Overall: 8.8
Ha! I was right -- which means next week's episode will certainly be interesting.
Plot Synopsis:
The official site has a recap here.
The Skinny:
I think we may have hit the aforementioned turning point for our leading lady. It's going to be pretty hard - though not 100% impossible - for Emma to ignore the fact that Henry was right about the turnover being poisoned. But strangely enough, I'm even more curious to see how Regina will respond the moment she discovers her plans have backfired so spectacularly. Though its difficult to tell sometimes, Regina may genuinely care for Henry. Will Henry's being struck down by her own vindictiveness force her to reassess? Or will she simply double down, convinced that redemption is beyond her reach?
I like how the two plots in this episode are linked by the theme of personal sacrifice. And I especially like Mary Margaret's new assertiveness. Last week, as you should recall, she gave Regina a piece of her mind. This week, she handed Emma a well-deserved scolding. What we're seeing here, I think, is the reemergence of her fairy-tale personality. After all, Snow White evidently had enough confidence to rally an army to her cause. Also fascinating? Regina's new insecurity. Actually, in this episode, Regina cuts a pretty pathetic figure. She knows she's starting to lose her grip on Storybrooke, and her resort to dark magic is definitely a sign of her desperation.
Overall, I think this is a strong start to what I suspect will be a photo finish. Unfortunately, I have to wait to see how all this set-up pans out before offering any extended commentary, but so far, I like what I'm seeing. Here's hoping the writers don't whiff the follow-through.
Writing: 9.0
Thanks to the interesting character work, this script earns an A-.
Acting: 8.5
I was generally happy with the performances.
Message: 9.0
Funny thing about unresolved anger: You can't confine it. Eventually, it will negatively impact people who don't deserve it.
I have one complaint about OUaT so far. The twists aren't very bendy. Juliet and I knew it was going to come down to an apple and a poisoning plot within ten minutes of the start of the episode and we also both immediately called that Henry was going to be the one to take the apple hit to finally convince Emma to stay in there and fight the good fight.
ReplyDeleteThat's why my ratings are running more toward "I really like this" rather than "OMG BEST EPISODE EVAH!" In the show's defense, however, I think people would complain if the evil queen hadn't used a poisoned apple at some point. The idea, I suspect, is to keep the fairy tales at least vaguely recognizable. In other words: Play in the sandbox, but don't rearrange all the toys.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, the OUaT formula is extremely successful. It has made the Top 25 every week since its premiere. Clearly, the writers are doing something right.
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