TRAILER: "Hannibal" Season 3

The first look at the third season of NBC's super creepy, mesmerizing Hannibal is here! Looks pretty great- too bad it's not coming until summer.

Benedict Cumberbatch in full 'Sherlock-ian' Garb

This is pretty awesome. In the middle of filming the new season of Sherlock, a set picture shows us Benedict in full, old-style classic Sherlock Holmes dress- just to drive the fans wild, I'm sure. Now all he needs is the pipe! The Sherlock Christmas special is set to come out at the end of the year, and the next season sometime in 2016. Sigh- why must they make us wait so long?

REVIEW: "The Fall" Season 2

Season 2 of The Fall (on Netflix now) is just as intensely disturbed, tightly wound and unbearably suspenseful as the slow, creepy first season was. And if that first season was all about exploring the psychology of a serial killer, this second part of the saga is more procedural, as it goes about the painstaking, strictly by the book steps superintendent Stella Gibson (played by the powerhouse Gillian Anderson) must take to bring him down.

I wondered exactly how the series would continue, as the end of the first season saw Jamie Dornan's killer Paul Spector take off into the countryside after revealing himself (or at least his voice) to Stella in a direct phone conversation. This year things appeared to be off to an uncharacteristically rapid start, as Spector had left behind crucial evidence at his last crime scene, and a still surviving victim who, if regaining repressed memories after waking from her coma, could identify him positively. With all these pieces set to fall into place, Stella goes about putting the puzzle together quicker than anyone else, and before you know it, the police department has a suspect, and of course, we as the audience know it's the right one.

It's an interesting approach for a show to take, as we follow both Stella and Spector's perspectives here, because you'd think there would be very little suspense on the investigation's side, since we obviously know who the killer is and whether they're on the right track or not. But the question doesn't lie with whether they have the right guy, but what exactly Stella's thinking to do at any given moment. She tends to make all the right moves, but will she make a crucial mistake? Is this show still about the cat and mouse game, or is it now a procedural on how to track a serial killer once you know who it is. The constant tension and setup tricks you into thinking anything might be about to happen and you have no idea what- that in itself is reason enough to watch every episode on the edge of your seat.

A big part of that carefully wrought tension is of course, what Paul Spector himself is up to, whose activities we track each episode. Jamie Dornan still has that creepy and sociopathic look and behavior down pat- we have no idea what he's doing or what he's thinking, and just about every move he pulls is a total shock as you can't figure out what he's up to. He wanders back into Belfast, but why? He's creating some kind of false evidence plant, but for who to see it? He befriends and seduces Katie, the 15-year-old babysitter from last season, but there are clearly ulterior motives up the wazoo in that relationship, and above all he still wants to toy with and mentally get inside Stella's head. The cat and mouse aspect reappears in a fantastically acted interrogation in the final hour (the season is six episodes long) that has you clinging to your shirt in utter anticipation, but of what you're not exactly sure. Things might go just as planned, or end up in total chaos- that's the brilliance that comes from creator Allan Cubitt's mastery of pace, plotting and suspense. This is one fascinatingly complex series, and with an intricately inscrutable and capable female heroine in the lead, it's one of the best shows on television by far.

Grade: A

RECAP: SNL 1/17 "Kevin Hart"

Well, I'm immensely relieved to report that this was NOT a terrible episode of SNL tonight! And I'm happy to say that I've finally seen enough of Kevin Hart to understand why he has actual fans- now that I've gotten a dose of his standup I can see why his style just isn't suited for things like presenting or hosting awards shows (which is really the only exposure to him I've ever had), but yeah, I now see that he at least can be funny. He was a pretty dynamic host tonight, committed to everything and elevating it, even when it was lame material (there's still no shortage of that, of course).

COLD OPEN: This was fairly tepid, with Kenan appearing as the ghost of MLK to high school student Pete, who tells him about all the racial "progress" we've made. It gets in a few digs at Selma's Oscar snubbing at least.

MONOLOGUE: Kevin Hart comes out and does his stand-up, as all comedian hosts do, and I finally see that he's funny, and can understand why he bombed at hosting the VMA's- he's not a punchline guy, he's a storyteller, and he needs time on stage. But yeah, this is pretty funny! I think I "get" him now.

CALVINS: Hilarious! Kate spoofs the Justin Bieber Calvin Klein ads and it's gold. She continues to be awesome and their best current cast member.

WHY'D YOU POST THAT?: This is a total misfire, no thanks to some serious technical glitches that fuck up the first few seconds and then again in the middle. Kevin is a host who ridicules guests for posting stupid Instagram pics, but the whole thing is kinda marred by the foul-ups offstage.

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN: Kenan, Kevin and Jay are three guys telling stories on the corner in Brooklyn. It's pretty decent, a couple of chuckles.

APOLLO: Kevin actually dares to take on a James Brown impression (always a risk after Eddie Murphy's legendary character) but he does a pretty good job as he just makes fun of the lack of rhythm of the white band members. It's not that funny, but boy is Kevin committed to this. He's totally filled the stage with energy tonight.

NANCY: Random sketch where Aidy hosts a talk show reunion of a soap opera cast, but the joke is that Vanessa is the only cast member who gets dopey "loser" music played as she walks out. It's a little funny I guess, in spite of the fart jokes part. Kevin even manages a laugh as the tech guy behind the scenes.

UPDATE: Oy. I never look forward to this anymore, but Colin and Michael have some slightly better jokes tonight as they target Romney's third run for president, and the lack of diversity in the Oscar nominations. Then Kate comes out as an old lady with tips for dealing with loud neighbors, and she rocks as usual.

DRAGON: Very odd one set in a kind of Game of Thrones-esque palace where Taran, Cecily, Sasheer and Kenan sing about having to leave the village due to a dragon attack, while Kevin runs around panicking about actually leaving. The only laugh comes at the end when Leslie shows up as Kevin's wife to sing her part about him ditching her.

HEINZ HALL: This one is good! Leslie confronts Kevin about a one night stand years ago resulting in his love child, and brings Jay in, who does a spot on impression to his face. With both of them talking to each other it's actually pretty hilarious. Nice one.

CHOCOLATE DROPPA: I can't believe it- the last sketch of the night is another good one. Kevin goes for it 100% once again, as a rapper who spills all his friends secrets in his new song. And the jokes are pretty good. It works.

Wow. So, I'm surprised but I'll take it! A decent episode tonight that warrants at least a B- (there were still some lame sketches, but Sia's usual nutty performance art routines made up for that too). Kevin Hart brings it as the host and for once, there were a handful of actual good jokes tonight. I won't keep my hopes up, but this was a nice change of pace. Blake Shelton is hosting and singing next week- I would not expect him to be as good as Kevin was, but we'll find out soon enough. See you next week everyone!

TRAILER: "House of Cards" Season 3

With the third season due to drop on Netflix February 27th, we'll see what happens now that Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood has ascended to the presidency by virtue of the lying, scheming and murdering he plotted for the last two years. This show is kind of insane actually, but I do want to see him eventually taken down (which happened on the British version of the series, so I assume it will here too), so I'm continuing to watch for that reason.

REVIEW: "The Missing" Season 1

Starz's The Missing is one of the grimmest, most depressing, and most compelling thrillers that aired on television in all of 2014- I think it even has True Detective beat, due to the relentless focus on the primary subject matter. Yet even with such horrifying topics as child kidnapping and international sex rings on hand, the acting was first rate and the pace top notch, holding your attention for all eight episodes as a gripping, first class thriller from beginning to end.

James Nesbitt and Frances O'Conor star as Tony and Emily Hughes, on vacation in France with their 6-year-old son Olly in tow. Since I mentioned child kidnapping was involved, you probably already know where this is going, don't you? Yes, that's right- following in The Killing and Broadchurch's footsteps, this is another series about the disappearance of a child and the investigation that follows. It's a subject that may feel fully explored by now, and I wondered going into it what new angle could possibly be taken here, but don't you worry about that. The fresh approach of The Missing is to vault back and forth in time, between the moment the Hughes' child was taken in 2006 and the awful few days that followed, and the present day, eight years later, when the circumstances of the various characters we meet on the show are vastly different, and the mystery of Olly's disappearance was never solved.

Already that puts us in a very depressing place, since the abduction of a child and the idea of never finding out what happened to him is almost unbearable to grasp, the worst nightmare for any parent. But Nesbitt and O'Conor are so incredibly genuine in their performances that as miserable as the situation is, they are always fascinating to watch. Nesbitt's Tony is more interesting, as the formerly violent man driven into the abyss by what was his own mistake in looking after their son, and the obsessive lengths to which he goes in a quest for vengeance and closure (think Liam Neeson in Taken) is quite impressive to behold. And O'Conor is heartbreaking as the mother who can barely function in the immediate aftermath of their son's kidnapping, and in the present day as a woman trying to desperately to save what's left of her own life by refusing to fall into despair and false hope, the antithesis of her husband's obsessive attitude.

Surrounding the two of them is a cast of supporting characters who all play varying roles in the investigation into Olly's disappearance, the most important of which is veteran French character actor Tcheky Karyo as Julien Baptise, the head detective on the case whom Tony seeks out years later when he thinks he's found a new lead. Baptiste is the optimistic heart of the show, determined to help the Hughes's figure out what happened, and his character may be the only one who makes all the misery bearable, although he suffers in his own life with secrets that are eventually revealed over the course of the series as well. The gimmick of the flashbacks and flash-forwards works surprisingly well, as each episode alternates between which timeline is more interesting, and either one of them would make for a fascinating story on its own (a sign that the material you're working with is strong).

Ultimately, the show has to promise the viewer some kind of answer about what happened to Olly, (however untrue to life that may actually be), and that requires the development of some glaring coincidences in the present timeline that suspend disbelief a tad, but for dramatic purposes in a show paced like a thriller, I could forgive the contrivances in the object of satisfying an audience. The character work is plenty strong enough to justify furthering the plot however they want, and let's face it, at some point we are owed an explanation after investing so much time. Though the show may not be for everyone (some episodes were so disturbing they effected me for hours afterward), it's undoubtedly one of the strongest of 2014 and for those prepared to brave the darkness it's well worth the investment.

Grade: A-

Golden Globes Honor 'The Affair' and 'Transparent' for Top TV Awards

Well, color me shocked. The HFPA actually picked some very cool winners tonight, although if there was an overarching theme it was that they love all shows in their first seasons (aside from the random Joanne Froggatt win for Downton Abbey- who saw that coming?) I went 6 for 11 here, which is better than last year (I think I only got 2 or something last time). I think the Globes proved tonight that they actually do watch these shows, because they went full in for Fargo and Transparent, not bothering to even throw a bone to other hot new series like Orange is the New Black or True Detective, meaning they stuck with what they genuinely liked. Some of my reasoning was actually pretty good here with things like Gina Rodriguez and The Affair, and I'm thrilled that they love Transparent so much! Overall, these wins make me a lot happier than the stuff that won over on the movie side- and the heartfelt speeches from truly excited winners like Bomer, Tambor, Rodriguez, Froggatt, and Kevin Spacey were a lot funner to watch, since they were all so touched by the moment.

BEST DRAMA SERIES: The Affair
BEST COMEDY SERIES: Transparent
BEST TV MOVIE/MINISERIES: Fargo
BEST ACTOR DRAMA: Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
BEST ACTRESS DRAMA: Ruth Wilson, The Affair
BEST ACTOR COMEDY: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
BEST ACTRESS COMEDY: Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
BEST ACTRESS MOVIE/MINI: Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
BEST ACTOR MOVIE/MINI: Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo

Golden Globes TV Predictions

I'm hesitant to even try predicting the Globe TV awards this year, because of what an epic fail my first attempt was last time. But what the hell, I guess all you can do is practice in order to get better. Let's brave the waters.

DRAMA SERIES

• The Affair
• Downton Abbey
• Game of Thrones
• The Good Wife
• House of Cards

Gulp. Right off the bat it's going to be a blind dart. Well...House of Cards is a prestige show with movie actors in its cast, but The Affair is brand new, sexy, acclaimed and maybe House of Cards is old news now? I do think it's between those two, so I'll just jump in with both feet. The Affair it is.

COMEDY SERIES

• Girls
• Jane the Virgin
• Orange is the New Black
• Silicon Valley
• Transparent

I think it's got to be Orange is the New Black here. They didn't get to crown it last time because it wasn't competing in Comedy where it belonged. It's still buzzed about and cool (newness and buzz is practically the most important factor with Globes voters when it comes to TV), so I think it will win this year. Transparent has an outside shot, but slim I'd say.

ACTOR- DRAMA

• Clive Owen, The Knick
• Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
• Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
• James Spader, The Blacklist
• Dominic West, The Affair

I think it's either Clive Owen or Kevin Spacey, who they haven't awarded yet. Tough. Um- I'm going with Spacey because the show is nominated in Series.

ACTRESS- DRAMA

• Claire Danes, Homeland
• Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Ruth Wilson, The Affair
• Robin Wright, House of Cards

Well, Wright won last year, so she's out. It's either Davis or Wilson, and if they like The Affair, which it seems they do (three nominations) they usually go with the star of the new series, so I'm going to say Wilson takes this. They love to crown newbies.

ACTOR- COMEDY

• Louis C.K., Louie
• Don Cheadle, House of Lies
• Ricky Gervais, Derek
• William H. Macy, Shameless
• Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

I really think Tambor has this one in the bag, but Gervais does have a shot as an old Globes favorite. They may just vote for him to see him on stage. Still, I think the popularity of Tambor's show will carry him to the win.

ACTRESS- COMEDY

• Lena Dunham, Girls
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
• Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
• Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black

This is probably Schilling or Rodriguez, based on the fact that their shows got into Series too. I'm going to say Rodriguez will take it in a surprise upset (it's happened before with people who were on younger skewing shows- think back to Keri Russell, Claire Danes, Jennifer Garner, and America Ferrera).

ACTOR- MOVIE/MINISERIES

• Martin Freeman, Fargo
• Woody Harrelson, True Detective
• Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
• Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart
• Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo

Ok, so I assume this is McConaughey unless they want to buck the trend for some reason. But they won't- a pretty good rule of thumb in the TV Movie/Mini categories is that the movie stars almost always win.

ACTRESS- MOVIE/MINISERIES

• Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honourable Woman
• Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show
• Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
• Frances O'Connor- The Missing
• Allison Tolman, Fargo

McDormand, based on the rule (and Lange's already won). Although, if they really did watch The Missing, Frances O'Connor stands a chance here.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
• Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
• Colin Hanks, Fargo
• Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge
• Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Bill Murray, per the rule and also because they want to see him on stage. Who doesn't want a Bill Murray acceptance speech at their awards show? If they actually watched this stuff, Matt Bomer should win, but don't count on it.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
• Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Freak Show
• Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
• Allison Janney, Mom
• Michelle Monaghan, True Detective

Based on the rule, who do you think it is? Kathy Bates, right? Me too.

MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

• Fargo
• The Missing
• The Normal Heart
• Olive Kitteridge
• True Detective

Heh. Boy is this category epic. I wonder if the HFPA even realizes what a stack of riches they have here. Any one of these would be a great winner, but...I guess True Detective? The buzz and all? Part of me wonders if The Missing could pull this out- that was a BBC show and every once in a while the foreign press is watching a more international series and throws a curve ball based on the actual quality of something (the original BBC Office won years ago when hardly anyone here in the U.S. had even heard of it). And then there's Fargo, which they clearly liked and may not want to go home trophy-less. Hmm...I think I'm going with Fargo, based on the spread the wealth rationale. Well, I'll be watching these with several face palms ready, no doubt. Come back for the winners on Sunday night!

'Big Bang Theory,' Jimmy Fallon and a Bunch of Random Shows win at the People's Choice Awards

My hatred for the People's Choice awards doesn't actually extend as much to their TV side, because honestly, I'm too indifferent to care about any of them. I basically don't watch any show on network TV anymore, so this world of theirs is one I'm not really living in. Although I will say Jimmy Fallon is an unctuous, phony sycophant and giving Saturday Night Live favorite sketch show tells me none of them are watching it this season (lucky them). But the rest? I don't care, because I don't know it or watch it. And aside from The Big Bang Theory and one little mention here of Orange is the New Black, I don't who's watching any of this crap. This certainly isn't anything that represents TV people are actually talking about/binging on/recapping now. It's a relic for the casual watcher, not the serious TV fan. Seriously, go ahead and defend Melissa & Joey to me as favorite cable comedy series. Favorite for who? Who ARE these people?

TV Show: The Big Bang Theory
Network TV Comedy: The Big Bang Theory
Comedic TV Actor: Chris Colfer
Comedic TV Actress: Kaley Cuoco
Network TV Drama: Grey's Anatomy
Dramatic TV Actor: Patrick Dempsey
Dramatic TV Actress: Ellen Pompeo
Cable TV Comedy: Melissa & Joey
Cable TV Drama: Pretty Little Liars
Cable TV Actor: Matt Bomer
Cable TV Actress: Angie Harmon
TV Crime Drama: Castle
Crime Drama TV Actor: Nathan Fillion
Crime Drama TV Actress: Stana Katic
Network Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show: Beauty and the Beast
Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show: Outlander
Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor: Misha Collins
Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress: Kristin Kreuk
Competition TV Show: The Voice
Daytime TV Host: Ellen Degeneres
Late Night Talk Show Host: Jimmy Fallon
Dramedy: Orange is the New Black
TV Icon: Betty White
TV Duo: Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder
TV Character We Miss Most: Dr. Christina Yang
Actor in a New TV Series: David Tennant
Actress in a New TV Series: Viola Davis
Sketch Comedy TV Show: Saturday Night Live
Animated TV Show: The Simpsons
New TV Comedy: Jane the Virgin
New TV Drama: The Flash

John Oliver explains New Year's Eve

A bonus from Last Week Tonight! John Oliver tells us why New Year's Eve is the worst: