For anyone who hasn’t read or seen Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (really? you really, really have missed this? what are you? a high-functioning, sociopathic, consulting detective?), The Grim is a harbinger of doom and death represented by a large, black hound. Sound familiar? Of course, Arthur Conan Doyle did it first.
I love the way Dr. John Watson is always so trusting of Sherlock Holmes, despite the fact that Sherlock frequently lies to him, plays tricks on him, hides necessary information, and, in general, is worse than a 7th grader in personal relationships. John Watson is just so good and sweet and Martin Freeman’s portrayal is perfect — he can say more with one raised eyebrow than many lead actors can do with the entire force of a major motionless picture behind them.