Year in Science: Amphipolis Mysteries and Other Riddles Revealed

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Who's buried in a 2,300-year-old tomb in Greece? How long will it be before controlled fusion power becomes a reality? Can the Ebola virus be vanquished? Such are the scientific riddles that were posed over the past year. Will answers be forthcoming in the next year, or even in the next five or 50 years?

Here are 10 cases from the past year in which scientists answered old riddles, faced up to life-and-death riddles, or found new riddles. For still more year-end highlights, check out our "Year in Space" roundup — or follow the links at the end of this rundown.

Amphipolis tomb unearthed: Archaeologists discovered a previously unknown tomb in northern Greece that they dated to Alexander the Great's era in 300 B.C. So far they've found intriguing mosaics, statues of maidens and sphinxes — and a skeleton. Who was buried there? We should get a better idea in 2015.

Bird evolution traced using DNA: After years of analysis, researchers laid out ahuge array of studies detailing how thousands of bird species arose just after the dinosaurs departed the scene. The DNA analysis also has implications for human brain function and potential climate effects on the world's birds.

California drought and the East's Big Chill: The crazy weather patterns that left California dry while blasting the eastern U.S. with wintry weather pose meteorological riddles, and challenges for those who have to deal with droughts and storms. Was this year's wild weather a portent of things to come?

Climate realities take hold: A series of studies — including the latest global assessment from a U.N. panel as well as a White House assessment on the national level — laid out the dismal effects that are expected from climate shifts. 2014 is shaping up as one of the warmest years ever recorded.

DNA alphabet gets more letters: The genetic code in our DNA is built up using four chemical "letters" — adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine (A, T, G and C) — but this year, scientists added two more letters (X and Y) to the alphabet in a genetically modified bacterium. Now the researchers who pulled off the trick are trying to get the "semi-synthetic organisms" to produce custom-engineered proteins.

Ebola virus takes global spotlight: The Ebola virus outbreak that started in West Africa brought the long-simmering public health issue into a brighter global spotlight, and turned up the heat on efforts to develop new vaccines andtreatments.

First Americans' secrets come to light: Genetics and anthropology came together to shed new light on the peopling of the Americas, from the roots of the ancient migration in now-vanished Beringia, to the connections between the ancient Clovis people and today's Native American tribes, to the "game-changing" underwater discoveries made in a Mexican cave.

Fusion quest hits a milestone: Researchers at the National Ignition Facility said they produced a laser fusion reaction that released more energy from its fuel than the energy that was put into the fuel. It's not anywhere near the long-hoped-for break-even point for controlled fusion, because a lot of energy was lost along the way. Nevertheless, it's progress. Other fusion researchers are working on still other strategies.

Genetics of Neanderthals and humans: It's been four years since the Neanderthal genome was first sequenced, but this year's advances fleshed out the story of how ancient hominids diverged into different species. Among the highlights were insights into what we inherited (and didn't inherit) from Neanderthals, the time frame for human-Neanderthal interbreeding, and the process by which the two populations diverged. We learned more about our Denisovan heritage as well.

Spinosaurus straddles land and water: A detailed study of Spinosaurus fossil bones revealed that this particular dinosaur was an odd duck, in more ways than one. The new view of the creature's skeletal structure suggests strongly that it spent a lot of its time swimming in the water — and that when it walked on land, it waddled like a duck. The Spinosaurus project was also notable for its use of 3-D scanning and 3-D printing to produce models of the fearsome but ducky dinosaur.

No Ordinary Lame Duck: Obama Fights Back

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A month after the shellacking his party took in the midterm elections, President Obama has demonstrated over the past 30 days that he's not going to be your ordinary lame duck heading into his final two years in office. Instead, call him the active-duck president. On Nov. 20, he announced his executive action on immigration, and has since seen his approval rating among Latinos increase to 57%, per our new NBC/WSJ/Telemundo oversample of American Latinos. A week ago, the Obama White House worked the phones and twisted just enough arms to ensure that Congress passed its spending bill. And yesterday, the president announced an historic normalizing of relations with Cuba. Now this all isn't to say that the immigration and Cuba actions aren't producing political blowback -- Republicans have retreated to early next year to fight the immigration action via the appropriations process, and plenty howled at normalizing relations with Cuba. Despite the controversy and gridlock, however, Obama is getting stuff done. And he's got other good news to tout (321,000 jobscreated in November, enrollment on HealthCare.Gov has reached nearly 2.5 million). Now it remains to be seen how long this lasts or just how popular Obama's actions will ultimately be. But one thing is for sure: No one can say the president isn't relevant.

Flashback to this time four years ago

Interestingly, all of this activity from Obama is reminiscent to what happened a month after the Democrats' shellacking four years ago in the 2010 midterms. Back then, Obama struck his deal with Republicans (trading a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts for a payroll-tax cut). He signed legislation ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." And he got his New START treaty with Russia (though don't ask the White House what happened with Russia after getting that treaty). Obama's supporters have to wonder: Why does it usually take a punch in the face to get Obama to fight back?

Why Cuban-American politics doesn't have the punch it once did

Turning to yesterday's announcement on Cuba, we saw most Democrats supporting it (the exceptions being Cuban-American Dems like Sen. Bob Menendez), and we saw most Republicans opposing it (the exception being Sen. Jeff Flake). So it sounds like your normal occurrence in Washington, right? But we're not so sure yesterday's announcement turns out to be a big political player in the long term. Why? One of the big reasons is that anti-Castro politics doesn't have the punch in Florida it once did. After all, in 2012, Obama won the Cuban-American vote in Florida, 49%-47%, according to the exit polls, even though the opposition portrayed him as a Castro appeaser. And Obama narrowly won the state in that contest. And in 2014, Democrat Charlie Crist -- who supported normalizing relations with Cuba -- won Cuban-Americans by 50%-46%, even though Crist lost his election against Gov. Rick Scott. Cuban-Americans made up 4% of all voters in this gubernatorial race.

Rubio takes full advantage of the Cuba news

That said, Cuban-American politics still plays an important role within the Republican Party -- especially in Florida -- and we saw Marco Rubio jump into the fray. So one day after Jeb Bush's announcement that he's actively exploring a presidential run, Rubio took full advantage of a news cycle, appearing on every TV channel that would have him. We're unsure that a GOP presidential contest can feature BOTH Jeb and Rubio. But at least from yesterday's activity, Rubio isn't going to retreat quietly.

Obama's false note

As for Obama's Cuba announcement, there was one false note: He was a bit too giddy about the normalization of relations. Yes, yesterday was historic. But you can't ignore how brutal the Castro regime has been, and you can't ignore the Cuban Americans who were hurt (or who know someone hurt) by the Cuban Revolution. Had Obama been a little more skeptical about the new relationship with Cuba -- saying something like, "We don't know if this is going to work, but we're going to give it a try" -- he would have given himself a bit more cover. One can make a strong argument that the past 55 years of U.S. policy towards Cuba hasn't worked. But we're not 100% sure that opening Cuba up to American trade and commerce is going to turn the island nation into a budding democratic nation, either.

Where was Fidel?

Here's our final observation about yesterday's news: Where was Fidel Castro? We didn't see a single photo of him on the historic day. His health/physical condition must be in poor shape. After all, Fidel rarely misses an opportunity to jump into a moment. And because he didn't, it has to make you wonder if he was physically unable to.

Why the falling gas prices could supercharge the economic recovery

One of the familiar refrains about the economic recovery is that many Americans -- particularly those with lower incomes and those living in rural areas -- just haven't felt it. But enter the falling gas prices. Per our new NBC/WSJ poll, 50% of Americans say these declining gas prices have had either a "great deal" or "quite a bit" of impact on them. And guess what: That includes 60% of Americans who have incomes below $30,000; 63% of rural respondents; and 59% of Americans with a high school education or less. Bottom line: If more and more begin to feel the economic recovery, you can look back to the moment when gas prices started to drop below $3 a gallon.

More from the NBC/WSJ/Telemundo Latino oversample

Here's more from our NBC/WSJ/Telemundo oversample of Latino Americans: "The new survey also shows that Latino approval of the Republican Party continues to sputter, with just 24 percent giving the GOP positive ratings versus 42 percent offering a negative assessment. And 62 percent of Latinos say that Republican elected officials are not doing well at addressing the concerns of their community - a percentage almost unchanged since 2010. Those preferences could have big consequences for the 2016 election. Just 27 percent of Latinos believe it would better for the country to have a Republican as the next president, versus 49 percent who say a Democrat would be better. (Although, it's worth noting, Latinos also say that the next president should take a different approach than Obama, by a margin of 59 percent to 34 percent.)"

Senate Democrats confirm most judges since 1980

Lastly, we've pointed out the congressional productivity -- or lack thereof -- from the 113th Congress, which has now officially ended. But according to NBC's Frank Thorp, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is gloating about how many judges the 113th Congress was able to confirm, noting that the 132 District and Circuit judges confirmed in the last two years was more than any other Congress since 1980. According to a table released by Senate Democrats, over the past 33 years, only the 96th Congress, which spanned from 1979-1980, confirmed more judges, having confirmed 198

Rondo-to-Mavs deal nearly finished

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The Boston Celtics are in the process of finalizing a deal to send Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks, according to league sources.

Sources tell ESPN.com that the Celtics and the Mavericks have an agreement in principle to send the All-Star point guard to Dallas for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and draft picks. The Celtics will receive a first-round pick in the 2015 draft and a second-rounder in 2016, sources said.

The possibility exists that other players will be added to the final deal, but a Rondo-to-the-Mavericks deal is expected to be completed Thursday night.

Rondo would join Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons in a high-octane starting five.

Parsons addressed the possibility of playing with Rondo on 103.3 FM ESPN in Dallas on Thursday.

"To be able to get a guy like Rondo, it's unbelievable," he said. "It's not every day that you can get a point guard of his status, and the way he can pass the ball, he's a difference-maker. To be able have that, with the combination of what we already have with our system and the players put around him, it's special. It's definitely exciting. Like I said, I hope it goes through because he's a heck of a talent, one of [the] better point guards in the NBA."

Las Vegas sports book operator CG Technology shortened Dallas' odds to win the NBA title Thursday, moving the Mavericks from 13-1 to 8-1 after news broke that the deal is close to being finalized.

Rondo To The Rescue

The Mavericks' starting point guard trio of Jameer Nelson (33 games), Devin Harris (three games) and J.J. Barea (one game) has ranked at the bottom of the league in several categories. On the other hand, Rajon Rondo leads the league with 10.8 assists per game.

Category	Mavs' PGs	NBA Ranks
PPG	7.4	Last
APG	4.3	28th
FG pct.	36.0%	Last
-- ESPN Stats & Informtion

Rondo, who is in the final year of his current contract, has left little doubt in recent months that he intends to test the market as a free agent in July. But sources say Dallas, amid growing concern about its point guard play and sensing the opportunity to acquire a top-flight player it has coveted for some time, is confident it could win over Rondo for the long term.

Boston has the necessary trade exceptions to absorb all the salaries from Dallas while potentially generating a valuable $12.9 million trade exception (Rondo's 2014-15 salary) to help with future roster construction.

The Celtics were at the roster maximum of 15 before the trade and will need to part with additional players to absorb three from Dallas.

The Mavericks were one of several teams to express interest in Rondo. The Celtics also had talked to teams including the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets about a potential deal, according to sources.

Rondo is averaging 8.3 points and 10.8 assists per game this season, his ninth in the league

Stephen Colbert Retires 'The Colbert Report' With Help of Celebrities

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NEW YORK — Stephen Colbert filed the final edition of "The Colbert Report" on Thursday, bidding farewell to his popular cable television show with the help of scores of celebrities who crowded onto the stage for a rousing sendoff to the tune of "We'll Meet Again."

Colbert, 50, ended his show's nine-year run on Comedy Central without any guests, until the show's final moments when he broke into song and was joined by Jon Stewart, on whose show Colbert first popularized his persona of an egocentric, bombastic conservative pundit.

The singing comedians were soon joined by personalities including Randy Newman, Willie Nelson, Bryan Cranston, Tom Brokaw, Katie Couric, George Lucas and Big Bird from "Sesame Street." Among many others on hand were James Franco, Gloria Steinem, Jeff Daniels, Charlie Rose, Barry Manilow, Alan Alda, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Colbert stuck to regular segments, before accidentally killing off the recurring Grim Reaper character, Grimmy, exclaiming "I just killed death. That means I am immortal." In a final bit, he was picked up from the roof by Santa's sleigh, joined by "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek. Colbert is set to take over "The Late Show" afterDavid Letterman leaves in May.

Sarah Koenig On Serial: 'I Think Something Went Wrong With This Case'

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It's hard to believe that not only was there no Serial six months ago, there was no Serial three months ago. The hugely popular podcast, a spinoff production of This American Life, didn't even premiere until early October, but since then, it has made its way with great speed into worlds from Sesame Street to Funny Or Die. This is not only journalism; it is pop culture ubiquity, as no podcast has ever achieved it before.

The last episode of the show's first season, which re-examined the murder case that put Adnan Syed in prison for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, posted Thursday morning. On Thursday's All Things Considered, creator — and sudden celebrity of a very particular kind — Sarah Koenig talks to Audie Cornish.

Koenig says she doesn't regret being as open as she was about her own reactions to people in the case, despite the fact journalists, like anyone, can be manipulated.

"I'm definitely susceptible to that, I mean, there's no question. I like Adnan. I mean, I do. Like, he's a likable person," she said. "And, you know, I know him. I know him a bit."

And she adds that any expectation that she have no personal reactions rings false: "I think that's fake. I think that if journalists, reporters who spend a lot of time on a story, are honest with themselves, we all have feelings about our subjects — I mean, unless you're a robot."

What's the answer? "Be aware of how you're feeling and have checks on it."

The conclusion of the story, it had already become clear over the course of the season, was not destined to be terribly neat, but while she may not have uncovered evidence that suddenly made clear exactly what happened to Hae Min Lee, she did satisfy herself that Syed's conviction, based on the evidence offered in court, was problematic: "I think something went wrong with this case."

That's not to say she wouldn't have liked to feel more certain. "Obviously, I wish I knew. I wish I knew exactly what happened."

Cosby Accuser Also Testified Against Marv Albert

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A woman who said Friday that Bill Cosby had drugged her and sexually assaulted her in 1979 also accused another famous man of attempted sexual assault: sportscaster Marv Albert, who pleaded guilty to assault and battery the day after her surprise testimony against him.

P.J. Masten said in an interview with CNN that she woke up naked and bruised in a bed with Cosby in Chicago after he gave her an alcoholic drink and that she believes she was raped. She discussed the details of her allegations against Cosby in an interview with The Associated Press.

• Bill Cosby Accuses New Sexual Assault Accuser of Trying to Extort Him

Cosby's attorney, Martin Singer, did not immediately return calls and emails requesting comment. Singer has denied some of the recent allegations, while another Cosby attorney has called others "discredited."

Masten was a surprise witness against Albert in his 1997 trial, testifying that he bit her and tried to force her to perform oral sex in a Dallas hotel room in 1994 while he was wearing women's panties and a garter. Masten said she escaped by pulling off Albert's toupee.

Albert was originally charged with assault and sodomy after a longtime lover claimed that he bit and attacked her in a hotel room. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charges.

Albert maintained after the trial that Masten's accusations were a "complete fabrication." He said in a November 1997 interview with Barbara Walters on ABC's "20/20" that he had a hair stylist ready to testify that he was wearing a hair weave that would not have come off.

He said in the TV interview that he did not have a sexual relationship with Masten, who was a VIP representative for the Hyatt hotel chain at that time.Representatives for Albert and CNN didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

Masten, 64, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, described herself Friday as the "blond, bombshell ambush witness" against Albert. She said she didn't want to talk about that case.

"I really don't want to go into that because it's not about him," she said.

She said she knew Cosby from working at Playboy clubs in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Chicago. She said she was instructed at the time not to report the assault because Cosby was Hugh Hefner's "best friend," but she decided this week to come forward with her allegations after a woman sued Cosby, alleging that he forced her to perform a sex act at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15.

Since early November, at least 20 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault. Cosby has never been charged with any of the allegations.

"I just want him exposed for the serial druggie rapist that he is. He's got to be stopped," Masten said. "I don't care if he's 77 years old. He's got to be stopped."

Rapper Beanie Sigel Shot Outside Pleasantville, New Jersey Home

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Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel was shot after an apparent fight outside a Jersey Shore home, police tell NBC10. His attorney believes the rapper was not the intended target.

The shooting happened around 9:20 a.m. Friday outside the home where he lives along the 800 block of Spruce Avenue in Pleasantville, New Jersey, police said.

• Caught on Cam: 'Racing' Buses Lead to Crash

"From the first appearance, it would appear that there was some sort of altercation next to that property," Pleasantville Police Chief Jose Ruiz said.

Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, was hit in the stomach by a bullet that traveled out his back, police said. He was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery, Sigel's attorney, Fortunato Perri, Jr., told NBC10.

Sigel remains sedated and in critical condition following that procedure, officials said.

Perri, Jr. said the 40-year-old rapper had just returned home from dropping his kids off at school when he came upon the fight near his house. The attorney said it appears Sigel was an unintended victim in the shooting.

• Bill Cosby's Hollywood Star Vandalized

"The whole thing is a tragedy," a cousin of Sigel's wife said. She refused to give her name. "It's just very sad and I just ask that everybody keep our family in prayer and that he pulls through."

Another victim, 22-year-old Umar Salahuddin, was injured in the altercation, but was not shot, police said. He is being questioned by detectives, but has not been cooperative, according to authorities. His family owns the home where the shooting took place.

A gray car riddled with bullet holes that has been linked to the shooting was found two blocks from the scene, police said. They took a man in for questioning after he jumped out of the gray car. The driver of the car fled as they grabbed the other man, police said.

Police were also searching for a Honda minivan in connection with the shooting. They found that van -- empty -- just before 8 p.m. Friday at Washington and Hampton aves.

• Mark Wahlberg Asks Mass. to Wipe Out 1988 Assault Conviction

Sigel was released from federal prison in August after serving a two-year sentence for tax evasion. The Internal Revenue Service said he owed more than $728,000 in back taxes.

He was moved to a halfway house in Philadelphia after his release and then was transitioned into home monitoring. His probation ends on Saturday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The rapper was wearing a monitoring bracelet on his ankle at the time of the shooting, police said.

In 2013, Sigel was also sentenced to six to 23 months in prison after pleading guilty to a drug possession charge in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

• 2015 Grammy Nominees Announced

Sigel was formerly signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records before the two rappers broke ties following a public fight. He had three albums that reached the top five on the Billboard charts.

He had a concert dubbed "Beanie Sigel: The Return" scheduled for Dec. 18 at the Theater of the Living Arts on South Street

This isn't the first time Sigel was shot. He was hit in the arm during a 2006 shooting in Philadelphia.

10 Biggest Grammy Award Snubs and Surprises: Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus & More

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Beyoncé and Sam Smith lead the 2015 Grammy nominations, but Meghan Trainor and Miley Cyrus are the biggest surprises. Our guide to the Grammy shockers.

In a bid to make the Grammy Awards even more annoying than they already tend to be, the organization has been announcing their nominations (PDF) all day Friday in the most insufferable of ways. Over the course of five hours, a handful of categories at a time have been revealed. And—wait!—they’re not done yet. The epic conclusion to this drawn out saga of “ugh!” is Friday night’s A Very Grammy Christmas concert on CBS, during which the final category, Album of the Year, will be announced.

As it stands, Beyoncé and Sam Smith lead the nominations with five a piece, a turn of events that was to be expected. More, Queen B officially became the most Grammy-nominated woman of all time. Bow down, bitches!

Of course, everything about the Grammys is ridiculous. Its eligibility cut off is at the end of September, the nominations are announced in December, and the ceremony doesn’t air until February, so songs and albums feel like they’ve been released forever before the Grammys show to them love. For example, even though Beyoncé was released before last year’s nominations were announced and Beyoncé and Jay Z even performed “Drunk in Love” at last year’s ceremony, the album and the song weren’t eligible until this year.

Keeping in mind the total nonsense of these rules, we surveyed the list of major contenders and came up with the biggest snubs and surprises. It’s a good day to be Miley Cyrus. And a bad one to be Lady Gaga. (See the full list of nominees here (PDF).)

Miley Cyrus—SURPRISE

The twerking tyrant is now Grammy nominated, y’all. And, let’s be real, deservedly so. While The nationwide pearl clutching over the aggressive sexualization of Cyrus’s performances last year drowned out the conversation about the actual music, which was very, very good and very, very bold pop music. The inclusion of Bangerz in Best Pop Vocal Album is a good surprise.

Meghan Trainor—SURPRISE

The Grammy Awards are ALL ABOUT THAT BASS. (Get it!?) Trainor’s vocal fried ode to the curvy frame nabbed two major nods—in Record of the Year and Song of the Year—a feat no one saw coming when making their predictions. Its inclusion in Record of the Year is on track with the recent trend of all nominees being chart-toppers. Nonetheless, it’s surprising that the frothy hit made such a Grammy splash with stodgy Grammy voters. It’s about butts.

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams—SNUB

If you wanted more reason to be infuriated by this song: It actually was submitted last year but didn’t score major nods because it hadn’t become the massive hit it grew to be yet, so Pharrell submitted a live version of the track to compete again this year. Only at the Grammys can omnipresent, overplayed songs torment our lives for unimaginable lengths of time and still be Grammy-eligible. Still “Happy,” truthfully, should have been a shoo-in for Record of the Year given its incessant popularity this past year. But maybe Grammy nominators really are like the rest of us. “If I hear that goddamned clapping one more time…”

Hozier—SURPRISE

Soulful singer-songwriter Hozier released his debut album after the end of Grammy eligibility this year, but its lead single, “Take Me to Church” was still submitted and scored a well-deserved slot in Song of the Year. The category is a nod-for-nod replica of the Record of the Year selections (which is usually the case), but with Hozier’s track subbing in for Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” Given that this is the award given to the songwriter, that’s a wise move by the nominators.

“Let It Go” by Idina Menzel—SNUB

Given the nearly unfathomable popularity of Frozen this past year, there was buzz that “Let It Go” could actually rise out of the song-made-for-a-movie ghetto and actually score a handful of nods in the major races. But alas, the song was frozen out (heh) of the big races, including Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year, meaning the movie missed the opportunity to make even more history—it would have been the first Oscar winner for Best Song to score a Record or Song of the Year nomination since Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” in 2003.

“Chandelier” by Sia—SURPRISE

When a song like “Chandelier” comes out, which is effortlessly listenable but admittedly edgier than the mainstream typically lends an ear to, it’s a pleasant surprise when it does catch on. It’s an even bigger surprise when the typically unpredictable Grammy Awards catches on, too. Alternative but still unmistakably pop, experimental, and often just plain weird, Sia’s not the typical Grammy darling. But that’s why her inclusion in Record of the Year and Song of the Year is so great. Almost as great as her Twitter reaction to the news: “I don’t know what to say so thank you. Sia loves dogs.”

James Franco and Joan Rivers—SURPRISE

Perhaps the most delightful categories this year is Best Spoken World Album, which basically nominates celebrities for doing the audio books to things they’ve written. This year’s nominees is the most eclectic of mixed bags, with James Franco (Actors Anonymous) and Joan Rivers (Diary of a Mad Diva) both earning nominations—the latter posthumously—and facing off against the amazing random collection of Jimmy Carter, John Waters, Elizabeth Warren, and “I Will Survive Singer” Gloria Gaynor.

ARTPOP by Lady Gaga—SNUB

While Lady Gaga was nominated in Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her collection with Tony Bennett, Cheek to Cheek (and more-than deservedly—it’s a great album), the experimental pop diva received zilch for anything off of her ballyhooed-then-bombed album ARTPOP. Was ARTPOP Gaga’s best pop album? Not by a longshot. Was it a bit pretentious? Without a doubt. But there were moments of expected genius on it worthy of Grammy consideration.

Brandy Clark—SURPRISE

Best New Artist is a notorious hotbed for “who???” nominations, artists who may be well-known in their genres but are more of a wild card to the mainstream. This year, country starlet Brandy Clark joins the ranks of Esperanza Spalding and Kacey Musgraves, parlaying her Nashville popularity into a surprise Best New Artist nomination. She’ll compete alongside more blatantly mainstream success stories Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith, Haim, and Bastille, taking slot from other more pop-y contenders like A Great Big World, Bleachers, Echosmith, and Aloe Blacc.

Taylor Swift, Pop Princess—SURPRISE

Should there be any confusion over whether there’s any lost Grammy love over Taylor Swift’s switch from Nashville sensation to bonafide pop star, the love for “Shake It Off” in Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and, more tellingly, Best Pop Solo Performance should settle it: Swift has successfully made the transition. The rest of 1989 was ineligible, as the album was released after the eligibility deadline, so expect more pop love to come for Swift at next year’s ceremony.

Peter Pan Live Was the Worst Three-Hour Drag Show We've Ever Seen

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Good God. NBC's live production of Peter Pan was not at all what we had hoped for: Props falling, props falling on Allison Williams or Christopher Walken, someone forgetting their lines and doing an Ashlee Simpson jig. No, instead we were forced to endure a three-hour college musical theater show whose dullness was punctuated with impressive gayness.

What was apparent from the show's first song is that the production's audio was...off. Or something wasn't quite right. The sound was either partially lip synched or the actors relied on loud backing vocals—everything sounded pre-recorded. One theory: The audio being played back was recorded from a dress rehearsal.

Then Allison Williams swooped into those kids' bedroom like a demon haunting a terrible nightmare. And she did this.

Allison Williams has the whitest teeth on this planet and likely others. Her face is a canvas for emotions, primarily abject terror.

When she implored us to believe, so Tinkerbell the iPhone ringtone could fly again, she scarred some children for life. When they wake in the middle of the night, dripping in cold sweat, fearful that the shadows being cast by their nightlight could be Allison Williams coming to drag them from beneath their covers and devour them whole, it's because of this:

And then Christopher Walken, with his drawn-on eyebrows and barely-contained drawl, limped through his songs and scenes as a sexually ambiguous Captain Hook. Here's him "tap" "dancing":

At one point, he couldn't even be bothered to lip synch. He must have been as bored as us.

Then there's the Lost Boys, or Allison Williams' cadre of adult men jumping around her fabulously, always singing, their quads perpetually flexed. They go up in a treehouse and it's like Peter Pan and has his own den of gay men.

The whole production, really, was gay as hell. I'm convinced they compelled Christopher Walken to play Hook by telling him, "It's basically a three-hour drag show and you get to wear a ridiculous wig, it'll be great." Look at this shit:

Mostly, it was boring. This is not so much a knock against the alleged timelessness of J.M. Barrie's story, but rather the strictness of this particular production. The entire press cycle leading up to last night's show was all furrowed brows by the cast and producers as they expressed the supposed terror of enduring the same critical drubbing suffered by last year's The Sound of Music.

There was this insistence that the show be so professional, that it be taken seriously. So serious, apparently, no one was allowed to have any fun. The problem with this Peter Pan was that it was a joyless snore. No wonder Wendy didn't want to be a kid forever—Peter Pan made being a kid in Neverland look like such a chore.