30 for 30: The Price of Gold (2014)

30 for 30 is an ESPN series that plays out like documentaries; sports related of course. Fittingly it aired just in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics. This "episode" focuses on the most talked about scandal in sports history: the over-hyped mess of the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding saga.

This production is a strange one. It's intriguing to watch if you remember the hype when it originally happened, but if you only know their names through pop culture and don't really understand any details, this documentary is not a good representation. I imagine it's partly due to the fact that Tonya Harding agreed to be interviewed for this while Nancy Kerrigan declined; which means they could only use archived footage. They do however use the archived footage to make it seem as though Kerrigan was being interviewed for this show; which further portrays Kerrigan in a darker light. The editing is heavily in Harding's favor and they clearly attempt to downplay and excuse her behavior.

Another portion that this film glosses over is the more damning issue of figure skating judges, but I suppose that needs its own documentary.

They do give details that I never knew and the quick updates of the major players is oddly fascinating. The one thing this film is missing is a SHRINK! They have the commentators, the former olympians, the media, and even the prosecutor, but no psychologist to analyze Harding's behavior. A psychologist would have filled in the gaps and made this film more fulfilling to watch.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3417870/?ref_=ttexrv_exrv_tt

Sherlock (TV-BBC) Series 3 (2014)

My long overdue review of Sherlock Series 3! But hey, with the way things are going, I have a year and a half before series 4 airs! Grrr. That's probably the most frustrating part of the entire show; it takes SO long between seasons. With each series only having 3 episodes makes the wait so much more agonizing. I love this show but it frustrates me to no end! It makes you feel like you're chasing after someone who doesn't love you as much as you love them. :/ Hmm...it's like being in a relationship with Sherlock himself! Sigh...

Series 3 is paced quickly; especially in the second episode. Honestly, I feel like they're cheating. In 'The Sign of Three' they go through a montage of past cases. Every flashback scene is a teaser to an episode that doesn't exist! You want nothing more than to watch each of those flashback scenes in full blown episodes.

With all my frustration, I will still wait for series 4...and 5...and 6...and it better go on forever!

Sherlock Series 3 Trailer...

There is a mini episode for this series called 'Many Happy Returns.' It's technically series 3 episode 0. It's only 7 minutes, but a fun little intro into series 3. In case you missed it...

Here's a little trick I'm excited to try for Sherlock Series 4. Download the extension 'Hola Better Internet' on Google Chrome. If you set the country to the UK, you can watch a lot of British shows on their iplayer service. That's not the most exciting part! BBC UK airs Sherlock BEFORE PBS airs it in the US. BBC aired the premiere on January 1st while PBS aired it on January 19th. I know, it's only 18 days but still...it's 18 DAYS!!!

Beyond that, there isn't much to say that I haven't said already about the past 2 series. The acting, directing, and writing are simply superb. Although I will admit series 3 is my least favorite thus far; again, mostly because it runs fast and on the edge of chaos. Otherwise, I'm excited to see how Mary will fit into future series and hoping they will keep Sherlock working is abductive magic.

When will BBC start upping the ante? We want more!!!
Here's more!
Dr. Watson's Blog!
http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/