#I JUST THINK THE JONATHAN BABY PICTURE IS SILLY OK

[bodiesinourcellar]

i like that they show a picture of a young jonathan in the movie like ok? thanks. look at his little outfit.

[mdwatchestv]

Sherlock 4x03: Arkham Asylum/The End

Hi friends! I wrote several introductory sentences for this blog but all of them were terrible. Some examples:

- whiz, bang, the end of another season - wham, bam, we're here again! - With that we've come to another end!

As you can see, simply not my best material. Let's agree to skip the intro and jump right into  the body paragraphs.

                                     Baby Sherlock love Baby Mycroft <3 

In my first Sherlock recap I wrote about how Sherlock is such a difficult show to talk about critically because it is telling a story completely outside of the structure of regular TV. For example an episode dedicated to plot set up - "The Six Thatchers" was ultimately a failure  for that very reason. "The Final Problem" faced many of the same  pitfalls, having to imbue a lot of exposition while simultaneously telling a successful mystery story.

                                                    Shoot him Bilbo!

Look, was this episode's premise totally ridiculous? Yes. Did I experience real, heart-pounding anxiety during the asylum maze? Yes. Overall there were a lot of great individual scenes strung together by a barely functioning plot. This may not have been one of the strongest episodes, but it was still  enjoyable, way more so than "The Six Thatchers".

                                                    Treats!!!

Let's not play, Eurus being a repressed-memory sister was silly. The whole repressed memory gambit is a bit of a desperate one in general and without being worked in throughout the whole of the series it rung especially false. But that being said, Eurus herself was a GREAT villain who I loved to watch! Sian Brooke was excellent as the true "darkest timeline Sherlock" who was driven not by the desire to create chaos, but the desire to investigate and understand (which is scarier!) Also she loves treats (just like me!!!)

Speaking of treats- if this is to be the end of Sherlock I am glad we got to see Andrew Scott's Moriarty one more time. I can excuse the way he was shoe horned into the plot for the chance to have one more glorious hurrah with a beloved character. What I would have found unforgivably egregious was if he had been revealed to be not dead. (In fact I shouted out loud in my living room: "If this is not a flashback I am going to lose my fucking mind")

                                 Louise was so lovely in this series

Yes there were a lot of plot holes like: why did Eurus just do her hypno voodoo to John the 100 previous times they were alone together? Why did no one notice the seemingly huge well on the Holmes property? Who is Mary's speech writer? Where were Victor Trevor's parents in all this?

But all that aside, as endings go, this was perfectly acceptable. The set up may have been a bit wonkadoodle, but the feels within were legit. I wish we could have seen Donovan and Anderson one last times (also can we talk about how Jonathan Aris is in EVERYTHING. I will also never not think of him as Anderson. A key problem with the early Rebel Alliance is that Anderson was involved. Ok ok I digress) but overall it was nice to see all our old friends for one more outing. Not to mention we leave John and Sherlock rebuilding their lives on a foundation of emotional trust AND RAISING A BABY TOGETHER. Rosie has two daddies. That's a pretty good ending.

                                               Tumblr explodes

So here we are, at the end. As any loyal fan of the show knows, our time is 5% spent watching Sherlock, 5% spent looking at Sherlock gifs, and 90% spent waiting for new Sherlock. I can not help but feel a pang of resentment for new viewers who will binge watch this show and not wait more than a few hours to find out what happened at the pool. Newcomers who will not know the waiting of two long years, years filled with the studious dissection of every frame of the meager three episodes gifted to us. They will not know the combined glee and trepidation felt watching Benedict Cumberbatch's assured climb to movie stardom. Yes, he is a beloved Hollywood dreamboat now, but he was our Sherlock first. The long hiatuses between seasons growing more tense as actor's schedules filled up with trilogies and Marvel films. For seven years our patience has been rewarded, and for the first time in seven years we are looking down the barrel of what may be the end rather than another long, familiar wait. Sherlock was not always a perfect show (sometimes far from it) but it did, at times, achieve perfection. Time and time again meeting a bar raised by the expectations of months of anticipation.

When I think nostalgically about watching Sherlock for the very first time (on a laptop in my first apartment), I can't help but also think about the person I was then in that moment. Sherlock is not a show that remains a fixture in your life like CSI or Law & Order, rather it is a bright, exciting spark that marks a specific moment in time. I can picture where I was and what I was doing when each season came out. Little snapshots preserved by the promise of three more delicious episodic bites. It is a show with which fans have had a completely unique experience. To put it simply (too late) Sherlock is a show that is the love of a lifetime.

XO MD

PS. Mrs Hudson tho,

PPS. Christmas special?

[podmusical]

The Handpuppet’s Tale

Credits and Lyrics for Episode 5 of Our Dumb Universe

starring:

Announcer - James B Kennedy Pangla - Melissa Lusk Fuzzo - Jared Loftin Feltina - Christina Pumariega Huphalumpagus - Rachel Flynn Null Spider - Happy Anderson Valborg - Emily Gardner Xu Hall Combolady 1 - Melissa Lusk Dankent - Nathaniel Kent Sondra - Lauren Lim Jackson Glorpo - Eryck Tait Combolady 2 - Hannah Fairchild Bloor - Carl Howell Brushee - Bart Boober Voice of the Null Death Fleet - Jenni Putney Drogus - Ikechukwu Ufomado written by Jonathan A. Goldberg music by Matt roi Berger

recorded, mixed and edited by Martin Fowler Additional backing vocal on The Dark Inside by Megan Bagala

__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

THE DARK INSIDE                                 HUPHELUMPHAGUS Please, let me be, just give me room to breath There’s something going on inside A voice in my head - what was that you said? There’s something going on inside Something’s creeping just beneath Something’s feeding off of me Something’s killed the lights Something isn’t right Something wants to free the dark inside Something’s eating me, I can hardly breath It’s try’n to tell me it’s all right A voice is in my head and this is what he said: Give over to the dark inside Where can you run when the void’s ate the sun When darkness is the one you hide? What can you do when it all points to you When you move to the dark inside? Oooh-ohh                             FELTINA My love, just tell me what to do Let me help you, we’ll get you through                          HUPHELUMPHAGUS Something says to harm                             FELTINA You know that voice is wrong                          HUPHELUMPHAGUS What I know to do’s Not what I feel is true: It’s gone                             FELTINA Someone help her quick! She’s shuddering, she’s sick Hold on baby it’s all right Whatever you’ve got there, whatever you’ve caught, there’s An answer that we’re gonna find                          HUPHELUMPHAGUS Where can you run when the void’s ate the sun When darkness is the one you hide? What can you do when it all points to you When you move to the dark inside? Oooh-ohh                            FELTINA Please you gotta be strong! Please just do it for me! You’re not acting yourself - I’m worried baby, let me help you please!                          HUPHELUMPHAGUS You don’t understand! You can’t fix a disease Cuz whatever it is Is something that’s alive in me! Oh-oh                              FELTINA My god what is this, it is stretching her skin There’s something moving round inside! Why can’t I move - there’s nothing I can do To save her from her dark inside                          HUPHELUMPHAGUS Where can you run when the void’s ate the sun When darkness is the one you hide? What can you do when it all points to you When you move to the dark inside? Oooh-ohh __/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/ LADY HISTORY BLUES                            SONDRA No. Unlike Medicare for all this will pass. Look to history to help face the future ... 

(Sings.) Lady history’s a little bit grim Her story’s always weighed out as lesser to His But give her many pages a skim You’ll find the definition of courage to live

To fight for rights they outta already give A laundry list of heroes dismissed and pissed They gotta bed permission to exist So they resist!

And that’s your lady history!

Lady history blues, lady history blues An instigators and rebels Who’s Who Lady history blues, lady history blues Take a page from the girls who refuse, we

Ain’t gonna give any one the satisfaction Of having us miss out on any of the action! Lady history blues, lady history blues Us ladies better stay in our lane At the top of our game and the chain Don’t let these little Mitches complaints Drive us from the climb to claim our fair shake

Cuz Susan B please are you kidding me, Mitches be Slippin if they think we giving in, settling Gender’s a construct constricting us - ‘Lizabeth Stanton is standing up, handing out pamphlets: Declaration of Sentiments - Let us in! Margaret Sanger’s a target, they hate her for arguing Our bodies are ours, when we work, we work hard So raise a stink, Patsy Mink: pay us our dollars up!

They say they’re gonna try to burn or drown Any of us for standing up / speaking out And so we SHOUT

Cuz that’s your lady history

Lady history blues, lady history blues Through the fire we forge something new Lady history blues, lady history blues Watch out now cuz we’re making the rules! They treat us as objects - need to see us as people. Cuz violence is obvious till they treat us as equals Lady history blues, lady history blues

                             COMBOLADY 2 Oooooh oh oh oh ...

                             SONDRA

You’re here today cuz smart girls stayed in the picture So break ground like Lovelace, don’t be a hidden figure Like Gladys West, shape the world, point us where we’re moving Like Edith Clark, do what they say woman aren’t supposed to be doing Like Amazing Grace make the change that everyone’s allergic to Like Mae Jemison go touch the sky and prove that all of us can too!

When people are scared they see a demon in change When people have power they don’t want it taken away When people won’t give you a chance than that’s what you take

And that’s your lady history!

Lady history blues, lady history blues An instigators and rebels Who’s Who Lady history blues, lady history blues Take a page from the girls who refuse: When somebody tells you that it ain’t your place Crush his Emily Dickenson in and give him a wave!

                            COMBOLADY 2

Bye bye!

                              BOTH

Lady history blues, lady history blues Lady history blues, lady history blues Lady history blues, lady history blues

__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

FUZZSTICKS

                             PANGLA

Hey, no. You’re my brother. It’s going to be rainbow-licious!

(Sings.)

When life has got you moping It’s hard to cut yourself some slack But don’t you ever stop hoping: Your twin sis has got your back

Sometimes something silly Just a little nonsense phrase Can break you from your spiral Just give a try and be amazed

Let’s find a little funny thing to say

Well how bout Fuzzsticks?

                            FUZZO What?

                            PANGLA Yeah just say Fuzzsticks! It’ll be our fuzz trick When you’re feeling ick, Just give a tickle

Fuzzsticks! You stinking Fuzzstick! Oh, I could Fuzzstick! And you might smiiiiiile.

                             FUZZO My problems are too serious, My depression won’t be defied

                             PANGLA That’s what your sad wants you to think Why not give Fuzzsticks a try?

                             FUZZO Hey, up your Fuzzstick! Don’t be a Fuzzstick!

Ha

                            PANGLA Is that a smiiiiile?

                            FUZZO

Yeah...  Ok that was pretty fun, but

We giggle now but Fuzzsticks Will it help when I feel alone? Will it help when I remember That I’m a failure, and dethroned? Will it ease the pain recalling How I made my mother cry Which Caused her to seek vengeance So she made my brother die?

                             PANGLA Together we can love and hope and try

                           FUZZO ...Hey there depression! Go eat a Fuzzstick! You’re such a Fuzzstick  All you do is take my time!

                            PANGLA There’s an expression...                             FUZZO Oh what was it...

                             BOTH RIGHT! Lick my Fuzzstick! You useless guuuuuuy!

                             FUZZO But this won’t solve all my problems

                             PANGLA That’s not really the goal; Just to break you from the loop-

                              FUZZO Right! And give me back control!

So I say Fuzzsticks! That’s our Fuzz trick! Me and my Fuzz sis It makes us smiiiiiile!

                            BOTH Smiiiiiiile!

                             FUZZO Smile, and remember that the future isn’t known I am not decided yet, that’s under my control And when the darkness and the hardness tell me I’m their own And when my heart rate quickens, and I sicken, losing hope

I’ll see your face, I’ll take a breath and go:

                              BOTH Fuzzsticks! All is Fuzzsticks!  Sing out Fuzzsticks!  All is well! Bada-da-dat-da-da! Fuzzsticks! Give me Fuzzsticks! All is Fuzzsticks! Let it swell!  Bada-da-dat-da-da! Na na na na na na! ... Bada-da-dat-da-da! Na na na na na na! ... Bada-da-dat-da-da!

                            FUZZO

But what if I am hurting From a thing I cannot change From someone I am missing Who’s dead and gone away Fuzzsticks can’t revive them Return them from the grave                             PANGLA

Maybe if we try together Fuzzsticks’ll help us in a way, Thru a connection we both hold and save

                             FUZZO Oh Brushee... Fuzzsticks, I’m sorry Your death was gnarly And I in part deserve the fault

[POOF!]

                            BRUSHEE Oh my dear Fuzzo... Release your struggle In you I’m snuggled At peace, alive

Death is a petty thing: For all it tries to steal, It gives us purpose in the end To love in a way that’s real

And I love this, Fuzz bruh and Fuzz sis Will all my Fuzzsticks, Your my sunshiiiiiine!

My sunshine:

                           ALL THREE Fuzzsticks! All is Fuzzsticks!  Sing out Fuzzsticks!  All is well! Bada-da-dat-da-da! Fuzzsticks! Give me Fuzzsticks! All is Fuzzsticks! Let it swell! Bada-da-dat-da-da! Na na na na na na! ... Bada-da-dat-da-da! Na na na na na na! ... Bada-da-dat-da-da!