Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 17 & 18 Review

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Episode 17: The Jolly Roger

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel ABCs Once Upon a Time The Jolly Roger picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Hook & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel

From now on, i’ll be calling Charming David and maybe at some point I’ll probably switch Hook to Killian but Hook is easier to type.

This episode, pretty much has the A plot and the B plot. A centers on Hook and his new pal Ariel and B plot are the Charmings a.k.a both Snow and David.

Plot a are the usually past/present tie and B plot is something else. The Past section is Ariel is trying to find Eric who was captured by the captain of the Jolly Roger which is not Black Bread. And Holy Crap is is a diet Jack Sparrow. Ariel enlists Hook’s help because he WAS the captain but now he wants his ship back. However when the chips are down Hook would rather keep his ship and kill Black Beard than help Ariel find her one true love. This OF COURSE leads to all sort of angst in present Hook as Ariel as pops up in Storybrooke, with amnesia and is looking for Eric whom Hook knows is dead.

The Charming focus Hook to help Ariel find Eric since they have more important task of proving to Henry that they fun, it’s pathic of them really. Also in the B plot Regina is teaching Emma magic so they can beat Zelena. Emma turns out to a genius at the whole magic thing.

Hook does confess to Ariel about how he sold her out for his ship but it was ALL a rouse. Zelena was posing as Ariel so she could curse Hook’s lips in a scheme to get him to drain Emma’s  magic. Turns out Ariel and Eric are fine. And for good measure Zelen threaten to kill Henry if Hook speaks.

So a few things. There was an episode of the Moomins  here a Pirate refused become a highway-man because the are not the same thing and it would be beneath him, turns out Hook doesn’t care.  I did like Hook in this episode, he’s great a sweet in love goon who did play into Zelena’s scheme but does seem to be smarter than most as he figured out that Zelena can’t kill or hurt Emma.  Though getting Hook to help Ariel was so contrived and what was Zelena’s back-up plan is A) Snow had been a better friend help Ariel instead of throwing the task to Hook in weird attempt to get a pre-teen boy to think she is cool? And B) what if Hook DIDN’T  confess the whole leaving Eric to die to Ariel/Zelena? You can’t leave SO much to chance wicked lady (hey A Sailor Moon Ref )

 

It was a good episode Ariel is a delight and Hook is an great well-rounded character. So while there are some flaws with is episode they are easy to overlook, though the Charmings are losing their charms.    

    

Episode 18: Bleeding Through

Rose McGowan as Cora ABCs Once Upon a Time Bleeding-Through picture image

Rose McGowan as Cora

What can I say? I like the Cora related episode.  There is a lot of plot going in this episode. Like what is Zelena’s plan, time travel and why? The why is addressed in the flashback. Basically Cora got knocked up by a douche who straight up lied to her about being a prince. When she finds him as a royal gardener he basically calls a harlot (which is another show I like). Cora then meets prince Leopold a.k.a Snow’s father, and the two do seem to hit off to the point where he was going to marry her but Princess Eva tattles on her and Leopold send Cora away from lying.  Cora then gives up Zelena to a cyclone to give “herself her best chance” her being Cora.  

Well at least we now know Eva did more than just trip Cora. She ruined Cora and Zelena’s life all because Eva was trying to do the right thing and take her man back against a woman who was pregnant  and wanted a better life. And no I’m not villainizing either Cora or Eva these are some deep shades of grey. Sure, Cora is a gold-digger but who doesn’t want a better life. Cora was taken advantage of by the ass-hat who lied and knock-up and Leopold was taken by Cora. It is weird that Leopold was totally cool with marrying Regina and didn’t seem to recognize Cora. Maybe someday they will retcon that.     

Basically Zelena wants to go in time to kill Eva so Cora could have married Leopold and Zelena would have been passed off a princess. Zelena offers to send Rumple back in time to be with Baelfire all she needs is the Charming’s baby to achieve time travel.  Rumple says he would rather honor Neal’s sacrifice by killing her.

Here some nitpicks that annoyed me, David a jerk about baby being boys, he was like that in the pilot. That look he gives Snow when she says it could be a girl.

And I hate it how when fairy tale type stories have these REAL world shades but they all forget that kings had mistresses. Cora might have been content like that. I mean would have made for a happy dynamic but still.
All in all it’s was a good episode. Not great but highly enjoyable.  Also Regina kissed Robin. It look like smooth sailing for their love, except no probably not this show loves drama too much.  

 

A Note- Up-to-date status on blog postings will now be done through twitter, there is a chance there maybe no new posts next week.

Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 11 & 12 Review

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Episode 11: Going Home

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Regina, Michael Raymond-James as Neal, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Josh Dallas as David, Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook & company ABCs Once Upon a Time Going Home picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Regina, Michael Raymond-James as Neal, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Josh Dallas as David, Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Hook & company

This episode is very dense and ends the Pan/Neverland arc and sets up a whole new world of  direction. In Storybrooke Pan crushes Felix’s heart because loyalty is a type of love. The ensemble figures out that they need to get the scroll back and a good plan is to switch Henry and Pan so that Henry can just bring it to them however they need the Black Fairy’s wand which the nuns/fairies have, which is in total RPG fashion, you need to get a thing to get another thing to do the thing that completes the quest. So Charming, Hook and Tinkerbell crash the Blue Fairy’s wake to find the wand but that pesky Pan’s Shadow gets in their way. Tinkerbell gets the pixie dust to work so that she can fly up and trap the shadow and then they throw it into a fire which apparently kills the Shadow. This relieves the Blue Fairy and she gives them the Black fairy’s wand.  Does this mean Greg is alive and the other people Pan killed by shadow removal?

Then it’s Operation get scroll but not before Rumple puts an anti-magic cuff on Pan/Henry, the one Greg and Tamara used on Regina in season 2. Regina does get the scroll but she passes out and turns out the cuff doesn’t work on Pan. Pan does put the cuff on Rumple. Pan then tells Rumple about how being a father was the worst because he couldn’t do the things he wanted and his dreams were crushed, I’m paraphrasing but you get the point.  

Regina wakes up and knows what she must do to stop the curse but Pan freezes everyone. Rumple then shows up having removed the cuff by cutting off his hand and using magic to reattach it. He grabs Pan and summons his own shadow with the Dark One dagger and stabs himself along with his father. Pan changes back to Malcolm begs Rumple to stop and that they can be a family again but Rumple says that he’s a villain and villain don’t get happy ending. He twists the dagger and they vanish into a burst of light.

However there is still the curse approaching. The way to beat it is for Regina to give the one she loves the most i.e Henry which will send everyone else safety back to The Enchanted Forest. She tells Emma she has to go with him because Henry will be alone since he was born in  the Land Without Magic, Emma can stay because of her Savior status.  Regina offers Emma and Henry  good memories of a life they spent together but they will not remember Storybrooke. Emma and Henry drive off as the curse falls.

One year later. Emma and Henry are living well in New York City when there is a knock at the door. It’s Hook telling her family is in trouble. He tries the true love’s kiss which fails and Emma kicks him in the rum balls and slams the door in his face. Hello second half of season 3.

Very dense epsiode. They were more parts involving the past of a few characters. The most memorable one was Snow White as Mary Margaret giving Henry the book. After that Henry sees her as Snow White which is when it clicked for him the nature and weirdness of Storybrooke.
All in all  the episode was highly good. Wouldn’t say it was great or a stand out but the setup for the second arc is intriguing.   Let’s see if Rumple will stay dead because I will miss him if he does but we’ll have to see.    

Episode 12:  New York City Serenade

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan New York City Serenade ABCs Once Upon a Time picture image

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

Following from the last episode Emma and Henry are enjoying their lives in New York. Emma’s now has a boyfriend who wants to marry her and Henry’s on broad, there is just one problem, Hook. Hook keeps trying to convince Emma that her parents are in trouble and she needs to take a memory potion. Emma thinks he is crazy but she does go Neal’s old apartment at Hook instances. There she finds Henry’s camera he left there a year ago. Emma meets with Hook at central park and gets him arrested. Afterward she gets the  photos developed and realizes that the locations and people are unknown to her except her and Henry on in the pictures. Emma posts bail for Hook and he tells her that her good life is a lie and maybe there is guy who loved her in her old life, oh this ship. Emma takes the potion and remembers everything except there was one one portion so non for Henry.

Emma goes to tell her boyfriend, Walsh, about how she can’t marry him and her family needs her. Turns out her boyfriend is a freaking flying monkey, I get it, the dating scene is hard sometimes you just have to settle, oh wait, he’s was working for the new villain. Emma, Henry and Hook go back to Storybrooke. Emma reunites with Charming who remembers her but can’t recall anything about the last year and the only reason they KNOW at least a year has passed is because Snow is pregnant, like she nearly ready to give birth.

Over in The Enchanted Forest, Regina is devastated about losing Henry and tries to give up her heart. Snow convinces her not to. Hook also peaces out on everyone because there is  no reason for him to stay, he like-likes Emma.  Also someone has moved in to Regina/Snow’s castle and they group can’t get through the protection spell. They also get attacked by a flying monkey…geeze, I wonder who this “her” Aurora spoke of??? It’s the Wicked Witch of the West. We are now in OZ territory because Oz the Great and Powerful was a thing.  
I really enjoyed this episode. Emma got a little annoying with her whole whining about how great her life is but it’s understandable. It was interesting to have less dramatic episode where you can see the character’s life even for a brief moment. The Enchanted Forest storyline wasn’t as great but let’s just see where the Wicked Witch plot goes, not really looking forward to it but maybe we’ll see what they do with the character.  

 

Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 5 & 6 Review

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Episode 5: Good Form

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Episode 6: Ariel

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

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel

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

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

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

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

Once Upon a Time Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2 Review

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Episode 1:  The Heart of the Truest Believer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Episode 2: Lost Girl

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

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan

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

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

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

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

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Episode 20: The Evil Queen

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

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Regina

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

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

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

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

 

Episode 21: Second Star to the Right

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

Dylan Schmidt as Baelfire & Freya Tingley as Wendy Darling

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

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

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

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

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

  

 

Episode 22: And Straight on till Morning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 4 Review

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The Crocodile

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Killian "Hook" Jones, Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 4, The Crocodile picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Killian “Hook” Jones,

Correct me if I’m wrong but this seems to be the first episode without Emma, Mary Margaret and Henry. Their absence doesn’t detract from the episode.

This is another  Rumpelstiltskin backstory episode. Basically hiss wife was unhappy in their marriage and ran off with an attractive pirate captain. After Rumpelstiltskin becomes the Dark-one he runs into the captain agian. At first Rumpelstiltskin plays that he is a weak beggar and the captain calls him crocodile. Rumpelstiltskin then reveals his all-powerful self and challenges him to a duel but his former wife stops him and tries to get him to spar their lives in exchange for a magic bean. The bean that can take him to where his son got transported to. However Rumpelstiltskin’s wife, Mila, confesses that she never loved Rumpelstiltskin and he kills her. He also cuts off the Pirate’s hand and the pirate vows revenge. However Rumpelstiltskin doesn’t get the bean and instead the captain takes on a hook for a hand and uses the bean to go to a place where no one ever ages. You see where this is all going. Also Smee is there.

The Storybrooke plot involves Belle and Rumpelstiltskin. Belle is tired of Rumpelstiltskin not being emotionally honest with her so she leaves. She meets up with Ruby who tells her she should work at the libray, because it’s super easy to become a  librarian, you don’t need an expensive master degree. Belle is promptly kidnapped by her father who wants her to give up her feelings for Rumpelstiltskin. When she says no he rigs it so Belle will forcibly be taken over the town lines to forget everything. Rumpelstiltskin saves her. He arranges for her to live and work at the library and is finally truly honest with her.

Rumpelstiltskin sure does wear a lot of hats in this show, and by that I mean he plays a lot of roles. He’s Rumpelstiltskin, a trickster, the Beast, a dark lord of the Sith erm Dark one and now he’s the crocodile from Peter Pan. He’s a real swiss army knife character. One question that I have now is Baelfire Peter Pan? Or can the bean transport people to multiple places pending on where the sender wants to go?
For the most part I liked this episode but that is mainly because Rumpelstiltskin is one of more favorite characters.  I just wish the reveal of Captain Hook wasn’t so obvious. Like when the hook fell in background it wasn’t subtle.  Whatever it’s fine. Good episode.       

Peter Pan; Return to Neverland: Wendy is like 47 in this

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Return to Neverland picture image

Return to Neverland

Peter Pan; Return to Neverland is the 2002 sequel to Peter Pan from 1953. Peter Pan was not a favorite of mine, heck I had only seen parts of it till now. But Peter Pan for all intended purposes is a fun little adventure movie that hints at a little bit at a lesson at the end but Return to Neverland has a stupid hammered in lesson.

Peter Pan and Jane Return to Neverland picture image

Peter Pan and Jane

Story goes that Wendy is now a mother with two children that she tells Peter Pan stories to. But then no fun War World II happens and Wendy’s eldest child, Jane, become all practical and has no time for Peter Pan stories or dreams of being the first lost girl.

On the night before Jane and he little brother, Danny, are evacuated from London, Jane gets into a fight with Wendy and Danny because she doesn’t want to leave or something. That night, Jane is kidnaped by Captain Hook thinking she is Wendy. Hook is also being stalked by an Octopus, who for some reason pops in this version.

Pan comes to save Jane and them it’s snarky practical-minded Jane vs careless Peter. He takes her to the lost boys (who are a lot more annoying in this movie) and they try to teach her to fly so she can go home. The Boys then ruin her precious notepad (not sure why she had that with her). She gets mad and says she doesn’t believe in fairies and storms off.

The disbelief starts killing Tinkerbell. Hook runs into Jane and strikes up a deal where she has to find the the treasure Pan stole and get Pan to a place so Hook can capture him and in return Hook will take her home. In the process of her plot she comes to like Peter and the gang and becomes the first lost girl. But Hook finds them and Peter is all hurt that Jane betrayed him.

Jane then saves Tinkerbell and learns to fly and saves the day. Peter Pan then takes Jane home but before he leaves he says hi to Wendy. The movie ends with Jane regaining her childhood wonder and love of Peter Pan stories and her dad coming home from the war.

Captain Hook and the Popping Octopus Return to Neverland picture image

Captain Hook and the Popping Octopus

This is a clunky mess. I give it that it had more of a narrative than the original but narrative is full cliche “drama” and not as much fun whimsical innocence. Jane as character is pretty insufferable.

Hook and Smee were fun in the original but not so much here. Plus half the charm of Hook and Smee was with the crocodile and bless the creators’ hearts they tried and failed to capture that with the octopus. Why does it pop? The popping is so stupid. Why is it announcing itself to its prey? It was lame.

Then you have Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and the Lost boys who are all pretty annoying too.

Tinkerbell punching Captain Hook Return to Neverland picture image

Tinkerbell punching Captain Hook

Another insufferable aspect of the movie are the songs. The songs suck. The first one sounds very early 2000s pop. And if you watched this movie on the heels of the original like I did, the 2000’s pop next to the 50’s style is jarring to the point of madness.

They also got super lazy and used the 1967 song, Do You Believe In Magic
for the credit song. So we have a 1940’s period film mixed with fantasy adventure  with 2000 pop music and sunshine pop from the 1960s, fuck cohesion and style, this is a Disney sequel.

Jane with Nana II Return to Neverland picture image

Jane with Nana II (eyeroll for that name)

The juxtaposition of World War II and return to childhood whimsy is moronic. Jane is running through an Air Raid and then is berated from not wanting to hear stories about Pirates, flying boys and one sassy fairy. It just seem forced and half baked as a premise to oppose Neverland’s awesomeness with  World War II.

The girl was in more danger in Neverland than she was in War Torn London. Oh well Pirates and a popping Octopus are more fun than air raids anyway. But Jane is justified in  being practical in a War setting which robs the point about childhood being great.

Peter Pan and Jane Return to Neverland picture image

Peter Pan and Jane

As a sequel, Peter Pan Return to Neverland is boring. They played it very safe. They tweaked the crocodile to an octopus and didn’t touch the Indians with a 40 foot pole. If you want a better sequel to Peter Pan watch Hook at least that is a return to Neverland since Jane had never been there in the first place. I get that it a we the audience return but still. Didn’t care for this one. Not sure how it got a theatrical release.

Disney sells Villains

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Disney Villains picture image

Disney Villains

On the other side of the Disney branding spectrum, we have the darker and less well known line of products called the Villain line. Unlike the Princess Line which doesn’t feature heroines based on a “royal” title this line is said to encompass all the villains but really only focuses on a few. Those being; The Evil Queen from Snow White, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Cruella from 101 Dalmatian, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, Jafar from Aladdin and recently Mother Gothel from Tangled. Other villains like Scar, Gaston, Dr.Facilier, Hades and the Cheshire Cat filter in on products occasionally. Though I would argue that the Cheshire Cat is not villain but a Chaotic Neutral.

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Judge Claude Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

So here is the big question, Where is Frollo? He is considered to be one of the great Disney villains because of his complexity. As far as I can tell he might be hiding in the products like in the Disney Vile Villains Playing Cards or in the Disney Legendary Villains Personal Checks, I do know he was in the Disney’s Mix and Match Villains Book, I owned it as a child. But as far as him being an advertised villain, he is not and he doesn’t have many his own featured products.

 

Disney Villain Monopoly Box picture image

Disney Villain Monopoly Box

But why isn’t Frollo a key villain in this line? Is it because Hunchback was super unpopular? Well that doesn’t help but it’s not like Hades was attach to a popular movie and was Pater Pan that popular that Hook gets a major spotlight? On the Disney Villain Monopoly there are three unknown Disney villains featured, Pete who was antagonist in the Micky Mouse universe, the Big Bad Wolf who was another antagonist from the older Disney shorts and Kaa from Jungle book who wasn’t even the major villain, Shere Khan holds that roles.

I don’t think it so much that Frollo is from an unpopular movie, I think it’s because as a villain he is not fun. Don’t get me wrong he’s a great villain, he just never revels in his evil schemes the same way the others do, in fact he’s thinks he the good pure one. So he is not the logical choice as the one of line’s front runners who love and enjoy their machinations. And if this is indeed the case, it doesn’t really bother me that Frollo isn’t prominent, he just not the funny goofy charming villain that this line seems to love. And that’s ok.

Vicious Villains - Disney Movie Art Poster picture image

Vicious Villains – Disney Movie Art Poster

So what products does villain line offer? Well, in many ways it’s not very different from the Princess Line. It has with games like Monopoly, fashion dolls and makeup, lots of make-up. You can get make-up kits for Maleficent, Evil Queen, Ursula, and Cruella De Ville. It’s just aimed for older girls

And like the Princess line, the villains have their fair share of weird products like a Cruella stapler and yes even a Disney Villains Cupcake Kit.

In many ways the Villain line is just like the princess line except the products are black, red and purple instead pastels and pinks and it carter to older more jaded girls who are not quite ready Hot Topic.