"The Bear" of Watching ONCE UPON A TIME

Article originally written for Seat42F.

 This week’s ONCE UPON A TIME, “The Bear and the Bow,” goes easy on the Dark Swan (Jennifer Morrison) plot and gives more screen time to Rumple (Robert Carlyle), Bell (Emilie de Ravin), and Merida (Amy Manson). What does it take to make someone a hero is a question where the answer depends on the individual, and throughout the hour, we get to see each of the three confront it.

Back in Camelot, Merida kidnaps Belle to have Belle use magic to save Merdia’s brothers from rival clansmen who seek to steal away Merida’s power. Belle thinks Merida has it in her to help herself, and with Belle having seen the steep price that magic extols on a person, she shies away from giving Merida the sort of help Merida requests. This does make for a dangerous situation, but as Belle predicts, Merida rises to the occasion and saves the day, finding the hero within herself.

It’s too bad Merida doesn’t remember this. In Storybrooke, she tries to kill Belle in order to make Rumple step up and be a hero. Merida isn’t confident that Rumple will do so, but feels she has no chance of defeating Dark Swan herself. If only Merida remembered the lesson that Belle taught her, she would probably be able to fight back. Whether she could win or not is debatable, but she should try.

Rumple also wavers in his own heroism. With the Dark One removed from him, Rumple reverts back to the coward he was oh so long ago. Belle reminds him that he overcame the Dark One’s negative influence in order to be a hero, but Rumple doesn’t see it that way. Without the power that the Dark One gives him, he can’t find anything inside of him that allows him to be a hero.

That is, until Belle is in danger, of course. Rumple does everything he possibly can do to run away, but when Belle refuses and Merida (as a badly animated bear) goes after Belle, Rumple steps up, just as he has done in the past for his son. Rumple’s love is what makes him great, just as others in ONCE UPON A TIME have found their best sides because of love.

The greatest hero in “The Bear and the Bow” is Belle. She doesn’t slay any beasts or overcome her own doubts, but instead inspires the best in others. She is brave and true and does what’s right, having faith that others will come along and do the same. It takes someone with a very strong sense of courage and certainty to this, and because Belle can see the good in people, she possesses this in spades. She is the real protagonist of the hour, and I think that’s pretty obvious to most people paying attention.

Despite all of these efforts, Dark Swan does get Rumple to pull Excalibur from the stone, despite Merlin’s (Elliot Knight) warning and presumably dire fate. What Emma will do with it remains to be seen, but one can assume that it’s not good if Dark Swan was willing to do something horrible to Merlin in order to get to it.

But it gives me great hope that Belle and Rumple will now be firmly joining the rest of the good guys in Storybrooke. I still think Rumple’s arc these past couple of seasons has been shaky. He earned heroic status halfway through season three, and as awful as it was that story veered off for him these past two years, it suddenly no longer feels earned that he has it again now, considering where he was very recently (almost as bad writing as Arthur (Liam Garrigan) trying to dispose of the mushroom in the fire). Despite that, I look forward to seeing Rumple face off against Dark Swan, and his knowledge of the Dark One might just be what the team needs to defeat the evil spirit once and for all.

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

ONCE UPON A TIME "Dream" On

Article originally published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review "Dreamcatcher" on Seat42F.

This week on ONCE UPON A TIME, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) frees Merlin (Elliot Knight, Sinbad) from the tree in which he is trapped, but far from resulting in a happy ending, it only raises more questions. Weeks later, in Storybrooke, Regina (Lana Parrilla) uncovers Emma’s treachery against their son, Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), in a “Dreamcatcher,” bringing the heroes closer to figuring out Dark Swan’s plans, but driving a wedge between mother and son.

Where Regina and Henry and Emma and Henry are now is almost completely reversed from where they are at the start of ONCE UPON A TIME. Is Henry destined to never have both of his mothers be on the right side at the same time? Is the show really about the balance of light and dark, rather than about good triumphing over evil? If so, the ending will surely be a tragedy for everyone, the core characters too intertwined at this point to cast one as a pure villain.

How much is Emma to blame for what she is doing? When Rumple (Robert Carlyle) is the Dark One, he manages to let his love shine through and even engage in self-sacrifice in the name of love. Yet, he is consistently drawn back to his fiendish ways, the good in his heart never taking hold. Knowing this, can anyone truly blame Emma for anything she does, and isn’t she as much of a victim of the Dark One as anyone else? So by that logic, Rumple should be forgiven for everything, right?

Well, this is where free will versus mind control come into play. The question is whether Emma is being corrupted or if she’s been replaced in her own body. ONCE UPON A TIME keeps saying it’s the former, but actions seem to point to the latter. “Dreamcatcher” muddies the waters more by bringing a child in this, as while Henry is rapidly growing more mature, he can’t possibly instantly forgive Emma when she’s cured, which she must be. It’s a very depressing plot to consider.

The way Emma hurts Henry is by turning Violet (Olivia Steele-Falconer) against him in order to get a tear. Look, Henry is 13 years old, so only in a fairy tale would he end up marrying Violet (though, admittedly, this is kind of a fairy tale). Also only in a fairy tale would Violet be as taken in by Henry as he is by her, which actually makes her rejection of him feel more real than it ends up being. But whether Violet is the one he’s meant to be with or not, it’s a hard thing to lose a first love. So what Emma does is cruel.

I think all of this helps identify a fundamental issue with ONCE UPON A TIME. It wants to be set in the real world and also in the fairy tale world, but the two don’t mix well when it comes to rules governing reality. Things can either magically work out and heroes can always triumph over villains, or we can live in complex shades of grey. By never making up its mind which is going on, ONCE UPON A TIME is constantly contradicting itself and feeling authentic to neither.

Which isn’t to say that “Dreamcatcher” is an entirely bad episode. Despite some issues with the things happening above, the poignant story of a mother breaking a son’s heart does engage viewers. Rumple’s struggle to become a hero, and Merdia’s (Amy Manson) frustration when he fails, is also interesting. The concept of the pensieve dreamcatchers in the show is a cool conceit, even if it’s nothing new, and uses Regina’s past well. And I’m still invested enough in the characters to care what happens.

At least ONCE UPON A TIME hasn’t totally fallen apart in sense and continuity as some past arcs have done. Hopefully, it can still pull out a decent ending from this. It remains enjoyable and good, if not as deep or cohesive as it should be.

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

Is ONCE UPON A TIME "Broken"?

Article originally published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review "The Broken Kingdom" on Seat42F.

ONCE UPON A TIME - "The Broken Kingdom" - (ABC/Jack Rowand) JOSH DALLAS, GINNIFER GOODWIN

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.

"Perilous" ONCE UPON A TIME

Article originally published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review "Siege Perilous" on Seat42F.

ONCE UPON A TIME - "Siege Perilous" (ABC/Jack Rowand) JENNIFER MORRISON, MICHAEL COLEMAN

This week’s ONCE UPON A TIME, “Siege Perilous,” finds several characters dealing with sneaky types. David (Josh Dallas) bonds with Arthur (Liam Garrigan) while on a quest, but is the bromance mutual? Emma (Jennifer Morrison) seeks to reignite her relationship with Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), but he’s reluctant to get involved with the Dark One. And Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) finds himself facing the darkness once inside of him.

You can tell Jane Espenson wrote this episode because even where the larger arcs don’t quite make sense, she makes it work by getting into the complexity of the characters. I often complain about ONCE UPON A TIME failing to follow through or taking short cuts with stories, and some of that is present in “Siege Perilous.” But Jane, always talented and with an extraordinary strong grasp of the players, seems to reign it in the craziness, remarkably managing to make some of the weak spots gel, and deliver an overall enjoyable episode. Any flaws present are likely not her fault, and the solid performances absolve the cast of wrong-doing, as well.

The story in which David accepts not only a seat at Arthur’s Round Table, but the primary seat, for the knight of purest heart, could easily be hokey. After all, David is a hero who has been through a lot and should see through such a blatant ploy. And the fact that Lancelot (Sinqua Walls), whose rumors of death have been greatly exaggerated, tells Snow Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) the truth means that Arthur won’t trick the couple for long, making the ploy meaningless.

However, the way “Siege Perilous” approaches things is to play up David’s best qualities and show he he longs to be something more than just a charming face. This David is insecure as to who he is, so Arthur nudges him perfectly in order to manipulate his emotions. Arthur presents himself as a like-minded individual to David from a similar background, so David assumes Arthur is like him and immediately trusts the king.

All of which makes Arthur a great villain, especially scary as he forces a loyal aide to drink poison. ONCE UPON A TIME hasn’t really targeted David for quite awhile, and by making him the one easily fooled by Arthur, it sets David up to be the hero of the season. I think he can rise to the occasion, and Arthur is a worthy adversary, clearly smart and capable. I’m not sure what is behind Arthur’s motivations, but at least it feels surprising and interesting to have David go up against him. And how about that scene with David in the truck? Pretty cool, eh?

The other bad guy this season is Emma, of course. She tries to pretend she’s not all bad towards Hook. Rumple’s affections for Belle (Emilie de Ravin) always shone through when he was the dark one, so it’s believable that Emma would still want the former pirate.

One might wonder why Hook doesn’t go for Dark One Emma, given his villainous past. The only reason he seems to change is for Emma, so why not change back when she turns? The thing is, though, Hook fell for Savior Emma, not Dark Emma. He knows Savior Emma is in there somewhere and considers her in need of a rescue. In that context, it makes sense for Hook to resist this woman.

The plot in which Emma intends to make Gold pure enough to pull the sword from the stone is very intriguing. Gold has been a poorly-handled character for awhile now, but the removal of the Dark One gives him a chance for a complete reset. For him to become a hero now would not be earned, as it was before his character was ruined, but it could still be a rich way to play him. If nothing else, Belle will finally get the man she deserves, but might she loose interest a bit if Rumple is back to being a coward without an edge?

I am impressed by the way things fall into place in “Siege Perilous.” As I’ve said, I think it would be super easy for certain elements, such as Arthur’s reveal, to not make sense and feel cheap. Yet, in this script, they work, and I came away feeling pretty good about this installment.

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

"The Price" of Watching ONCE UPON A TIME

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review "The Price" on Seat42F.

ONCE UPON A TIME - "The Price" (ABC/Jack Rowand) JOSH DALLAS, GINNIFER GOODWIN

This week’s installment of ONCE UPON A TIME is entitled “The Price.” An evil creature is unleashed upon Storybrooke, coming to collect an unpaid price from magic used. Because only Emma (Jennifer Morrison) has memory of the past six weeks, only she knows why it’s here. She says it’s Regina (Lana Parrilla) who has drawn it to the hamlet. Can Regina step up and be the hero that the town needs?

I’d be lying if I said I weren’t enjoying the role reversal of Emma and Regina. Regina has long been my favorite character, and to see her trying to be the Savior while Emma descends into darkness is great. But I feel like “The Price” is a bit too on-the-nose in portraying this. The situation is too perfect, and because Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) is the life threatened, Regina doesn’t even have to be all that selfless to save him, already being in love with him. It would have been much more powerful to see Regina struggle to step up or do the unexpected for someone she doesn’t care as much about.

That being said, it’s satisfying that the town begins to back up Regina. Many do not believe she has it in her to be the Savior, Leroy (Lee Arenberg) chief among them. And Leroy is one who ends up supporting her and believing in her later. I am sure Regina can be a hero, though not entirely sure she can be the Savior. But I like that Regina has shown enough goodness that others are standing up and paying attention.

On the other hand, I am not entirely convinced Emma is as evil as she seems. She definitely has some darkness in her; the scene where she and the Dark One (Robert Carlyle) look at Excalibur shows she’s still trying to grab power. Yet, she isn’t actively trying to hurt anyone. Rumple, as the Dark One, didn’t always act malevolently. Often, he stayed at home and was just selfish. Emma is displaying the same characteristics, and it leaves me wondering why everyone is so bent on destroying the Dark One. Sure, they want Emma back, but it’s not like the Dark One seeks to kill everyone and destroy the town or anything.

There is the curse, though. Dopey steps across the town line and becomes wrapped up in a tree. Why has Emma cast this curse? What is her purpose? Why did she bring the Camelot group back with her? These are the unanswered questions that will give great insight into this year’s plot when they are revealed.

In Camelot, we see Percival (Andrew Jenkins) try to kill Regina, knowing she was the Evil Queen. He is stopped, David (Josh Dallas) slaying him, and that is when Emma uses deep magic to save Robin Hood at the request of Regina, spurring the creature who is in Storybrooke. (Albeit six weeks late, no? Did it get lost on the way?)

What confuses me is why Arthur (Liam Garrigan) and Guinevere (Joana Metrass) don’t raise a finger to defend their knight. True, these strangers in their midst have come as Merlin’s prophecy said they would, and the king and queen expect something to happen because of them. But why aren’t they more upset that one of their Round Table has been killed? Why does no one in the kingdom, people that know less about the prophecy, demand justice that the interlopers have killed one of their own? Doesn’t anyone seek to know why he attacked? Is the prophecy so clear and so important that and so widely known that the kingdom would allow friends to die in order to not stand in its way? I have serious doubts it will prove to clear this up.

“The Price” is a worrying hour. On the whole, it’s very enjoyable, with some great dialogue and performances. Yet, the holes I’m poking, while not entirely being exposed as flaws yet until we have more information, point to an uneven, non-cohesive story. ONCE UPON A TIME often falls into this trap, starting out strong and then losing steam along the way. It’s a little too early in the fall to be seeing these stumbles, and it makes me worry that season five will not pay off as it should.

At least we get to see Henry (Jared Gilmore) fall for young Violet (Olivia Steele-Falconer, Red Riding Hood) not once, but twice! That softens the blow of the underlying flaws of the hour.

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

"Dark" ONCE UPON A TIME

Article originally published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review The Dark Swan on Seat42F.

ONCE UPON A TIME - "The Dark Swan" JENNIFER MORRISON, ROBERT CARLYLE

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was an uneven series that lured its fans into false senses of security with excellent season openers and an occasional good run, but constantly disappointed in the end. This ABC drama returned for a fifth season tonight, and while the opener, “The Dark Swan,” is pretty promising, I don’t hold out high hopes that it will be able to maintain such quality, especially as there are worrying signs present.

As “The Dark Swan” begins, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) finds herself in the Enchanted Forest, haunted by the Dark One (Robert Carlyle) inside of her. She struggles to resist, remembering that, as a child (Mckenna Grace, The Young and the Restless), she was warned not to pull the sword from the stone. Since she will soon be in Camelot, this is wise advice to keep in mind. Oh, and she has a run in with wild, brave (hehe) red-head Merida (Amy Manson, Atlantis).

I really like the way Emma is handled in this episode. I was worried she’d immediately go evil, but instead, she really tries to keep herself in check with Merida, which wouldn’t be easy for the best of people. Emma may very well embrace her role as the Dark One, as the end of the hour indicates, but at least we know the Emma fans love is inside somewhere, doing her best to keep the power at bay.

Quick side note, why does ONCE UPON A TIME do another time jump and memory wipe? They’ve done it before, and I feel like they’re repeating themselves by doing it again. I understand it’s a hook meant to keep viewers coming back, but it has to organically fit in the story for it to not come across as a cheap stunt. It does not gel all that well in “The Dark Swan.”

Emma’s internal struggle raises an interesting point as it pertains to Rumple, the previous Dark One. Rumple manages to be good and redeem himself prior to his death in season three, but then reverts to a villain when he is brought back. If the Dark One’s hold is so strong that it cannot be overcome, how did Rumple manage to stay a hero for so long? And why didn’t ONCE UPON A TIME show us his warring as he fell back into old patterns?

An arc for Rumple similar to what Emma is going through now would have made the entire show make more sense and stave off some of the negative reviews I’d written in the past. The writers should take the opportunity no to bring this up, and even if it’s too late to entirely make up for that past mistake, it would still help a bit with the overall impression of the series.

Of course, the rest of our people will not let Emma sweat this out on her own. It’s a bit convoluted how it all comes about, but the eventual take away is that Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) allows Zelena (Rebecca Mader) to open a portal (and then she is recaptured), which Regina (Lana Parrilla) redirects to Emma. Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), David (Josh Dallas), Henry (Jared Gilmore), Robin (Sean Maguire), and a surprising number of recurring players, including Granny (Beverly Elliott) and Leroy (Lee Arenberg), hitch a ride with our core cast in Granny’s diner on a twister.

The way the heroes get to the Enchanted Forest is fun and clever, though one wonders if it’s all not just a bit too much. Was it really necessary to bring the whole diner and get it operational again? I’m also super excited to see the dwarves and others come along, as Leroy rightly points out that they’ve been left out of the loop for far too long, but will they be well-used? And it’s weird they bring a baby with them, isn’t it?

I’m excited about Emma’s arc, a meatier role for supporting players, and the inclusion of King Arthur (Liam Garrigan, The Pillars of the Earth) and his realm. I’m worried about the amount of characters drawn unnecessarily into the primary arcs and that ONCE UPON A TIME has a track record of good starts that they can’t maintain. This doesn’t stop “The Dark Swan” from being a mostly enjoyable hour, but does not necessarily bode well for upcoming installments.

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

ONCE UPON A TIME Needs a "Mother"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

More than one “Mother” makes a tough decision in this week’s ONCE UPON A TIME on ABC. The story has reached a pivotal moment for several characters. The lines of good and evil have been blurred, but now some players must pick a side, either going back to who they were or moving in a new direction. Do any of the bad guys really have the power to sabotage anything else?

In flashback, we see Cora (Barbara Hershey) return to apologize to Regina (Lana Parrilla) for killing her one true love. But instead of tracking down Robin Hood (Sean Maguire), Cora tries to pass off the Sheriff of Nottingham (Wil Traval) as her daughter’s destiny. Regina sees through it, makes herself barren when she thinks her mother’s plot involves taking control of Regina’s yet-to-be-conceived child, and banishes Cora forever.

I’m not really sure Regina and Cora are well served in “Mother” based on where they were at the time this plot takes place. Cora is truly evil in past installments, and this Cora seems sincerely repentant. This Regina is in the height of her days as the Evil Queen, and seems way too eager to give up what she has achieved for true love. It just doesn’t gel in the continuity.

The present Regina has a much more satisfying story. She considers having Isaac (Patrick Fischler), the Author, write Zelena (Rebecca Mader) out of the storybook entirely. But when Zelena brings up Cora, Regina realizes that part of being a hero is not taking petty revenge on one’s enemies, and she decides to drop the scheme, showing her growth. Unfortunately, Isaac is not at all consistent, first raving about how much he loves Regina’s shades of grey, then immediately fleeing back to Gold’s (Robert Carlyle) side when Regina does the right thing. Also, Regina seems to have achieved her happy ending without the Author’s intervention, which was supposed to be impossible, no?

Gold himself is nearly dead at this point, something that also doesn’t really add up with who he was, especially given his redemption arc in the early seasons, and the fact that we’ve never seen anyone die of a black heart before, no matter how evil they are, even ones much more so than Gold. But I guess we need to suspend disbelief here and hopefully the ending of the season will make sense for ONCE UPON A TIME, at least in the context of recent episodes, though I’m not very optimistic about it.

Speaking of uneven characters, Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten) bypasses a redemption arc entirely, so happy to have her daughter, Lily (Agnes Bruckner), back that she abandons all thoughts of revenge. Even when Lily doesn’t seem to share Maleficent’s vision, Maleficent stays tame and reasonable, ready to be there when Lily does calm down and decide to give a family a try. This is moving, sure, but oh so ridiculous for a villain.

The one subplot that does kind of work in “Mother” is when Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) helps Emma (Jennifer Morrison) forgive her parents. Even though Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) has a completely unnecessary injury at the time and Emma directs her healing words only at her mother, ignoring David (Josh Dallas), who is standing right there, the way this turns out still works well for Emma, resetting her back on the right path.

ONCE UPON A TIME is so frustrating because I feel if the writers either concentrated a little bit on continuity or were allowed to do so (I really don’t know who exactly is to blame for the piece jumping all over the place) it could be very good again, as it once was. Yet, even in an episode like “Mother,” which seems to make sense in theory, there are way too many things that need fixed for it to be praised. I kind of hope Isaac resets everything entirely, wiping the slate clean so the show can start all over again, though I’m sure that’s not what will happen.

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

ONCE UPON A TIME Not as Fresh as a "Lily"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s episode of ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME, entitled “Lily,” should be an exciting, awesome, come-together moment for the season. Instead, it is a mess, with plot holes galore and lots of things that don’t make sense. The problem with ONCE UPON A TIME, and this has been an issue for awhile, is that they come up great stories but fail to think them through. “Lily” is a prime example of that.

As the hour begins, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) embarks on a road trip to find her childhood friend, Lily (Agnes Bruckner, The Returned), who turns out to be Maleficent’s (Kristin Bauer van Straten) daughter (is this Disney Channel’s new Descendants series?). But Emma is really, really angry, the darkness that sprouted when she killed Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) taking root. So Regina (Lana Parrilla) offers to come along, helping Emma and picking up her in-danger love, Robin Hood (Sean Maguire), on the way home.

The thing is, Emma doesn’t have anything prompting the darkness within her to grow. The villains on the show go dark because they do something really bad, and keep making poor choices or pay a magical price. Emma kills Cruella through magic, sure, but to save Henry (Jared Gilmore), and then has no other tempting factors to drive her further onto the wrong side. If there were some sort of explanation offered, such as Emma doing bad breaks the spell that is supposed to keep her good and draws in all the bad she avoided earlier in life to make up for it, leeching it from Lily, who would turn good at the same time, that might be OK, but there isn’t.

Lily has a similar issue with darkness, always making bad choices. In flashback, young Lily (Nicole Munoz) finds young Emma (Abby Ross) again, but because she can’t stop lying and stealing, Emma sends her away. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Timothy Webber) tells Lily the truth behind why she can’t stop doing bad, darkness has been put within her magically, which makes more sense than what is happening to Emma. But then Lily never tracks Emma down again, despite living close to her in Massachusetts and the two being drawn together by fate? What? Really?

Emma finds grown-up Lily, who runs away and steals Emma’s car. But when Emma doesn’t shoot Lily, a very low bar of goodness, Lily goes along with Emma and Regina on the second leg of their journey quite cooperatively. No double-cross or trying to sneak ahead to kill Emma’s parents? No simmering anger at Emma for getting the good side of the magical deal? Why is Lily being so friendly?

Then, ONCE UPON A TIME gets to New York, where Robin at first doesn’t believe Regina, a woman he supposedly loves and trusts, then willingly expresses a desire to stay with Zelena (Rebecca Mader) just because she tricked him into impregnating her. Zelena is completely evil, and Robin’s just going to keep shacking up with her and expose his children, both the already-born one and the unborn, to her? Shouldn’t he be for capturing Zelena and then taking away the baby after its birth?

Worse than all of this, Belle (Emilie de Ravin) seems to have no clue that Regina has possession of her heart, something Belle agreed to, and then softens on Gold (Robert Carlyle) just because he gives it back. After Will (Michael Socha), not Gold, retrieves and brings the heart home, no less. We’re expected to believe that Gold saying he wants Belle to be happy is just going to turn her around, even after knowing all of the bad things he has been doing?

I love the friendship between Regina and Emma, and that part of “Lily” feels real to me. Emma has earned Regina sticking by her when she errs, even if Regina has shown reluctance to being buddies prior to “Lily.” But that is the only thing that feels right in the hour, everything else playing out with typical ONCE UPON A TIME disregard for established characters and arcs. It is extremely disappointing, especially as the program proved for awhile in the past that it could do much, much better.

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

ONCE UPON A TIME Beset By the "De Vil"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

ONCE UPON A TIME seeks to evoke “Sympathy for the De Vil” in this week’s installment on ABC. Through flashback, we see Cruella’s (Victoria Smurfit) evolution as a villain in yet another realm, and how she came by her powers. This unexpectedly influences the present, where Cruella has kidnapped Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), stalling Regina’s (Lana Parilla) attempt to go rescue Robin Hood, but furthering Gold’s (Robert Carlyle) mission to darken Emma’s (Jennifer Morrison) heart.

Cruella’s story mostly makes sense. Locked in the attic by her mother (Anna Galvin, Mr. Young), she is delighted to meet a young writer (Patrick Fischler) who just might be the one to set her free. What neither The Author nor viewers may see coming, though, is that Cruella is a demented villain, kept under control by her mother, who may seem harsh to us, but is actually protecting the world. This is realized too late, after The Author grants Cruella magic over the animals and Cruella slaughters her mother and her mother’s dogs.

What this does is paint Cruella as perhaps the least complicated bad guy on ONCE UPON A TIME. While others have turned dark because they’ve been unable to cope with outside events, many of them still having a chance at redemption, Cruella is nothing but a psychopath. Her whole mission is to get someone to kill The Author because, after the bad stuff went down, he removed her ability to kill anyone. She’s only slightly dangerous, but every bit unstable. This makes her an easy pawn for Gold to make use of Gold’s plan to turn Emma dark is an appropriately sneaky one that she doesn’t see coming. Letting Cruella kidnap Henry may be a risky move if Gold still cares about his grandson at all, an iffy prospect, but knowing Cruella can’t kill the boy surely brings him some comfort. When a child is involved, people tend to get irrational, and Emma will do anything she must to protect her son.

It’s too bad Emma separates from the others or she may have been fine. Her friendship with Regina in “Sympathy for the De Vil” has definitely progressed to a new, satisfying level. They are looking out for one another, and that’s even before they find out that Henry is in danger. Regina is the one most capable of pulling Emma back to the light, having earned her own goodness through much effort, and with Emma on the outs with her parents. This relationship must be protected.

Even Belle (Emilie de Ravin) trusts Regina these days, and considering Regina kept Belle locked up for years, that’s encouraging. Belle lets Regina take out her heart to distract Gold, which is putting a lot of faith in someone who hasn’t deserved it for very long. On the other hand, Belle has her own issues with Gold, and being allowed to mess with him and get a little emotional revenge may be enough to sway her to participate, concerns about Regina aside.

There are some glaring flaws in “Sympathy for the De Vil.” Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten) has worked with Cruella enough to know her powers, so why does she so easily allow Cruella to control her? Emma should not be turning so dark after one justifiable act, as others in the show may gain a hint of darkness this way, but never flip completely, so it seems completely out of character for Emma to do so. And Gold’s explanation about his dying heart is weak, still ignoring the arc that previously redeemed him. But, overall, this hour is better than most recent ones.

Oh, was anyone else sad that we didn’t at least see Archie concerned about Pongo? ONCE UPON A TIME just never gets it quite right, does it?

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

ONCE UPON A TIME Finds "Heart" Amid Inconsistencies

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 18 Heart of Gold on Seat42F.

As this week’s Once Upon A Time begins on ABC, Rumple (Robert Carlyle) finds The Author (Patrick Fischler) as he flees through the woods. This surely spells trouble for our heroes, but this installment, “Heart of Gold,” doesn’t deal with that. Instead, we see flashbacks to both the pre-Storybrooke time and New York City of nine weeks ago. Both periods contain some surprising revelations.

First, in the past we see Rumple send Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) to Oz to steal broken heart potion from the Wicked Witch (Rebecca Mader). Although Robin has already given up being a thief, he is in debt to the Sheriff of Nottingham (Will Traval) and needs the money Rumple is offering. Robin has promised his wife, Marian (Christie Laing), that he will support her, and without what Rumple is offering, he cannot fulfil that promise.

I could argue that Robin’s code is more than a little subjective, stealing when he feels it is justified, and not seemingly feeling any guilt about it. The fact that he lies to Will Scarlet (Michael Socha), whom he meets in Neverland and also promises potion to, proves that Robin’s perspective is a bit skewed. But I didn’t find these plot holes nearly so glaring, given that Robin is consistent with this in the near-present, and I like seeing more of these supporting characters.

Speaking of Will, he is in Oz looking to mend his own broken heart after the death of his sister. This presumably happens before he makes his way to Wonderland. I am still very, very eager to find out how he comes to Storybrooke after the events of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and where the Queen of Hearts, his one true love, is, but “Heart of Gold” doesn’t answer that.

When Robin gets back to the Enchanted Forest, he re-commits himself to the outlaw life. This seems a little unnecessary and hokey. It does provide, though, an opportunity for Robin of Loxley to become Robin Hood, thus combining the two Sherwood myths. I’m not entirely satisfied with the way this plays out, but learning Robin gifts Will the potion, Will doesn’t steal it as I had assumed, is pleasant enough.

As mentioned, present day New York finds Robin with the same wavering morality as in fairytale land. Rumple has a heart attack in Neal’s old apartment, where Robin and his family are now living. Robin feels bad for Rumple, whose dark heart is failing him away from the magic that kept it going, and agrees to go after the same potion, which the Wicked Witch conveniently sent to the real world with The Wizard. Robin steals it and, after a Cowardly Lion-like escape through a window, thinks he cures Rumple.

That’s when the hour’s big shocker comes to ONCE UPON A TIME: Marian is really the Wicked Witch, whom replaced Robin’s love shortly before Emma (Jennifer Morrison) brought her to Storybrooke, and who didn’t really die in season three. It’s slightly sad that the real Marian is dead, but it’s also a bit of a relief to learn that no one else has a legitimate claim to Robin’s heart other than Regina (Lana Parrilla), who deserves a happy ending. The Wicked Witch can’t resist rubbing this in Regina’s face, er, ear, and this allows Rumple to hold Robin over Regina’s head.

Too bad Marian makes Robin delete Regina’s number from his phone, but he has plenty of other Storybrooke denizens in his contact list, so he should be able to go home. Get home, he must. Regina may be able to help him, either though teaming up with Rumple to turn Emma dark, or after defeating the bad guys, which is the outcome I hope for. Regina’s face at the end of “Heart of Gold” doesn’t reveal her decision, but since Robin is on the line, she will definitely have strong feelings about the choice.

Rumple’s more vulnerable scenes in “Heart of Gold” would be good if not for how much ONCE UPON A TIME has ruined his character. His ruminations feel unearned and cheap because he has turned his back on the redemption he earned without explanation. I feel like ONCE UPON A TIME is trying to explain away this glaring inconsistency, but it just doesn’t work.

“Herat of Gold” is one of the better episodes this season. I like all of the Robin and Will stuff, even when it drifts into goofy territory, and finding out the Wicked Witch never really went away is cool. Still, the show just isn’t as good as it once was, and this hour doesn’t plug the holes from previous weeks any more than any other has. ONCE UPON A TIME may one day get good again, but this is a weak attempt at that, even if it’s OK when taken on its own.

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

Is This the "Best" ONCE UPON A TIME Can Do?

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s ONCE UPON A TIME is called “Best Laid Plans” because the characters in it don’t always get what they want, no matter how hard they try and how much thought goes into it beforehand. Whether it’s Regina (Lana Parrilla) trying to play the villains until she finds out their plan, or Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) attempting to ensure their child ends up with a clean soul, things don’t go the way they think they will. It’s hard to control the outcome of anything in life.

In fairy tale land flashbacks, Snow and Charming ask The Apprentice (Timothy Webber) to help ensure their unborn daughter will be good. He tells them a vessel is needed to channel the darkness into, and they decide Maleficent’s egg is just the thing. By the time they realize there’s a baby within, not a monster, it’s too late, and baby, Cruella (Victoria Smurfit), and Ursula (Merrin Dungey) go tumbling into our world.

The whole magic spell in this episode makes no sense, a hole-ridden plot even more shaky than what ONCE UPON A TIME has been delivering on a regular basis lately. If Snow and Charming go to all of this trouble, then Emma (Jennifer Morrison) should be guaranteed to be a hero, right? The darkness has been removed from her. So why do Snow and Charming go to great lengths in the Storybrooke present to try to keep her that way? Why are they worried their fretting over what they did would ruin her as a child? It just doesn’t add up.

This backstory does explain how the female witches came to be on Earth, where Gold (Robert Carlyle) finds them earlier this season. However, when they meet back up with Maleficient a few episodes ago, there is no mention of their disappearance. Assuming they stay on Earth from this point until Gold finds them, why is that not a part of the story earlier in the season? Why doesn’t Maleficent ask what happened to them, or they volunteer what became of her baby, which Gold finally shows her in “Best Laid Plans?”

Lo and behold, Maleficent’s child is none other than Young Emma’s (Abby Ross) friend Lily. Is it just me, or does the coincidence seem too much? ONCE UPON A TIME already shows us how Emma and Lily meet, and it certainly seems like it’s purely by chance. Are we expected to believe there is fate involved, forcing them to come together? That’s not something the show has used before in a major way, especially knowing The Author (Patrick Fischler, Lost, Mad Men) is locked up by this point and can no longer manipulate the story.

Yep, we finally see The Author in “Best Laid Plans,” too. Or, more accurately, we see the last author. He’s the latest in a long line, but unlike his predecessors, he manipulates the story, rather than just observing and recording. Of course, somehow the book continues to be written after he is trapped in the page, as it records the events of the curse, which again, doesn’t make sense.

No amount of great little moments can make up for this gigantic plot holes. Regina and Henry (Jared Gilmore) have a terrific scene in which they communicate with a look, but that is overshadowed by what’s happening around them. Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) is deliciously jealous of Emma’s friendship with August (Eion Bailey), but it’s resolved too quickly. Gold talking to an unconscious Belle (Emilie de Ravin) would be moving, if his character hadn’t already been completely ruined, his redemptive qualities stripped away over the past year. Emma finding out her parents lied to her might be effective, if it weren’t couched in the nonsensical part of the story in which she could still somehow go bad. Ditto for Maleficent’s pain at losing her child to so-called “heroes.” I just don’t get why this show, which delivered half a season of greatness just over a year ago, could fall so far and not recover. It really bums me out.

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

"Poor" ONCE UPON A TIME

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 4 Episode 16 Poor Unfortunate Soul on Seat42F.

ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME focuses on yet another “Poor Unfortunate Soul” in this week’s episode. This time, it’s Ursula (Merrin Dungey) who is getting a bad rap based on past wrongs. Can our heroes use that to their advantage and peel her away from the other villains? Hopefully before Regina (Lana Parilla) and / or August (Eion Bailey) are lost to them forever?

The backstory between Ursula and Hook finally comes out. When Ursula is young (and played by The Following’s Tiffany Boone), she is promised help from Hook (Colin O’Donoghue). When her father, King Poseidon (Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters, Oz), interferes in their deal, though, Hook also fails to hold up his end of the bargain. In a fit of rage, Ursula trades tail for tentacles and becomes the familiar evil monster. Of course, Hook makes up for his bad decision in the present, helping Ursula get her voice back, and the sea witch gives up her dastardly quest to return home with her dad.

I don’t know that I really buy this. This is the trade deal Hook is so ashamed of he can’t tell Emma (Jennifer Morrison)? Seems he is at least sort of in the right, even if he’s not noble. Ursula, while plagued by grief, gives up everything because her singing voice is gone, rather than fighting to get it back? Then, a long, long time later, she switches sides again just because she gets the voice back?

And how does Ursula get a happy ending with her father? She’s a villain, right? The rules that ONCE UPON A TIME establishes are that villains cannot have their happy endings. Yet, Ursula gets one, and Hook is having one with Emma right now. Regina would be near one had Robin (Sean Maguire) not been forced to leave, which had nothing to do with the story. This is all quite flimsy and doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

That is, unless we find out all of Rumple’s (Robert Carlyle) character development, including his redemption arc from the first two and a half seasons, is magically taken away by the book because of the story rules, and the same happens for Ursula and Hook. That would fix a large number of the problems I and others have had with the last year, and help get ONCE UPON A TIME back on track. Though, there’s no evidence of that happening in “Poor Unfortunate Soul.”

Speaking of the bad guys, the witches and Rumple torture August for information, which they don’t get. However, Regina manages to get a message off to the good guys, who then come and rescue August. Because Rumple doesn’t trust Regina, this actually works in her favor, making sure she’s not around to blame for August’s escape. This is a clever twist.

Will August stay in the show? I don’t think Once Upon A Time will toss in a true Emma / Hook / August love triangle because Emma and Hook are already quite far down the romantic path, so what would August’s purpose be? Honestly, I don’t care; I’d just like to keep him around.

August reveals that the author is trapped inside the book, which makes him much harder for the villains to get to. I don’t know why Regina tells Rumple that Henry (Jared Gilmore) has the missing page, as she should do everything possible to keep from endangering her son, especially after seeing Rumple torture August. But for now, as long as Henry holds onto the page, the author will be safe and the villains won’t get their happy ending.

Yet, going directly for the author isn’t Rumple’s plan, anyway. He wants to turn Emma’s heart dark, since the bad guys can’t win as long as the Savior exists. Wouldn’t the Savior, by definition, have to be a Savior? How can she be swayed to the other side? Does that negate what she’s done? I don’t get this bit of logic, or lack thereof, either.

“Poor Unfortunate Soul” isn’t totally bad. A dream sequence Regina has involving Robin and the Evil Queen is cool, even if the writers then have Regina over-explain it to the audience. There are also some good lines and touching moments, including when Ariel (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) returns and saves Hook. The problem is, the story is so disjointed and poorly planned out that it’s hard to see how the show will twist itself into something even resembling a satisfying resolution. Not to mention, when did Elsa get the power to shrink ships and store them in bottles? ONCE UPON A TIME has been driving on the edge of a cliff, frequently teetering, but I think it’s finally gone off completely.

Once Upon A Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.