Robert Carlyle | The Hunchblog of Notre Dame

06Apr 2017

Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 3 & 4 Review

by jess

Episode 3: Quite a Common Fairy

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Rose McIver as Tinker Bell

This episode was just alright. Mostly it centered around Tinkerbell helping Regina find her true love. Regina doesn’t go through with even meeting him and Tinkerbell loses her wings. This means in the present Tinkerbell doesn’t really want to help the crew get into Pan’s camp but Snow offers her the chance to come back to Storybrooke. Tink accepts. Also Charming is dying from Dreamshade. Fun name!

In the Enchanted Forest, Neal gets to Neverland using Robin Hood’s son to lure the shadow to them. Robin offers Mulan a place of the Merry Man squad but she has to return to tell the person she loves that she loves them. The person is Aurora but she’s pregnant so Mulan tells her she join the Merry Men. I thought she had a thing for Philip back in season 2 but either she changed her mind or she didn’t. Whatever poor Mulan, unrequited love sucks, hope she finds true love. Speaking of unrequited love Regina’s true love is really… wait for it,. Robin Hood. Not sure how I feel about the revelation.

Anyway just an alright episode. Enough good stuff to keep a viewership engaged but not a strong episode on it’s own.

Episode 4: Nasty Habits

Michael Raymond-James as Neal & Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin

While I do like Rumpelstiltskin heavy episodes, it a case of second verse same as the first, he has a bad past except that he did love his son and he trying to change but it’s hard. The character’s past involve Rumpelstiltskin meeting the Pied Piper who took away Baelfire. Rumpelstiltskin confronts him but he turns out to be Peter Pan who Rumpelstiltskin curiously knows, hmmmmm. Curious indeed.

The Neverland plot deals with Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire meeting again. It should be pointed out that Rumpelstiltskin was down for killing himself along with Pan because he thought Baelfire/Neal was gone but now that he know Neal/Baelfire is alive that nasty habit of self-preservation as kicked in. Neal gets the idea to use squid ink to immobile Pan. When they get to camp Henry is gone. Pan tells Neal about the seer’s prophecy that Henry will be Rumpelstiltskin undoning. Rumpelstiltskin says he won’t hurt Henry but Neal doesn’t believe him and immobilizes him with the ink.

Meanwhile Emma and crew find Neal’s secret cave and find a coconut that has a star chart and Henry falls deeper under Pan’s influence believing that he will bring the magic back to Neverland.

Is this combination of the Seer’s prophecy? Another confrontation between Neal and Rumpelstiltskin? How Rumpelstiltskin wants to be redeemed but he likes being alive and death is scary? Isn’t he immortal? Why should self-preservation even be a thing for him?

It wasn’t an unenjoyable episode but characters don’t seem to move forward as much as one would hope. I guess Rumpelstiltskin is the most dynamic character but he moves in small increments.

23Mar 2017

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 17, 18 & 19 Review

by jess

Episode 17: Welcome to Storybrooke

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Benjamin Stockham as Young Owen

With Cora now gone there needs to be a new bad guy, and fortunately they have been introduced. This episode pertains to Storybrooke’s formation even though only Regina knows about it and two campers are a little suspect. See a father and son from New Jersey were camping in Maine when Storybrooke appeared around them. Regina gets bored quickly with how everyone acts the same and no stands up to her. It’s only the outsiders Kurt and Owen who pose any interest to Regina. Basically she takes a liking to young Owen and wants him to stay even if that means by arresting his dad. Regina does managed to arrested Kurt but Owen runs off. When Owen returns with the police but he can no longer see Storybrooke as it’s cloaked or shielded, point is no one can get in unless they are Fairytale people while the curse is active.

In Storybrooke. Regina wants revenge on Snow, Rumpelstiltskin tells Regina to get over it as it will cost her Henry. But Regina has a new curse in mind that will make Henry love and will get rid of Snow White. Meanwhile Snow is in a state of deep depression over what she did to Cora. Henry demands Emma and Charming be honest with him but he can’t believe Snow would hurt anyone. Henry then thinks he can blow up the magic to stop all this but Regina tells him he can’t but burns the scroll so she can cast the curse.

Snow then asks Regina to kill her as she can’t live with herself. Regina takes her heart but notices a black spot and gleefully tells Snow she will get everything she wants and puts Snow’s heart back. This is all recorded but Greg Mendall who is really little Owen.

So Storybrooke was “founded” in 1983 but the 80’s just missed it as it still in its 2010 styling. Just in case you missed 1983-ness of the setting Owen mentions Return of the Jedi and has a ROTJ blanket. Even his name is a Star Wars reference. Anyway episode was ok. It show why Regina wanted to be a mother and set-up Greg/Owen’s motivation. However it does raise one question, you would THINK Regina should have been suspicious of who Henry was if he could get into Storybrooke. Unless she got him and that negates the shield thing.

This episode wasn’t as good as previous episode but at it’s best ot was just ok. It was somewhat boring in parts.

Episode 18: Selfless, Brave and True

Eion Bailey as August Booth & Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara

Gotta be honest this was a weaker than average episode even though some notable things happen. For instance we learn that the “her” that keeps calling Greg is really Tamara, Neal’s fiancee and her being with him was a ploy. Tamara has some plan involving magic. She also has a history with August as they went to same magical guy in Hong Kong and Tamara killed him.

August is also fully wooden because his motivations have always been selfish but at the end right thing before he dies, Tamara tried and killed him because he was going to warn Storybrooke, the Blue Fairy turns into a real boy again and yes he is a boy and he forgot what the warning was.
Also in addition to being a weak episode the effect work to make August look wooden are really bad. It’s hard to take seriously. Either makeup or a combination or makeup and effects would look better but it was hard to watch puppet August.

Episode 19: Lacey

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Lacey

The episodes send the plot in an odd direction. Regina uses some spell to revert Belle to her cursed self, which didn’t exist, since had amnesia in psych ward. So Belle is now called Lacey, a barfly who hustles people at pool. Sure, Snow White is a caring, sweet teacher and Jiminy is a therapist, while bookish sees the good in everyone Belle is a bad girl with a drinking problem, sure this makes sense. Anyway the point of this episode is to show that Rumpelstiltskin can try and change. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, sort of depends on who is he with. So while Belle shows the good in Rumpelstiltskin, Lacey likes the bad Dark one.

Also Tamara reveals she has a captive Hook. Emma is introduced to the magic bean crop and Regina finds it.

In the character’s past Robin Hood steals from Rumpelstiltskin and Rumple tortures him, as he does. Belle frees him and Rumple gets mad and decides he going to track down the thief and kill him to prove a point to Belle. Turns out Robin stole from Rumpelstiltskin to save his dying pregnant wife. Rumpelstiltskin then spares him and Belle feels vindicated, as she does.

Not sure why Regina bother with reverting Belle to her cursed form. What good did that do her? We also see that bow that never misses its target again and Robin Hood is introduced. It’s was an ok episode but Rumpelstiltskin is pretty much the best character, so episode centering around him are mostly always a bit better.

Side Note – Trying three episodes at a time since there is two weeks left in March. Since I want to caught up and string these post along for another year, there will be two posts of OUAT a week now, once on Mondays and once on Thursday. The exception will be weeks where the seasons ends, which mean post will be once a week on Thursdays.

16Mar 2017

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 15 & 16 Review

by jess

Episode 15: The Queen is Dead

Bailee Madison as Young Snow White & Rena Sofer as Queen Eva

We got that three story structure in this episode, so let’s just start with Character’s past. This one centers on young Snow White. Snow White’s mother, Queen Eva is dying and Snow White ventures to find the Blue Fairy. The Blue fairy says the only way to restore the queen’s life is for someone else to die in her place and gives Snow a candle that will switch the lives. Very Game of Thrones. However young Snow can’t bring herself to do it and Snow’s kind mother dies. Turns out that Eva was poisoned by Cora who also disguised herself as the Blue Fairy to test Snow White and to lead Snow on a path of darkness. It also seems like Eva and Cora have a little bit of a history.

In New York, everyone is awkwardly trying to bond and then Hook stabs Rumpelstiltskin with a poison tipped Hook. Rumpelstiltskin says he will die unless they can make it back to Storybrooke. Neal/Baelfire says that the fastest way is to steal Hook’s boat and says he can captain it. Basically Neall did go to Neverland! Was he Peter Pan? Seems like it? Would make sense though Pan learning to sail a Pirate boat? Seems a little off. Maybe he was rouge lost boy? Don’t know I asked that question back in episode 4. Also Emma meets Neal’s fiancee Tamara.

The trouble is back in Storybrooke, Regina and Cora are after Rumpelstiltskin’s dagger. Snow calls Emma asking Rumpelstiltskin to reveal the location of the dagger. He tells them and they find in the clock tower of the library but Cora and Regina show up and threaten one Snow’s former loyal servant Johanna. Snow trades the dagger for Johanna’s life but Cora kills Johanna anyway. Snow then vows to kill Cora for what she did to both Johanna and her mother as she just learned of Cora’s manipulations and murder of her mom.

First off, there is a huge Star Wars reference. Snow White/Mary Margaret says the classic Leia line to Mother Superior, “Help Me Mother Superior, you’re my only hope.

Generally, I liked this episode. It was good to see a young Snow White be the focus of an episode and yet more character motivations in play.

Episode 16: The Miller’s Daughter

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Rose McGowan as Cora

This has to be one of the strongest episodes yet. It explores Cora’s backstory and her rise of a Miller’s daughter to royalty and her lust for power. So in the character’s past, Cora is a Miller’s daughter or more specifically the Miller’s daughter from the Rumpelstiltskin story. She is delivering flour to the King but Princess Eva trips and her and forced to kneel and apologize for doing nothing wrong.

Cora attends a ball for the hand of Prince Henry, who is being whored out for a wealthy alliance. Cora tells the king that she can spin straw into gold. So he locks up in a tower and should she produce gold she can marry Henry. Rumpelstiltskin shows up and offers to spin the straw into gold for her if she gives him her first born. She agrees but on the condition that he teaches her how spin gold instead, he agrees. Their lessons gets a bit sexually charged but she masters the process.

Cora and Henry become engaged but he is fifth in line to be King which doesn’t suit Cora. Her and Rumpelstiltskin are also having an affair. Rumpelstiltskin offers her love and asks her to run off with him. They amend their contract so that she would own him his child and he teaches her how to remove hearts so she can kill the king. She instead removes her heart as “love is weakness” and tells Rumplestiltskin she will not be going with him and any child she have will not be his.

In Storybrooke, Rumpelstiltskin is dying and Cora seems like she wants the power of the Dark one. Rumpelstiltskin manipulates Snow to use that candle to exchange his life for Cora’s and tells her that the heart is in the vault. Snow manipulates Regina to give Cora’s heart back so that Cora will finally be able to love her. Right before Cora is about to kill Rumpelstiltskin, Regina restores Cora’s heart thus killing her and saving Rumpelstiltskin.
Both plot were great, one of exciting and somewhat suspenseful and the other was intriguing. Personally I prefered Cora’s and Rumpelstiltskin’s past. It was great to see what motivated Cora to her icy yet power hungry persona and also it gave the reason behind Rumpelstiltskin and Cora’s relationship which has been hinted at for a while. It does beg the question is Rumpelstiltskin Regina’s father? If Cora was pregnant in that instance, which it vaguely hints at it would make Regina Baelfire’s half sister and Henry’s aunt. But there is not clear indicator as of yet how much time passed between Rumplestiltskin and Cora’s affair and Regina’s birth and with Cora now dead it could be hard to answer that question if it is indeed true though it’s probably not true. Anyway great episode, one my favorites so far.

02Mar 2017

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episodes 11 & 12 Review

by jess

Episode 11: The Outsider

Emilie de Ravin as Belle

Or how Mulan met Phillip. Actually this episode centers around Belle. In the character’s past Belle goes a monster hunting. She is encouraged to go by Dreamy who gives her some Fairy Dust. Belle proves that books and knowledge are useful as she tracks down a fiery monster. Mulan is also tracking the monster but isn’t as good at tracking. Belle corners the monster but the monster asks Belle to save it so she uses the fairy dust to cure the monster who is really Philip. This is how Mulan meets Philip and at the end of the episode Regina captures Belle. It’s a good bridger episode as it showcases Belle as kick-ass yet compassion person of action and how she got captured by Regina.

There is a lot going on in Storybrooke in this episode. Rumpelstiltskin figures out a way for him to leave the town. All that is needed is an object of GREAT personal importance and a potion. However Hook steals Rumpelstiltskin’s object, a cloak of Baelfire’s and Belle tries to retrieve it and in the process frees Archie. Belle gets in a confrontation with Hook but Rumpelstiltskin comes and beats Hook up and Belle begs him to stop which he does.

Rumpelstiltskin is getting ready leave town at that cursed townline but as he says goodbye to Belle Hook shows up, shots Belle sending over the line making her forget everything. Rumpelstiltskin cures her wound with magic but as that is happening a car from Pennsylvania hits Hook and crashes. Also Archie tells Emma and Henry that Regina was framed by Cora.

The character past was alright. It was good showcasing of Belle that was good mirroring of her actions in Storybrooke and helped established Mulan and Phillip.

The Storybrooke stuff was alright till the end, then it blew up. The redemption arcs are all well and good but between Rumpelstiltskin and Regina it’s getting repetitive. Henry and Belle should hang out more. The end with Hook, Belle losing her memory and some outsider literally crashing into town made this episode way better. It will be interesting seeing Rumpelstiltskin move forward with Belle having so much amnesia.

Also Snow and Charming are having drama again. She wants to settle in Storybrooke and get a house and Charming wants to try and go back to their world because if something is worth it you have fight for it but Snow is tired of fighting. So much drama with these two.

Episode 12: In the Name of the Brother

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Belle

Sigh, it’s another Frankenstein episode. This one takes place before and after the events of the first Frankenstein episode. It seems like Victor was the 2nd favorite child, out of two, and his dad doesn’t get his art erm science, so he is cutting him off. Rumpelstiltskin shows up and offers him money for learning about his science and sets him up with a heart. Victor tries get a body but his brother dies in the process and his brother becomes his monster.

In Storybrooke everyone is freaking out. Rumpelstiltskin is trying to get Belle to remember and also sets up a truce with Cora who wants her daughter’s love back. Cora also offers Rumpelstiltskin a globe thing that can locate his son. Cora sneaks around Regina’s house then disguises herself as Henry. The two do make up but who knows what Cora REALLY wants.

The Outsider is brought to the E.R and everyone is freaking out that a normal dude could have seen Rumpelstiltskin using magic. Dr.Whale is having issues dealing with being a monster but Ruby convinces him to live with his past and he saves the guy’s life. Emma questions him and he said he didn’t see anything because he was texting but at the end of the episode it’s revealed that he may have seen something.

Also Rumpelstiltskin is cashing in of the deal that Emma will do him a favor, it’s from the Cinderella episode. Wonder what she is up to? And what happened with Katherine and her love who is now the Gym teacher? Anyway Rumpelstiltskin wants Emma to go with him to find Baelfire. Does this mean a Roadtrip with Rumple???

DEAR GOD SHOW STOP IT! Emma’s lie detecting sucks. Stop making it a thing. Or Stop reminding me it’s a thing with it working sometime and not other. It’s such a plot crutch. Or did she not believe him? Who is this Greg Mendell guy? And who is “her”? The so-called lady who keeps calling him.

BUT wait there is more. So first thing, love that the Outsider’s ringtone was the Star Wars Theme. It was cute wink at Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars a few months before the episode aired.

Henry brings up a fair point that Frankenstein isn’t a Fairy tale character so they don’t know who else is in town, You know what else isn’t a Fairy Tale? Alice in Wonderland didn’t stop that one being in the book. Also where is Alice? So does this mean Frankenstein’s world is not the “real” but some book world? Do all books dwell in the same world like fairy tale world? But if the book doesn’t have magic is the same as the really world? I’m confused. Rumpelstiltskin has no issue going to the “book world of Frankenstein” but only the curse/bean can go to the real world? But also is Neverland is separate? Do all books have different worlds but Fairy Tales characters live together except Mulan who is originally for a poem? Hey Henry brought it up first? It just add so many more questions.
The episode was good for the most part. I’m not a fan of Frankenstein so Whale’s past and his conflict felt like filler. This episode seems to be trying to move the plot but it’s still setting itself up. It was good in parts, meh in parts and raised all sorts of confusion.

22Dec 2016

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 19 & 20 Review

by jess

Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiktskin & Dylan Schmidt as Baelfire

Episode 19: The Return

The title of this episode made me think of a Japanese movie called “The Returner.” Which I recall not liking.

So far this might be my favorite episode. The Fairy Tale world plotline follows everyone’s favorite “evil” manipulator, Rumpelstiktskin and his son Baelfire. Though who thinks it’s a little funny to hear Rumpelstiktskin calling his son “Bae”? Baelfire doesn’t like that his Papa has become the Dark One and can see him losing his humanity. Baelfire strikes a deal with Rumpelstiktskin that if can find a way to make him normal again without killing him, Rumpelstiktskin will return to his old self. Baelfire learns from the Blue Fairy that the only way for Rumpelstiktskin to be normal is to go to a world without magic using the last magic bean ever. Rumpelstiktskin agrees to go but as a green vortex opens he chickens out and Baelfire falls in and the Vortex closes. Rumpelstiktskin instantly regrets not following his son. The Blue Fairy shows up and berates him. Rumpelstiktskin then learns the only way to go to the Land without magic is through a powerful curse. Thus revealing Mr.Gold/Rumpelstiktskin motivations for the whole thing.

In Storybrooke, Mr.Gold is growing suspicious of August. He suspects that August is after the knife that can kill/control Rumpelstiktskin making him think that August is Baelfire. Mr.Gold confronts August and August says he is his son but after Mr.Gold shows him the knife which can’t control him without magic he knows August isn’t his son. Turns out August is dying and he needs to speed things up to get Emma to be the savior.

While that is going on Mary Margaret exonerated as Kathryn isn’t dead and the lab report of the heart MUST have been falsified. Regina fears everything is going to tie back to her so she uses Sidney love for her to get him to confess which Emma doesn’t believes and Emma vows to take back her son from Regina. Also Mary Margaret and David are still off even though David tries to get Mary Margaret to forgive him for doubting her.

This may be the first episode where I don’t prefer one plot over the other. I will say I was hoping that August was Baelfire as it would make perfect sense why he could come into town as he would have been in the world without magic pre-curse but he is still of the story world. However he is not so give me another reason show. I really enjoy Carlyle duel performance, still think he is the best actor on this show, not that the other principal actor aren’t good because they are at least competent.

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Eion Bailey as August Booth

Episode 20: The Stranger

Well, Well, Well the question from the last episode is answered.

I hate Pinocchio. I saw this casting on wiki so I wasn’t surprised by August being Pinocchio but I was confused by August claiming he was Baelfire. Well Pinocchio is a liar so it does fit.

In this episode we learn that Geppetto makes a deal with the Blue Fairy that Pinocchio is to go through the wardrobe with pregnant Snow as the wardrobe can fit two people which is why the Blue Fairy told everyone that only one can pass through. However Snow goes into labour early and the Blue Fairy wants Snow and the Baby to go through together. Geppetto being a desperate parent maintains the lie that only one can go through and makes Pinocchio promise to protect the Baby. But he is a seven year old child and can’t.

In Storybrooke, Regina is up to her shenanigans by trying to seduce David, which fails. August tries to convince Emma of the fairy tale reality which also fails. This means because August couldn’t keep his promise to help Emma he turning back into wood. He tries to show Emma his wooden leg but she can’t see it. At the end Emma tries to leave Storybrooke with Henry as she has had with it.

It seems that Emma’s super lie detector power is thwarted by her own denial. She doesn’t want to believe any of it nor does she want to help. All and all I did like this episode. I do think it was overly simplistic to have August know about the fairy tale world because went through the wardrobe, also now I have to wonder about Baelfire and who is Dr.Whale? Also if the Blue Fairy knew about the tree then why didn’t she tell Rumpelstiktskin? Because then the curse wouldn’t have happen and there wouldn’t have no show. It’s all very tidy except for the whole lying thing Geppetto made the Blue fairy tell so her would make the wardrobe. Sorry for nitpicking, I did like the episode and I do like the show.

24Nov 2016

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 11 & 12 Review

by jess

Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills & Giancarlo Esposito as Sidney Glass

Episode 11: Fruit of the Poisonous Tree

Former Regina minion Sidney Glass, of the daily mirror, wants to team up with Emma to expose Regina’s corruption. After a series events that really do nothing to expose Regina’s crooked ways, Emma does find trust in Sidney. Though it was all a ruse as Sidney is still Regina’s minion and it’s a trap for Emma. Also in addition to that main Storybrooke plot, Henry is trying to get the fairy tale book back as it went missing when Regina tore down the playhouse that he and Emma met to discuss their plans. The Stranger is the one who currently has the book.

The parallel story of the Fairy Tale world is about our favorite Evil Queen meeting the Genie of the Lamp. The Genie was freed by the King and the King gave the Genie his third wish which the Genie never wants to use because magic sucks. The King decides to bring the Genie to the castle and when the Genie sees the Queen he falls head over lamp for her. The Queen seems to reciprocates the Genie’s feeling but she is married and not in love with her husband. The Queen’s father begs the Genie for help to give her a box of poisonous snakes which are from his homeland. However the Genie, convinced that Queen loves him, uses the snakes to kill the King. However it dawns on the Genie that the Queen tricked him and isn’t in love with him at all. He decides to use his wish so that may be with her forever and always gaze on her face and since magic sucks in this world, he is turned into her magic mirror. Sucks for him but this pleases the Queen.

I enjoyed half this episode. I typically like the Storybrooke story more but this time I was bored by most of it but I liked the Fairy Tale world plot. It’s interesting the combination of the Genie of the Lamp turning into Magic Mirror. So often in Snow White versions there is no explanation for the Magic Mirror, the audience is just suppose to accept it, which is fine in a fairy tale. It’s just a nice touch on the show’s end to offer a story behind the mirror. I will just say I did like the twist at the end of the Storybrooke storyline where Sidney is still in league with Regina, it wasn’t mind blowing but it so in keeping with Regina’s character.

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Belle

Episode 12: Skin Deep

Oh dear god the amount of cultural references in this episode is just funny. First off and not as referential was at the start of the Fairy Tale Storyline where they mention a place called Avonlea that had fallen. Avonlea is where Anne of Green Gables took place and not to mention the Canadian show Road to Avonlea, which i used to love when I was a kid. It was just so random. The second of a Flower shop in Storybrooke called Game of Thorns, I think everyone can get that. David is reading Anna Karenina, which a novel mostly about adultery which he is currently engaged in with Mary Margaret. And then there is a Nurse Rachet which is from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

So on to actual episode, this week we have Beauty and the Beast. The Beast is actually our old pal Rumpelstiktskin. Rumpelstiktskin helped Belle’s Kingdom out of being conquered from Ogres in exchange for her to be his housekeeper. Gradually they fall in love, however Rumpelstiktskin lets her go in the guise of her running an errand. While Belle in the forest she runs into that pesky Evil Queen. The Queen tells her that true love’s kiss can break any curse, it’s like a super panacea. Belle then tries it on Rumpelstiktskin which starts to work but he gets mad at her and tells her to leave. Belle, who is hurt, tells him that he will be alone forever with an empty heart and the teacup that she chipped, which a Disney’s Chip reference. That pesky Evil Queen shows up at Rumpelstiktskin’s place and she tells him that Belle was shunned by her village, tortured by her father and killed herself. Rumpelstiktskin is devastated.

Meanwhile in the real fake world of Storybrooke, Mr Gold gets something stolen him and he enlists Emma to find it. When Emma can’t find said specific item, Mr Gold kidnaps the guy who stole it and start assaulting him saying that “She is gone.” Emma arrests Mr. Gold because hitting people is wrong apparently. Regina shows up and tells Emma to hang out with Henry so she can be alone with Mr.Gold. Regina asks Mr.Gold his real name. This reveals that they both know about the Fairy Tale past. Also Belle’s counterpart is in a mental ward revealing that she didn’t die in the past.

I’m a bit mixed on this episode. On the one hand I like Rumpelstiktskin as the “beast” but he seems like a swiss-army character. He’s Beast, the Fairy Godmother, the downtrodden cursed one etc. He is everything except Rumpelstiktskin. The only thing “Rumpelstiktskin” does is he spins straw into gold, though in truth he could have been doing anything else like turning lead in gold or making a zero calorie fudge brownie. Also just a side note, the reason why Rumpelstiktskin spins straw into gold in the fairy tale is that a miller says his daughter can spin straw into gold so the prince or king tests her and if she can’t he will kill her, so Rumpelstiktskin does it for her in exchange for stuff. It’s not like a hobby of his so I don’t why Show Rumpelstiktskin do this. Was it mention in his backstory because I don’t recall it or explained in a later episode? The other Rumpelstiktskin thing he does is he wants babies for some reason. I’m going to bet this gets explained and hopefully he doesn’t want to eat them.

Another thing that makes me scratch my head is Belle herself. Aside from dressing like Disney Belle, Belle doesn’t have any of Belle’s personality. I know she is different from Disney Belle but since the episode so far just rehashed Beauty and Beast the comparison between the two is more direct than Snow White and Cinderella. It’s not a big issue but feels more puzzled that Belle, who is one of the more beloved Disney Princesses, feels like an afterthought. I do like that she is in the mental ward, that is a nice call back to the Disney movie.

The main hightlight of the Storybrooke episode was the reveal that Mr.Gold and Regina know.

10Nov 2016

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 7 & 8 Review

by jess

Episode 7: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Jamie Dornan as Graham with the Wolf,

Finally costumes I don’t hate, dare I say I kind of like. This episode follows Graham a.k.a the huntsman. Apparently kissing Emma helps the the fairy tale people regain some memories because Graham starts remembering his time a Huntsman with his wolf companion. The episode also goes into why he is engaging in sexy times with Regina. Regina as the wicked Queen took his heart and made him her sex slave because he didn’t kill Snow. Graham is desperate to regain his heart but can’t find it but he does cut off his loveless affair with Regina. Regina then in the real Storybrooke world gets Graham’s heart and crushes it thus killing him. Which kind of makes his whole arc kind of pointless, at least for the moment but at least it’s the first time the audience knows that Regina knows about the curse and the fairy tale thing.

I did enjoy this episode it was nice to see one character question things. It did finally dawn on me in this episode that the woods look nothing like Maine but it doesn’t really matter. I really do want to make House Stark joking given the wolf but we’ll just put a pin in that.

Episode 8: Desperate Souls

Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiktskin

Finally part of Rumpelstiktskin’s backstory is revealed. Basically this episode reveals how Rumpy got his crazy powers. Apparently in the land where he lives at the age of 13 children are drafted into the army, or maybe they are just cannon fodder. In an effort to save his son, Rumpy is told to get a dagger to control the Dark One (A Wheel of Time reference) and to kill the Dark One to get his power. Which Rumpy does but is tricked because the Dark One wanted him to do and was the man who told about the Dark One because being the Dark One sucks. Also Rumpy is a coward whose wife may have lied about him being the father their child.

Back in good-olde corruptly run Storybrooke, since Graham is dead by heart-broken-ness, like literally, the job for Sheriff is up for election. Regina wants her main minion Sydney Glass to get the job and Emma wants it too. Mr Gold offers to help but Emma wants to get the job fairly because Henry is going through a “Good Guys can’t win” phase. However Emma gets elected Sheriff but only through shady manipulations on Mr Gold’s end even though Emma thought she was being noble. Silly good noble people, they are so predictable.

I feel like this episode is all over the place with Sheriff plot and Rumpy’s backstory. It just feel the two counterpart stories didn’t coalesce as well as other episodes aside from Mr Gold’s meddling which he has already done so it’s not a big surprise.

Bonus picture time!

Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen

06Oct 2016

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episode 1; The Pilot Review

by jess

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming once upon a time pilot season 1 episode 1 picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming in ABC’s Once Upon a Time

I have started watching Once Upon a Time. For the moment, till I can find my groove with these reviews (probably not the right word), I’m just going to one episode at a time. Perhaps later I will cover more episodes per post but for a least the first moth or so, one episode at a time. Also no promises on pictures all the time.

I don’t want to say I’m reviewing the episodes, I would say it’s more like feedback though I could get into more a review stance once I find a groove.

Right off the bat, Boston and Maine. I’m from New England, Massachusetts to be more precise. I went to school in Boston and South Station was my part of my daily life for a while. So I’m kind of happy that the story takes place in Maine and Boston gets a mention. I get that like this whole of a place of no Happily Ever After is the real would but I find it a little funny to say Maine is the horrible place of no happiness, Maine is pretty nice. Also Emma has a REALLY nice apartment for Boston. Like wow, she makes bank.

So first impressions, oddly my first like gut reaction was really liking the scenery. Otherwise I hated the costumes at first. The Fairy Tale costumes looks so cheap, like they didn’t have a budget. With the sets and the special effect it’s meant to look sort of cheap, cheap isn’t the right word but still. Over the episode the costumes grew on me a little to where I didn’t mind them. Also consider this, I just got done re-watching The Tudors, so with costumes I got used to that level of just stunning costume and I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones. Costumes are not the selling point of this show, oddly I like the real word costumes.

I’ll admit I was confused about the goings on of the plot for a while it is pretty much spelled out but it did hold my interest. Now when I say that I mean it as a huge compliment. I have no attention, like zero. The fact that I watch with with out clicking away is impressive. In fact I didn’t realized I was paying attention until my computer screen went black and I thought my computer died on me, I’m paranoid. It turns out was just my screen saver. I’m being serious. I so like the weaving of fairy tale characters in reality angle.

Were there things I didn’t like? Yes. I really don’t like the kid, Henry. He is very annoying and he isn’t written like a child. It’s not just, I do also think the dialogue is awkward. It doesn’t sound all that natural, I mean the acting is fine, it’s the fault of the dialogue. It’s not really enough to make me hate the show outright, it’s a pilot, the writer may not even be used to the characters yet. I oddly so far like Regina Mills a.k.a the Evil Queen but I also REALLy dislike her fairy tale costume.

Also the guy who plays Rumplestiltskin, Robert Carlyle, Someone! Cast him as Clopin. OMG, He would make a fantastic Clopin!

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Tag Archives: Robert Carlyle

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Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episode 1; The Pilot Review

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