ABC's Once Upon a Time - Part 8

[Sawyer]

They are definitely running out of ideas. Hopefully when they reunite the 2 pieces of Excalibur into one sword it will do away with the Dark One forever & peace & harmony can return back to the enchanted forest & then they can end this convoluted show.

Or some whiny ass people can stop watching if it's such a chore for them.

 

[Primal Slayer]

And you're whining about something... AGAIN.

Watching Glee wasn't a bag of skittles for you, me, anyone but guess what? we kept watching anyway. And it is ridiculous for them to pull this stunt again in such a short time frame. They just did it LAST season!

 

[DigificWriter]

I wasn't sure if I was going to cross-post this, but reading comments like the one directly above has convinced me that, unfortunately, the sentiments I express at the beginning of the following review post (initially posted elsewhere) are as needed here as they were where I first posted it:

We started the night with a special highlighting the very best of this fandom and all the reasons I love being a part of it, only to end the night with a stark reminder of the completely opposite end of the spectrum, at least in this particular corner of the fandom.

I absolutely loved the premiere, and cannot wait to see what happens next. I also don't see any reason to take umbrage with the way the episode ended and the decision to create a 'flashback narrative' for the series, since doing so allows the series to return to the kind of storytelling that dominated the first season and that I've seen certain posters here clamoring for a return to in the past.

The Dark Swan, as an episode, reminded me very much of not only the Pilot, but also much of Season 3 (which also represented a return to the kind of storytelling formula that dominated Season 1), and was, IMO, just as strong as those episodes. It also managed to add new things to the tried-and-true formula that didn't feel forced or inorganic, and gives the writers and producers a plethora of different storytelling avenues they can go down.

Once is the kind of series that requires a macguffin of sorts in order to allow its basic narrative premise (or any variation thereof) to work, and the easiest and most relatable type of 'macguffin' the writers can find is some variation of a Curse, which shouldn't be any surprise given the series' past, or all that offensive to anyone who considers themselves a fan of the series.

I loved the idea of having the Darkness within Emma manifest itself as a physical vision of Rumple; it was a perfect way to visually present what was, by necessity, going to be a very internal struggle, and served the dual benefit of allowing them to actually use Robert Carlyle rather than keeping him on the sidelines.

Rebecca Mader's Zelena was one of my absolute favorite character additions to the series, and it was great to see her return last year and again this year, and the way in which her storyline was integrated into the broader narrative of tonight's episode was handled very well. I also can't wait to see how she factors into the flashback storyline of what happened in Camelot.

Merida's introduction was great, and I cannot wait to see more of her (which I know we will). The callbacks to her filmic story were handled really well and made her the perfect 'foil' for Emma, as did Amy Manson's performance. She really embodied the character we're already familiar with, while also bringing her own unique approach to the table, and, like the casting of the Frozen characters from last season, really speaks to the phenomenal talents of the producers and casting team.

I really like the Dark Swan costume design, and think Eduardo Castro has outdone himself once again. It's familiarly evocative of Rumple's Dark One garb, while also being unique enough to Emma that it doesn't feel like it's a retread of anything that's been previously seen. The only complaint I have is that the glitter-scale makeup isn't as pronounced or heavy as I think it ought to be, but it does very much work for the character and strikes a nice balance between being true to what's been previously established as far as the general look of the Dark One is concerned while also not requiring Jennifer Morrison to go through as much of an intensive makeup process as Robert Carlyle has.

I honestly think that The Dark Swan is the series' strongest premiere episode to date, and one that sets the season off on a very interesting trajectory that I cannot wait to see slowly unfold itself going forward.

This episode gets a full - and very well-deserved and well-earned - 10 out of 10 rating, and really shouldn't be getting the kinds of complaints leveled against it that I've seen thus far.

 

[Primal Slayer]

If you have to have the characters go back to FTL every year and sent back to Storybrook with temporary amnesia every single season just to give you some flashback juice, there is a problem.

 

[Sawyer]

Watching Glee wasn't a bag of skittles for you, me, anyone but guess what? we kept watching anyway. And it is ridiculous for them to pull this stunt again in such a short time frame. They just did it LAST season!

Season 3 wasn't last season.

If you have to have the characters go back to FTL every year and sent back to Storybrook with temporary amnesia every single season just to give you some flashback juice, there is a problem.

You just said a few posts ago it's been done 3 times in 5 seasons.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Season 3 wasn't last season.

Then let me correct myself, they just did it in season 3! 3 times in 5 seasons! Guess that means we are good now until Season 7.

You just said a few posts ago it's been done 3 times in 5 seasons.

If they have to do it every season as in future season.

 

[DigificWriter]

If you have to have the characters go back to FTL every year and sent back to Storybrook with temporary amnesia every single season just to give you some flashback juice, there is a problem.

Not when Curses and the ramifications thereof are a baked-in part of the very narrative premise of the series.

This is exactly the kind of stuff that Once Upon a Time was BUILT UPON, and it's also exactly the kind of thing that certain parts of this fandom have been clamoring for a return to in the past, which makes complaining about it when they actually go back to the tried-and-true formula extremely silly and representative of the worst extremes of said fandom and the reaction to the series.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Not all curses are built the same. And I doubt fans have been clamoring for the characters to be sent to FTL again only to end up in Storybook 5mins later with some amnesia

The sleeping curse doesn't give them amnesia and send them from FTL to Storybrook again.

 

[ThePhantasm]

 

[Primal Slayer]

 

[ThePhantasm]

don't mind me, I find it hot

 

[DigificWriter]

Not all curses are built the same. And I doubt fans have been clamoring for the characters to be sent to FTL again only to end up in Storybook 5mins later with some amnesia

The sleeping curse doesn't give them amnesia and send them from FTL to Storybrook again.

Certain parts of the fandom have clamored in the past (rather loudly, I might add) for the show to return to the kind of storytelling formula that was used in Season 1, and that's exactly what they've done. They did reuse a 'macguffin' trope that had been previously used in Season 3 in order to facilitate a return to that earlier type of storytelling formula, but that is honestly not a bad thing, nor ought it to be seen as one.

 

[Sawyer]

Not all curses are built the same. And I doubt fans have been clamoring for the characters to be sent to FTL again only to end up in Storybook 5mins later with some amnesia

The sleeping curse doesn't give them amnesia and send them from FTL to Storybrook again.

If that was actually what's happening within the storyline, I'm sure they wouldn't. We're not being shorted Camelot/FTL, we're just getting it running parallel to another storyline/time period, and if everyone had their memories intact, literally the very next episode, they'd recap "So this happened and this happened and this happened" and any actual coverage of their time in Camelot would be pointless. You're getting FTL s*** and the price you have to pay is a tiny bout of amnesia. Take it or leave it.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Well it should be. It's lazy, it's repetitive, and it means it will have to be something they fall back on again in 2 years. The show has never lacked in flashbacks and finding ways to insert Snow/Charming into them, that has never gone away. No need to be recursed Pt.3: The Curse Strikes again!

 

[DigificWriter]

As I said earlier, Curses and the ramifications thereof are BUILT INTO the very foundational premise of the series, so complaining about the continued use of a Curse - or other associated magical malady/affliction (such as memory loss) - in order to facilitate the kind of storytelling narrative upon which the series relied so heavily during its first season (which is what people fell in love with and what they've previously clamored for a return to) is to be demanding that the series be something it's not and isn't meant to be.

 

[Primal Slayer]

The series is not about the characters constantly getting the same exact curse brought upon them all the time but with a minor change. Shows grow especially beyond their initial premise. The show is still about fairytale characters, still about the Charming family, the magical relocation amnesia curse is not part of that.

 

[PyroChamber]

Did I miss something or did Belle not have any lines in this episode? Because I kept wondering exactly why she was there.

 

[Sawyer]

Well it should be. It's lazy, it's repetitive, and it means it will have to be something they fall back on again in 2 years. The show has never lacked in flashbacks and finding ways to insert Snow/Charming into them, that has never gone away. No need to be recursed Pt.3: The Curse Strikes again!

You're whining about laziness and repetition, but you want them to just keep doing what they've been doing? I'm sorry, no. At a certain point, they'll run out of good flashback material for the leads. In fact, they might have already. They can only keep that format going for so long before they land on a "Here's how Jack got his tattoos" episode and are forced to shuffle things around. This is it. Instead of "Here's that time Charming had a slumber party with Odysseus and Beowulf", it's "Here's how they all failed to do what they set out to do and now Emma is punishing them for it". And, in fact, I'm sure there's a good reason that Emma did what she did to them. We just have to wait to see why.

 

[Primal Slayer]

If that was actually what's happening within the storyline, I'm sure they wouldn't. We're not being shorted Camelot/FTL, we're just getting it running parallel to another storyline/time period, and if everyone had their memories intact, literally the very next episode, they'd recap "So this happened and this happened and this happened" and any actual coverage of their time in Camelot would be pointless. You're getting FTL s*** and the price you have to pay is a tiny bout of amnesia. Take it or leave it.

Then they should probably think of a different way to do it.

You're whining about laziness and repetition, but you want them to just keep doing what they've been doing? I'm sorry, no. At a certain point, they'll run out of good flashback material for the leads. In fact, they might have already. They can only keep that format going for so long before they land on a "Here's how Jack got his tattoos" episode and are forced to shuffle things around. This is it. Instead of "Here's that time Charming had a slumber party with Odysseus and Beowulf", it's "Here's how they all failed to do what they set out to do and now Emma is punishing them for it". And, in fact, I'm sure there's a good reason that Emma did what she did to them. We just have to wait to see why.

Then they best start thinking up something new. Or introduce more long term characters they can have the characters flashback to. Or introduce some flash forwards.

IF they can come up with a good enough reason to have pulled this stunt for the 3rd time, maybe I'll able to accept it in the long run. But as of right now in the short run, I don't.

 

[Sawyer]

Then they should probably think of a different way to do it.



Then they best start thinking up something new. Or introduce more long term characters they can have the characters flashback to. Or introduce some flash forwards.

Or they can do it exactly the way they are and you can take it or leave it.

 

[ThePhantasm]

lawd

 

[Primal Slayer]

Or they can do it exactly the way they are and you can take it or leave it.

Or they can come up with something new cause I will neither take it nor leave it.

 

[DigificWriter]

Or they can do it exactly the way they are and you can take it or leave it.

QFT.

Once Upon a Time is by no means the only series 'guilty' of re-using 'macguffin' ideas in order to facilitate a particular type of storytelling, nor ought they to be criticized for doing so, especially when doing so does allow them to return to the kind of storytelling formula that made the show as popular as it's become in the first place.

 

[Primal Slayer]

The show exactly wasn't hurting in the ratings department last season now were they? Or in the popular department.

 

[DigificWriter]

The show has never been 'hurting' in the ratings department, but there is a certain part of the fandom that had wanted a return to the kind of storytelling formula that was used in Season 1 and revisited first in Season 3 and now again here with Season 5, and the way in which said return to form was facilitated in both Season 3 and again here is very much in keeping with the very foundational premise of the series and with the general storytelling approach that said foundational premise has in many respects mandated since Day 1.