Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 5 & 6 Review

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Episode 5: Good Form

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook ABCs Once Upon a Time Season 3 episode 05, Good Form Picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Hook

I won’t lie, Hook is starting to become a favorite character of mine. Didn’t love all the double crossing he did is season 2 but as pseudo good guy he’s a great foil to Snow and Charming constant, near constant noble hero characterizations, oh dear are they getting boring. They were at least some what compelling is season 1, I mean Snow White was a bandit and yelled at birds in season 1 now nearly every line out her mouth is about hope.

Anyway the past section of this epsiode is about Hook and how he was a lieutenant on his elder brother ship. They went to Neverland for what they THOUGHT was a medicine but was Dreamshade, the deadly poison (not delectable tea or medicine). Hook’s brother cuts himself with the Dreamshade to prove to Hook that it’s totally safe. However it was deadly poison and Hook’s big brother is dying. Pan tells Hook that a spring can cure his brother but at a cost. Pan doesn’t say what the price is so they leave Neverland. When they arrive back in their land, Hook’s brother dies because the water only works in Neverland. Hook and his crew become Pirates because the King was cruel and corrupt in making them get Dreamshade. Also in this flashback you get to get to see Neverland by day, crazy.

The Neverland portion has Hook tricking Charming to go to the Spring to cure him. Hook does this because he knows Charming is far to noble to put himself before the noble cause of saving the plotpoint, erm Henry. Before they get to the spring, Pan offers Hook a deal that he can leave with Emma if Hook kills Charming. Charming overhears this and tries to threaten Hook but Hook instead moves to get the water. Hook does tell him about the price BEFORE he drinks it but Charming says it’s a small price to pay for the plotpoint,. Damn it, I mean Henry.

While that is happening, Emma, Snow and Regina set up a trap and take one of the Lost Boy’s hearts to they can get a message to Henry. Snow isn’t for this plan but Emma is more agreeable to it. At first Henry doesn’t believe the Lost Boy, thinking it’s a trick but Henry sees the ladies via a enchanted mirror.

When Hook and Charming return to the others, Charming tells them that Hook saved his life but doesn’t mention the poison. In thanks for saving Charming, Emma gives Hook a rather passionate kiss even though Emma says it was a one time thing. Pan then shows up to Hook and tells him that Neal is still alive.

Well first off, I loved the Princess Bride reference with Hook telling Emma “As you wish.” All in all this was great episode. Seeing Hook’s progression from a strict Naval office to a pirate was interesting and it fits neatly into the Neverland arc. Not sure how Emma, Hook and Neal will progress but it was fun that they kissed, still Love Triangles can be taxing.

Episode 6: Ariel

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel ABCs Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episode 06, Ariel Picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel

The character’s past part introduced us to Ariel. Unlike in the Disney movie or even Splash Mermaids can take human legs once a year. Ariel uses this chance to go to the ball so she can meet Eric whom she saved a year prior. Snow White helps her out and the two are rather girlie. Things get a little more interesting when Eric asks Ariel to go on a trip with him. Ariel pleads to Ursula, the ocean deity and Regina posing as Ursula gives her a bracelet that will let her have legs. Ariel puts the bracelet on Snow thinking it will help them both because as a mermaid she can escape Regina. Regina however shows up and tells Ariel to run off with her Prince as she won’t get a second chance. Ariel goes and as Regina moves into to kill Snow, Ariel saves the day and the two get away.

Back to Neverland, Regina is teaching Emma magic but soon grows tired of all their good guy ways, I’m with Regina nobility and hope speech can get to you after a while. Pan meets with Rumpelstiltskin again and tells him to go back to Storybrooke and start a family with Belle. Rumpelstiltskin declines and Pan leaves, Rumpelstiltskin sees a vision of Belle he has been seeing all season. She tells him that she wants a family with him. Regina shows up and reverts Belle back into Pan’s shadow. Regina and Rumpelstiltskin come up with a plan but Rumpelstiltskin needs something back in Storybrooke to execute said plan. Regina summons Ariel and tells her that Eric is in Storybrooke, very convenient, and if Ariel retrieves the thing Regina will give Ariel an upgraded Bracelet that will let her control it, before the wearer could not remove the bracelet. Rumpelstiltskin can only give Ariel a cryptic message so Belle can find it at his shop.

But wait there is more. The Emma crew learn Neal is alive and is at the Echo caves. To free him everyone MUST reveal a secret. Hook says that kiss was more than a kiss, it meant moving on from his first love, boy’s got it bad, real bad. Snow reveals she wants another child but Charming reveals that he lied and he was poisoned and now he can’t leave Neverland. These secrets make a bridge form. Emma crosses it and tells Neal that while she’s happy he is alive a part wishes he was dead because it would be easier to move on then relive all the pain he put her through. And voila the he is free.

This episode highs were very high. The ending part with Ariel saving Snow was one the best parts. I liked how she was love struck ditz but did the right thing for her friend. Regina and Rumpelstiltskin working together is a fun combo. The echo cave secret revelation was alright not the best but they freed Neal so that is good. Now the Love Triangle can come to full fruition, ,joy… That is going to lead to some unnecessary drama. Ah who am I kidding, I do like a good love triangle so come on OUAT don’t let me down, because I’ve see some bad over-drawn out stupid love triangles, I watch anime and I seen more than one of the Twilight movies at least you can’t be that bad. Or can you? No you can’t. You really can’t.

Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2 Review

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Episode 1:  The Heart of the Truest Believer

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan ABCs Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episode 01, The Heart of the Truest Believer Picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Hook & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

The opening of season three was a bit up and down. The lowest point was the crew of the Jolly Roger arguing and fueling the storm. Seemed a little out of place in Once Upon a Time.  It just seem more juvenile.

Speaking of juvenile, Peter Pan was a high point.  He is introduced as a bait and switch. We think he a rogue lost boy wanting to leaving and helping Henry but that was just a test to see if Henry has “The Heart of the Truest Believer,” and of course he does. There is also the demise of Greg and Tamara. The show makes it clear they were pawns in a bigger scheme but they were so boring and Tamara, aside from killing the Dragon in season 2, didn’t have a backstory. We don’t know why she hated magic. At least Greg’s story fit in more to the larger story and characters. Plus he liked Star Wars, that a plus.   

Rumpelstiltskin is welcomed to the island by Felix, leader of Lost Boys, and issues him a warning not to go against pan and is given a straw doll which makes Rumpelstiltskin cry. Wonder what’s up with the doll?

The parts in the Enchanted Forest are also a low. It just Neal wanting to return to where Emma and Henry are. There are some fourth wall jokes about Mulan being made into a movie.  Correct me if I’m wrong, I’ve been marathoning episodes a little bit more now, but Neal gives a reason for how Beans work, you think of the place you want to go and voila the bean send you there, which is why you can go to Neverland or The Land without Magic (except when there is) or where ever.  

It’s wasn’t a bad episode. Not sure if it was on par with season 2’s opening episode but it could be a case of the lows of the episode were pretty low and the highs were really great. I really enjoyed the Hook and Emma exchanges, like him giving her Neal’s sword and saying that he fancies her when she isn’t yelling at him (I think he might  that a little too)   Also as someone who never liked Peter Pan, I really like that he is the main antagonist. He’s like some demonic overlord of Neverland.   

 

Episode 2: Lost Girl

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan ABCs Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episode 02, Lost Girl Picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

Quite a bit happens in this episode. For one thing The Neverland plot is stronger than the character’s past plot. The past plot revolves around Snow White  getting her groove back and believing that she is the rightful ruler of the land. This done with Charming planting a fake excalibur to make her believe. Apparently Camelot is another realm, I guess since they mention it and Lancelot has cameo in season 2 maybe they will go there at some point.

The Neverland plot has Pan giving Emma a map to his camp and Henry’s location.  The map can only be read if Emma admits who she really is.  Regina however doesn’t want to wait and uses a spell instead but Pan isn’t too happy that group isn’t playing his game and attacks. Charming is hit by an arrow and SEEMs to okay. After looking into a Lost Boy’s eye, Emma sees herself and spares the kid. She admits that what she really is an orphan, a lost girl and the map reveals where the camp is located. Charming also sees that he has been poisoned.

Rumpelstiltskin also removes his shadow and gives it the dagger, so Pan can’t use it on him. That dagger is a liability.
This episode was good. The emotional impact of Emma saying she felt like an orphan was very moving, though it seems like it was mostly setting up Rumpelstiltskin’s no shadow/no dagger and Charming’s doom…

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 20, 21 & 22 Review

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Episode 20: The Evil Queen

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Regina Season 2 Episode 20 The Evil Queen, ABC Once Upon a Time picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Regina

Poor Queen Regina, no one likes her. In this episode Regina wants Snow White dead, of course, and hates that the subjects prefer Snow to her. Rumpelstiltskin disguises her as commoner to learn about the common people and kill Snow. However Regina and Snow hang out and Snow thinks there is good in her that is until Snow sees the village Regina has slaughtered and takes it all back.  Regina then decides she doesn’t want her people to love her but fear her for she is The Evil Queen.

A lot in Storybrooke this episode. It’s introduced that the curse has a fail-safe trigger that will destroy everything. Regina plans on using it and having her and Henry escape back to the Enchanted Forest.  Regina and Hook, who has double crossed Greg and Tamara go adventuring to get it down in the dragon pit. However it was a super double cross as Hook only did it so that the fail-safe will kill Rumpelstiltskin.  And they take away Regina.

While that is happening Emma is suspicious of Tamara  and Henry overhears and wants to restart Operation Cobra or now Preying Mantis.  Emma and Henry break into to Tamara and Neal’s room but Neal catches him and call Emma out her lie detector power, thank you Neal.  

This episode was more of the alright to average range. The show is trying to do a lot to get the plot to the season finale and set-up the next season. The magical doomsday for Storybrooke seems like straight out left field and Greg and Tamara are weird as villains.   Greg has some motivation but Tamara doesn’t so far.

 

Episode 21: Second Star to the Right

Dylan Schmidt as Baelfire & Freya Tingley as Wendy Darling Season 2 Episode 21 Second Star to the Right, ABC Once Upon a Time picture image

Dylan Schmidt as Baelfire & Freya Tingley as Wendy Darling

I was wrong and yet I was sort of right. Baelfire was not Peter Pan, though he did go to Neverland and was Lost Boy for a time. In the character past after Baelfire went through the portal he went to Edwardian London, sure ok, wardrobe goes to Maine, Beans go to London. There he was an orphan till he met Wendy Darling and is taken in by the Darling. Baelfire learns that Wendy is being visited by a shadow and it takes her away. When she returns in the morning she says the shadow let her go because it only wants boys and it will come for one her brothers. Baelfire doesn’t want the Darling family ruined and so he gets taken away. He arrives in Neverland but gets away from the shadow and Hook saves him.

Still a lot going on in Storybrooke but the main thing is Greg and Tamara are torturing Regina. Turns out they are working for someone to get rid of magic in the “world without magic” but also Greg wants to know where is his father is. Rumpelstiltskin gives Snow a spell so that she can see thing through Regina’s eyes, but all see senses is pain and the smell of fish.

Emma, Baelfire/Neal, Snow and Charming all converge of the canary.  Snow and Charming save Regina but Greg gives them the slip. Tamara confronts Neal and Emma. Neal gets shot and then goes through a portal as Tamara threw a magic bean at them. Emma is heartbroken as she believes Neal won’t survive the portal and a gunshot wound. Also Tamara and Greg get away with the trigger to Storybrooke destruction.      

While I don’t love the story of Peter Pan, I do like that there is a somewhat nefarious tone to the story.  Pan’s shadow is near demonic taking boys away in the dead of night. Though he doesn’t like girls. Though it’s weird because Neal says the World Sans Magic wasn’t his right stop way back in episode 14 but it was. He just went to Neverland too afterwards. Would have sucked for Rumpelstiltskin if Neal was dead in the real world the whole time, very convenient.  

This was an ok episode. Lots of stuff happening though Tamara and Greg are not as enjoyable as Cora or Hook. They are weak bad guys.  Really they just seem like zealots, and no one likes a zealot least of all a boring zealot. But the episode was engaging aside from them. I love that Neal called BS on Emma’s on again off again lie detector.

  

 

Episode 22: And Straight on till Morning

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook & Dylan Schmidt as Baelfire Season 2 Episode 22 And Straight on till Morning, ABC Once Upon a Time picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Hook & Dylan Schmidt as Baelfire

The character’s past involves Baelfire’s involvement with Hook and the lost boy pursuing him. As it turns out Peter Pan is a bit of some demi-god who controls Neverland, you don’t leave unless Pan lets you. Baelfire and Hook are bonding nicely till Baelfire learns that it was Hook who took his mother away even though Milah and Hook had plan on going back for Baelfire one day. Baelfire leaves Hook and that is how he becomes a Lost Boy but he is not the boy Pan is REALLY after, Peter Pan is really after Henry, who now is apparently some child of prophecy or something. Man everyone wants this kid.    

In Storybrooke, Tamara and Greg activate the trigger but Hook, is having second thoughts as he doesn’t want to die. The people come up with a plan THAT Regina will hold off the trigger as long as she can while everyone escapes back to the forest with a bean portal. Things go awry and everyone thinks they will die but together Emma and Regina stop the trigger.

Rumpelstiltskin learns that the Blue fairy fixed the whole cursed persona thing so the Dwarf and Belle are cured, wow that whole Belle as bad girl plot really went far.  Also apparently Tamara and Greg’s goal were to bring Henry to Neverland.

The season  ends with Rumpelstiltskin, Emma, Regina, Snow White, Charming and Hook going through a bean portal to Neverland. 

Also everyone thinks Neal is dead but Mulan, Aurora and Phillip save him.  Wow, Aurora and Mulan saved Phillip off screen huh?   

This episode was ok, not real conclusion to any storyline but set-up for next season. It’s really dumb that ALL the character think Neal is dead. Like why do automatically assume that. Because it’s most dramatic?


Season 2 was more smaller stories than a long goal narration so it felt more choppy than season 1 but it wasn’t bad. It had some strong episodes and even the lower episodes felt better than the lower episode in season 1. So while no ultimate conclusion was reached in season 2 it definitely made you want to continue to season 3.

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 15 & 16 Review

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Episode 15: The Queen is Dead

Bailee Madison as Young Snow White & Rena Sofer as Queen Eva Season 2 Episode 15 The Queen is Dead ABC Once Upon a Time picture image

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 Season 2 Episode 16 Miller's Daughter ABC Once Upon a Time picture image

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.

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 13 & 14 Review

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Episode 13: Tiny

Jorge Garcia as Anton, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Lee Arenberg as Grumpy and Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 13 Tiny picture image

Jorge Garcia as Anton, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Lee Arenberg as Grumpy and Josh Dallas as Charming

Ha!!!!!!! That is not what Logan Airport looks like, or I have been using the wrong terminal all this time. Also really a flight to Boston to New York? It’s not that far via car or bus, or train and then none of that take off the cloak Drama. Basically  Rumpelstiltskin is having cultural shock and he can’t use magic.

In the character’s past Prince James, Charming/David’s twin, and his lover Jacqueline a.k.a Jack are tasked with tricking a Giant, Anton, who has come to town. Anton is the giant from the compass episode.  He thinks they are friends but they just want the beans. James and Jack kill all the giants but Anton destroys all the beans and before the giant leader  dies, he gives Anton a new beanstalk seed that can grow more beans.  Also to prove James is more of a jerk, he lets Jack die.

In Storybrooke, Hook shows Snow, Charming and Leroy, a captured Anton, who is travel size.  Anton goes on a tear when he sees Charming/David. Regina and Hook decide to use Anton as a distraction and Regina makes him big. Charming offers himself for the town. Anton tries to crush him but the size mushroom wears off and Anton’s life is in danger. The town saves him and he welcomes him into the fairy/literature fold. Anton tells them about planting the bean to return to the enchanted forest but warns them that it’s what Cora wanted.

 

At end Snow tells Charming home is where Emma and Henry are and she doesn’t want to leave them. Greg also tells Belle that he saw magic too.  

 

This was not the strongest episode. It some ways it moved the plot and in other ways seemed to stall. Did the giant need a backstory and did it need a whole episode?  Let’s see where it leads but most of it felt like filler.  I do like the irony of a giant being an honorary dwarf at the end.

 

Episode 14: Manhattan

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 14 Mahhattan picture image

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin

Confession time, this episode got spoiled for me BUT oh wow!  Amazing twist! You could not have predicted who the true identity of who Neil really was. It fits perfectly and does add to the drama.

The plot of this is fairly simple. Emma, Rumpelstiltskin  and Henry go to Manhattan to find Baelfire and oh boy do they find him quickly. Like Rumpelstiltskin’s globe pinpointed the building.  

So they find him but he takes off running, Rumpelstiltskin sends  Emma after him and to get Bae to speak to him. She catches him but it’s her baby daddy Neal a.k.a Baelfire.  Emma questions that if  his motivates for being with her and if they were part of the curse. He says no and he wants nothing to do with Rumpelstiltskin. Emma withholds the information that he has a son.

Emma reports back that she was unsuccessful and Rumpelstiltskin breaks in to Baelfire’s apartment. Rumpelstiltskin notices Emma acting weird and starts questioning her but Baelfire shows up to defend Emma against Rumpelstiltskin since Emma didn’t really keep her side of the bargain. When Baelfire see Henry he questions Henry’s age and it’s revealed to everyone else that he is the father.    

The character’s past portion is about Rumpelstiltskin pre-dark one and post. Rumpelstiltskin is excited to go to the front but while there he meets a seer. She tells him he will die and it will leave his son fatherless. Or rather his actions will lead his unborn son fatherless. And yes they do. Rumpelstiltskin meets her after becoming the Dark One and she tells him that he will reunite with his son but a boy will be his undoing. Rumpelstiltskin says we will have to kill this boy. The boy is Henry. Seems like invented conflict since Rumpelstiltskin’s motivation have been his son the whole time so it seems a little out of character for him to now want to kill his grandson but we’ll see where this goes. Character’s personality change so much in this show that it COULD be in his character.

Also In Storybrooke, Cora, Regina, and Hook are on a quest to find Rumpelstiltskin’s dagger so that he will be the one to kill those who stand in Regina’s way of being the sole mommy of Henry. I guess that mean she’ll have to kill Rumpelstiltskin too since he have more of claim on Henry than she does. Does that close adoption thing mean nothing now? Did the curse break existing law? How did that law work? I mean Henry was born in Arizona. Someone MUST have brought Henry to Storybrooke  and yet no one could get into Storybrooke prior, unless they were related to the Fairy Tale world. We Know Rumpelstiltskin arranged it but did Regina go? She can leave since she wasn’t a victim of the curse. But Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t leave Storybrooke since he was a victim but he retained his memories. So many questions. How did they get into the town like pregnancy tests or coffee? Does the curse just make commodities appear?   

Also Gregg saw Regina use magic and sent “her” a video of it.

 
Despite raising all sorts of questions with this possession over Henry plot, this was a great episode. The drama from New York crew was on point. They rest of the episode did feel weak by comparison although that seer was kind of awesome.  She reminded of the Harpy in The Last Unicorn. I want to know how she got captured and why? Where is that episode?

 

Bonus Picture Time

The Seer Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 14 Mahhattan picture image

The Seer

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episodes 7 & 8 Review

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Episode 7: Child of the Moon

Meghan Ory as Ruby and Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season Episode 7 Child of the Moon picture image

Meghan Ory as Ruby and Josh Dallas as Charming

Oh, King George, you suck. This episode centers around Red/Ruby. In Storybrooke King George a.k.a Spencer, frames Ruby for murder. David doesn’t buy it and calls him out of him but Spencer burns Jefferson’s hat which was to get Mary Margaret/Snow White and Emma back.  

Also we learn the truth behind Henry and Aurora’s dream.  It’s really their soul being set to a netherworld. Mr Gold gives Henry a necklace to control his presence there and speaks a little with Aurora.

In the character’s past, Red meets more of her kind and  learns how control herself in the wolf form. However Red’s mother tries and makes her choose between her wolf side and human side, Red picks both facets of her being.

The CGs are still bad and I will still bring it up otherwise the episode was great. Red/Ruby is great character as she both strong yet very vulnerable in a believable way.    

 

Episode 8: Into the Deep

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 8 Into the Deep picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Charming

I really liked how this episode blended the two narratives of the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. So everyone figures out that since Henry and Aurora were under the sleeping curse and their souls go to that red room when they sleep, Henry can give info to Aurora to get Snow and Emma home, or rather how to deal with Cora. However as Aurora and Henry try and converse the Enchanted forest crew is attacked.  Aurora is then kidnapped and Cora gives them a deadline to turn over the compass or it’s bye-bye Aurora. Snow gets the idea that if she can go into a deep enough sleep she can enter the red room to speak to Henry. So they go Poppy hunting.

However in Storybrooke, Regina and Charming see burns on Henry’s arm and Charming decides that HE should get cursed too since he KNOWs Snow will find a way there. The two soul mates reunite in a hellish prison. Anyway the way to stop Cora is the way they stopped Rumpelstiltskin way back in the Cinderella episode with squid ink. Rumpelstiltskin says there is some in his old prison cell.

Back in the forest, Hook frees Aurora but Hook is a no good double traitor and takes Aurora’s heart and gives it to Cora. This means Cora can control Aurora’s words and actions.
I enjoyed this episode but there is  a lot going on. I mean it’s better than that Frankenstein filler episode.  It also had a good cliff-hanger. Not too much I can say about this episode.

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 21 & 22 Review

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Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Queen Regina ABC's Once Upon a Time, An Apple as Red as Blood picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Queen Regina

 

Episode 21: An Apple as Red as Blood

Ok Let’s wrap with season up!

In that crazy wonderful magic world known as the Fairy Tale world or The Enchanted Forest, Regina saves James/Charming, I guess he should be called Charming as James was his brother. Charming is saved by Regina as bait for Snow White. Snow White and her band of scrappy pals launch a rescue mission. Snow White’s Prince however is in another castle. Queen Regina then arranges Snow to meet with her in a parley back at the stables where  Snow first saw the kiss between Regina and Daniel. Snow White willingly eats the apple to save Charming’s life putting her into a deathlike sleep.

In Storybrooke, Emma tries to leave but Henry begs her to not go as she has to break the curse. Emma returns but is chastised by Mary Margaret for leaving and not saying good-bye and not doing what is best for Henry. Emma also talks to Dr.Hopper who tells her not to fight against Regina for Henry’s sake. Emma’s solution is to talk to Regina about a deal where she leaves town and while Henry lives with Regina she can still be in Henry’s life.

Meanwhile Regina used Jefferson’s hat to get the poison apple back using that last bit of magic that was left. Wait, Jefferson is back? Where did he go after vanishing at the end of episode 17? Oh well.  Since part of the curse is that Emma can’t die or it will be broken,  Regina bakes the poison apple into a turnover and gives it to Emma during their parlay.  Before Emma can eat the turnover Henry visits her and finds out she is leaving. He notices the turnover and eats it causing him to be put into the sleeping curse.  

I have to ask why doesn’t Rumpelstiktskin’s dagger work but the apple does? They are both objects that came from the fairy world so why does one work and the other doesn’t? I guess the reason they give is magic is unpredictable but Regina’s ring she got from Daniel had magic but it didn’t in the Fairy Tale world. These rules are so arbitrary and yet they are so important. There is no logic.  I give up on Emma’s whole lie detecting thing too, again no logic, it just comes and goes when the plot needs it to work.

So what about the episode? It was okay. It moved this along to the finale while connecting the dots to the beginning of the season with Charming and Snow White. I  didn’t really love the whole rescue thing but that is a personal preference thing

 

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & ared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, ABC's Once Upon a Time, Land without Magic picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills

Episode 22: A Land without Magic

I was pretty disappointed in this season finale. It felt pretty rushed  and yet some elements came out of left field that padded out the episode. It was underwhelming.  

First, in our Fairy Tale universe, Charming is escaping the castle and is he helped by the Huntsman, remember him?  Charming then gets lost in the forest and Rumpelstiktskin appears and offers him a deal. Rumpelstiktskin will give Charming back his mother’s ring that now has an enchantment on it to find Snow if Charming puts the True Love potion in the belly of the beast, which is Maleficent. He does this tasks, finds Snow, smooches her, she wakes up and proposes to her. This ends with them vowing to take back their kingdoms together. We know they do this but how they do it is the question for the next season. I also really loved Snow’s white flowerly cloak, it’s very pretty, I want it.

Meanwhile, Emma takes Henry to the ER and she realizes that the curse and the fairy tale people are real. Apparently that is all that it took, belief. So Emma believes and her Regina go to Mr Gold to help Henry. Dudes, just kiss him! But instead of that, which Regina and Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiktskin freaking know,  Rumpelstiktskin gives them the quest to get the true love potion from the dragon’s belly, ok sure, whatever.   Emma fights a Dragon a la Sleeping Beauty because we need a climax and this dragon has totally been setup for this moment, no, not really, no, the love potion was but a scary Dragon, nope. Heck, the building was set-up more than the dragon as you see a broaded-up building on the main road all the time.  I do give them credit Emma’s special savior status was explain. You see, Rumpelstiktskin dropped the love potion on the paper that curse was written on and since she was the product of the true love that is the reason for her having special saving powers. However it was all a ruse by Rumpelstiktskin to get the love potion. And while that is going on Jefferson frees Belle and sends her to Mr.Gold in some attempt to thwart Regina for going back on her promise to him to get his daughter back, BUT wait there is more. Emma and Regina return to the hospital to find Henry is dead. Emma kissed him and voila-ed Henry is cured and the curse is broken. Everyone now remembers who they are and everyone’s roles. But for some reason they don’t get transported back to the fairy tale world. Rumpelstiktskin then pours the true love potion into that magic well and releases a new magic on the story.

While this episode was weird paced and the reason why the curse was broken isn’t explain I’m still pumped for Season 2. Bring it ON!  

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming ABC's Once Upon a Time, Land without Magic picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 17 & 18 Review

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Episode 17: Hat Trick

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Sebastian Stan as Jefferson ABC's Once Upon a Time, Hat Trick picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Sebastian Stan as Jefferson

Emma and Mr Gold find that Mary Margaret has escaped and Emma needs to find by 8 A.M or they are screwed. While Emma is looking for Mary Margaret, she meets a guy named Jefferson,  who is apparently hurt. Emma takes him back to his house where he gives her some delicious tea but it turns out to be deadly poison.  Actually it’s just a roofie. Emma escapes from her restrainments and finds Mary Margaret in the house and tied up. As Emma and Mary Margaret try to escape Jefferson threaten them  with a gun and makes Emma tie Mary Margaret back up and then demands Emma makes a hat that works. Turns out Jefferson knows about the dual worlds and that he is a fairy tale character and he wants Emma to make a hat because she has magic and the hat will enable him to go home. Emma does make a hat but she knocks him out as she just thinks he is crazy. Mary Margaret, freed by Emma, helps defeat Jefferson who along with his hat is knock-out the window but he vanishes. Also Mary Margaret gets back in time but that wasn’t part of the plan cooked up by Regina and Mr. Gold, who surprise, are working together. Oh Mr.Gold playing both sides.    

In the fairy Tale world Jefferson lives with his daughter, Grace. Grace is also in Storybrooke but is called Paige and has a different family and doesn’t know Jefferson. Jefferson wants to live a peaceful humble  life but that darn Evil Queen wants him to take her to Wonderland via his magic hat. Jefferson at first says no but wants a better life for his daughter so he agrees. Before they enter Wonderland Jefferson tells the Queen that the same number of people who enter must leave together, rule of the hat. They enter Wonderland so the Evil Queen can take something that the Queen of Hearts stole. They get it back and it turns out it’s her father, Henry. Since it’s now three people the Queen makes it so Jefferson can’t leave. Jefferson gets captured by the Queen of Hearts and she takes his head, it’s what she does. He is fine  though and is told that he will have to make another hat to get out of wonderland which drives him mad. Mad Hatter, it’s not subtle.

  

Again, what happened to Emma’s lie detection? Jefferson was faking his injury which is a lie. Can she only spot when people say lies and not fakers? It’s just irritating. Also I love that his name is Jefferson, nice little reference to Jefferson Airplanes. I had a good laugh at that one. I do like that Jefferson is half mad for knowing the truth. I did like this episode. The Storybrooke parts were better than the fairytale plot.

Episode 18: The Stable Boy

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Noah Bean as Daniel ABC's Once Upon a Time, The Stable Boy picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina & Noah Bean as Daniel

Mary Margaret asking Regina what she ever did to make her hate her so much is like what Esmeralda said to Frollo when she was in jail for murder. I’m sure it was unintentional but it made me chuckle.  So this episode reveals why Regina hates Snow White a.k.a Mary Margaret. Regina in the Fairy Tale world was in love with a stable boy named Daniel, but her Mother, Cora, wants Regina to aim higher in status. One day Regina saves a little girl from a runaway horse. The girl is Snow White and her father asks Regina to marry him which her mother says agrees. Regina asks Daniel to  marry her and Snow sees them kissing. Regina begs Snow not to say anything as her mother wouldn’t understand. Snow does tell Cora since she wants Regina to be happy and have a relationship with her mother. Cora then takes Daniel’s heart and crushes into dust. Regina finds out Snow told her mother and that her mother was behind the whole thing of Snow’s Horse going wild so Regina could get the attention of the King.

Apparently this whole murder/missing person plot was all Mr. Gold’s doing really just to get Mary Margaret out of Storybrooke since the curse can’t left them leave so she will die I guess. Emma talks to August about approaching the case differently which causes Emma to return to the place where the heart was found. They find a shard from the shovel the was used to bury the heart. Emma breaks into Regina’s garage and indeed the shard matches her shovel. However Sidney planted a bug in Emma’s office so Regina is able to switch out the shovel before Emma can lawfully confirm the match. Also Regina confesses to Mary Margaret that she knows she didn’t kill Kathryn. The episode ends with it being revealed to Emma, August and Ruby that Kathryn is alive.   

First off, I’m not shocked. This why I have been trying to watch and episode and then write the posts instead of binging watching a bunch then writing. I will admit between episodes  7-13 I was binge watching it, which is more fun since this show is REALLY watchable but I did ask back in episode 16 if Kathryn was really dead. Full disclosure I did watch/wrote my assessment of  episode 16  Heart of Darkness the day before I watched/wrote this one, so it was fresh in my head.

I did really enjoy this episode, Barbara Hershey is like the perfect casting for Regina ambitious mother. Bailee Madison, young Snow, matched Ginnifer Goodwin’s inflections perfectly, easily one of the better child actor in the show.  I don’t know how I feel about the reason for Regina’s evilness  and her bitterness towards Snow. I mean tragic love is it? That is only reason really for her cruelty? She isn’t mad at her mother?  Snow was well intentioned and a child. I did like the episode but does seem too simplistic even for a fairy tale.   

Bailee Madison as Young Snow White, ABC's Once Upon a Time, The Stable Boy picture image

Bailee Madison as Young Snow White

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 15 & 16 Review

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Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood ABC's Once Upon a Time, Red-Handed picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood

Episode 15: Red-Handed

Red gets an episode! Red a.k.a Little Red Riding doesn’t like being locked inside with granny when there is a wolf on the prowl. She also longs to run off with her bae, Peter. After a wolf attack Red meets Snow White but Snow introduces herself as Mary though first as Margaret. Red decides that if she can catch the wolf while it sleeps she and Peter can run off together. Red proves a great tracker and finds that the wolf’s track turn into a human and leads to her window which makes her think that Peter is the wolf, also Peter and the wolf, so cute. Red goes to Peter to ties him up so he can hurt anyone but TWIST it’s Red who is the wolf, it’s a family trait.

The Storybrooke plot still continues the hunt for Kathryn. While Emma investigates, Ruby quits her job at Granny’s and stays with Emma and Mary Margaret. Ruby then gets a job working with Emma because she has good phone skills. As Emma assistant she gets grilled cheese and helps in search for the lovely the Kathryn, one of those is important to the plot. Turns out David has been sleepwalking again and can’t confirm his whereabouts. Ruby then finds a box with a human heart in it and inside the box are fingerprints belonging to Mary Margaret. It’s Once Upon a Time; CSI.

This episode was pretty good. The werewolf angle is typical for Little Red Riding adaptations but it’s nice that Red is the wolf and her hood is a magical article that controls her transformation. The cloaks in this episode were real pretty.

 

Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan ABC's Once Upon a Time, Heart of Darkness picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

Episode 16: Heart of Darkness

Snow White has become a Grade C Biatch since she has forgotten love. The Dwarves stage an intervention with Jiminy. It ends with Snow White saying she has to kill the Queen, pretty standard intervention. Grumpy takes Snow to Rumpelstiktskin to fix her but Rumpelstiktskin hasn’t been able to bottle love yet and instead of helping Snow’s new bitch attitude he enables her to murder the Queen with a good shooting location and an arrow that always finds its target.

James/Charming shows up at Rumpelstiktskin’s place and exchanges his cloak for intel on Snow’s plan and that true love kiss on the lips cures curses or the potion Snow took. James/Charming finds Snow and plants a kiss on her but since Snow isn’t herself the kiss doesn’t work. Snow ties him up and he begs her not to kill the Queen. Jiminy helps his escape and James/Charming blocks the arrow that Snow fired at the Queen. James/Charming declares his love for her, they kiss and BOOM Snow White remembers and isn’t a jerk anymore. But that ass-hat king turns up and takes James/Charming away leaving Snow vowing she will find him. Rumpelstiktskin then extracts a piece of James/Chamring’s hair from his cloak and bottles it with Snow White’s hair thus making a True Love potion, I guess love is stored in the hair.

In Storybrooke Mary Margaret is being questioned and in turns out that the box the heart was found in was Mary Margaret’s jewelry box. Emma investigates if there were signs of a break in but instead she finds a weapon that matches the murder weapon. Mary Margaret then hires Mr.Gold as her lawyer. Henry tells Emma that Regina has a key that might open Mary Margaret’s apartment which she does, making Emma and Henry suspect that Regina framed Mary Margaret as the Evil Queen hates Snow White. David then remembers himself as James/Charming begging Snow not to kill “her” which leads him to think she killed Kathryn. Mary Margaret then finds a key to her cell and leaves.

While I did like this episode there are a few things that are just weird. First is David’s memory. The way it’s shot makes it a first person perspective which means we have to interpret it as he sees what we see. David doesn’t question that in this memory Mary Margaret has longer hair and there is snow on the ground, two things that he should realize BEFORE he doubts her innocence, or at least question his memory more. David is a dummy. Also is Kathryn really dead? We know Graham didn’t have his heart and was still able to live. And finally fingerprint the knife! It was found in Mary Margaret’s apartment but did Regina ever get her to touch it? And was it the murder weapon? I don’t know, I like the episode but the whole murder plot is very boring, Regina is like Papaletine here, of course she is behind it all.

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 9 & 10 Review

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Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen, Karley Scott Collins as Gretel & Quinn Lord as Hansel ABC's Once Upon a Time, True North picture image

Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen, Karley Scott Collins as Gretel & Quinn Lord as Hansel

 

Episode 9: True North

The Evil Queen’s costumes are really starting to grow on me or they are just better than at the start of the show. This episode is about Hansel and Gretel  whose Storybrooke counterparts are orphan children. All this episode really does to move the plot is Mary Margaret sees Emma’s baby blanket and the Evil Queen gets her poison apple as the Blind Witch in the Gingerbread house had it and the Evil Queen sent Hansel and Gretel  to retrieve it for her.   Oh and the Stranger comes to town. I do wonder if no one ever leaves or goes to Storybrooke how do the get shipments of essentials? I think I’m overthinking.  

This was a weak episode, not much more you can say.

Episode 10: 7:15 A.M.

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, ABC's Once Upon a Time, 7:15 A.M. picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White

Okay, we’re back to an episode focused on Mary Margaret/Snow White and David/James/Shepherd. In the Fairy Tale world a.k.a Enchanted Forest, James is about to marry princess Abigail but instead sends a letter to Snow White asking her to come to him so they can be together. Snow White, in turn, was trying to forget him and had Rumpy make her a forget-me-now potion. However Snow goes to castle but is thrown in prison. While in the joint she meets Grumpy. One of the other dwarves springs them but gets killed in the escaped attempt, Snow White saves Grumpy and breaks things off with James claiming she doesn’t love him. After which she moves in with the Dwarves and takes the potion to forget her love even though James called off the wedding with Abigail.

Meanwhile in Storybrooke,  a storm is a brewing!  Mary Margaret however is engaging in some light stalker as she makes sure she is at the coffee place every morning at 7:15 a.m. to see David getting his coffee. Though it turns out that David is only there at that time to  see Mary Margaret so they are stalking each other, it’s like a fairy tale. However it turns out that David’s wife Catherine MIGHT be pregnant, so Mary Margaret tries to back off and instead focuses her attention on getting a Dove back to its flock  before a super heavy rainstorm. David of course follows her, saves her from death by cliff, they confess their feelings and decide they cannot stay apart. Adultery, how romantic?           

All in all, I did like this episode. I do like seeing James and Snow White romance unfold. I also like that she meets Grumpy in a dungeon cell, nice touch.