“Sherlock”: Who’s Who Without Spoilers

British shows are known for their sharp wit as well as their amazing casts. “Sherlock” is no exception. Part of the PBS “Masterpiece” series, it comes to the US in three action-filled installments. The characters come across as witty and draw the viewer easily into the intrigue of modern day London.

What follows is an attempt to introduce the reader to the characters with as few spoilers as possible:

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch): The police consultant of the show’s title… He is a man that some on the police squad find hard to tolerate, but his insights are worth the effort… His reasoning skills break down a suspect and case like nothing I have ever seen before… Sharp of wit, he has little to no words to spare in regards to his family-his brother, Mycroft, in particular… Associate of John Watson (Martin Freeman)…Known adversaries include Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) and Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen)…Traded witty remarks with Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) in a hard-to-define relationship

John Watson (Martin Freeman): Former surgeon on the frontlines of battlefields… Medical knowledge makes him useful in investigations...Has deeply hidden feelings of anger and resentment… Not someone to be ignored as his insights have grown as helpful as Sherlock’s …Associate of Sherlock Holmes…Husband to Mary Watson

Mary Watson (Amanda Abbington): Nurse who has the ability to provide medical care as well as occasional insight…She puts herself in peril when it comes to any investigation John Watson is working on…Inserts herself into John Watson’s life when he needs a friend the most…Eventually becomes John's wife…Has a hidden life from before she met John and Sherlock that has not been fully revealed and might never be

 Lestrade (Rupert Graves): Responsible for the organization of London’s police force…Consults with Sherlock Holmes on certain cases…Tries to keep the police force’s tempers low when it comes to the outside interference of Sherlock Holmes

Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss):  Government agent with pride and a sense of his own intelligence…Uses intermediaries to fetch those he chooses to meet with as supposed to personally seeking them out… has resources that assist him in keeping tabs on brother, Sherlock...most of his interaction with his family suggests there are some family issues from the past that have remained under the surface, which makes the series interesting

Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs): Landlady of 221b Baker Street…Her husband ran into legal trouble in the United States…Sherlock Holmes helped her get free of her husband… She takes care of Sherlock and John Watson and genuinely looks after their well-being…There is definitely more than meets the eye with this character

These characters make the cases exciting to watch. After three seasons (“series”), this show keeps viewers waiting and asks “Did you Miss Me?” to them upon its return.   

The 2014 National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs: New Alignment Edition

When the National Hockey League (NHL) owners and players approved the plans to realign the Eastern and Western conferences, there were obvious changes. The conferences were reformed into two divisions (down from three). Western teams were moved into the East for more accurate geographical location, i.e. Columbus Blue Jackets moved to the Eastern Conference along with the Detroit Red Wings. The moves created an interesting arrangement as the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions now had one more team in their set-up than the Central and Pacific segments of the NHL.

The alignment radically affected rivalries and the Stanley Cup Playoff picture. In Round 1, match-ups are now arranged based on this new system: For each conference, there are two confrontations per division as the top three teams are automatically in with the 4^th ranked team as a wild card entrant thrown in to balance the field. This seems pretty simple, but it is not as easy as saying “number 1 in the conference is set to face the 8^th ranked team”.

The Western Conference set-up:

Central Division

#1 – Colorado Avalanche

#4(Wild Card-No Pun Intended)-Minnesota Wild

#2-St. Louis Blues

#3-Chicago Blackhawks

Pacific Division

#1 and Western Conference Champions-Anaheim Ducks

# 4-Dallas Stars

#2-San Jose Sharks

#3-Los Angeles Kings

The Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Round 1 playoff picture:

Atlantic Division

#1, President’s Trophy winner, and Eastern Conference Champions-Boston Bruins

#4-Detroit Red Wings

#2-Tampa Bay Lightning

#3-Montreal Canadiens

Metropolitan Division

#1-Pittsburgh Penguins

#4-Columbus Blue Jackets

#2-New York Rangers

#3-Philadelphia Flyers

Based on these brackets, here are some facts to consider: 1-the three California teams are in the playoffs while the lone Canadian presence in the round is Montreal; 2- Some rivalries remain intact, which makes for the normal passionate drive from players and fans alike (see New York Rangers versus Philadelphia Flyers); 3-Round 1 marks the playoff return of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Round 1 commences Wednesday April 16^th, 2014.

*I want to give credit to NHL.com for the Round 1 bracket information.

21-1 but Always #1: WWE's The Undertaker

Last week at Wrestlemania 30, there was a moment you could hear a pin drop in the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Time would stand still. Fans would stare blankly at the ring with the sense of collective shock. The time had come for the unthinkable and no one really knew how to react, including the ringside announcers. It was eerie to say the least.

The adversary had not realized what he had just done. There was no bell rung to announce his victory. Timekeeper could not believe his eyes enough to react. On this rare occasion, even Paul Heyman was at a loss for words.

It had finally happened. The Undertaker’s 21-0 streak at Wrestlemania had come to an end. Brock Lesnar, the challenger, had done something Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and countless others have tried to do since Wrestlemania 7. Lesnar had bested the legendary “Phenom” on the WWE’s grandest stage of them all. He was stone-faced in his resolve and had Paul Heyman to help him along the way. Yet, the enormity of the situation did not seem to hit him as it had the crowd.

While Brock and Heyman celebrated, The Undertaker slowly rose from the mat. Standing up, he surveyed the scene around him. Everyone in the arena had gotten up from their chairs to salute him. Chants of “Thank you, Taker” overwhelmed the Mercedes Benz Superdome. If there was any emotion on his face, The Undertaker did not let it show. He could see the “21-1” emblazoned in purple lightning above him and on the screens atop the stage. As he slowly made his way back to the locker room area, he rarely looked back at those who intently watched him walk away.

What’s next for The Undertaker? That is uncertain. All that is known is that one of sports entertainment’s greatest records was broken.  

The Undertaker in the Ring( Photo from Royal Rumble 2008)

Premiere Event: “Captain America” Double Feature

April 3^rd, 2014-New York, NY-The AMC Loews 34^th Street 14 theater was sold out for the "Captain America" Double Feature.  The event would start with a showing of “Captain America: The First Avenger” followed by the premiere of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. I was fortunate enough to get tickets to the event.   

This double feature was worth the wait. By 4:00pm, fans were lined up inside the box office lobby waiting to receive a “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” film poster and limited edition lanyard that had the title superhero’s shield on the front and the event information on the back. These were Marvel fans genuinely looking forward to the night, some even coming in costume. I could hear the animated conversations from my spot toward the back of the line, and knew I was just as amped as they were.

At 4:45pm, the line began to move as tickets were scanned. The promotional items were handed out and each person was given the 3D glasses required to enjoy the movie experience. The theater was packed as people looked for the best seat. From my seat in the fourth row center, 5:30pm could not come soon enough.

The night started with Captain America trivia with the winner receiving either a shirt or special 3D glasses.  “Captain America: The First Avenger” was shown to the audience, who cheered, laughed and applauded every moment as if this was the film debuting in theaters that night. As an observer, the reactions to the action sequences were fun to listen to. Being a fan of Marvel, I really enjoyed catching up on Captain America’s story as well as the scene at the end of the credits that introduced the initial trailer for the “The Avengers”.   

After a half-hour break between movies, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” premiered at 8:00pm. This film was absolutely amazing and had the attention of those in attendance that night. I could not even begin to describe what made this movie work as well as it did. That being said, I would not wish to spoil it for anyone who plans on seeing it this weekend. All I can really say is just see it because you will be in for an amazing experience.