The paperwhites waited until New Year's Day to flower, and I saw the first snowdrop of the year, in bloom, in a nearby garden.
~~~~~
In other news, having Benedict Cumberbatch's real parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, playing his screen ones was a lovely touch in last night's Sherlock, and I'm so glad the programme is back after such a long wait.
I'm sure that episode would have been incomprehensible to anyone who hadn't seen the earlier series, but how ingenious, and as a newspaper reviewer said this morning, "not flawless, but brilliant". I'm sorry we've lost Andrew Scott's terrific Moriarty, (the new villain is the economist from Borgen, I believe), but Mark Gatiss was on fine form, both in the writing and on screen, and the Cumberbatch/Freeman double act is superb. Do read crime writer Martin Edwards' post on it.
Yes it was a bit perplexing, but so exciting and brilliantly filmed that we were carried along. We will have to go back now to see where all the threads were drawn from.
Posted by: Lucille | 02 January 2014 at 09:17 AM
Also Martin Freeman's fiancée Mary was played by his real life partner Amanda Abbington. I loved it all, especially the way gatiss poked a bit of fun at the Sherlock nerds.
Posted by: Sue | 02 January 2014 at 09:51 AM
I may have to watch it again to be sure I didn't miss anything - gripping stuff!
Posted by: Cornflower | 02 January 2014 at 11:22 AM
Yes!
Posted by: Cornflower | 02 January 2014 at 11:23 AM
And Happy New Year to you, too!! :) I love snowdrops! I'll have to see if mine will return this year...
Posted by: Neuroknitter (Gail) | 02 January 2014 at 06:08 PM
Fingers crossed!
Posted by: Cornflower | 02 January 2014 at 08:17 PM
Exciting to see BC in August Osage County last weekend at the Moonlight cinema in Centennial Park here in Sydney Not really a play to take to the screen but fascinating all the same and such a thrill to experience CB playing American! Loved him in Parade's End Unforgettable. yet to discover Sherlock , but sounds like a must see series
Posted by: Martina | 02 January 2014 at 09:55 PM
He was superb in Parade's End, wasn't he?
Sherlock has a justifiably huge following here. It's so clever, and so well done, we love it!
Posted by: Cornflower | 02 January 2014 at 10:29 PM
I can't wait to see this. I've ordered the DVD as I don't know when it will be shown in Australia.
Posted by: Lyn | 03 January 2014 at 12:23 AM
I loved it but I need to watch it again. Discussing it with someone else, we each found we'd missed things the other had noticed. Dense and brilliant.
Posted by: Barbara | 03 January 2014 at 08:40 AM
Very wise, Lyn; all the episodes are worth repeated viewing.
Posted by: Cornflower | 03 January 2014 at 05:21 PM
'Dense and brilliant' is spot on!
Posted by: Cornflower | 03 January 2014 at 05:21 PM
Hmm. I am a huge fan (with others in my family) of the first two series, but I am beginning to feel that it is becoming a little self-indulgent in the first two episodes of this long awaited series. Yes it is still good, flashes of excellence even, but it has lost something I feel, some element of playfulness perhaps. Clearly you (and other commentators) will not be agreeing with me here I think, but I was just a little disappointed.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 08 January 2014 at 02:38 PM
They were very ambitious episodes, the first with the theories and explanations for the Reichenbach fall, and the second with the solving of a crime while delivering a wedding speech!
Despite the unevenness and rollercoaster pacing, they were marvellously entertaining, and I'm looking forward to Sunday's one which may be more 'normal'.
Posted by: Cornflower | 08 January 2014 at 05:28 PM
I'm looking forward to it too! I have absolutely nothing against ambition, let us have more of it in all things.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 10 January 2014 at 11:37 AM