Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 16

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Breadcrumbs

Andrew J. West as Henry Mills & Robert Carlyle as Weaver Once Upon a Time Season 7 episode 16 Breadcrumbs picture image

Andrew J. West as Henry Mills & Robert Carlyle as Weaver

Things got real in this episode!

The Hyperion plot has quite a bit going on. We have Henry getting a job offer to produce a podcast in New York because this podcast company liked his podcast about Hyperion Heights.

Now Tangent time.
HUH? Henry is a content creator so why would a podcast company want to hire him to produce? I mean yes this in keeping with Henry’s desire to want to have a story of his own BUT his podcast was about the residents of Hyperion Heights and their stories, so he still just in his author role. But whatever this plot point is in service to plot so it’s add drama to his dynamic with Jacinda but then Grandpa Rumple involves Henry on the case candy killer case.  

And is all seriousness,  Henry and Rumple’s conversations are super touching. Say what you want about this season, It has redeem Rumple.

Anyway Henry offers a break in the case because Hansel is a fan and Henry told all to Nick who is Hansel and he kidnaps Henry… And sends a box of chocolates to Zelena a.k.a Kelly West, I see what you did there OUAT.   

Other plots involve Kelly and Margot’s not communicating and Tilly getting a job with Sabine, more Tilly and Margot bonding and Sabine and Rogers having more chemistry than Henry and Jacinda but everyone have more chemistry than those two  so it’s not surprising. Quick question Nick has to know he’s not the Jacinda’s baby daddy right?

And now another Tangent Time,
I just thought of this, probably obvious to everyone else though but why is Henry Mills still Henry Mills? Everyone else has there second cursed name expect Lucy but she is more or less in the know but not Henry? So why does he have his original name? I’m so confused all the time!

And then there the past section, which is another life changing field trip with Nook. Nook and Henry go on a adventure to fulfill Henry’s desire for his own story and get a pretty ring for Jacinda. Nook arranges a fake treasure hunt with with his frenemy Black Bread, seriously these two should get a spin off show. But then they get to real trouble when the sea wants the ring back. Henry learns that he’d rather have a life with Jacinda than impress her will daring due for his ego.      

OH THE SEXUAL IMAGERY in this part of the episode.  There is a whirlpool that wants pirates (or sea men), Henry straddles the mast and throws the shiney ring into a magic vortex to satisfy  the whirlpool’s desire. Is my mind in the gutter or the imagery super strong here? Maybe I have been reading too many explicit Reylo fanfics,  no I haven’t, you can’t read too many.

The big question is and always shall be, How was this episode? It was fine, no glaring complaints. Henry’s in a pickle, Kelly is next on Hansel’s hit list, Jacinda is sad and Tilly and Rogers are awesome.  Anyway things are moving towards the endgame.

Regina was not in this episode. Doesn’t make it better or worse just pointing it out. Also I want to make a Zoolander Hansel joke but I shall refrain.

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Mid Season thoughts

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Dania Ramirez as Cinderella & Andrew J. West as Henry Mills Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 1 Hyperion Heights picture image picture image

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella & Andrew J. West as Henry Mills

So now that season 7 is on hiatus, I thought it would be a good time to reflect a little on this season. The season has a ton of problems, some are the story itself and other are more on the production level. For instance I can not buy into Jacinda/Ella and Henry’s romance and it’s weird that the actors have no sense of chemistry with each other. I’m pretty the only reason Hook and Emma were even a couple was because of the chemistry of the actors so you would think the casting would have had a chemistry test since Henry and Jacinda/Ella are a core emotional plotline. I mean does anyone care about their romance?

But there is more to just not caring about the curse and breaking the curse. It does seem like a null and void scenario since there is a potion that can just get people to wake up. Tilly was awoken a little while, Rumple is woke up, Regina and Zelena woke up. Gothel, Druzilla, Rapunzel and Anastasia were never impacted as was Lucy. So that just leaves, Henry, Ella/Jacinda, Tiana/Sabine, Wish/Hook. Nick/who knows and Tilly/Alice again. They only character that were don’t know the location of is Robin/Tilly’s ex. So breaking the curse doesn’t see like a BIG feat when MOST of characters are not really affected by it. Does Henry plot poison still work if he takes that potion to wake up, the curse is still in play to extent so what are the magical rules? Doesn’t feel like there are any real stakes. Regina can just wake people like she did with Zelena so why doesn’t she just wake people up?   

The other issue is that is cast feel small. Since this season is analogous to season 1 where it was whole town of cursed people, it felt bigger. Now it’s a neighborhood and people can leave. Is the whole of Hyperion Height populated with Enchanted Forest B character’s or is it a mix of Seattle people? I seem to recall the characters couldn’t leave Hyperion Heights expect when they do. What is this curse beside more amnesia which is Once Upon a Time dramatic crutch?   Five plotlines in sevens seasons.  It’s high but lower in you think of each arc per season which is 12 arcs per seven seasons  and there 5 major arcs with amnesia, though more if you count Belle and that dwarf losing their memories so let’s round that up to 6, since the risk of leaving Storybrooke in season 2 was big plot point but not part of the larger story till Hook knocked Belle out and she got amnesia and they she was awoken as Lacey but reverted back to Belle fairy quickly. So half the show is about amnesia.     

Okay that was a tangent, but my point is the curse is really affecting a handful of people and they only two that any emotional resonance which would be Rogers/Hook and Tilly/Alice. They are so the more emotional part of this season. Not Henry, not Ella/Jacinda and not Lucy. All their interaction feel hollow. So this season lacks emotion and  the stakes of season 1.

Also it’s very annoying that this show which gives every character dual identity could not be bother to give a proper name to the realm. It’s called The Other Enchanted Forest, the stupid Wish Realm has better name. The Enchanted Forest even got a second name for no reason in season 4, Misthaven.  

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 3 Review

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The Garden of the Forking Path

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 7Episode 3 The Garden of the Forking Path picture image

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella, Andrew J. West as Henry Mills & Lana Parrilla as Regina

As a fan of “The Good Place” I must laugh at the title since “fork” is how that show says the F-word, it’s self-censorship for humor. Anyway on with this episode.  

So we get more plot and the show pretty much rehashing the episode from season 1 where Henry goes into the mines where Snow White’s coffin was. The only difference is that Lucy didn’t find a coffin with Henry but part of Cinderella’s shoe and in weird try at a twist it turns out Victoria dug up the gardens to FIND a coffin which is her daughters Anastasia. Speaking of rehashing, this Cinderella is ALSO a single mother like the previous verson.  

In the past Cinderella joins up with the resistance lead by Tiana. Somehow I just can’t take this seriously. First why? There is so far nothing on why there is a resistance and what makes Lady Tremaine so forminable that there NEEDS to be a resistance against her?  Also Why Tiana? Like why her as a character? It just seems like a random pick and I really can’t help but think that Esmeralda the way Disney made her out to be would have been better since she was all about social justice but whatever the show is really hit-and-miss when taking cue from the Disney movies so Tiana is Leia.

Anyway, we learn some nuggets of info like Anastacia’s death is somehow Cinderella’s fault making Victoria’s motivations reviving her daughter. ERGO her motivates are akin to Rumple’s but that also diminishes her menace. But to bring up the menace again, she needs a Heart.

Here is some confusion, Lady Tremaine in the past needs Henry’s heart which is The Heart of the Truest Believer. So the writers remember that plot from season 3 but FORGOT that there is a protection spell on it so no one can take it. BUT in the world without magic (except when there is) Victoria needs to break Lucy’s faith to revive Anastasias. What? At least I think that is the plot.

Honestly I can’t put my head around this episode.  We have Victoria formerly  Lady Tremaine who knows about the curse or as the show puts it, is awake, digging up a community garden and shelling out 5 dollars bills to get permit to do it so she can bring back her child from somewhat death. And we have Cinderella making speeches to save the community garden and that makes her the hero she was?  

Then we have to  wonder about the graves Henry saw that allude to his wife and child. Are they real or is this another wish-version doppelganger or part of the curse. Speaking of said curse last season Lucy was TOLD by Tiger Lily to find her father. So how is going to resolve the end of last season with this season. Did Lucy escape the curse but Cinderella still remembers her.

I just didn’t’ care for this episode aside from some plot exposition that is just adding to confusion  it was boring. Because watching a Fairy Tale character with amnesia talking about building codes to save a community gardens from a greedy builder is just want I want in a convoluted Fantasy drama.       

 

Also Jacinda did a Tom Jane from  Arrested Development

 

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 2 Review

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A Pirate’s Life

Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan and Colin O'Donoghue as Hook Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 2 A Pirate's Life picture image

Andrew J. West as Henry Mills, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan and Colin O’Donoghue as Hook

The major development in this episode is that the Hyperion Hook isn’t Storybrooke original OUAT Hook but that wish Hook from last season’s wish realm. As the episode goes when Henry’s is in trouble he calls to Regina, Hook and Emma to help him. While Regina and Hook show up Emma is missing as she now pregnant though that info is saved for a dramatic reveal later but wish-Hook also gets the message and shows up.

Wish-Hook then knocks out Real-Hook to trade places so he can be with Emma and makes himself young with Real-Hook’s blood and with other realm Lady Tremaine’s help. The two SOMEHOW seem to know each other. The magic makes Wish-Hook young and changes his clothes too seems Real-Hook’s style is in his DNA apparently. I do take some annoyance that his clothes changed too.  

Anyway when Emma does show up and tells Henry she’s pregnant Wish-Hook has a change of heart and goes to where he dumped Real-Hook but Wish-Hook gets stab and reveals that he needed Emma because only true love can break the curse  to find Wish-Hook’s daughter. Emma saves him with magic. It’s then decided that Wish-Hook, Henry and Regina will go a-questing  while Real-Hook and Emma return to Storybrooke. So they get their happy ending together but we the audience get a version of Hook for cursed-amnesia fun-times    

 Meanwhile is Seattle, Victoria tries to get Henry out the picture. What does this lady do? Rumple a.k.a Weaver tries to size Hook a.k.a Rogers up by framing Henry which he doesn’t and Henry helps Jacinda sees Lucy in a Ballet recital.  You can tell what the weaker plot-line was.

Here some weird issues with the episode. Wish-Hook says he never had love BUT he had a daughter who was locked up but he snuck into play chess with her. He also says that only true love could break what-ever curse was on his daughter. I guess Wish-Hook didn’t watch seasons 1-3 and that weird retcon episode in season 6 where the whole true-love thing does apply to children. Do the writers just forget these rules? So who is Wish-Hook’s baby momma?  Do the chess pieces that Wish-Hook and his daughter have point to Alice being his daughter since she is a character? And does this mean that Emma has a daughter with Storybrooke Hook and will that get mentioned? And how come Neal wasn’t mentioned when Henry was asking about the Storybrooke people?

This is just weird, Hook is now a new version of Hook but not Hook but is a version of Hook. OUAT is going Rick and Morty now. With its infinite realms with infinite versions of  the characters that are sometimes the same people and sometimes different. Maybe this how the show will now get way with retconning  even though the show right now is a glorified retcon.  Odd part is I’m not mad, confused at what I should label this version of the character as.  

This episode did have some pacing issues. It’s SLOW and the Hyperion plot was boring.   The reveal of Emma being pregnant was dumb reveal to withhold. The whole point to show that Hook isn’t the same Hook, fine good twist that does give a hint to why him and Regina are the ones from Storybrooke affected but the new curse since they went off with Henry.

This was an average episode but it does MOVE things and answer some question while raising more.

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 1 Hyperion Heights Review

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Season 7 Episode 1 Hyperion Heights

Once Upon a Time Season 7 Episode 1 Hyperion Heights picture image

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella & Andrew J. West as Henry Mills

And we’re back at this. Why? I don’t know. Let’s just say I was inspired by Hulu show Difficult People. There was an episode where the main character was doing community service by teaching inmates about recapping TV Shows and how that it’s not really about the recap it’s the person doing the recap. So here we go, Season 7 of Once Upon a Time.

Basically they Disney Straight-to-Video-Sequeled  it! What does that EVEN mean? You know how one model of Disney sequels is the protagonist’s kid doing the same thing? Well that is what is happening here extensively. Henry’s daughter is getting Henry to fix a curse which he does not believe. Henry is Emma and Lucy is Henry. However in this version Henry is cursed and Storybrooke is  Hyperion Heights a neighborhood in Seattle. Seattle is probably also going to play the role of Boston and New York City. Sorry Portland Maine,   Once Upon a Time forgot you exist but maybe Portland Oregon will get a Shout-out.  

It’s all a soft reboot, doing the same thing Once Upon a Time has always done, Amnesia Curses. However there are different people at play, maybe and different people affected, maybe. We know Regina is affected as she now goes by Roni, a bar owner and Hook is a cop named Rogers. Rumple goes by Weaver but who knows if he affected.  So they all get new names to go by which these reviews extra fun…  I hope you all get the puns here. Hook is Roger because of the Jolly Roger and Rumple weaved Straw into Gold. It’s all very clever. Not sure where Roni comes from.   

The new players are Lucy, Henry and Cinderella a.k.a Jacinda’s daughter. She knows about the curse. Cinderella is Jacinda a single mom working a some chicken restaurant.  There is Victoria the new Regina a.k.a The Wicked Step Mother and her daughter/ assistant Druzilla. Her name is credited a Ivy. There is also Alice and Tiana. Tiana has a bit part in this episode declining Frog legs at the ball because oh you get it but she to be a recurring character. Also I’m confused on the subject of custody with Lucy vis-a-vis Jacinda and Victoria. Does a stepmother have rights to custody over her step-daughter’s daughter? Guess it would depend on if Jacinda was minor when she has Lucy. Don’t know but it’s not like Once Upon a Time was ever hazy in custody details  before, oh wait, it was for like three seasons.  

While Once Upon a Time did do Mystery well in the first season, it never  managed to since the that opening season, it does do twists well because it withholds vital information to make the twists happen. Like for example Hook being the/a Dark One, there was no set-up just the reveal. Sure, it makes for a twist but not one that was set up or hinted at. It’s hard to see how this season will stack up to the other seasons since it trying to a lot at once.  

Is it bad? No. Was the premiere a rehash? Oh boy was it! Do I hope it does its own thing and is compelling? Yes, am willing to give it a try especially when without Emma we don’t have her whiny savior moping, no hope speeches from Snow White or toxic Belle and Rumple. Though it does seem like Regina/Roni will get the hope speeches this season.

I feel like I shouldn’t question the logic of this show since it’s a slippery slope that leads to head implosions but other Realm Cinderella can drive a motorcycle having only ever before operating a horse-drawn carriage? Stop trying to make How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days more realistic!

 

Once Upon a Time Season 1 Episodes 21 & 22 Review

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Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Queen Regina ABC's Once Upon a Time, An Apple as Red as Blood picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Lana Parrilla as Queen Regina

 

Episode 21: An Apple as Red as Blood

Ok Let’s wrap with season up!

In that crazy wonderful magic world known as the Fairy Tale world or The Enchanted Forest, Regina saves James/Charming, I guess he should be called Charming as James was his brother. Charming is saved by Regina as bait for Snow White. Snow White and her band of scrappy pals launch a rescue mission. Snow White’s Prince however is in another castle. Queen Regina then arranges Snow to meet with her in a parley back at the stables where  Snow first saw the kiss between Regina and Daniel. Snow White willingly eats the apple to save Charming’s life putting her into a deathlike sleep.

In Storybrooke, Emma tries to leave but Henry begs her to not go as she has to break the curse. Emma returns but is chastised by Mary Margaret for leaving and not saying good-bye and not doing what is best for Henry. Emma also talks to Dr.Hopper who tells her not to fight against Regina for Henry’s sake. Emma’s solution is to talk to Regina about a deal where she leaves town and while Henry lives with Regina she can still be in Henry’s life.

Meanwhile Regina used Jefferson’s hat to get the poison apple back using that last bit of magic that was left. Wait, Jefferson is back? Where did he go after vanishing at the end of episode 17? Oh well.  Since part of the curse is that Emma can’t die or it will be broken,  Regina bakes the poison apple into a turnover and gives it to Emma during their parlay.  Before Emma can eat the turnover Henry visits her and finds out she is leaving. He notices the turnover and eats it causing him to be put into the sleeping curse.  

I have to ask why doesn’t Rumpelstiktskin’s dagger work but the apple does? They are both objects that came from the fairy world so why does one work and the other doesn’t? I guess the reason they give is magic is unpredictable but Regina’s ring she got from Daniel had magic but it didn’t in the Fairy Tale world. These rules are so arbitrary and yet they are so important. There is no logic.  I give up on Emma’s whole lie detecting thing too, again no logic, it just comes and goes when the plot needs it to work.

So what about the episode? It was okay. It moved this along to the finale while connecting the dots to the beginning of the season with Charming and Snow White. I  didn’t really love the whole rescue thing but that is a personal preference thing

 

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & ared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, ABC's Once Upon a Time, Land without Magic picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan & Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills

Episode 22: A Land without Magic

I was pretty disappointed in this season finale. It felt pretty rushed  and yet some elements came out of left field that padded out the episode. It was underwhelming.  

First, in our Fairy Tale universe, Charming is escaping the castle and is he helped by the Huntsman, remember him?  Charming then gets lost in the forest and Rumpelstiktskin appears and offers him a deal. Rumpelstiktskin will give Charming back his mother’s ring that now has an enchantment on it to find Snow if Charming puts the True Love potion in the belly of the beast, which is Maleficent. He does this tasks, finds Snow, smooches her, she wakes up and proposes to her. This ends with them vowing to take back their kingdoms together. We know they do this but how they do it is the question for the next season. I also really loved Snow’s white flowerly cloak, it’s very pretty, I want it.

Meanwhile, Emma takes Henry to the ER and she realizes that the curse and the fairy tale people are real. Apparently that is all that it took, belief. So Emma believes and her Regina go to Mr Gold to help Henry. Dudes, just kiss him! But instead of that, which Regina and Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiktskin freaking know,  Rumpelstiktskin gives them the quest to get the true love potion from the dragon’s belly, ok sure, whatever.   Emma fights a Dragon a la Sleeping Beauty because we need a climax and this dragon has totally been setup for this moment, no, not really, no, the love potion was but a scary Dragon, nope. Heck, the building was set-up more than the dragon as you see a broaded-up building on the main road all the time.  I do give them credit Emma’s special savior status was explain. You see, Rumpelstiktskin dropped the love potion on the paper that curse was written on and since she was the product of the true love that is the reason for her having special saving powers. However it was all a ruse by Rumpelstiktskin to get the love potion. And while that is going on Jefferson frees Belle and sends her to Mr.Gold in some attempt to thwart Regina for going back on her promise to him to get his daughter back, BUT wait there is more. Emma and Regina return to the hospital to find Henry is dead. Emma kissed him and voila-ed Henry is cured and the curse is broken. Everyone now remembers who they are and everyone’s roles. But for some reason they don’t get transported back to the fairy tale world. Rumpelstiktskin then pours the true love potion into that magic well and releases a new magic on the story.

While this episode was weird paced and the reason why the curse was broken isn’t explain I’m still pumped for Season 2. Bring it ON!  

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming ABC's Once Upon a Time, Land without Magic picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White & Josh Dallas as Prince Charming