STACK February 2016 Issue 136

48 / 89

Showrunners Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis have done a
consistently brilliant job in transplanting Sherlock Holmes
into the modern era, while remaining faithful to the Conan
Doyle stories. In this special episode they return the super
sleuth and Watson to the foggy streets of Victorian-era
London, to solve the seemingly supernatural mystery of
a bride who commits suicide on her wedding day and
then returns to murder her husband. Satisfying fans (and
their own) desire to finally see Benedict Cumberbatch in a
deerstalker cap and Martin Freeman with a killer moustache,
Moffat and Gatiss have concocted a traditional and twist-laden Holmes tale
that's likely to polarise opinion regarding the dubious plot device used to
transport them back to the 19th century. With a fourth season still a year
away at least, The Abominable Bride serves as a fun filler. • See page 36
The game is afoot.
SHERLOCK: THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE
Release Date: 03/02/16 Format:
In keeping with the festive season's merriment, the annual
Doctor Who Christmas Special has always been a light-
hearted affair, making it the perfect episode to introduce
Peter Capaldi's Doctor to the irrepressible Professor River
Song (Alex Kingston). Having regularly popped up in David
Tennant and Matt Smith's timelines, River's inevitable
meeting with the 12th Doctor occurs when she enlists
his help to retrieve a valuable diamond from the head
of her cyborg "husband", King Hydroflax (Greg Davies).
The fact that River never meets the Doctor in any kind of
chronological order means it takes her a while to recognise her Time Lord
husband, but when the penny drops, the chemistry between Capaldi and
Kingston is instantaneous. Little Britain's Matt Lucas guest stars in a fun
romp that nicely ties in with River's prior appearances in the Whoniverse.
Has Capaldi's Doctor met his match?
DOCTOR WHO: THE HUSBANDS OF RIVER SONG
Release Date: OUT NOW Format:
This spin-off series from the Robert Rodriguez/
Quentin Tarantino vampire flick spent much of its
first season retelling the events of the film. Now
that's out of the way, the story of notorious criminal
brothers Seth and Ritchie Gecko (D.J. Cotrona
and Zane Holtz) and the bloodsucking serpent cult
can continue. Ritchie is on the run with Santánico
Pandemonium (Eiza González), who has sworn
revenge on the Nine Lords who imprisoned her; Seth
and Kate (Madison Davenport) team up and plot a
heist; and war is brewing between rival factions of the culebras,
over an ancient prophecy involving a wellspring of holy blood.
Special guest stars this season include Jeff Fahey as the Geckos'
Uncle Eddie, and the great Danny Trejo as a resurrected Regulator.
Beyond the Titty Twister.
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: SEASON 2
Release Date: 24/02/16 Format:
Following the bloodbath that concluded season two,
Will Graham and Jack Crawford are nursing their
wounds while Lecter has fled to Florence in the
company of Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. Given this is the
final season of Hannibal, there's a lot of ground still
left to cover in the world created by Thomas Harris.
The first half gets off to a surreal start, incorporating
elements from Lecter's early years (Hannibal Rising)
before covering the events chronicled in Hannibal (the
book and film) – namely Inspector Pazzi's attempts to
apprehend Lecter in Italy, and faceless former victim Mason Verger's
plan to feed him to pigs. The second half delivers a gripping retelling of
Red Dragon, culminating in the final showdown between Will and his
nemesis. A fitting swan song for this stylish and nightmarish series.
Last meal for Lecter and co.
HANNIBAL: SEASON 3
Release Date: 24/02/16 Format:
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