Well. Indeed! ...and such. This is going to continue to be edited, because it's my blog and I can. Spoilers!
Who did we meet: Tamara and Pinocchio...sort of. Oh, and "The Dragon". It's hard to keep track of who we meet when they get bumped off in the same episode.
When/Where did the events take place: Phuket, two years ago. Manhattan, two years ago. Hong Kong, two years ago. Present Day Storybrooke.
What did we learn: Tamara's history. Along with her present as a two-timing so and so. (It really does not pay to be brown on this show!) More of August's history.
Why is this important?: Mary Margaret just throws punches now!! I wasn't aware having a blackening heart caused you to have emotionally induced muscle spasms. As far as we know Regina never went around just cold clocking folks. I can't wait til we see how her wardrobe changes as a result of HER BLACK HEART. We're just going to ignore the fact that as sweet souled pure hearted Snow White homegirl straight up shoved an arrow at Mulan's jugular and was ready to cut a bitch.
Oh Henry!: Henry is just now being shuttled back and forth from different adults. Within the town. School is not being mentioned. (Hey, remember when Mary Margaret was a teacher? Substitues in Storybrooke must CLEAN UP.) Regina is still after him? Sort of? Maybe not. And this is after he has loudly proclaimed that he's going to destroy magic and getting his hands on a bundle of dynamite. For the love of....SEND THE KID TO BOARDING SCHOOL.
Really OUAT?: Look. there will forever be Emma/August shippers. If there is a man who has proclaimed himself engaged to Twilight Sparkle, there is no douse of cold water you can throw on the people who have fallen on the Emma/August shipper sword. It would have been sufficient that he endorsed (ye gods) Emma and Neal. Emma and August were never going to happen. That was fairly obvious to anyone with eyes and/or sense. Let the shippers have their corner of the internet. Because believe me, turning him into a kid of indeterminate age is not going to dissuade those folks. Shippers never say die. Also...
Rheul Ghorm. Blue Fairy. Mother Superior. You couldn't WARN a person that your magic might turn August into an ammnesiac child!?!? I know that "magic is unpredictable here", but WTF. There need to be some serious caveats on your magic if you accidentally go around turning grown men into little boys.
...and now it suddenly makes sense why the fairies are nuns. They should have let Rumpelstiltskin handle this. CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT FROM THIS EPISODE. Come back Robert Carlyle.
Don't Trust: Tamara, obviously. But what exactly are her and Greg/Owen's motivation in being in Storybrooke? She wants to discover magic - why. And he wants to...expose it? And find his father? There is a big big plan going down here amidst all the makeouts. And ok, I was wrong. Tamara was the "her" that Greg (we're going to stick with Greg because the last thing this show needs is another character with more identities than anyone actually needs) has been texting.
Wait, what?: How DID the dragon know that August was Pinocchio? Honestly, my first impulse was that The Dragon was Rumpelstiltskin. The collecting of personal items, combined with the fact that he can see the future - so there's a possibility that he knew that August went through the wardrobe with Emma - but no, then he would have recognized that August wasn't Baelfire back in Season One. Also he died. We saw the body. So back to the original question, and not only that - this guy seems to know about other "lands" in general, not just about Pinocchio personally. The easy "get" is that he's Mushu from Disney's Mulan. I suppose that's possible. But I really hope there's more to it than that. What's kind of interesting is the connections that they've drawn between Sleeping Beauty and Mulan. Not just the title characters themselves actually partnering up - but Philip being cursed/trapped as the Yaogwi (sp?) and two characters that can shapeshift into dragons. Maleficent and this new guy...I assume he was going to shift into a dragon. It is never quite safe to assume anything with this show. Is the dragon from another land, or does he just have knowledge of and access to them? If it's just knowledge and access, then he must have a source. If he has a source, it can't be any of the denizens of Storybrooke as we currently know them.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Corrections, Crackpot theories, and other Thursday Filler
Oops!: Found a mistake in my last entry. Greg calls the phone number he sees/finds on Henry's backpack when he comes across a kid suspiciously alone running through the woods. He doesn't necessarily know that he's calling Regina when he attempts to contact Henry's parent.
Crackpot theory: Hook knows about the dagger because of Baelfire.
We know that Bae knew about the dagger. We know that Baelfire went to another land before coming to A Land Without Magic, and because he recognizes Hook, hasn't aged, and knows how to steer a magic pirate ship - we can safely assume this land is Neverland. We know that Hook went to Neverland in order to have enough time to plot his revenge against Rumpelstiltskin - as the Dark One has life eternal. (unless you poison him, apparently - but that is neither here nor there.) Hook returns from Neverland with tales of a weapon that can defeat the Dark One. He doesn't know what the weapon is, or where to find it - but he goes to Belle to find that information. Regina knows all about Hook, and that he's returned from Neverland. So the timeline matches up.
Part of me wants Bae to be one of the Lost Boys - Slightly, or Nibs, or Toodles. Just to NOT be Peter Pan. Disney still owns the rights to all those names, right? I'm also waiting for Henry to have his "Hook" (The Spielberg movie, not the OUAT character) moment - "Peter Pan's my DAD???" Might be time to get him back into therapy. Then again, the whole REASON he was in therapy was because he thought the people in his life were fairytale characters, and he turned out to be right. So even if he DID wind up back on the couch, he'd be fully justified in being unbearably smug.
Crackpot theory: Hook knows about the dagger because of Baelfire.
We know that Bae knew about the dagger. We know that Baelfire went to another land before coming to A Land Without Magic, and because he recognizes Hook, hasn't aged, and knows how to steer a magic pirate ship - we can safely assume this land is Neverland. We know that Hook went to Neverland in order to have enough time to plot his revenge against Rumpelstiltskin - as the Dark One has life eternal. (unless you poison him, apparently - but that is neither here nor there.) Hook returns from Neverland with tales of a weapon that can defeat the Dark One. He doesn't know what the weapon is, or where to find it - but he goes to Belle to find that information. Regina knows all about Hook, and that he's returned from Neverland. So the timeline matches up.
Part of me wants Bae to be one of the Lost Boys - Slightly, or Nibs, or Toodles. Just to NOT be Peter Pan. Disney still owns the rights to all those names, right? I'm also waiting for Henry to have his "Hook" (The Spielberg movie, not the OUAT character) moment - "Peter Pan's my DAD???" Might be time to get him back into therapy. Then again, the whole REASON he was in therapy was because he thought the people in his life were fairytale characters, and he turned out to be right. So even if he DID wind up back on the couch, he'd be fully justified in being unbearably smug.
Long Shot: Tamara (Neal's Fiancee) as Tiger Lily? I don't really think this is possible. But because of her unspecified ethnic look, lots of names are being tossed around - Pocahontas, Jasmine, Tiana. Tiger Lily is the only connection to Neverland I can think of. But if he left Neverland, and brought her along, then he wouldn't have been flying solo when he met Emma. Maybe he wasn't, entirely. There's clearly more to learn about this character, and I hope she fares better than other characters of color that we've seen featured on the show.
I will scream if I keep seeing David pull a gun. That's his thing apparently, this season. Seriously, take a drink everytime he pulls a gun. Wasn't this the guy who was volunteering at the animal shelter last season, and now he's Magnum freaking P.I.
Is it bad that I'm more curious about what happened to Maleficent (we never saw a body!) than I am about Philip, Mulan, and Aurora. I just don't care about those three or their wacky adventures.
I still think we're due for a real death this season, and I think it's going to be August. Archie didn't really die, and Cora HAD to die. We're due for a death that's going to upset people. Something about his character just says 'sacrifice' to me. It'll be nice to see him next week.
According to The Mary Sue, there's also now talk of a OUAT spinoff around Wonderland. I don't think it's a great idea, at this point. The show's too young - albeit popular - for a spinoff, and without Sebastian Stan, they really don't have a good connection. I'd rather watch a spinoff around Jack/Jaqueline. She seems like an interesting character - one we didn't get to see enough of, but we know she's a realm-jumper and an adventurer. There's more potential for stories there.
Is it bad that I'm more curious about what happened to Maleficent (we never saw a body!) than I am about Philip, Mulan, and Aurora. I just don't care about those three or their wacky adventures.
I still think we're due for a real death this season, and I think it's going to be August. Archie didn't really die, and Cora HAD to die. We're due for a death that's going to upset people. Something about his character just says 'sacrifice' to me. It'll be nice to see him next week.
According to The Mary Sue, there's also now talk of a OUAT spinoff around Wonderland. I don't think it's a great idea, at this point. The show's too young - albeit popular - for a spinoff, and without Sebastian Stan, they really don't have a good connection. I'd rather watch a spinoff around Jack/Jaqueline. She seems like an interesting character - one we didn't get to see enough of, but we know she's a realm-jumper and an adventurer. There's more potential for stories there.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday Recap - Welcome to Storybrooke
Who did we meet?: Kurt and Owen Flynn.
What did we learn?: Greg Mendel's backstory.
Where/when did the events take place?: Present Day Storybrooke, Storybrooke 29 years prior.
Why is this important?: Mr. Gold genuinely seems to not remember who he is. When we meet him 28 years later, he very much does even though he's still being cagey about it. How did he manage to engineer Henry's adoption? That's clearly no coincidence.
Remaining Questions/Problems: Well now we need to find out what happened to Kurt Flynn. The obvious solution is to look in the asylum where Regina tended to keep all her problems and pawns locked away. So did the time not passing in Storybrook keep him from aging as well? Because then we're not so much Storybrooke as "New Neverland."
Best Line: "Would you like me to come over later?" - Sherriff Graham
Yes. Yes I would Jamie Dornan. You call me.
Wait, what?: ...the guy who crashed his car into a tree has the Mayor's cell phone number? And knows who the Mayor's kid (guess he's still legally hers!) is? And HAS HER CELL PHONE NUMBER??? I guess the short explanation is that he's stalking Regina. ...but HE TOLD HER WHO HE WAS. Typically stalkers don't do that. Do they? I'm happy to say I have no practical experience on either end of the stalking spectrum. In all seriousness, why isn't he looking harder for his father instead of trying to expose magic? That seems like the more pressing motive. Wouldn't it be simpler to approach Regina with a very real threat of straight up blackmail, and demand your father in exchange for your silence?
Really OUAT?: Regina. *sigh* When Rumpelstiltskin is the voice of reason and you sound like a bratty, petulant child - it might be time to take some serious stock. JUST going to point out that I suggested seeing Dr. Hopper last week. At this point, I am ready to suggest that you take up a hobby. Does Storybrooke have a Color Me Mine(tm)? There are still stables in Storybrooke - take up riding. Daniel would want you to.
Oh Henry!: You tried to get rid of magic with dynamite down a well. Why is it that the more adult supervision this kid has(we're now at two biological parents, one step-parent, and three grandparents) , the wider the depth and breadth and scope of the trouble he gets into?
No, but really: Regina seriously. Getting bored with your curse is not reason to wrongfully imprison a man, and attempt to kidnap his son. You do not have good social skills. Granted, you were raised by a woman without a heart. But you're an adult now. You're responsible for yourself. Spend some time in the self-help section of the library. Schedule some very expensive couch time. (WITH A DOCTOR. Minds out of the gutter people.) Take a vacation. Remember, YOU can leave Storybrooke.
What did we learn?: Greg Mendel's backstory.
Where/when did the events take place?: Present Day Storybrooke, Storybrooke 29 years prior.
Why is this important?: Mr. Gold genuinely seems to not remember who he is. When we meet him 28 years later, he very much does even though he's still being cagey about it. How did he manage to engineer Henry's adoption? That's clearly no coincidence.
Remaining Questions/Problems: Well now we need to find out what happened to Kurt Flynn. The obvious solution is to look in the asylum where Regina tended to keep all her problems and pawns locked away. So did the time not passing in Storybrook keep him from aging as well? Because then we're not so much Storybrooke as "New Neverland."
Best Line: "Would you like me to come over later?" - Sherriff Graham
Yes. Yes I would Jamie Dornan. You call me.
Wait, what?: ...the guy who crashed his car into a tree has the Mayor's cell phone number? And knows who the Mayor's kid (guess he's still legally hers!) is? And HAS HER CELL PHONE NUMBER??? I guess the short explanation is that he's stalking Regina. ...but HE TOLD HER WHO HE WAS. Typically stalkers don't do that. Do they? I'm happy to say I have no practical experience on either end of the stalking spectrum. In all seriousness, why isn't he looking harder for his father instead of trying to expose magic? That seems like the more pressing motive. Wouldn't it be simpler to approach Regina with a very real threat of straight up blackmail, and demand your father in exchange for your silence?
Really OUAT?: Regina. *sigh* When Rumpelstiltskin is the voice of reason and you sound like a bratty, petulant child - it might be time to take some serious stock. JUST going to point out that I suggested seeing Dr. Hopper last week. At this point, I am ready to suggest that you take up a hobby. Does Storybrooke have a Color Me Mine(tm)? There are still stables in Storybrooke - take up riding. Daniel would want you to.
Oh Henry!: You tried to get rid of magic with dynamite down a well. Why is it that the more adult supervision this kid has(we're now at two biological parents, one step-parent, and three grandparents) , the wider the depth and breadth and scope of the trouble he gets into?
No, but really: Regina seriously. Getting bored with your curse is not reason to wrongfully imprison a man, and attempt to kidnap his son. You do not have good social skills. Granted, you were raised by a woman without a heart. But you're an adult now. You're responsible for yourself. Spend some time in the self-help section of the library. Schedule some very expensive couch time. (WITH A DOCTOR. Minds out of the gutter people.) Take a vacation. Remember, YOU can leave Storybrooke.
Weekend speculation or Game of Thrones
Oops! A friend pointed out that in The Miller's Daughter ep, Cora says to Rumpel that she is fifth in line for the throne. And fine, she wants revenge against Eva. But at the end of the episode, she is the queen. The question seems to be - queen of what?
I have no idea how lines of asenscion or territories work in the Enchanted Forest, but there seem to be four established kingdoms:
King Leopold/Queen Eva/Snow White
King Henry/Queen Cora/Regina
King George/wife deceased/Prince James
King Midas/wife unknown/Princess Abigail
Since Eva is introduced as princess of the Northern Kingdom, it's possible that the kingdoms are named for cardinal directions. It's also possible that Leopold gained his kingship through his marriage to Eva. These are very egalitarian kingdoms...I won't say they're matrilineal - but notice who power would go to in three out of four cases?
Remember also, that Cinderella and Thomas are somehow related to George's family*, and may be in line for his throne.
Every monarchy has its own rules on who's eligible to be king or queen and how they get there. But generally, there can only be one king and one queen in a kingdom. Pretty straightforward.
So why is Cora so hung up on Regina being Queen instead of Snow White? This seems like an outsize reaction to public humiliation. Which, admittedly , stings. But now Cora is a queen in her own right. Her daughter stands to inherit her throne. We don't know who they are fifth in line to - unless Leopold and Eva are somehow High King and Queen (which has never been mentioned!) and the other kings and queens are actually just in line somehow. Which is dumb, because then they shouldn't be calling them kings or queens - rather princes or princesses or dukes or dutchesses.
Furthermore, they HAVE to be separate kingdoms because George's kingdom - with it's many money woes is trying to ally itself with Midas' kingdom through James (Well, David's) marriage to Abigail. If George's kingdom was having financial trouble - then it should have been Leopold and Cora's issue too, if they were the High King and Queen. It seemed like King Xavier (Henry's father) was trying to do something similar with his son and Princess Eva.
The structure of the kingdoms as it stands right now - doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and maybe because they're fairy tales they don't have to. But if the goal of OUAT is to tell the part of the stories we *don't* know, then things like motives and structure should be clearer and more consistent. I'm prepared to believe in magic. I'm not prepared to believe that Cora is fifth in line, when she is very clearly calling herself Queen.
*In "The Price of Gold" Rumpelstiltskin kills Cinderella's fairy godmother for her wand. In "The Shepherd" we find out that Rumpel traded information to King George for information on her whereabouts, since she was patron to George's family. Which actually might make her Thomas's fairy godmother, and not Cinderella's - strictly speaking. Or it means that Cinderella and King George are related somehow.
I have no idea how lines of asenscion or territories work in the Enchanted Forest, but there seem to be four established kingdoms:
King Leopold/Queen Eva/Snow White
King Henry/Queen Cora/Regina
King George/wife deceased/Prince James
King Midas/wife unknown/Princess Abigail
Since Eva is introduced as princess of the Northern Kingdom, it's possible that the kingdoms are named for cardinal directions. It's also possible that Leopold gained his kingship through his marriage to Eva. These are very egalitarian kingdoms...I won't say they're matrilineal - but notice who power would go to in three out of four cases?
Remember also, that Cinderella and Thomas are somehow related to George's family*, and may be in line for his throne.
Every monarchy has its own rules on who's eligible to be king or queen and how they get there. But generally, there can only be one king and one queen in a kingdom. Pretty straightforward.
So why is Cora so hung up on Regina being Queen instead of Snow White? This seems like an outsize reaction to public humiliation. Which, admittedly , stings. But now Cora is a queen in her own right. Her daughter stands to inherit her throne. We don't know who they are fifth in line to - unless Leopold and Eva are somehow High King and Queen (which has never been mentioned!) and the other kings and queens are actually just in line somehow. Which is dumb, because then they shouldn't be calling them kings or queens - rather princes or princesses or dukes or dutchesses.
Furthermore, they HAVE to be separate kingdoms because George's kingdom - with it's many money woes is trying to ally itself with Midas' kingdom through James (Well, David's) marriage to Abigail. If George's kingdom was having financial trouble - then it should have been Leopold and Cora's issue too, if they were the High King and Queen. It seemed like King Xavier (Henry's father) was trying to do something similar with his son and Princess Eva.
The structure of the kingdoms as it stands right now - doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and maybe because they're fairy tales they don't have to. But if the goal of OUAT is to tell the part of the stories we *don't* know, then things like motives and structure should be clearer and more consistent. I'm prepared to believe in magic. I'm not prepared to believe that Cora is fifth in line, when she is very clearly calling herself Queen.
*In "The Price of Gold" Rumpelstiltskin kills Cinderella's fairy godmother for her wand. In "The Shepherd" we find out that Rumpel traded information to King George for information on her whereabouts, since she was patron to George's family. Which actually might make her Thomas's fairy godmother, and not Cinderella's - strictly speaking. Or it means that Cinderella and King George are related somehow.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Recap: The Miller's Daughter - I don't have to tell you that spoilers dwell here, right?
When and Where did events take place?: Present Day Storybrooke, Pre Dark-Curse Enchanted Forest - it's important to note that this is before Regina's birth, and this is AFTER Rumpel has aquired the seers powers. So Milah and Baelfire are gone at this point.
What did we learn?: We learned how, when, and why Cora removed her heart. We learned that Rumpelstiltskin CAN die - despite the Dark One having "life eternal". We learned/reiterated that Emma IS magical - as opposed to Cora, Regina, and Rumpel, who either learned or acquired their magical skills. If all magic comes with a price - what is Emma's? (Please OUAT writers, introduce a character named Price as Emma's next love interest.)
Why does this matter?: Cora married Prince Henry and became queen. Why did she need her daughter to become King Leopold's queen? Not clear on that. There seem to be 4 kingdoms in the enchanted forest, and royal title seems to be conferred upon firstborn regardless of gender. So by all means kill Eva, since she seems to have been a right little piece of work - but why did Regina have to be queen of THAT kingdom? There's more to this story, I suspect.
Remaining Questions/Problems: Hook is still out in the wide wide world. That's a concern to someone, right? However - Rumpel is back to full power. Cora is out of the picture. Rumpel can leave Storybrooke without losing his memory, and he's got Baelfire and Belle back, or at least he's got them both within the realm of his magical power. So what does he want now? To kill Hook? To kill Henry? To have all the power? He's arguably pretty dangerous right now.
Oh Henry!: What a great episode. Can we make a habit of ushering Henry off to the diner? Or failing that - school?
Wait, what?: Regina! Let me put a few ithings in perspective for you. Cora killed Daniel. Mary Margaret tricked you into killing Cora. V. grey area. YOU killed your own father, as well as Snow White's - so you win all the awards for patricide. Cora killed Queen Eva. YOU sent Hook to assasinate Cora. Please, let's not play the role of the aggrieved avenging daughter now. Do us all a favor, and schedule some couch time with Archie - OR an actual licensed therapist since you can leave town and all, and give us a break.
Really, OUAT?: So hey, remember that time that Regina was Mayor, and Emma had superpowers that told her when people were lying, and that guy Greg came into town and is texting someone about all the magic he keeps seeing like some kind of modern-day Gladys Kravitz? Yeah, me either.
More on the 4 kingdoms soon!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
In The Name of the Brother revisited
Through the magic of Hulu, I kept re-watching this episode well after it aired. I couldn't figure out why. Other than that incredibly ODD kiss between Rumpel and Cora, we didn't get a whole lot out of it. I wanted to treat it as a throwaway episode, like Child of the Moon. So we got Viktor's backstory - big damn deal. But actually, this episode is a treasure trove of information and a beehive of activity.
Who do we meet?: The Frankensteins (ooh, can that be a show? Meet the Frankensteins!) and subsequently Dr. Frankenstein's monster, as well as Greg.
When and Where do events take place?: Present-Day Storybrooke, Pre Dark Curse Enchanted Forest...and Frankenland? BlackandWhiteville? What are we calling this place?
What do we learn?: Cora and Rumpel have a Past-with-a-capital-P (and that rhymes with T and that stands for TROUBLE.) as mentor and pupil as well as some kind of romantic past. Which sort of begs the question, is Henry (Senior) actually Regina's biological father or not?!?! I'm leaning toward the side of not. I think the only non-biological family unit's we've seen are via adoption. (Regina/Henry(Junior), Regina/Snow, King George/James) There are no wrong-side-of-the-sheets shenanigans because We are Disney and this is a Family Show. So, by all means infidelity because that celebrates Independence and Troo Luv....just as long as nothing spawns from your selfish selfish conjugal union. Sorry, tangent.
We also learn that Cora knows about Baelfire. How does she know about him? Granted, Smee knows about him too - but Smee has knowledge of the events around the time that they happened. When the town was still gossiping over the village coward's wife running off with a pirate. It makes *sense* that he would know. By the time that Belle and Rumpel meet, he's been The Dark One for so long, that Baelfire is no longer common knowledge. So how does Cora learn this information?
Why is this important?: Ruby has super-speed. Whoopie.
Oh Henry!: In a rare moment of useful exposition, Henry says that Dr. Frankenstein's story is not in The Book. Which means there are other stories, other lands...and perhaps most importantly - other storytellers. I think this leaves the most likely candidates for other realm-jumping storytellers to be Alice, Dorothy, and the Darling children - most likely Wendy. Henry also points out that this means that the Dark Curse went to other lands. Regina mentions in an earlier episode that the curse brought who she wanted. Ok, we can understand why she wanted to punish Jefferson and Dr. Whale. Even if she thought she was dead, why did she NOT curse Cora?
Wait, What?: True Love's Kiss FAIL. Rumpel kisses Belle and her memories do NOT return. So, what kind of "spell" are the people who cross the town line under?
Who do we meet?: The Frankensteins (ooh, can that be a show? Meet the Frankensteins!) and subsequently Dr. Frankenstein's monster, as well as Greg.
When and Where do events take place?: Present-Day Storybrooke, Pre Dark Curse Enchanted Forest...and Frankenland? BlackandWhiteville? What are we calling this place?
What do we learn?: Cora and Rumpel have a Past-with-a-capital-P (and that rhymes with T and that stands for TROUBLE.) as mentor and pupil as well as some kind of romantic past. Which sort of begs the question, is Henry (Senior) actually Regina's biological father or not?!?! I'm leaning toward the side of not. I think the only non-biological family unit's we've seen are via adoption. (Regina/Henry(Junior), Regina/Snow, King George/James) There are no wrong-side-of-the-sheets shenanigans because We are Disney and this is a Family Show. So, by all means infidelity because that celebrates Independence and Troo Luv....just as long as nothing spawns from your selfish selfish conjugal union. Sorry, tangent.
We also learn that Cora knows about Baelfire. How does she know about him? Granted, Smee knows about him too - but Smee has knowledge of the events around the time that they happened. When the town was still gossiping over the village coward's wife running off with a pirate. It makes *sense* that he would know. By the time that Belle and Rumpel meet, he's been The Dark One for so long, that Baelfire is no longer common knowledge. So how does Cora learn this information?
Why is this important?: Ruby has super-speed. Whoopie.
Oh Henry!: In a rare moment of useful exposition, Henry says that Dr. Frankenstein's story is not in The Book. Which means there are other stories, other lands...and perhaps most importantly - other storytellers. I think this leaves the most likely candidates for other realm-jumping storytellers to be Alice, Dorothy, and the Darling children - most likely Wendy. Henry also points out that this means that the Dark Curse went to other lands. Regina mentions in an earlier episode that the curse brought who she wanted. Ok, we can understand why she wanted to punish Jefferson and Dr. Whale. Even if she thought she was dead, why did she NOT curse Cora?
Wait, What?: True Love's Kiss FAIL. Rumpel kisses Belle and her memories do NOT return. So, what kind of "spell" are the people who cross the town line under?
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday Recap: The Queen is Dead OR "What's the Good of Being Good?"
Actually on a Monday! Woohoo! And Spoilers Ahead for The Queen is Dead - obviously.
WHO did we meet: Queen Eva. Her name is actualla Eva, right? (King Leopold suspiciously absent.) Johanna...for whatever that was worth. I wouldn't see be surprised if we see her again in flashback. Then again, we may have enough of Snow's backstory at this point
WHAT did we learn: A LOT! A mega f*ckton. Not the least of which is Cora's penchant for poison.
WHERE and WHEN did events take place: Enchanted Forest - before the Dark Curse. Present-day Storybrooke. Present-day Manhattan.
WHY was this important: Neil has a fiancee. Ok...so what? He has to tell his fiancee that he has a SON. He doesn't *have* to tell her that he's the son of Rumpelstiltskin or that he's (probably) Peter Pan - in fact, it's probably better if he doesn't, because Hello Nuthouse. That'd be the most interesting way to end an engagement ever. So there's this whole section of his life that he can't tell her about. Unless she turns out to be The Little Mermaid. Or a private eye. It'd be interesting if this fiancee is the "her" that Greg (The Outsider) keeps communicating with. ALL THE COINCIDENCES. I doubt it though.
Really OUAT?: "Help us Mother Superior, you're our only hope." YE GODS, WE GET IT. DISNEY OWNS STAR WARS. WE KNOW. WE ARE AWARE.
Also, Snow White had no idea Johanna was in Storybrooke? Granted, she was a bit distracted after the curse was broken. (True Love, Firstborn Curse-breaking Daughter reunion, sent back through the hat - I get it.) But come on. I've had the impression that this is NOT a large town. With the restoration of memories, she should have realized that her childhood governess was at least IN TOWN.
AND - we're not even going to try and react to Johanna's heart being ripped out? No roundhouse kick? No hail mary tackle? I know Cora and Regina have magic, but does that mean that Snow White Warrior Princess goes AWOL? And David! You're not just set dressing! Do something heroic. At least TRY. Johanna - you sort of tried. You could have done more, or maybe not. I've never had someone rip my heart out of my chest - you at least have an excuse. But come on - you all had to know that Cora was going to kill her no matter what choice Snow made.
Wait, what?: How does everyone suddenly have knowledge of this dagger? I was under the impression that this was a secret, sort of? Not just the location of the dagger, but its existence. Ok - we all know about the dagger now.
And...we're just going to leave Hook in Manhattan. Without his ship. Granted, they haven't actually LEFT yet, they're just planning to. Still. Bad form. But, I suppose there are worse plans. A swarthy rogue with a hook for a hand...the only place he'd attract less attention than NYC would be Comic-con. If he starts running his mouth, he'll just get locked up.
Crackpot Theories: God I wish I'd posted this here sooner. Clearly Baelfire is Peter Pan. The hints have been pointing in that direction since Tallahassee. I SAID THAT BEFORE THIS EPISODE. I have witnesses. I do. Also, still pretty sure that August isn't making it out of this season alive.
Bae as Peter opens up some really interesting avenues. Father and Son have a common enemy. It adds a layer to Emma and Neil's relationship. (Peter Pan syndrome indeed!)
Don't Trust: The Blue Fairy - although at this point I *might* be willing to concede that she herself is not all evil. I never thought she was ALL evil, just that her motives weren't totally pure. But she was up to some shady business in Storybrooke BEFORE Cora's arrival. So I'm not totally prepared to give up the ghost on this theory. Clearly we can't trust Cora. The question now is how often has Cora pulled this disguise?
Remaining Questions: What was Cora's relationship to Eva? It has to be to her, because when she "meets" King Leopold (The Stable Boy), he doesn't seem to have any prior knowledge of her. So why the venom? (OMG OUAT PAGEANT MOMS!!!) Clearly we're going to learn a LOT more in The Miller's Daughter.
Problems to solve: Cora, obviously. She can't die if she's got her heart hidden away somewhere, and Cora's GOT to die. Otherwise, she'll either control Rumpel, or take his powers and to paraphrase David in his one moment of episodic usefulness or clarity - I don't like either of those options. Even if Cora DOES take the Dark One's powers, then it just becomes a game of hot potato. Someone has to kill Cora to take her powers, and then someone has to kill that person, and so on and so on. WHERE DOES IT END? ...can the person "hosting" the Dark One commit suicide? Noble self-sacrifice and such. Still, I don't see Disney doing seppuku.
Regina is CLEARLY conflicted. She doesn't trust Cora (rightly), and she doesn't trust David and Mary-Margaret (understandably). The one person she MIGHT be able to trust is Emma, since she and Emma have the common goal of doing what's best for Henry. Cora will never really control Regina, unless she controls/has posession of Henry - BUT if she tries, then Regina will immediately distrust her. Cora is on VERY thin ice, and she knows it. She just has to keep everyone else - especially Regina - from knowing it.
Also conflicted is Rumplestiltskin. Is he going to kill Henry? I don't think Rumpel the man actually wants to. I think those are his Dark One powers talking. As much as Henry irks me, I don't want to see him die at Rumpel's hand. Not because I'd particularly miss Henry, but because it would make Rumpel really dastardly.
And Hook - what becomes of Hook when/if he realizes that one of his antagonists is actually Milah's son?
Best Line: "I was always the queen. You added evil to my name." or "It's a sad truth that the people closest to us are the ones capable of causing us the most pain." Not an original sentiment, but very true.
Oh Henry!: I had something for this, I forget what it was. But really. This kid bugs me. He'd better do something interesting or heroic, but quick. And by heroic I mean "Do a better job acting. Make me like you." I miss Jefferson. And August. Not Dr. Whale though. Or King George. Or Belle. Or Aurora. Or Mulan. Or Greg. Or Ruby. You can all continue your disappearing act for awhile.
WHO did we meet: Queen Eva. Her name is actualla Eva, right? (King Leopold suspiciously absent.) Johanna...for whatever that was worth. I wouldn't see be surprised if we see her again in flashback. Then again, we may have enough of Snow's backstory at this point
WHAT did we learn: A LOT! A mega f*ckton. Not the least of which is Cora's penchant for poison.
WHERE and WHEN did events take place: Enchanted Forest - before the Dark Curse. Present-day Storybrooke. Present-day Manhattan.
WHY was this important: Neil has a fiancee. Ok...so what? He has to tell his fiancee that he has a SON. He doesn't *have* to tell her that he's the son of Rumpelstiltskin or that he's (probably) Peter Pan - in fact, it's probably better if he doesn't, because Hello Nuthouse. That'd be the most interesting way to end an engagement ever. So there's this whole section of his life that he can't tell her about. Unless she turns out to be The Little Mermaid. Or a private eye. It'd be interesting if this fiancee is the "her" that Greg (The Outsider) keeps communicating with. ALL THE COINCIDENCES. I doubt it though.
Really OUAT?: "Help us Mother Superior, you're our only hope." YE GODS, WE GET IT. DISNEY OWNS STAR WARS. WE KNOW. WE ARE AWARE.
Also, Snow White had no idea Johanna was in Storybrooke? Granted, she was a bit distracted after the curse was broken. (True Love, Firstborn Curse-breaking Daughter reunion, sent back through the hat - I get it.) But come on. I've had the impression that this is NOT a large town. With the restoration of memories, she should have realized that her childhood governess was at least IN TOWN.
AND - we're not even going to try and react to Johanna's heart being ripped out? No roundhouse kick? No hail mary tackle? I know Cora and Regina have magic, but does that mean that Snow White Warrior Princess goes AWOL? And David! You're not just set dressing! Do something heroic. At least TRY. Johanna - you sort of tried. You could have done more, or maybe not. I've never had someone rip my heart out of my chest - you at least have an excuse. But come on - you all had to know that Cora was going to kill her no matter what choice Snow made.
Wait, what?: How does everyone suddenly have knowledge of this dagger? I was under the impression that this was a secret, sort of? Not just the location of the dagger, but its existence. Ok - we all know about the dagger now.
And...we're just going to leave Hook in Manhattan. Without his ship. Granted, they haven't actually LEFT yet, they're just planning to. Still. Bad form. But, I suppose there are worse plans. A swarthy rogue with a hook for a hand...the only place he'd attract less attention than NYC would be Comic-con. If he starts running his mouth, he'll just get locked up.
Crackpot Theories: God I wish I'd posted this here sooner. Clearly Baelfire is Peter Pan. The hints have been pointing in that direction since Tallahassee. I SAID THAT BEFORE THIS EPISODE. I have witnesses. I do. Also, still pretty sure that August isn't making it out of this season alive.
Bae as Peter opens up some really interesting avenues. Father and Son have a common enemy. It adds a layer to Emma and Neil's relationship. (Peter Pan syndrome indeed!)
Don't Trust: The Blue Fairy - although at this point I *might* be willing to concede that she herself is not all evil. I never thought she was ALL evil, just that her motives weren't totally pure. But she was up to some shady business in Storybrooke BEFORE Cora's arrival. So I'm not totally prepared to give up the ghost on this theory. Clearly we can't trust Cora. The question now is how often has Cora pulled this disguise?
Remaining Questions: What was Cora's relationship to Eva? It has to be to her, because when she "meets" King Leopold (The Stable Boy), he doesn't seem to have any prior knowledge of her. So why the venom? (OMG OUAT PAGEANT MOMS!!!) Clearly we're going to learn a LOT more in The Miller's Daughter.
Problems to solve: Cora, obviously. She can't die if she's got her heart hidden away somewhere, and Cora's GOT to die. Otherwise, she'll either control Rumpel, or take his powers and to paraphrase David in his one moment of episodic usefulness or clarity - I don't like either of those options. Even if Cora DOES take the Dark One's powers, then it just becomes a game of hot potato. Someone has to kill Cora to take her powers, and then someone has to kill that person, and so on and so on. WHERE DOES IT END? ...can the person "hosting" the Dark One commit suicide? Noble self-sacrifice and such. Still, I don't see Disney doing seppuku.
Regina is CLEARLY conflicted. She doesn't trust Cora (rightly), and she doesn't trust David and Mary-Margaret (understandably). The one person she MIGHT be able to trust is Emma, since she and Emma have the common goal of doing what's best for Henry. Cora will never really control Regina, unless she controls/has posession of Henry - BUT if she tries, then Regina will immediately distrust her. Cora is on VERY thin ice, and she knows it. She just has to keep everyone else - especially Regina - from knowing it.
Also conflicted is Rumplestiltskin. Is he going to kill Henry? I don't think Rumpel the man actually wants to. I think those are his Dark One powers talking. As much as Henry irks me, I don't want to see him die at Rumpel's hand. Not because I'd particularly miss Henry, but because it would make Rumpel really dastardly.
And Hook - what becomes of Hook when/if he realizes that one of his antagonists is actually Milah's son?
Best Line: "I was always the queen. You added evil to my name." or "It's a sad truth that the people closest to us are the ones capable of causing us the most pain." Not an original sentiment, but very true.
Oh Henry!: I had something for this, I forget what it was. But really. This kid bugs me. He'd better do something interesting or heroic, but quick. And by heroic I mean "Do a better job acting. Make me like you." I miss Jefferson. And August. Not Dr. Whale though. Or King George. Or Belle. Or Aurora. Or Mulan. Or Greg. Or Ruby. You can all continue your disappearing act for awhile.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Wow, has it really been almost 2 months since I updated this thing? SORRY!!! Lots of technical difficulties combined with all these hiatuses (hiati?) are interfering with my ability to be a proper fangirl-blogger.
So...since I can't blog while watching episodes, I'm going to have to fly without a net.
SPOILERS AHEAD (if you haven't yet seen "Tiny" or "Manhattan")
Where is Cora's heart? Clearly that's going to be the key to her undoing.
I don't think Rumplestiltskin sees any real need to "destroy" Henry, if that is what was being alluded to at the end of Manhattan...not sure where that's going to go. Maybe Henry is meant to be the undoing of The Dark One, not Rumplestiltskin. They are two separate entities.
I'm STILL hanging onto the theory that there's more to the Blue Fairy than we know. Shady bitch.
No more Sebastian Stan as Jefferson. Boo. Wah. Sturm und Drang. Rending of hair and gnashing of teeth. (No, I'm seriously upset - but as a pragmatist, I understand.)
WHAT is UP with Cora and Rumplestiltskin's past???
REALLY glad that now we're back in modern day Storybrooke we don't have to care what happens to Mulan and Aurora.
How's Belle going to get her memory back? Because crazy amnesiac tantrum-Belle is getting old. She's either going to need to get her old memories back, or get busy making some new ones.
Where's King George? Where's August? Where's Smee?WHERE'S ANYBODY??? (Sorry, slipped into RHPS for a moment. Won't happen again.)
Hook's boat is made of enchanted wood? Is that important, or...are boats just made of enchanted wood?
LOTS of allusions to mermaids and Wonderland. They're not going to get a tie in for Oz the Great and Powerful this season, but maybe in time for the blu-ray/DVD release?
Ages and times are an issue. Baelfire left the Enchanted Forest at 14, and at some point wound up in the world as we know it. He said he was running from his father. It's *possible* that he wound up in another realm first (Lost boys, anyone?) BUT, we know he met Emma when she was 18, and Henry is their son. He doesn't look much older than Emma. Maybe about Augusts' age? And we know he is 7 years older than Emma. Here's the problem. Emma and August aged at the same rate once they entered our world. Baelfire (IF he came straight to our world) would have done the same. Which means he has to be AT LEAST 14 years older than Emma. Probably more, because he was gone from the EF before Emma was even born. Emma was born just as the Dark Curse was being cast. When Baelfire went through the portal, Rumplestiltskin had aquired the Dark One's powers - but he hadn't yet begun to search for the Dark Curse. Which means, he hadn't met Regina. Which means he MAY not have even met Cora. He only met Regina when she had first become queen, which means Snow White was still fairly young. A fair bit of time must have passed between Baelfire's disappearance, and the casting of the Dark Curse.
We've still got quite a few episodes left this season. Lots can and probably will change. More soon!
So...since I can't blog while watching episodes, I'm going to have to fly without a net.
SPOILERS AHEAD (if you haven't yet seen "Tiny" or "Manhattan")
Where is Cora's heart? Clearly that's going to be the key to her undoing.
I don't think Rumplestiltskin sees any real need to "destroy" Henry, if that is what was being alluded to at the end of Manhattan...not sure where that's going to go. Maybe Henry is meant to be the undoing of The Dark One, not Rumplestiltskin. They are two separate entities.
I'm STILL hanging onto the theory that there's more to the Blue Fairy than we know. Shady bitch.
No more Sebastian Stan as Jefferson. Boo. Wah. Sturm und Drang. Rending of hair and gnashing of teeth. (No, I'm seriously upset - but as a pragmatist, I understand.)
WHAT is UP with Cora and Rumplestiltskin's past???
REALLY glad that now we're back in modern day Storybrooke we don't have to care what happens to Mulan and Aurora.
How's Belle going to get her memory back? Because crazy amnesiac tantrum-Belle is getting old. She's either going to need to get her old memories back, or get busy making some new ones.
Where's King George? Where's August? Where's Smee?WHERE'S ANYBODY??? (Sorry, slipped into RHPS for a moment. Won't happen again.)
Hook's boat is made of enchanted wood? Is that important, or...are boats just made of enchanted wood?
LOTS of allusions to mermaids and Wonderland. They're not going to get a tie in for Oz the Great and Powerful this season, but maybe in time for the blu-ray/DVD release?
Ages and times are an issue. Baelfire left the Enchanted Forest at 14, and at some point wound up in the world as we know it. He said he was running from his father. It's *possible* that he wound up in another realm first (Lost boys, anyone?) BUT, we know he met Emma when she was 18, and Henry is their son. He doesn't look much older than Emma. Maybe about Augusts' age? And we know he is 7 years older than Emma. Here's the problem. Emma and August aged at the same rate once they entered our world. Baelfire (IF he came straight to our world) would have done the same. Which means he has to be AT LEAST 14 years older than Emma. Probably more, because he was gone from the EF before Emma was even born. Emma was born just as the Dark Curse was being cast. When Baelfire went through the portal, Rumplestiltskin had aquired the Dark One's powers - but he hadn't yet begun to search for the Dark Curse. Which means, he hadn't met Regina. Which means he MAY not have even met Cora. He only met Regina when she had first become queen, which means Snow White was still fairly young. A fair bit of time must have passed between Baelfire's disappearance, and the casting of the Dark Curse.
We've still got quite a few episodes left this season. Lots can and probably will change. More soon!
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