Please, for the love of Pete, catch up on the BBC's Sherlock before the new episode airs in January. I love a guy with a dry sense of humor, and the bromance between Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock and Martin Freeman's Watson has plenty of dry wit. It's a good thing I'm not on that show because I'd be pregnant by midday and wondering who the daddy was. But like I was saying, the writing is great - Mark Gatiss, who plays Sherlock's brother, is also the writer - and it does Doyle's stories proud. Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and bbc.com all have episodes. Season 2 is not to be missed. Moriarty rocks. I mean, blows it out of the water.
I cannot say enough good things about FX's Fargo, so I'll focus on Jeffrey Donovan. As the quick-to-anger son of a Minnesotan crime boss, he is nothing short of brilliant. He's overdue for an Emmy for his work on Burn Notice - you should flog yourself if you didn't catch it during it's seven year run on USA. Fargo is fun, crazy, dramatic, and an anthology. Which means you don't need the first season to get the second season. But watch the first season anyway because Martin Freeman is simply incredible. Catch up on Fargo Season 2 at fx.com and On Demand. Fargo Season 1 and Burn Notice are available on Amazon, On Demand, and Hulu; Burn Notice is also on Netflix and usa.com.
The Binges
Maybe you've skipped Showtime's The Affair because you think it's a bunch of sex. It totally is! But the surrounding story runs deep as an ocean trench. The effects of Noah and Alison's affair spread like a spider's web, affecting people close to them and in their periphery. The story is brilliantly told in installments - once from Noah's point of view, then again from Alison's. Throw in a murder investigation and you've got a good night of television viewing. Season 2 is only two episodes in!(Sundays at 10 on Showtime; episodes are also available for streaming on Showtime, Amazon, and Hulu.)
Fox's Gotham is a fun, new take on the Caped Crusader's back story. Focusing on the future Commissioner Gordon (the delicious Ben McKenzie), Gotham is by turns cleverly anachronistic, campy, and even a bit procedural. Donal Logue is dry and witty as Gordon's partner, and Robin Lord Taylor is perhaps the greatest Penguin ever. Season 1 is worth watching for Jada Pinkett Smith's Fish Mooney alone. Season 2 is only two episodes in! (See full episodes at fox.com).
If you're looking for an edge-of-your-seat story wrapped around lots of violence and nudity, then Banshee on Cinemax is for you. Watch it with a beer and someone you love once the kids go to bed. For GoT fans, hold your binge until the end of the season. Banshee will make the time until season 6 go faster!
This week's recommendation is the FX series Justified. When federal marshall Raylan Givens ("Think The Fugitive," he tells us) is busted from Miami back to his hometown in Kentucky, he has to deal with his small-time crook father, his big-time crook bestie, and more than a few pretty girls (read: lots of sex). A dose of dry wit and the totally adorable Timothy Olyphant make for a fun, fast binge. Warning: You'll want a whiskey with every episode. And I don't even drink whiskey.
