In which I come out as a lover of Dwarves - my hobbit review

So I went to see the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey last night and it was for the most part awesome.  I went with my chap and some friends, we also went to see it in 3D and HFR because it kind of was how Peter Jackson wanted us to see it and I wanted to see what he did with the technology.

So this is your warning, this post may contain spoilers, now I have tried not to spoiler but if you are sensitive about some things then you might want to bookmark this for later when you have seen it.

I went to see this film with a couple of reservations, firstly The Hobbit isn't the biggest book in the world, I was wondering how on earth it could be stretched out to two films let alone three.  Having said that it part one felt action packed and was enjoyable.

Things that worked for me: Peter Jackson and his team clearly have crafted at making it fit in with the LoTR trilogy, so we get glimpses of Frodo and Ian Holm as older Bilbo lots of nods to Fellowship and it felt like part of the furniture.

Martin Freeman is his own Bilbo, I'm glad he didn't do a Ewan Macgregor in Star Wars and try to emulate Ian Holmes, he brought his own thing to the part and he is a perfect home-loving hobbit.  The relationship between him and Thorin and him and Gandalf was excellent.

The company of Dwarves, there are so many of them, that I cannot even begin to get my head around all of them.  They felt like part rugby team on tour, part questing company so that rang true for me too.  I adored James Nesbitt as Bofur a lovable rogue of a dwarf. Ken Stott was fab as Balin.  The downside with the dwarves is that there are just too many of them to keep them straight in my head.  I was reduced to making up names for a lot of them just to keep them straight in my head. Though Fili and Kili are easy to remember especially as they are rather easy on the eye...

One unexpected thing that Jackson did was that he made Thorin Sexy. How much that is down to the yummy Richard Armitage being deeply attractive I'm not sure, but even in the chunky dwarf boots and swinging an axe I was more than a little bit attracted to Thorin.  Dwarfs are not supposed to be sexy, they fight, fart and sing about gold right? Well Thorin would not be kicked out of bed for any of those things. Also Aiden Turner who I normally think looks like he needs a good wash was cute as a dwarf, I clearly like dwellers from under mountains.

I think Andy Serkis is a genius, Gollum as ever was pitched perfectly and the scene between Gollum and Bilbo was the highlight of the film for me.

The Goblin King was utterly revolting and I felt a bit sick watching him on the screen.

Benedict Cumberbatch made the briefest of appearances in a blink-and-you-miss-him kind of way.

Sylvester McCoy was amazing, Radaghast was wonderful, with his rabbits and his hedgehogs and the birdnesst, utterly marvellous.

There were songs.  I hate the songs in the books, they make me curl up in acute embarrassment, however, the songs that are used in the film work as far as they go, so much so I'm kind of desperate to go and pick up the CD and listen to Dwarves singing...

So what did I think of HFR? I think it's interesting, I think there were moments in the film where the CGI stuck out like a sore thumb in ways that it didn't in the the LoTR trilogy and there were moments where things felt too sharp and that my eyes couldn't quite keep up with everything going on in a scene, too much data.  Having said that I loved the swoopy shots of the Goblin King's domain whereas some of the other scenes felt a bit much. Smaug's destruction of Dale was just too much for me to cope with.  We felt that at times some of these effects looked like ones that you see in an expensive BBC adaptation but looked cheap in a film.  I don't want to be horrid about any of the film, I'm just not sure that the technology is ready yet.  Most of the time it looked amazing, just occasionally and I don't want to bitch about it anymore.

That said, awesome and enjoyable.

Go see, ASAP!

Book Review: Blood Lament By Raven Dane

I read the first book in this trilogy after meeting Raven Dane at the SFX weekender, we'd talked about Vampires and how I intensely disliked ones who sparkle and she spoke about her brand of fangs which are predatory and have bite but also as a reader you can empathise with them even when their motivation is alien.

I had read Blood Tears and it had been a good read that I had enjoyed but I hadn't felt the thrill of excitement that happens when I can't put a book down. So I hadn't hurried to read the sequel and middle book in this trilogy. I am regretting that decision now because Blood Lament is brilliant, where Tears felt ponderous in places Lament is pacey. Tears was predominantly set around World War II whereas Lament is bang up to date and the human protagonist Gabrielle is feistier than Khari and more insight is offered into all of the Dark Kind.

The writing is beautiful, clear and descriptive evoking a clear sense of place and Dane always writes beautifully about Horses which has to come from knowledge but it really adds to the colour of the novel.

I'm looking forward to reading the third installment as soon as it is available on the Kindle.

In which I attempt to start blogging again

What can I say, I've had a busy few months and it has taken rather a long time to be able to write. I'll say this for nothing, getting evicted, moving house, rehearsing for a full scale musical plus working full time takes a toll on the brain.  It was a bit worse for my partner because he also changed job at the same time.  I summed it up rather succinctly, if I do say so myself, as ALL. OF. THE. CHANGE.

And a couple of months later things have calmed down, the new house is a haven and things are where they should be, all is well.

The other problem was that I lost my mojo and it has taken ages and many drafts for me to a) find it again b) write something suitably entertaining that I wanted to share.

This places me in a bit of a dilemma. What on earth do I want to say these days.  I'm still living most of my life on Twitter and that suits me, I can be mildly humorous or vitriolic or occasionally self pitying as the mood takes. But I need to write more, need to get into practice at laying down words and making them do tricks. The more I practise the better I should get and I need to work on my over excitable comma use.

So to ease me back into this  blogging malarkey I'm listing some things because we all love a list.

My Top  TV theme Tunes

5. BattleStar Galactica

BSG Original 

New BSG

I'm cheating here because I like the theme music to both versions and I'm sticking them side by side.  I love the classic version it's all brass and fanfares and whilst erring on the side of cheesy, it has something, it certainly stuck in my head.  The Ron Moore re-imagining is a completely different beast all taiko drums and a sense of desperation.  Incidentally Bear McCreary's score for this show killed me, repeatedly so much so I had to get hold of the music and listen to it to death. Admiral and Commander, plus Battlestar Sonatica just need to be listened to often. 

4. True Blood - Bad Things

True Blood

This theme tune, like the show is a complete guilty pleasure. It just sounds kind of depraved and kind of dirty, just like the show and I have been known to break this one out on the Karaoke despite it being all wrong for me to sing.

3. Doctor Who - Tennant Era

Doctor Who

I know, I know an obvious choice but it should surely be on everyone's list, not least because it's that well known.  I love this music in all it's reincarnations. But for me Tennant's version with all the strings  is the ultimate.  I really didn't like Eleven's but then that too has grown on me.   Murray Gold is inspired in the way he takes things and reinvents. Plus his scores for the series have been utterly beautiful, Doomsday, Madame de Pompadour and Face of Boe all threaten to make me cry plus his arrangement of Abide with Me on Gridlocked makes me cry every time, but then we sang it at my Granddad's funeral.

2. Big Bang Theory

Big Bang Theory

Because it's clever and it get's in your head and every time it  gets to pyramids you have to join in and when we get to Bang we yell bang just because we have to.  What do you mean you don't? How can you not?

1. Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones

Just because it's so clever and I could watch the clockwork map forever. Plus added bonus Simpsons version.

http://io9.com/5890410/watch-the-simpsons-game-of-thrones-intro

What I've been reading

Sherlock Holmes, all of it. In one go.  That's a lot of Sherlock Holmes and they do get a little repetitive.  However, I've now done it I can go and read something else instead now and I'm reading Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson also known as the Bloggess.  She is a very special lady and reading her book is like having her talk to you digressions and all.  After that there are many options and I'm not sure where to go, I've got the SFXWeekender shelf which has all the novels I picked up there to read.  There are the Urban Fantasy novels that by friend @Boneist gave me I have lots to chose from overwhelmed.

Doctor Who Convention - Cardiff 24th March 2012

Well I'm back home after an incredible whirlwind weekend down in Cardiff at the first official Doctor Who convention.

This was the first convention arranged by the BBC for the show and from end to end one of the best and most slick conventions I've ever attended and this is why.  At the time you bought your tickets you had to choose your programme for the day Ood or Silurian.  Each programme was exactly the same all that was different was the timings of certain events.  This meant that queues were short, no one was ever too far away and it ran like a well oiled machine. Detractors were that you had to follow the plan.  The plan was all but I found it gave time to everything I wanted and a fab lunch at wagamamas. 

The big exciting panels were Meet the stars: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill with Steven Moffat and Caro Skinner answering questions and they did get through a lot.  The second panel was Creators and Directors which was Gary Russell, Marcus Wilson, Nick Hurran, Tom McCrae and Neil Gorton.  The final panel was Doctor Who Uncut which was hosted by Barnaby Edwards - Everyone's favourite DALEK with Steven Moffat and Caro Skinner again with some other people who I can't remember and the series 7 trailer. ZOMG squee



I got to meet Matt Smith briefly for an autograph and told him I had adored Christopher and his Kind which I hope came out of the Blue with all the screaming whogasms going on.  I also got to meet Arthur and he's utterly lovely.

Gossip wise, it's all out there, the Daleks are coming back, as are the weeping angels and the Ponds final adventures are happening in New York.  Steven Moffat says a Dr Who Sherlock xover wouldn't work because they wouldn't get anything done.  However, I think a sketch for comic relief or Children in Need would allow the two to meet.  

Steven Moffat was asked about whether he thought Doctor who was too complicated, he answered with no aren't we supposed to not be dumbing down TV - I started the applause for that ;)

We also saw make up/prosthetics/sfx demos which were amazing and well worth going to see.

I have a smile on my face several days later and I needed a little lie down afterwards. 

The convention was very family friendly and a lot of questions were asked by children so nothing big was asked.  I can't wait for November now.

Yatta!

I've had my results for my Second ETMA in Start Writing Fiction and grab on to something, I got 90% again.

I am naturally thrilled, thrilled because the second ETMA was much longer and had more potential to go wrong, and  also because I am consistent.  What I'm less thrilled about are the comments about comma splicing which I had worked quite hard at removing and had enlisted the help of Phil and Rob in order to try and reign in some of my wild fancies where punctuation is concerned. I need a punctuation guru to guide me because I'm clearly comma blind.  I keep wanting to lengthen sentences and clearly this must stop.

It is far too easy to focus on the bad, because I've done exceptionally well, 90% in such a subjective area has to be hard to come by.  Part of me is dying to know what the others got because inner competitor wants to see where I fit in the bell curve, the final overall grade will be issued mid-march after they have been moderated - I may loose marks then.

So where does this leave me? I know I can write effective stories and those friends who have read these stories have enthused at me about my writing. But again this makes me wibble as I wonder if people are just being nice...  (again rational brain has to step in here and say I've had impartial feedback from a few quarters which has been good though pointing out the commas).

1. I need to stop wibbling, gain confidence by writing more and writing regularly - by doing both of these things I can improve my style and learn where to commas should be and you know, add some full stops in too.

2. Join a writers group, need to find one locally and join, more pressure to write and present and get some interesting feedback and perspective.  Continue to make use of friends who can nit pick and question my decisions and make me make my work better. Rob made a fantastic point about my latest work where I had disengaged from the characters in the short story to drop in background info and he suggested featuring the characters in that background to make it more vivid.

3. Write more, write everyday if I can. Set weekly goals.

Things my tutor said were : This is another excellent read, Jane.  I absolutely raced through it, it was so gripping. Right from the start, I was pulled in. This is boring old Northampton but something strange and alien has happened. Then there is a steady build up of threat and good, detailed description of neglect and poverty.

You give just enough of the back story, bit by bit as we go along for us to understand what is happening but the reasons why you reveal slowly...

Your time shifts are neat and clear and your presentation good except that slight tendency still to link sentences with commas.  I've marked a few.  It can be 'pacey' in action scenes, but not as a regular feature.

I am ridiculously proud of myself, it is something that I can do ;)

If you'd like to read the story, it's found here.

Being Human

!Warning this post contains spoilers for series 4.1 of Being Human!

That's your warning, come back when you've seen it, go on I can wait.

Well that set the new series going with a bang didn't it?

Oh the angst of it all.  Firstly the sucker punch of Nina having been killed off screen. A distraught and broken George protecting his daughter or at least trying to.  Annie trying to help but being pushed away, it was a really tough episode to watch.  Considering the ending, which had me in tears on Sunday night (well done Toby Whithouse, I'm not easy to make cry), it could have been angst overload.

Thankfully the new leads were there on hand to add lightness to what was a dark old episode.  Tom who was the Werewolf brought up by Macnair last series, is quite a find.  He is by turns hard as nails, vulnerable, very funny and compelling to watch.  Hal the new vampire is more complex and I can't wait to see how he will fit into the story.

Interesting things I enjoyed, the idea that the triumvirate of Wolf/Vamp/ghost is not unknown in this universe and did it hint that it was a thing of power.  Also seeing a wolf that had reached old-age, and the implications of that.  And a lot of dark hints about ghosts who are thetherless.

Add in the old ones are coming and the future!dystopia subplot and this series is going to be bonkers and awesome.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

I loved the appearance of the vampire recorder played by Mark Williams, he was hilarious.

I thought Russell Tovey's swan song as George was incredibly moving and I cried a lot. 

 

SFXweekender

Well it's Sunday and we're home from the SFXweekender. It was epic.

There were  some problems, firstly the derailment which stopped people like Stephan Mangan, Anthony Head, didn't make it.  The queues for Autographs were beyond insane. So I missed my chance to meet my hero Brian Blessed and Sylvester McCoy and my chap missed out on getting Hattie Hayridge's autograph.  I did however, get to meet Eve Myles who I now have a bit of a girl crush on and I love the fact that she was drinking pints of wine.

So despite the hiccups most of which were unavoidable we did have the best time.  Now because we won the tickets we didn't have accommodation on site but being based in North Wales we were less than an hour to travel each day. We've remedied that for next year, we've already booked VIP tickets ;)

So Panels and shiz... I went to what become the Sylvester McCoy panel, (Sophie Alred had got stuck in the rail bru ha ha).  Sylvester McCoy decided to do the Q & A from in the middle of the audience.

Next off we went to Dan and Tony's Audience Participation Comic Creating work shop of awesome. It was Very silly and lots of fun.  Then to Paul Cornell's Just a minute with Joe Abercrombie, China Miéville, Sarah Pinborough and Toby Whithouse.  Much silliness followed.

Afterwards a how to get published panel and then the Blastermind quiz with our friends. During the Friday day I stopped by Sam Stone's stand, she's an author I met at Wrexham Comic Con and we've kept meeting at cons.  She introduced me to her friend and fellow author Raven Dane who was lovely and I may have bought her new Steam Punk novel: Cyrius Darian and the Technomonicon.  We saw some of the imaginarium but by this stage I'd been up 18 hours and could barely stand so we headed home.

Saturday we were back at Prestatyn by 9.40 am owch.  First port of call was Toby Whithouse Q and A for Being Human. ZOMG SPOILERS!!!! I know what's going to happen tonight and I can't tell you anything but the scenes were intense so my friends you need to watch Being Human tonight.

We stuck around for Eve Myles who was fantastic and Welsh and mad-eyed and lovely. Tales of John Barrowman's cock and all.  She came across brilliantly and I for one will be taking the baton up for the campaign to only drink wine in pints from now on.  She spoke passionately about Torchwood and Wales and Gwen Cooper and when she was talking about her beach and about Cardiff I may have got something in my eye.

She spent a lot of time with her head in her hands when talking about Barrowman's cock, just saying.

After that we attempted to get autographs and that didn't really work out so well the Queue for Brian Blessed was more than insane, I resigned self to the fact that it wasn't going to happen and due to Phil being eagle eared, he managed to get early in the queue for Eve Myles so I joined him.


After this there was Flash fiction, a good panel and funny, Unicorn sandwiches has taken on a new significance for me.

My boy went shopping while I went to the Brian Blessed Q and A for me the event of the weekend. Brian Blessed is by turns, hilarious, filthy, awesome, insane and wondrous and he held an over capacity crowd in the palm of his hand. There were moments of Gordon's alive, a tarzan yodel and opera. He's an incredible speaker his parting message was you can do anything you like if you don't let the bastards grind you down.

I then went shopping whilst my chap listened to people talk about maps in fantasy fiction, I stayed for a bit but really, it wasn't my bag.  I got a nommy massage, went and met Robert Rankin but couldn't pluck up the courage to speak properly, I iz an idiot noob sometimes.



We watched Norman Lovett and Hayridge's stand up which just about finished me off.  I didn't make it to the sing a long a buffy which made me so sad it's untrue but I was broken and not about to break self further.

I left the event feeling inspired and in awe at a really good weekend, it's given me quite the hunger to be geekier and to read more and to experience more and to write so much more. I left a little bit of my heart in Prestatyn, it was an amazing convention.


Any regrets, not meeting Paul Cornell and flaking out on Saturday but I'll be back next year and I'll have cobbled together a costume.

The good photos in this Blog post are all down to my boyfriend, the shoddy photos are all mine, save the Sylvester McCoy one ;)

Tenterhooks

I've officially finished my OU short course in start writing fiction.  I'm awaiting the marks of my second assignment and as usual I am bricking it.

It is rather silly, I should have more faith in my own ability, the first assignment result was a huge boost as was the response from my readers.... Somehow that confidence evaporates the moment you submit for assmessment.

I wonder how real writers cope?

Also this week as a small challenge to myself I'm trying to write a 1000 word Zombie story in first person present tense.

Rock on.

Fandom Twitter and writers...

I would hate to be a TV writer.

That's not true, I would love to be a TV writer but there is a huge element that would put me off and I'm sorry to say it's the part of fandom that disappears up its own ding dong, because it makes me uncomfortable.

Vast majority of fan out there are lovely, insane, enthusiastic, creative and have cracking sense of humour. This is  the good part, this has value. But there's a dark side, those who seem to revel in complaining and have no compunction in using twitter to harangue the writer.

I follow a number of writers on twitter and they have all felt the force of an irate corner of fandom. Curiously enough, the writer only has to be one of a team for the vitriol to flow in their direction and that makes me sad.  For one thing, if you call yourself a fan, then really you should know who is writing what and adjust your views accordingly.

For instance, Torchwood Children of Earth, was written by three people Russell T Davies, John Fay and James Moran. RTD wrote eps 1 and 5, James Fay 2 and 4, and James Moran co-wrote ep 3 with RTD.  Now episode 4, was a game changer for Torchwood as a beloved character was killed off in the most incredible way.  In my opinion a good death utterly compelling as part of the arc of Children of earth and afterwards a sizable section of the fandom went off the deep end.  James Moran was the only writer of the three and he got bombarded with abuse, how dare he kill off said character, so much so he had to leave twitter for a week.  But can you spot the deliberate mistake? James Moran didn't write the episode. On twitter he wrote about the process of writing COE to be a team effort so in a way all three were responsible in a way, but he didn't pull the trigger. But it is not right to ever harass anyone to the point of leaving a social networking site.

 Likewise, Steven Moffat can't seem to say anything without offending some corner of either  the Doctor Who or Sherlock fandoms. I've read a number of articles and blog posts which all seem to be picking up on things he's said in interviews that I just don't see.  There are those who seem determined to paint him as a  misogynist, which I've written about before and still don't get.

The other thing I fail to understand is why Steven Moffat is picked out for the Sherlock vitriol? Mark Gatiss as co-creator doesn't seem to get the same amount of flack and Steve Thompson who adapted the Blind Banker as well as The Reichenbach Fall is not attacked in the same way. Is it because Moffat is more visible? He get's interviewed more often and is therefore more open to being misrepresented by the press in the first instance and then misinterpreted by people reading the interview in the first place.

I also struggle to get my head round is the idea that some people in fandom seem to think that they can produce better work than the people writing and making the show in the first place.  Deep breath is required here.  Really, fandom? Take a look at yourself here and answer honestly, could you really write something better than an experienced writer has already done? For the vast majority it's a definite no. There is a lot of terrible fic out there, where plots are hackneyed and writing is cliché ridden.  There is also good fic, but I'd argue there is a huge canyon between decent fic and writing for tv.

It is arrogant for anyone to suppose they could do a better job than a particular writer who is getting paid to do the job, because it kind of begs the question: then why aren't they?

It's also not a question of just accepting, I criticise a lot of writing, there are many things which don't quite work for me, but I don't make an assumption that I can write something better than a paid writer of a TV series.

So to sum up. Fandom is good, fandom wank bad. Be nice to writers on twitter or they will pack up and leave. I love interacting with writers on twitter, they can be funny, engaging and you can pick up tips about their craft. Don't chase them off...

On getting unexpected feedback...

I'm always pleased to have someone read my work, it gives me thrills to know that someone is moved by my words and the images that I paint with them.

I don't overly pimp my work, I don't want to force anyone out there to read my words if they don't want to, I'd rather they read them because they were generally interested rather than from a sense of duty.

My long time friend from Uni Emma read my work recently and she enjoyed it and that's lovely, but the needy irrational part of my brain says that Emma only likes it because she's your friend. What a lovely brain I have. That is beside the point, Emma passed on some of my work to one of her friends who I don't know, I can't know as they live in Australia and Emma then passed on her assessment of my writing back to me.

At first, I was dismayed, I like to have a semblance of control as to who get's to read at the moment, I know I'm deluding myself but I cling to it non-the-less. I get butterflies when I let people I know read it anyway, because I feel deep down I want people to like me and like what I do.

This is what the friend of a friend wrote:

From someone who loves writing, I think your friend has a way of just going straight into the heart of the readers and just leaving a mark. That’s how I felt while I was reading her two pieces.

I like how it’s almost feel like real- the characters and that you can feel their pain. I don’t know her but I think she likes to write about pain and hope, and strength. Very intuitive.

She also has a rich depth of vocabulary. I always think it’s very hard to describe something- a place, a person, a movement, etc. to the point Where the readers can feel that you’re actually witnessing it, but she has it.

The only thing that I think might be worth revisiting are some of the sentences can be really long, and can be a bit distracting.. but that’s about it.."

For a while I thought I had lost the ability to write and to write something convincingly but then I thought: if I can move someone I've never met; who has no vested interest in being nice about my work then maybe there's some actual talent there and I just need to apply it.

Yes I have a long way to go, my punctuation and grammar can get a little sketchy but at the heart of what makes a piece of fiction interesting, apparently, that is something I can do.

I'm still not going to pimp my work overly, I'm sure you don't want to hear me banging on all the time, but I'm going to post more of it and I'm going to hone the skills I've got.

Post Christmas squee

It's friday night, I'm summering gently on half a bottle of red wine and I'm feeling remarkably squeeful considering the week at work I've had.

First things first, I love my kindle.  I knew I would, but the level of adoration I have for my ereader is one of cheerful enthusiasm, I want to read ALL OF THE BOOKS ALL OF THE TIME. Ahem.  I am restraining myself at least enough that I'm only reading at my lunch time and when I'm in bed, I'm also researching ways I can safely read my kindle in the bath, because reading in the bath is one of life's true pleasures.

Anyhoo I set myself a target last year to read 50 books and I succeeded  in finishing 54 and if you are interested the full list in all it's glory is found here.  I have to say, there were very few books I didn't enjoy, the succubus novels excepted and some of the hollows novels were whiney. This year I intend to read 50 books again.

Second things second, my Doctor Who series 6 arrived today on Blu Ray. I look forward to watching over and over especially the Doctor's Wife, and well hell; all of it!

Third things third, it's the time of the year that I like to think of as the run up to my birthday, I'm going to be 33 which makes me rather hyper as I love numbers like this, I enjoyed being 11, 22 and I hope to the lords of Kobol that being 33 will rock hard.  In order to celebrate I'm treating myself to a Lucky Voice Karaoke box and mikes. I am making plots for something to happen in the near future. Friends and singing = awesome.

Whilst I am composing this blog post I am watching season one of the Closer which my chap and I both find hilarious and easy to watch. I'm also vibrating with squee over the impending Hound in Sherlock.

The Woman and me

It is been a long wait, it has been a very long wait for the return of Sherlock to the BBC. August 2010 until January 2012 but the fast has been broken with something so amazing I could scarcely believe it.

A Scandal in Belgravia was an incredible tour de force and I am a little bit more in awe of Steven Moffat and just how he writes.

At the end of the first series we were left with snipers and bombs and swimming pools and me in a weeping pile of goo on the floor wondering how and why they were going to resolve it? Resolve it they did, in a way I'm  sure took big brass cahonies to pull off so nonchalantly.  I was impressed, then hints at Irene Adler and I was hooked and sat mouth open like a slack jawed yokel as the story unfurled before me in ninety glorious minutes of television…

… I know, I'm being hyperbolic, but that's how Sherlock makes me feel.  It is just that good….

… As you know I'm not into spoilers and have lived more or less like a hermit studiously avoiding anything that could be a spoiler as I wanted to see this with new eyes.  I loved every moment, the art direction is exquisite and the way scenes changed and the way that bodies were used as a wipe and as a storytelling device was just awesome, and again I loved the way that Sherlock's thoughts were displayed on screen, likewise the blogs and text messages.  The relationship between Sherlock and John is fantastic I love the characters so much.

Lara Pulver was immense, I loved the character and her interaction with Sherlock, there was lots to think about and lots to enjoy.

Course my love of Sherlock is generated purely from the new series, I've never read any of the books so I can't get precious about canon,  but I'm going to read them have downloaded to the kindle.

There's been an article in the Guardian which gave me rage, again people seem to think that Steven Moffat is misogynistic. Excuse me while I headdesk.  Steven Moffat has been writing awesome female characters since Linda Day in Press Gang.  I'm not sure those who have that opinion are even watching the show that I was watching.  However, this thing seems to persist. But really Linda Day kicked ass, Sally Sparrow awesome, River Song incredible and Amy Pond fantastic.