things out before they're announced, but for the most part I say that the surprise factor is still there. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

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Upcoming Change to Podcasts

Hello everyone! Because of reasons, none of which are timey-wimey, I will be converting the podcasts currently on PodOMatic to be on YouTube. Hopefully, they will all be up there within a week, but I make no promises. The podcasts will remain available on PodOMatic, but our future ones will be on YouTube exclusively.

This makes it much easier for you to not miss our podcasts (by subscribing to the channel), and also YouTube is much more popular a place for media. This does mean that the podcasts will no longer be updated on iTunes, but it's a trade off.

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The Twelfth Doctor's Outfit

One of the most anticipated things about Capaldi has been his outfit, especially given that with roughly another eight months before his episodes begin airing there's really little else to discuss.

And now it's been revealed and, well...

Well, first off, it's a suit, surprising absolutely no one. It was always going to be a suit, it's what the Doctor wears now, and it's about the most eccentric thing you can really put him in without being incredibly gaudy.

But it's also a really bland suit that says nothing about this Doctor as a character. The blacks and blues are all very deep, and could reveal a sort of darkness if these weren't also standard suit colors. The red lining's a nice touch but it's also the most eccentric thing about the costume and it's also almost completely invisible.

It's baffling to me that people are comparing this to Pertwee's costumes, because Pertwee's brightly-colored smoking jackets and puffy shirts are everything this costume isn't--extravagant, personal, and interesting. This costume, and I know I'm getting a bit redundant, has no character to it.

I kinda figured, y'know, maybe it'd make more sense to me if I knew more about clothes, so I did a little digging. And that jacket the new Doctor's wearing? It's a Crombie coat, which is incredibly expensive and usually marketed to the extremely rich (and sometimes even royalty.) It strikes me as an incredibly bizarre thing for the Doctor to wear, given his status as a champion of the oppressed and the toppler of status quos. Maybe that's what they were going for, but honestly there's a lot more extravagant and interesting rich-people clothes they could've put him in if that was the case. 

In short--I don't like it. But maybe that's unfair. After all, most Doctors are prone to gradual changes in their outfits over time. Perhaps after a season or two it'll have been changed up enough to become distinctive. I certainly hope so.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, the Doctor's New Clothes

Just released today, here it is: 

Capaldi as the Doctor.

Don't try to deny it.

You like it.

You really like it.

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A Bunch of New Podcasts!!

Hello! We have several new podcasts avalable. (Click on the podcast tab) They cover The Empty Child through The Parting of the Ways. Enjoy!!

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