The Bells of Akhaten, also rantiness

Well, this one's been divisive, and not just because no one can agree on how to spell "Akhaten"! (At first I read that as "Akhenaten", and got really excited because I thought it was an episode about Egypt's foray into monotheism, with bonus Return!Nefertiti! Alas, it's not to be. But the BBC should get onto that, because a sun god with hands reaching down to humans? YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT WOULDN'T LOOK CGI-TASTICALLY AMAZING.)

Anyway, yes, divisive episode. People seem to either love it or feel aggressively apathetic towards it. I'm in the first category, with an option to deem it mostly forgettable by the end of the season.

What I have to rant about, though, is that calapine got an immediately-deleted (so she therefore couldn't reply to it) comment telling her off for being negative about the RTD era in her review post -- I didn't think she was especially negative myself, but I'm hardly unbiased), and settiai got a comment telling her that anyone who liked this episode must be stupid.

Was it last year that I had to make a post asking that, if people hated this episode, they do so other than in my LJ? That still stands. I really love having a few hours or days where I'm incredibly happy and floaty and basically on a post-Doctor Who high, and I resent when people try to burst that bubble. I'll come to be more critical in my own time, thanks. As far as I'm concerned, as long as spoilers, large images and major triggers are behind cuts, people's journals can hold whatever opinions they want.

(Having said that, the etiquette of cutting spoilers seems to be a thing of the past. I'd blame Tumblr, only it's not just Tumblr users who do it. First Downton Abbey, then Legend of Korra and now Elementary, there seems to be this adorable idea that if you don't like Media Property X, then there's no need to cut for spoilers. "If you don't want to be spoiled, stay off the internet" tends to be the standard response, especially if it's an American responding, because spoiler warnings only matter if you're in the US, watching a British property. Apparently. It makes me a bit cross. I'm not entirely anti-spoiler, but I like to have a choice in the matter, you know?)

Anyway, I really enjoyed this episode, although I don't think it's going to go down as a classic, and I have a few things to say about it.

( The most important spoilers in human history, with brief discussion of abuse in the Catholic Church. )

Here is a very serious thought (that is serious)

There should be an ALL SHERLOCK HOLMES ADAPTATIONS EVER vid to the techno cover of "I've Been to a Marvellous Party". Mostly for the "Then Frieda arrived with a turtle" line.

(My definition of "ALL SHERLOCK HOLMES ADAPTATIONS EVER would include Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation and that bit in Avatar: the Last Airbender where Sokka has a hat and a bubble pipe.)

(Oh, and SHINee's video for "Sherlock". Especially the bit where Taemin wears a travelling cloak with skinny jeans. SHUT UP, IT'S AMAZING.)

The problem is that I can't stand Jeremy Brett's face*, so someone else is going to have to do it.

* Yes, heresy, I know.

Next time I have a day off, someone remind me to scan the Japanese Sherlock Holmes magazine I bought in Tokyo. I don't read a word of Japanese can only read the kanji for "soy", but the illustrations are amazing. There's a small number of Instagram pictures here.