Once Upon a Time...Under Suspicion

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 10: "The Cricket Game"

Quick synopsis: Cora and Hook arrive in Storybrooke, where Cora decides to meddle in Regina's affairs, claiming that Regina is not yet "broken."  This happens shortly after Regina leaves a welcome back party at Granny's, which Emma had invited her to, feeling that the others will never accept that she is trying to change.   Emma had told her she decided to invite her after speaking with Archie, who expressed that he thought Regina was making progress in her efforts.

The next morning, Regina confronts Archie, feeling the patient-doctor confidentiality agreement has been breached, and Ruby sees the argument.  So, of course, when Archie is found "dead" the next morning, the gang immediately concluded that it must have been an angry Regina (while in reality it was Cora glamored to resemble her daughter).  This conclusion is corroborated by evidence gathered from Pongo's memory, which is magically revealed by Rumpel and Emma (who consciously uses magic for the first time.)  By the end of the episode, with Henry believing his mother killed Archie, Regina is sufficiently broken and the audience is left with a final shot of the real Archie imprisoned on Hook's ship.

The fairyback parallel features Regina about to be put to death at the stake, but Snow feels that there is still good in her and calls off the execution.  However, when put to the test, Regina tries to kill Snow and is banished, setting into motion the plans for the curse that would later result in the move to Storybrooke.

Despite garnering some positive reviews from Entertainment Weekly and IGN, I have to say I was disappointed with this episode.  I felt the plot device of an innocent-framed-for-murder was used well in season one when Mary Margaret was the primary suspect in the disappearance of Abigail/Catherine, but to use the exact same idea replacing Regina with Snow and Archie with Abigail makes it seem like the writers are getting lazy.  Was there no other way they could think of that would result in Regina contemplating a return to evil?

Also, the self-righteous attitude of the heroes (especially David) in this episode was disgusting.  I realize that in fairy tales things have absolutes, so this is likely a nod to the black-and-white nature of the original tales, but the audience is much more sophisticated than that.  If the supposed villains Regina and Rumpel can have such nuanced roles, why can't the protagonists?  These "monsters" are much more human in my opinion.

All in all, a somewhat disappointing return.

Sara's Library: The Bloody Chamber

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
Original publication: Gollancz 1979
This edition: Penguin Books 1990
A+

As a fan of both fairy tales and Gothic literature, this had been on my to-read list for awhile.  I finally read it back in October, as part of my month of Gothic horror, but somehow never got around to writing about it.  Were this just a piece of mindless fluff, I suppose I wouldn't bother, but writing of this caliber deserves to be properly reviewed, even if it comes months after the fact.

Being a collection of ten short stories, I don't intend to write about every story's merits and flaws, but rather the collection as a whole.  However, I did have a few favorites, as was to be expected.

Overall, this was a phenomenal collection with decadently rich, descriptive writing throughout.  Despite its short length, this is the kind of book one savors.  I truly enjoyed the subversion of the "damsel in distress" in a number of these stories, and while this has become common in mainstream media, even to the point of being touched upon in Disney films and serial dramas, Ms. Carter was one of the first to do it and one of the best.  I can't really think of any complaints I had, aside from a minor quip about repeated stories (two "Beauty and the Beast", three "Red Riding Hood.")  But, given that most of these stories were published elsewhere before being collected, it's easily forgivable.

The novellette from which this collection derives its name is one of my top tales, primarily because its story is the most fully realized.  A retelling of "Bluebeard," here the protagonist is a young conservatory student wed to an older, wealthy man with sexual tastes akin to that of the romantic interest in one of the most poorly written bestsellers of all time.  Rather than bombard the audience with tacky sex scenes, Ms. Carter alludes to the acts in sensual prose.  Being a "Bluebeard" tale, the husband leaves on business, forbidding the girl to enter one chamber in particular, where she discovers the extent of his sadism.

While the girl remains a damsel in distress in this tale, it's worth noting that she's not saved by a man (though a blind piano tuner does gallantly remain with her through her peril), but her mother.  This is in keeping with the familiar saviors in the original tale (her brothers), while giving the story a feminist perspective.

My other particular favorite is "The Tiger's Bride," which is an inspired retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," where the daughter is gambled away in a game of cards.  While I liked the other animal husband tale in the book, I felt this one stood out more because of its reversed ending.

Whether read as a whole, or in part, I cannot recommend this collection enough to any fans of gothic literature or fairy tales.  I will definitely be reading Ms. Carter's novels at some point!

Once Upon a Time...on the Lake Shore

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 9: "Queen of Hearts"

The episode opens with a flashback in which Hook tries to gather information from Belle about how to kill Rumpel, though he soon learns that even if they sought the same thing, she has no information to give.  Instead, Regina asks him to travel to Wonderland and kill her mother there, enchanting his hook so he can remove Cora's heart.  She also explains her plans for the curse and how Hook will benefit from it.  Once in Wonderland, however, he fails to kill Cora, who has become the Queen of Hearts (rather literally), and ultimately sides with her upon learning that his revenge plot would be forgotten after the curse is cast.  So we now understand why and how Hook ended up on Cora's side and missed being placed under the curse.

Back in the main plotline, Snow, Emma, and company travel to Snow's old palace to find the ink Rumpel told them about last episode, though the jar they find is empty.  All they discover is a scroll with "Emma" written repeatedly, line after line, and a mind-controlled (or heart, in this instance) traitor in their midst when Aurora traps them in the cell.  Cora and Hook arrive, stealing the compass from the imprisoned group, and leave thinking there will be no further obstacles in their journey to Storybrooke.  But Snow realizes the ink was used to write the scroll and uses it to unlock the door.

The two rival factions then duke it out on the shores of Lake Nostos, where good ultimately wins.  Emma and Snow travel through a portal in the lake back to Maine, while Mulan and Aurora (with newly restored heart) go in search of Philip in the realm of the wraith.

On the other side, Rumpel and Regina, fearing that Cora will be the one to travel through the portal, rig the well to kill whoever passes through it.  However, when Henry learns of the plan, he pleads with his mum to release the spell, knowing without a doubt that Snow and Emma will travel through the portal.  Ultimately, Regina recants, and the duo safely emerge from the well.  Snow awakens David with a kiss and all is well until a pirate ship is seen near the dock in the last scene.

I have to say, for a midseason finale, I was disappointed with this episode.  There were occasional clever  touches (especially Cora as the Queen of Hearts), but I am tired of events resolving themselves so neatly and so quickly.  Given its consistently high ratings, the creators can't be worried about cancellation, so why the need to rush through everything?  I really would have preferred if Snow and Emma were on the other side the whole season, and what was the point in knocking David out only to revive him by the end of the next episode?  There's no tension if things resolve from episode to episode.  Maybe the writers just don't have faith in their audience's ability to keep up with a sprawling serial?

I'm rather curious as to where the series is headed, if Cora and Hook are already in Storybrooke.  By the end of the season, they'll have likely been defeated, and then what?  Aside from Baelfire and Neal, there aren't many loose threads at this point, and I'm not sure what stories will be left to tell come the third season (which I expect will exist).  Maybe the new episodes will assuage the doubts I now have.

Once Upon a Time...in Flames

Sorry for the prolonged absence.  The holidays are always quite busy for me, and my volunteer gig needed me a few extra times for holiday-related events.  I'm also still on the job hunt, preparing stuff for an upcoming convention and immersed in the 3000 page three-volume translation of Arabian Nights that came out a few years ago.  I am, however, hoping to post more consistently this year.

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 8: "Into the Deep"

As deduced in the previous episode, Henry and Aurora share the dream of the fiery chamber, and once the two are able to make contact and determine their respective identities, the two begin to play a lengthy game of telephone, delivering messages back and forth between the worlds.  Once our reformed villains learn that

 Cora is alive and well and plotting her return, Rumpel gives Henry privileged information about how to stop her.  Unfortunately, Aurora's group is attacked, forcing her awake before she can receive the information.

The Maine group then stupidly decided that, because Henry was burnt while in the dream, it is too dangerous for him to continue relaying messages. So David asks for Regina and Rumpel to concoct a sleeping curse so that he may play messenger (though really this is because he hopes that Snow will be the one he meets).  And, as Aurora is kidnapped, it is indeed Snow with whom David meets in fiery dreamland.  Unfortunately for David, the two are incorporeal in dreamland, and thus unable to kiss and break his newly minted sleeping curse.  Oops.

For the most part, I enjoyed this episode, as it gave Henry an opportunity to shine (no pun intended) and allowed both of our former baddies the chance to do something good not just for Henry, but for all of Storybrooke.  I do have to wonder, though, why neither Rumpel nor Regina bothered to poke the necessary holes in David's scheme.  Could there be a reason they might want him out of the picture?

This episode didn't spend any time unraveling loose plot threads, though it did a good job of moving the plot forward and bridging the gap between casts.  I'm planning on watching and posting about episode nine this weekend before the new episodes start airing, so I'm hoping for some answers in the mid-season finale.

Once Upon a Time...at the Full Moon

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Episode 7: "Child of the Moon"

This episode returned to the fairy-back format to give the audience more information on Ruby's backstory, namely how she learned to control her monthly transformation through a chance encounter with a werewolf clan.  In the present, it is the first full moon since the curse was broken last season, so Ruby is anxious that she will no longer be able to control herself while in wolf form.  After a local is discovered dead the next morning, Ruby fears the worst and Spencer/King George rallies the townspeople against her, leaving David/Charming to solve the mystery behind the crime.

Very little of Snow and Emma was seen in this episode, save for a brief segment at the very end of the episode.  This was very much Ruby's episode to shine.  As such, there weren't a lot of hints about the loose threads in the series, save for some exposition about the shared "dream" between Aurora and Henry.  One line given by Rumpel after providing a protective amulet to Henry leads me to think my suspicions are correct, but time will tell.

All in all, a nice episode for a character whom we don't usually see enough of.  I'm looking forward to catching up with the other episodes this weekend.