ONCE UPON A TIME Suffers Huge "Fall" in Quality

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 9 Fall on Seat42F.

In the antepenultimate episode of ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME autumn run, “Fall,” the residents of Storybrooke race against time to find a way to stop the spell of shattered sight, knowing it will cause them to turn on one another. Anna (Elizabeth Lail) may be the key to that, but she’s still missing. Elsewhere, we witness what happens to Anna after she is unfrozen from the Snow Queen’s (Elizabeth Mitchell) spell.

The spell of shattered sight had got to be the slowest spell ever. Ever. It takes an entire day to hover over Storybrooke before covering it? It’s not like it’s slowly advancing across the town, as everyone becomes affected at once. How effective, exactly, is a spell that is seen long before it becomes relevant, giving its would-be victims ample time to plan a defense?

I also don’t understand why the Snow Queen’s spell on Arendelle melts when it does. Clearly, all of her ice doesn’t dissolve because her wall stays up and Marian stays frozen (or so we can assume). These Storybrooke ice sculptures exist at the same time as the Arendelle ones for at least awhile, so it’s not because the Snow Queen has moved realms or over-extended herself. What’s going on?

Please correct me in the comments if I’m wrong, but Anna has to have been frozen more than the thirty years that “Fall” claims, no? When she visits David in the Enchanted Forest, that’s only three decades before the present? That doesn’t seem to me to gel with the already established events in that realm shown over the past few seasons. The coincidences that follow, with Hans, (Tyler Jacob Moore), Blackbeard (Charles Mesure), and the trunk being pulled from the sea at the last moment are equally ridiculous.

Though the sisterly reunion is sweet, and I’m very glad that loveable Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster) gets to come to Storybrooke, too. There has been more than enough separation between loved ones. What’s up with that mysterious bottle that somehow tags along?

Worse than these weird plot elements, though, is the absolute and total ruination of Rumplestiltskin’s (Robert Carlyle) character. This has been a frequent topic of complaint for myself and other ONCE UPON A TIME fans recently, and “Fall” just piles on. Rumple makes a deal with the Snow Queen to leave the town and take Belle (Emilie de Ravin) and Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) with him. That she agrees isn’t surprising, since he is somehow immune from her spell and can cause trouble for her. But thinking Belle and Henry will stay with him after fleeing is a leap Rumple is smart enough never to make. He knows they have big hearts and care about others, so abandoning everyone else will surely make them turn against him.

Also, Rumple has never been shown to be power-hungry. He’s addicted to magic, sure, but mostly learned his lesson long ago, one that has been reiterated time and again. To abandon all of his growth and his hard-found knowledge with some generically evil scheme is far beneath this role, and one that the series should never have attempted to do with him.

Why does Belle, who won’t leave the diner with Rumple when he first shows up, suddenly agree to do so just before he locks her in the shop? A few words from him about not trusting fairies and she changes her mind? Not to mention, Belle is a hero, not a coward or submissive wife. It’s very frustrating.

I find it very odd that, as the spell finally does come down, Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) worry only about themselves, locking each other in jail cells. They are supposed to be leaders for the community, but do nothing other than send a messenger to tell people what’s happening. Shouldn’t they be making arrangements to help their people get through it, rather than leaving themselves helpless (and stupidly next to each other) and ignoring the townsfolk? Plus, giving Emma (Jennifer Morrison) the task of defeating the Snow Queen and taking care of her baby brother at the same time makes no sense.

I don’t believe Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) would betray everyone quite as severely as he does. Sure, he’s a pirate who wants to save his own skin, so working for Rumple is a conceivable bit, up to a point. But knowing he’s about to lose everything, Hook still doesn’t find the heroic side that the show had been cultivating in him? Dumb.

This episode isn’t without its moments. Regina (Lana Parrilla) and Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) have a touching scene that, while a bit repetitive, is moving. Watching the Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy) be taken down, surely temporarily, is dramatic. Emma has some emotional stuff that works for her.

However, this is overshadowed by all of the weaknesses in the hour. It’s true you could argue some of my points and we could agree to disagree on motivations. What there’s no denying is there are a TON of plot and character inconsistencies. When added together, this makes for a very disappointing and uneven episode, and the sheer number of them defies defense. I’ve mostly enjoyed the fall run, other than the decline in quality of Rumplestiltskin, but things are coming completely apart at the end and that’s not a good sign. ONCE UPON A TIME has almost always been uneven. “Fall” is some of the worst of that.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

ONCE UPON A TIME Needs a Long Look in the "Mirror"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 8/9 Smash the Mirror on Seat42F.

A lot happens in last night’s special two-hour ONCE UPON A TIME on ABC, “Smash the Mirror.” We see the rest of the Arendelle flashback story, bringing us up to the point in which the Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell) comes over to our world. We witness the battle for Emma’s (Jennifer Morrison) soul, both internally and externally. And a former villain is given hope for a happy ending. Let’s get started.

First, despite the glaring flaws in this fall’s run, the Frozen tale has been nearly flawless. “Smash the Mirror” picks back up where last we left it, Anna (Elizabeth Lail) imprisoned by her aunt. Elsa (Georgina Haig) learns of this and quickly concocts a plan to stop the Snow Queen, refusing to believe ill of her sister. Their plan fails, unfortunately, with Elsa ending up in an urn, Anna and Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster) frozen (hehe) in the castle, and the Snow Queen messing with Elsa’s memory before The Apprentice (Timothy Webber) sends her to our world, circa 1982.

The story of the sisters, Elsa and Anna, is a strong one. Anna goes to other realms to save Elsa, and Elsa never stops believing in Anna, even when Anna is under a spell that makes her say horrible things. There is an argument to be made that Nasty Anna is buried deep inside the real Anna, an expression of the suffering she has endured. But an essential part of Anna is that she keeps hope and moves past such issues, always deciding to believe in Elsa. Seeing Elsa pay this back is extremely gratifying, and it’s this bond that the Snow Queen will never have.

There’s very much a there-but-for-you-go-I element in “Smash the Mirror.” Had the Snow Queen’s surviving sister stuck by her, no matter what bad things the Snow Queen accidentally did, her fate might have turned out very differently. The Snow Queen desperately wants what Elsa and Anna already have. Knowing they won’t accept her as one of them, she goes to extremes to force such a relationship. What she will have to end up realizing, but hasn’t yet, is such bonds cannot be forced. They have to be given freely.

ONCE UPON A TIME does make the plot quite cohesive, providing a believable way the Snow Queen comes to our land, sets the stage for her memory spells, and provides a possible motivation as to why she does what she goes. Once the Snow Queen knows she can make people forget and start with a clean slate again, it would be tempting to do so anytime things go bad. That’s surely what happened with Emma, though we haven’t seen that yet.

The Snow Queen is a formidable foe. She goes toe-to-toe with Rumple (Robert Carlyle) this week and wins. While she herself is not the instrument of victory, she does manages to link Emma and Elsa to herself, which is the next stage in her plan, and goes against Rumple’s desires. It will be interesting to see how she can be defeated because, despite knowing she must fail, she is in a pretty good position at the episode’s end.

Emma is still a bit out-of-character in “Smash the Mirror.” After making Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) very slightly bleed, she goes into a panic, and eagerly accepts Rumple’s offer to remove her powers. It takes her forever to get to his cabin, and the others have plenty of time to track her, which doesn’t seem right, but from an emotional standpoint, these hours do a better job of illustrating the turmoil in Emma’s heart than others have. She wants to rid herself of power because she’s afraid of it, but Elsa, who has personal understanding, gets through to Emma and helps her accept herself.

It’s a little strange how easily Emma has things under control at the end of the episode, a new stage for ONCE UPON A TIME. Yet, perhaps it’s a timing thing. Finally able to see who she is and live up to her potential, she gets a handle on the powers. Even if the path to get there is a little bumpy, there are some strong character moments for Emma, and her fireworks scene is an earned triumph.

More uneven than Emma is Rumple’s plot, though. This Rumple takes Hook’s (Colin O’Donoghue) heart and seeks to destroy Emma so he can have power and take over the world. This is absolutely ridiculous. Rumple has never been shown to have these ambitions, and in fact works directly against such things in past seasons. The Rumple in “Smash the Mirror” is a completely new character than before, and not in a good way. ONCE’s biggest glaring mistake this year is to toss out Rumple’s entire arc and start fresh with an unrecognizable antagonist. It makes me ill to see how he has been handled.

Hook, to a lesser extent, is in a similar boat. His actions, from betraying Emma, to confessing to her, have bene erratic and nonsensical. I get the urge to be a hero and worthy of Emma, but then it’s more confusing when Hook acts against those interests. He has been used poorly as of late, too.

On a polar opposite, Regina’s ONCE UPON A TIME arc has been stellar. This week, she gets assurances from Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) that she’ll have a happy ending, ponders the path not taken, has a touching moment with her son, and is given encouragement by Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), of all people, who admits her own bratty past. I was worried for a bit the show would let Regina slip, negating her growth, but the other characters have rallied around her, even those who one doesn’t expect to, and in their eyes, Regina finally sees her best self reflected.

What’s more, Robin’s discovery in the library, with the help of Will Scarlet (Michael Socha), gives Regina hope. Robin finds an alternate page to Henry’s storybook, one in which Regina is not a villain. This proves the book isn’t set in stone so Regina can still change her ending! Yay!

Which begs the question, are new pages being added to the book? If so, why hasn’t anyone mentioned it? And because the page just appears in Robin’s bag, does that mean the author is still around? Possibly hiding in the magic library? Maleficent is still in the basement, isn’t she? And where is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, who can see past and future, these days? Anyone else get the feeling the Apprentice might actually be the Sorcerer? Hmm.

For everyone awesome ONCE UPON A TIME moment, and there are many in “Smash the Mirror,” there is an unfortunate one, sometimes small, but always present. When looking at the TV schedule from last night, ONCE is only about the sixth or seventh best show on Sunday nights (behind The Walking Dead, The Newsroom, The Good Wife, and arguably several others) right now. There are a heck of a lot more than six shows on Sundays, but that’s still not a position to really brag about. If only it would get its act together, like it did a year ago, it could rise to match or exceed some of its currently-better peers. The potential is high, but the series just doesn’t live up to it as much as it should, making its wins, such as last night’s episode, bittersweet.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

ONCE UPON A TIME Is All About "Family"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 6 Family Business on Seat42F.

Tonight’s installment of ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME, “Family Business,” starts well enough, but quickly goes downhill by the halfway point. As everyone searches for the elusive Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell), we see some of Belle’s (Emilie de Ravin) backstory, which sparks behavior in her that is not at all in keeping with her character. The Snow Queen’s mission, too, is revealed, but again, doesn’t quite make sense.

Let’s start with Belle. Introduced as a match to the animated version, Belle is a sweet woman who believes in the goodness of people above all else. “Family Business” finds her desperate to remember her mother’s (Frances O’Connor, Mr. Selfridge) death. This mission takes her to Arendelle and an encounter with Anna (Elizabeth Lail), Oaken (Darcey Johnson), and Grand Pabbie (John Rhys-Davies). Then, the Snow Queen shows up and Belle puts her memory before Anna’s life, allowing the Snow Queen to capture Anna.

One might argue that this experience is what makes Belle so good. Maybe this one mistake is why she learned her lesson and went straight, becoming hero-like, if not a full-blown hero. That would actually make sense. Except, in present day Storybrooke Belle lies to Elsa (Georgina Haig) and Rumple (Robert Carlyle) about knowing Anna. This is not something our Belle, who holds Rumple to a very high standard, would do. Then, she compounds her sins by using the dagger to control Rumple, again, breaking character completely.

Now, bad Belle is a device that moves the story along. Because of her, we find out the Snow Queen’s purpose. But that doesn’t excuse poor storytelling. There are any number of ways the same information could be conveyed without ruining arguably the show’s purest character, and that makes “Family Business” a huge disappointment.

The Snow Queen’s end game is also not befitting the character. In this episode, we learn the Snow Queen’s desire is to have the residents of Storybrooke turn on themselves and kill each other off until only she, Elsa, and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) are left alive. She thinks Elsa and Emma could then replace her departed sisters and the three could be a family. Yet, the Snow Queen sees in the flashback story that just wanting a family doesn’t make it so. How can she possibly believe that Elsa and Emma will want to be with her after everyone else dies? Even if the three are alone together, the girls would likely turn on their elder.

The dark magic introduced in ONCE UPON A TIME, the Snow Queen’s malicious mirror and the Sorcerer’s hat, are solid parts of a good story. I like them both and think they could be well used in the narration. Instead, making them part of this ill-begotten twist, they are tainted and probably won’t end up being what they should be. They present danger, but ignore the obvious threats they possess.

I’m confused about the prophecy surrounding Emma. The Snow Queen found Emma a long time ago and is dropping hints to remind Emma of this, presumably so Emma will remember how much she liked the Snow Queen and they can be a family again. But why take the memories away at all? And why didn’t the Snow Queen keep Emma when she had her? Why come back now? It just doesn’t seem like these pieces will come together satisfactorily.

We’re also left to wonder about Anna. Is she in Storybrooke? Is she back in Arendelle, still locked in the dungeon? What happened to Elsa in the meantime? This is too many questions posed for a story that has robbed me of my confidence in a comprehensive ending.

“Family Business” is not without its good parts. Regina (Lana Parrilla) telling Robin (Sean Maguire) she may not be able to save Marian (Christie Laing) is a rich scene, full of interesting pathos. Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) joking that everyone in Storybrooke is related is funny and right on the money. But these small gems aren’t enough to save this dud of an episode. ONCE UPON A TIME is not doing well with its exposition or the structure of its arcs, and those are to very important, vital elements of the show.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

ONCE UPON A TIME Might Want to "Apprentice" Itself to a Storyteller

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 4 The Apprentice on Seat42F.

This week’s installment of ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME is called “The Apprentice.” Rumple (Robert Carlyle) tries to steal a magical box from the Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Timothy Webber, Men in Trees, Arctic Air) that would allow him to keep the Dark One’s powers, but without the limitations. Meanwhile, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) have their first date, a thief plagues the town, and Elsa (Georgina Haig) searches the town census for signs of her missing sister.

I need to start this paragraph by saying I STRONGLY disapprove over the spoiling of Rumple’s character this year and last spring, negating his growth arc from the first couple of seasons. Still, at least “The Apprentice” finally offers a plausible explanation as to why Rumple cannot have a happy ending, mentioning that villains cannot find their bliss because that’s not how the storybook works. It would be nice if this were established before now, but still, at least it’s offered now. In Regina’s (Lana Parrilla) quest to end up with true love for herself, might she also show Rumple a way to finally, once and for all, get back to who he should be?

This week’s ONCE UPON A TIME doesn’t give us any positive signs in Rumple. His quest to get the box from the Apprentice is something every Dark One has attempted, as we see in a Zoso (Brad Dourif) flashback, and it is only done for evil purposes. Rumple is tricking Belle (Emilie de Ravin), the woman he supposedly loves, and taking out innocent men to get what he wants. These are not good signs.

Hook lets his inner villain out, too. It’s one thing for him to get his hand back (which, by the way, the fact that the hand is not really cursed is totally predictable), but it’s another for him to engage in a game of mutual blackmailing and lying with Rumple. True, Hook has never had that catalyst moment, as Rumple did, where he turns over a new leaf and truly proves himself, but fans of ONCE UPON A TIME don’t expect him to behave this badly. It’s a bit inconsistent for the character, and not a welcome development.

Henry’s (Jared Gilmore) actions also don’t make sense. Isn’t Rumple suspicious when his only grandchild, whom Rumple has strangely ignored for awhile despite Henry’s connection to Rumple’s beloved son, suddenly wants to spend time with him? Rumple is too bright to be fooled by the kid unless love blinds him, and there is no hint of that. Their family connection also should have been explored more fully before now, and that’s glaringly obvious when it is approach at this juncture.

The Frozen arc takes a sharp left turn this week when Anna (Elizabeth Leil) accomplishes her task of figuring out why her parents went to the Enchanted Forest and she returns home. One does not expect this, given Elsa’s efforts to find Anna, so there’s definitely more story in their land to tell. I like when the writers surprise me, which doesn’t happen every week on ONCE UPON A TIME, and that kicks this episode up a couple of notches.

Less enticing is the Snow Queen’s (Elizabeth Mitchell) behavior. She appears only briefly in “The Apprentice” to taunt Emma. It’s fine if the show is taking the slow-reveal approach and only giving us bits of the Queen’s motivation at a time. But it’s weird to get so much of her last week, and then just a brief look at her this one that has her behaving strangely with no discernable reason as to why she is doing so. That needs to sort itself out.

I’m sorry if this review has leaned negative, as I mostly liked it. There is just a lot more to say about the complaints than the impressive bits. There are lots of good things to say about “The Apprentice,” too, though. I love how Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) make too big a deal over Emma’s date, the Lady and the Tramp reference at the restaurant, the hints about Will Scarlet’s (Michael Socha) true mission in Storybrooke, which has to be to find the Red Queen again, and the meta references where the characters basically acknowledge their storybook roots. This style of humor is exactly what the show should strive for more of, as it works extremely well for the premise and makes for entertaining dialogue.

“The Apprentice” isn’t a bad episode, but it’s not a great one either. It is very Rumple heavy, and I like his Dark One stories, but his behavior in Storybrooke is troubling, as is Hook’s. If the characters and tone were a little more consistent, that would improve the overall presentation a lot.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

ONCE UPON A TIME Puts on the "White" Hat

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 2 White Out on Seat42F.

Tonight’s ONCE UPON A TIME is called “White Out.” Panicked as she searches for her sister, Elsa (Georgina Haig) accidentally traps Emma (Jennifer Morrison) in an ice cave, where she slowly begins to freeze to death. David (Josh Dallas) and Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) try to figure out a way to free Emma before it’s too late, and Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) steps into her new role as mayor. Meanwhile, back in the Enchanted Forest, David is inspired to become a hero after an encounter with Anna (Elizabeth Lail), queen of encouragement.

“White Out” is really good with character development, but poor on plot logic. The power goes out and the people go to Mary Margaret, who has absolutely no electrical training, to solve the issue? They don’t just ask her to have someone fix it; they expect her to get the current running again herself. And somehow, she is able to, doing things that have nothing to do with the downed power line that causes the problem in the first place, and with a baby near dangerous circuits. Emma is too weak to talk or sit up, but then is able to limp out of the cave. Hook keeps sticking his hook into the ice, even after David stops him. Elsa thinks she can’t melt the ice, but does tunnel through on the first try, only to have that option fail again when she attempts to repeat it. These things just don’t make a lot of sense.

Luckily, most of the episode is character-centric. Take Mary Margaret, for instance. With the townsfolk looking to her as mayor after Regina shuts herself off, Mary Margaret has to find her strength and step up. She is their leader, and she needs to start acting like it. It’s not a surprise that ONCE UPON A TIME goes to this place, only that it hasn’t done so before now. It makes sense for Mary Margaret to take on this role, and gives her something to do in the hour other than sit at home.

The scenes between Elsa and Emma are even better. Here are two women that have a lot in common. They’ve had to fend for themselves, having lost loved ones, and have powers they don’t understand or entirely control. They are expected to save the day, even when they don’t know how, and they are emotionally stunted. Yet, during their entrapment, they find a way to connect and become friends, a bond that lasts past when they get free. It’s because of this connection that the danger Elsa has placed others in can be overlooked, Emma able to see past the mistakes, which all the characters have made at one time or another, to the type of person Elsa really is.

It helps that David knows Anna, too, from before he meets Snow and becomes king. When David lacks courage and conviction, Anna helps him find it, much as she does for her own sister in the film Frozen, which is set prior to the events depicted in ONCE UPON A TIME. Anna is just the type of person who can bring out the best in people. Snow and the kingdom have her to thank for David becoming the man he is, and because of David knowing Anna, he knows a little about Elsa, too, making him smart enough not to strike out at her.

Thus, only two episodes in, ONCE UPON A TIME has avoided painting Elsa as a villain. This is good because fans of the movie wouldn’t like her being evil, and it allows the plot to move forward. There are enough misunderstandings in this show, so no more are needed.

Among the other great character bits in “White Out” are Emma falling into Hook’s arms once freed and Henry (Jared Gilmore) refusing to give up on Regina (Lana Parrilla). It really is a moving, heart-warming episode.

There are also some new baddies introduced this week. Bo Peep (Robin Weigert, Sons of Anarchy) is a wicked mob boss / warlord who still lives on in Storybrooke, and thus may pop up again. The owner of the ice-cream shop (Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost, Revolution) has some dark, icy powers, too. Their arrival is none too soon, as Regina is no longer bad enough to cause real trouble, and ONCE UPON A TIME needs a villain to defeat. That’s the nature of fairy tales.

Regrettably, Rumple (Robert Carlyle) also appears to be going down the wrong path. He clearly has something to do with Anna’s disappearance, which apparently happened many years ago, making it more tragic, and doesn’t speak up about what he knows when David comes asking. This, combined with other recent actions we’ve seen him take, does not bode well. It’s really sad that he’s being like this, given his heroic sacrifice last year and recent marriage. It kind of ruins the character to bring him so far, then have him backslide so much. Hopefully, that will straighten itself out soon.

In all, “White Out” is a pretty good installment. The weaknesses tend to be minor things that are swept quickly past, while drawn out scenes give us meaty dialogue and pathos that explore the various personalities featured. There may still be no sign of our Knave (Michael Socha), other than the actor’s name in the opening credits, but season four is shaping up to be an intriguing mystery that I look forward to seeing solved. It’s already far better than last spring’s Oz arc, a sign the show is back on track.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

ONCE UPON A TIME, There Were "Two (Frozen) Sisters"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 1 A Tale of Two Sisters on Seat42F.

WARNING: There are spoilers below, but as always for unaired episodes, I don’t give away anything too major.

ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME is back this weekend, kicking off a whole new arc related to the recent blockbuster movie Frozen, beginning with the episode “A Tale of Two Sisters.” While last spring’s Oz arc didn’t live up to expectations, the previous fall’s Neverland run was nothing short of spectacular. We’re only one episode in to the new story, but as far as first impressions go, this is a solid one, favoring the latter’s quality, rather than the former’s.

As some fans have been eagerly anticipating, “A Tale of Two Sisters” brings Elsa (Georgina Haig, Fringe) and her sibling, Anna (newcomer Elizabeth Lail), into ONCE UPON A TIME. And there is no shortage of the girls in the premiere. We see them in multiple time periods and get Elsa in both their home and in Storybrooke. Whatever this immediate plot entails, it will have plenty of them.

The main portion of Elsa and Anna’s scenes are set in their kingdom after the end of the movie. So if you haven’t seen Frozen, you may want to check it out this beforehand to catch you up on who these people are. ONCE UPON A TIME may eventually reveal enough to follow along without prior knowledge, but the scenes with Elsa, Anna, Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster, Greek), Sven (played by an actual reindeer, hilariously used!), and Pabbie the Troll (CGI, voiced by John Rhys Davies from The Lord of the Rings) may seem confusing to those who don’t already know them.

By beginning after the movie (spoiler for those who haven’t seen Frozen!), Elsa isn’t a villain the way she is for much of the film. She isn’t completely good either, though, as she is still struggling to control her powers. Suddenly dropped into a strange land, and likely on a very important mission viewers can guess at, it makes sense for her to panic and perhaps get a bit defensive. I’m not quite sure yet how she’ll fold in (or not) with the Storybrooke residents, but there is definitely the potential for conflict here, and I will say the earliest, indirect encounters don’t exactly go smoothly.

Some have criticized ONCE UPON A TIME in the past for periodically giving too much screen time to guest stars and not developing the core cast enough. While “A Tale of Two Sisters” definitely has a lot of Frozen fare, it does provide good, character-driven scenes to many of the primary players, too, striking what I feel is a respectable balance between the two camps.

Obviously, the biggest question after last spring’s finale is if Regina (Lana Parrilla) will slip back into her evil ways. This question is addressed a lot in the hour, but not answered this week. She is definitely tempted to smite Marian (Christie Laing), who is long believed dead until she suddenly shows back up to claim her husband, Regina’s boyfriend, Robin Hood (Sean Maguire). She even recruits an old henchman (yay!) to help her out. But Regina is no longer just the Evil Queen, and slipping back to her old ways doesn’t come as naturally as it once did. She also has a perhaps-unexpected ally trying to save her. Parrilla gives an as-usual fantastic performance as Regina struggles with her warring motivations.

Those who prefer the romantic side of things should be happy with “A Tale of Two Sisters.” There is some great stuff between Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), and some even better stuff between Rumple (Robert Carlyle) and Belle (Emilie de Ravin). The latter’s honeymoon becomes quite fairy tale-esque in a scene that will make many Beauty and the Beast fans smile.

Both Rumple and Regina also kick off some extremely interesting arcs, one relating to another familiar tale not yet covered in ONCE UPON A TIME, and the other diving deeper into the base mythology of the show, exploring something not dwelled upon for some time. These are promising, excellent threads that should hopefully pair nicely with the Frozen line, succeeding in keeping everyone important busy in the coming season.

As for the announced new main cast member, the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) from the spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, he’s completely MIA in the first episode back. But his name graces the opening credits, so I expect that won’t be the case for long, and there’s still time to hold out hope that he won’t be coming to Storybrooke alone.

In all, ONCE UPON A TIME has a great return to form, beginning a fascinating series of stories and doing justice to the best characters in the show, even while introducing yet another batch of new ones. It’s too early to tell if this fall will rival the show’s Neverland zenith, but it’s got the right ingredients in place to serve the show well, should they be mixed correctly and baked for the right amount of time.

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.