We All Become One: Transistor Review

It's been three years since Bastion was released. It not only changed the way we look at indie games, it made Supergiant Games a household name in an industry dominated by multimillion dollar publishers and studios. Everything about Bastion was so meticulously well-done, from the gameplay and enigmatic story, to the wondrous art and music; not to mention the dulcet tones of Logan Cunningham. A testament to games as art and the ability of independent developers, Bastion serves a standard that all of Supergiant's future games will be judged by.

Which as it stands is Transistor's greatest problem, It's the follow up act of a fantastic opening number. But like it's big brother, Red's adventure in Cloudbank is an equally stellar performance.

Hello World

When you first load up Transistor, you aren't given a prologue, you aren't even given a start screen, you're thrown right into the world Cloudbank in it's final moments as the Process, the enemies of the game; start to turn the thriving metropolis from alive and colourful to sterile and monochrome. You play as the singer Red, who after being attacked by the Process and the Camarata, the administrators of Cloudbank; has had her voice taken from her. You wield the transistor, a digital great sword that not only gives Red the ability to fight the Process, but also serves as the games narrator (again by Logan Cunningham) as it contains the Trace (essentially the soul) of someone close to Red, but isn't initially apparent who.

In fact, apart from the exposition from your speaking sword and some lines spoken by other characters towards the end, Almost all of the big pieces of the story aren't given to the player, but only told as the player explores and experiments. While some might find this as a confusing and poor narrative, I personally enjoy figuring out what's going on from virtually nothing. It's dark, mysterious, and you know that nothing is as it seems. Transistor doesn't want to tell you a story, it wants you make sense of all the data and build the big picture yourself. There will always be some pieces missing though, no matter how much you explore. This is slightly disappointing, but hardly enough to spoil the atmosphere.

Wait your Turn()

Similar to Bastion's gameplay, controlling Red is viewed from an angled fixed camera as she travels through Cloudbank's various alleys and streets fighting the various monsters who oppose her. The very first battle introduces the game as a action RPG a la Diablo, but immediately you're introduced to the game's twist, the Turn() system. This allows Red to execute a sequence of moves and actions planned in advance and then executed as time is stopped for your enemies. It's a refreshing take on turn based RPGs and allows for varied and creative gameplay. As you collect more abilities through additional traces, the ability to customize your skill set is simple, yet incredibly robust and satisfying. Using abilities as either offensive, upgrades, or passive abilities allows for a lot of flexibility, even if some abilities really only have a specific use. You also get access to a practice area and bonus levels called tests to truly become versed in the different powers you have and what best suits your play style.

But just because you're given a lot of power at your disposal, doesn't mean that your enemies are chumps. They evolve as you progress and the battles become more like puzzles than combat, with the player relying on careful strategy that can make or break a battle, especially towards the end. Even the game's unique way of punishing a player or the ability to make your enemies harder on purpose for more experience allows the player to truly tailor the game to their liking, making Transistor one of the best RPGs in a long time, and we've had some crazy good RPGs this year.

Artificial Art

It goes without saying that Transistor is beautiful to look at, but what makes the world truly come alive is the seamless integration of cyberpunk with a modern urban atmosphere. The world and characters are beautifully detailed, as is to be expected of Supergiant Games' Jen Zee. But because of its blend of the organic and inorganic, Transistor's world is that much more beautiful and real, which in turn makes it even more sad to watch as it is processed by... well, the Process. Words really can't do the art of this game justice.

Hum Along

As Red is a singer, you'd think that music would play an important role in Transistor. It certainly does, but not in an obvious way (as is expected). There isn't any specific gameplay mechanic involving singing or music, but the beautifully composed score and the subtle nuances of both the game's soundtrack and sound effects make Transistor a truly complete experience. An amazing detail that I can never get enough of is that when you switch from realtime combat to the planning mode of Turn(), the music switches to a hummed version of whatever is playing... hummed by Red herself. We understand this is her planning, the thoughts in her head if you will. That little touch is such a nice feature I just want to take an extra turn just to hear that lovely hummed melody.

Sign Out

There are going to be a lot of you who aren't going to like Transistor as much as I did, especially when in many ways it isn't as good as it's older sibling. The game is rushed in places and feels over all too soon, even for only 20 bucks. But I think that's what makes this experience such a wonderful one. It's short and sweet, better to be over too soon than drag on too long. But more importantly, it's game that once again pushes the limits of what games can be. I can't wait to see what Supergiant comes out with next, and I'm hoping it's a hat trick and just as amazing as the last two games have been.

Rating 9.5/10

Action Quickie Review Double Feature: Godzilla and The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Disclaimer: I've got a backlog of things I want review/blog about, but real life got in the way and prevented that from happening. Hopefully things will be a bit more settled now and I can do some catching up. I'll start with something more current to get the ball rolling

After months of ice and snow (and a non existent spring), summer has arrived and with that comes heat waves, thunderstorms, ice cream, and summer blockbusters. This month, two of the year's most anticipated movies; Godzilla and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, open in theatres to fans worldwide. Both once again bringing beloved characters (and in Godzilla's case monsters) to the big screen. But the real question is, are they worth your money? While I'll be going into a bit more detail in each of the film's review; to sum it up beforehand, both are a good way to kill a couple hours, but aren't must see films by any means.

The Amazing Spiderman 2

When I saw the first Amazing Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, I not only loved the performances and chemistry between the characters, I was excited about the potential that the spiderman movies now had. But as they revealed more and more details about the latest spiderman flick, that excitement began to turn to apprehension as the small liberties that Sony and Marc Webb had taken with the last film  turn into a narrative that I didn't think I was going to like. 

I finally saw the movie and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but the same amazing performances by Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, and Sally Field couldn't carry the movie with it's poor pacing, plot, and questionable future. Sure OSCORP has always been a sinister corporation, but to make them responsible for EVERY villain in the Spiderman universe is just sloppy writing and doesn't make as excited for the third movie. Maybe third time's a charm, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Verdict: 5.5/10

Godzilla

Based on the positive reception that Pacific Rim got last year, This year's Godzilla seems to further set the trend of bringing back the "Kaiju" movies of yore. But in a way, all the great teases that we had of the famous giant lizard prior to its release built up a little too much hype. The titular monster has an important role to play in the movie, and yet he seems to be just sort of there... like the elephant in the room, if that elephant was scaled, breaths fire and fights other monsters.

The action sequences are wonderfully shot, building the epic scale required for this kind of movie. However the performances leave much to be desired. They aren't awful, just not inspiring (which on a side note doesn't fill me with much confidence for Avengers 2, as both Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen are playing big parts in it, but that's a subject for a different post). In fact my favourite characters are the scientists who just stand there saying "that's impossible" and "could it be?" (trailing off forcing more suspense).

Unlike Spider-Man though, I'm eager to see if there is a future for the King of Monsters.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Short & Sweet: Oscar 2014 Nominated Short Reviews (Live Action & Animated)

In a world where most media is consumed in bite sized chunks, the relevance of short films has actually become more relevant as methods of media consumption have expanded over the decade to include Youtube videos and Vines. But still tried and true are those short films released to theatres, television and film festivals around the world every year. These are the films that every year get selected by the Academy to contend for the year's Oscar for Short Film. Whether it be a live action short or an animated piece, these gems allow for almost any creative individual with an idea and the drive to make something truly spectacular. It is often the starting point for many fresh-faced (metaphorically speaking) film makers who wants to get their vision out there without the bureaucracy and slog of the mainstream film industry.

What follows are short (like their subjects) reviews of each of the contenders in both categories of short film academy awards. Some probably need more time to do them justice. But with all them being winners in their own right, you can't focus on just one. I will be giving my pick for which film I think should win, but if only because the Academy will probably disagree with me.

Live Action

Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)

Conveying the true horrors of being a child solider and the life they lead, this spanish short is intense, powerful and heart-breaking. Performances by everyone are incredible and real, presenting the issues currently facing many countries in Africa in a moving and thought-provoking manner.

Avant Que De Tout Perde (Just Before Losing Everything)

A slice of life that for some is all too real, this french film follows a family trying to escape the abusive clutches of the father in their family unit. It's wonderfully acted and subtly shot with the story left to the viewer to piece together as the parts come to us. It becomes especially good towards the end when the tension rises further as the father; unaware of his family's plan of disappearing for a while, shows up durig their planning their exodus.

Helium

The story of a hospital janitor telling a story about the heaven like world of "Helium" to a young dying cancer patient, this inspiring story is somber but not depressing as the peace that the story brings to Alfred the young boy is bittersweet and beautiful.

Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything?)

A fantastic finnish flick about a family trying to get ready for a friend's wedding, this laugh a minute short makes you want more as everything that could go wrong goes wrong for this family. Even the ending of this seven minute short had me laughing my head off. A wonderfully sweet piece.

The Voorman Problem

The only short I knew about before going into the theatre to see all the shorts, Martin Freeman stars as a prison psychiatrist trying to diagnose the patient Mr. Voorman, who claims to be God. The skeptical doctor is soon faced with a series of mind boggling events and humourously tackles some big questions about the universe. Great performances by all the actors.

Oscar Pick: Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?

While I came to see all of the films and finally see The Voorman Problem, it was Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? that I enjoyed the most and was the most satisfied by. Avant Que De Tout Perde and Aquel Era No You came a very close second as the plot and cinematography of both films were incredible. While I enjoyed the The Voorman Problem, I thought it was a bit short for something that could have explored all kinds of entertaining possibilities. Helium was great short film, but not particularly amazing.



Animated

Feral

The story of a boy raised by wolfs trying to re-enter society, Feral is a stunning piece that explores some questions about how society handles those who are different. The art is what really stands out, especially if you're a fan of stark contrasts and monochrome.

Get a Horse!

Disney's submission in this year's awards, it is both a love letter to the beginnings of Mickey Mouse and a clash of old meets new. The ideas while not exactly the most original (as Day & Night by Pixar does a similar story), the plot and concept is unique enough that this adventure is a feast for the eyes and a lot of fun to watch.

Mr. Hublot

Set in a world where everything is mechanical and industrial, Mr. Hublot is about a mechanical man; who's routines are basically OCD, meeting a very lively and routine-free mechanical dog and how his life gets impacted by this new part of his life. A heart-warming and beautifully animated tale, this short is clever in it's use of an incredibly detailed setting and wonderfully developed characters.

Possessions

In Japanese mythology, there are objects that trick people to steal their souls. Unfortunately while the name of said demonic tools escapes me, the possessed possessions (sorry couldn't resist) make this anime inspired short endearing and a pleasure to watch. If you're familiar with the amazing anime short film Kakurenbo (done by the same director Shuhei Morita), then you're going to enjoy this one as well, as it has the same style with wonderful cel-shaded CG and beautiful hand-drawn backdrops.

Room on the Broom

Based on the children's book of the same name, this charming short film is about a witches journey with her cat and the new animal friends she makes along the way (that's really simplifying the plot but the reviews meant to be short). Following the Gruffalo and Gruffalo's Child short films that the BBC and ZDF have been doing for the last few years around Christmas, this family friendly film is beautifully animated and has plenty of funny nuances for everyone to enjoy.

Oscar Pick: Mr. Hublot

Animation is something I hold very dear to my heart, so picking one is very, very difficult. but ultimately Mr. Hublot takes the cake with a fantastic and clever story and a detailed and beautiful setting. Possessions comes in at a close second. Room on the Broom while a lot of fun to watch and a great short overall is bit too childish, and like the short films before it, a tad repetitive. Get a Horse! while fun and clever isn't all that original and Feral while beautiful isn't all that interesting.

All these films are worth watching if you get the chance, and be sure to watch the Oscars on February 23rd, 2014 to find out if the Academy even remotely agrees with me.

Don't be Square : A Review of Inside Llewyn Davis

Folk music wasn't always something I loved. Back in my early high school days I would have said that it was boring and wondered when on earth I could listen to some power metal to keep myself entertained. I didn't hate it like I did rap or country (I still don't like those genres, don't think I ever will), but when you're young and incredibly stupid like I probably was, you don't know any better. That of course changed a few years later as my musical tastes matured and became incredibly eclectic with my growing love of the indie music scene, and now Folk is one of my favourite genres. 

The reason why I talk about not liking Folk music is that if I had kept this opinion back in 1961, the year that Inside Llewyn Davis takes place, I wouldn't be alone and I would be part of the problem causing the anguish that Llewyn goes through in the film. What the Coen brothers have created isn't a wonderful story about an underdog overcoming adversity and becoming the next Bob Dylan, this is the journey of yet another artist who quite frankly isn't good enough to make it big. Sure the songs that Llewyn sings in movie are heart-felt and beautiful, but he should trying to make ends meet rather than be the stereotypical starving artist too proud to admit that he has basically hit rock bottom. 

All we see is a chronology and references to all the poor life decisions Llewyn has made, and his continued pride preventing him from either making the right decisions or moving on with his life. It's incredibly evident when we see Llewyn have an angry outburst when he is asked to sing a song for fun rather than get paid for it. The outburst starts when one of his host's sings his former folk duet partner's part; whom we learn committed suicide before the events of the movie. but considering his own love of music is starting to kill him on the inside despite his insistence that we should live in the moment and "not be square", we see that his pride is what is actually exhausting him both physically and emotionally.

The performances in Inside Llewyn Davis are phenomenal, with Oscar Isaac as the cynical and sullen Llewyn Davis and other big names playing the movie's motley crew of characters, all of whom are well cast and make the movie entertaining to watch and all are foil to Llewyn's melancholy. But the movie's focus is Llewyn, and I felt that despite everyone's amazing performances, they really didn't matter to Llewyn's incredibly sad life, or in the words of Carey Mulligan's character Jean someone who turns everything to shit.

It also goes without saying that the music in this movie is wonderful. In the theatre, I heard someone commenting that while they didn't like the movie itself (fun fact, this was before it started so why they were seeing it again I'm not quite sure), the soundtrack was worth listening to. In addition to the amazing performances by the actors of the movie, the musical performances are fantastic. In fact, I was presently surprised that Carey Mulligan can not only sing; she has a fantastic voice for folk songs (you chose well Marcus Mumford).

While the Coen brothers have done a great job making an incredibly smart, darkly comic and downright depressing movie, I can't help but feel a bit odd about what I'm to take away from it. As I mentioned earlier this movie doesn't have a happy ending, but it doesn't have a sad one either per say. I can't help but feel Jean  was right in that people like Llewyn never think about the future, and perhaps that is why so many artists fall into the stereotype of suffering for their art. And yet I don't know if this is what the Coens were ultimately trying to get across, or just a side effect of it. The conclusion of the movie doesn't bring much resolution and we don't know what would happen beyond the week that we witness. For Llewyn Davis, it ends as it started; playing folk songs and trying not to be square.

Verdict: 9/10

Bravely Default and Final Fantasy's Future

While the demo has been out for a few weeks, Bravely Default's upcoming release has generated a lot of positive buzz for the game. But more than anything, what most people are talking about is what a wonderful bit of nostalgia the game is providing to fans; specifically Final Fantasy fans. Besides the wonderfully awful name and a unique battle system, the Bravely Default is basically a Final Fantasy title. Like the 4 Warriors of Light, Bravely Default is another title inspired by Final Fantasy III & V's stellar job system with a unique twist. But since this game is practically another final fantasy title, why isn't it named such. The answer is simple, the name Final Fantasy has a stigma attached to it. As many have pointed out in other blogs, Final Fantasy's recent outings haven't lived up to the reputation that the series tries to associate itself with. But then I thought about the future of the series in general and thought that maybe it isn't as bleak as everyone says it is. With A Realm Reborn doing pretty well considering its terrible start, Bravely Default and Lightning Returns shaping up to be solid games in their own right and Final Fantasy XV looking amazing, Final Fantasy's shine may not be gone yet.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Red rose... I mean mage in action

As I mentioned before, Bravely Default is basically a wolf in sheep's clothing (but in a good way). The classes, monsters, themes, and even the spells are of the Final Fantasy universe. And based on the demo that I've become a little obsessed with, I'm looking forward to the finished product. The Brave & Default battle system is an interesting high risk high reward form of combat that adds a lot of strategy to even basic battles. It's vaguely reminiscent of the battle systems implemented in the first two episodes of the Xenosaga games with their stock features. but not just the core gameplay, but the music is fantastic and the art style is amazing, especially if you're like me and loved the art and design of the remade Final Fantasy III. So I'll definitely be picking it up when it comes out on February 7th.

But is the name change necessary even with the clear ties to its parent franchise? Well I think even if it is a simple name change that it's a welcome one. It's wonderfully weird and I think the beginning of what could be a killer franchise in itself. After all, look at how popular Persona has become in comparison to it's main Shin Megami Tensei brothers. Bring on Bravely Default, and if it does well enough in North America its planned sequel Bravely Second (like I said, wonderfully weird)

P.S. I'm unfortunately obsessed with the main battle theme


Lightning strikes thrice

Another demo that was released recently was Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Now the main question is why on earth do we need another Final Fantasy XIII game, especially when for so many people this is the game that they like the least. As someone who thought XIII was ok (only ok, but the music was amazing) and XIII-2 was a big improvement, I'm looking forward to this 'final' (pardon the pun) instalment in the Lightning saga. Playing the demo has definitely strengthened that feeling, although I wish I got more time to play around with the battle system more, as it's definitely shaping up to be the best combat of the three games. But only when the full game comes whether or not this is going to be redemption enough for Lightning's troubled series. Maybe third time's a charm?


Lucky number XV

If there's anything that has me more hopefully in the future of the franchise it's Tetsuya Nomura's opus, or rather what I hope Final Fantasy XV will be. The game was announced 8 years ago, and I believe has been in on and off development for the last 10, though in the last few years it has been worked on heavily.  But even with full action combat, incredibly amazing graphics and what appears to be an incredibly epic and interesting story, who knows if it will actually translate to what the Final Fantasy franchise needs more than anything, an absolutely stellar title to go up their with the other staples in the main numbered series. After all, that's what I thought Final Fantasy XIII was going to do with that amazing, but sadly pre-rendered E3 2006 trailer.

One can dream...

There's only so much rebranding and remaking this franchise can handle, and while it won't be gone for a while, any more problems could be... well, problematic for the franchise's and the studio's continued existence. But here's hoping that with what appears to be a clear and appealing new direction for Square Enix to go, there won't be a "final" Final Fantasy just yet.

UK vs US: Television Format

While the third series of Sherlock was running, I had recurring conversation with a number of my friends and family all revolving around the same topic, British television versus American television. It probably had to do with the fact that most of friends are firmly in the US TV camp (ie that’s what they predominately watch) so a show like Sherlock is very different from what they view as the standard format. But the more I thought about the talks I had; especially with my Mum who is British herself and more of an expert on the subject than I am, the more I thought about those strange seemingly inconsequential differences that create two completely different markets of entertainment. So I’ve decided as something that will be recurring for a little while is some interesting difference between the two areas and if it really makes a difference.

This post is going to be focusing on formatting and structure, and you may surprised what a big difference that can make.

Series versus Season

Based on the heading for this subtopic, you might think that merely focusing on the semantics and vocab, but the word choice in a way goes beyond a simple title for a portion of a program’s lifespan. Any one who watches both British and American television will tell you that a little difference in terms of jargon is that while in the states a television “series” is made up of seasons, a season in a British program is dubbed a series (hence my not calling the most recent run of Sherlock its third season).

Now while for the most part it’s trivial, you can dissect it into slightly deeper meaning as to how these shows are written. I talk a little bit about why the mini-series is in many ways more satisfying for this post I wrote two years ago for a intern blog at IBM, and I won’t go into too much detail but the main argument remains the same. Because much of British TV is more compact and stand-alone; closer to a mini series, a lot is cleaned up and not left hanging come the finale of that particular series. Now obviously there isn’t a guarantee that a British show will end smoothly, especially if it ends abruptly (I’m looking at you The Hour Series 2). But there’s something far more pleasing about closure with a show that’s been around two years as opposed to a show that they kept going for eight because that’s how the market works. The Brits just seem a little more sensible.

Don’t get too attached

I’ve recently been re-watching the entirety of BBC 3’s Being Human and it’s definitely struck home something that it, Misfits, and MI-5/Spooks do in their show. They are not afraid to kill off or get rid of very important characters (especially Spooks). You just don’t see that same kind of banality (or done casually I guess I would say) with American shows. Sure deaths and departures happen but they are really big deals…  even more than they are across the pond. If you’ve watched Spooks then you know what I’m talking about.

While haven’t watched most of the US version of Being Human (simply because I’m being snobby and refuse to), reading the various plot summaries shows that while the show is different (thankfully) from it’s British big brother… it definitely doesn’t seem to hold the same gravitas that the original had. The show is going into it’s 4th season and all the main characters are still alive and mostly the same (give or take some moments of being human, which would never happen in the British one). By the end of first episode of the 4th series of the original program, three quarters of the original cast were dead… and then Annie was gone by the end leaving the show with a completely new cast of supernatural housemates.

My mum speculates that maybe it has something to do with contracts and other commitments that American actors just don’t seem to have, which I’d be inclined to agree with her but can’t talk too much about as I’m not really knowledgeable of this realm of the acting world. But there may be something to be said about American actor’s picking up TV show gigs and sticking with them and being famous for that rather than the diversity that a lot of British actors have.

In the end, it doesn't really matter

Spooks Series 1 Cast: only one of them is in every series

You could spend an entire media studies course dissecting the differences in terms of structure of these two very different television markets. While I have an obvious preference of one over the other, there’s no clear right choice when it comes to what you should watch. There are a lot of long running American shows that are staples in the history of television on a global scale. But it’s fascinating that these two countries that speak the same language have fundamentally different approaches to how to structure the same medium.

Sherlock Series 3: Thoughts On The Empty Hearse & Sign of Three

Warning: There are Spoilers, so if you haven’t watch this series yet, you shouldn't even be here you should be watching it right now.

While I was excited as the next Sherlock fan for the new series, I was; as I often am when comes to things I hold dear to my heart, incredibly nervous of what was to come. How on earth do you top the awesome spectacular that was Series 2 with both Irene Adler; played by the astounding Lara Pulver, introduced to the Sherlock universe and Andrew Scott’s award-winning and absolutely brilliant performance as Jim Moriarty. Series 2 was also for many what helped make Sherlock a huge international sensation, heck when I watched series 1 apart from a strong following in the UK there didn’t seem to be this massive global following that there is now. So many things could have gone wrong with this series, and with one episode left, there still is a chance that we all might flip the metaphorical table in rage, or more appropriately pull an Anderson and start tearing stuff of the walls.

So with two absolutely fantastic episodes out of the way and the finale upon us this upcoming Sunday, it is time to summarize my thoughts on the series so far and consider what we might see in the next episode.

Acknowledgement of the Fanbase

 A minor caveat, Moffat has never actually acknowledged in writing the craziness that is the Sherlock Fandom. But there have been several moments in the last two episodes that feel oddly like fan service. As odd as it sounds, I feel like a lot of what has made the last two episodes so enjoyable are the moments of sheer insanity that in many ways could only rival some crazed fan girl’s fan fiction. The theory of how Sherlock survived by one girl in “The Empty Hearse” that ends in Moriarty and Sherlock kissing is right out of something on Archive of our own or live journal, not exactly something I pegged for Mark Gatiss or Stephen Moffat to come up with. Followed by what I think is worthy of more exploration… Sherlock and Watson Lightweight Drunken Adventures was a refreshing and wonderfully charming way to make these characters even more interesting and fun (Especially the bit where Sherlock and Watson trying to work a case while drunk). There’s a lot more in these episodes that feels a giant thank you to the fans, but still in a way that is their own and not actually pandering to any group. Keep up the good work writers.

Sidenote: buzzfeed has a hilarious summary of what happened on tumblr after the series premiere. It is quite a joy to read… to say the least

The Magnanimous Mary Morstan

Probably one of things I was the most nervous of was the introduction of John Watson’s wife, Mary Morstan. Time and time again, television and movie adaptations often don’t do this character justice and often end throwing her in as the third wheel (but shouldn’t be) to the Holmes and Watson dynamic. So I too thought that this was not going to end well for anyone

Boy was I never so glad to be wrong

Not only is Mary Morstan a fantastic addition to the series, she’s possibly my new favourite character. She’s not some clingy fiancé, she seems to truly understand how both these men work and seems to want them to still be besties (pardon the term) despite John and her beginning a new chapter in their lives together. Plus her intelligence, wit, and humour are so refreshing for a show where the recurring female characters seem a bit overshadowed and one-dimensional (although Molly is now an even greater pleasure to watch, as she isn’t just some simplistic, shy pathologist)

Now my current fear is that either this all too good to be true or something truly terrible is going to happen… as is often the case with Sherlock finales.

End of an Era

Now we approach the end of the series and our new main villain, Charles Augustus Magnussen. Now while many Sherlock fans are already attempting to piece together what’s going to happen based on the references in characters and title of the finale “The Last Vow”; based on “The Last Bow”, I just know that in typical fashion of Sherlock, shit will probably hit the fan. And with Mary’s apparent pregnancy also now a factor, who knows what could go horribly, horribly wrong. All I know is that it will probably break my heart again and I will still love every minute of it. That, and it will probably change things up considerably for the next series, that is if there is even going to be a series 4 with the way the show has been going. Since there was a cameo of Irene Adler in the last episode, I’m hoping that she comes back somehow in a bigger role, but maybe that was just another red herring in a show that can sometimes be full of them. Here’s hoping it’s another hat trick for the third series. The final episode of the third series airs on Sunday January 12^th on BBC One.