NOTE: This video comes from Jon Bander, a New York comedian and a long-time friend of Pop-Break co-founders Bill Bodkin and Brent Johnson.

“An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the David Fincher film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, an adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s smash-hit novel. Witness Fincher’s infamous directing method — “We do takes until you get it right.” Also featuring Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander.”

Written by/directed by/featuring: Jon Bander
Starring: Emily Shapiro
Shot/edited by: William K. Scurry Jr.
Soundtrack by: Trent Reznor and Atticus Finch

Call me jaded, but these days I find it difficult to shut the laptop for anything less than the sight of Christina Hendricks’ bust or the promise of Frankie Muniz’s dad strangling a meth dealer with a bike lock. Maybe that’s why I find it so difficult to give USA’s lineup of lighthearted entertainment a chance to be something other than background noise on a slow evening. Don’t get me wrong; shows like Psych and Burn Notice are not only palatable but reliably entertaining, and White Collar has that one handsome guy who’s extremely talented when it comes to being handsome. USA knows how to draw an audience, and I’m not a part of that audience. I don’t think either of us is missing out.

But Royal Pains is a fucking mess.

Now to be fair, I’ve already established that this show isn’t for me. It’s not unique, it’s not artistic, and it’s really not exceptional in any way. It’s not supposed to be. It’s middle-of-the-road because that’s the niche that USA set for itself. I understand that this demographic may not have the same qualms that I do when it comes to the stale scoring or the abundance of screenwriting clichés, and that’s fine. It wouldn’t be fair for me to trash a show for being shallow when it’s clearly not going for depth. But even for a featherweight medical dramedy, the writing just isn’t there.

Case in point: “A Farewell To Barnes.” The mid-season premiere begins the way mid-season premiers often do: with lost bearings. The first two minutes of the show shake the dust off the August finale’s major cliffhangers. Eric Kassabian (Wilmer Valderrama, now with added scruff) is belly-up from a prescription error. Divya (Reshma Shetty) is responsible, and risks losing her secret job at a legitimate hospital. Jill (Jill Flint) has to choose between her dream job and her romance with Hank (Mark Feuerstein). Evan’s (Paulo Constanzo) engagement to Paige (Brooke D’Orsay) is road blocked by her disapproving father. It’s the necessary procedure.

The audience spent the last season playing with new toys and needs to be reminded of everything that happened in the far away land of summer 2011. But then the show uses the next forty minutes of air time to remind us that all of those things that happened are in fact things, and yes, they did happen. I wish there was a less cumbersome way of putting it, but that’s the first two acts in a nutshell. The writers decided that it’s easier to wring out the very last drops of anticipation from the finale instead of cultivating some new tension to make decent premier. No new conflict is presented. No action is taken. Instead of watching the answers to our questions unfold, we listen to characters ask themselves the very same questions for two thirds of the episode. It’s tedious. It’s redundant. And worst of all, it’s lazy. When the show finally pulls itself together for what could technically be considered a climax, the result is disappointing. I don’t want to give anything away, but everything happens exactly how you expected it to.

If there’s one bright spot to this, it’s a guest spot by the endlessly affable Tom Cavanaugh (Ed, Scrubs). I’m not sure who his character is or what pertinence he has to the story, but I don’t really care. Cavanaugh’s signature rapid fire delivery brings some much-needed comic relief to a show that shouldn’t need any comic relief. I honestly don’t understand why this man isn’t on television more often. He held his own against the brilliant ensemble of Scrubs and here he shows that he can get some genuine laughs out of a script that has none.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to talk about this week’s “medical mystery,” in which an irrelevant character is inconvenienced by mild stomach pains and some numbness. I’m going to spoil this one for you, because I’d rather you hear it from me: she has a gluten intolerance. Yes, a gluten intolerance. Tune in next week when Hank hands out lozenges.

pop-break speaks with Ron Eldard and Jill Hennessy, the stars of rock ‘n’ roll film Roadie …

Roadie tells the tale about what happens after life on the road ends, and there’s nothing left to go back to but your hometown. Ron Eldard plays Jimmy Testagross, a Roadie who worked for the legendary Blue Oyster Cult (“Don’t Fear The Reaper,” one of my all-time favorite songs), but after 20 years of service, the band fires him. Jimmy returns home to his aging mother (Lois Smith), re-connects with his high school ex-girlfriend Nikki (Jill Hennessy), and butts heads with his old nemesis Randy (Bobby Cannavale), now married to his ex-girlfriend. Talk about gut punches in the span of a couple days … yikes. [Read Daniel Cohen's review of Roadie.]

I had a chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with both Eldard (Super 8, Black Hawk Down) and Hennessy (Crossing Jordan, Law & Order), in which they discussed their various experiences while working on the film, including some of the preparation that went into understanding their characters.

Most actors like to research their roles, and Eldard probably had one of the all-time best opportunities to do that when he was actually able to roadie for Blue Oyster Cult, working with one of their roadies, which was essentially the character he played in the film:

Ron Eldard: “When we were making the movie, we found out Blue Oyster Cult was playing in Long Island, so I asked Michael [Michael Cuesta, the director] to call them, and asked them if I could load in their show with them, and they would just film it. When you see me being a roadie, that’s me, and that’s their main roadie dude, that’s my character. I said [to their roadie], ‘I’ll come in, and I’ll just be your bitch, I’ll do whatever you want … that’s me loading the show, so I had a little bit of an idea.”

Eldard later commented on one other badass perk in regards to being a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult: “And I got to hold the cowbell. I got to do everything except touch their serious, serious guitar. That, they wouldn’t let me do.”

Hennessy plays Nikki, a small town singer-songwriter, and Jimmy’s girlfriend from his adolescent years. For Jill, this preparation was easy, because she is actually a musician in real life, currently working on her second album (her first titled Ghost In My Head). Roadie certainly rang true to her past:

Photo: Magnolia Pictures

Jill Hennessy: “I started off as a street musician, it’s something I always loved. I literally would just take my guitar out to the street to earn money just to pay my rent. I was 18. That’s how I paid for acting classes. I also just got to meet people, and I got to connect with people — it was one of my favorite jobs of all time.”

Hennessy added that the film was certainly coming from a perspective that she could relate to, and how she even got to incorporate one of her own songs into the film:

JH: “Especially when we’re in our adolescent years, music is sort of a place for us to hide, or find comfort, or find strength, or inspiration, and that’s what I got from this script. All these people with these dreams, and had to at some point give them up, and don’t really want to confront that, and are living in some sort of form of denial, but also still holding on to that hope. So to be able to play this character, it was incredibly satisfying, it was cathartic for men and also to be able to play one of my own songs from my album, which was a very, very personal song, which had a lot to do with something that my character was going through. Nikki and her husband were never able to have kids, so there’s a sense of loss there, and that’s what the song’s about. Michael [the director] was really cool and wanted to utilize that. It was a joy.”

While Hennessy was a lot like her character growing up, Eldard was not, but he was still able to connect with the character’s desire to spread his wings, and leave his hometown for a job that any teenage boy would probably take. Roadie explores the aftermath of that decision, and what happens when that ride ends:

RE: “You’re a teenager, you get to travel with this band he also loves, he looooves the band, who wouldn’t do that. But then you’re on the road, and the road is pretty cool, for a while. He’s with them when they’re a huge band, your traveling the whole world, he’s been everywhere, and then five years pass, and 10 years pass. Then you start drinking too much, disappear. I think he just got lost out there.”

Eldard added that the character in his opinion is still “a beautiful guy, screwed up, but I think he’s a good guy.” The original idea for the character was to make him more of a joke, or “the joke’s on him,” as Eldard described it. This did not interest him. Eldard really gravitated more towards the idea of Jimmy being a real person. And while Eldard still wanted to limit some of the more jokey elements after reading the script for the first time, he loved that it really captured the working class individual, whereas in his opinion, other films can treat them like a joke:

RE: “But what held up really strong, and what I did understand, is that movies with working class characters — they’re talked down to. And the people who write them don’t know anything about working class people, they are judging them, they are talking down to them. ‘Oh, aren’t they so cute.’ I come from working-class people, and it bothers me when I see these movies, or any stories done where I go, and it’s a joke, isn’t it? That is the bulk of the world, that is the bulk of the world, and that is written by some arrogant person who thinks they’re better then them. But not these guys [writers Michael and Gerald Cuesta].”

Aside from their love of the script, one of the other aspects to the film that had Eldard and Hennessy passionate about the project was the casting of Lois Smith, whose extensive list of film credits include such legendary movies as Five Easy Pieces and Falling Down. Eldard said of his director, “He wasn’t screwing around when he cast her.” Eldard added that, “She’s one of the greatest actors walking the planet.”

Ron Eldard stars as a former Blue Osyter Cult roadie

The relationship and conflict between Jimmy and his mother, which I would describe as “tough love,” was my favorite part of the film, and you might be surprised as to how Eldard and Smith prepared for their scenes:

RE: “She and I never talked once about any scene, period. We never had a discussion about our relationship. We never had a discussion about a scene. Zero. And I’ve never had that, where it just started, and you go. It just seemed something very beautiful. She really touched my heart, I was deeply moved by working with her.”

And even though Hennessy had only one scene with her, she was equally as passionate about just being with her in a scene, and being able to have the opportunity to observe her:

JH: “She’s so incredibly aware, so much more aware than a lot of actors you work with. She’s just so much fun. The ball’s just being passed back and forth, whether or not you think it’s going to be passed back, she’s just so there, and she jumps up at every little thing you do.”

Even with Lois Smith attached, the most crucial part of the film is the chemistry between Eldard and Hennessy. They share a variety of moments together, both lighthearted and intense. This was their first project together, and they were fortunate enough to have an opportunity to rehearse a lot, thanks to the passion and guidance of their director, and his approach in getting a natural performance out of them:

(From left): Ron Eldard, Jill Hennessey (Crossing Jordan) and Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace) headline the film Roadie

JH: “Thank God Michael is really into rehearsing. Sometimes on an independent film, you don’t even get that luxury, or a studio film for that matter. We did a lot of rehearsing.”

RE: The rehearsals, they were really good. You very rarely get to rehearse.vWe had two weeks, or week and a half. Long rehearsals, and Michael also didn’t direct it hard, his thing was, ‘I don’t want to see the acting.’”

You could certainly tell they had a blast on set as they later joked about how they didn’t have dressing rooms, and they were changing in a church. Both actors were extremely passionate about the project, and even though they had room to improv in certain scenes, Eldard almost always wanted to stay true to what was written on the page, as he later went on to say:

RE: Those two wrote a beautiful script. That’s really where the heart of this comes from. It’s just there, and you try not to fuck it up.

Roadie is currently in theaters and is also available on VOD and for rental on iTunes.

brent johnson digs up a pair of lost treasures from Elton John, before he was the Rocket Man …

If I say the name ‘Elton John,’ what’s the first thing you think of?

After rediscovering some of my old Elton CDs on a long drive recently, I’ve spent the last week asking my friends that question. And the answers have been all over the place. Some say ‘Rocket Man.’ Some say ‘Crocodile Rock.’ Some say wild clothes and silly glasses. Some say The Lion King. One even said Gnomeo & Juliet.

John has had such a long, storied, varied career that his music means different things to different generations. He’s been a grandiose pop star, an adult-contemporary crooner, a comeback story, a Disney composer, a Tony award winner.

But before all of that, he was a plain-clothed, piano-playing singer-songwriter. And that’s the Elton John few people think of.

At the dawn of the 1970s, when The Beatles were falling apart and the colorful Summer-Of-Love ethos were fading away, the pop world turned to artists like James Taylor, Carole King and Paul Simon. They played organic, sometimes largely acoustic songs. And Elton John joined the fray with his first hit: a pretty little love ballad called ‘Your Song.’

His self-titled debut album was filled with British folk, medieval harpsichord and even a cello solo. Take ‘Sixty Years On,’ for example — a sad lament on old age, with haunting words by Bernie Taupin (John’s longtime lyricist) and stabs of strings from what sounds like an angry orchestra. It’s almost terrifying.

John’s next two albums had no Top 10 hits. 1970′s Tumbleweed Connection was a soulful and countrified concept record about the American old west. 1971′s Madman Across The Water had songs about American Indians and Holiday Inns. In the ’70s, they called musicians like this ‘album artists’ — serious songwriters who cared more about a collective record than a radio single. But John is such a strong melodicist that every one of those early records brim with tracks that sparkle. Like ‘All The Nasties,’ which shifts from minor-key piano dirge to gospel pop in a matter of seconds.

Of course, all of this soon changed. In 1972, John began writing more concise, pop-friendly tunes like ‘Honky Cat’ and ‘Daniel.’ He started wearing feathers on stage and singing about Bennie and her Jets. By the mid-1970s, he had six No. 1 singles.

But if you ever yearn to see his talent stripped down and subtle, toss on a record by young Elton John. It’s charming in a different way.

Creepy shape-shifters, human impersonators, parallel worlds. All normal in the lives of the Fringe division. You would think that after watching worlds nearly collide they would be ready for anything. However, things are not at all what they seem. At the conclusion of the last season, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) simply ceased to exist. The timeline was rewritten, and somehow the Fringe teams on two worlds managed to solve every single phenomenon without Peter Bishop, the man from both worlds.

As the present season began, Fringe on “our world” ran normally, introducing Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel) to the team, a main character on the opposite world. To recap, the other Earth is more technologically advanced than ours, as their Walter (John Noble), or “Walternate” was forced to advance his knowledge of all things time, space, and science in order combat the never-ending plague of time-holes which would open on his world, as a result of Peter, his son being taken to ours. On our world, Walter is a recluse, on the alternate world he is the Secretary of Defense.

Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv and John Noble

Confusing, I know. The short end of it, for those who do not know who Peter is… well … here goes…

Peter Bishop is the son of Walter Bishop. On both worlds, everything was the same. Was. Past tense. One day, on our world, Peter, as a child, became terminally ill. Walter, could not save him. He died. He became obsessed with his experiments about finding multiple universes and cracking time and space barriers. He discovered an alternate Earth, where the Peter there became ill. Our Walter jumped to the other side, bringing Peter back to cure him. The tunnel between worlds closed, and Peter, from the other side remained here. That caused chaos for the alternate world.

I am sure some of you are still confused, but it is time to move on. In this fourth season, Peter haunts the minds of Walter and Olivia (Anna Torv). Eventually, he wills himself back into existence but no one remembers him. With each episode, there are unfathomable events, mostly of a murderous nature. Each episode is part of a bigger plot, but I have yet to see it.

With the return of the fourth season, Peter makes the decision to jump to the alternate universe in an effort to get back to his timeline. We are led to believe that now the timeline is either separate or altered. We do not know. We do know that shape-shifters from the alternate universe have invaded ours and are responsible for many attacks and terrorist-like events. Taking Lincoln Lee with him, they secretly jump to the other side. The most notable difference between the two, is seen by Lee. The Twin Towers still standing. While this happens, a shape-shifter is hit by a bus and brought to “Walternate” for inspection. It seems he too wonders about the increase in shape-shifter activity on his world.

Unfortunately, Peter and Lincoln are discovered and are taking into custody by the Fringe Division. One of the agents try to murder them, but Peter and Lincoln wind up killing the agent. Lincoln meets the alternate Lincoln and Olivia, while Peter tries to track down “Walternate” in order to find a way to his timeline. As it turns out, those shape-shifters are out to cause havoc on both worlds. Those who saw Sherlock Holmes 2 will notice the good Professor Moriarty, a.k.a. Jared Harris, returns to Fringe as a criminal returned from the dead as the cunning Mr. David Jones, villain from the first season of the show.

I am concerned about the future of Fringe. Last week at the Television Critics Association, co-creator and Executive Producer J.J. Abrams would not speculate if Fringe would earn a fifth season. It must have been shocking enough to Abrams that his show was renewed for a fourth, after fan out-cry resulted in FOX renewing the show. Although, according to FOX President Kevin Reilly, they kept the show rather than risk ratings on a new venture. Reilly also revealed that while Fringe is one of their top shows for Friday night, they lose money because of its expensive budget. Abrams did say that should Fringe get one more season it would indeed be its last.

I find this season to be very slow moving, and conversations along the lines of:

“So, we need to complete this mission.”
“Yes, we should.”
“Alright, let’s do it.”
“Let’s go.”
“We need get our stuff.”
“Then we’re going.”
“We have a mission.”
“This mission is important.”

A lot of talk, and while there is action, the plot just does not seem to move. While I understand there is a much bigger picture being painted, I do not feel for any of the characters since a big reset button got pushed at the end of season four, and it does not have the same pace as past seasons. I am concerned that Abrams might have to wrap up Fringe without a fifth season.

I am not a Lost guy.

Nothing against the critically acclaimed series, but I just never really watched it, outside of the time my best friend sat me down and showed me the first five episodes. It seems like a fantastic show, but I honestly don’t have the time to dive into a show that seems as complex and thick as Lost. Yes, I’m lazy.

The reason I bring this up is because the new FOX series, Alcatraz is not only produced by Lost guru J.J. Abrams, but it stars former Lost star Jorge Garcia and it has this whole time shift thing that seems very Lost-y. And I wanted, in full disclosure, to let you know that I had no unreal expectations or predisposition to like this show due to an unflagging admiration to the island drama.

Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen

Now with all that out of the way, I can easily and with full confidence say that Alcatraz might be one of the best hour-long shows on television right now.

What makes Alcatraz so enjoyable is a combination of smart yet straightforward writing, extremely likeable and fully developed characters and actors who execute their roles to perfection. Simply put, the show avoids all the classic television and science fiction mistakes.

The plot does a great job of presenting facts and plot lines in a “whodunit” style. We learn everything about the mystery and wonder of the show as our two main characters San Francisco Police detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and comic book writer/Alcatraz expert Diego “Doc” Soto (Garcia) do. We’re never bombarded with complex and thick sci-fi jargon. It’s all told straightforwardly — and it makes sense, since our heroes are everyday people who are thrown in a supernatural and hushed-up situation.

The lack of explanation of just how inmates from Alcatraz are reappearing in the modern world is maddeningly awesome. You’re given little tastes and hints, but never the full explanation. It just makes the plot so much more intriguing.

The gatekeeper to these secrets is the mysterious Emerson Hauser, played by one of my favorite character actors, Sam Neill. His character is brilliantly written — he’s the mysterious man in black who brings Madsen and Soto on the team. While you begin to think he’s the classic government heavy, you’re shown, unbeknownst to our heroes, that he is an absolute monster to the prisoners when they’re captured. So it makes you wonder: Could he actually be the bad guy in the series? Yet, mere minutes after ordering the torture of a prisoner, he is seen in near tears, his soul ravaged as he looks at the comatose body of his right-hand woman Lucy (Parminder Nagra of ER and Bend It Like Beckham). So, we wonder … is he a good guy? Most TV villains don’t have these kind of sympathetic emotions (or do they?). Could he have another motive for his harsh actions towards the prisoners? His character is a big question mark, and to watch his character develop is going to be awesome.

Jorge Garcia as Diego "Doc" Soto

However, the heart of Alcatraz rests on the unlikely chemistry between Madsen and Soto. They could’ve easily gone down the classic “odd couple” road with the hard-nosed cop begrudgingly working with the smart, nerdy and un-street savvy expert. Yet, the show forgoes this convention, as these two partners seem to genuinely like each other. This is really cemented when Madsen takes time to comfort and console Soto when he sees his first dead body. It’s a step that makes her more than just a hard-nosed cop and it develops what could be interesting storyline of if Soto has the nerve to work tracking down killers and criminals. And in typical Garcia fashion, he adds just the right amount of humor to the show. He did this on the few episodes of Lost I saw and he also did this wonderfully when he guest starred on How I Met Your Mother and the now -canceled Matthew Perry sitcom Mr. Sunshine.

And finally, no J.J. Abrams production would complete without a few jaw-dropping plot twists. Not going to ruin anything here, but you can probably see one coming — though the final one is a complete left-fielder.

What Alcatraz has done in its first two hours on network TV is establish itself as an intelligent and entertaining sci-fi-tinged drama that leaves you filled with anticipation for the next episode. It’s filled with characters that intrigue you and that you care about. In essence, it’s what good television should be.

The second series of Sherlock has ended the same way it started — with the proverbial bang, and what a bang it was, no thuds at all. A lot of praise must be given to everyone who has worked on the series for providing a riveting and thought-provoking run that told the dreaded tale of Sherlock Holmes and his pursuit and eventual confrontation with “The Napoleon of Crime,” James Moriarty.

The final installment, “The Reichenbach Fall,” is a no-brainer to fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed detective, as this title strongly hints to the story’s expected but still head-scratching climax. And even with that in mind, there was a constant question of what to expect next. In the end, what was given to us was probably the best episode of Sherlock to date — it was both nail-biting, heartbreaking, and a proven example as to why the creators of this show have some of the keenest eyes for thrilling television (in the U.K. at least).

The episode begins with a fantastic and shocking realization: Sherlock Holmes is dead. As John Watson sits in a dark room talking to his therapist, we learn that his dearest friend has met a demise; a demise that will unfold over the next 90 minutes. From here, we begin with a daring break-in at the Tower of London, the Bank of England, and a high security prison — all at the hands of Moriarty and a simple touch of his iPhone. But it’s much more than a bunch of break-ins. It’s part of a long-threaded plot to destroy the reputation of his equal (Holmes). Much has come from this season’s exploration in Holmes’ personal life, and because of that Watson has shown his worth as an entity other than Holmes’ partner in crime. Holmes here finally comes unraveled as he sees what his need to impress and his sudden celebrity status does to the people who ultimately believe in and care about him. At one point in figuring out a mysterious kidnapping involving the Grimm’s fairytale Hansel And Gretel, Holmes is brought down to reality after lab tech Molly explains that she sees the sadness and worry in his eyes and that he is human, even if he acts like he is of a higher authority. For someone who has regularly been Sherlock’s punching bag, it was nice to see Molly do something that brought about a change in Holmes’ assumptions of people — that they can read him far better than he gives them credit for.

Benedict Cumberbatch pours on a wonderful performance that shows Holmes at his most vulnerable and also his most fascinating. While there are some great moments of clue jargon that show why Cumberbatch was perfect for the role, it’s the moments when Holmes realizes he is wrong that shows how well-rounded he is as an actor. The final confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty shows this, and Cumberbatch delivers one of the most distressing dialogues between him and Watson because of his miscalculation. Martin Freeman, on the other end of the spectrum, once again shows how great he is as a leading man and is just as involved in the case as Holmes is. When everyone begins to question the truth in Holmes as a world-class detective, Watson never once loses his faith and it’s a camaraderie that has been brewing since the first episode in 2010. The sadness in Watson as he recounts the events leading up to the supposed death of Sherlock are tragic but solemn at best because sometimes all good heroes must fall.

A lot of this wonderful acting stems from the actions and reactions in regards to Holmes’ greatest threat. All great heroes in fiction have their evil doppelganger, the person who best embodies all their qualities but in the most evil and sometimes disturbing ways. Batman has his Joker, the Doctor has the Master, and Holmes has Moriarty — a man who appeared in all but two official Holmes stories. Here, Moriarity has been given a texture that both fascinates and crawls under the viewer’s skin. Much of this has to do with the performance of Andrew Scott, who gets the most screen time the character has had since he was first revealed at the end of Series one. Scott is a juggernaut of suspense by being misleading, halfheartedly right in his presentation, and undeniably a psychopath, something never displayed in previous portrayals of the character. His intent here is to bring about the demise of Holmes in a way that is both obsessive and a way of bringing Holmes down to the care of common folk, something no one, save for Irene Adler, has been able to do in the show’s run. Equality is much in showing Sherlock’s true colors, and who better than Moriarty — a man who lives to impress but unlike Sherlock who impresses everyone, the sick twisted mind of James is to simply impress one man.

If I may get personal for a second, something I try to avoid in most reviews, I am of the firm belief that nothing is more exciting in good versus evil stories than when the protagonist and the antagonists finally meet one on one. In that moment, two clear equals, their difference being that they are on opposite sides of the law, is like watching two people at the center of the universe, and it’s about to be destroyed. The notion of two people who can have easily the same amount of power, but one with more of cruel intent is exciting to watch. That being said, the confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty in his apartment is spell binding with, Moriarity clearly stating what is always the intent of these meetings — the importance of every fairy tale having a villain. It’s the classic “without me you are nothing” speech but told with a serpent-like texture from Moriarty. Holmes engages in this tangled web regardless of its danger as Moriarty tells Holmes over tea that his fall will come and Sherlock welcomes this. This isn’t just two ordinary people, these are men with vendettas and a lot of people can get hurt regardless of either’s intent being good or evil.

The plot that Moriarty devises to ruin Holmes leaves even the viewer questioning the validity of Holmes as a detective even if we have clearly seen him unravel so many mysteries over six episodes. A constant abuse of the tabloids that involves an actor claiming to be hired by Holmes to play Moriarty and the suspicion of him being involved in a kidnapping casts a grim shadow over our hero’s fate, and it ends in the most shocking of fashion. It all lies in how much you believe the truth in Moriarty’s plan, and there are times even I questioned what was really happening even if the answer was always clear that Sherlock is for real.

Of the three serials, this is the most balanced when it comes to an engaging case and tons of character development. Writer Steve Thompson, who wrote the previous season’s “The Blind Banker,” executes a heart-pounding episode that not only wraps up a great deal of much needed character history but also creates an interesting conundrum: Where does the show go from here? With a third series announced mere hours after this episode’s airing, we can only assume we will be waiting a long time once again before any answers are explained. Executive producer Steven Moffat is set to resume filming on the next series of Doctor Who in mere weeks (joygasm!), and both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are getting ready to take Hollywood by storm (Freeman and Cumberbatch are starring in The Hobbit and Cumberbatch will be the villain in the next Star Trek film), it may be a much longer wait than usual. That being said, Series 2 of Sherlock proved to be a non-stop thrill ride, and while at times it hit some rough patches shows that this modern-day take of the Detective of Baker Street is the real McCoy and that Holmes and Watson are still relevant in the 21st century.

Rating: 10 out of 10 (Amazing)

Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided: No Thanks.
Look, I got nothing against Kate Beckinsale kicking butt in skin-tight leather for almost two hours. However, I’d be lying if I said I’ve seen ANY of the Underworld flicks. These Matrix-meets-Resident Evil movies have never really appealed to me, and despite the fact they are at movie four, I have no interest to try them out in the first place to catch up with this one. Clearly they are popular enough to have gotten to this point, but then again, we’ve had plenty of move franchises that have gone on too long because people keep shelling out the dough (*cough cough* Alvin & The Chimpunks *cough cough* And speaking of the Resident Evil movie franchise, when is that tank going to run out of gas?) In any case, I’ll be passing on this entry in the Underworld saga.
– LJF

Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided: Rent.
When the first Underworld film came out back in 2003, I was at theater on opening night. I thought this movie was going to be an amazing amalgam of The Matrix and monster movies. I was stoked, the original trailer was so badass. Sadly, the first film was just a B-movie with an A-movie’s clothing, which completely shattered my expectations for the the film. However, I’ve been able to accept that these films are nothing but silly fun, so now I’ve been more inclined to rent them or catch them on cable. The trailer for the fourth film looks a bit from promising than the last two films, as it seems to be going on the “less plot, more guns” approach to filmmaking, which always appeals to my inner 14-year-old. Plus, Stephen Rea is always great, so you’ll get at least one good performance in this film. This is definitely early-winter- beats-bowling-or-reading-a-book-(barely) movie fodder.
– BB

In the world of sitcoms, six is a pretty big number. It takes one season to prove you’re not just a ratings grab. It takes another to find solid footing in the prime-time marsh. Give it two more to figure out how to stop the clock on your quickly aging premise. 30 Rock has done all of this with finesse, but once a show has been airing for the better part of a decade it’s difficult to do anything but coast.

This is the reason why I found the season premiere so tough to swallow. After being held over to accommodate Fey’s pregnancy, the self-satirizing NBC sitcom made its long awaited return last Thursday with “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching.” Was it worth the wait? Let put it this way: 30 Rock is still one of the funniest shows on television. That much is clear. They never miss an opportunity for a left-field punch line or an oddball turn of phrase and the cast still knows how to deliver (Jane Krakowski was particularly fun to watch as a Simon Cowell surrogate for a royalty-free singing competition). This would do fine as a shuttle between two more engrossing episodes, but as a season opener this far into a show’s lifespan, it doesn’t bode well.

Frankly, this isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. Liz is ready to kick-start her life in the right direction. Jack’s career and family life are at odds. Jenna’s need for attention is satiated in a truly psychotic fashion. Tracy is unable to take care of himself. Kenneth is Kenneth. Everything in this episode, including a plot that lampoons formulaic reality television, has been done before in bigger, funnier, and more challenging ways. “Dance” could be considered a good episode, but while there are plenty of laughs in watching Alec Baldwin have a conversation with a baby and Tina Fey lead a team of poorly-dressed middle-aged WNBA dancers, there isn’t a single premise that matches the wit and humor of the dialogue.

I feel that this bears repeating: 30 Rock never stopped being funny. It simply feels bored with itself. Like its big sister The Office, 30 Rock can still hold its own in a satisfying comedy block after crossing the fifth season mark, but neither show feels convinced that its own material is worth continuing. Behind a great show is great creative talent, and no one with great creative talent feels content churning out the same material for the same characters for the better part of their career. If the season six premier tells us anything, it’s that the writing staff is capable of going back to basics, but neither they nor the viewers want that. I’m not ready to put the jump-the-shark stamp on 30 Rock just yet (after all, they still have nearly two dozen episodes to turn it around). I just think it’s beneath the creative team to bring back their old bag of tricks but leave behind the spark that made their show so fresh and daring to begin with.

The 2012 edition of The Golden Globes proved to be quite a boring affair as a show. Ricky Gervais was completely underused. The presenters were, for the most part, quite boring. And the show itself felt disorganized.

However, the awards themselves — the winners and losers — were the most interesting part of the night … as they should be. This year, almost every category was packed with TV shows, films or performers who not only could’ve taken a statuette home but are also at the top of their game. For instance, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical had four highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning actresses (Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Charlize Theron and Michelle Williams) and one the top comedic actresses in the business (Kristen Wiig). That’s an amazingly loaded category. And it seemed every category was like this. So this year, there was a little bit of suspense, a little bit of drama when it came to the winners and losers.

This also backed up my thoughts that this is an acting year, not a movie year. In year’s past, or at least in the years Pop-Break has been covering the show, it’s all been about the movies. We’ve been in the trenches wondering whether it’ll be Avatar or The Hurt Locker, The Social Network or The King’s Speech. When it came to acting, a lot of the nominees were weak or the races were quite obvious (see Christoph Waltz or Christian Bale for the past two years in the Best Supporting Actor category). Now we get to marvel at a race between the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor. It’s funny how things play out.

Before we go into our thoughts about the winners, Gervais’ hosting duties were solid as always. Some of his jokes and pop-culture skewerings were a little too easy — the Justin Beiber and Kim Kardashian jokes are the stuff of beginning comedians, not a talent like Gervais. But admittedly, these obvious jokes were still very good. I wish Gervais was a little more risky with his jokes, going for some of the more pointed insults that he produced last year.

Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
I’m calling it now — Christopher Plummer is the lock for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars. He’s really been the go-to older character actor over the past decade, and for good reason. I’ve heard his role in this movie was one of his all-time best. Good for you, Mr. Von Trapp.

Best Actress TV Series Comedy/Musical: Lauren Dern, Enlightened
I was thinking they’d go for Tina Fey, since she’s the perennial favorite, so I’m really surprised that Laura Dern won. I’ve heard nothing but abysmal things about Enlightened.

Best Mini-Series or TV Movie: Downton Abbey
It’s the hotness. When it debuted this past week, Facebook and the Twittersphere exploded with love — everyone from Patton Oswalt to that dude you know from high school digs it. But look at the other noms, they were insane — Too Big To Fail, Mildred Pierce, The Hour, all stalwarts.

Actress Mini-Series or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
She’s the best actress of this generation. It was a no-brainer.

Best Actor, TV Series Drama: Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Good for Fraiser. Boss seemed to be criminally under-watched, and Grammer deserves some love.

Best TV Series Drama: Homeland
I love Boardwalk Empire, but Homeland has been the absolute darling of the fall TV season. DVD sales and Netflix rentals are going through the roof for this show. Also, if it can beat out Boardwalk AND Game Of Thrones, that’s saying something.

Best Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist
A lay-up. It’s a predominantly silent film, so the score is vital. Trent and Atticus, despite their awesome work, are second banana this year.

Best Original Song: ‘Masterpiece’ from W.E.
I really thought Mary J. would take it for The Help — it was a pretty decent song. But Madonna’s movie, which got surprisingly decent reviews, is actually pretty decent itself. By the way, no one looked happy she won. And her arms are still freakishly gross.

Actor in a Mini-Series: Idris Elba, Luther
He’s been a very underrated character actor in America, but on this BBC show, he proves he’s a dramatic force to be reckoned with. By the way, was everyone British in this category?

Best Actress Comedy or Musical: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
I think this really solidifies her run for a Best Actress nom for the Oscars. This was a really tough nomination pool, some really amazing actresses. I think if Winslet is the No. 11 modern actress of our time. Williams is making the case for No. 2.

Best Actor Mini Series, TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones
He won the Emmy, so it’s natural he’d win this. And who knew he was from New Jersey? Nice!

Best Animated Film: The Adventures Of Tintin
Animated films were quite weak this year … but I’m glad Spielberg took the chance to shout out Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Best Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight In Paris
Woody’s comeback tour is really in full effect.

Supporting Actress Series, TV Movie, Mini-Series: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
This is what happens when you play one of the creepiest women on TV today — you win big. Little surprised Maggie Smith didn’t snag it for Downton Abbey.

Foreign Film: A Separation
Interesting that a lot of Americans were involved in these foreign films. While I’ve never seen A Separation, this film seemed to have award winner written all over it.

Best Actress, TV Series or Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland
Wow, she went from punchline to a winning two Globes in three years. Props to her reference to My So-Called Life. Homeland‘s creators should be hearing the sounds of cash registers in their ears.

Actor TV Series, Comedy/Musical: Matt LeBlac, Episodes
Showtime killed it tonight. This series will get some love after a great critical but highly under-the-radar run.

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture: Octavia Spencer, The Help
This was a tough one to call, but Spencer was awesome in this movie and has come a long way from getting stabbed in the head in Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2.

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Color me shocked on this one. Of the directors in this year’s pool, Marty’s had the least buzz. But then again, this is Scorsese, and he’s the man. I think this really throws a wrench in the works. Will Hugo start gaining steam for Best Picture during Oscar time?

Best Series, Comedy or Musical: Modern Family
Not a surprise — this is easily the best show on TV today. It remains fresh, sharp and hilarious. If you aren’t watching it, you are missing out. And the cast probably gave the best acceptance speech of the night.

Best Actor Comedy or Musical: Jean DuJardin, The Artist
I wonder if he could steal the Oscar. He’s got nothing but absolute rave reviews. His speech was also pretty damn funny and genuine.

Best Actress Drama: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
She’s the best actress ever … just give her The Oscar now.

Best Comedy or Musical: The Artist
Seriously, the love for this film is undeniable tonight, but will this love translate to Oscar love? This is the Foreign Press, not the Academy.

Best Actor, Drama: George Clooney, The Descendants
This is going to be Clooney’s year. I honestly think he’ll take the Best Actor nod and he has a really solid chance to win for Best Director and Best Picture.

Best Picture, Drama: The Descendants
This is and isn’t a surprise. It’s not a surprise because the film has won so many awards from the guilds and other critic’s circles. But this is still a small, intimate, family drama. It was going up against so many bigger-budget, award-bait films.