Finally, it can drink in the states!
After 21 years Hellfire is still awesome.
Episode 1: The Dark Swan
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
So I have elected to finish the Once Upon a Time reviews. Not sure how in-depth the reviews will be but here we go with season 5.
Ok, Hold up, only 30 seconds in and I have an issue. I thought Emma was in Boston till she ran away to Minnesota when she was 13 or 14. She is clearly a kid in 1989. Was she moved to Minnesota and then moved back to Boston and then ran back to Minnesota? I know it’s part of the show to change everyone’s past when ever but this is a headache to people who are paying attention.
Confession time, I don’t like Brave so seeing Merida doesn’t bode well. This episode has Emma re-solidifying as the Dark One at vault of the Dark One. Emma sees a vision of Rumple who is the embodiment of all the Dark Ones to train her in the ways of the Dark Side. Emma however is trying to resist. Rumple-vision tells her the way to find Merlin, who can help her, is through the will-o-wisp which is how she meets Merida.
While that is going on the Storybrooke crew is trying to get to Emma. The apprentice gives them a wand but only Zelena can wield it. After some tricky they get her to open a portal and the crew goes to the Enchanted Forest via Grannies along with the Dwarves in a cyclone.
The crew gets to Emma and convinces her not to kill Merida. Then go to Camelot BUT then there a flashforward back to Storybrooke where 6 weeks have passed but everyone has forgotten what happened after they entered Camelot. Emma is also a fully-relieved Dark One. So we have another memory loss plot. They did it again. Third Time in 5 seasons?
Nitpick time, someone who recalls season one, when Rumple became the Dark One, did he go to the vault? Because I think he remained where he was and just transformed. Unless Emma had to because she in the Land without Magic And someone who recalls season 2, didn’t Hook use that heart taking potion to take Aurora’s heart in season 2? He mention how he got it but did the writer forgot him taking Aurora’s heart?
I did like this episode, even with a Disney character I don’t particular care for. It does seem like Merida was very on the nose, making it seems like she will be recurring. It’s weird how sometimes the Disney characters are straight out their movies and other are different.
I also like how the Dark One’s dagger is the tip of excalibur, that is neat plot development. The design on both is a given away.
While I don’t like how liberally this show used the memory loss trope for drama we’ll have to see how this Camelot/Dark Swan plot goes but the whole Light and Dark side of magic is Star Wars,,. #Reginaisvader
Episode 2: The Price
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Jared S. Gilmore as Henry
So we’re back to magic having prices. This concept of the show never really went away but it hasn’t been mentioned in a while. What price does Regina pay for silencing Zelena or fixing sneezy or transporting everywhere?
This episode has Robin’s life being threatened by a fury who wants to drag him to hell because Regina had Emma saved him Camelot. The power of friendship saves the day in the end. That is actually what happens.
I do like Emma’s new attitude especially considering how whiny she was in season 3 and 4. Can’t really tell how much she committed to being the Dark One or if it’s part of some larger plan. Emma does have a nice house though. Speaking of being whiney, Hook is the whiney one now trying to figure a way to save her.
This episode did introduce my new favorite character The Nonchalant Duck on the pond as the hellish ferriman comes. The duck is like “hell is opening? Whatever.” Seriously my eyes go right to the duck just swimming by.
I also liked Emma’s flower child ball gown. It’s like they’re trying really hard to make the juxtaposition of her as Dark One before she “embraces” the darkness and after so they dress her as innocent as possible. Her outfit in the season opener looked like moss. She seemed more like a forest hermit than a creature of pure darkness.
And they mentioned a pull to the light, #EmmaisKyloRen so is Rumple either Snoke or Palpatine? Guinevere is quite pretty. She is played by Joana Metrass. Do you think she would make a good Esmeralda?
This episode seemed average. Seems like most of this arc will deal with the 6 missing weeks and Emma’s dark plans. I’m sure there will be other flashbacks.
The Ferryman and the Duck
Episode 21: Mother
Lana Parrilla as Regina
So Rumple needed Emma to go all dark side to charge the author’s ink but turns out Lily could do that because she had Emma’s potential for darkness. And instead of writing a fix to Rumple’s heart problems, Isaac is going to rewrite the rules so that villains win. But since the author can literally write whatever he could just literally fix Rumple’s problem without this fate changing thing they are doing. Also if Rumple issue’s was his heart going black from bad deeds why can’t he do good deeds? Also Rumple was FINE prior to the flashback. Sure there was time gap and he took some medicine but there was no indication of his heart dying. This plot has too many outs and variables to be compelling.
The real theme of the episode is mothers, as you can tell by the title. Emma FINALLY forgives her mother and stops acting like a pouty child. Lily meets Maleficent. At first it didn’t go great as Lily expected a “Dragon Bitch” and not a normal snappy dresser who can turn into a dragon, but they reach an accord.
The past section was about Cora trying to get Regina some love in her life along with a baby. Regina thinks this a power grab on Cora’s part and takes the infertility potion to thwart her mother. This backstory also leads Regina to not erase Zelena from the book because of the pain Cora inflicted on both of them.
I dunno why but I love Zelena, I think it might be the actress more than anything. She was also an episode of 30 rock, in Season 7 Episode 8 My Whole Life is Thunder, where she was virgin widow nymphomaniac. Kermit the Frog was also in that episode but in a different scene.
You know what else is stupid about the author and Rumple’s plan? Aside from Cruella, who was a bad egg from the start, all the villains got their happy endings. So this changing fate is EVEN MORE DUMB. Just going to say it again, the author can write a cure for Rumple on a slip of paper even. Like Rumple can have his Dark one powers without the limits of being the dark one if Isaac wrote it down.
This show depiction of Maid Marian pisses me off. I have seen MANY versions of Marian even that BBC version that was weird but this Marian’s only value to the plot has been sick/dying and a manic pixie dream girl to Robin (sort of). She didn’t have much personality and even Disney Marian did and she barely in the movie.
This episode was mostly fine. It worked mostly but the plot of this arc has been too all over the place and seems to be leading to a dumb conclusion.
Episode 22: Operation Mongoose Part 1
Lana Parrilla as Regina
Isaac has vanity issue which makes him the worse of the “villains.” We also get a bit of a backstory on Isaac, it’s nothing super amazing or interesting. Just a writer wannabe who can’t sell TVs in the 60s.
This episode bring us to an alternative reality where the former villains are heroes and the heroes are villains. So Rumple is a kindly knight who saves people and Snow and Regina are literally swapped. Henry enters the book with Isaac to try and save the day
Henry however enters at the final chapter which means there is a ticking clock. He has to change the ending so the book loses its power, I guess. I don’t know literally theory or principles, but why would there be an inciting incident in the final chapter? The inciting incident is the event or decision that begins a story’s problem. So no. Wrong term writer with a job.
The trouble is Villains can have happy ending UNLESS Ursula and Maleficent were never really Villains? Gasp, Disney needs to rebrand them.
While the episode is handle well it seems like a concept was childish. Snow White as the evil Queen is painted as just cruel and evil whereas Regina was shaped into a heartless bitch because of her mother killing her boyfriend. Snow lost her love because of Regina but she was already cruel before that, so the only point of this is to see Ginnifer Goodwin acting “evil” which we saw in season 1 when she forgot about loving David. Also I think the styling of Regina as “Snow White Bandit” and Evil Queen Snow should have expressed their own characters more than just costume switch.
Also poor Graham, he for written out of the story too.
This of course is a two part episode so we can’t fully look it till… Right now!
Episode 23: Operation Mongoose Part 2
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
Full Disclosure, I been watching Once on Netflix and the image between episodes is Dark Swan so the twist of Emma taking in the darkness and being the new dark one wasn’t too much of a twist for me BUT I can imagine this when it aired because it’s a neat twist. The show does do twists well. Should mention Emma took on the darkness to protect Regina’s happy ending and it finally gave Emma the push to tell Hook she more than liked-liked him but loved him. It also tied into the Emma asking her parents to remove the darkness from her again. So the all plotpoint did converge fairly well even though the it seemed all over the place for most of the season.
As for the second part of this episode, things got wrapped up neatly from the alternative reality. Regina self-sacrifice saved the day and Henry became the new author. I did hate that Rumple was called the “Light One.” I get that it’s the direct opposite of the “Dark One but it doesn’t sound as good. Light One literally sounds like the first idea the writer came up with. “Lighter Bringer” would have been better, “Pure One,” “Luminous One,” “Bright One” I get the magic is called Light magic but “Light One,” Super Meh.
I did love the Star Wars reference, Kashsyk is the wookiee homeworld and Henry is a wookie. So in a way George Lucas true hero of this arc.
We also learned a few new things about the Dark One. Apparently The Sorcerer, or Merlin, tethered darkness to a soul to contain it. Not sure what is special about this particular darkness. Or is it all darkness?
This was an enjoyable episode. Sure, it was more amnesia but it was handle moderately well. Glad to know the show hasn’t forgotten Black Beard and he also got a happy ending, he got the Jolly Roger.
Episode 19: Sympathy for De Vil
Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil
So it was the dragon egg that helped Ursula and Cruella stay young? Great! Good thing we got a half-hearted explanation. It was Dragon Placenta, it does wonders for the skin!
Mostly I really enjoyed this episode. Cruella’s backstory was great twisted play on both the trapped princess in her tower type story and 101 Dalmatians. It’s also nice to see a character that doesn’t have any shades of grey, she just psychotic and much crazier than she Disney counterpart. Also love that she hair is the result of the ink. But something is nagging me, how did she get to the Enchanted Forest? Remember when Realm hopping was hard?
Her “happy ending” is getting her killing ability back as the author, Isaac, took it way so she CAN’T take a life. Just a nitpicky question and honestly this the SAME Question I had for Return of Jafar, can she set-up someone’s death? Like had she tied Henry to a railroad track? I mean she wasn’t she driving during the mean girl test with Regina back in episode 15? So either she can arrange death or they were never in any danger on the railroad track. GAH, it’s confusing
I guess another slight nitpick I have is that Cruella’s story realm, as they are called, is the 20’s but 101 Dalmatians is set in the 60’s. That means 101 Dalmatians in the context of the show is set in the 20’s because time doesn’t move. Or is the show implying Cruella was was in her like in her 50s or 60s during the events of 101 Dalmatians, assuming she was 18 in 1920 making her born in 1902 but it’s very clearly said in 101 Dalmatians that Cruella was Anita’s school friend making them roughly the same age. Easier to assume 101 Dalmatians was just set in 20’s than to do mental hoops. One other question does Cruella’s story realm have other stories set in the 20’s? Like The Great Gatsby? I mean Isaac was reading that book in this episode so one can assume that that story is in the realm.
In Storybrooke, Emma is still whining about her parents lying to her. Basically, Emma holds them to a higher standard, so them lying to her is a super big deal to her. Whereas former villains, like Regina and Hook, Emma okay with because they were honest. So having remorse over something that Snow and David did with wrapped good intentions and knowing what they did was wrong is less redeemable than two people who did bad things for the hell of it and out of revengence. Emma needs to grow up she met her parents at the age of 28 and kept them at arm’s length for a awhile, not sure how time passes in Storybrooke. Anyway Emma’s constant complaining about her parents is not a good character arc.
Speaking of Emma, she kills Cruella setting her on the path of darkness like Rumple wants. Though she was acting in defense of her child, so it’s leap to think that this puts her on a “dark” path. But speaking of the Dark one, Rumple’s motivations for all the fate rewriting is that because of all his dark deeds his heart will be incapable of love. So his “evil” motivation does come from a place of love which is typical of his character but it seems a little too late for him to get back to being interesting. All Rumple had to do was nothing back when he saw the sorcerer’s hat but he couldn’t resist power so he not sympathetic because it was the second time his chose power over his family so now that his heart is becoming devoid of love isn’t enough.
I did like this episode, especially the past potion with Cruella. I do wonder how long she will stay dead? Though Graham and Neal of still dead.
Episode 20: Lily
Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Agnes Bruckner as Lily
So Emma is Anakin Skywalker and Rumple is the Emperor, he trying to get her to the dark side but gasp girl-pal Regina is a more successful Obi-Won. I do like Gal-pal Regina on their magical road time to save Robin and find Lily.
They do find Lily in Lowell Massachusetts. And hey, the show got the distance between Lowell and Boston right. So as you MIGHT have figured this episode is about Lily, Maleficent’s daughter and it’s a mixed bag. Emma is still whiney about her parents till she runs into Lily, who knowing everything about the Enchanted Forest people, wants revenge on the Charmings. Emma is about to kill Lily but Gal-pal Regina talks her out of it and Lily joins the road trip to NYC to save Robin.
The past section is about young Emma and Lily. Lily gets into trouble and gets Emma kicked out or new foster family’s house. After Emma pushes Lily away again, even though fate wants them to be together, the apprentice tells Lily everything. I have a minor major issue with is plot development. The apprentice could have sent her to Storybrooke and given her the entry scroll like Ingrid but instead he tells her the story and leaves her to fend for herself. I did like the yoda line but I like Star Wars.
It was mixed episode but the shock at the end was interesting, Zelena is pregnant. I do wonder how long Zelena could kept the Marian glamour going since the child would presumably looked nothing like Marian. She could be lying as Zelena does because she is a liar.
Episode 17: Best Laid Plans
Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as David
“Best Laid Plans,” like Maleficent laid an egg, real punny. Let me get this straight, Rumple’s plan is to get the author to make Emma’s heart dark so that villains can get their happy endings but her do-gooder parents swapped her darkness with Maleficent’s baby who they just assumed was a dragon for no real reason and they did this even though they were told by by the apprentice that everyone starts out as a tabula rasa (blank slate) so there is technically no darkness getting transferred but only the potential of darkness from Emma to Maleficent’s baby who is Lily, Emma’s childhood friend, and the only thing this spell did was sending Lily, Ursula and Cruella to the land sans magic but turns out that everyone was being manipulated by the author who had gone rouge and was creating drama, Did I get all that? But what I really want to know is how Ursula and Cruella didn’t age in thirty years? Bit of a plot hole there. Maybe New York is good for the skin.
This episode really does make Snow and David look really bad. They know what they did was wrong but they still throw around the word heros and villains so casually, I mean Maleficent is far and away more sympathetic. Emma being all whiny about her parents lying to her, this lair revealed story is as old a time and super boring.
Not sure how to feel about this episode, since you could just write David and Snow off because they were being manipulated but some sketchy dude. Plus Maleficent was great in this episode. The twist of the who the author was and him taking off running was good, really he seems like a douche. I just wish everyone wasn’t being so whiny, Maleficent is the only one right now who has a good excuse. Also that line about Walt being a great storyteller, way to stroke your ego Disney.
This episode does remind me of 30 Rock quote “Sometimes you gotta do the right thing even when the wrong thing is a whole lot easier… Die, werewolf-zombie”
Episode 18: Heart of Gold
Rebecca Madder as Zelena and Sean Maguire as Robin Hood
Oh yay,. Zelena’s back! Goody… In a way this feels like some ploy but Zelena is good for shaking things up and I do like her brand of evil so I’m not so against on this turn of events. What I am against is a Robin Hood focused episode, he is boring. He’s better as support character.
This episode is all flashback since it focus is 9 weeks in the past and how Robin went from former thief to bartender to nobel thief and all he had to do was steal something for Rumple that now needs in New York to mend his heart which is steeped in darkness. So the Dark One has some weird time limit now?
Another question I have is Why would Robin go to freaking New York City? Have these people never heard of Portland Maine? Boston exists and so do a LOT of other places between Maine and New York City. Is it because Neal’s place is available? Did Neal keep up the rent while he was in Neverland or in the Enchanted Forest or dead? You know a year has passed or did he own the place? There is also Emma’s apartment. Did she get out her lease? Or did she own? I mean Manhattan Real Estate .
The ending with Zelena posing as Marian made up for the otherwise boring episode and actually Zelena killing Marian and taking her form corrected the time paradox. Marian was meant to die and she did. Though I bet if you rewatch beginning of season 4 with the Frozen characters, she was playing the role of Marian really well and no could have see the twist till this episode. It’s like the planned it after Marian came back from the dead.
On a Different note, Christie Laing (Marian) was on season 1 of UnReal, which I just marathoned. That show is bloody addictive and full of horrible people. Also she was in Tucker and Dale Vs Evil which is the most romantic movie ever. It’s a parody of slasher movies, which I typically hate but that movie is great. I highly recommend it.
Quasimodo (Lon Chaney), Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller) and Gudule (Gladya Brockwell) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923
It’s been announces that Universal is adding Hunchback and Phantom to their own Universal Universe monster movie franchise a.k.a Dark Universe. In case you don’t know it’s Universal answer to the in-universe movies like Marvel and DC. This news comes out days before The Mummy hits theaters.
The 1923 version of Hunchback and 1925 version of Phantom were the movies that kicked off the monster crave but they are a little different than the other movies. For one thing they are not supernatural creatures who are “monsters.” They are both deform dude who fall in love. We can only speculate as to what direction the movies take them.
Personally I have seen at thee other Hunchback movies fail to get off the ground or in development hell. So until there is more information I won’t get too excited but it’s hard not to has there hasn’t been a major Hunchback movie since 1999 if you want to count the French parody. And if you don’t since Disney’s 1996 movie.
Considering the studio and the in-universe movies set-up, this will very likely get made, unless The Mummy tanks at the Box-office. No word on when it will be release so that Max Ryan version could come out first. IMDB still says its in pre-production but IMDB isn’t reliable. RIP Josh Brolin’s Jazzy version.
Also I like Phantom too.
Read more here: https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/6/15746148/universal-dark-universe-phantom-of-the-opera-hunchback-of-notre-dame
Esmeralda & Quasimodo, La Esmeralda, Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
So this pertains to the Kremlin version and not universal to the ballet productions as a whole. For the most part the costumes in this version were pretty great. They expressed the characters and were made for dancing but I had issues with one costume. Can you guess which one?
It’s Esmeralda’s.
Esmeralda Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
I can accept them putting her in red. While I fundamentally disagree with the choice I understand it. Red is a striking color and it stands out on stage. I get that and I can overlook that aspect.
Esmeralda & Phoebus, La Esmeralda Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
On the whole I do not hate this costume. It’s pretty and a nice darkish shade of red. More like Scarlett. The tutu style of Esmeralda’s and all the tutus appears to be the Romantic style. She has little sleeves that almost like flutter sleeves that add nice motions. The asymmetry is nice with embroidered flower on one side of the bodice and balanced out by embroidered flowers on a hip scarf. As well as chain of gold coins. It does read as naive girly gypsy.
Esmeralda Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
However there one aspect of this costume I do not agree with and it’s the color of the under layer of the skirt. It’s black. You can see it most of the time so it’s very noticeable. Why Black? Is it to match her laces? Because that the only other black on the costume. Is to foreshadow her tragic death? Is because red and black as classic sith color and Esmeralda is tempted by the dark side? That was joke but that reason makes more sense than any things else. I really don’t understand this choice. Any other color would have been better. Or was it because black was a safe choice with red? I thought it stuck out.
Alexandra Timofeeva as Esmeralda, La Esmeralda Bellet, Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
Not to bring up the book but there are few colors Hugo mentions for Emeralda, Gold, White, Blue and Green. Blue wouldn’t have been a good choice as it’s Fleur de Lys’ color. White might have sticked out too much. Green would have been alright as it would have linked her to her backup dancers. Gold would have matched the cording on her bodice and the coin details so it would have fit into the costume. Pink would also been a good choice as it could have go with the flowers.
Esmeralda & Fleur de Lys, La Esmeralda, Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
Speaking of the back-up dancers. There costume are near identical to Esmeralda but in green and they had headscarves. The head scarves are red as elements on their costume especially on the bodice. Their underlayer is also black but it does stick out as much. The layer could have just been for economy and efficiency. This the main titular character however I don’t think saving and money were an issue for her costume.
Esmeralda & Quasimodo, La Esmeralda, Kremlin Ballet Company, Moscow
I really hated the color of the under layer since its purpose is to add grace to her movement but it was an ill-conceived choice to and other well-composed costume.
Episode 15: Enter the Dragon
Lana Parrilla as Regina & Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent
Regina is both Snape and a manic pixie dream girl in this episode. Actually I’m not sure she is really pulling a Snape here, I have only a passing knowledge of Harry Potter.
In the Storybrooke part, Regina is trying to convince the bad girls that she wants to join their reindeer games which means some collateral damage and kidnapping. Emma in the episode is super annoying and now she says her super power is working. Whatever. Basically their goal is the same as Regina which is to find the author but Regina just wanted the author to change her fate, the villains want the author two make villains win and heros lose. Geeze, I think that is a super bad goal. I mean it’s like a 4th grader came up with it.
In the Enchanted Forest, Regina plays manic pixie dream girl to Maleficent who off her grind after she lost to Briar Rose. Briar Rose is also Sleeping Beauty. Aurora is her daughter who ALSO is sleeping Beauty. Basically Regina gets Maleficent back into her groove and her dragon form hence the title. It’s also a reference to the 1973 Bruce Lee movie. This plot was marginally better than the Storybrooke plot.
In other news Belle is a dummy who couldn’t see through Rumple’s rouse of getting the dagger in Hook’s form. I mean sure it’s convincing at Grannies BUT not so much after that. Belle is wasted in the show and so is Sarah Bolger as Aurora. Bolger was great in The Tudors and the production wastes her.
Also Pinocchio went through instant puberty and is now August again. Basically the Villains want to interrogate him.
Couple of things. Rumple tells Regina about how Maleficent burnt down a forest that still has a tree on fire because the fire was so hot. Is the fire hot or is the wood strong? Because I don’t think the fire being hot means anything for the longevity of the flame. I love Maleficent’s wardrobe in the real world. It’s great. Also Regina’s leather coat was great.
I liked that this episode focused on Maleficent and Regina but Emma’s annoying brand of worry and trying to insert herself into the plan was taxing to say the least. I think the villains are carrying the arc because it would be so dull without those three ladies.
Episode 16: Poor Unfortunate Soul
Merrin Dungey as Ursula
For the most part this was an enjoyable episode. I liked how they made movie Ariel’s backstory into Ursula’s back story. As she is the mermaid with the beautiful voice who wanted to keep music alive after the death of her mother but her Sea King father shut it down. S Basically it’s the plot of Ariel’s Beginning without Sebastian except with her goes to land to sing. Hook tries to help but ended up taking her singing voice.. It was nice that Ursula got a happy ending and it was nice to see Ariel again, I feel like show should use her more or it could be a case of less is more.
The Storybrooke plot did offer a nice twist that the door to this author is the page itself. The show can be clever with its twists. But the other twist of how Rumple plans to “change the rules” but filling Emma’s heart with darkness is dumb and seems convoluted. There was also Hook whining about how he was a villain so he afraid of slipping back into the “darkness” and losing his happy ending. But really, WHAT DID HE DO TO BE A VILLAIN? It was just kind of a ass and pirate. I guess violence makes on a villains and not evil schemes of power grabbing.
Also if the characters move out of Storybrooke do the rules still apply? Like how does this author work in the “Land without Magic?” Also not fan of seeing CG Wooden August agian. Wish the show wouldn’t reveal in their terrible CG work. But it was a good episode and hey they got Bernie Hudson to play Poseidon .
While I’m on the subject of actors, the guy who plays August, Eion Bailey, was on an episode of 30 Rock, Season 4 episode called It’s never too late for now, and Ursula’s actress, Merrin Dungey, was Sheila on Better off Ted, I love those two shows.
Episode 13: Darkness on the Edge of Town
Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil & Merrin Dungey as Ursula
I have two questions before we dive into the review. What does Snow teach? And what grade is Henry in? Because she was his teacher back in season 1 and she is still his teacher in season 4, color me confused? And Where is Frederick? He was the gym teacher. I’d really like to know what happen with him and Kathryn
Another thing I have to question, did Belle REALLY think a Cambridge linguist would know how to translate an ancient spell. Spoiler, it was Rumple. Either Belle is super naive or dumb, really not sure anymore.
So the episode has a few thing getting set-up. Basically the marching orders of this season are the villains are going to TAKE their happy endings, so Rumple enlists the help of Ursula, who works at and aquarium and Cruella who has fallen financial hard times. It seems like her husband was going to jail for tax evasion or fraud or something. Anyway so Rumple is hanging out with the mean girls and their FIRST goal is to get back into Storybrooke.
In Storybrooke, the crew is trying to release the fairies from the hat. That is the spell Belle got translated although it doesn’t release the apprentice but it does release the Chernabog from Fantasia. And as is typical for this show, the CG Chernabog looks REALLY bad. It looks more cartoony than that cartoon, which scared the crap out me as kid but now it’s amazing so shame on you OUAT.
The Chernabog was the subject of the past plot line where Rumple used Ursula, Cruella, and Maleficent to steal the Dark curse from the Chernabog. Rumple made it seem like he needed the evil ladies for their skill sets but it was rouse since the Chernabog eats the heart with the darkest potential. Anyway the ladies make it out together with the power of not being assholes to each other.
Ursula and Cruella use their knowledge of the Chernabog to leverage passage into Storybrooke as the Chernabog is going to eat a bitch. Regina knows it’s her but it’s really Emma, what a Twist! Also in a twist Rumple set-up the Chernabog relase so the ladies could get into town.
Snow and David as REALLY against Ursula and Cruella getting into town but are over ruled and they seem to have history together. Ursula and Cruella further prove they are not completely terrible people by not abandoning Rumple at the town line even though they would be justified. Their next goal is bring back Maleficent.
This episode was OKAY at best. It had some decent pacing but it’s still in the set-up phase which will take awhile. Snow and David are losing their charm and now they seem like douches. Also the Chernabog coming out the hat was just too funny. How did nd no one saw it? It was oozing evil and RIGHT there!
I will say I do like Ursula and Cruella. They are delightful in their evilness but I like that Ursula feels like her own character, apart from the movie and how Cruella has like power over animals, that is a rather neat touch.
Episode 14: Unforgiven
Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent, Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil, Merrin Dungey as Ursula, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David
Pretty much just lie to Emma’s face, if she likes you enough she won’t believe it anyway. All her parents do in this episode is lie to her and nothing. You could start a drinking game or some season bingo game with this plot contrivance
This episode give us hints as to what Snow and David did that makes them wary of Ursula and Cruella. So far Snow only say that she was responsible for Maleficent “losing” her child. Not sure what the means. Lost could be dead or Snow and David lost her like at market or something. Both scenarios could cause all that guilt. That this does retcon Snow’s darkness in her heart. It also seems that the losing of Mal’s baby is the reason for Emma’s super light magic because she had the potential to be Super good and Super bad. Thought it’s curious if Snow and David did something to make Emma good, why did the Chernabog go after her in the last episode?
I do have to wonder, how are they villains in the context of the show? Sure, we the audinece know they are “villains” but what did they do that gives that stigma in the Enchanted Forest. Because so far aside from Maleficent offing some guards they haven’t done much to anyone. Seems like Snow and David are more like villain. Maleficent wants the same thing as Snow and Snow didn’t know know Maleficent’s method for stopping the curse. Snow didn’t give her a chance. I guess the characters are all pretty grey but they throw the word Villains around so much you would think the show is brand placement for the Disney Villain line. Now in sock form!
The villains are the only noteworthy plot point. The author plot with Regina and Henry is dull and I don’t really care that Belle is playing kissy-face with Will. Hook has some history with Ursula that he keeping from Emma. I’m sure that backstory will get told when it’s dramatic enough.
So I guess we’ll find out how the Charmings “lost” Maleficent’s baby? Who is Maleficent’s baby? What Hook did to Ursula? Who the author is? How will Regina infiltrate the mean girls? Will Ursula and Cruella go back to granny’s after the bad service? Why Snow felt the need to monologue? What’s wrong with chocolate donuts? Would claymation look better than the CGs in this show? These are some of the big questions.
As for the episode, it was alright. At this point I just like the newer villains, the other character are just starting to become less interesting. I mean it’s all about lies and the author with them.
One more thing, I would rather watch a sitcom style show where Ursula, Cruella and Maleficent are all roommates in some city just trying to have it all. Rumple can be the neighbor or something.
Episode 11: Shattered Sight
Georgina Haig as Elsa, Elizabeth Lail as Anna & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
It’s the Purge, ABC Style! This episode wraps up the Snow Queen’s arc. The past portionis about Emma and Ingrid’s relationship. Ingrid and Emma did have a nice relationship and Ingrid was trying to adopt her. Ingrid messed it up however when she tries to push Emma’s powers out by nearly getting her hit by a car. Emma thinks she is crazy and runs off. Prior to that 28 year deadline Ingrid finds Storybrooke and sets up shop. When Emma wonders into the Ice Cream shop, Ingrid takes her memories.
Most of the episode is the fairy tale character being horrible to each other or beating the crap out of everyone. Emma releases Regina out because she figures that Regina’s hatred for her will undo the Ribbons. Not really sure how that really works. So as once the ribbons are off Emma and Elsa go to face off against Ingrid, as killing her is the only way to break the curse. Otherwise it’s a Regina and Snow bitch fight.
Anna then finds a the letter that Gerda wrote before she drown which recounts Ingrid and how she loved her and how she should encouraged Ingrid to accept her own powers and nothide away. Ingrid realizes that she has what she always wanted; her sister’s love. She then sacrifices herself to break the spell so that she can join her sisters.
The is arc made some aspects of Frozen make a little more sense. It serves as somewhat prequel and sequel to frozen and yet NO OLAF, I’m over it but a little annoyed. I wish Ingrid’s plan wasn’t so off. She wanted the love of her sisters but she didn’t want anyone else around. Just seems a little weak of an evil plan. It slightly evil but not really all that evil. She did get redeem though which is more than Rumple can say. His character development is like in the negatives at this point. He’s worse than when he started. Since his plot is still up in the air I bet the next arc will focus on him more.
I will say that Evil Snow and David were fun but why did the spell wear off quickly with Anna but not on the town? Did Ingrid control durations? Or is it like once the person does some task? Like with Anna it was threatening trapping Elsa in the urn and for the town it was just death?
This arc felt too all over the place. There were like so much set-up for other plots and the main Snow Queen/Frozen felt drawn out and nearly divertive of Frozen. It wasn’t a re-imaging but Frozen 2.0 which felt cheap. Also Will Scarlett is colossal waste of time.
Episode 12; Heroes and Villains
Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent, Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil, Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Merrin Dungey as Ursula
This episode wraps Rumple wanting to be free of the dagger plot, wanting to kill Hook and the aftermath of the Frozen. See because Rumple lied about knowing Anna, and Anna knows his plan he wants Anna gone. Rumple finds a portal and as the Frozen crew leaves Anna clues them into Rumple’s plan. Emma and Snow try to stop him but fail. Belle stops him with the help of an object that can lead someone to a person’s weakness which leads her to the dagger.
The past plot deals with Rumple trading the object for Belle’s life after Maleficent, Ursula and Cruella kidnapped her. Rumple then got the thing back from them and Belle found in in present day Storybrooke. Basically Belle thought she was worth more to Rumple than power so in the end she makes him leave Storybrooke. He then goes to New York City, because there is nothing between Maine and New York City. At least Belle got smart again. Smart might be the wrong word, maybe perceptive.
Robin and Marian also leave town because Marian got refrozen and it was the only way to save her except for Roland’s kiss which could have if the character remembers things. So even though Marian was going to left Regina and Robin be together NOPE. Also now when people leave town the don’t forget but they just can see the town anymore.
One question! Didn’t Mulan join the merry man? Or did she lied to Aurora? Where is Mulan? Or Nova? Or Ruby? Also just a minor nitpick but it’s more of a personal pet peeve, Individuals do not evolve. Rumple didn’t evolve he either matured or reverted. I hated it the usage of the word even in Pokemon.
Mostly this was good episode, though do wish we saw something of Elsa and Anna taking back Arendelle, seems like they just beat up Hans and that was enough. They redid the chocolate line because they had to throw ONE MORE FROZEN thing in the show. Speaking of divertive things we are introduced to Maleficent in her evil sleeping Beauty costume(though we have seen her before), Ursula who seems the least derivative one and Cruella who has amazing cheekbones. Let’s see where this new arc is going but it has a lot to do with previous set-up arc of finding the author. Which Henry did find a clue of in the sorcerer’s mansion. So either the sorcerer is the author or knows the writer. Seems weird there even is a physical author.
Anyway this a good episode, I like seeing Rumple suffer.