#this literally reminds me of that one Henry Danger musical episode where some villain cursed the town to forever sing

[mewpirate]

THEY GOT A PAGE ABOUT A MUSICAL NOW 😼

Bro like the musical broadway lover me is screaming I swear to gawd

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 4X04 - The Apprentice

Apprentice? More like Apprent-ICE, am I right?!

...Yeah, that’s all I got. Unfortunately, be warned because it’s not a fun time here today, so strap yourself in and join me under the cut.

Main Takeaways

Past

Gotta say, I love how the writers had the balls to say that the reason Anna and Elsa’s parents went away was to find a more permanent solution for Elsa. Was it the right thing to do? Whether you think it was or not, just the fact that they implied that was heavy.

I love that scream when Rumple gets his dagger back. Seeing how much he hates it is so effective and had he not been the undeniable villain of the episode and more specifically the segment, it might have done more to reapply sympathy to him and allow for a really effective display about why being cleaved of the dagger means so much to Rumple.

So, as a warning, I get pretty angry at the present segment of this episode and to remember that this segment of it exists was like a breath of fresh air. Anna and Rumple have consistent characterization and even throughout all of the twists and turns of this episode, those characterizations are never lost. Because of that, the story is far more powerful in delivering something cohesive and entertaining. Sometimes, for as simple as a story is, that’s what makes it something truly good. The latte segment tries to be all over the place and as I’ll go over shortly, fails so hard because of it.

Present

This episode...was never one I liked. For a while, I found it simply difficult to watch because well...I like Killian. Like with seeing his lips cursed in the last season or seeing Henry turn against Emma in the one before, it’s an action that made complete sense to me from a narrative perspective, but is nonetheless hard to watch and for some reason, this one is harder for me to watch than either of the others.

And after rewatching it, I kind of understand why.

It’s good in terms of being a morality play of sorts. Killian not being honest with Belle about Rumple’s secret is a horrible thing to do and the punishment, while brutal, does make sense given his crimes. Rumple’s manipulation and reverse psychology is so cutting to watch play out. While Killian is trying to improve, obviously, there are cracks to his still developing sense of heroism and Rumple knows how to exploit that into getting a lackey and making Killian pay. It’s a lot harder to enjoy since Rumple’s the villain of the episode, but I also understand that that’s a personally hard point.

That ALSO having been said, Killian’s near snapping points kind of suck. In the case of the first instance, it’s really fucking stupid for him to be so pissed at someone who simply tripped and caused some drink to fall on Emma’s dress. I don’t care what kind of psychology Gold played on him, it’s still really dumb. Now on some level, I get that given the “rings” speech Killian gives in Season 5 (Assuming that he came upon those rings before his encounter with Rumple, and at least one of them came afterwards) and that the move was clearly more subconscious than anything in how it was shot and how Colin played it, this is more up old Killian’s alley, but just...for all of Killian’s confidence, this is such a petty thing to make it falter and it stretches my suspension of disbelief just a smidge too much. The way that it’s played doesn’t help. It drags the date down in a really awkwardly written way where Killian is both enjoying himself and kind of can’t because of the hand. And in the second instance, the moment goes by so quick and is given such little focus that it’s just not as effective as the former point. I found both instances to be so utterly weak.

And how Killian goes after The Apprentice with barely a moment’s hesitation because of such small incidents isn’t really that well written to me. Like, what’s worse: Punching someone or allowing your arch enemy to have his fucking way with a man who very likely doesn’t deserve it? It doesn’t paint Killian in the way that the episode is trying to. The episode is trying to show that Killian is a good person with inner demons that hadn’t finished coming out, but that he wants to stop. But instead, Killian’s getting scared over basically nothing in terms of this series and rather than look for any other solution, opts to help Rumple do Merlin knows! And Killian does NOTHING as it happens! I thought I remembered an apology, but there isn’t one! He just stands there, makes no attempt to even subconsciously stop the hat, and it really grinds the wrong way against all the goodwill he’s accumulated.

The ONLY action of his that was bad, but I at least get the nucleus of is when he threatens Belle. He was angry at Rumple and was trying to irk him (Also, it might have been just metaphorically given the news he had). And when that’s all the segment can provide for me, then that’s just sad.

What’s more: For all the bravado made at the end of the episode for how much Killian will owe Rumple for this, Killian breaks four episodes later the MICROSECOND Emma’s threatened. And the time in between simply has Killian out of focus for the most part in regards to this dynamic! Look, I’m normally one of OUAT’s more defensive fans, but this legitimately, given all the characterization that was picked up only to be abandoned after this episode, must conclude that this episode was only meant to move the plot along by trapping the Apprentice, but unlike other episodes, I mean that in the worst way BECAUSE it tries for so much else only to abandon it afterwards.

And here’s the thing: If they were aiming to make Killian a villain protagonist in this episode, someone who we thought was good but was actually bad, I wouldn’t be complaining. I wouldn’t like it from an emotional standpoint because I don’t like Killian being hurt, but I do understand that Killian’s a character capable of great evil and an episode delving into that would’ve been great (That’s why I like the twist in “A Murder Most Foul” so much). But Killian is clearly, despite receiving Emma’s forgiveness, disturbed by the danger his possessed hand poses and that’s a good thing in both the audience’s perception and in the episode’s framing. Him wanting to get rid of that hand for that reason is a good thing. It’s not like he hurt David or Emma or someone else he cared about -- he hurt an asshole thief (As far as he knew) and was still freaked out enough to make a deal to get rid of the hand. And because of that, the framing is all over the place and seemingly can’t make up its mind about what it thinks of Killian here. And works akin to that can work -- my favorite musical is Hamilton and that show is as scathing as it is praising at times, but Alexander himself is a consistent character. Killian in this episode is about as consistent as curds and whey and it sucks. This came after one of the best Golden Hook scenes EVER. How did they fuck that up in such a way?!

I like how Emma shows real strides in taking the advice given to her about not letting another crisis stop her from living her life. She actually makes the choice to not only go out on a date, but to not chase a thief. She’s prioritizing the important things and living and that’s solid development.

There is literally no point to Henry working at Rumple’s shop. Nothing comes of this and that’s a shame! It contributes nothing to Operation Mongoose, derails this already derailed episode even more with the awkward way that it pops up, and its lack of depth deprives the audience of Neal bonding as well as Rumple and Henry bonding. And again, that sucks. It doesn’t even contribute to saving Killian, like the placement of the hat during the ending scene implies that it might, and that makes it doubly frustrating! Like, there was potential for this idea (Maybe have Henry ask some more questions or delve into Henry’s feelings on Rumple’s betrayal and how it affects Operation Mongoose later since the villain who seemingly got his happy ending lost it).

All Encompassing

I like the more subtle theme of backing away from temptation. Anna steps away from the temptation of saving her sister at the cost of the Apprentice (Or so she thinks) and this is correctly framed as the right thing to do. Killian both does this and doesn’t do this. He backs away to ask for his hook back upon seeing the damage he does to others, but doesn’t back away at the darkness of the cost of that hook (Allowing for Rumple to put the old man in the hat).

Stream of Consciousness

-Ooh! It’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! XD

-I like that we got to see Zoso again. You know, seeing as he was Rumple’s mentor, I wonder what it was like for him to train Rumple. I HC that it wasn’t a long journey since Rumple adapted to the darkness fairly easily, but the dynamic would’ve been interesting to see nonetheless.

-What parent names their kid Zoso? And I thought Malcolm hated Rumplestiltskin! XD

-”No Dark One will ever possess what’s in that box.” ...Well, you’re half right.

-“No, but I want you to be happy.” Someone remind me one day to write a giant ass post about why I think the Captain Cobra dynamic is so good because believe it or not, a line like this actually boosts my love for this dynamic!

-That missed dart will brighten me up on my darkest days! :D

-”What are you, like 300?” Don’t get people started, Emma.

-I don’t think I ever realized how close Mr. Gold’s was to Granny’s!

-”You kept it all these years?” Rumple, I know revenge and self loathing and all that, but there is no heterosexual answer to this question! XD

-”This hand belongs to the man you used to be.” I kind of wane back and forth around how bad that dude actually used to be. On one hand, “Good Form” shows that Killian was raring to go, violence wise, but his behavior in Milah’s town in “The Crocodile” suggests that there were circumstances where he wasn’t a pillager. So was it just noble pillaging or was that just an exception? Opinions?

-”That’s just A through E.” Was that an Adam and Eddy reference? Because that’s pretty cute! XD

-So my journey with Killian’s Storybrooke outfit was a bit of an adventure. I didn’t like it when it first came out, but I will admit that that was partially because I was holding out for seeing him in a suit or even a tux AND I missed the pirate coat and the glorious chest hair we got because of it. BUT the more time that I spent with the outfit, the more I liked it and as of a few months ago, I now own a kickass custom Funko of this specific outfit! XD

-”It seems he indeed has changed his ways.” Killian, I get that you’ve gotta explain the sudden reappearance of your hand, but that might be a little too much, even for you.

-I didn’t realize it, but the Apprentice has some jokes to him! I like that bit of personality and wish we got a bit more of it.

-Killian, you don’t get to make poses like that and expect me to live through them!

-”Shouldn’t you be happy [That Marian’s frozen]?” Dude, whether she’s with someone or not, an innocent woman’s doing her best popsicle impersonation because of that frozen heart! Henry, not your best moment!

-That weird bit of Killian looking at his hand mid-kiss is DUMB! Like, I can almost forgive the dumb snapping point at the restaurant because it was somewhat unconscious, but this is Killian focusing on kissing Emma and just a LITERAL SECOND AGO, he was happy with his hands around her. That was simply a poor writing, shooting, and music choice.

-SNOW AND DAVID ON THE COUCH IS NEVER NOT FUNNY! XD

-Emma, don’t just leave your folks! Gossip!

-”Because I don’t want to.” I love how blatant and frank Rumple is with so many of his lines! XD

-We got flowers! We got a run in in a car! DATE NIGHT 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO!

-I love how Rumple’s such a fucking drama queen that he HAD the fucking hook on his person! XD

-I love how Storybrooke has a dedicated radio station! That must be the most interesting job in the world! If by some miracle, I’m ever transported to Storybrooke, I’m getting a fucking internship! XD

-And I love how Granny’s sponsors said radio station! Does she not have enough money?! XD

-Oh hey! Rip Van Winkle survived his deleted scene with Rumple and made it to Storybrooke! XD

-...Wow, Will. They were really planning something for you….I think. (Fun fact: You ever want to unlock my hidden salt? Talk to me about Will Scarlet, apparently! XD )

-I know a lot of people think Killian might have been homeless at this point in the series, but I HC that he just drank himself to sleep or that he just didn’t want to be around people for risk of hurting them.

-I love how Robert Carlyle plays Rumple when Rumple loving what he’s doing, but he’s in Storybrooke mode so he can’t exactly show it but still is showing it. Does that make sense?

-I KNOW YOU, RUMPLE! “OLD FRIEND” MY AUNT FROU FROU!

-YES! MICKEY MOUSE SAVES THE DAY! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, MOTHERFUCKER!!!

-Anna, I will forever love the fact that you call the most danger artifact in the OUAT world a “wavy knife.”

-I also love how she proceeds to say “please” to Rumple! XD

-Anna, you are my fucking hero!

-Anyone notice how The Sorcerer is very likely the owner of that gaudy af red and white car?

-”So here we are, Captain. Still in business together.” This line was always weird to me. It had no congruity with the story and for such a big line, it has no presence.

-Umm makeup? Will doesn’t look like he has a shiner.

-Damn, that investigation scene was weird.

-”...before the trail gets...cold.” Thank you, Emma for gracing me with a pun! I needed that!

Favorite Dynamic

Anna and Rumple. These two are fucking hilarious together! Rarely does Rumple get to have a back and forth with someone not only oblivious, but also hysterical and Anna meets this weird mix to a tee! Their banter is truly one of a kind and I’d have seriously loved more scenes of them together! I also love how Anna learns from Rumple! When she finally gets her hands on the dagger, she is VERY careful about how she handles Rumple and her commands! Seeing Rumple’s lip twitch as he is forced to save The Apprentice is just one of the greatest moments ever! Not only that, but I found their dynamic to be a little necessary. While Killian is getting his just desserts for doing bad in this episode (Though it might be a bit overkill-y (Or should I say, over KILL-I-AN XD) for me), Rumple is doing bad too in the present with no consequence and I feel like the flashback here showing his proverbial ass getting handed to him made that a lot more palatable.

Writer

Andrew Chambliss and Dana Horgan are our writers today. It’s actually Dana’s first and...it really shows. I don’t feel too guilty attributing the present segment to Dana as she’s written second on the writer’s list, but correct me if that’s a mistake of judgment on my part. There is no understanding of Killian’s character or what she wants to do with him here and because of that, he flops on the deck like a fish. And when you’re dealing with such a delicate dynamic as Killian’s and Rumple’s, you need to provide it Andrew’s segment of the episode however is fantastic! Everything is much more cohesive!

Rating

6/10. This was is many ways such a failure of an episode. I GET what they were trying to do -- expose cracks in Killian’s redemption so that the door was open to explore more with his character, but the result of the work here made Killian an incomprehensible mess. His morality is all over the place, but not in the way it intended. Honestly, if not for all the goodwill Killian developed earlier on and following this episode, this singular episode might have destroyed my love for his character. If this segment were on it’s own, it very likely would’ve been tied for the series’ low of 3/10. Thankfully, the past segment is such a redeeming factor here. The story is far tighter and the characterizations were done so carefully. Additionally, Mr. Gold is at least consistent in the present segment and Robert Carlyle’s performances here are excellent in selling that sanrmyness of Rumple’s. But the rest of it is trash and apart from the hat scene and the flashback, are completely irrelevant throughout the rest of the series.

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - So before we get into the squee of things, I gotta talk about Henry. Despite that “no,” Henry is the one to push Emma into that diner. If he didn’t want her asking Killian out, he wouldn’t have done that. I’ll get into this when I one day talk about how much I love Captain Cobra, but I love how Henry likes Killian, but his feelings towards Killian dating Emma are a lot more ambiguous. Okay, we good! Now let’s get into AWESOMENESS that is the date stuff! First off, Killian wastes no time focusing on the mission because he knows how important it is to Emma and assures her that they’ll find her, all the while oblivious to Emma’s adorable nervousness. And then she asks him out and he misses so adorably! And the age banter and the planning banter! Fuck! I just can’t! And I get to watch a whole date of them! I’m already in pain from smiling. But before that, I’ve got to point out how Killian, despite being a lot fucked up i his method, is going for his hand back on the off chance that Emma wants him to hold her! That is just too romantic! Rumple, you’re right about blackmail and his romantic side! Ok! I love those first few seconds where Emma and Killian cannot speak because they’re admiring each other so much. Like, oh my FUCK! That is too cute! And can we talk about And then we get the actual date and while Killian’s having his mini panic attack, Emma’s the one to comfort him and tell him it’s okay. I really like how they both support each other in this way! “Will you go out with me again?” Because I’ve seen that thread where people started the show because of a gifset of that and I’m STILL shook af! And Emma’s response with that kiss is too beautiful! Like, she can’t even think of how to verbalize how much “YES” she has in her so she decides to kiss that “YES” and burn it into everyone’s skull for all eternity! And the way she stands by the door once it’s closed...that’s actual perfection. Like, I can die a happy woman!

Rumbelle - I’m not gonna defend Rumple’s actions in this episode, but seeing just how far he goes to fuck with Killian for threatening his marriage really does show how much he values said marriage. I also loved the deleted scene where Belle returns to the library and think that would’ve been better had it made it on screen.

-----

I hate bitching about an episode and I wasn’t looking forward to doing it at all, so much so that I pushed doing this episode off twice! I want to say that hopefully that’s the last time I need to review an episode like that, but unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the next episode either. This...is gonna be a hard week.

BUT thank YOU all the same for reading! You made this bit of suffering worthwhile! And thanks to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales as well as @daensarah! See you next time!

Season 3 Total (35/230) Writer Scores: Adam and Eddy: (9/60) Jane Espenson: (10/40) David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz: (10/50) Andrew Chambliss: (6/50) Dana Horgan: (6/30)

*Links to the rest of my rewatch will no longer be provided. They take posts with links outside of searches and I spend way too much time on these reviews to not give them that kind of exposure. Sorry for the inconvenience, but they still can be found on my page under Operation Rewatch.

[rock-and-compass]

Rock and Compass Watches Once Upon A Time – 6.19: The Black Fairy

Overview

Many, many years ago, Malcolm and Fiona welcome a baby boy, but their happiness is disturbed by a fairy prophecy that says that he is destined to be a saviour who will die in service to his fated duty. This sets about a chain of events with far-reaching consequences. In Storybrooke, Rumple is determined to get his son’s heart back but in the process, he discovers the truth about why his mother gave him up.

Discussion and Thoughts and things of significance

This is an episode that improves on re-watch after the shock of Rumple’s short-held fated role of Saviour has been absorbed. It’s dense on detail and provides a fascinating chapter of Rumple’s backstory. What makes the story extra interesting is the parallels it offers and the very real possibility that this is foreshadowing future events. (I must mention that my enthusiasm for writing about the show is a little thin since the announcement that Jennifer Morrison is not returning. It doesn’t feel fun to speculate anymore. With the strange set-up for the shows continuation all the threads that I’ve been pulling at for the last six years are going to come to nothing and that makes me sad. I’ll finish out this season and try to be business as usual.)

Discussion and things that might be of significance:

Like Mother, Like Son – There are a lot of similarities between Rumple and Fiona. They both take on magical powers to “save” their child. He became the Dark One to stop Balefire from having to fight in the Ogre War and she becomes a Fairy, to try to find a solution to her son’s pre-prescribed life-path. They both become evil in the pursuit of that goal – Fiona is willing to (presumably) kill the child with the crescent mark and she goes so far as to create the dark curse spell that would send all the potentially threatening children to the Land Without Magic. Rumple kills, schemes and manipulates once he gets the magic that gives him power and status. Neither of them is willing to give up the power for the good of the child they are trying to save. Both of them are good examples of self-fulfilling prophecy - their choices, in trying to circumvent something actually lead to the thing they feared coming to pass. Rumple’s actions after he hears the Seer’s prophecy and Fiona’s choices after hearing the fairy’s both lead directly influence the machinations of their prophecies . Fiona literally becomes the thing that will kill her son, and Rumple’s actions lead to his son becoming fatherless. They are a great lesson that trying to change the future doesn’t work. This is demonstrated literally when Henry tries to write a set ending in the book and it is erased, and is contrasted completely by Emma being willing to meet whatever her fate has in store for her.  I also love the revelation that Malcolm blamed the baby for his wife’s loss. This is a fantastic explanation of why he was so neglectful, why he was searching for a place like Neverland. 

Like Mother, Like Wife – It was interesting that Fiona’s power comes from books – it is book-knowledge that allows her to become a fairy. Her fairy colour is yellow, and she gets about in a yellow ball-gown… the parallels to Belle are not a coincidence. 

Foreshadowing? – The flashback is interesting in its own right for sure, but on re-watching I was struck by some other possibilities, particularly during the scene in the fairy vault.  The story here involves two mothers – one biological, one “adoptive” in the form of a fairy godmother – both women are invested in the child’s future. In the potential parallel I’m seeing, the roles have been switched – Tiger-Lily wears red and is representative of Emma, Fiona, throughout the episode, is seen wearing a beige wrap over her yellow gown, a beige very similar to the coat that Regina has been sporting lately. Yellow turns into Black with the pursuit of the curse; this along with all the other similarities between the two hammers home their paralleled characters.  Tiger-Lily knows that Fiona is potentially dangerous, but works with her rather than against her for the good of the baby. Sound familiar? So now I’m wondering if Henry’s Author problem is not going to prove to be more serious than we presently know and that when this becomes apparent, Emma and Regina are going to disagree on the course of action,  leading Regina to do something drastic, and probably questionable, to try to avoid his fate. Which could indeed be the setup for our bizarro world season seven. I wonder though, will it end up with Henry banished, at least temporarily… Or Regina, and Rumple and Hook banished elsewhere.

The problem with saviours – they are apparently not as helpful as advertised, according to Rumple. But really, when has Emma not been helpful to him? She broke the curse as planned, she helped him find his missing son, she helped him out when his blackened heart would have killed him, she’s tidied up after so many of his schemes and he wouldn’t have his freaking powers back if it wasn’t for Emma making the hard decisions as the saviour! Or is he meaning that time that he wanted to kill her and get her power but she didn’t cooperate? Is that her being unhelpful? The real zinger though comes from Emma when she says the same could apply to him. Only in her example, it’s accurate.

A mother’s breath – Rumple is terrified of losing another son. Belle says he won’t, “not as long as his mother is drawing breath”. It’s an interesting line. She doesn’t say “as long as I’m drawing breath” so it invites one to consider multiple meanings. Is it foreshadowing Belle’s demise and the eventual loss of another son? Is Gideon too bound up with Black, the woman he calls mother, meaning that her death will lead to Gideon’s downfall? 

A family’s fate - there is certainly a pattern of children and parents being separated in Rumple’s family tree – it happens to every generation. Is it fate or choice? Maybe this family just needs to start making some better choices…

A Snow Job – Black and Gideon masquerade as Snow and David. It just seems like a timely reminder that this is a thing that the magic-types can do. Although it was weird that Black and Gideon revealed themselves rather than just stay in character and whisk blue away, confusing everyone in the process. That would have been funny. But alas, these villain’s do love to explain themselves.

A Snow Job II – Gideon gets cuffed and so is unable to use magic to get away. Belle tries to reach him, but he tells her that The Black Fairy has ordered him to feel great pain if he tries to resist her commands again. He gives a demonstration and Belle stops the interrogation. I’m not sure I’m buying it. Then, when they use the sands of Morpheus (Gideon’s particular speciality) to try to locate his heart, they end up in Rumple’s dream and Rumple is the one who ends up learning information that makes him more open to listening to his mother’s side of the story. Everything seems to go in Black’s favour – even the secret she didn’t want him to know (that she cut his fate to be a saviour) ends up working for her. And I’m still not very trusting of Gideon – how much loyalty does he have to his adopted mother? Because honestly, that family reunion didn’t feel very warm.

What’s good for the goose – Rumple does what’s good for Rumple. It doesn’t ask or discuss or think of others. He puts his need ahead of all. If you’re in his select circle he can seem very giving at times, but it often comes at the expense of others. Rather than ask Emma to delay killing the Black Fairy so he can get Gideon’s heart back, he forces her to join him on the dream walk by inflicting the dust on her without permission. Even if he is playing a deep game with the Black Fairy, it will still be at the expense of everyone except Belle and Gideon. This guy is no Hero even if his last minute actions do save the day in the finale.

Do you trust me? – Rumple asks Belle the question, and her answer is telling. Well, the big pause before she gives him a diplomatic reply is – she trusts that he’ll do what’s right for their son. Does she personally trust him? No, clearly not. But she trusts in Rumple doing what’s good for Rumple, and in this case, the salvation of Gideon is what’s good for Rumple. Sometimes it seems like Belle has forgotten that Rumple and his actions were what led her to give temporary custody of baby Gideon to Blue in the first place. She seems to have forgotten all about his dalliance with Evil Regina, but at least the lack of trust is a sign that she’s not quite as “forgiving” and spineless as she seems. I think that working with Rumple to get their son back is much more about Gideon than it is Rumple.

A different kind of stick – Regina teaches Zelena to drive. And whoa, what a car! This would seem to be a nice sisterly bonding thing, but it’s really about ulterior motive. Regina wants Zelena to take Henry away from Storybrooke once the final battle starts and if doesn’t go so well. In short if Regina dies, she wants Zelena to take him out of Storybrooke to live in New York where they can start a new life. Problem here – Henry’s not going to let that happen for one, and two, this proposal doesn’t; seem to have been discussed with Emma. I get that she wants to save Henry’s life, but her process is questionable – more ammunition for my earlier speculation perhaps? And what are they expecting this “last battle” to be anyway? A fight to the death with swords? A magic duel at dawn? The whole town bearing arms on Main Street? 

The heart of Storybrooke – it’s the jukebox. With songs. Music is the heart of Storybrooke. I see you upcoming musical episode.  And is there something else in the cavity under the jukebox? It kinda looks like there is… it’s silver and shiny. It might be a trick of the light but It doesn’t seem to match the shadows.  A wand perhaps…

Who are you – I like that Hook was so quick to vocalise suspicion that Regina was not Regina in the Diner. It wasn’t suspicion of Regina per se, but it was a welcome awareness that they need to be more cautious. Regina’s annoyance was funny – I’m not sure why she would be offended at the suggestion that she was not herself, a guilty conscious perhaps? If only. I would love to see the Charming family develop their own code words. Another missed opportunity.

My Town, My Rules – there it is again, that insistence that one particular individual owns the entire town. Regina thinks she owns it because she created it with the original curse. When the show continues with the skeleton cast, I would love to see Regina removed from this town to a place where she is not even a usurper queen – where she would have to face herself with honesty and without status, wealth or power. I’m guessing the Black Fairy has designs on “owning” Storybrooke too. The Regina vs Black fairy showdown played as superfluous to the episode – Not only do we know that conventional magic is useless against Black, as demonstrated by Zelena last week, it also comes across as hypocritical because she does everything that she cautioned Zelena against. But then, Regina and hypocrisy have always been close buddies. The scene seemed to be trying to make Regina seem more of a big deal than she presently is but it actually only reinforced her irrelevance in this entire “last battle” storyline. She has never felt more shoehorned in.  And apart from Zelena hitting Black with her car, it was an unnecessary waste of two minutes that might have been spent more effectively elsewhere. Is it just me or was Regina’s eagerness to “kill a fairy” a little chilling, her facial expression was pure evil.  Her taunt that the Black Fairy was not brave enough to cast the curse was positively alarming! Does she really equate killing the thing you love the most and cursing a kingdom full of people with courage and valour?

The Colour of Magic – The Black Fairy’s magic didn’t seem dark at all ? And Rumple’s magic, when freeing Gideon from his bonds is red, much redder than the dirty red it usually is.  

Over-identification much – Emma and Rumple go on the dream walk they inadvertently start to peel back some of the layers of his young life and, in the face of his reluctance, Emma encourages Rumple to seek the truth and councils him as to the scary nature of finding out why you were abandoned. She presumes anxiety and fear and assures him that this is the scariest thing he will ever face. Emma’s abandonment discourse is strong – she might be part of a family now but her experience has had a huge impact on her – we know it has – and it’s still something she carries with her. It is why she reacted the way she did when Hook went missing, it’s why she held her parents at arms length for so long.  When Emma hears that Rumple is also a saviour, she is ready to believe, perhaps over-identifying with his childhood abandonment and the burden of being the saviour. Rumple warns her not to presume his experience is the same as his, but I don’t think she listens – this is why she’s so ready to hand the wand over, and let him assume the mantle of Saviour. My God Emma Swan is a generous soul! How freely she shares her title with such a dishonourable man who has caused so much damage! It’s the same strategy she used on Regina – encourage the good  and ignore the bad. It doesn’t always work. 

Wand reformed – the reformed wand is handed over to Rumple. It still makes me incredibly uncomfortable to see that wand in anyone other than Emma (or Hook's) hand, even more so after the flashback - Tiger-Lily sent it back for Emma; Emma saw the memory and finds out that Rumple is a saviour sure, but she still meant the wand for Emma, not Rumple. Of course, she didn’t see Rumple’s fate get cut but still, the wand was sent back as a weapon against the Black Fairy and the wand was sent to Emma – she should have kept hold of it. And why does Regina take credit for finding the wand when she very clearly didn’t.

Belle of forgiveness – Belle is chuffed to hear that Rumple “is” a saviour. She takes it as proof that he has been a good man all along – the man behind the beast. Too bad his actions and choices have not backed that up. The title “saviour” doesn’t make up for all the dark and evil deeds he’s undertaken, it just shows that he’s failed to live up to his potential to be a decent person. And Belle is remarkably forgiving – she seems to have forgotten all the things he did that led her to surrender baby Gideon, not to mention his affair with Evil Regina. Belle seems to have misplaced her backbone again.  One wonders how she will cope with his duplicity when it is revealed.  

Everything I do – Rumple assures Belle and Gideon that, even when it might not seem like it, everything he does is for them. It sounds noble, like he is pre-warning them that he is playing a deep game to protect them . . . but he also seems to be willing to sacrifice everyone else to achieve his goal and that ain’t noble at all.  And here we go off the same old well-worn track they’ve all walked before. Cos he’s about to do the wrong thing for a ‘noble’ goal, just as his mother did, just as he has done before. Do they never learn any lessons? And can I just say I have a bit of difficulty with a grown man and a grown woman needing this kind of intervention and protection. Surely they are entitled to the truth of the situation and allowed to have some choice in how the family proceeds. 

Banishment - I’ve also got to say, the Black fairy’s punishment for creating the curse and being a renegade is very odd. Tinkerbelle was stripped of her wings and power for attempting to help someone and for stealing a bit of pixie dust. Black gets banished, wings intact, to a realm that she is able to become overlord of AND be free to mine dark fairy dust – the most powerful and dangerous of all the magical ingredients – complete with slave labour. Some punishment.

Operation Best Man – so sweet that Killian asks Henry to be his best man. I like that Hook has always viewed Emma and Henry as a package deal. “Your mother will most certainly kill you” is a very interesting line though – Hook says it in relation to missing rings but … I don’t want to say it . . . but I’m going to say it -  that line sounds OMINOUS. Henry even says that word at the beginning of Hook’s speech. And there is an air of ambiguity about it with the generic “mother” used rather than a more personal, “Emma” or “your mum”. Is Henry in peril being foreshadowed here?

Very Superstitious - Hook is not staying at home tonight – it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and he’s a superstitious seafaring man. “The last thing you and I need is another stitch of bad luck. “After tomorrow, there’ll be no getting rid of me.”  Oh great, you big buffoon – now you’ve done it – of course you’re going to get separated again! And for the whole of this freaking unnecessary season seven too. But apart from that their happiness is just gorgeous! Make hay while the sun shines.

WTF – so even though she’s got her son back in her corner, Black is determined to confront Emma because . . .  and that is the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Because she is the saviour? Because light and dark are ‘fated’ to fight the final battle? It all seems very thin and petty. This woman doesn’t know Emma Swan in the slightest, there is no vendetta or hate - there is nothing personal driving her malice. she just came out of nowhere determined to fight or kill Emma and hasn’t ever really made it clear why. And everyone just seems to go with it because the words “last battle” bandied about. It all just seems so misplaced and overblown. She is no worse than any other villain that's paid a visit to town and not even anywhere in the same league as Rumple or Regina! She is simply not worthy of being Emma’s end-game nemesis.

[lovenerdthings-blog]

This Week in Review

May 7 – 21

 FANTASY

Once Upon a Time

Season 6: Episode 20 – The Song in Your Heart

In flashback, Snow and Charming make a special wish that Emma will be protected. The result of their wish has the whole kingdom bursting into song which infuriates the Evil Queen. Meanwhile in Storybrooke, the Black Fairy announces her plans to unleash another curse on the town while Emma and Hook prepare for their wedding.

We wait 6 seasons and finally we get a musical episode. For a show that is based on Disney stories, which are mostly musicals, this had to happen eventually. And they did not let us down. Each song was catchy, entertaining, and effort was put into it by the actors, the writers, and the musicians. Of course, as per usual, the villain gets one of the best songs, but that is par for the course. They had to tease us with the Evil Queen asking Rumple to sing… we thought he was going to do it, and then that little laugh we love so much. The story about the curse coming and the wedding added to the flavor of this episode. But I think the best parts were the songs throughout the whole episode. It really brought the magic of the fairy tale to life. But now we face a new challenge. Where is the Black Fairy taking them?

Season 6: Episode 21-22 – The Final Battle

Henry awakens to a cursed Storybrooke and discovers Emma has been in the mental hospital, and the Black Fairy is the new mayor. Henry attempts to help Emma regain her memory while Gold tries to find out what has really happened to Belle. Meanwhile, Snow, Charming, Regina, Zelena and Hook are trapped in a crumbling Fairy Tale Land and desperately try to figure out a way to be reunited with Emma and Henry.

What a great season finale. We went from hope to despair, to almost utter ruin, back to hope and that reminder that good will always triumph over evil. Hook made such a moving speech to David about his love with Emma before they climbed the bean stalk. It’s true; their love was not easy, it was not love at first sight. They had to fight for their love, and they made it through. Snow and David’s love may have been true love that never fails, but Hook and Emma had something amazing that grew over time. The battle itself did not last long, but the meaning behind it, the trap behind it, was very clever. Gold’s final decision, to try to do the right thing was heartbreaking, knowing it wouldn’t work. But in the end we all got our happy endings… or were they beginnings. This was a great season finale, everything got wrapped up nicely, and Gold and Belle were able to raise their son after all. And there was an interesting lead into the next season, though I’m curious if they’re just going to do the same story over again.

  PARANORMAL

Lucifer

Season 2: Episode 15 – Deceptive Little Parasite

When it is discovered that the flaming sword is the only hope for the family returning home safely, the pressure is on for Lucifer to control what he has never been able to control before – his emotions – in order to ignite it. Meanwhile, Chloe wants to air some emotions of her own, but when a therapist and head of admissions at a prestigious private school turns up dead, the team must get to the bottom of it

We learn in this episode that it is not anger that will fuel the blade, but pain. Something that Lucifer has a difficult time showing. But, in true Lucifer fashion, instead of going to his therapist to find out how to control and properly express his emotions, he goes to the private school with Trixie, and tries to find out how best to control and channel his emotions. We also learn more about the character of Trixie in this episode. Her character is much more complex than just Chloe’s daughter. Maize gives us the comic relief as always, listening to music instead of listening to Chloe’s problems. It was a filler episode to say the least, but we learned about the flaming sword and Lucifer’s fate as the Light Bringer.

Season 2: Episode 16 – God Johnson

When a grisly murder takes place at an insane asylum, the prime suspect calls himself God. After realizing that this man could actually be his father, Lucifer struggles with his feelings towards him and tries to find the truth, all while trying to discover who the real killer.

Nicely done by the actor who played “God”. He had a really interesting vibe to him that actually had the audience convinced he could actually be Lucifer’s father. There was some comedy with Lucifer and the character, but it was mostly dealing with Lucifer’s angst. The actual killer in the episode was a bit obvious, but it seemed that the murder was a background plot and the real part was Lucifer finding his “dad”. The show really threw us when God and Lucifer’s mother met once again. It would have been interesting to see them fighting, but we enjoyed what we got instead. Too bad it was only for a short time.

NEXT WEEK

Season 2: Episode 17 – Sympathy for the Goddess

When the man who had the final piece of the Flaming Sword is murdered and the piece goes missing, Mom joins Chloe and Lucifer on the case to track down the killer. But when Lucifer gets sidelined, Maze recruits him to help save Dr. Linda's endangered career and confronts him about the secrets he's been keeping

 IZombie

Season 3: Episode 6 – Some Like it Hot Mess

To help Clive solve the murder of an irresponsible narcissist, Liv consumes her brain and literally becomes a hot mess. Meanwhile, Peyton learns some shocking news. Lastly, Ravi experiences a major setback.

Irresponsible Liv was interesting to see. It made me think of her if she had lost about 10 to 15 years in age and become completely irresponsible. Peyton’s discovery was sad in some points, and enraging in others. It would have been interesting if we didn’t get this reveal, but it is better storytelling to have got it. It seems we were all convinced of Blaine’s amnesia, and yet… it was only partly true. It seems he was just the same old con artist just trying to absolve himself of his past guilt. Poor Peyton.

Season 3: Episode 7 – Dirt Nap Time

When Liv and Clive work together to solve the murder of a very charming, but womanizing, preschool teacher, things get interesting when they bring his jealous girlfriend Piper in for questioning. Meanwhile, Peyton is assigned a very interesting case. Lastly, Blaine finds himself in a bad situation.

Who didn’t love Liv on preschool teacher brain? That was extremely entertaining. It is difficult to interrogate someone who is on a “time out”. It seems that some old murder is coming back into Peyton’s view as she uncovers more evidence. And poor Blaine cannot catch a break. He is sleazy and a con artist, but he’s one of those ones you can’t help but to love.

NEXT WEEK

Season 3: Episode 8 - Eat a Kinevel

Liv shares the brain of a former daredevil with her new boyfriend, and the experience brings them closer. Blaine is back to his old ways. Meanwhile, Ravi makes progress in his new research. Finally, a discovery is made that could put Major in grave danger.

 Supernatural

Season 12: Episode 21 – There’s Something About Mary

Sam and Dean are alarmed when they learn hunters are being killed by suspicious “accidents” all over the country. They decide it is best to find Mary and make sure she’s safe. Meanwhile, Toni is back in the states and she and Mary face off.

It seems that everyone is out to get the hunters these days… Men of Letters, Lucifer, Crowley, and who knows what else. This episode focused more on Mary’s ‘conditioning’ as opposed to the boys searching for the hunters and their mother. It seems they slowly put the pieces together and figure out the puzzle, but by the time they do that… it’s too late. This episode would have made a great finale, with how it ended, but luckily we have two more episodes to go. I wonder if they will find a way to save Mary, or if this is her last season.

Season 12: Episode 22 – Who We Are

Caught in a dangerous situation, Sam and Dean only have each other to rely on. Meanwhile, the fight between the American Hunters and the British Hunters comes to a head.

This episode was slow to begin with, and that worked out really well. It would have been pointless if they had escaped the bunker on the first try. Not to mention we got some great Dean one-liners “we’ll Shawshank this bitch” was one of my favorites. When Sam went with the hunters to take the fight to the Men of Letters, and Dean stayed behind to work with Mary’s mind, the dream kicked me in the feels. The conversation Dean had almost to his mother about Sam, and the upbringing they had, made me worry for Sam’s safety during the fight. The fight itself seemed almost too easy and rushed. This is supposed to be a high-tech organization, and yet the hunters were able to storm it without a problem. This episode seemed very slow-paced and that worked well for the subject matter, and the show made up for it in the finale…

Season 12: Episode 23 – All Along the Watchtower

Lucifer battles Sam, Dean and Castiel for control of his unborn child.

And here we are, the season finale. I think Doctor Who is fighting for that SuperWhoLock crossover when Castiel spoke of the rift in space and time, but that’s just my opinion. This episode had more action in it and gave us so many directions for next season to go. It was interesting to see an old face in the alternate world, known as the world without the Winchesters. It will be really fun to explore that world next season; if that is the direction they go in. It is hard to say where we are heading next, but as far as cliff-hangers go, this season was actually quite relaxed, apart from what Sam found in the nursery. But now we have to wait a whole 5 months to find out… what are we going to do?

SCI-FI

The 100

Season 4: Episode 11 – The Other Side

Clarke faces the consequences of her fateful choice

It is strange that we are seeing the repeat of the Arc from season 1, where the teenagers are now making the same decisions that they fought against in the beginning. It is also interesting that Octavia has now become the one seeking unity, whereas it has been Clarke in the past few seasons. It seemed out of character for her to side with Jaha in this episode, and Bellamy was the one who acted out, just as he did in the past. It is a good thing that he did, as it would lead to war and massacre if Skykru were the only ones who got places in the bunker. This was certainly an Octavia and Bellamy episode. With all the possible moments in this episode to kick us in the feels it was the Monty and Jasper scene that got me tearing up. Such a great performance by both actors, and it really caught the audience by surprise. This entire episode was full of events and much foreshadowing to come. Who thinks that Raven is going to be the one to save everyone in the end?

Season 4: Episode 12 – The Chosen

Jaha and Kane disagree over how to handle their grim reality. Meanwhile, Clarke leads a group to save a friend.

Octavia really comes into her own in this situation. When the people of Skykru start to disagree with the situation and try to enforce their own opinion, she points out that the other 12 clans had already chosen their 100 and Skykru is no different. What they end up doing to decide is heartbreaking. It was difficult to watch Kane making the calls as to who lived and who had to die. Clarke and friends make it to Raven, but sadly without enough time. Are they really going to go back to the arc? So next season will most likely be about the trip to the arc, or how the 13 clans will get along in the bunker. Though, there is one episode left, and The 100 is well-known for its twist endings. So who knows what will happen next.

NEXT WEEK

Season 4: Episode 13 – Praimfeya

It's a race against the end of the world as Praimfaya arrives forcing our heroes to make impossible decisions to ensure their survival.

 Doctor Who

Season 10: Episode 5 – Oxygen

The Doctor, Bill and Nardole answer a distress call in deep space, and find themselves trapped on board space station Chasm Forge. All but four of the crew have been murdered – and the dead are still walking! In a future where oxygen is sold by the breath, and space suits are valued more highly than their occupants, the TARDIS crew battle for survival against the darkest evil of all…

So, while watching this episode, who remembered “Silence in the Library” from Series 4 and wanted one of the suits to say “Hey Who turned out the lights”… no? Just me? Oh well. This was an interestingly creepy episode. The idea that everything is sold and measured in breaths of air, as opposed to steps or time. It really makes you think about how many breaths you take in a minute’s time, not to mention the question… will there come a day when we become so obsolete that the suits that keep us alive will be more important to our employers? Of course Bill shined in this episode and is becoming more and more a great companion. The way she talks back to the Doctor reminds me very much of Donna Noble, again from Series 4. This was a great episode with a wonderful twist of an ending, the Doctor losing his vision... It will be interesting to see how he continues to be a brilliant as he is now, without being able to see.

Season 10: Episode 6 – Extremis

In the Haereticum – the Vatican’s secret library of blasphemy – there is an ancient book known only as The Veritas. Throughout history, anyone who has ever read it has immediately taken their own life. Now a new translation is online, and the danger is spreading. The Vatican appeals to the Doctor. Will he read The Veritas? But can even the Doctor survive the ultimate truth?

This is the Matrix… I mean Doctor Who. At first it seems this book is the danger that everyone is worried about, but upon reading it, and upon Bill’s discovery with random numbers, we learn something completely different is going on. Bill seems more curious than some of our last few companions, who does what she likes. This endears her to me, as she won’t just blindly follow the Doctor’s instructions without question. I do enjoy a companion who thinks for herself. At the same time, we also learn who was in the vault that he had been guarding all this time. Who was surprised to see Missy in the vault? I had my guesses, but was not certain. It will be interesting to see her interacting with the Doctor once again.

NEXT WEEK

Season 10: Episode 7 – The Pyramid at the End of the World

  Please be advised that the comic book shows will have their own weekly post this season, just changing things up a bit. Please keep an eye out for the Superhero Low-Down

If there are any shows that you think we should check out or that we have missed, please send us a private message or leave a comment below.

Until Next Time...

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