Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 22 Series Finale

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Leaving Storybrooke

Lana Parrilla as Regina, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 22 Series Finale Leaving Storybrooke picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming

Wish-Rumble’s plan was to separate everyone into their own stand-alone stories, meaning everyone is all alone. Although Zelena is on the Nautilus and hates fish.  However Regina uses her love to save Henry from the darkness that would makes Wish-Rumple’s plan happen. In the process OGRumble destroys Wish-Rumble by giving his heart to Wish-Hook which cures him of the poison. Not sure HOW THIS WORKS! But methinks the creators don’t either so just go with it. Anyway Rumble dies and reunites with Belle, Happy ending for Rumbelle.  

Then Regina cast a “curse” that brings all the realms together so all the wish people, all the other story realms, all the time-travel stuff all live in Maine. Now try, TRY to figure out the timelines and who is who. For some characters there are three versions of them. For instance Henry; there is Storybrooke Henry, Wish-Henry and Adult Henry.

WAIT! If all the realms are merged that means Henry doesn’t go to the Other Enchanted forest to meet Ella and therefore Lucy shouldn’t exist. Also if all the realms are merged  would THAT mean Rumple and Belle would be back in Storybrooke since future Rumple and Belle died but technically canonically in the timeline they would have been traveling around the Enchanted Forest with Gideon? But you’re not supposed to think of about it too much, just go with it.

Another thing they added that was pure fan-service was the dialogue about Lily’s dad being Zorro. WTF! Sure, I like everyone (I assume) wanted this addressed but a one line about Zorro being a dragon feels like a diss and a tease.  

Also speaking of tease was Henry being Rumple’s undoing, since they made us recall the seer from season 2 in the last episode. I guess yes since Wish-Henry stopped Wish-Rumble’s plan but really it was OGRumble that stopped Wish-Rumble.     

Anyway let’s talk about the big ending. With all the realms united Regina is electived the Good Queen to rule them all. I guess Storybrooke takes after Naboo with electing Queens. The show teases about why Emma isn’t there only to have Emma shows up with her baby and  a meta line about how she wouldn’t miss the event. Though Hook baby-proofing his hook was cute. AND AGAIN timelines and ages on these kids makes no sense but then again JUST GO WITH IT!

Anyway this was a fine ending for Regina, she gets her happy ending or her second chance. Regina’s and Rumble endings are both great and fitting for their character but the sloppiness  of getting all that fan-service and timeline brought the series finale down.

Then again if you just go with it and not think too deeply it’s fine, it’s all fine.

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 21

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Homecoming

Colin O'Donoghue as Wish Hook, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Robert Carlyle as Rumble & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 21 Homecoming picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Wish Hook, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Robert Carlyle as Rumble & Lana Parrilla as Regina

This is the penultimate episode, after this episode there is one episode left before it’s done, done, done or until  there is another reboot maybe. This episode is the ultimate example of the main issue Once has; the creators have good story talent, they are good at coming up with ideas BUT they don’t have much in the way of literary talent, they can’t execute their ideas which result in sloppy narratives.

With the timelines and mythos who  can keep up and this is the case in point with the Wish realm. Oh, the wish-realm, I hated it from the first and I still have it now. Basically Wish-Rumble (Wumble?) or New Rumple (Numble?), going with Wish-Rumble, he doesn’t want OGRumble (got that off of reddit), to get rid of the dark one powers since that would mean Wish-Rumble would lose his powers, though that doesn’t make any sense since the wish-realm people are different entities. I mean Snow and Charming didn’t die when Regina killed their Wish-realm equivalents. After this a series of manipulations and cameos ensues. Oh the cameos we have Pan, Cruella and Ariel. Aside from Ariel, the cameos don’t make sense. Like what is Cruella doing there? She was sent to The Land without Magic prior to Regina casting the Dark Curse and that when the time-line shifted so how did she get back? Then again how was Wish-Henry born in the first place?  

Wish-Rumble’s plan involves kidnapping Lucy and Jacinda to get Henry to give him the OG Dark One Dagger.

But really  Wish-Rumble wants the author’s power and has Wish-Henry on his side to exact revenge on Regina for killing Snow and Charming and taking Emma away. So that is the last plot line of the show, more Rumple being evil and power hungry. But it’s at least a different Rumble so the character progression isn’t lost.

What would have been Wish-Rumble’s plan if Henry had given Wish-Rumble the dagger?

Also Alice and Robin use the food truck and get to Storybrooke using a magic bean, which are super rare except when they are not.  They are on a mission to save Regina. New-Hook, OGRumple, Henry, Jacinda and Lucy.

None of this make contextual-sense, the only thing that makes sense is that Wish-Henry would want revenge of Regina. Is that enough for a final plot line that brings out all the cameos and ties up the convoluted plot of whatever Wish-Rumble is actually planning? Maybe and no. The wish-realm was stupid from the onset and is still dumb but now it’s all mucked up since Wish-Rumble and OGRumble’s powers are tied up together even though they are different versions that otherwise have no affect on each other?  Though given the show’s love of twists who knows what Wish-Rumble really wants. Maybe he just needs a hug.

I did like the call back to the seer from back in season 2. I wish that had been more of thing but better late than never, especially with this show.

All in all this episode is a C-.    

 

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 20

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Is this Henry Mills?

Jared S. Gilmore as Henry & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once upon a Time Season 7 Episode 20 is this Henry Mills? picture image

Jared S. Gilmore as Henry & Lana Parrilla as Regina

In the end it didn’t matter who the other coven members were because they are trees or what Facilier’s plan was because Wish Dark One Rumple killed him. All your Fan theories sucked! They were all Plot-fodder.

Anyway on with the episode. Apparently everything is in a time paradox and the Hyperion Height stuff is running along with Henry’s senior year and Adult Henry talkes to his young self meaning that the curse needed to happen so Henry could a realm hopping or Lucy wouldn’t be born. Now timeline are even more meaningless then they were before because no one could figure it before and now definitely no can make sense of it so don’t try.

It should be noted that the Storybrooke people wouldn’t have known that they were missing anyway even with the time-travel plot since as far the Storybrooke people knew Regina, Henry and the others were in another Realm anyway. Or was there communication in the intervening years and they never spoke about it? Doesn’t really matter because the scene with the two Henrys was good. Just wish they explained why Henry got to keep his name and not had another pseudonym.       

Henry wakes up when after talking to Regina he calls himself in that time-paradox thing. So he wakes up and then he breaks the curse when he kisses Regina after she got knocked-out during a witch fight with Gothel.  So it WAS a reversal of the parent-child true love kiss as it’s the child kissing the parent. Good! That was a nice reversal, it did sort of happened on season 6 with Henry and Emma after the Gideon fight but that wasn’t a Dark Curse breaking.

Then Tilly/Alice very quickly turns Gothel into a tree ruining her menace. In the end it was all very simple and easy. Now they JUST have to deal with Wish-Rumple and not Facilier. But to be fair Once Upon a Time has done this type of  conclusion before, where the menace is built up and resolved very quickly or sometime not at all. Still want to know how Mulan and Aurora saved Philip’s soul from the wraith! But that is season 2 baggage.    

The acting was the highlight of this episode but the plot having so much build-up for little pay-off and with wish-Rumple no payoff, the episode felt very flat for what it was trying to accomplish.

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 3 Review

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The Garden of the Forking Path

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 7Episode 3 The Garden of the Forking Path picture image

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills & Lana Parrilla as Regina

As a fan of “The Good Place” I must laugh at the title since “fork” is how that show says the F-word, it’s self-censorship for humor. Anyway on with this episode.  

So we get more plot and the show pretty much rehashing the episode from season 1 where Henry goes into the mines where Snow White’s coffin was. The only difference is that Lucy didn’t find a coffin with Henry but part of Cinderella’s shoe and in weird try at a twist it turns out Victoria dug up the gardens to FIND a coffin which is her daughters Anastasia. Speaking of rehashing, this Cinderella is ALSO a single mother like the previous verson.  

In the past Cinderella joins up with the resistance lead by Tiana. Somehow I just can’t take this seriously. First why? There is so far nothing on why there is a resistance and what makes Lady Tremaine so forminable that there NEEDS to be a resistance against her?  Also Why Tiana? Like why her as a character? It just seems like a random pick and I really can’t help but think that Esmeralda the way Disney made her out to be would have been better since she was all about social justice but whatever the show is really hit-and-miss when taking cue from the Disney movies so Tiana is Leia.

Anyway, we learn some nuggets of info like Anastacia’s death is somehow Cinderella’s fault making Victoria’s motivations reviving her daughter. ERGO her motivates are akin to Rumple’s but that also diminishes her menace. But to bring up the menace again, she needs a Heart.

Here is some confusion, Lady Tremaine in the past needs Henry’s heart which is The Heart of the Truest Believer. So the writers remember that plot from season 3 but FORGOT that there is a protection spell on it so no one can take it. BUT in the world without magic (except when there is) Victoria needs to break Lucy’s faith to revive Anastasias. What? At least I think that is the plot.

Honestly I can’t put my head around this episode.  We have Victoria formerly  Lady Tremaine who knows about the curse or as the show puts it, is awake, digging up a community garden and shelling out 5 dollars bills to get permit to do it so she can bring back her child from somewhat death. And we have Cinderella making speeches to save the community garden and that makes her the hero she was?  

Then we have to  wonder about the graves Henry saw that allude to his wife and child. Are they real or is this another wish-version doppelganger or part of the curse. Speaking of said curse last season Lucy was TOLD by Tiger Lily to find her father. So how is going to resolve the end of last season with this season. Did Lucy escape the curse but Cinderella still remembers her.

I just didn’t’ care for this episode aside from some plot exposition that is just adding to confusion  it was boring. Because watching a Fairy Tale character with amnesia talking about building codes to save a community gardens from a greedy builder is just want I want in a convoluted Fantasy drama.       

 

Also Jacinda did a Tom Jane from  Arrested Development

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 17 & 18 Review

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Episode 17: Awake

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 17 Awake picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David

There is so many issues with this episode that I’m amazed it got written in the first place. First off as it turns out Snow and David woke up from the curse ten years in because of pixie flowers. These deus-ex-machina flowers unite people with their true love which does connect Snow and David to Emma, remember that for later. So when they have a chance to get Emma back they can’t because if they do she’ll never be the savior. How? How does Emma growing up alone without her parents make her the Savior? Because if recall she was the “savior” or the one to break the curse because Rumple put that into the curse that a product of true love would break the curse. Her being a savior has zero to do with her being an orphan. They could have raised to the age of 28 and something else could have led her to Storybrooke. This just a retcon for no purpose. It doesn’t even make sense. No wonder the rules of magic keep changing, the writers can’t remember the reason why Emma was a chosen one or where her powers come from, they just made up the Savior thing as they went. I do wonder if they started that to keep Emma special because there is another product of True Love who keeps getting forgotten, Baby Neal, who is somewhere, probably, maybe. Are Snow and David good parents?

Also Snow and David wake up from the curse and not in the way you think. The Idea of their curse is that since they share a heart they share the curse and when one is awake the other is asleep. Oh, if only there was another person that was part of this True Love triangle. Oh but wait there is.

By the episode’s own admission Emma is part of that love ergo she could have woken them up this whole time. The freakin epsiode said she was their true love as children often are BUT the episode didn’t do that. Instead of the logical method which they have done before the show opts for a Kumbaya method where the town’s people take the curse to share it with them to wake them up. How does multiple people taken a weaken sleeping curse even wake them up in the first place? It makes no sense. The only reason I can think of for why the didn’t have Emma kiss her parents because it would have less dramatic and kind of a “duh” moment if it had come to that. But then again Rumple was under the dark curse till David woke him and then went back under even though in season 1 and past section in that Welcome to Storybrooke episode in season 2, he was clearly not under curse, so whatever.

They only decent part of this episode was Tiger Lily and Hook. They teamed up to get Hook home so that he can give Emma a wand to banish the Black Fairy apparently Tiger Lily has a history with her. And also Hook return via the pixie flower and pops the question again.

This episode was a trainwreck. It retcon elements to the point of ruining the story and the previous set-up which the writers have clearly forgotten.

Episode 18: Where Blue Birds Fly

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Rebecca Mader as Zelena Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 17 Where Blue Bird Fly picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Rebecca Mader as Zelena

This epsiode rounds out Zelena’s arc as a sort sidebar friend-sister-enemy. The Black Fairy tricks her into charging some fairy crystals with dark magic as Zelena wanted to prove she was the best like no one ever was. Turns out she chooses to fix her mistake and picks friendship over magic and in doing so elects to drain her magic from herself which drains the crystals. So Zelena is sans magic.

The b plot was about finding a wedding venue. Snow is all cheery and happy saying a diner would be perfect but David has higher standards. Turns out David just wants to stall things till the battle is done so Emma can enjoy the day but Snow is all hope speeches. But I agree with David, a diner, really Snow. If only there was a lavish unoccupied space like the Sorcerer’s Mansion? Or A park that is the gates to hell? They also plan on postponing the wedding till the Black Fairy is dealt with. Anyway not a bad B-plot but very much a b-plot.

This episode was alright aside from rounding out Zelena’s arc it didn’t do all that much for the plot. There is this part where the Blue Fairy wakes up from her coma which Gideon caused to reforge the sword that kills Emma. Apparently the Black Fairy wanted her off the table because she know her darkest secret. What could it be? If it’s that she is really Blue’s darker side, that would bring the season full-circle and aside from the Aladdin plot, the other plot threads would make sense. Would also make Blue more interesting.

Also Pancakes are to Hook and Emma to what Tacos are to Snow and David. ^_~.

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 13 & 14 Review

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Episode 13: Ill-Boding Patterns

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, ‎Giles Matthey as Gideon & Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 13 Ill Boding Patterns picture image

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, ‎Giles Matthey as Gideon & Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy

No, just no on this episode. Let just start with Gideon’s dumb plan of killing Emma to be the savior, highlander-style. It’s dumb, really dumb, just ask for help. Gideon apparently has something to prove trying to be a hero and Rumple wants to help but doesn’t want to darken Gideon because Bae was darken once which retcons Bae/Neal’s personality. And apparently as we learned in season 5 if you forget you inner darkness you don’t have any temptations afterwards, ever.

Also Beowulf for some reason. Beowulf is the antagonist of the past section though it just seems more like name drops than anything story related. The past section was boring and all it does is give weak backstory to why Rumple didn’t want to darken his son’s soul. Also Beowulf before Hunchback. Grrrrrrr!

But it gets worse. EQ is no longer a snake because of some undoing magic spell that didn’t work on the town barrier but did work on EQ.

And yet it still gets worse since Hook is all emo about telling Emma about killing her grandfather but as he is about to tell her, she hijacks the conversation and kind of forces the proposal on him because she was in his sea-chest, found the ring and then took the ring with her. Who does that? I would be PISSED off I spent the last three or so year shipping these two to get this as the proposal. Though I started this show less than a year ago and it still irritates me that this is the proposal.

Hated this episode.

Episode: 14: Page 23

Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 14 Page 23 picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina

That’s a wrap on EQ and wish-Robin, they are living it up in the wish realm. Basically the episode has Regina redeeming EQ by giving her love and taking her darkness. This brings Regina full circle, she has balanced her darkness and the light and loves herself. The past section dealt with Regina discovering she hates herself more than she hates Snow White.

Speaking of Snow, can you believe this is the first time Hook and Snow have had a one on one conversation? Crazy!

Which brings us to Hook, oh Hook. Emma discovers Hook’s secret because he wanted to erase the memory of killing her grandfather, not sure how he used the dreamcatcher to get the memory or why he was watching it in the living room but now the wedding is off for now. Emma gave the ring back not for the murder but for the lying and the memory wipe attempt. So Hook decides to go with Nemo to figure shit out but after learning from Snow that the EQ got a happy ending he thinks he can too. But when Hook tells Nemo he isn’t going with him, Gideon shows up and makes the submarine leave. Uh-Oh.

But really, how many times does Hook have to be redeemed? He went to hell and back and ONLY came back because he helped defeat Hades. What does he have to do? How many conversation about villains not getting happy ending but can be redeemed does there need to be?

This episode was still ok. It’s nice that the EQ and Robin’s story are hopefully ended. Also it was nice to see Tink but there didn’t need to be an homage to Frozen. And Gideon still sucks.

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 11 & 12 Review

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Episode 11: Tougher Than the Rest

Jennifer Morrison as Emma & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 11 Tougher Than the Rest picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma & Lana Parrilla as Regina

Remember Graham, the huntsman? He remains dead and forgotten, hope 50 Shades of Grey was worth it. At least he got the one mention in season 4.

This episode is the conclusion to the whole wish world where Emma gets Pinocchio to remake the wardrobe and Regina takes Robin back with her. Apparently Robin and Marian never married so Roland was never born and yet Henry exist even though Neal is centuries old. Also it is a joke in OUAT that in alt-world Hooks is the opposite of himself? In the Villain wins world he was a coward and in the wish world he’s fat, maybe more of an alcoholic and incompetent.

Also the show is keeping with its lie that Emma was in Minneapolis when she was younger and not in Boston. Just in case you’re wondering, this episode gives us the backstory on how Emma got her surname. August met her and told her her his take on The Ugly duckling which is about how the duck fought destiny to be a swan. Fighting Destiny was the theme of this episode. We still don’t know the wolf apparition that appeared in season 1 and 4 but at least when know how little Emma got her name. Also how did the ugly ducking know about Swans and the perception that swans are prettier than ducks? By that logic wouldn’t the ugly duckling wish to be an super attractive duck? Oh well it’s August’s viewpoint, so whatever.

Rumple and Belle still go on and on about their son, who was raised by the Black fairy and she wasn’t super nice to him. But we did get his motivation for killing Emma, he wants to kill her because the he can take her power to save the children The Black Fairy kidnaps and torments. Can savior powers be transferred like the Highlander? Why can’t he just ask Emma for help? It it because it’s not dramatic enough!

It wasn’t a bad episode but it was average. It did feel like the show was going into the second half of the season.

I would like to point out the shots of Rumple and Belle at the well were very nice. The positioning of the rope to show their division was nice.

Episode 12: Murder Most Foul

Colin O'Donoghue as Hook & Josh Dallas as David Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 12 Murder Most Foul picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Hook & Josh Dallas as David

David’s personality is in a bit of reversal. Because of his feeling of inadequacy and feeling reasonable for Gideon coming to Storybrooke because of his wish on EQ, he being a dick to Hook. Basically David is in a revenge plot since learning that his father was really murdered and didn’t die in a drunk cart accident. Though oddly Henry a few episodes back was anti-Hook too, what’s up with Emma’s menfolk?

Via August, David learns that King George ordered the death of David’s father, Robert, as Robert was trying to save Prince James who didn’t like being a Prince and ran away to Pleasure Island. I’m still really confused on the deal between David’s parents and the King. Turns out Rumple arranged it for medicine. I thought there was something said in season 1 where they got money for the farm for the trade. Could be wrong but this show has weird continuity errors. I mean Emma’s childhood was in Boston but also in Minnesota but no REAL move is ever mentioned aside from 13 year old Emma saying she ran away buu why is little Emma there in Minneapolis in 1989?

Speaking of weird errors, as it turns out Hook murdered Robert. From a dramatic standpoint that is really good as Hook wants to marry Emma he has the ring and everything BUT from the timeline standpoint this can’t work. Hook was supposedly in Neverland from the time Milah died till right up to the time of the Dark Curse but this episode puts him in Enchanted Forest when David was six years. This mean either Hook didn’t age at all or he went back to Neverland. Maybe it’s a Time Paradox and that is really future Hook or an alt-world Hook or fromer wish-Hook. Sure it’s nice dramatic twist with emo-Hook potential but it comes at the cost of the story’s whole set-up. Then again the show does retcon things a lot for drama and the timeline has long since been throw out, so why do I keep mentioning these weird errors anyway?

Speaking of retconning personalities, Wish-Robin is a weird villain type and Regina isn’t really into him. This side-plot is weird even for this show.

This episode had interesting character dynamics at play but they are slightly waste by the mental leaps the episode forces on the viewers.

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 7 & 8 Review

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Episode 7: Heartless

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 7 Heartless picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David

And we are back to having a sleeping curse in play. This time it’s a shift based curse on the Charmings. If Snow is awake then David is asleep and vice-versa. It’s rather clever. Too bad the rest of the episode hinged on being boring aside from the puppy. What happened to Charming’s dog?  

The past section rewrites Snow and David’s first meeting so instead of meeting when Snow robbed him, now they actually have their first encounter when Snow got captured by a bounty hunter. Why? Why retcon this? Is it so they have more True Love to their story because they literally drown in true love mythos.

So show of hands, who sick of Belle and Rumple’s toxicity? I hate that they take up  so much screen time. The show murdered their relationship because it needed Rumple to always be in the villain position but they can’t make Belle a doormat so it’s sucks to watch them. You can’t root for them.    

Emma and Hook are getting boring since more of their scenes are just pep talks. And that just leave the Charming who are too perfect but now they are curse. So I guess that makes them compelling? Not really.

Liked the twist on the curse and the puppy. Also the line about the Dying of the Light reference. Sure they were referring to the poem but my mind went to the George R.R Martin book.

 

Episode 8: I’ll be your Mirror

Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen and Jared S Gilmore as Henry Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 8 Ill be your Mirror picture image

Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen and Jared S. Gilmore as Henry

Well don’t the Charmings just adjust super well? No curse is going to get in the way of making pancakes. And hey and the curse allows to actually  care for their baby whom they haven’t talked much about this season but at least baby Neal is there, still a baby and  yet Henry keeps on aging.  

This episode has Regina and Emma getting trapped in the Mirror world with the Dragon. The Dragon seems like he has a compelling backstory which we will probably never see. EQ tries to pull a Darth Vader on Henry when she gives him a Sophie’s choice which is kill the Dragon, whose heart she holds or let the Dragon, who can turn into a dragon, kill Emma and Regina. Henry opts for that heroic third option which is the smash the mirror which works and not just taking  the heart from EQ and telling the Dragon  to stop. They never do things like that. Maybe heart stealing is that fourth option.  In anycase  since Regina has had a light and dark battle in her soul, is she Kylo Ren?

In other plots, Aladdin steals the portal wand so that Belle can go to the Enchanted Forest because Rumple is a mammoth  asshole who wants to use the Shears of Destiny on their son so the kid won’t hate him or something? Rumple forces Belle to stay and now he wants Zelena killed since she has leverage on him because he can’t hurt her. Just sick of  the Rumple plot. The show loves the actor but they can’t do much with character without constantly making him an ass-face.

Also Emma is going on and on about her death again. This season lacks focus

Also RIGHT before EQ throws Hooks I swear there some weird effect in the water. Maybe it’s a subliminal message?

subliminal message or weird effect in Once Upon a Time

subliminal message or weird effect or compassion error?

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 1 & 2 Review

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Episode 1: The Savior

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 1 The Savior Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

Wow, this episode has no past section, well except for that Aladdin is a has-been savior and Belle’s dream world but no plot based section set in the past. There was no time to have a past section when there is like 30 story plots going on. Regina being pissed at Zelena while mourning Robin, Zelena pissed at Regina for destroying her dark part as well as not thanking her for destory the man she loved to save Regina, Hyde’s secret evil plans, Belle’s baby, the island of Misfit untold story characters, Emma’s future, Aladdin is another savor, what drinks did the Evil Queen make and what does she want, Robin’s soul, Archie trying to find more patients, Granny trying to make ends-meet after Snow volunteers her place as a soup kitchen, Pongo trying to take a walk in peace, Hyde trying to have enough money in his canteen account, Hook’s new haircut, and Henry trying to get in on all the action while Hook and Emma try to get some action. I’m sure I missed something but there is lots and lots of plot this episode. Hopefully they will all reach a nice conclusion since this sort of is the last season since NEXT season seems to be a soft re-boot with most of the cast not returning.

Was this a good episode? It was alright not good but okay. It did get the ball rolling in many, many directions.

Episode 2: A Bitter Draught

Lana Parrilla as Regina Omce Upona A Time Season 6 episode 2 A Bitter Draught picture Image

Lana Parrilla as Regina

No thank you I like fruity beers. A bad Beer Joke! And now the review.

I do not get this land of untold story plotline. There is a magical realm where time stops and stories are halted and the people who live there chose to live there so they didn’t have live those stories and YET they all chose to follow Hyde, who is like their leader for some reason not explained, to Storybrooke to play out the stories they didn’t want played out? Enter characters like the Three Musketeers who are just extras, some Bellydancers, Steampunk people, a cowboy and Edmond Dantes a.k.a The Count of Monte Cristo.

So they changed up Edmond’s story for drama so that instead of Mercedes (his fiancée) marrying Morcerf, Mortcerf kills her and Dantes doesn’t know about Danglar and Villefort’s involvement. And forget about Haydée, she wasn’t mentioned or Albert. They also suggested that Monte Cristo was a place but it wasn’t, it was a rocky spit of land hence the joke of the title but props to them getting that it’s also a sandwich. I’ll admit it I might be harsher with adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo since Gankutsuou is a near flawless adaptation and one of my favorite anime, go watch that but adaptation is an art since so let’s just look this version of the Count for what it is. ((( also that they did Monte Cristo before Hunchback, am I bitter about that? Yes even if they jacked it up I would still love to see what they do with the story and characters.)))

It’s not a terrible re-work of the Count since his deal his how revenge isn’t as sweet as previously thought much like Regina but Edmond’s story is a means to an end since he died as a point from EQ (Evil Queen) to Regina. It just seemed more of a waste since all his actions were because of EQ had his heart. And apparently people can just say when someone has their heart. Well then why didn’t Hook say that to Emma in season 4 when Rumple had his heart? There are no real magic rules anymore. EQ used a magic damping spell and messed up Henry’s phone. What price did she pay for that?

Speaking of nitpicks, the show needs to do a better job styling the double’s hair on Regina. Regina has this flair out layer that is missing on the double when Lana Parrilla is playing the EQ in the stand-off scene. Also how did Regina get to Edmond’s Dantes/Dumas world? Was it the Hat? Realm hoping isn’t an issue since season 3.

Also gotta love Disney lack of self-awareness when talking about how sequels are more “involved” than the original. It’s funny given their terrible record for Disney sequels as well as recent remakes, which are more misguided.

This episode has like three balls in motion although one is dividing. You have the EQ’s machinations which involves Regina, Zelena and David. There is the untold story characters which might just be episodic stories used to move the main plots forward whatever that turns out to be, and Emma’s issue with being A savior and her death by cloaked figure in the future. Oddly Hyde was absent in this episode. Guess no time when the EQ tricks Edmond Dantes to teach her other-half lesson and how did Regina use Edmond to get her revenge in the past? Like how did she know Villefort and Dangler involvement? Magic? Seems like the Count of Monte Cristo should have been smarter but that’s adaptation for you.

Meh episode but it’s still set-up for the season.

Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episodes 21- 23 Review

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Episode 21: Last Rites

Sean Maguire as Robin & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 21 Last Rites review picture image

Sean Maguire as Robin & Lana Parrilla as Regina

Ok, so Hades’ plan this whole time and the real reason he gave up on the time travel thing to switch places with his brother and focused on Zelena was because Zeus broke the Olympian Crystal and Hades couldn’t repair it with his heart stopped in addition to not being able to leave the underworld. Also it seems like Hades wants it all, Storybrooke, Olympus, no-calorie cookies and power. Now the Olympian Crystal is the only thing that can kill or end a god. This the same plot device the show uses a lot towards the end of each arc, some magic thing that either saves everyone or doom everyone, like season 2 it was that fail-safe trigger, or is season 4 with that necklace. Or how a cut from Excalibur just murders you.

Trouble is Hades he can, like everyone else, can snap a person’s neck with magic, so why not just do that? He did it with Arthur. Why really do you need the trouble of forging your only murder weapon, even if they do-gooder don’t know about it? Why bother?

Except Arthur and Hook found the pages about Hades and the crystal and they put in the book and TA-DAnce, pages in the Storybrooke version for Emma to see. But it is Zelena who kills Hades after he obliterates Robin’s being and lies about this schemes. Hades did love Zelena though he just fell victim to being a villain and wanting to have it all. Power, love, family, power, a kingdom to rule, power and more power. He didn’t explicitly say it but he probably wanted to kill Zeus with the crystal. Anway Zeus restores Hook to life because he was a good boy. So Hook stayed officially dead for like one episode. Arthur is cool with being in the underworld since he now knows Camelot wasn’t the kingdom that he was prophesied to repair, it was UnderBrooke. Looks like Cruella is going to have some opposition.

It does suck that Robin’s existence has been wiped out, like his soul is gone. It was a noble sacrifice for Regina. It might have been sadder if he wasn’t being such a douche about his daughter, how Zelena was dangerous and how Regina shouldn’t trust Zelena.

This conclusion to the arc felt very underwhelming. Robin’s death is only going to cause more drama for Regina because this show loves its drama. Girl can’t be happy because that’s not dramatic.

All in all this was an arc of cameos and call backs.

Episode 22: Only You

Jared S. Gilmore as Henry & Olivia Steele Falconer as Violet Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 22 Only You review picture image

Jared S. Gilmore as Henry & Olivia Steele Falconer as Violet

Remember in season 2 when Henry tried to destroy magic? Well he’s at again though with more teenaged angst. He thinks magic is the root cause of all the suffering in Storybrooke expect Storybrooke is made of magic so when Rumple steals a piece of that Olympian Crystal and tethers Storybrooke’s magic to it after Belle’s father refuses to wake her, Henry using his author powers steals the crystal and goes to New York to destroy it and Violet goes with him. At a library they find other Once Upon a Time books like one has Don Quixote and Paul Bunyan, not sure why they are in the same book. Violet also sees a “twin” of the Holy Grail which they conclude can destroy magic. Why is it in the Mid-town library? Rumple however shows up and takes the Crystal before Emma and Regina can get there.

Regina is once again go through the fine line of being good and suffering and following her impulse and be evil which means she would lose everything and everyone. This was an emotionally charged scene and the best of the episode.

Speaking of the balance of good and evil we have Jekyll and Hyde now. Because of the impending Doom, there is an evacuation of Storybrooke. Before Zelena can close the portal it goes crazy and her, Snow, David and Hook are pulled to somewhere. With the wand broken they captured and are the prisoners of Mr.Hyde. Hyde is not a fan of the Dark one. Jekyll repairs the wand but is caught and Hyde allows the plan to continue as he wants everyone in the steampunk zepplin land to go to Storybrooke too. Hyde also steals Belle in pandora’s box from Rumple. Rumple actually picks to save the power object over his love. Classic Rumple. Don’t feel bad for him. Hyde does this for leverage.

Here’s a thought, couldn’t Henry, as the author, just write that everyone loses their magic? Then no more magic. Or is that not dramatic enough? He just uses his author power to steal the magic but not remove it from people.

This episode is more of the same just upcycled. We have seen Regina’s struggling with her darker self and now there the Jekyll and Hyde plot. Henry wants to destroys magic again, people trapped in a weird land again. Rumple wants power for love but choice power again. This episode reverts to it’s old patterns and just repackages it. Characters don’t get arcs they grow a little bit and then a setback happens and people accuse them of following back to their old patterns, just like the show. That maybe how real life goes but it’s not interesting in a show about how gray fairy tale characters are and redemption arcs.

This episode is serviceable as the first part of the two part finale. On a plus side the violin music at the end was amazing. It had a Phantom of the Opera vibe. Do Phantom of the Opera Once Upon a Time. Or Hunchback. I don’t really want to think those curiosity were a weird Hunchback reference, I’d rather be reading too much in their extra choices.

Episode 23: An Untold Story

The Land of Untold Stories Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 23 An Untold Story review picture image

The Land of Untold Stories

This episode is the 2nd part of the finale. Zelena, Snow, Hook and David find out the identity of the Good Gardener/Doctor and the Warden and they try and flee Mr.Hyde who has been separated from Jekyll. Turns out they are in the Land of Untold Stories which is full of Outcasts, show’s own words, so high hopes for Hunchback. To be fair yet another extra looks like Esmeralda.

Meanwhile, Henry successfully destroys the magic of Storybrooke with the Dark Grail only to find out that most of his Family is trapped in another realm. They meet the Dragon, who isn’t dead and he tells them that magic is everywhere. They go a fountain and make wished which charges the crystal but it’s not enough. Henry makes speech about magic and belief which is enough to restore the crystal and open a portal which brings back Zelena, Snow, Hook and David along with Jekyll. Rumple slips through the portal to save Belle. The New Yorkers then think it was a act. Regina then uses Jekyll’s serum to remove the Evil Queen and crushes her heart. However Evil Queen isn’t dead, she on the war path for the next season.

Rumple and Hyde come to some deal and Rumple gives Hyde Storybrooke and Rumple gets intel on saving Belle. Hyde brings all the untold story people to Storybrooke for next season shenanigans

Also Violet’s dad was from the Twain’s story, A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Funny didn’t he chastised Henry for not being a knight. But they did say his name was Sir Morgan so might have been planned that way.

This episode has the flaws of the last episode but it have lot more set-up for next season with three plot threads, Regina versus Evil Queen in the flesh, no subtle internal struggle anymore, the show will eats its cake dammit, The Untold Stories featuring Hyde and Jekyll, and Rumple saving Belle which more than likely will get wrapped up quickly but it’s still a plot thread.

Henry flip-flopping on magic was annoying and his speech was awkward.

There was a heavy-handed foreshadowing when Emma tells Hook she loves him without being in peril there is a wedding gown positioned in between them in the background. What could happen next season???

So on to next season. Will there be Hunchback? Feel like I would have heard if there was by now since the season has ended. That extra might be it but she looks more like Esmeralda than the underworld waitress. Do you guys think that is Esmeralda?

Another Curious Extra or maybe Esmeralda Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 23 An Untold Story review picture image

Another Curious Extra or maybe Esmeralda