Article originally published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review "The Broken Kingdom" on Seat42F.
Tonight’s
ONCE UPON A TIME, “The Broken Kingdom,” is very Camelot-heavy. Viewers
get the story behind the Arthur / Guinevere / Lancelot love triangle,
and the search for the dagger during the missing weeks in Camelot. While
it does put our main characters’ arcs on hold, it is an enjoyable
installment with some intriguing story.
We already know Arthur (Liam Garrigan)
is a villain prior to this hour, but that portrait flies directly in the
face of the legend. “The Broken Kingdom” helps connect the disparate
pieces. We see how insecure and obsessed Arthur gets. He cannot be happy
without the full sword from the stone, but it has always remained out
of reach. Feeling incomplete without it, he neglects his kingdom, his
best friend, even his marriage, in order to pursue what he thinks is his
destiny. He doesn’t see himself as evil; his narrow-vision just fools
everyone, including himself, about what he’s doing.
Similarly, we already know Lancelot
(Sinqua Walls) is noble, but how does that square with coveting his best
friend’s wife? “The Broken Kingdom” adequately answers that as well,
showing how Lancelot and Guinevere (Joana Metrass) grow closer as they try to save
Arthur. Then, Arthur casts a spell on Guinevere that shuts down the true
love between the pair in order to maintain an illusion.
Illusion is a key component of ONCE UPON
A TIME this year. In the present day, which is not shown this week
until the very end, everyone’s memories are gone, and the characters can
only believe what they see. In the past, magic often disguises the
truth, from the aforementioned stories, to Mary Margaret (Ginnifer
Goodwin) and David (Josh Dallas) being cursed as well, made to trust
Arthur when they shouldn’t. At least they see through Arthur’s plan to
distract David with a title and a seat at the round table early in the
installment.
In the B story of “The Broken Kingdom,”
Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) tries to break Emma (Jennifer Morrison) of her
own delusions. No, not the fact that Henry (Jared Gilmore) is too young
to love; that bit just results in a fun scene. But Hook tries to help
Emma remember the love they share and access the good parts of her
brain. This succeeds in dispelling the hallucinations of Rumple (Robert
Carlyle) that Emma has, if only temporarily.
In all of this, true love seems to be
the most likely answer to break all the spells, as has been the case in
the past. A true love’s kiss might bring Lancelot and Guinevere together
and break Arthur’s hold on them. It might help Mary Margaret and David
and the others get their memories back. And it just might save Emma from
herself, even if love never quite manages to save Rumple when he is the
Dark One.
The question remaining is, how does
Merida (Amy Manson) fit in? Seen early this season, she re-appears in
Arthur’s dungeon, when Lancelot is locked up with her, as well as in the
present day when Dark Swan gives her a forced mission. Right now she is
the X factor that could sway the outcomes of many a storyline. Without
knowing why she’s involved or what she will do, there’s no telling what
role she may play throughout this fall season.
Some fans of ONCE UPON A TIME get
frustrated when the focus shifts to guest characters, away from the core
cast. I understand that attitude, and for those viewers, “The Broken
Kingdom” will likely be a disappointment, with Merida’s likely key part
only heightening that. Personally, I am just glad for a mostly
plot-hole-free hour and some promising teases of what is to come. I like
this one.
ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.