The problem with the resolution of the cliffhanger ending from ‘The Great Game,’ lies within the characterization of Moriarty and Holmes. The final scene makes it clear where both men stand–Holmes will pursue him to no end, and Moriarty recognizes the liability.

It’s an awkward, but nevertheless cheeky, conclusion when resolved at the beginning of ‘A Scandal in Belgravia,’ the show’s season premiere episode. However, once reached, it becomes easier to engage in the mystery of the first story of this three-episode season.

Recruited by his older brother, Mycroft (Mark Gatiss, also the series co-creator), Sherlock is tasked with retrieving embarrassing photos of a royal family member in the possession of self-proclaimed Dominatrix, Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), a noted character in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.

In their first scene together, both of them increasingly try to beat the other at their own game, with Adler entering the room in a state of undress, to stump him at getting an accurate reading on her characteristics, and later when the detective sneakily coerces a piece of vital information from her.

This encompasses much of their relationship that develops throughout the episode’s story: a battle of two intelligent minds, duking it out to see which one comes out on top. The effectiveness of their liaison is measured in the believability of a pivotal plot point between the two late in the narrative.

Returning as Holmes, Benedict Cumberbatch remains one of the best, if not the best, actors to be cast as the famous detective.

The deductions alone would make his portrayal of Sherlock well worth the audience’s attention, but in his characterization he is no less than compelling. He’s able to balance deductions about humans with a complete lack of understanding and tact, but still register an inkling of humanity.

He can deduce why an acquaintance wears a revealing dress and carries a neatly wrapped Christmas gift, but the fact that she may be dressing up for him slips his mind when he mercilessly breaks her down.

While indeed a talented dramatic character, Cumberbatch brings forth a comedic side that fully rounds the character.

As usual, Paul McGuigan, the episode’s director, brings a strong sense of stylized composition to every shot he directs, something that he established in the pilot he directed for the series, ‘A Study in Pink.”

The episode as written by ‘Sherlock’ co-creator, Steven Moffat, contains his usual minute attention to detail. Any episode written by him almost requires multiple viewings to grasp all the little details he peppers in.

The series’ three 90-minute episodes allow for tremendous detail in the narrative and production, creating one of the most tightly written and fully engaging mysteries available to audiences presently. These details are highly unlikely to be duplicated when CBS airs its response to the British version of the show, with 24 to 45 minute episodes in their own modern update.

Despite best intentions, the PBS program Masterpiece Mystery is an awkward fit for transplanted British series that have no commercial breaks. The hour and a half episodes force them to cut scenes from the episode for introduction and sponsorship segments to make their allocated time slot.

The second season aired on PBS Sunday, and will be available for purchase Tuesday.

Reach the reporter at tccoste1@asu.edu

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(Photo courtesy of ABC)

As many college students and graduates will attest to, finding a suitable roommate is almost more difficult than finding a job in this tight economy.

In a hilariously exaggerated new ABC comedy, “Don’t Trust the B— in Apt 23” bases itself on the unsettling disasters and irksome situations that young adults face when they are forced to live with a random roommate.

The fresh comedy stars eccentric and inconsiderate Chloe (Krysten Ritter) and her new roommate June (Dreama Walker), whose personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Naughty, straightforward and quirky Chloe clashes with June’s conservative, sweet and polite nature.

Other notable characters include Chloe’s steamy sidekick James Van Der Beek as himself, who was previously famous for playing the main character in “Dawson’s Creek,” and the awkward neighbor girl in apartment 21, Robin (Liza Lapira).

The pilot episode, released online, prepares viewers with a solid foundation regarding the backstory that has led June and Chloe to live together.

Due to unfortunate circumstances — including the loss of her job — June has been forced to find a new roommate. After she resorts to an online search for a person to live with, she interviews some incredibly strange potentials and ultimately ends up selecting Chloe.

The meaning behind the title of the series becomes concretely evident when Chloe’s neighbor Robin anxiously grabs the attention of June and warns her about her roommate before nervously slamming her door to avoid further questioning.

In true essence of her outrageous character, Chloe responds to June’s retelling of this warning with a vain response, “Oh, that’s Robin. She’s in love with me.”

Throughout the remainder of the pilot, Chloe tries several creatively scheming tactics to scare June away — of course, after she has already received her hefty money deposit. Chloe finds pleasure in scaring away roommates and has done so successfully with many roommates in the past.

The first official episode of the series, “Daddy’s Girl,” premiered Wednesday night with rich, twisted surprises and over-the-top scheming.

The episode reveals Chloe’s complex family drama, which she manages to drag June into. June also reluctantly lets Chloe set her up on a date, only to find out that the man who Chloe has selected is Chloe’s own father.

With so many television shows dealing with relationships and the struggles of young American life, it might have been difficult for the producers to create new and original material. This series seems to promise fresh ideas and a successfully unique spin on what seems to preside in many shows.

Though there has only been one episode on television, the show will no doubt continue to provide surprises. Just when the story seems to be heading down a predictable path, some ridiculous element is added to revive the plot.

For those who feel they can relate to roommate problems, a show like this can make almost any squabbling living arrangement seem not only normal but appreciated.

Reach the reporter at ejnicho1@asu.edu

Dan Savage plans to take on intimate questions about sex from students. (Photo courtesy of Dan Savage)

Renowned sex columnist Dan Savage and producer Lauren Hutchinson will be MTV’s newest co-hosts of “Savage U.” The upcoming series is a refreshingly candid approach to just about all sex questions that are on everyone’s mind but are just too afraid to ask.

According to Savage, “If we taught driver’s education the way we teach sex education, no one would survive their first car trip.”

Savage and Hutchinson will embark on a nationwide, college campus tour in an effort to speak with students about their concerns related to sex, dating and relationships. The State Press was able to partake in a conference call with the two hosts to find out more about the new show.

Question: How were the colleges chosen?

Dan Savage: We drew up a list of universities that wanted us to come. We chose a variety of big and small, state and private and party versus conservative schools. We wanted to give the audience a (variety).

Q: Why was a college demographic chosen and not a high school one?

DS: I don’t think there are a lot of principals that want to get fired [laughs]. I never received an invitation, but I do get a lot of high school (students) writing to me.

Q: What specific taboo subject did you notice people wanted to talk about?

Lauren Hutchinson: The female ejaculation concept.

DS: Sometimes fetishes came up through the Q&A. As far as I’m concerned, there is no taboo. It’s part of a grand spectacle in human sexuality.

Q: What was the single most recurring issue brought up?

DS: People are always attempting to edit themselves to attract a person. They are afraid of being who they really are. You can’t maintain a false front forever.

Q: Why are students hesitant to speak openly about sex?

DS: People want to think they already know everything. People are afraid to admit they don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t want to seem vulnerable or inexperienced. It’s important for people to reach out and ask for advice in a culture that asks for people to be ignorant. When you let it just happen, that’s when you get in trouble.

Q: What were your personal expectations for the show?

DS: To speak on TV about sex just as I speak in my column about sex. I wanted a reality-based approach to sex. The show is different from the column. I can’t use the same words, but I also wanted to stay true to my take on sex.

LH: I had no personal goals, but I was expecting to have a great experience and to learn and laugh a lot. All of those things happened.

MTV’s “Savage U” will premiere April 3 at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Reach the reporter at cstarboa@asu.edu

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(Photo courtesy of MTV)

After its five-year break, the reality show created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, “Punk’d,” made its return to MTV on March 29. For those unfamiliar with the premise of the show, the prank-based series serves to unveil a side of celebrities who fall victim to careful scheming.

In the premiere episode of the ninth season, the overwhelmingly popular teen star Justin Bieber replaced Kutcher’s role as host.

The undeniably hilarious Kutcher produced and hosted the show for several years and was a staple for the production. Although he is not going to be the central schemer this season, Kutcher is still working on the show as the executive producer.

“Punk’d” concluded its eighth season in 2007, and has made its return with a few adjustments to the protocol. Season nine will incorporate a different host with each episode.

Some of these various celebrity hosts will include Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz and Bam Margera.

Some may ask, “Why choose Justin Bieber as a host?” Within the first few minutes of the show, Bieber states that Ashton called him and asked him to do so.

If the prankster king says it shall be, then it shall be.

Bieber also mentioned this opportunity was perfect because pranking is one of his hobbies.

Taylor Swift was selected as the first “Punk’d” victim of the season probably because of her sweetness and gullibility. Despite his international stardom, Bieber humbly described that he was nervous about pulling off the task.

Immediately following this, Bieber enthusiastically stated, “I just want to blow things up.”

Without hesitation, the tranquil Swift agreed to join Bieber at his beach-side studio to supposedly write music—putting herself in a perfectly susceptible position.

Swift arrived at Bieber’s studio wearing a modest red dress and simple striped sweater with her hair in a relaxed ponytail. Much to her dismay, Bieber and his buddies began to set off fireworks from the deck and into the ocean.

After she hesitantly agreed to press a button to set off a firework, Swift and the rest of the crew noticed that they had set a boat on fire.

In an overly dramatic fashion, members of a supposed wedding party came swimming and sailing up to the shore after they had jumped ship.

Once Swift was in tears, they revealed themselves as actors who were working with Bieber.

“I was about to pass out. I thought, ‘This is the end.’  I’m going in a jail cell forever because Justin Bieber made me push a button,” Swift said.

In the second portion of the premiere episode, Bieber failed to pull off the prank. Bieber chose Rob Dyrdek of “Fantasy Factory” and “Rob and Big” as his second victim, but because Dyrdek works with MTV, he was aware that “Punk’d” was returning.

Bieber and Dyrdek joined forces to play the same prank on singer Sean Kingston.

Unlike Swift, Kingston barely showed emotion throughout the entirety of the prank, which they named “Crash Course” because it involved a loud fight between a couple and a resulting car crash.

In the third portion of the episode, the trickery got complicated. Cyrus, who is said to be one of the celebrity hosts in this season, thought it was her turn to prank Bieber.

Bieber played along with Cyrus’s prank for several minutes, but turned the joke back on Cyrus and let her arranged situation get out of hand.

The truly captivated Cyrus sat watching Bieber with her mouth wide open, frequently gasping and saying, “Oh my God.”

After Cyrus watched Bieber pretend to beat another teenager to the ground, she exited her hiding spot in preparation to reveal the truth of her scheming. Bieber continued his prank until he felt that Cyrus had done enough nail biting about the situation — literally, she was biting her nails.

Once amends were made between the two tricksters, Bieber made a closing statement to the camera as he drove away in his luxury car.

“It’s a great day, but it’s also a sad day. It’s my last day at ‘Punk’d.’ I don’t really know what I’m going to do with my life. I’ll probably go on tour, you know, for a bunch of people. So that will be exciting.”

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(Photo courtesy of FOX)

The concept of new Fox series “Touch,” will live or die based on whether people are willing to suspend their disbelief.

“Touch” can be tough because of the many simultaneous storylines that can reveal too much at once, allowing the viewer to infer the plot’s connection to another occurring at the same time.

Ten-year-old Jake Bohm (David Mazouz), a misdiagnosed autistic boy, sees intricate mathematical connections between people, and it’s his task is to put them back together again. Each week, the show will tell additional new stories, but at the center of “Touch” is the story of Jake and his father.

Martin (Kiefer Sutherland), the father, struggles to raise his mute son and to make ends meet, even a decade after his wife died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Martin realizes the peculiarity of his son, and his investigations lead him to Arthur Teller (Danny Glover), who tells him that his son’s capabilities are sort of an “air traffic controller” between all this interconnectivity.

If viewers let it slide that a cell phone containing the only photos of a father’s recently deceased daughter can travel all the way to the Middle East, then it makes for easier programming to digest.

For the sake of maintaining the surprise, a sampling of the plot points that occur in the first episode include two men having an altercation outside a gas station, an Irish man recording a video of a girl singing karaoke, a boy developing a fixation with the number 318 and others. This represents only a smidgen of all the activity.

Sutherland and Mazouz are exceptional in their roles. Mazouz, whose lines in the beginning are mostly confined to an internal monologue, creates an unspoken otherworldliness and genius for Jake.

Sutherland brings a quiet exasperation and daily drudgery to Martin, a man who genuinely loves his son, but is resigned to the fact that he cannot fully get through to him.

This role is light years away from the actor’s previous television role on “24” as rogue agent Jack Bauer hunting down terrorists. Yet, he again proves to be a versatile actor when he’s away from playing cops and robbers.

The series can be compared to similar vignette stories such as the film, “Crash,” but “Touch” takes its concept from much older material. During an interview with British late-night host Jonathan Ross, Sutherland said that the show actually takes its inspiration from the ancient Chinese fable of the “The Red Thread.” The show represents a modern reworking of that tale.

It’s a juggling act trying to make all these elements of the show fit together without it swimming in superfluous sentimentality. To the credit of series creator and writer Tim Kring (“Crossing Jordan,” “Heroes”), the show pulls it off. Kring’s main task is now to write out a series that keeps the suspense of the show going.

“Touch” airs Thursdays on Fox at 8 p.m.

Reach the reporter at tccoste1@asu.edu

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Courtesy of HBO`

The new HBO series “Luck” explores a complex and intriguing world that has remained relatively untapped by television — horse racing.

“Luck” follows the various types of people that frequent the horse racing community. The cast consists of gamblers Marcus (Kevin Dunn) and Jerry (Jason Gedrick), jockeys Leon (Tom Payne) and Rosie (Kerry Condon) and horse owners Walter (Nick Nolte) and Gus (Dennis Farina). Their ownership, however, is really a front for recently paroled mobster, “Ace” Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman).

Much of the show’s cast are played by veteran actors who do a wonderful job at making their roles feel true to real life. The roles could have otherwise been overplayed with clichés and histrionics by less talented performers.

The series is not based on events so much as it is series of closely observed people, focusing on how they react to one another and their surroundings.

The driving plotline is Bernstein’s story, which follows him as he tries to get revenge against his former mob bosses for putting him in prison — not through violent means, but by appealing to their greed and wallets.

Hoffman gives the best performance by creating a frequently unpredictable and nuanced role of a man who is slowly losing his mind.

Audiences never know what they’re getting into with the horse racing aspects, which sometimes throws viewers into a state of confusion. HBO deals with the labyrinth of unfamiliar terminology and situations by featuring explanatory segments with the show’s technical advisor at the end of the show. This doesn’t detract from the overall quality, as the interesting scenarios are ones that haven’t been covered elsewhere, save the 2003 film “Seabiscuit.”

The unfamiliarity provides one of the more constantly compelling aspects, keeping the audiences on their toes and challenging them to pay attention to the action taking place within the shot. This pays off later, like when a jockey doesn’t put rungs on his horse.

The horse races are undoubtedly the most exciting element at work here. The first episode, which was directed by acclaimed action director Michael Mann, lays the visual groundwork for the rest of the series, with jerky or titled shots that emphasize the movement of horses and what it’s like to be in the middle of a race. Action scenes aside, some shots express the simple beauty of a horse in motion.

This is a world that series creator David Milch knows intimately. In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, he said his introduction to horse racing started at an early age.

“My dad started taking me to Saratoga (Race Course in New York) at age 5 or 6. You have so many associations from childhood that stay with you,” Milch said.

“Luck” is often a thoughtful and knowledgeable depiction of what goes on inside and outside the track. For viewers who appreciate episodes that slowly but steadily build off of the last one, this is definitely a show to see.

Reach the reporter at tccoste1@asu.edu

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Courtesy of the Food Network

The Food Network’s show “Chopped” returned for its 11th season earlier this month, and even with its simple format, it continues to be the station’s most viewed show.

The competitive cooking show, which first aired in Jan. 2009, features four chefs each episode. Some of the passionate participants are professionally trained, while others pursue cooking as a hobby.

Host Ted Allen explains the three rounds at the beginning of every episode: appetizer, entrée and dessert.

The basic format of the show stays stationary, but different factors come into play. For example, the episode “British Invasion” only presented chefs from the U.K. who used English influences in their cooking.

The most popular string of “Chopped” specials featured past winners battling against each other to gain the title of “Chopped Champion.”

Because of the major success of the best-of-the-best battles, “Chopped” continued to air similar competition episodes, raising the stakes of the grand prize.

Each chef is given identical baskets filled with three to five “mystery ingredients” that they must incorporate into a dish within the given time limit of 20-30 minutes, depending on the round.

The chefs are also given access to a fully stocked pantry and refrigerator. Each competitor must present four final plates per round before time runs out.

One chef is eliminated after each round, and the winner receives a prize of $10,000.

The ultimate kicker of the competition is the arbitrary ingredients the chefs must work with. A dessert mystery basket in season two had matzo, pomegranate molasses, roasted chestnuts and baby fennel.

Most appetizer and entrée rounds have some sort of protein in the mystery basket, but other than that, the ingredients can be anything edible.

There are always culinary twists the chefs need to be prepared for. Difficult ingredients used in the past include Indian corn and ostrich eggs.

The three judges vary by episode but are all well-renowned food lovers and chefs. Some of them reappear in a majority of episodes, such as Aaron Sanchez, Alex Guarnaschelli, Scott Conant and Amanda Freitag.

Judges watch intently as the chefs work and gladly point out any flaws or safety procedures being ignored.

After the chefs display and explain their dishes to the judges, the three critics taste the meal and comment on it in front of the creators. The judges rank the dishes presented to them on creativity, taste and presentation.

“Chopped” has a straightforward structure, but its viewership keeps increasing due to the subtle surprises.

New episodes of “Chopped” air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Food Network.

Reach the reporter at kmstark1@asu.edu

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The show follows the lives of an aristocratic family and its staff in the early 20th century, which hardly seems like the kind of series that would capture the attention of modern audiences who usually gravitate toward more current programming.

What is the appeal is of “Downton Abbey”? It is neither the first example of a British period drama, nor is it the first weekly television series of its kind.

Surprisingly, the time period of the series contributes interest to the material. The British aristocracy system is foreign enough of a system that the cogs of such an operation is of interest to Americans.

Details of the characters choices and lifestyle display controversial traditions. The eldest Crawley daughter, Mary (Michelle Dockery), cannot inherit the family’s household because of her gender, the head of the property, Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), owns dozen of servants working directly for him, yet has no power over the estate. Anna (Joanne Froggatt), one of the maids, is chastised for wanting to take a secretary course. These inherently thought-provoking plots grab viewers’ attention.

The main appeal lies in the large ensemble cast, most of which are likable though some are coarse and narrow-minded. The show provides much opportunity to develop these characters.

Each episode devotes time to an individual subplot and then alternates to the next set of characters in the following episode.

The cleverest aspect of the show is that the storyline does not have the regular, run of the mill subplots — they are relatable issues, yet also representative of the time.

One of the daughters, Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) exemplifies a progressive, woman suffragist of the time, who is persistent in helping and advocating for others.

On the other hand, her sister Mary questions her role in society. The two represent the conservative values of the older generation that started to grind against the younger generation’s desire to break away from the norm during the 1910s.

The show feels honest, as the content is never watered down. Yet it also remains inoffensive. This is when Abbey is at its best — a snapshot of an transitioning to the modern world we live in today.

Reach the reporter at tccoste1@asu.edu

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