"The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul"

The fresh, salty sea air fills my nostrils as I inhale a long deep breath, leaving a smile on my face. Even from seven miles away, I could still smell the ocean. The town hall I’m walking into looks like a private home rather than an official municipal building, and it serves a small town – approximately 600 residents. It’s been eighteen months since I started my job here and for the first time in my search for a career, I feel as if I’ve found one that fills me with a sense of purpose. Strolling through the “Employees Entrance” located at the rear of the building, I swipe my time-punch card, the digital numbers reading 8:23 a.m. The small, short hallway is dark and cold as I’m the first one to arrive and the weather outside has recently shifted with the fall season. At the end of the hall is a locked door with an office to the left and one to the right.

“Morning, Eric,” I call out to the man in the left-hand office. He is a big man in height and girth, with a shaven bald head, a goatee and glasses.

“Morning. How are you?” he asks through the tobacco chew wedged in his mouth between his cheek and teeth.

“Good,” I answer. It’s the same old, same old.

I turn to the right-hand office, the gold plaque on the door reading Town Clerk in black letters, take my keys out of my pocket and unlock the door. A flick of the light switch brings life to the slumber of my office. No voicemail light on my phone, I turn on my computer and walk out to the lobby to start a pot of coffee, which I’ve recently taken over with my Starbucks Blonde Veranda – a vast improvement compared to the sludge previously provided from some offsite generic coffee company.

The smell of the coffee roasting begins my day and I notice three of the town's volunteers are holding a balance class for senior citizens in our town hall chambers. I walk down a short hall through the foyer and unlock the door for the chamber room so they can get in to immediately set up. When I return to my desk, I sit down and see the first image to catch my eye. Three faces with frozen smiles stare back at me. The largest face belongs to a woman with prematurely graying hair mixed in with auburn brown, making her hair seem more blond than gray, a big grin on her face and gleaming brown eyes. Beside each cheek of her face are two small, round faces – one seven-year-old with long brown curly hair, blue eyes, a slight spattering of freckles upon her cheeks and a smile betraying her desire for adventure and competition; the other a five-year-old replicate of her mother when she was her age, with short straight brown hair, and a dimpled smile not as wide as the other faces pictured, showing her introverted, creative nature. Behind them is the small blue-gray one-story house we moved in after transplanting from Maryland. After living in the busy, hostile urban areas of Maryland most of my life, I promised that if I had my chance, I would find a nice relatively quiet town and spend the rest of my life in peace. It is a warm, cozy home in a comforting, quiet neighborhood, located just ten minutes from my work.

"Could you help me set up the room, Matt?" a female voice asks.

My thoughts are interrupted by one of our volunteers, Susan, who is heading the balance class. The coffee will have to wait. I follow her into the room and can see a small group of the elderly people entering the building. One of them, Mr. Williams, uses a walker. I look at him and can picture him as the once-tall muscular man he once was -- a veteran of the Navy -- now hunched over and suffering from the effects of Parkinson's disease. He is shaky but his wife is by his side to help him -- in sickness and in health. I greet them both with a warm hello, hoping my wife is as caring and patient if we are ever in that situation come our golden years. I walk up to the front of the room and begin connecting the laptop for a PowerPoint presentation -- but failing miserably. Then I hear a slight shuffle and peer up in time to look toward the back of the room and see Mr. Williams lose his footing and fall with full force toward the floor. Everything moves as if in some cheesy slow motion movie effect. I see his feet close together, as if they are bound. The fall is so quick and inevitable; the aging man's Parkinson's prevents him from raising his hands to break his fall. Susan, Mrs. Williams and the others let out cries and yelps as Mr. Williams' body meets the ground with a loud thud, his thin skin showing a ripple as it meets the hard floor. My body takes over from my brain and I'm over to him before I can think of what to do.

Mrs. Williams is already trying to help her husband of 68 years up but her own frailty denies her. She tries a second time as I grab Mr. Williams' other arm, neither one of us noticing the bloody scrapes on his hand and elbows. Mr. Williams appears frail but when I first pull to lift him up, his strong frame makes him heavier than expected. This time, Mrs. Williams' strength kicks in and we carefully help him to a chair.

"Oh, George!" his wife says, almost as if nagging him.

Mr. Williams looks up to me with bewildered blue eyes, the frightened look of a man unable to control his own self, almost unable to comprehend what had just happened. No words come out but merely a struggling, short, whispered moan as if he had just seen a ghost and were unable to speak.

"Are you alright, Mr. Williams?" I ask, looking at his hands and legs to make sure there were no cuts or broken bones. My eyes peruse his ears, the top of his balding head, his wrinkled forehead, noticing his skin as thin as crinkled paper. There is a big red patch of blood on the back of his right hand and a red blossom has spread on his white cotton dress shirt near his lower back. One of the volunteers is told to go get a first aid kit. Then, for the first time, I look into Mr. Williams' haunted blue eyes.

Looking back into those eyes, I feel something so pure and so unreasonably dismayed that I want to shrink down inside myself. Witnessing that moment of vulnerability feels as if I were watching the world beat on a weak person, telling him he was feeble, useless and worthless, and leaving me unable to do anything. His eyes speak to me. They plead.

"I'm sorry," I hear them saying. "I didn't used to be this way."

I can barely keep eye contact with him because his vulnerability is so honest and so disarming coming from an adult so much older than me. He should not be embarrassed or apologetic for anything. His stare quickly turns from embarrassment to gratitude, and I can no longer bear to look him in the eyes as tears sting the corners of my eyes. The unadulterated goodness and gratitude in his eyes troubles me and makes me abashedly cower as the few tears evaporate. I come to think of all the past years and recent days I was impatient and judgmental toward strangers who I deemed weaker than me and those I love because I was judged in the same way by peers most of my early life. His look cuts through me, making me ashamed of this aspect about myself. I know it was not the world that beat on people like Mr. Williams. It was my youthful self.

Even though his gaze is coming from one much older than me, Mr. Williams' stare begins to transform into one which reminds me of a very small child showing a parent or guardian how much they are thankfully dependent on them, how grateful they are when helped and loved. My urge to look away turns from shame into the acknowledgement that we are all one -- our birth, our happiness, our sadness, our death. Despite all of the distractions of politics and religion, or the disguises of difference such as nationality, race, sexuality, wealth, and gender -- which we often foolishly use to separate us -- I truly know we are all one. I think of my children and how one's past can rub off on another's future. Then I think there is no better inheritance to this life than the happiness we leave for others.

His wife thanks me repeatedly but all I can concentrate on are the pair of now-misty eyes directed at mine -- as if we had just shared some wondrous secret. I can see in his gaze the beauty of humanity when we help each other. His gaping, quivering mouth moves as if he wants to desperately say something -- a thank you or maybe a frightened reply -- but his Parkinson's has now disabled him from doing so, and no words come out, just muted breath.

I gently touch his shoulder and say, "It's OK."

The corners of his mouth lift as far as he can move them to show an infirmed smile. I am able to look him in the eyes again and see the tears well along the corners of his eyes for a fleeting moment before they retract.

This is the first time in a job that I have felt as if I'm making a difference in any way. I feel part of a community. I feel I am giving to something bigger than myself. My wife and parents would love for me to eventually become town manager and that may be in the cards for me sometime in the future. But as I part Mr. Williams and his stare remains with me, I know I'm where I need to be right now.

My Top 10 Best Revenge Films

Looking for something to watch? How about a little vengeance? Here are my picks for the best 10 revenge films (in alphabetical order):

The Crow (1994)

Directed by Alex Proyas

Starring Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson and Michael Wincott

"Little things used to mean so much to Shelly. I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial."

Based on James O'Barr's 1989 comic book series of the same name, Brandon Lee stars as musician Eric Draven, who is murdered along with his fiancée Shelly (who is also raped) on October 30 (Devil's Night), the eve of their wedding day, by a group of thugs during a seemingly random home invasion. Because of his anger and sorrow, Eric is given a second chance by a crow (believed to carry souls from this life to the afterlife), being raised from the dead and given invulnerability and a chance to bring to justice all of the thugs who murdered him and Shelly. However, it's not just the fact that Draven is able to kill the guilty which makes this a decent revenge flick; it's the manner in which he does it.

I remember Draven as being the first somewhat superhero who killed his tormentors (the only person in comics who did that at that time was Marvel Comics' The Punisher), and the character became a major influence for a character I created in my writing. Unlike The Punisher, it was the first time a hero had such heavy, strong emotions conveyed to the public. This was captured not only in Lee's performance but also in the writing and production, which included rain and most scenes taking place at night. Also, the soundtrack kicks ass. Sadly, Lee was accidentally killed during the shooting of a scene in this film. However, he left one hell of a legacy in this film alone! This film has reached cult status and has earned its place among top pop culture revenge films.

Desperado (1995)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Joaquim de Almeida

"You know, it's easier to pull the trigger than play guitar. Easier to destroy than to create. They killed the woman I loved ... and ruined my life."

Not many audiences knew when this film was released that it was a sequel to writer/director Robert Rodriguez's 1992 debut film El Mariachi. Antonio Banderas' "Mariachi" (taking over for the first film's actor Carlos Gallardo and paying homage to "The Man With No Name" series featuring Clint Eastwood) is looking for a man named Bucho, who is the top man responsible for changing his life and killing the woman he loved (Consuelo Gómez). Right from the beginning of the film, there is a major showdown and gunfight, thus cementing Banderas as a kick-ass action star! With a guitar case full of a cadre of weapons, Mariachi cuts a bloody path toward Bucho, while also having to deal with the destructive consequences of his road to vengeance. This is another film where the soundtrack (mostly provided by Los Lobos and Tito & Tarantula) really shines! This film would also establish writer/director Rodriguez as a bone fide talent in Hollywood (his El Mariachi only cost $7,225 to make and would go on to become an international success). The best part of the film are the finely edited sequences -- such as when Hayek's character is serenading to a sleeping Mariachi while killers are surrounding her residence.

Before Rodriguez made spy movies for kids, he created this Latino character who had some actual street cred with his badass-yet-emotionally-deep story. At times, of course, the action is a bit unrealistic, but it's fun to watch -- taking a cue from Quentin Tarantino and old "Spaghetti Westerns" (a la Sergio Leone).

Kill Bill (2003 & 2004)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Darryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen and Vivica A. Fox

"Revenge is never a straight line. It's a forest. And like a forest, it's easy to lose your way ... to get lost ... to forget where you came in."

I consider this to be director Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece. This revenge film, which Tarantino used to sample -- and pay homage to -- some of his most favorite film genres, is so epic that Tarantino had to split it into two parts. The first film is much more violent and action-packed, inspired by the classic Japanese Toei and chanbara films, Hong Kong (Shaw Brothers) martial arts films, the 1970s girls with guns films, and 1970s revenge films. Part One details protagonist The Bride's (Uma Thurman) awakening from a coma after being shot in the head by her former boss and boyfriend, Bill (David Carradine), who lead the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (Darryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen and Vivica Fox), of which The Bride was once a member. Part Two is more cerebral and less action-oriented -- instead delving into the details of why The Bride was marked for assassination, and her training as an assassin, as well as having to confront the truth of why she chose to go legit and quit the Viper Squad; this film is inspired by Leone's "Spaghetti Western" and revenge films. Thurman's Bride (or, B******, for those who know) is one of the tough female characters in pop culture today and an awesome force to be reckoned with. I cannot speak enough about how great this set of films are! There was talk of a sequel but Tarantino recently announced that the project was shelved. There was also talk of one long "director's cut" of these two films, called The Whole Bloody Affair, and it was to be released on DVD in 2009, but that project was also shelved. Either way, it does not take away from the impact of this film's greatness.

Leon: The Professional (1994)

Directed by Luc Besson

Starring Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman

"I like these quiet little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven."

Writer/director Luc Besson had already made his mark with The Big Blue and La Femme Nikita, but it was this story of a professional hitman, Leon (Jean Reno), who takes in a preteen girl Matilda (Natalie Portman in her first role) whose family was killed by crooked DEA agents led by Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman), who is perhaps one of the best villains in cinema. When Matilda finds out what Leon does for a living, she asks him to help her to learn to "clean" (assassinate) so she can have her revenge on the agents. Against his better judgment, Leon teaches her a little bit at a time. In the meantime, Leon is opened to a whole new world as Matilda teaches him to live and love (in a familial way) -- she connects him to the world. There is plenty of action, but the story also has more of an emotional depth than most revenge films. From first viewing of this film, you could tell Portman was going to be a star as she holds her own with superb veteran actors Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and Danny Aiello. This is also one of the few revenge films with a touching ending. Can't recommend this one enough!

Man on Fire (2004)

Directed by Tony Scott

Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, and Mickey Rourke

"Forgiveness is between them and God. It's my job to arrange the meeting."

Based on the 1987 book by A.J. Quinnell, this adaptation stars Denzel Washington as protagonist John Creasy, an alcoholic former CIA agent and Marine officer who is now a bodyguard, hired to take care of nine-year-old Pita Ramos (Fanning) just until her father (Anthony) can renew their kidnap and ransom insurance. At first, Creasy hates the assignment and often drinks himself to sleep; however, over time, Pita grows on him and the two form an unlikely strong bond. When Pita is kidnapped and is pronounced dead, Creasy viciously attacks everyone involved in her abduction and murder. Out of all the revenge films on this list, I think this one has to be the best when it comes to methodology. And, of course, Washington is at his best.

Munich (2005)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Amalric, and Ayelet Zurer

"We are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul."

Based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team, this film is based on the true story of Operation "Wrath of God," which was Israel's "off the books" retaliation for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre where five Israeli athletes and six coaches were killed by a Palestinian group called Black September. The film follows Avner (Bana) who is hired from Mossad (Israel's version of the CIA) to form a black ops group to kill top leaders and conspirators of the Munich plan. Spielberg uses his usual unique filming style and captures one of the best revenge films ever! There is plenty of tension as the group of ragtag operatives are somewhat making up their missions as they go along, but what is best about this particular revenge film is that it asks the kinds of questions that need to be asked. In one standout scene, Avner asks his handler (Rush), "Did we accomplish anything at all? Every man we killed has been replaced by worse," to which his handler replies, "Why cut my fingernails? They'll grow back." The other crucial scene is where one of Avner's teammates feels he is losing his soul over the revenge mission. On top of it all, John Williams' haunting score is phenomenal! It doesn't get much better than this!

Payback (1999)

Starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Mario Bello, David Paymer, Lucy Liu, Kris Kristofferson, and James Coburn

"Not many people know what their life's worth is. I do. Seventy grand. That's what they took from me. And that's what I was going to get back."

I struggled of whether or not Mel Gibson's brilliant Braveheart should be on this list since his character William Wallace does start his rebellion due to him avenging the death of his wife; however, I decided Braveheart was not applicable to this list because even though there was one scene of revenge, it is not revenge that continues Wallace on his rebellion quest. There are plenty of Gibson films that focus on revenge and are great (Ransom, The Patriot, Edge of Darkness), but the one that take the cake is this gem from 1999. Based on Richard Stark's (real name Donald Westlake) brilliant novel The Hunter (and one of my favorite series of books), Gibson plays Porter (in the books, it's Parker) who is betrayed by his team of thieves, shot in the back and left for dead. When he awakens, Porter makes it his mission to get the money owed to him ($70,000) and get even with those who betrayed him.  

Revenge (1990)

Directed by Tony Scott

Starring Kevin Costner, Madeleine Stowe, Anthony Quinn, James Gammon, Miguel Ferrer, and John Leguizamo

"I killed a man who I hated today."

Aptly named (especially for this list!) is this 1990 revenge romance-suspense film (based on the novella by Jim Harrison) starring Kevin Costner as retired U.S. Naval aviator Michael "Jay" Cochran who wants a vacation and decides to visit his friend Tiburon "Tibby" Mendez (Quinn), a Mexican businessman who is actually a powerful crime boss. Upon arriving to Tibby's hacienda, Jay meets Tibby's young wife Miryea (Stowe) and the two soon fall in love. Unfortunately, Tibby finds out about this and is not too pleased. Events then unfold that send Jay in a downward spiral of revenge. I remember this as being one of the first movies I watched which was clearly about revenge and it captivated me. The direction of Tony Scott (who also did Man on Fire) is wonderful and the world lost a great director upon his death.

She-Devil (1989)

Directed by Susan Seidelman

Starring Roseanne Barr, Meryl Streep, Ed Begley Jr., and Linda Hunt

"I've always found that justice serves those who serve themselves."

Hey, revenge can be funny too! And most people may think I'm crazy for loving this film. But I do. I think it's one of the best revenge films made! Also, before this film, I wasn't too crazy about Meryl Streep. But, after watching this film (based on the novel by Fay Weldon), I thought any actress (who's usually known for serious, dramatic roles) who can make a comedy -- and, in a sense, make fun of herself -- then she's got to be cool. In this film, housewife Ruth (Barr) has a loving family in her husband Bob (Begley Jr.) and their two children. But when Bob leaves Ruth for romance novelist Mary Fisher (Streep), Ruth chooses to get even. And get even, she does! Not just that but she also inadvertently makes a life for herself in the meantime. This film, while a comedy, does go to a few dark places as Ruth simply snaps and blows up her family home. Nevertheless, the film is funny and I have to admit that I never tire of watching it.

V for Vendetta (2005)

Directed by James McTeigue

Starring Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, and Roger Allam

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

Based on the revolutionary comic book series by legendary recluse writer Alan Moore, this film takes place in an alternate universe where Great Britain is the main power in the world and almost a fascist state (think of George Orwell's 1984). Evey (Portman) is nearly raped one night by the secret police after curfew, but is rescued by a man in a Guy Fawkes mask (which has since come to symbolize rebellion and revolution of the common man). The man, only known as "V," is somewhat of an anarchist upon first viewing, but it is soon revealed that the men -- including the Supreme Chancellor (Hurt), a bishop, a scientist, a police commissioner, and a news channel talking head (who is uncannily similar to a particular Fox News host who calls people "pinheads") -- who run Great Britain, have wronged "V," and he is out for revenge -- while also simultaneously rebelling against the fascist government. This is not just an entertaining movie but an important piece of writing regarding true freedom and how, oftentimes, the destruction of freedom does not come from an outside threat, but rather from within.

Sher-locked

The BBC's Sherlock recently ended its quick -- albeit eventful -- third season in early February, and I'm already going through withdrawal! What started as a contemporary retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary invention -- the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes -- has become a massive hit, allowing for the reemergence of old fans as well as forging new fans when it comes to the "world's greatest detective." First, let it be known, that if you are into any kind of crime drama/procedural shows -- fiction or non-fiction -- then you should immediately rent the DVDs or stream this show! At first glance of a season of Sherlock, one may immediately notice a season is only made up of 3 episodes; however, each episode is an hour-and-a-half long! So they are pretty much a series of trilogy movies. This contemporary spin on Doyle's great creation and his greatest stories include: A Study in Scarlet (here, the episode: "A Study in Pink"); The Valley of Fear and The Adventure of the Dancing Men (here: "The Blind Banker"); The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans (here: "The Great Game"); A Scandal in Bohemia (here: "A Scandal in Belgravia"); The Hound of the Baskervilles (here: "The Hounds of Baskerville"); The Final Problem (here: "The Reichenbach Fall"); The Adventure of the Empty Hearse (here: "The Empty Hearse"); The Sign of the Four (here: "The Sign of Three"); and The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton (here: "His Last Vow").



The series stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, 12 Years a Slave) as the titular Sherlock -- the contemporary version which still holds true to a lot of the classic Doyle character (although, with some discretions): rather than smoke a pipe, this Cumberbatch's Sherlock wears nicotine patches (yes, more than one at a time), he is able to make correct deductions from the quickest, smallest clues, and he has eidetic memory. He is described in the premiere as having Asperger Syndrome or being a psychopath, and he is highly anti-social. Sherlock describes himself as "a high-functioning sociopath." Cumberbatch can spew out run-on sentences and give a ton of answers before you can say, "Elementary, dear Watson." 

Sherlock's business partner and longtime friend Dr. John Watson -- mostly portrayed as a comic foil to Sherlock -- is played with more seriousness by the wonderful Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Freeman's Watson brings a very hard, skeptical aspect to the character while also representing the "everyman" (or, the viewer) in his experiences with Sherlock. Watson is an army doctor veteran of the war in Afghanistan, and is at first put off by Sherlock but quickly amazed by Sherlock's gift for deduction based on minimal clues. Inevitably, Watson meets a woman who is loving and quite extraordinary, Mary Morstan (brilliantly played by Freeman's real-life partner, Amanda Abbington); and, gratefully, to change things up a bit, Mary has secrets which make her a formidable equal to the dynamic duo. 

Speaking of equals, to update Sherlock's famous quasi-love interest -- "The Woman" a.k.a. the woman Sherlock comes close to loving in the only way Sherlock can romantically love -- the creators adapted Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) into a dominatrix who believes in power and trading secrets for money. She is the only person who can somewhat perplex Sherlock and her addition to the series in season/series 2 is essential! 

Finally, there is the king of all villains as far as I'm concerned: Moriarty! Andrew Scott as Sherlock's arch nemesis, the genius villain consulting criminal James Moriarty may very well be one of the best villains EVER! As Moriarty says, "Ever fairy tale needs a good old-fashioned villain."  He and Sherlock's rivalry are what inspired the classic nemesis pairings such as Batman and the Joker, Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Doctor Who and The Master, and Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort! Scott takes Moriarty to all new levels that I didn’t think possible on television. He’s an evil whose presence is felt with every minute he’s on screen. When he angrily rumbles that he will "burn the heart" out of Sherlock (a great line, by the way), you believe him! To Moriarty, everyone is merely a pawn – their lives insignificant and expendable. He is a “consulting criminal” whose intellect matches Sherlock’s, and whose cunning and ruthlessness places him above no other. I was a bit disappointed with his and Sherlock's "end" in the season 2 finale. However, it has been teased he may be making a return, which caused me to nearly wet myself!

I have to admit that I've been very disheartened with the state of television lately. With all of the gossipy reality shows and mind-numbing reality competition shows filling the prime time slots, it's difficult to find a show that really stimulates your imagination and keeps you well entertained. Fortunately, four shows this winter saved me from complete television anaphylactic shock: The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey (Yes, DOWNTON Mother-F'n ABBEY!!!), Doctor Who (Yes, I KNOW I'm coming on-board late, but I'm all caught up and am a diehard fan!), and Sherlock! They were the only shows where I became excited to watch what the characters were in store for that particular week. Don't get me wrong. There are other shows on TV that I watch, but I don't get as much from them as I do the aforementioned four shows.

The greatest thing about one of the newest incarnations of Doyle's timeless character is placing him in the modern day and the brilliant writing and production by Steven Moffat (who took the reins as head writer and executive producer for Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss (who plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft in the series, and has also contributed to Doctor Who). The writing the show churns out is some of the finest writing in television today. It's got it all: from drama to action to comedy to suspense to even a touch of romance (although, it doesn't come from Sherlock himself!). Each movie-length episode's story propels the arc of the show forward, never with a lull, and keeps me guessing in an age when I can predict what is going to happen on nearly 95% of the shows I watch. Sherlock is probably the only show on TV where I wonder how the writers are going to write solutions for the predicaments they place their heroes in; I also wonder what they're going to do next, where they'll take the characters. Here is just a sample of the cliffhanger-like writing in the series when Moriarty first comes face-to-face with Sherlock:

 

Even CBS' mild Elementary (another adaptation of Doyle's Holmes) doesn't even come close to the excellence of the BBC's version -- and it's a universe I feel needs respect. After all, this is the story that helped inspire famous fictional icons such as Batman, Dr. Greg House, Dr. Spencer Reid, and Shawn Spencer, as well as spawn many incarnations of the character by many talented actors. Now, the series will be entering its fourth season/series if the BBC decides to pick up the show again; despite the busy schedules of Cumberbatch and Freeman (who have recently shared billing in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: There and Back Again), as well as producers Moffat and Gatiss, the producers have written out stories for seasons four and five so that is a good sign the show will be picked up for another season.



Sherlock takes television and makes it smart again! It's no longer merely some mindless wasteland populated with attention-seeking wannabes, vapid, superficial money princesses, unfunny distracting swill, or sex-driven plots. If you're looking to watch television that actually requires your attention and thinking -- and is extremely entertaining -- then the BBC's Sherlock should be your top priority in your rental queue; this is not a show to put on "in the background" and hope to catch the gist of what is occurring (it's too involved for that and deserves anyone's full attention). My favorite episodes are season two's "A Scandal in Belgravia" (which introduces Irene Adler) and "The Final Problem" (a Moriarty-centric episode). But the entire series has great episodes! The only unfortunate aspect to Sherlock is the time between seasons/series. I'd love to think season 4 will premiere in January 2015, but that's probably wishful thinking. Nevertheless, the wait is more than worth it!