The text is pithy, but the items feel random.
What is remarkable is how Ms. Bell never makes them feel random or rushed; even the messiest little details have a genuine richness and warmth.
The forces that control it can be complex, and despite rather predictable seasonal changes, it can feel random on any given day.
This probably isn't much of a loss since the songs often feel random and tacked on, as might be expected, given that they were written by nine people in various combinations.
There are a few dabs of sophistication — the witty, walrussy presence of Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother; a disquisition on Schubert's great lieder and a morsel of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" — but these feel random and perfunctory.
The numbers 1 and 10 don't feel random enough, neither does 2, nor the other even numbers, nor 5, which is right in the middle … So we quickly eliminate all the numbers, leaving us with 7, since 7 is the only number that cannot be divided or multiplied within the first 10.
Every time the phone buzzes, it would feel random, but would be meaningful and important to address.
Inspired thoughts simply drop in automatically and can feel random or fleeting.
The cuts back and forth between centuries in the first act feel random and unnecessary.
You can't just plop the songs in anywhere and by gosh, they better fit the moment or they'll feel random.
The placement of the songs began to feel random; any tune could be sung by any characters in any order and it wouldn't matter terribly much.
