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ONCE UPON A TIME |
Emma Swann - Jennifer Morrison Regina Mills - Lana Parrilla Mary Margaret Blanchard - Ginnifer Goodwin David Nolan - Josh Dallas Mr Gold - Robert Carlyle Henry - Jared Gilmore Archie Hopper - Raphael Sbarge Cora - Barbara Hershey Neal Cassidy - Michael Raymond-James Hook - Colin O'Donoghue Belle - Emilie de Ravin 
OTHER ONCE UPON A TIME SEASONS Season 1 OTHER FAIRY TALE SHOWS Grimm Tin Man Alice Witches Of Oz 
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BrokenIn Storybrooke, the curse is broken and everyone remembers who they are, and what has been done to them. Regina is in danger, both from the townsfolk and a demon sent by Mr Gold. ONCE UPON A TIME finished off its first season on a cliffhanger that would have been a satisfying conclusion. Now that it's been granted a second season, it has to come up with new challenges and this opening season does that quite nicely, thank you very much. The fallout from the returning memories is nicely handled and leads through the expected storyline, not least with Mr Gold trying to take his revenge on Regina. The (literal) fallout from that is a surprising twist. There's also the fact that not all of the old kingdom was destroyed and the introduction of Prince Philip and Sleeping Beauty, not forgetting Mulan as well, to provide the fantasy land background. ONCE UPON A TIME is back and staking its claim for an entertaining second season. TopWe Are BothWith Snow White and Emma lost in what remains of the magical realm, Charming must try to keep the town together, not least when Regina regains some of her old power. The price of leaving, though, is to permanently forget what they have just remembered. The present day storyline is now split between two worlds, but this episode ignores the lost Emma and Snow and concentrates on Charming's attempts to find a way to reach them through the Mad Hatter and Regina's attempts to bring her magic back. In the past fairytale world (and this could get confusing) the story of how Regina became the most powerful sorceress there ever was is told and proves to be a more satisfying one than in the real world (as ever). TopLady Of The LakeIn what remains of the fairytale land, Emma and Snow White go in search of a way back to Storybrooke with their small band and an errant knight of the realm. In the past, the fate of Charming's mother is related. This is all about relationships with mothers. Quite apart from the efforts to save Charming's mother, there is the troubled relationship between Regina and the mother who is more evil than she ever was and finally there is Emma finally seeing what her real mother, Snow White, is really capable of. There are touching moments, moments of peril and high action, betrayal and bonding. What more could any fairy tale ask for? The CGI ogre is a touch ropey, but the 'fe fi fo fum' dialogue is priceless. TopThe CrocodileBelle struggles to find her place in the modern world of Storybrooke and in her relationship with Mr Gold. More of Rumplestiltskin's backstory is revealed. Rumplestiltskin has always been one of the more interesting characters in ONCE UPON A TIME and this episode, focusing on him as it does, instantly benefits from that fact. The flashback tale of how Rumple lost his wife and how he took his revenge is nicely told with a very smart twist at the end, introducing a new, beloved character into the mix. The modern story of Belle caught between the man she is trying to love and an overprotective father is much less engaging, but doesn't detract from things too much. TopThe DoctorRegina is trying to go magic cold turkey, but the resurrection of her lover as a monster puts an end to that. Regina was the wicked witch from the outset of ONCE UPON A TIME, but the slow revelations of how she came to be the Evil Queen have each made her more human and more tragic. The latest twist of her character, trying to give up magic for Henry, isn't convincing, but the manipulations around her backstory and what she is called upon to do in the modern Storybrooke are telling on her character. Lana Parrilla is certainly turning out to be the star turn of the piece. It's perhaps a little more melodramatic than it needs to be, but then the gothic nature of the tale befits the appearance of one Doctor Frankenstein. TopTallahasseeIn the magic realm, Emma must climb a beanstalk with Hook to face the last giant. Flashbacks explain her lack of trust. For once, events in the 'real' world are more interesting than those in the magic kingdom. The trip up the beanstalk proves to be, well, a bit dull. Jorge Garcia is given almost nothing to do as the giant in question and is a total non-character when he ought to have been some kind of tragic figure. The writers really failed to give him anything to work with. Meanwhile, the flashbacks to Emma's past, in which we meet Henry's father and see what it was that broke her ability to trust people, is much more fun. OK, it's all been done before elsewhere, but it's light and bright and sheds some light on Emma's character. This is definitely one of ONCE UPON A TIME's lesser episodes. TopChild Of The MoonIn Storybrooke, Red faces her first full moon since the curse was broken and magic was reinstated into the world. When a man is killed by a wolf, she believes it was her even though nobody else does. The Storybrooke element of this episode is almost painfully thin and flimsy. Uncomplicated doesn't even begin to cover it. Fortunately, we have the flashbacks into the magic realm where Ruby finds her real mother and a way to control the wolf. Admittedly, this story introduces the mother only to get rid of her again in very unlikely haste, but the conflict between two sides of a character is earnestly played, even though we have seen it all before elsewhere. King George's revenge on Charming is nicely duplicitous and all in all this was a solidly entertaining episode. TopInto The DeepAurora and Henry are able to communicate in a room of fire whilst asleep. Charming decides that it his time for him to take over the conversation and puts himself into an enchanted sleep from which only Snow White's kiss can revive him. This whole episode is focused on the room of fire. Henry first learns how to control it a bit and then Charming has to find a way from a hall of mirrors (apparently where you go when under a sleeping curse) into that same room in order to explain how Snow and Emma can defeat Cora. The room is an impressive set, to be sure, and the show certainly makes sure that it gets the most out of it, but the plot is moved on very little by all of this. Fortunately, as filler goes it's pretty good filler. TopQueen Of HeartsGold and Regina plan to destroy anyone who comes through the portal from the fairy tale land even though that might be Snow White and Emma. This episode is like a season finale. A whole load of loose threads are tied up so neatly that you could imagine this was meant to be an ending. There's a little coda that makes no sense (yet) that shows it isn't and at least one loose thread floating around. Considering that Cora is supposed to be an all-powerful witch, she seems unaccountably unable to deal with three women armed only with swords. And that's with a pirate by her side! Fortunately, the plot moves at enough of a pace for that not to matter. For once, the flashbacks to the fairy tale realm (in this case Hook's first meetings with Regina and Cora) are less important than the present day story. TopThe Cricket GameCora and Hook arrive in Storybrooke and set about taking their revenge by setting up Regina for murder. In the fairytale flashback, Snow White gives the evil queen one last chance to reform. It shows the shift in audience appreciation of Regina's character that she is seen as being mistreated by those who immediately assume that she was responsible for the killing at the centre of the story. Her recent actions have helped to diminish the impact of the long history of evil deeds that her victims are clearly still aggrieved by. The fact that Snow and Emma have just both come back from dealing with a shapeshifter should also have been a bit of a giveaway, but the characters don't realise that Cora's in town. This is one example of the audience knowing more than the characters impacting on how those characters' actions are viewed. The flashback sequence in which the evil queen is captured and Snow White wrestles with the morality of execution is nicely done and manages to set her character back into the context that her current should be seen in. The twist in the plot is very nicely handled. TopThe OutsiderHook starts to take his revenge on Gold, attacking Belle in the Library. What he learns, however, is that Belle is not easily frightened, a fact attested to by her first meeting with Mulan in the hunt for a dog with a collar of fire. First off, the fiery dog-monster is a very poor CGI creation that undermines the whole of the Enchanted Forest flashback sequence, but at least Belle's manner of dealing with it and the outcome of the hunt show a little originality. It also closes part of the circle of Mulan's backstory. Emilie de Ravin gets a chance to be centre stage for a change and manages to add a little weight to the character of Belle, though the Hook and Gold characters show what can be done with a bit more screen time and better writing backup, eclipsing her in the scenes where they appear together. The conclusion of the story is a bit more hard-edged than expected and proves that the show is capable of both a bit of cruelty and a surprise. TopIn The Name Of The BrotherThe owner of the car who mowed down Hook is in critical condition and only Dr Whale can save him, but Whale's been having confidence issues since remembering that he is Victor Frankenstein. Although the episode doesn't add up to very much in the long term progression of the series, there are so many lovely touches in it that you can't help but accept it. Having Frankenstein's world in monochrome and Rumpelstiltskin appearing in it in glorious colour is a delightful conceit and the fact that the good doctor is named after James Whale, who directed the first Universal Frankenstein movie is a nice touch. It is also very nice seeing someone other than the main characters doing the legwork this week. It's Rose Red who tracks the doctor down and then talks him around, 'one monster to another'. Robert Carlyle is given some acting to do as Gold sees his most precious keepsake shattered by the one person who loved him and who now has no idea who he is. Regina's acceptance of Cora's maternal overtures is the one huge mis-step. How stupid Regina would have to be to fall for her mother's words makes it possible only that she's going along for some plot of her own and Cora is not so stupid as to believe otherwise. Time will tell. TopTinyCharming and Snow White release a trapped giant only to find that he has unfinished business with Charming's twin brother. Unless all this has some sort of significance later on in the season through the cultivation of the magic beans, then this is classic filler material and that's before we get to the whole 'Mr Gold has never been on a plane before' subplot that takes up far too much screentime. The backstory to the giant's hatred of Prince Charming is so underwritten as to be embarrassing with only the gender games played with Jack The Giant Killer being of any interest at all, though Jorge Garcia's return as the giant Tiny is welcome. And where, exactly, did the bottomless pit come from right at the end? How unlucky that the giant should have chosen that exact spot to get into trouble. This is the poorest episode of the show for a very long time. TopManhattanEmma and Henry accompany Gold to the home of his missing son, Baelfire and find all kinds of interesting connections. In the fairy tale realm, more is revealed of Rumpelstiltskin's cowardice. One week after the hugely (pardon the pun)disappointing Tiny, ONCE UPON A TIME throws up one of its finest episodes, replete with big surprises and connections between characters that have all kinds of ramifications. And we didn't see it coming at all. Added into all the family angst, there's the flashback to Rumpelstiltskin's brief military service and how it came to an end through the intervention of a really creepy (and quite scary for younger viewers) seer. This bit is nicely handled and comes up with another smart twist to keep the plotline bubbling. Episodes like this remind us of why we love ONCE UPON A TIME. TopThe Queen Is DeadCora and Regina try to find Rumpelstiltskin's dagger so they can control him. Hook goes on a quest of vengeance. Snow White learns the truth about her mother's death. Cora is a really fine villainess. Not only does she seem to have genuinely bamboozled Regina (how is beyond reason, but hey), but the story of how she tries to twist Snow White to evil is smart and clever and spoiled only by the fact that the child actress playing Snow isn't up to the task. In Storybrooke, she uses a childhood friend of Snow's to get leverage and then does the dirty deed anyway, just because she can. She is one bad puppy. OK, so the plot doesn't quite work, with Gold giving up his deepest secret in the name of 'family' and Cora and Regina appearing out of nowhere at just the right moment. If they're that powerful, why do they need to be led to the dagger's hiding place anyway? Still, it doesn't matter as the story rattles along at a pace that denies all these quibbles. TopThe Miller's DaughterCora, a miller's daughter, learns some of Rumpelstiltskin's tricks to take her revenge on a haughty king. Cora, a powerful sorceress, tries to plunge Rumpelstiltskin's dagger into his heart to become the new Dark One. Cora's backstory is told and it proves to be less interesting than it might have been, covering as it does some of the ground previously covered by Rumpelstiltskin's relationship with Regina. Having Rose McGowan play the young Cora, however, is a stroke of genius and makes up for the narrative lacking. In Storybrooke, the stand off between witches and protectors of Gold/Rumpelstiltskin makes things a bit static, but the revelation of a way to deal with Cora once and for all livens things up no end and is another smart piece of plotting. The reconciliation with Baelfire and the teary farewell to Belle are a bit much to take though. Though not quite ONCE UPON A TIME at its best, this is only a notch or two below. TopWelcome To StorybrookeSnow is depressed about what she has done and goes to Regina in an attempt at suicide by evil queen. Meanwhile, we learn why Regina first felt the need for a foster son in the first place and why the guy who ran down Hook is still hanging about. It's major backstory time as the flashback to the time that the curse was imposed takes centre stage (allowing a few departed characters to make a brief comeback) and the present-day mopefest is relegated to supporting player. It's just as well because whilst Snow's being upset at killing someone is believable, the fact that Cora was on a rampage that had taken far more lives would suggest a certain amount of leeway could be given in the blame stakes. Lana Parrilla's Regina alternates between being a complex character and a really stupid one dependent on the needs of the episode's writers and this one errs on the stupid side. Sure, she is shown to be as trapped by the curse as everyone else, perhaps even more so, but the way in which she expects complete strangers to want to be her surrogate family overnight shows her as being more than a little bonkers. In the end, it reveals the ongoing plot arc, but in a way that is less than satisfactory. TopSelfless, Brave and TrueEmma discovers Pinocchio, fully wooden now, living in an abandoned trailer in the woods. He flashes back to a time when he encountered a chance to be human once more, and blew it. There is a minor character who is revealed to be part of a bigger plot and that is the whole point of this episode. It's a complete sidestep that verges dangerously on being simply filler. Fortunately, the Eastern setting of the flashback is refreshingly different and the effects that give us the fully wooden adult Pinocchio are excellent. TopLaceyRegina gives Belle her memories back, but the memories of Lacey - her cursed persona. Gold tries to woo her again, remembering how he did it the last time around. The twist in the story of how Gold tries to get Lacey, a tarty barfly, back is quite a fun one, though hardly enough to take up the whole of the episode. The flashback to Rumplestiltskin and Belle meeting Robin Hood (of all people!) is repetitive and doesn't add anything to the earlier flashbacks to their relationship. All in all, this is a relatively disappointing episode so close to the end of the season. TopThe Evil QueenRegina decides to use the doomsday device that she had secreted in her curse to destroy all Storybrooke so that she and Henry can be together. For this, she needs Hook, who is playing his own game. Apparently, Regina is ticked off that the good guys were planning to skip back to the Enchanted Forest without her, just because she's irredeemably evil. She's had, like, dozens of chances to reform and she's thrown every one back in the offerer's face and yet she seems surprised that even her adopted son isn't all that keen on her. One of those moments, when Regina was disguised by Rumpelstiltskin's magic so that she could chase down Snow White only to find that she didn't want to kill her after all, is the subject of the flashback to the fairy tale kingdom. Here, the Queen acts so stupidly (she's completely disguised and then doesn't understand why her guards don't recognise her?) that quite frankly she doesn't deserve any respect or love from anyone. One minute she's sad because nobody loves her and the next she's slaughtering whole villages because someone might have helped Snow White. Now that's mood swings. Then there's the matter of the the two visitors who were searching for the man's father, but are now revealed as having a whole new, secret purpose. We can only hope that it's better than their current secret purpose. TopSecond Star To The RightRegina is being tortured by the anti-magic brigade and the rest of the Storybrooke crowd have to find a way to save her, or die in the attempt. There are times when the heroes in this show do things that are so utterly stupid that they don't deserve to win. In this episode, they have so many chances to put down Greg and Tamara and fail to do so that the audience is left frustrated rather than excited. This being the penultimate episode, it isn't satisfying in its own right and sets up the big finale, but it does have one great big secret weapon up its sleeve. Baelfire's story in Victorian London, where he meets the Darling family and finds out a bit about the truth of Neverland is a charming flashback story that saves the episode. Well, that and the torturing of Regina, scenes that are uncompromising and give something for Lana Parrilla to get her acting teeth into. She really is the standout turn in the show. TopAnd Straight On Til MorningThe failsafe is activated and Storybrooke is to be destroyed. Even Gold seems unable to stop it. Regina plans to sacrifice herself to give the others a chance, but Henry has other ideas. There's certainly a lot going on in this final episode, but it's all fury signifying nothing since there is not one single conclusion reached (with the possible exception of Belle getting her memories back). Because of all the action that is thrown in, none of the storylines really get the time they need to breathe and once again the heroes are so utterly inept in the face of Greg and Tamara that it's impossible to believe. The struggle between Hook and Rumplestiltskin for the affection of the Baelfire is interesting, but rushed. Regina's would-be sacrifice is rendered unimportant by a deus ex machina get out clause and the whole thing ends on a cliffhanger that promises to slim down the cast and open up a whole new world for the show. What it doesn't do is give us an ending. Top |
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