Once Upon a Time Season 4 Episodes 7 & 8 Review

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Episode 7: The Snow Queen

Pascale Hutton as Gerda, Elizabeth Mitchell as Ingrid & Sally Pressman as Helga ABC Once Upon a Time The Snow Queen picture image

Pascale Hutton as Gerda, Elizabeth Mitchell as Ingrid & Sally Pressman as Helga

This episode introduces us to Ingrid’s back story. Ingrid’s powers were moderately kept in check but her two younger sisters, Helga and Gerda. However Ingrid feared love was not enough so the three went to Rumple. He traded them the gloves we see in Frozen and the gold urn for the ribbons they all wear that were a sisterly  pact to always be together. However when the Duke of Weselton tries to put the moves on Ingrid even though he in a courtship with Helga, Ingrid uses her magic on him. Helga comes out and dumps his ass, however Ingrid accidentally freezes Helga and she dies. When Gerda sees this she traps Ingrid in the urn and the begs the Rock Trolls to erase Helga and Ingrid from everyone’s memory so that Arendelle will survive this. Ardenelle seems so high maintenance for a Kingdom.

In Storybrooke, Ingrid tries to convince Emma that her family fears her powers and she sort of right. Emma can’t control her powers that well and her family is a little on edge especially when she knocks out a wall and makes a light post fall over.

So Ingrid gets the ribbons back from Rumple by giving him some info on what he needs to get the hat to sever the hold of the dagger, so he can rule the world except Storybrooke. They didn’t say that in some many words but he’s back on the villain side of things so yeah he wants the world and his powers to be working outside Storybrooke.

B plot is Regina and Robin. Robin says to hell with his cursed wife and picks Regina since he can’t forget about her and doesn’t want to try to re-fall in love with Marian even though she made him into the noble thief of legends. Ok, now some nitpicks on this waste of time B plot out of a daytime soap opera, though thank god Robin doesn’t have a evil twin with an eye patch …yet. Do you guys remember in season 1 and 2 and even in this episode where there was potion that erased certain memories? Admittedly this episode had rock trolls doing to erase a country’s knowledge of two princesses but in season 1 Snow White used a potion to forget her love for Charming and in season 2 Regina used to forget that she knew Henry’s birth mother was the savior. Even if Robin didn’t want to forget Regina, why not offer him the option. Maybe have him dwell on the decision instead of JUST drinking with Will. Also WHY ARE THE PEOPLE SO DENSE? Have Roland kiss Marian! Gah. This plot is super annoying.  Do only mothers have true love for their children but not the children for their mothers? If so you could just say that but no ever mentions that since the parenteral true love this  is supposed to a subversion but the show has done it twice. Once Upon a Time is better when you don’t think about too much.          

And now more nitpicks! Emma seeing Lord of the Rings has nothing to do with reading elvish. I don’t know Dothraki from watching Game of Thrones.  Lame reference is lame and lazy. How does time work in this show?  Ashley’s a baby from season 1 is still a baby but Neal conceived in the middle of season 3 with a year time skip is what a month old or so? Doesn’t matter, Ashley’s kid should be over a year old but time works weird.   Because Henry is clearly aging but babies don’t? This isn’t Game of Thrones where you could blame the wall except that is actually  dumb in Game of THrones too the wall thing is a weird fan theory to justify the mistake of a baby never aging.

We get the Duke of  Weselton from Frozen but no Olaf. Not even homage to Olaf but the stupid evil duke. Then to make me a little more annoyed, Ingrid mentions Emma’s “superpower.” This will not go away. So apparently young Emma knew about her lie detection ability but yet Lily lied to her  about being in the system and Emma sensed nothing. I know this isn’t a “superpower” more like insight but it never really works, ever. Emma just boosts about it and sometimes a bad liar crosses her path and she’s like “I have a superpower!” No, you don’t, you have light magic but not lie detection. Oh and side note, Emma’s magic come from being the product of true love not being the savior, so should Neal also be magically inclined? No one mentions that.          

Despites the nitpicks, this a decent episode. The Past section really showcases Ingrid’s motivations and her personality. It makes sense though it is a bit like Frozen 2.0 but it’s understandable. You feel for Ingrid but you don’t completely sympathize with her since she chose the gloves and urn over her sisters’ love which she didn’t have total confidence in to control her powers even though Rumple said that love was enough.  

 

Episode 8; Smash the Mirror Part 1

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan ABC Once Upon a Time Smash the Mirror Part 1 picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

As this a part one of two parter it fair to say that this is mostly set-up for the next part. Henry finds Emma in the woods but  she accidently hurts him which freaks her out. She decides to talk to Rumple about getting rid of the her powers which he agrees, basically he going to trap her in the hat. Which Hooks figures out and Rumple tells Ingrid to both gloat and detain her. Really hate Rumple

The past section has Elsa and Anna sneaky around the palace so they can trap Ingrid in the urn.  

B plot is more Regina and Robin. Robin has also enlisted Will’s help to find the author. I wonder if the sorcerer is the author? I mean what is he doing?

And now nitpicks, Rumple straight up lies to Emma about the spell and yet nothing. At least the super power wasn’t mentioned but the show brings it up all the time so I can mention when the show just forgets about it. Rumple’s plan is so dumb. What is he going to do when Emma goes missing? Or if Belle ever uses the dagger to like summon Rumple and doesn’t come? Rumple has lost all his charms. Any character development he ever had is right out the window.  I need a new favorite character.  Maybe that super smart dove from season 3. Baby Neal is also likable, I really believe that he is a baby.   

Why are Elsa and Anna sneaky around the palace? Elsa is the queen not Ingrid you don’t need to trick your guards, you pay them lady. Or is it so Ingrid won’t be suspicious? Still why the act and the sneaky around? I’m confused. At least give a reason for it. You can do that much show.       

Also in the case of Robin and Regina, does Storybrooke not have a divorce lawyer? Seems like once Marian gets better Robin and her could divorce and problem slightly solved right? Or does Robin not believe in divorce but cheating is alright as long you’re true to your heart?

Didn’t hate this episode but it all set-up for part 2 but I really hate Rumple’s plan and Emma is dumb for believing him.

Also I’m going off Netflix order of episodes, so it’s all going to off for the rest of season. Not saying it’s right.

Once Upon a Time Season 4 Episode 5 & 6 Review

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Episode 5: Breaking Glass

Georgina Haig as Elsa and Elizabeth Mitchell as The Snow Queen ABC Once Upon a Time Breaking Glass picture image

Georgina Haig as Elsa and Elizabeth Mitchell as The Snow Queen

Yet another episode of set-up with some Emma and Regina character development thrown in while they try and find that pesky Snow Queen. The Snow Queen also lures Elsa into the woods Basically Emma wants to be Regina’s friend. Emma relates this story to a past event when she was teenager and she befriended a girl named Lily. Lily was a runaway who claimed she was in the system. When Lily’s family comes for her Emma walks away from Lily’s friendship. Emma regrets what happen and does wantn’t that with Regina, since she feels Regina understands her more than the Charmings and Henry.

The Charmings’ B plot deals with Snow White thinking David set up a thief, Will Scarlet’s escape from jail so she could get her groove back. Snow in the scene where she finds Will is amusing because she is dumb but she thinks she being oh so smart. Oddly I haven’t mentioned Will Scarlett yet till now because he annoys me. This part of the plot has a Thor reference because Disney owns Marvel. Disney owns pretty everything days, including your soul.

Also the Snow Queen used Sidney to get Regina’s pocket mirror for her scheme of getting a family. Okay, Lady, you don’t need to be evil to get a family. I may have to read the original story of the Snow Queen because was there a mirror in this or is this Snow Queen making the Hell Mirror? Like from that other version of the Snow Queen. A quick Wiki search confirmed that the evil mirror is in the original story.

Also it’s revealed in this episode that at some point in season 1 Emma met with the Snow Queen in her ice cream shop but has no memory of it. The reason it’s pinpointed at season 1 is because Regina had Sidney tailing Emma. It’s also revealed that Emma’s foster home after the Lily’s incident was with the Snow Queen. Again Emma has no memory of that.

This was not a super bad episode just so much setting-up, get on with it show. There is like four plots going on and why do I have a feeling Lily will be coming back? Seems an odd backstory if all Lily’s purpose was get Emma on Regina’s semi-good side again, although with show maybe. I mean there is a long list of forgotten characters in this show.

Though I did like Emma’s backstory section. What I didn’t like was the fricken stair recreation from Let it Go. Does Elsa alway run up the stairs like that? With Her arms flared out? In the song, sure it was dramatic and she was singing, here it was just so awkward. Also why does Elsa need a cloak? Sure, it’s pretty but the cold doesn’t bother her.

Also WHERE IS OLAF! Snow Queen even mentions making a snowman, you’re trying to antagonize me show!

Episode 6: Family Business

Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Elizabeth Lail as Anna ABC Once Upon a Time Family Business picture image

Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Elizabeth Lail as Anna

About this whole “Magic comes with a Price” saying, I’m calling BS! What price does Regina pay when she poofs out in a puff of smoke? An Extra hour at the Gym? Mostly this episode focuses on Belle and Rumple, yay (sarcasm.) Apparently Belle ALSO knew Anna, just like David and Rumple, except Belle left Anna fall of a cliff and into the clutches of Ingrid, the Snow Queen. Ingrid is Elsa and Anna’s long forgotten aunt. All she wants to have a perfect family but since Anna isn’t cool with Ingrid, pun so intended, Ingrid locks Anna up in the dungeon. Does she have that authority to arrest the heir of Arendelle?

The reason why Anna and Belle were together was because Anna was all her way to the Rock Trolls to learn the truth about Ingrid and Belle wanted to learn how her mother died. The two met at Oaken’s sauna shop thing. So we have Oaken but no Olaf. The trolls give Belle a memory stone thing to be brewed in tea but when Ingrid sets a storm on them and Anna hangs off the cliff as does Belle’s memory stone, Belle tries to save it over Anna but both fall. The stone breaks but Anna is fine aside from being Ingrid’s prisoner.

In Storybrooke Belle is acting cagey to Elsa, Feeling guilty over Anna, Belle orders Rumple to take her to Snow Queen to find Anna. In the Snow Queen Pier One style lair, she sees the evil mirror. Evil Mirror Belle is smarter than normal Belle as the reflection tells her that the dagger is fake. Rumple tells her that the mirror is a liar and it part of spell that will make everyone in Storybrooke murder each other aside from Emma and Elsa.

Speaking of Emma, there is a prophecy that she will be Ingrid’s sister. Basically Ingrid wants a family that accepts her for who she really is, an ice magic wielder.

Well the plot is moving a touch. We know what Ingrid wants, Love and Acceptance. Kind of what Zelena and even Regina wanted, they just had it rolled up into their own insecurity and power hungry ambition. Ingrid’s a bit more watered down. She seemed less likely to have been “evil” if she had total familial acceptance. It was suspect of that there was no record of her or the other Aunt in Arendelle but these Rock Troll with their memory altering does more harm than good. We also know her evil plan involving a mirror too bad the plot was bogged down by Belle and Rumple.

Once Upon a Time Season 4 Episodes 3 & 4 Review

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Episode 3: Rocky Road

Georgina Haig as Elsa and Elizabeth Mitchell as The Snow Queen ABC Once Upon a Time RockyRoad picture image

Georgina Haig as Elsa and Elizabeth Mitchell as The Snow Queen

This episode isn’t exactly bad just boring, dare I say underwhelming. We learn more about this Snow Queen Lady. She apparently knows Emma and Elsa but they have memory lost. Memory loss is such a crutch for this show but at least Rumple makes like a meta joke about it. It makes the memory loss tactic  worse if they are aware that they are doing this plot again for the third time in four seasons.

Basically Snow Queen is Elsa’s aunt who was also trapped in the urn. The whole past section of the episode involves Hans looking for the urn to trap Elsa so he can rule Arendelle. Kristoff and Elsa try to beat Hans to the punch and instead of trapping Elsa out comes the Snow Queen.

Ok, I have a nitpick. Why does Han want to rule Arendelle? It seemed like in the movie Hans just wanted to rule any place he could and Arendelle had an unwed heir and unwed Queen, seems like an ideal situation, so it makes sense. Now he just wants to conquer it for no real reason. Is Arendelle wealthy is some way? Like Ice? Trading? Precious Metals? Minerals? Reindeer? What is it show? Or is Hans butt-hurt that he didn’t get his way? It’s so contrived. One line would have given him some motivation.     

In Storybrooke the Snow Queen is causing deadly shenanigans so that Elsa will be blame so that everyone in town will hate her. Really? That is your plan? Are you a child? She puts a freezing spell on Marian. Robin tries to break it with true love’s kiss but it fails since we all know that Regina is his true love. Hey Idiots! Get Roland to do it. True love’s kiss has worked two times out three from the parent-child bond and both times it was Henry with his moms. Ok, now I have massive confusion, shouldn’t true love be like between two people in a two way street situation?  Henry has two true loves? Or is one way? Henry is Regina’s and Emma’s true love even though that doesn’t seem right. The point is they blame the ice  for blocking the lips or the skin as foreheads work too but they didn’t think of using Roland, instead Regina removes Marian’s heart to keep it from getting frosty.

B plot is Snow White is the mayor and she puts a bird on the wall of the office, which Regina hates, and Snow is super clingy with Neal. You know in other culture Mothers constantly carry their children, so this plot was dumb aside from put a bird on it part.       

What else to say? Oh! Emma mentions her “super power” again.  Writers please stop with the BS of Emma saying she has a super power because it’s more like Emma has an instinct sometimes but only when the plot says she can so either have it or don’t. Or at least make her not so damn confident about it.   

A positive I had was Elsa’s up-do was pretty. Like it was really pretty, A+ on her hair style. However I got to say in Frozen the CG work really enhanced the ice but not here, OUAT doesn’t do the computer generated stuff that well, at all.  And where is Olaf? Elsa mentions making a living Snowman but she could have been referring to Marshmellow? I demand Olaf so I regret demanding Olaf!

For all my complaints and nitpicks this was unassuming episode. It did move the plot forward but the plot points seemed hindered by the writing.

Episode 4: The Apprentice

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan ABC Once Upon a Time picture image

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

They went and did it again! They made Hook a patsy for the villain using blackmail. This time Hook coforcesives Rumple to give back his hand by threatening to tell Belle about the fake dagger. Rumple restores Hook’s hand for his big date with Emma but Rumple plants the idea that the hand holds Hook’s villain mojo and reattaching it will make Hook revert to his old ways of being a villain. So when Hook starts acting out he thinks it’s the hand ask Rumple to remove it. Rumple then makes Hook help him trap the sorcerer’s apprentice in the hat  so Rumple can charge up  the hat with magic, sure okay that makes sense. Then  Rumple frames Hook by magical altering a videotape  to make it look like  that he did it all, it’s so quaint that they still use video tapes. And turns out Rumple lied to Hook about the hand. So Hook is dumb because pre-hook, he was just arrogant  pirate who had love. His villain persona happen AFTER Rumple killed Milah, so if Hook had thought about it he wouldn’t have fallen prey to Rumple. Also Hook did you not learn from last season which in the scheme of things was a few days ago, tell Emma the truth and then you don’t have to a pawn in this. Geez.  

Also I’m sick of Rumple’s yo-yoing between of good and villain. It’s like all the character development you had in the past three seasons is gone. Rumple was an interesting character when he was trickster to achieve his goals but now he is tedious.  

I guess that means we should bring out the past section. Anna meets Rumple. And if you recall last episode Rumple says that he didn’t know of Anna right to Emma’s face, where is your superpower now? Anyway Rumple makes a deal with her to have her  give some old guy who may or may not eat children a suspicious vial. This guys is the sorcerer’s apprentice. Anna can’t bring herself to poison him so she doesn’t do it. Turns out it was trick and Anna had the antidote to poison that Rumple gave him and sorcerer’s apprentice turns in a mouse al la Mickey Mouse. You see Rumple needs Anna to break an enchanted on a box that has the sorcerer’s hat so he be free of the dagger’s control. The hat also can stripe a person of magic which is why Anna’s parent were looking for it. In the end, Rumple does get what he wants from Anna, but Anna gets the dagger and she orders him to give her the box, turn the apprentice back to a man and send her back home. Rumple has to comply but he is not happy.

There is other stuff happening in this episode , like Henry and Regina mission to change the book, Emma and Hook’s date, David and Snow being weird parents to their adult daughter, Elsa looking through public records for Anna, and the Snow Queen stalking Emma.

There just so many plot going on in here and yet it’s mostly still just set-up for the season.
Though apparently Henry is OK with letting Marian be curse so Regina can have a happy ending. Henry is thinking like a villain. Has his character deteriorated? Apparently a former villain can get away with like that in his mind but not a hero because he went to pieces when Snow White did questionable things or when Emma bent the truth.  I did like the date but I’m a fan of Lady and the Tramp. Hook looked good in normal clothing. Personally I was getting bored with his costume. Emma’s dress seemed a little out of character like it was too girly for her. Will Elsa get a costume change?

2002 The Snow Queen Review; Satan, Seasons, a Muppet and talking Reindeer, Oh My!

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The Snow Queen picture image

The Snow Queen

I feel like a broken record at this point saying that a movie can be both good and bad but that is what the Hallmark 2002 Tv-Movie, The Snow Queen is, it exists in a weird void of good/bad. The things that are good about The Snow Queen are really good and things that really bad are terrible.

I watched this movie a few weeks ago and it was REALLY long so keep that in mind.

Also this was based on Hans Christen Anderson’s story.

Bridget Fonda as Snow Queen with Chelsea Hobbs as Gerda The Snow Queen picture image

Bridget Fonda as Snow Queen with Chelsea Hobbs as Gerda

For a nearly three hour long movie the plot is pretty simple and yet insane. We have a Gerda who hates the winter because her mother was killed in the winter. And we have Kai a happy-go-lucky lad who loves the winter. Gerda’s father owns the inn where Kai works as a bellboy. Gerda and Kai then fall in love but one night a shard of a mirror falls into Kai’s eye and he turns into a jack-ass. Then a woman comes to the inn and kidnaps Kai. Gerda’s father has no memory of the woman and then Gerda finds a note from Kai asking for help.

Gerda then throws herself into a river and is save by the Spring Witch, who tries to keep her as her daughter. However Gerda has a magical rose brooch that once belonged to her mother and this brooch tells she must travel through the season to get to the Ice Queen who is keeping Kai. Gerda travels through the seasons, literally she meets them, the Summer Princess and the Autumn Robber both of whom want to keep her. As Gerda goes from one season to another, the Ice Queen has tasked Kai with assembling a magic mirror as she sleeps till Winter. Kai is made to work by a Polar Bear minion of the Snow Queen, who is in love with her.

As Gerda tries to free herself from the Autumn Robber she meets an old reindeer names Rutger. After they break free and head toward the Snow Queen’s domain they hear on the wind a story that the Polar Bear is telling to Kai about how Satan made the mirror for the seasons so that when they gazed into it the mirror reflected their essence. However the mirror was twisted and corrupted Winter and made her desire her power to be absolute. Winter then stole the mirror which weaken her sister seasons. Winter flew toward heaven to demand winter be the dominant season on earth but the mirror shattered and went into people’s eyes. Kai learns he can’t complete the mirrior as removing the shard will kill him.

Gerda shows up at the Snow Queen’s place, the mirror breaks, the Polar bear is really a prince and goes off with Snow Queen. Kai is better and him and Gerda return home, happy ending.

Bridget Fonda as Snow Queen with the Polar Bear The Snow Queen picture image

Bridget Fonda as Snow Queen with the Polar Bear

Postives, let’s start there. The first and most obvious best thing about this movie is, the Polar Bear. I’m not kidding. The Polar Bear puppet was hand-down the best thing in this movie. It looks so real. Seriously, it was better then any CG could hope to make. It was made by the Jim Henson company, so it’s technically a muppet.

Another positive thing is the movie takes it time to develop Gerda and Kai’s romance. We understand their connection and the change that Kai goes through as result of the shard.

I also like the idea of Gerda traveling through the seasons, reminds me of the Secret of Mana, old JRPG.

Kira Clavell as Summer Princess The Snow Queen picture image

Kira Clavell as Summer Princess

Now for the bad stuff. First and foremost, the acting, Oh Dear lord the acting! The acting was bad. Like BAD High school levels of acting. And not enjoyably bad either just painful. I’m not sure who fault this was because actors and directors seem competent, so I just don’t get it. Maybe everyone was having an off shoot. Regardless of abilities it was bad on the acting front.

Jennifer Clement as Spring Witch The Snow Queen picture image

Jennifer Clement as Spring Witch

The technicals weren’t anything amazing, except the Polar Bear puppet. There were some nice shots but nothing above average. The costumes were beyond silly though. Why is the Snow Queen wearing a feather-like collar? It just looked silly

The Snow Queen picture image

The Polar Bear fishing

Hallmark 2002 The Snow Queen isn’t like the worse thing in the world. If You have nearly three hours and can handle some truly bad acting give it a watch but if your not inclined you not missing too much except the Polar Bear puppet.

Clue 1 and Clue 2