A Tale Two of Fateful Musicals

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Recently I saw the touring cast of Hadestown. I went into the show blind which I wouldn’t recommend for myself again. I didn’t love the show as I was watching but after ruminating on it and listening to the songs again I’ve come around and I do very much enjoy the show and would defiantly see it again. Also the touring cast was amazing.

Now just because I like it doesn’t mean that Hadestown and Hunchback musicals (The Disney version/Notre Dame de Paris mainly) have much do with each other outside of being musicals and that I like them. However they’re a few similarities and parallels, more than I thought, and some are quite shallow while others are deeper. 

Also both shows revolve around religious iconography.

Spoilers for the shows. 

An Actor 

Patrick Page as Hades, Hadestown; Patrick Page as Frollo, Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical
Patrick Page as Hades & Frollo

The biggest connection between the Hadestown and a Hunchback musical is Patrick Page. Page originated both Frollo in the American version of the Disney musical at La Jolla and PaperMills Playhouse and Hades in Hadestown in both the workshops and in the original Broadway cast.

First he feared the Hellfire and then he become lord of it. 

A Song  

Amber Gray as Persephone, Hadestown; Helene Segara as Esmeralda, Notre Dame de Paris
Amber Gray as Persephone & Helene Segara as Esmeralda

This is more is similarity. The second act of Hadestown opens with a song called “Our Lady of the Underground” which in truth is just a reminder because “Our Lady’ and “Notre Dame” have the same meaning and to have lyrics using  “Our Lady” in a musical is a direct route in my mind for a connection. 

HOWEVER there is an actual “Our Lady of the Underground” Notre Dame de Sous-Terre, it is a statue at Chartres. So it might be less of Notre Dame thing and more of the connection to that but on that pesky other hand, Anaïs Mitchell was inspired by Les Misérables and wouldn’t you know it, Victor Hugo wrote both Les Misérables and Hunchback of Notre Dame. So maybe it’s not a shallow connection after all.

Both shows also more or less exist because of Les Misérables. One exists in its shadow in North America and the other reveals in its shade, guess which one is which.  

A Costume 

The Green Costume a worn by Helene Segara & Lola Ponce as Esmeralda, Notre Dame de Paris; Amber Gray as Persephone, Hadestown musical
Esmeralda & Persephone’s Green Costume

Not that Esmeralda has monopoly on green costumes that use velvet and lace but if I see a green musical costume that uses those fabric I’m going to think of the original version of Esmeralda’s green dress & the Italian version of the green dress. 

This is more of a reminder though an actual connection. Also in BOTH cases both green costumes are the act one costume and the Act 2 costume is more subdue and reflects the characters’ circumstances. For Esmeralda it is her being a prisoner and for Persephone it’s being in the Underworld/Hadestown as well as a strain of her marriage which is also messing everything up. Both characters are “trapped” so to speak.

Again this isn’t not a strong connection either, characters get costumes changes that reflect their mood/plot all the time but it’s at a “hmm that’s sort of interesting” similarity.

Swinging Set Pieces

Performer during Les Cloches, Notre Dame de Paris; A worker during Wait for me, Hadestown
Performer during Les Cloches & A worker during Wait for Me

Impressive set pieces in musicals is nothing new, it’s part of medium which adds spectacle and draws the audience into the experience.

Hadestown and Notre Dame de Paris both have swinging elements. Both are conical swinging metal pieces however I do think Hadestown does this better.  In Notre Dame de Paris during “Les Cloches” there are three swinging bells over the stage that goes from side to side over the stage and are raised and lowered with a performer hanging from each them. This all done over the stage. It’s interesting and impressive but since it just exists over the stage space it doesn’t allow for the audience to participate, it’s spectacle.

In Hadestown during “Wait for Me,” as Orpheus goes into the underworld there are swinging lights that extend out across the stage over the audience, stage size and positing willing. There is some about shining lights into the audience from the stage that is intriguing. The swinging lights are very evocative especially since “Wait for Me” is one of the stand out songs of the show.     

A Tragic Heroine 

Eva Noblezada as Eurydice, Hadestown; Helene Segara as Esmeralda. Notre Dame de Paris
Eva Noblezada as Eurydice & Helene Segara as Esmeralda

One to one, Esmeralda and Eurydice are very different in personality and temperament. However both ladies are worldly in that they have traveled widely without  being able to lay down roots. For Eurydice she is lonely, hungry and homeless and goes from place to place to eke some kind of existence till she meets and marries Orpheus. Esmeralda is a traveler and she goes around Europe with her group led by Clopin until they reach Paris, hoping for that asylum.

In either case both ladies meet a tragic end. In Esmeralda’s case her death is more concrete and Eurydice’s is more debated. Did she die in the storm or the snake like the myth? What was the deal she made with Hades?  All in all it doesn’t matter as the optics are both ladies meet a tragic end and the one who loves them the most follows them into the afterlife. 

Also both ladies are likened to birds, Eurydice to a songbird and Esmeralda, in Notre Dame de Paris, to  a swallow.  

Also as a side tangent, in the original myth Eurydice dances through a meadow and Esmeralda is a dancer. 

A Bard 

Reeve Carney as Orpheus, Hadestown; Bruno Pelletier as Gringoire, Notre Dame de Paris
Reeve Carney as Orpheus & Bruno Pelletier as Gringoire

Both Gringoire and Orpheus are poets. Orpheus is more of singer-songwriter but Hades does refers to him as a poet in “Hey, Little Songbird.” They are both poor and both marry the tragic heroine though Esmeralda does not love him. 

Social Messages 

The Workers, Hadestown; Jay as Clopin, Les Sans Papiers, Notre Dame de Paris, World Tour Cast
The Workers & Jay as Clopin

As the story has evolved from the original book, Hunchback narratives tends to lean heavily toward social commentary. Many themes can be employed but the big one is social inequality for marginalized peoples. Notre Dame de Paris leaned into issues of its day with asylum seekers seeking “sanctuary” which is a part of the original story. 

Hadestown also takes into account social issues into the narrative as well. The show also goes for the blight marginalized poor peoples who are very much exploited by the powerful, in this case literal Gods, as well as Global warming. One thing that is addressed a lot is that seasons are all wrong because of the Gods. Orpheus could be seen as tiring to fix the climate by fixing Hades and Persephone’s marriage as well as saving Eurydice who was taken to Hadestown because she was caught in a storm.    

Thirteen Years

Garou as Quasimodo, Daniel Lavoie as Frollo, & Patrick Fiori as Phoebus, Belle, Notre Dame de Paris; Reeve Carney as Orpheus, Wait for me, Hadestown performed at the Tony Awards
Belle, Notre Dame de Paris & Wait for me, Hadestown

It took Anaïs Mitchell thirteen years to develop Hadestown from initial conception to the show opening on Broadway in 2019. Richard Cocciante had Belle as a melody thirteen years prior to the Notre Dame de Paris’ premier in Paris. I think I misunderstood the special that stated this information and wrongly thought the show was in development for thirteen years but from the subtitles it was more like five with just melody of existing thirteen years prior the show’s premier.   

The Cruel Hand of the Fates

Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Kay Trinidad as The Fates, Hadestowm; "Anarkia" on a wall, Notre Dame de Paris
Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, & Kay Trinidad as The Fates & “Anarkia” on a wall

In Greek Mythology The Fates are three sisters: Clotho (the Spinner), Lachesis (the Allotter), and Atropos (the Inevitable). They are also called Moirai, personification of destiny.   

In Hadestown the Fates are a greek chorus who are symbolize conscience, doubt and anxiety. They also hyper-fixate on Eurydice. They are antagonize her and defiantly seem to delight in her suffering. They also plague Orpheus at the climax with the song “Doubt Comes In” as the lovers walk out the underworld.  These three ladies are very much personified  intrusive thoughts. 

The Fates in Hadestown act more like concept of Ananke which is a conceptual force in The Hunchback of Notre Dame  however the connection is deeper. Ananke, in Orphic tradition,* is a Goddess and the mother of the Fates. She is the personification of inevitability, compulsion and necessity. Her Roman named is Necessitas. 

So it does seem that the Fates in Hadestown act more like Ananke but “The Fates” are more accessible to a general audience plus the all harmonies they sings are sublime.  

Then there is Notre Dame de Paris. As previously stated Ananke is a big aspect in the novel. It is the word that inspired  Frollo and why Esmeralda didn’t fight back when Frollo dragged to the gibbet at the end of the novel for his final crazed ultimatum. 

Notre Dame de Paris has two songs that apply to Ananke and Fate. One is called “Anarkia,” which is a short song that fills in some plot points. Basically “Anarkia” which is just written on a wall, like in the novel, Gringoire asks what the word means and Frollo exclaims it means “Fatality.” Which comes from the latin “fatalis” which means “decreed by fate,” so technically correct. Weird fact: the English version changes the word to “Anarchy” and Frollo says it means “Destiny” which is just wrong.  

The second song involving the subject fate closes Act I and is aptly named “Fatalité.”  It’s a very dramatic yet simple song that boils down to the point that fate/destiny doesn’t care if you’re a noble or a peasant; all life is her hands. Fate is said to be the “Mistress of our destinies” so it does harkens back to greek mythology. 

Despite Ananke being an omnipotent atmospheric force in novel it’s relegated to only two songs and that is more than it gets in most other versions.              

I do think that it would interesting to have a Notre Dame stage musical that leans into the concept of Ananke as a character, as in a combination of The Fates and Death from the Roméo + Juliet musical.

A River

Hadestown's poster; DeYoung's Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical Poster
Hadestown’s poster & DeYoung’s Hunchback Musical Poster

And finally Dennis DeYoung, a founding member of Styx, wrote a Hunchback musical. Styx is the river of the underworld which is a in Hadestown. (perhaps this should be the next version for review)    

I suppose there could be more connections and similarities between the musicals but that’s all for now.

*or Orphism, named for Orpheus

“Beautiful” Sheet Music For People Who Are Good at Reading Music

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Belle Sheet Music from Notre Dame de Paris
Sheet Music of Belle

I got this sheet music over a decade ago however I had barely touched it till recently. I took piano lessons for seven years and I would say I’m passable. At best maybe fair, B- or C+ on a good day maybe. I do really enjoy playing the piano however even if I’m not good. There was period in late fall of 2020 when I was playing more which was a coping mechanism. However I don’t recall playing “Belle” during that period of time. Then I stopped playing and started up again a few weeks ago and “Belle” is very enjoyable to play.

This particular arrangement has vocal accompaniment but I tend to just play the vocals. The vocals are just more fun but I do want to get better with the accompaniment. I find Quasimodo’s verse the easiest to play and Phoebus’ hardest. This is because all the notes in the first part of the verse are flat and mind you I’m not an accomplished piano player so a little tricky, still fun though. C and F flats throw me off.

My mind did a shut down once playing this. I had been playing “In the Hall of the Mountain King” which starts off similarly so when I switched to “Belle” I was had a moment where I couldn’t figure out what I was playing.

I might try and get a Disney Hunchback sheet music book at some point, I do have other pieces that I want to learn/relearn before I get anything new. “Moonlight Sonata” was the last piece I was working on before I stopped taking lessons so ideally I would love to get passable at that one. But for right now I’m enjoying playing “Belle.”

Beauty and the Beast Nitpicks

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Beauty and the Beast Something there picture image
Belle and the Beast

There is a lot of discourse around Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Two elements  that get addressed are the Beast’s age relative to his curse, I.E was he eleven when he was cursed or an adult and Belle’s desire for adventure in the great wide somewhere.

First lets consider the Beast’s age. Technically both readings are correct according supplemental media. In the 2017 version makes it clear from the word go that he was an adult BUT in the christmas mid-quel he was a kid, who was cursed on Christmas. So  both readings are correct in a way. 

But let’s just consider the 1991 movie and ignore the other movies. The first clue that points to his age at the time of the curse is the narrator saying that the enchanted rose would bloom until his 21st year.  And then Lumiere saying that they have been cursed for ten years. Which means he was eleven.  It’s kinda hard to ignore that. Unless you don’t like math, like me.

However maybe Lumiere was merely saying that for while the servants carried on with business as usual and it’s only been in the last ten years they gave up trying and the narrator’s line indicated that Beast was a beast for 20 years before the rose bloomed. Or maybe this movie has no real concept of time. It’s an enchanted castle after all. 

There are also a few other elements that sight that the Beast was an adult at the time of the curse or the enchantress was just really mean-sprited.  First there is the portrait which him as an adult. It’s hard to argue against that one. But maybe it was an enchanted portrait that aged with the Beast? Though if that was a thing in the curse it would have gotten mentioned in the narrative, I mean the mirror did. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one. It’s was a portrait of the Beast as an adult human, that is not a child’s portrait. 

Then there is a Chip. How old is Chip? Because if Beast was cursed as child then Chip would have either been born a teacup or spent most of his life not knowing he was ever human. Seems cruel, you go through your whole life thinking you’re a talking teacup only to learn that you were once a human, a creature Chip would have never even seen before. Though Chip being in favor of breaking the curse indicates that he remembers being human. Though that would mean he been a child for about 20 years. 

Also there is whole aspect of aging within the castle. If Beast was an adult at the time of this curse that means no one was aging, which seems to be the case since Beast recognized everyone when they were cured.
I just want to point out Mid-quel ignores this, only the Beast ages no one else.

Then again you can just sight enchanted castle and maybe no one in the castle knows what year it is anymore or their ages.  

Belle Beauty and the Beast picture image
Belle

Then there is Belle. Her line about wanting adventure gets thrown around but next line gets ignore. So she wants adventure but she needs someone who understand her.
Want vs Need is a pretty basic concept. So some people think Belle got the short end of the narrative stick because she didn’t get adventure in the great wide somewhere.  Which is the point, it’s what she wanted not what she needed. 

The bad part of this the 2017 version trying to fit this in with the book of teleportation. I suppose they could have made it more of thing but they just used it  to show how Belle’s mother died by illness. Adventure? A minor trip to Paris for backstory is the correction for Belle wanting adventure? 

What the 2017 version could have done is changed it so that enchantress was sneaky and curing the Beast required a quest but only Belle could figure out what the magical macguffins were to break the curse. So Beast and Belle would have gone minor adventures to learn and grow and bond and fall in love.  And in the end it’s still love that cures him. Then again that would have changed things too much and 2017 version was more concerned with fixing plot holes that didn’t really need fixing. But it made money so doesn’t really matter. 

In the scheme of things these elements don’t really matter, they do not change the overall enjoyment of the movie. So if you think Beast was child or adult at the time of his curse either reading of the text is fine. If you wanted Belle to have more adventure, can’t fault you for that either.   

Belle’s Yellow Gown from 2017 Beauty and the Beast

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Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend picture image

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

Given that the 2017 Live Action Disney Remake was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costumes, I thought it would be a good time to discuss at least the Belle’s iconic yellow ball gown.

Emma Watson as Belle 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Emma Watson as Belle

Coming off Cinderella’s ball gown from the 2015 Cinderella designed by Sandy Powell, my first impression of Jacqueline Durran’s take on Belle’s gown was lackluster. Personally I find Durran’s work to be hit or miss, she did costumes for that Anna Karenina movie with Keira Knightley but that green gown from Atonement was amazing. She is a very capable costume designer who does deserves her accolades but this yellow gown miss the mark in a few fronts.

Emma Watson as Belle 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Emma Watson as Belle

Let’s get some positives out of the way since there are a few. After reading a few interviews with Durran, I can say that the color of the gown was well thought out. Yellow is a very tricky color for people to pull off, it can also look terrible on film and can  very easily look cheap. The color did work well with Emma Watson and looked nice on film. Personally I just wish it has some other level of contrast to make it look less sweet and a little more grown up but that is a personal nitpick.

Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as The Beast 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as The Beast

Another positive is the movement of the fabric. The gown just moves so well in the scene. I read somewhere that the gown was made from sustainable fabrics which is great on its own but the movement of the gown is stunning and it my favorite part.

Audra McDonald as Madam de Garderobe 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Audra McDonald as Madam de Garderobe

And now the some negatives.  One BIG issue is that while this is a magical gown in that within the narrative it was created with magic it’s still rooted in the movie’s setting and own sense of style. Durran did mention that while the gown was created for Watson’s modern Belle, she still kept into within the French 18th century style. The problem is that in that first scene everyone is in costume that look like French Rocco style. The wardrobe herself knows this style and then operation against it for Belle’s gown. I suppose the trouble is the merging of the 1991 iconic design with the semi-real style that the 2017 movie was trying to achive.

Lily James as Ella Cinderella 2015 picture image

Lily James as Ella

In the 2015 Cinderella, it didn’t operation in real world setting, it had a pseudo 1950’s design  to the costume so everything looked integrated into a cohesive look. Belle’s ball gown is not integrated into movie’s larger style as it’s only looked to have a modern sensibility.   

Emma Watson as Belle 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Emma Watson as Belle

However you know what COULD have pulled the modernity and the Rocco style together? Belle’s jewelry. Durran had freehand to whatever since Belle only has basic stud earrings and a hair piece in the 1991 version.  The jewelry that Belle wears is way too modern. The hair piece was fine with it’s feather motif but the other elements while lovely on their own did not work in the film. She has ear cuffs and this organic branch-like shape pendent necklace. When I first saw the jewelry in the film it took me out of the movie.  According to interviews the thought behind the ear- cuff and the necklace was keep it organic. The cuff was like a plant that was still growing and the necklace was a “tree of life that is still in motion” * It was all meant to echo the design of magical castle.

Emma Watson as Belle 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Emma Watson as Belle

I’m not without knowledge of the creative process, most of the time you get into head space with an idea or concept and you just run with it. In this case it sounds like they had their idea to base the jewelry on the castle and didn’t relate the design back to the rococo setting even though the castle has that aesthetic. Typically Rococo is very organic  and botany was a favorite source of inspiration during this period. The point is the jewelry didn’t have to look so late 2000s in design and execution, they could have looked to period the film was set in into giving the costume more 18th century influence while still giving it a sense of otherworldly magical modernity.   

Emma Watson as Belle 2017 Beauty and the Beast picture image

Emma Watson as Belle

Unfortunately Belle’s yellow gown missed the mark for the style of the movie and the impact it made on screen. It’s just one of the many misses that this movie had in totality.

*Hollywoodreporter.com/news/beauty-beast-costume-designer

For more of Jewelry Art History;
A History of Jewellery 1100-1870

Jewelry: From Antiquity to the Present (World of Art)

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 4; Beauty Review

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Beauty

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Belle Once upon a Time Season 7 Episode 4 Beauty picture image

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Belle

Oh Halloween does provide some nice chances for Disney Easter eggs. Here’s the ones I noticed, Elsa, The Incredibles Snow White,  and Belle. If there was more I missed them HOWEVER there were two more easter eggs floating around this episode or more like homages. There was the recreation of the first ten minutes of  Up staring Rumple and Belle and Tale as Old as Time playing which to be fair the show has done before, anyway on to the episode.

This episode gives us a Rumple and Belle ending. Basically they go to the Enchanted Forest to travel and raise Gideon as well as try to break the dagger’s curse. Now I have to point out that the show forgot that Belle nearly broke the curse WAY back in season 1. So does the true love kiss thing NOT work? Because it worked multiple times on Snow and David for the same curse. Can Gideon not break it? Why do things work sometimes and not others. It could be a moot point since Belle and Rumple did escape their toxicity and had an Up style love story of Belle growing old which means with her death that allows for a path to break the darkness with open and they path lead Rumple to whatever Realm the Hyperion Heights  players are from. Like they call it another Realm but The Enchanted Forest got TWO NAMES, remember is in season four the Arendelle characters called it “Mist Haven” so could the writer’s not be bothered to think of a name.

Anyway Rumple goes to the other realm to find a guardian who will take the darkness from Rumple so he can join Belle and so the darkness can rested thus perhaps ending The Dark One. Alice is hinted at being the guardian and Rogers’ daughter. Did the writers remember what a setup is?  

 

Anyway the Hyperion Height plot were Tilly or Alice remembering more of the other realm and trying to wake Weaver up which she does by shooting him but since he is still the Dark one he doesn’t die and is awake though Tilly is back on her pills so she forgot.

The B-line Hyperion plot was trick-or-treating with Ivy, the wicked step-sister and Lucy which doesn’t go well as Lucy runs away from Ivy. Henry and Ivy have a few moments together about doing the “scary” thing which for Henry is moving on and for Ivy is more human connections.

To be honest,  Henry has way more chemistry with Ivy  than with Jacinda. Not sure that is an issue with acting or writing or MAYBE it’s on purpose.  It would be more interesting of a plot if that is how the show preceded.   

While this episode had pacing and some logic issue, seriously show remember your own damn True Love Kiss rules and also the concept of time passing in each realm*, this episode was great. It was nice to be able to enjoy Rumple again and perhaps the show’s BIGGEST retcon they made Belle and Rumple’s relationship endearing again. Granted that was being of the UP homage but still it was nice ending for Belle and Rumple. Also the Tilly Hyperion plot was fine, she is interesting as well as Ivy and possible Henry.    

    

*Seriously don’t think about it. Like decades pass with Rumple and  Belle in the Timeless sunset place. Not sure how old Henry is but he  has to be in his last twenties MAYBE he’s 28 but not sure that age is pre-curse or post curse and Lucy is around ten but none of the Other Realm people have aged so does that mean Lucy aged  but they stuck in time in a neighborhood of Seattle. See! Don’t think about it.

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 9 & 10 Review

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Episode 9: Changelings

Emilie de Ravin as Belle and Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 9 changlings picture image

Emilie de Ravin as Belle and Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy

So the Black Fairy is really Rumple’s mother. This family tree gets more complicated all the time especially when you think that Regina is both Henry’s mother and step great-grandmother.  

Basically it seems that Rumple has had a dark origins this whole time and is the reason he hates fairies. Not sure how to feel about this twist especially with the better twist that Aladdin became a Genie! That’s a good twist. I hate how little the show is doing with  the Aladdin plot unless it goes into Emma’s death vison plot or Rumple and Belle. I’ll admit  Rumple and Belle’s dynamic this episode was interesting but they have been having variations of the same conversation since the start  now they just have a baby thrown into the vocabulary.

The scene with Belle giving her son to Blue was emotionally charged but the episode was just alright. Good in parts and dragged in others.  

 

Episode 10: Wish You Were Here

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 10 Wish You Were Here picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma

 

Are you kidding me with this episode? Another alt-timeline? Really show? I have to ask even though it’s a wish, how does Emma and Neal get together to even have Henry and why is he still called Henry? That name was because of Regina! It might be a fake wish reality BUT STILL SHOW! And somehow in this world Rumple could get a bean with ease when in reality he got Regina to cast the dark curse so he could get to his son. On a context level this episode hurts. Plus Robin is back now in the wish world.

In other plots, when Aladdin became the Genie, Jasmine didn’t make her wish to return to Agrabah. For some reason they waited and EQ got the lamp prompting the whole wish world. In other, other plots Belle and Rumple’s son got taken by the Black Fairy and turns out to be the hooded figure who is destined to kill Emma, so that’s how they worked Rumple and Belle’s plot to have more importance.  And EQ is now a Snake and at two masters later, Jasmine has the lamp and made her wish. Still wish Aladdin and Jasmine weren’t side-plot fodder.  

Did not care for this episode, sure it’s another twist that Baby Gideon is one who kills Emma but the wish-world shenanigans literally hurt my head with all the mental leaps it asks of the viewers.  

Also this show has a pattern of having a character telling other characters to meet they at place in one hour. Is that ever enough time?

 


Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episodes 17 & 18 Review

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Episode 17: Her Handsome Hero

Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Wes Brown as Gaston Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 17 Her Handsome Hero review picture image

Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Wes Brown as Gaston

Not one for mixing references but they could have given Gaston the surname of Leroux but instead they went with LeGume as in a bean. Is Gaston’s Kingdom in bean trading? Or they COULD have made it Avenant from the 40’s version as it was name originally considered for Gaston.

This is a Belle heavy episode and she puts her foot down on Rumple using Dark Magic. Hades enlists the help of Gaston to get his revenge on Rumple for his death. Hades does this since he knows Belle will insist that Rumple not hurt Gaston. Hades also makes Belle a deal that if Gaston or Rumple knock the other into the River of Lost Souls, her baby is safe. Belle tries to save Gaston but ends up pushing him into the water to save Rumple. Oops and it doesn’t free the child from the contract.

The reason for this is supposedly souls make Hades more powerful and he doesn’t like the hope going around town as flowers are starting to grow. Flowers growing from hope is super sappy. Hades, you seem like a god of moderate intelligence, why not just let Hook and everyone go and count your loses? Sure your down some souls but there is no hope floating around. Sounds like a win-win. Instead he does more antagonist stuff and pines for Zelena.

Past plot was Gaston is a jerk who doesn’t like ogres but does like Belle. Gaston is a nicer rendition of his Disney-self. Was it just me or did the ogre looks similar to Quasimodo? Especially in the opening sequence. Oddly Her Handsome Hero sounds like Star Wars. As it’s a story about compassion and forgiveness, though lots of stories are about that. And LeFou got a name drop, which is more than Olaf got in season 4.

B plot is simple. Emma has a scary dream and it turns out to be Ruby/Red.

This episode was alright. Not a huge fan of Belle and Rumple anymore. Rumple did make a point about dark and light being a point of view. As Belle was ok with stealing property to help someone even though that didn’t happen.

Episode 18: Ruby Slippers

Meghan Ory as Red/Ruby & Teri Reeves as Dorothy Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 18Ruby Slippers review picture image

Meghan Ory as Red/Ruby & Teri Reeves as Dorothy

Is some ways this is a filler episode as it takes focus off the Hades’ plot, which is fine, but it does somethings to move things a little bit. The theme of this episode it to take the risk on love. Zelena does it with Hades and Ruby does it will Dorothy.

Ruby and Mulan’s quest leads them to OZ to find Ruby’s pack. They get there just as Zelena returns and they meet up with Dorothy as Zelena dog-naps Toto in exchange for the slippers. Other than hating Zelena, there was no point in Dorothy keeping the shoes. The crew’s plan is to put Zelena to sleep with the poppy sleeping potion. Dorothy and Ruby bond while getting the poppies and Ruby crushes hard on Dorothy. After the potion is made Dorothy goes off on her own and Zelena puts her in a sleeping curse and takes the slippers. As Dorothy just has the love of OZ she doesn’t have true love.

Ruby follows Zelena to UnderBrooke and hijinx ensue. Mainly they want to get Aunty Em to blow a kiss into a bottle but Hades liquidates Aunt Em to make Zelena happy. While that is happening the Haunting booth is removed and Snow begs David to leave with Ruby with the slippers that Zelena did give back. Snow can’t leave because her name is on the headstone BUT Hook crossed her name off so David stays for her. Hades enchanted his Hook so he could engrave names on the stones. So Snow leaves with Ruby. Ruby kisses Dorothy and she wakes up and Snow goes back to Neal. Also Belle figures she doesn’t have nine month to save her child so she puts herself under a sleeping curse, that Zelena gave her. Not sure if that was a great plan.

Let’s just unpack Belle’s plan. The Sleeping curse on her was practical matter by the show as Belle’s actress was pregnant hence the big red coat she wears. You can see her abdomen sometimes. So this was just a necessity. If you look at in the context of the show, sleeping curses do stop aging but does that apply to an embryo? Shrugs. Doesn’t seem like a great plan but not sure how much Hades REALLY cares about Belle and Rumple’s kid, he just likes the leverage and deals.

Then there is the crux of this episode Mulan is all still alone. Ruby and Dorothy are true loves because I guess they both felt like outsiders and liked dogs. Not a bad start to things. I hope Mulan will finds someone too. She was cute with Ruby but I guess they were just friends on a mission to find Ruby a place in the world, and she did. To be fair, I don’t know what’s up with Dorothy. I don’t mean her character but her costume. Can’t quite put my finger on it but it looks like something out of steampunk. With two patterns going on. Warrior grab with a gingham skirt? NOT sure hot to feel about that one other than confused. The pairing on Ruby and Dorothy was ok but it was contained to one episode so while there is an attachment to Ruby and Mulan, there isn’t one to Dorothy as show depicts her.

Another curiosity in this episode is the guy removing the Haunting Booth is named Claude. I do feel like I’m being mocked here. First the lady at the dinner, then the ogre now a random dude named “Claude.”

This episode was fine. Ruby and Dorothy got their happy endings while the others are in Hell. Still not bad not amazing but it was ok episode.

 

 


Once Upon a Time Season 4 Episodes 11 & 12 Review

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Episode 11: Shattered Sight

Georgina Haig as Elsa, Elizabeth Lail as Anna & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan ABC Once Upon a Time Shattered Sight picture image

Georgina Haig as Elsa, Elizabeth Lail as Anna & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

It’s the Purge, ABC Style! This episode wraps up the Snow Queen’s arc. The past portionis about Emma and Ingrid’s relationship. Ingrid and Emma did have a nice relationship and Ingrid was trying to adopt her. Ingrid messed it up however when she tries to push Emma’s powers out by nearly getting her hit by a car. Emma thinks she is crazy and runs off. Prior to that 28 year deadline Ingrid finds Storybrooke and sets up shop. When Emma wonders into the Ice Cream shop, Ingrid takes her memories.  

Most of the episode is the fairy tale character being horrible to each other or beating the crap out of everyone. Emma releases Regina out because she figures that Regina’s hatred for her will undo the Ribbons. Not really sure how that really works. So as once the ribbons are off Emma and Elsa go to face off against Ingrid, as killing her is the only way to break the curse. Otherwise it’s a Regina and Snow bitch fight.

Anna then finds a the letter that Gerda wrote before she drown which recounts Ingrid and how she loved her and how she should encouraged Ingrid to accept her own powers and  nothide away.  Ingrid realizes that she has what she always wanted; her sister’s love. She then sacrifices herself to break the spell so that she can join her sisters.   

The is arc made some aspects of Frozen make a little more sense. It  serves as somewhat prequel and sequel to frozen and yet NO OLAF, I’m over it but a little annoyed. I wish Ingrid’s plan wasn’t so off. She wanted the love of her sisters but she didn’t want anyone else around. Just seems a little weak of an evil plan. It slightly evil but not really all that evil. She did get redeem though which is more than Rumple can say. His character development is like in the negatives at this point. He’s worse than when he started. Since his plot is still up in the air I bet the next arc will focus on him more.      

I will say that Evil Snow and David  were  fun but why did the spell wear off quickly with Anna but not on the town? Did Ingrid control durations? Or is it like once the person does some task?  Like with Anna it was threatening trapping Elsa  in the urn and for the town it was just death?    

This arc felt too all over the place. There were like so much set-up for other plots and the main Snow Queen/Frozen felt drawn out and nearly divertive of Frozen. It wasn’t a re-imaging but Frozen 2.0 which felt cheap.  Also Will Scarlett is colossal waste of time.

 

Episode 12; Heroes and Villains

Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent, Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil, Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Merrin Dungey as Ursula ABC Once Upon a Time Heroes and Villains picture image

Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent, Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil, Emilie de Ravin as Belle & Merrin Dungey as Ursula

This episode wraps Rumple wanting to be free of the dagger plot, wanting to  kill Hook and the aftermath of the Frozen. See because Rumple lied about knowing Anna, and Anna knows his plan he wants Anna gone. Rumple finds a portal and as the Frozen crew leaves Anna clues them into Rumple’s plan. Emma and Snow try to stop him but fail. Belle stops him with the help of an object that can lead someone to a person’s weakness which leads her to the dagger.

The past plot deals with Rumple trading the object for Belle’s life after Maleficent, Ursula and Cruella kidnapped her. Rumple then got the thing back from them and Belle found in in present day Storybrooke.  Basically Belle thought she was worth more to Rumple than power so in the end she makes him leave Storybrooke. He then goes to New York City, because there is nothing between Maine and New York City. At least Belle got smart again. Smart might be the wrong word, maybe perceptive.          

Robin and Marian also leave town because Marian got refrozen and it was the only way to save her except for Roland’s kiss which could have  if the character remembers things. So even though Marian was going to left Regina and Robin be together NOPE. Also now when people leave town the don’t forget but they just can see the town anymore.  

One question! Didn’t Mulan join the merry man? Or did she lied to Aurora? Where is Mulan? Or Nova? Or Ruby?  Also just a minor nitpick but it’s more of a personal pet peeve, Individuals  do not evolve. Rumple didn’t evolve he either matured or reverted. I hated it the usage of the word  even in Pokemon.  

Mostly this was good episode, though do wish we saw something of Elsa and Anna taking back Arendelle, seems like they just beat up Hans and that was enough. They redid the chocolate line because they had to throw ONE MORE FROZEN thing in the show. Speaking of divertive things we are introduced to  Maleficent in her evil sleeping Beauty costume(though we have seen her before), Ursula who seems the least derivative one and Cruella who has amazing cheekbones. Let’s see where this new arc is going but it has a lot to do with previous set-up arc of finding the author. Which Henry did find a clue of in the sorcerer’s mansion. So either the sorcerer is the author or knows the writer. Seems weird there even is a physical author.
Anyway this a good episode, I like seeing Rumple suffer.


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 3 Episodes 9 & 10 Review

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Episode 9: Save Henry

Lana Parrilla as Regina with Baby Henry, ABCs Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episode 09 Save Henry Picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina with Baby Henry

The theme of this Episode is Regina’s love for Henry, everyone loves Henry. The Past section deals with Regina adopting Henry and this episode answers a lot of question but muddle it up a bit. For starters, Henry was placed in Boston but the family didn’t work out which is how Rumpelstiltskin was able to set up the adoption for Regina very quickly. Regina does go to Boston to get Henry but she has issue being a mother and has Sydney, find the birth mother. Regina then finds out that the baby is the son of the “savior.” She decides that it’s not working out but then changes her mind and makes a forgetting potion to forget that she knows about the birth mother.

The Neverland part has Emma getting the Lost Boys to tell her where Pan is in exchange for a home back in Storybrooke and they tell her that Pan is at the his Thinking Tree. Emma, Snow and Regina go to Pan’s Thinking Tree. Pan tries them up against the tree which hold them down by their regrets. Regina doesn’t regret anything and frees herself and takes Henry’s heart back and Pandora’s box.

Henry is restored and everyone heads to the Jolly Roger where they trap the shadow in the sail allowing them to head home. Rumpelstiltskin is let out of the box is no worse for wear and reunites with Neal. Regina then puts an enchantment on Henry so no one can take his heart again. Pan appears before Henry and is mad he can’t take his heart. Pan then tries to take Henry’s shadow but Rumpelstiltskin shows up and locks Pan in the box. However Pan pulled the old switcheroo and switch bodies with Henry, so Henry is locked in the box.

It’s a little funny that the show uses prominent streets for Boston and New York. In this episode Regina says the adoption agency is on Dartmouth Street in Boston. Honestly I’m sure most people wouldn’t think twice and it doesn’t matter but I found it funny since when I visit Boston I tend to be on Dartmouth street a lot (it’s where the train station I use is).

Anyway what about the episode? It was pretty good. The Regina’s past part was wonder even if the whole she did know about Emma being Henry’s mother was unnecessary. I suppose it shows that she does care for Henry but we know that. The Neverland part was good at the end with game changer cliffhanger otherwise it was fine but the ending saved this part of the episode.

I did like the part where if Regina had given up Henry, Pan would have gotten him as the Darling Boys were next in line to adopt him.

 

Episode 10: The New Neverland

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, & Robbie Kay as Peter Pan/Henry Josh Dallas as David (Charming), Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Belle ABCs Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episode 10, The New Neverland Picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, & Robbie Kay as Peter Pan/Henry Josh Dallas as David (Charming), Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin & Emilie de Ravin as Belle

In the character’s past section deals with Snow White trying to figure out a way to preemptively break Regina’s curse. Which at this point is a GOOD nine months away. So instead of going on a romantic Honeymoon, Snow decides to slay Medusa to break the curse and Charming helps. After Charming gets stoned, Snow figures out how to beat Medusa via a shiny shield. Snow decides that she and Charming should just live in the present and have a baby.

Things are getting crazy in Storybrooke as Peter Pan a.k.a Henry or not Henry, has a plan to makes Storybrooke New Neverland. He starts off with a bang and lets his shadow go which kills the Blue Fairy. Pan then tries manipulating Regina to get something from her vault to enact the dark curse. Emma sees the shadow and thinks something off and believes Pan is controlling his shadow from the box. Emma, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow, Charming and Belle go to the townline to let Pan/Real Henry out the box over the townline as magic doesn’t work there. Pan/Real Henry calles Emma “Mom” which surprises her but he manages to convince everyone that he is the real Henry by referring to a conversation he had with Emma back in season 1 about how she gave him his best chance by giving him up.

They all go to Regina’s vault and Pan/Not Henry stole the dark curse from Regina which means everyone will lose their memories and Storybrooke will be new Neverland which Pan will reign over with his smugness. Oh and Charming is all better from near death by poison/spring water range.

Wasn’t as into the past portion. It wasn’t exactly tacked as each story plot ties into each other and the shows does that well most of the time but this story seemed more forced. The body switch for Henry proves that the actor playing Henry isn’t bad it’s the role isn’t written very well compared to everyone else. This episode was ok not great, it was satisfactory. How are they going to get out of this curse as it seems hopeless. Will there be a hope speech in the next episode? Maybe the hope speech will bore the curse to death (I do like this show.)