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Elementary my dear Watson. Or top 5 reasons to watch Elementary

Back in 2012, when Sherlock Season 2 just finished airing, I remember hearing about a new show based on the famous detective set in modern times. There was a lot of controversy about making Watson female, and ripping off Sherlock, and the Americanisation of a British cult figure. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Sherlock, so I quickly dismissed Elementary, and completely forgot about it until mid 2013, when I started going through a Sherlock withdrawal and decided to check it out, especially as the whole first season had just finished airing. And to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. It was actually good. More than good, it was really good. In fact, it became one of my favourite crime procedurals (I see Sherlock as a tv film series rather than a procedural). So below, is a list of spoiler-free reasons why I think you should give Elementary a chance.

What better way than to start with the opening theme? I love rube goldberg machines, so this opening theme was always going to have me hooked. But I also think it’s a good representation of the show, as it shows the convoluted, sometimes violent nature of crime solving. They also don’t show the entire contraption, indicative of the way Sherlock’s mind works — everyone else will only be able to some of what he sees. The score gradually intensifies, adding to the hype of watching another episode.

The writers humanised Sherlock, by showing us that he doesn’t always win. We start watching his story just as he is overcoming his drug addiction. It adds that extra tension throughout the series, as we are never certain that he will not relapse. There is a great scene, where Miller’s Sherlock talks about how difficult it is to stay sober, comparing the process to that of maintaining a leaky faucet. It’s an understated, melancholy moment, and rings truer than the highly dramatic portrayals in other shows or movies. We’ve also met Mycroft, and Morland, each recurring roles throughout a season, and both have had amazing chemistry with Jonny Lee Miller, effectively conveying how these relationships have shaped Sherlock into the man he is today. I like that Miller’s Sherlock is softer, willing to admit weaknesses, and recognise the value in Joan, stating how much better they are together. He is not necessarily kind (except to Joan, whom he makes an exception for), but he knows the merit of treating those around him with respect — for example, he may be impatient with Det Bell or Captain Gregson, but he will always explain things through to them afterwards.

Joan Watson is actually useful! Don’t get me wrong, Martin Freeman does an amazing job with what he’s given but normally his dialogue just sort revolves around being a sounding board exclaiming the brilliance of the infallible Sherlock Holmes. But the power dynamic between Sherlock and Joan in Elementary is much more even, fluctuating throughout Season 1 before smoothing into partnership. This relationship is the main driving factor in the show, and it helps to boost even mediocre epiodes. Watson is normally depicted as a sidekick, and logger of Sherlock’s life, but they’ve given more agency to Liu’s Watson by allowing her to be a detective in her own right - Joan often provides invaluable insight into solving the case, even from the very beginning. The writers also try to round out her character by showing her life separate to Sherlock, such as introducing members of her family, and seeing her everyday struggles with men.

Despite spending most of Season 1 developing the relationship between the two leads, there is never any hint of will-they-won’t-they. Even now, 5 seasons into the show, we are under no doubt that this is a platonic relationship, even though they love each other. It’s just so refreshing!

It’s also nice to see the show update characters to reflect the diversity of the world. Sherlock is very much a white men show, with the only “main” characters, who are not white males being Molly Hooper, Mrs Hudson, and Sally Donovan. Whereas, in Elementary, we have Det. Marcus Bell, Miss Hudson, Joan Watson, Alfredo, and Kitty. The background characters and villains also reflect this more diverse universe.

Honorable mention: CLYDE. I love Clyde, he is a great mascot.

I’ll admit that Elementary is not a perfect show, but a lot of the criticisms it faced before it had even aired are proven false, and I feel that the show was unfairly judged for them. I can’t really say anything else without going into spoiler territory, but I hope you’re willing to give Elementary a chance, particularly the first and third seasons, which have some really strong arcs. I’d love to hear about your thoughts about Elementary, so don’t hesitate to get in touch!

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Top 10 reasons I prefer Angelcakes and the Fang Gang to The Scooby Gang

Spin off shows have a terrible reputation for a reason. Normally, they exist because someone decided to try and squeeze that extra bit of cash out of a popular character and loyal audiences. There are a few exceptions, and I think Angel the Series is one of the best. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but while I agree that Buffy The Vampire Slayer is a better constructed show, I always preferred watching ATS. The scope and ambition seemed wider, and even though it didn’t always work out (*cough* season 4 *cough*), it’s hard not to admire. So below are my top 10 reasons for preferring ATS to BTVS.

Spoiler alerts!

There’s more greys in ATS; not all demons are “bad”, and not all humans are “good”. Sometimes, humans do awful things, and sometimes demons don’t want to just murder us. It was a bit more cut and dry in BTVS, where the only “good” demons were Anya, who was turned human, and Spike and Angel, who were chipped and/or souled. But in ATS, we get characters like Doyle, who fights for the good side but is half demon, and Lorne, who just wants to run his violence free karaoke bar, or Merl, who whilst snivelling and a bit pathetic, isn’t exactly evil either — he does help out the Angel Investigations team, just not always of his own volition.

We also have Wolfram and Hart, the Big Bad of the entire run of ATS, who are a law firm comprised of humans who knowingly defend and help evil demons, and who are willing to deploy demons to help them get their way — Lindsey and Lilah are some of the Angel’s greatest adversaries. BTVS was neater, as each season had a Big Bad that was defeated in the end, but Wolfram and Hart is a much more captivating “villain”, because it represents the invincibility of evil. The greatest example of this is in Season 2, when Angel thinks he’s going to go to Hell to defeat the Senior Partners, and instead he’s just taken back to Earth, because they don’t need to do anything- humans do horrible things to each other anyway. This far reaching scope of evil adds an extra level of threat to ATS, as Wolfram and Hart transcend not only the world, but dimensions too, whereas in BTVS, the threat seemed to be distinctly targeted at Sunnydale.

The main themes of BTVS are growing up, and coming to terms with being “the chosen one”. Instead, the main themes in ATS are the idea of unconquerable evil, and the quest for redemption. The latter’s themes are more identifiable, especially as the grey’s of that world mean that the characters have to constantly choose to fight for redemption, and against evil. That constant struggle is something that a lot of people can relate to, there is no “happy ending” because things carry on after that. The show Elementary has a great scene describing the tediousness of carrying out a never-ending task.

There was always a greater risk of the characters in ATS of losing their way on the right path, as the situations they face make them question their roles as heroes. The risk is obviously greatest with Angel, as the threat of Angelus coming back was always looming on the horizon. Whereas in BTVS, we never really felt that any of the characters would go dark for long. It’s more compelling to watch characters struggle to stay on the good path, and see the consequences of hard or wrong choices.

The fight felt more real; the team didn’t always win. Sometimes the person they were trying to help died, or they killed someone who was fighting for good, or they lost one of their own. I know that members of the Scooby team did die throughout the series, but they were always the peripheral members, or they were quickly reversed, but ATS wasn’t afraid of letting the core members die, and it wasn’t always in a season finale. The characters could die at any time. Even the deaths of recurring villains felt more significant than the ones in BTVS. I especially love the scenes between Wesley and Lilah in S04E13 Salvage and S04E22 Home where we really get to see the connection between the two and they humanise Lilah just enough that her death does feel tragic and significant in the show.

I thought the Angel Investigations team had a stronger bond than the Scooby team did, because they are all fighting for the same thing — redemption, something that really resonates with a lot of people. In contrast, the Scooby team don’t really have that compelling reason to fight together — it felt like they fought together because the show needed them to. Also, I found it ironic that the Scoobies were kind of cliquey in their own way and they never really accepted Angel, Cordy, Wes, or even Spike into their team, for various reasons, which resulted in the outcasts of the outcasts managed forming their own team.

We get to see way more of Spike and Angel interacting. They have such an interesting frenemy dynamic, and they clearly know each other better than any other character in either show, due to their long history. Also, that cavemen vs astronauts argument is still hilarious!

Angel as a character was just so much more interesting in his own show. In BTVS, he was only really allowed to be dark, brooding, and tortured. Then, in ATS, we discovered that actually he’s kinda dorky, and that he can enjoy things, including an embarrassing love of Barry Manilow. He was even allowed to smile and laugh! Hurrah! We also got to see his more heroic side, as someone who would do anything to help those in need, whereas in BTVS he basically seemed to be helping because he was told to and to spend time with Buffy. We get to explore a lot more of his backstory, and it’s fascinating to watch.

Wes really came into his own in ATS. In BTVS, he was just a bumbling idiot, and we were supposed to root against him, as someone who was just there to replace Giles. But he really does bring value to the Angel Investigations team, and we see him grow into a leader who isn’t afraid to make the hard decisions.

Cordy was another character who fared much better in ATS. She started out as just another mean cheerleader stereotype, but in ATS, she grows into this compassionate person, who always tries to do the right thing. Even if you’re not a Cangel fan, you have to admit that Buffy never really accepted Angel for what he was. She seemed to accept him despite being a vampire, but Cordy isn’t afraid to embrace that side of him. We see her hug him in full on grr face, and she heats up blood for him.

Phew, I’m glad I got that out. As always, thanks for reading, and I’d love to hear your thoughts about which show is better.

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Do I love Gravity Falls? Yes. Definitely. Absolutely!!

Hot Belgian waffles do I love this show! A few years ago, I found out that the Doug Walker (aka the Nostalgia Critic) had started reviewing it, and I tend to enjoy his cartoon vlogs, so I decided to check out the first one, and see if it sounded like a show I wanted to watch. And then I proceeded to watch all 20 episodes of the first season in 1 night. And then it was 18 months of continuously waiting in vain for more episodes to come out. This show deserves every award and all the praise it has received. It is a glorious example of the golden age of cartoons and TV in general that we are currently living in. And below, I’ve listed the top 10 reasons everyone should definitely absolutely try it out.

This show had some of the best humour and timing I’ve ever seen in a cartoon. Even the guest stars got to say some wonderfully absurd lines and it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen an episode, it’s always funny. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve shouted “You are my possession! OBEY ME!!” at my laptop.

All the 80s/90s nostalgia and satire. Satire and parody are some of the hardest things to do well, as it’s so easy to fall into the trap of just mocking the source material. But here, you could just feel the love that the creator, Alex Hirsch, and the other writers have for everything they portray, from the terrible anime dubbing, to arcade games of yore, to boy band fandom.

You never knew what was coming next. It was so much fun thinking about all the mythological creatures the twins might meet and in what fashion. Each species is so distinct, not only from each other, but also from previous depictions. I also love that the creatures aren’t necessarily evil, sometimes their culture just clashes with ours. Oh, and screw Friendship is Magic, these are the BEST. UNICORNS. EVER!

The amazing theme song. It’s incredible the amount of detail and easter eggs they managed to fit into roughly 40 seconds of animation. It’s one of the smoothest, most fluid openings and it never fails to hype me up for another adventure or put a smile on my face. It also gave a quick summary of each of the main characters’ tropes: Dipper is inquisitive, but easily scared; Wendy is a cool teenager, bored with her life; Mabel is wacky and loves everything; Soos is a happy-go-lucky man child; and Stan is a money hungry con artist.

To be honest, the animation of the entire show was incredible. It had such a unique look to it, like this mix between the cuteness of Disney, and the clean lines of the Simpsons. Added to that, every frame was so expressive, and detailed, and colourful, and there was always something fun or useful going on in the background (my favourite example is Blendin Blenjamin Blandin). I especially love all the little things details they remembered to keep for continuity, as it just adds to the rewatchability value of this show.

They knew when to just show things instead of saying it. Ever since The Matrix came out, it feels like everyone forgot how to take advantage of TV and films being visual mediums. You can just show the event or the emotional impact something has on someone! It’s totally allowed! For example, they didn’t need to explain the bell in Northwest Mansion Mystery (S02E10), you immediately understood that it was bad news. They also use this nifty little trick to help establish character traits. For example, Mabel almost never wears the same outfit again, and it just helps to emphasise that she is such a free spirit, doing things her own way.

The story. I’ve always loved a good mystery and this show has plenty of great ones. Clues and red herrings for the main story are sprinkled throughout the episodes all culminating in a huge reveal at the midpoint of season 2 and I have to admit, that cliffhanger was one of the most agonising waits I’ve ever had to sit through. But the smaller mysteries are all fun and intriguing in their own ways, and it was always great to see how the show would take a generic plotline and play with it.

Speaking of the story, it ended! Like, really actually ended. It has a clearly defined ending, and all the major plot points are resolved. As someone who enjoys anime, words cannot express the joy I feel when there is closure on a show I love, rather than just cutting off, or running for too long. (Although, I will admit that I love this show so much, I almost wish that there was more still coming out)

But as important as the story is, fictitious works live and die on it’s characters. It doesn’t matter if you have the most intricate, well thought out, ingenious story if your audience has no investment in your characters. My test for a well developed character is to imagine a scenario, and work out what their reaction would be. In just 41 episodes, this show managed to create a whole pantheon of characters that I can do this for, in particular Dipper, Mabel and Stan. Also, they managed to make a triangle legitimately creepy and threatening. That takes skill.

I love the relationships the characters built throughout the show. At the heart of it all lies the relationship between Dipper and Mabel. They have to have one of the strongest, most realistic sibling relationships I have ever seen. They might be complete opposites, but you know they love each other unconditionally and would be willing to do anything for each other, and their differences help to make up for each other’s weaknesses. Their respective relationships with Pacifica are also fascinating, as they evolve from enemies to frenemies (and maybe something more?? Dear god, I wanted Dipcifica to become a thing!). Even side relationships are fleshed out: Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland have one of the most caring, supportive, loving, understanding relationships I have ever seen.

What else can I say? I just love and respect this show so much. Of the big four shows that have come out in the last decade or so (Avatar The Last Airbender, Adventure Time, and Steven Universe being the other 3), this one is by far my favourite. Props to you, Mr Hirsch, and I am so so excited to see what you do next at Fox!

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I wish that I had Jessie’s girl! Or why Finn Hudson was an asshole in the first few seasons of Glee

Before I write anything else, this is just a critique of the character and not the actor. Also, I've only watched the first 3 seasons of Glee, because I could not stand to watch anymore. Ok, on with the actual post.

Doesn’t that lyric just sum up the character of Finn in the first few seasons of Glee? Constantly pining after a girl he can’t get, except in his case, the reason he can’t get the girl is because he keeps BREAKING UP WITH THEM. It was infuriating watching this character act so awfully towards people he supposedly cared about, yet no-one ever called him out on his bullshit, because he was technically our hero.

I mean, there’s been plenty of backlash on the character of Rachel, talking about how petty and villainous she was, but why are we letting Finn of the hook?? He was just as vile, at least in the first couple of seasons, and below I’ve listed some of the reasons why I think he is an awful awful person.

He was way too worried about his reputation — that was his shitty reasoning for praying to become the quarterback again, and why he didn’t stand up for Rachel in front of others. If he was half the leader he kept claiming he was, then he would have stood up for her when it mattered. Cheering someone on in the background means nothing if you don’t support them during times of opposition too. Also, he kept saying that him having a good reputation would help the Glee club but we never see him do anything with it!

He was arrogant — he assumed that every girl in the school would want to kiss him, so he set up a kissing booth. Even the motivation for doing this was corrupt, because he said it was to raise enough money to help the club, but it was actually to get Quinn to kiss him. WHILE SHE WAS DATING SAM.

He’s a cheater — in the first couple of episodes, he finds himself attracted to Rachel (or at least attracted to the fact that she is so into him), so he allows her to essentially throw herself at him, despite knowing that he won’t break up with Quinn. So he leads one girl on and cheats on the other. He may have only kissed Rachel, but that is still cheating, and considering how he flips out when he’s the one who was cheated on, it’s clearly a big deal to him.

He’s a hypocrite — as stated in the previous section, cheating is clearly a big deal to him. In season 2, he wants to date Quinn again but she is with Sam at the time. So what does he do? Back off, and let her be happy with another guy? No, instead, he cuckolds Sam by seeing Quinn behind his back. HYPOCRITICAL ASS.

He knowingly strings Rachel along — he started dating Rachel halfway through season 1, even though he wasn’t over Quinn. If he was actually Rachel’s friend, he wouldn’t have started the relationship, since he wasn’t as invested as she was.

His reason for dumping Rachel was gross and selfish — he didn’t do it because he realised that it’s wrong to string someone along, or to give himself a chance to pursue Quinn. Instead, he does it for the possibility of having sex with Santana and Brittany, people who have always been horrible to him, and with no reason to show any interest now. Way to live up to the stereotype of teenage guys only thinking with their dicks.

He could not make up his mind between Quinn and Rachel - either you love one or the other. You cannot keep dating one, pining after the other, then dating the other one and pining after the first! You are just stringing both of them along and to be honest, it’s clear that you don’t really love either of them if you keep going around this cycle. JUST CHOOSE ONE AND STICK WITH HER ALREADY OR LEAVE THEM BOTH THE HELL ALONE SO THEY CAN FIND PEOPLE WHO WOULD TREAT THEM BETTER!

He gets unreasonably jealous if either of them date other people — and then he acts as if he’s protecting them. No, asshole, you just can’t handle having them giving someone else their attention.

He had revenge sex with Santana then lied about it — do I really need to say anything else? I mean, it was just such despicable thing to do. He intentionally wanted to hurt Rachel because he was jealous, and he used someone else in order to do it.

He outed Santana — yes, she was a bitch, but outing someone in a school with a really homophobic reputation is about as shitty as you can get. Especially, since he also taunted her about her heartbreak that Brittany might not love her back. And we’re supposed to feel vindication for him in this scene, because he’s finally standing up to a bully. Instead, he comes across as the bully. And an asshole.

Eurgh, I really don’t get why this character is so popular?! But if you like him, then that’s great! I’d love to hear why you think so differently to me, and thanks for reading.

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At least out loud I won’t say I’m in love. Actually I would. I love Meg from Disney’s Hercules

Meg from Hercules has always been my favourite Disney character. I just found her relatable and human and unforgettable despite her limited screen time. When I first started toying with the idea of doing this, she was the first thing I wanted to write about. So, below, I’ve listed a bunch of reasons why I love her so much. Cliche, I know.

She was pragmatic. Her plan to escape from the villa by lifting the wall and leaving obviously works. Hallelujah! A female Disney character with common sense!

She genuinely tried to get herself out of her own messes. It would have been easy for her to just accept Hercules’ offer to save her from Nessus, but she told him that she could deal with it herself. It takes real strength to admit you’re in trouble and not take the easy route out.

Despite that, she also knows when she needs to ask for help, even in the face of potential failure. It must have taken a lot to ask Phil and Pegasus to help her, especially, since she’s scared of flying as well.

That song. OMG, what a breath of fresh air! After all the songs about how great love is, or wanting more! (seriously what is up with the Disney princess’ wanting more?? More what??) Urgh. Boring. But this one was different! Variety and an exploration of a different side of love. What’s not to love??

She wasn’t just another bland cookie cutter “good” person. It’s so rare for a Disney character to fall in the spectrum between good and evil and not be shown as just being inherently one or the other.

I know that Hades in this universe is more like a sassy best friend, but he is still the God of the Underworld, so he is very powerful and you know, evil. Also, he owned her soul. You’d think that would be enough to scare her into obedience, but she was still brave enough to sass back at him, and she even tried to warn Hercules about the dodgy deal. Balls of steel, that one.

I really like that there is a subtle vulnerability and loneliness to her. It’s most obvious in that quick line where she introduced herself, claiming that her friends would call her Meg, if she had any. Loneliness is something everyone goes through at some point, and it just really helped to explain why she was so guarded, as if she was using her snark to hide her kindness.

She didn’t instantly fall in love with Hercules. I mean, it’s still quick, but at least they actually spent more time together than 10 minutes.

Her love is so selfless. She gave up not only her life, but also her soul for those she loves, and after everything, she was going to walk away so Hercules could go join the Gods on Olympus, at the expense of her own happiness. It’s so easy to fall into a selfish desire of wanting to hold onto your own happiness instead.

She gave love another chance. I know that if I was betrayed the way she was, I would be so bitter about it, I don’t think I could love again. I take it back, balls of diamond this one.

So there you have it; my first top 10 list. If there’s anything you think I’ve left out, please do let me know, I’d love to hear more about one of my favourite characters in anything.