Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 10 - 7:15am - "A Magical Cure"
Drink it in good health, Snow White...
For Mary Margaret and David Nolan, love has not been easy. It's been taken away, nearly destroyed, only to come back and tempt them again at nearly every turn. It's meant to be, if only they can find a way...
While David recently chose to stay with his wife, Kathryn, rather than pursue a relationship with Mary Margaret, Mary Margaret won't give up. She can't get him out of her head. So rather than try and do everything she can to make sure that happens, she decides the best cure is stalking him, I mean "bumping into" him, any chance she gets. Not only that, she knows his schedule...to the minute. Every morning he goes to Granny's to buy coffee for him and his wife at 7:15am. Goes to work at the animal shelter until 5 and on Thursdays, he orders Chinese takeout. Convenient knowledge for running into him all over town.
One particular morning of stalking, Mary Margaret heads off to school, AKA Granny's to see David. However, Emma catches her. Emma's advice: Don't go to Granny's tomorrow. It's the first place to start. Sure, it won't magically cure Mary Margaret's broken heart, but it's a start. A good place to start.
Much like Mary Margaret's troubles, Snow White is in a similar predicament. There's more at stake for Snow and her Prince Charming. They have to stay away from each other, otherwise heads may roll. You see, Prince Charming is betrothed to King Midas' daughter Abigail via a threat from King George. The royal wedding is set to happen in two days time. The catch, neither Snow White and Prince Charming can forget about one another. Their love is strong, even after meeting just once in the woods over a month ago.
Snow White's found her wooded solitude, but being alone hasn't helped her get over Charming. If only there was a cure....a magical cure.
It just so happens there is. According to Red, as in Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin can solve Snow's problem. His powers are to be feared and there's always a price. But without any other options, Snow decides to take her chances. It's better than this most painful affliction on her heart.
So, across a fog covered lake in a simple row boat, Snow White doesn't have to wait long for Rumple's appearance. A few creepy giggles later, Rumple fills a small vile with clear lake water that suddenly turns cloudy and hands it to Snow White. That cloudy lake water can make Snow White forget Prince Charming indefinitely so long as she drinks it after seeing him again. (I guess the lake water doesn't just know which guy is afflicting her; she has to see him first...)
Rumple's price for such a cure: A single strand of Snow White's long, raven black hair. Why? What does it matter, he replies. Snow White no longer needs it. And so, thinking she just got one heck of a deal, she watches Rumple mysteriously disappear into the mist.
Back in Storybrooke, a storm is brewing. A raging storm in fact. Although, nothing to be feared weather-wise. I mean, the winds are only reaching a gusty 6mph. No. The storm I'm talking about is not in a meteorologist's vocabulary. Mainly along the lines of love and crackling tension.
While taking a walk, Mary Margaret stumbles upon a rare North Atlantic dove. It's unique in the fact that it can't survive alone without a life-long mate. And being separated forever would probably kill it. (Sound familiar, Mary Margaret?) That's probably why Mary Margaret takes it upon herself to see that this dove makes it back to her, yes her, flock. She needs to be with her mate.
So into the brewing storm Mary Margaret heads for the woods. How she knows where the bird's flock is, I don't know. But, then again, Snow White always had a way with animals. Such a gift must have transferred to Mary Mary Margaret.
David, afraid for Mary Margaret's life, (because of the storm), follows her into the rain and ends up saving her life. Did I mention that Mary Margaret slipped down a hill and went right over a cliff only to conveniently grasp a loose tree root? Well, she did. And David caught up to her just in time to pull her back onto solid ground.
Now, the rain's coming down hard and they need to find shelter. An old, abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods will do. After a few breaking and entering techniques, i.e. kicking open the front door, Mary Margaret and David build a fire and dry off, trying to desperately find conversation that doesn't have to do with their feelings. Of course, that's not possible. So, confessions of stalking are made from both parties, and surprisingly enough, neither cares. In fact, they find it romantic. But what can they do? He's married. It doesn't matter that he has feelings for her. There should be no feelings at all. He's made his choice.
The solution. Avoid each other. And while avoiding each other sounds simple in theory, it's much harder in practice. Especially when they both think so much alike. Rather than get coffee at 7:15am, Mary Margaret and David wait, hoping to just miss the other at Granny's. So when David and Mary Margaret both show up at Granny's at 7:45am they're shocked. Of course they can't avoid each other. They're love is real. It's meant to be. That's why they keep coming together, even when it seems impossible. They really do have true love.
There's still that obstacle of Kathryn, but right now it doesn't matter. And so, in broad daylight, the long awaited kiss between these two finally happens.
Across the street, in her nice BMW, Regina watches on...
Back in Fairy Tale Land, the wedding is nearly there. Snow White must get to her Prince one last time, especially after receiving a letter where he declares his love for her. If she comes to see him then their love is real and he will do everything he can to be with her. And she the same. She loves him too. But what Prince Charming doesn't know, is that on her way to see him, Snow White has been captured by King George's men, thrown in a dungeon only to escape with Grumpy and Stealthy (the eighth dwarf), and then be threatened by King George. His threat: Tell Charming she doesn't love him or else he will kill Charming. For him, the wedding must happen because unity with King Midas' trumps all else. Even true love.
Snow White has no choice. She loves Prince Charming too much to see him die because of her. She agrees and meets with James. He's packing for the wedding trip when she walks in. He's overjoyed. His true love has come and now they can be together. But then Snow White steps away. With tears in her eyes she declares that she doesn't love him. She can't. Not like he wants her too. And she's only come to say good-bye. It's one of the most touching moments of the show as she walks away.
Heartbroken and lonely, Snow White comes across Grumpy and the gang. They ask her to come live with them. Right now she needs friends. She tells them about her magical lake water potion. Grumpy advises her not to take it. It won't solve her problems. It's the trials in life that make us who we are. If the pain really is too much then she can take it, but for now, let it be.
But there is no hope of relief, until....
The wedding is off! Charming is not going to marry Abigail! Grumpy rushes to tell Snow White...
Snow White, dressed in a gown to match her name, lounges on her bed in the dwarves' cabin. On the end table the empty vile lays toppled over.
"Who?" asks Snow White when Grumpy tells her about Prince Charming. Her pain...it's gone. The royal wedding and the handsome prince is no longer any concern for her.
She's completely forgotten who he is...
Lastly, there's that thing about the new stranger in town. He mysteriously carries around a leather box on the back of his motorcycle. What's in it? Who is he? What does he want? These are the questions Regina wants Emma to find out. And so, Emma confronts the stranger. He agrees to show her what's in his box if he can buy her a drink sometime. A drink? Deal.
The stranger opens the box to reveal an old typewriter. He's a writer? What's he doing in Storybrooke? He feels it gives him inspiration. But is that really why he's here?
Burning Questions:
1) What does Rumplestiltskin want with Snow White's hair?
2) What was the thing Snow White helped Red with when no one else would?
3) Who's the stranger? What does he really want?
4) What's going to happen with Kathryn?
5) How does Prince Charming call off the wedding?
~ Taryn
For Mary Margaret and David Nolan, love has not been easy. It's been taken away, nearly destroyed, only to come back and tempt them again at nearly every turn. It's meant to be, if only they can find a way...
While David recently chose to stay with his wife, Kathryn, rather than pursue a relationship with Mary Margaret, Mary Margaret won't give up. She can't get him out of her head. So rather than try and do everything she can to make sure that happens, she decides the best cure is stalking him, I mean "bumping into" him, any chance she gets. Not only that, she knows his schedule...to the minute. Every morning he goes to Granny's to buy coffee for him and his wife at 7:15am. Goes to work at the animal shelter until 5 and on Thursdays, he orders Chinese takeout. Convenient knowledge for running into him all over town.
One particular morning of stalking, Mary Margaret heads off to school, AKA Granny's to see David. However, Emma catches her. Emma's advice: Don't go to Granny's tomorrow. It's the first place to start. Sure, it won't magically cure Mary Margaret's broken heart, but it's a start. A good place to start.
Much like Mary Margaret's troubles, Snow White is in a similar predicament. There's more at stake for Snow and her Prince Charming. They have to stay away from each other, otherwise heads may roll. You see, Prince Charming is betrothed to King Midas' daughter Abigail via a threat from King George. The royal wedding is set to happen in two days time. The catch, neither Snow White and Prince Charming can forget about one another. Their love is strong, even after meeting just once in the woods over a month ago.
Snow White's found her wooded solitude, but being alone hasn't helped her get over Charming. If only there was a cure....a magical cure.
It just so happens there is. According to Red, as in Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin can solve Snow's problem. His powers are to be feared and there's always a price. But without any other options, Snow decides to take her chances. It's better than this most painful affliction on her heart.
So, across a fog covered lake in a simple row boat, Snow White doesn't have to wait long for Rumple's appearance. A few creepy giggles later, Rumple fills a small vile with clear lake water that suddenly turns cloudy and hands it to Snow White. That cloudy lake water can make Snow White forget Prince Charming indefinitely so long as she drinks it after seeing him again. (I guess the lake water doesn't just know which guy is afflicting her; she has to see him first...)
Rumple's price for such a cure: A single strand of Snow White's long, raven black hair. Why? What does it matter, he replies. Snow White no longer needs it. And so, thinking she just got one heck of a deal, she watches Rumple mysteriously disappear into the mist.
Back in Storybrooke, a storm is brewing. A raging storm in fact. Although, nothing to be feared weather-wise. I mean, the winds are only reaching a gusty 6mph. No. The storm I'm talking about is not in a meteorologist's vocabulary. Mainly along the lines of love and crackling tension.
While taking a walk, Mary Margaret stumbles upon a rare North Atlantic dove. It's unique in the fact that it can't survive alone without a life-long mate. And being separated forever would probably kill it. (Sound familiar, Mary Margaret?) That's probably why Mary Margaret takes it upon herself to see that this dove makes it back to her, yes her, flock. She needs to be with her mate.
So into the brewing storm Mary Margaret heads for the woods. How she knows where the bird's flock is, I don't know. But, then again, Snow White always had a way with animals. Such a gift must have transferred to Mary Mary Margaret.
David, afraid for Mary Margaret's life, (because of the storm), follows her into the rain and ends up saving her life. Did I mention that Mary Margaret slipped down a hill and went right over a cliff only to conveniently grasp a loose tree root? Well, she did. And David caught up to her just in time to pull her back onto solid ground.
Now, the rain's coming down hard and they need to find shelter. An old, abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods will do. After a few breaking and entering techniques, i.e. kicking open the front door, Mary Margaret and David build a fire and dry off, trying to desperately find conversation that doesn't have to do with their feelings. Of course, that's not possible. So, confessions of stalking are made from both parties, and surprisingly enough, neither cares. In fact, they find it romantic. But what can they do? He's married. It doesn't matter that he has feelings for her. There should be no feelings at all. He's made his choice.
The solution. Avoid each other. And while avoiding each other sounds simple in theory, it's much harder in practice. Especially when they both think so much alike. Rather than get coffee at 7:15am, Mary Margaret and David wait, hoping to just miss the other at Granny's. So when David and Mary Margaret both show up at Granny's at 7:45am they're shocked. Of course they can't avoid each other. They're love is real. It's meant to be. That's why they keep coming together, even when it seems impossible. They really do have true love.
There's still that obstacle of Kathryn, but right now it doesn't matter. And so, in broad daylight, the long awaited kiss between these two finally happens.
Across the street, in her nice BMW, Regina watches on...
Back in Fairy Tale Land, the wedding is nearly there. Snow White must get to her Prince one last time, especially after receiving a letter where he declares his love for her. If she comes to see him then their love is real and he will do everything he can to be with her. And she the same. She loves him too. But what Prince Charming doesn't know, is that on her way to see him, Snow White has been captured by King George's men, thrown in a dungeon only to escape with Grumpy and Stealthy (the eighth dwarf), and then be threatened by King George. His threat: Tell Charming she doesn't love him or else he will kill Charming. For him, the wedding must happen because unity with King Midas' trumps all else. Even true love.
Snow White has no choice. She loves Prince Charming too much to see him die because of her. She agrees and meets with James. He's packing for the wedding trip when she walks in. He's overjoyed. His true love has come and now they can be together. But then Snow White steps away. With tears in her eyes she declares that she doesn't love him. She can't. Not like he wants her too. And she's only come to say good-bye. It's one of the most touching moments of the show as she walks away.
Heartbroken and lonely, Snow White comes across Grumpy and the gang. They ask her to come live with them. Right now she needs friends. She tells them about her magical lake water potion. Grumpy advises her not to take it. It won't solve her problems. It's the trials in life that make us who we are. If the pain really is too much then she can take it, but for now, let it be.
But there is no hope of relief, until....
The wedding is off! Charming is not going to marry Abigail! Grumpy rushes to tell Snow White...
Snow White, dressed in a gown to match her name, lounges on her bed in the dwarves' cabin. On the end table the empty vile lays toppled over.
"Who?" asks Snow White when Grumpy tells her about Prince Charming. Her pain...it's gone. The royal wedding and the handsome prince is no longer any concern for her.
She's completely forgotten who he is...
Lastly, there's that thing about the new stranger in town. He mysteriously carries around a leather box on the back of his motorcycle. What's in it? Who is he? What does he want? These are the questions Regina wants Emma to find out. And so, Emma confronts the stranger. He agrees to show her what's in his box if he can buy her a drink sometime. A drink? Deal.
The stranger opens the box to reveal an old typewriter. He's a writer? What's he doing in Storybrooke? He feels it gives him inspiration. But is that really why he's here?
Burning Questions:
1) What does Rumplestiltskin want with Snow White's hair?
2) What was the thing Snow White helped Red with when no one else would?
3) Who's the stranger? What does he really want?
4) What's going to happen with Kathryn?
5) How does Prince Charming call off the wedding?
~ Taryn
Friday, August 3, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 11 - Fruit of the Poisonous Tree - "Be Careful What You Wish For..."
You’re entitled to three wishes…
No matter what you wish, a wish cannot be undone…
Three wishes. What would you do with three wishes? Three wishes can grant you unlimited financial stability. It can grant power. But most of all, it can grant freedom. Freedom to choose your own destiny; to seek out your own happiness and live happily ever after… But not all people know the true consequences for their actions. They see only the happiness and best-case scenarios, even the happily ever after. Yet, what comes after the happily ever after is what people cannot fathom.
For the poor genie of Agrabah, he knows exactly what poorly thought out wishes can do to people, mostly because he is the one who has granted them. Thousands of them. And for that reason, if ever given the opportunity to make a wish, he never would. Why? He does not want to live with whatever the consequences may be. As he knows too well, no matter what one wishes for, any wish that has been granted cannot be taken back. So the old saying goes…be careful what you wish for.
All too soon has Genie declared this than he is given his freedom and one wish, the last wish of King Leopold. He is thankful for the freedom and the ability to seek out the one thing a wish cannot grant…true love.
For as simple and freeing as that statement, Genie’s life quickly becomes more complicated when he is invited to the king’s palace. He meets the lovely Snow White, the king’s daughter, and the king’s wife, Regina. Instantly, and unfortunately forbidden, Genie is enraptured. Regina is the one. There’s something about her. Sadness in her eyes like she’s trapped. Oh, Genie knows how that feels and he promises himself he will see that she is set free, even if it means…even if it means killing the kind King Leopold. Anything for Regina, the innocent and lovely queen.
In Storybrooke, Emma once again has butted heads with Regina. Regina’s found out about Henry’s fort, his castle, and admonishes Emma for letting Henry play on such a dangerous thing. At once, Regina hires men to break down the fort, and unfortunately, one precious item goes missing. The book. Yes, the book. The one will all the fairy tales that link Storybrooke and its citizens to Henry’s theory. It’s gone. Destroyed because of the construction. But Emma has a bigger problem on her hands. What could be bigger than that?
Well, Regina’s “former” puppet Sidney Glass has decided to go rogue and pay Regina back for firing him. He wants to see her go down. And who better to pair up with than the mayor’s new archenemy, Emma. Emma wants just as much to dig up all the dirt on Regina, and Sidney has the strings to pull to find it.
At first Emma tries to play it safe and find Regina’s secrets the honest way. But when Regina’s smug comments are slung back at Emma, Emma can’t hold fast. So, she plants a bug under Regina’s desk. From there, she and Sidney can record all incoming calls and Regina’s side of the conversations. And it just so happens that Regina receives one particularly interesting call. A meeting, in the woods, in the dark, and it has to be tonight.
Emma and Sidney tail Regina on her way to the rendezvous only to be stopped when the sheriff’s car’s brakes go out, it gets a flat and they’re run off the road. But then they come across Mr. Gold carrying a mysterious briefcase in the woods, in the dark. He claims that Regina just bought some land from him, and leaves it at that…
What does Regina want with said land? Only one way to find out: break into her office and steal anything that looks shady. So, Emma and Sidney bust in some glass and start searching. Of course, the security system alarms are blaring, but Emma’s the police, so who’s gonna catch them? Nevertheless, they’re searching must be quick.
Where could it be? In the drawers, filing cabinets, closet? Could it be a key ring full of skull keys? Mysterious, but no. A blueprint for a new building? Hmm. Could be something. But one thing Emma can’t find is Henry’s book. She’s sure Regina took it, but it’s not in her office.
And just as they’re about to leave, Regina rushes in and shuts off the alarm. She finds Emma and Sidney, but Emma makes a valid excuse about a couple of hoodlums throwing rocks, etc, etc… Regina’s suspicious but lets them go.
So what’s the blueprint of? It looks like a house, oddly shaped like a rocket, but a house nonetheless. And Regina’s behind it. She’s taken the town’s money and spent it all on herself. But when Emma confronts Regina in front of the entire city panel at a town meeting, it turns out that the “house” is merely a playhouse. A new one she’s building in the middle of the woods. How that’s safer than Henry’s old castle playhouse, I don’t know. So long as it doesn’t represent anything Snow White related.
And to top it off, Emma is no longer able to see Henry. For real this time. So it’s Walkie Talkie communication for now.
Oh, and Sidney Glass, well let’s just say, once a puppet, always a puppet. And Regina’s holding all the strings.
So back to Fairy Tale Land. The king must die. Why such a harsh solution? The king is suspicious.
You see, Genie gave Queen Regina a mirror so that she can see herself the way he sees her. Corny, but it worked. For Regina this means a way out. She’s got a dummy to do all her dirty work. She talks Genie into killing her kind husband using a native Agrabah snake that’s lethal with one bite. He agrees because he’s so smitten. Genie releases the snake into the king’s bed where the king is bitten and dies.
Now, Queen Regina is free and Genie can get his happily ever after. One catch. Regina is not innocent. She set Genie up. The snake, her love, it was all an act. Sure she was set free, but at Genie’s sake. But for Genie, it was more than that. He loves her. Truly and forever. And he will do the one thing he said he’d never do if only to be with her forever. He makes a wish, a wish to always gaze upon her face.
Poof.
The genie is now a talking mirror. Wherever Queen Regina goes, Genie will be there too. Is this really his happily ever after?
Lastly, the book is not missing. It was merely misplaced, i.e. “borrowed.” The mysterious stranger has it. What he needs with it is anyone’s guess. For good or for bad?
Burning Questions:
1) What is the stranger doing with the book?
2) Is the genie mad he’s now a mirror? Does he feel trapped, again? Or does he only feel love?
3) Why does Regina think that building a playhouse, with any pointy and sharp edges, in the dark and vast woods is okay?
4) When did Regina become evil? Now or before these events took place?
5) How many “kingdoms” are there in Fairy Tale Land? Did the curse reach them all?
6) Does this mean that things that were trapped, like Genie, or not actually in full human form, were affected by the curse?
7) How did Regina choose the names of her cursed Storybrooke citizens? Or did she? Some are the same most are different.
~ Taryn
No matter what you wish, a wish cannot be undone…
Three wishes. What would you do with three wishes? Three wishes can grant you unlimited financial stability. It can grant power. But most of all, it can grant freedom. Freedom to choose your own destiny; to seek out your own happiness and live happily ever after… But not all people know the true consequences for their actions. They see only the happiness and best-case scenarios, even the happily ever after. Yet, what comes after the happily ever after is what people cannot fathom.
For the poor genie of Agrabah, he knows exactly what poorly thought out wishes can do to people, mostly because he is the one who has granted them. Thousands of them. And for that reason, if ever given the opportunity to make a wish, he never would. Why? He does not want to live with whatever the consequences may be. As he knows too well, no matter what one wishes for, any wish that has been granted cannot be taken back. So the old saying goes…be careful what you wish for.
All too soon has Genie declared this than he is given his freedom and one wish, the last wish of King Leopold. He is thankful for the freedom and the ability to seek out the one thing a wish cannot grant…true love.
For as simple and freeing as that statement, Genie’s life quickly becomes more complicated when he is invited to the king’s palace. He meets the lovely Snow White, the king’s daughter, and the king’s wife, Regina. Instantly, and unfortunately forbidden, Genie is enraptured. Regina is the one. There’s something about her. Sadness in her eyes like she’s trapped. Oh, Genie knows how that feels and he promises himself he will see that she is set free, even if it means…even if it means killing the kind King Leopold. Anything for Regina, the innocent and lovely queen.
In Storybrooke, Emma once again has butted heads with Regina. Regina’s found out about Henry’s fort, his castle, and admonishes Emma for letting Henry play on such a dangerous thing. At once, Regina hires men to break down the fort, and unfortunately, one precious item goes missing. The book. Yes, the book. The one will all the fairy tales that link Storybrooke and its citizens to Henry’s theory. It’s gone. Destroyed because of the construction. But Emma has a bigger problem on her hands. What could be bigger than that?
Well, Regina’s “former” puppet Sidney Glass has decided to go rogue and pay Regina back for firing him. He wants to see her go down. And who better to pair up with than the mayor’s new archenemy, Emma. Emma wants just as much to dig up all the dirt on Regina, and Sidney has the strings to pull to find it.
At first Emma tries to play it safe and find Regina’s secrets the honest way. But when Regina’s smug comments are slung back at Emma, Emma can’t hold fast. So, she plants a bug under Regina’s desk. From there, she and Sidney can record all incoming calls and Regina’s side of the conversations. And it just so happens that Regina receives one particularly interesting call. A meeting, in the woods, in the dark, and it has to be tonight.
Emma and Sidney tail Regina on her way to the rendezvous only to be stopped when the sheriff’s car’s brakes go out, it gets a flat and they’re run off the road. But then they come across Mr. Gold carrying a mysterious briefcase in the woods, in the dark. He claims that Regina just bought some land from him, and leaves it at that…
What does Regina want with said land? Only one way to find out: break into her office and steal anything that looks shady. So, Emma and Sidney bust in some glass and start searching. Of course, the security system alarms are blaring, but Emma’s the police, so who’s gonna catch them? Nevertheless, they’re searching must be quick.
Where could it be? In the drawers, filing cabinets, closet? Could it be a key ring full of skull keys? Mysterious, but no. A blueprint for a new building? Hmm. Could be something. But one thing Emma can’t find is Henry’s book. She’s sure Regina took it, but it’s not in her office.
And just as they’re about to leave, Regina rushes in and shuts off the alarm. She finds Emma and Sidney, but Emma makes a valid excuse about a couple of hoodlums throwing rocks, etc, etc… Regina’s suspicious but lets them go.
So what’s the blueprint of? It looks like a house, oddly shaped like a rocket, but a house nonetheless. And Regina’s behind it. She’s taken the town’s money and spent it all on herself. But when Emma confronts Regina in front of the entire city panel at a town meeting, it turns out that the “house” is merely a playhouse. A new one she’s building in the middle of the woods. How that’s safer than Henry’s old castle playhouse, I don’t know. So long as it doesn’t represent anything Snow White related.
And to top it off, Emma is no longer able to see Henry. For real this time. So it’s Walkie Talkie communication for now.
Oh, and Sidney Glass, well let’s just say, once a puppet, always a puppet. And Regina’s holding all the strings.
So back to Fairy Tale Land. The king must die. Why such a harsh solution? The king is suspicious.
You see, Genie gave Queen Regina a mirror so that she can see herself the way he sees her. Corny, but it worked. For Regina this means a way out. She’s got a dummy to do all her dirty work. She talks Genie into killing her kind husband using a native Agrabah snake that’s lethal with one bite. He agrees because he’s so smitten. Genie releases the snake into the king’s bed where the king is bitten and dies.
Now, Queen Regina is free and Genie can get his happily ever after. One catch. Regina is not innocent. She set Genie up. The snake, her love, it was all an act. Sure she was set free, but at Genie’s sake. But for Genie, it was more than that. He loves her. Truly and forever. And he will do the one thing he said he’d never do if only to be with her forever. He makes a wish, a wish to always gaze upon her face.
Poof.
The genie is now a talking mirror. Wherever Queen Regina goes, Genie will be there too. Is this really his happily ever after?
Lastly, the book is not missing. It was merely misplaced, i.e. “borrowed.” The mysterious stranger has it. What he needs with it is anyone’s guess. For good or for bad?
Burning Questions:
1) What is the stranger doing with the book?
2) Is the genie mad he’s now a mirror? Does he feel trapped, again? Or does he only feel love?
3) Why does Regina think that building a playhouse, with any pointy and sharp edges, in the dark and vast woods is okay?
4) When did Regina become evil? Now or before these events took place?
5) How many “kingdoms” are there in Fairy Tale Land? Did the curse reach them all?
6) Does this mean that things that were trapped, like Genie, or not actually in full human form, were affected by the curse?
7) How did Regina choose the names of her cursed Storybrooke citizens? Or did she? Some are the same most are different.
~ Taryn
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 12 - Skin Deep - "Thick Skin"
I'm a difficult man to love.
A kingdom is under attack. The Ogres War is killing countless men and the army needs help. The general does not know what to do to change this except call on one man who can alter the fate of so many with the snap of his fingers. That's right, Rumplestiltskin. Only, the general's offer for Rumple's services will not satisfy this powerful man.
You see, he makes gold and so all the gold in the world won't be payment enough. No, Rumple needs a companion, not love, just a companion. And who is available but the beautiful Belle. So what if she's engaged to the ghastly Gaston. She agrees to help her father. Besides, Rumple's not a beast. Right?
Except upon arrival at Rumple's palace she receives the royal treatment and it promptly shoved into the nearest dungeon cell, her room. She is later released to serve Rumple tea and go over the terms of her lifelong servitude. Serve the meals, clean the castle, dust his collection and clean his clothes, fetch fresh straw, and....skin the children he brings home. No, no. That last one was just a joke. But the damage is done. Belle dropped the cup she was holding, giving it a small chip on the side. Rumple doesn't care about the cup and Belle laughs in relief. Oh that Rumple, such a funny guy he is...
Anyway, several months pass and spring is nearing. Belle and Rumple haven't spoken much and Belle, being curious, decides she ought to know the man she is spending the rest of her days with. Why does he spin the gold wheel so much? Why are the drapes always hung? Why are there covers for all the mirrors? Who are the boy clothes in the attic for? You know, that sort of thing.
Rumple, being a guy, isn't ready to talk about any of his feelings, although he does mention a son. But he's gone, and that is the end of the discussion. Belle wants to know more and Rumple agrees to tell her, except she must leave the castle first and go fetch more straw. That was one part of her duties. The catch, she never leaves the castle. She's not supposed to. What if she runs away and never comes back?
Rumple doesn't care. He doesn't expect her to come back. He's letting her go. But feelings have risen on both their parts, unbeknownst to either of them. So inevitably when Belle leaves the palace she runs into the only other person with such extreme power, the Evil Queen.
The Evil Queen convinces Belle that she can change the beast. True love's kiss will break any spell. (Sure, the queen knows that now, but not when it comes to her own spells and Snow White?) Belle takes only a moment to think it over. She does love Rumple and she feels he is the same with her. So she goes back ready to try out this spell-breaking kiss.
And she does. The effects are immediate. Rumple's scaly skin begins to soften. His eyes turn kind. He's turning back into a man. But Belle lets the cat out of the bag about her master plan and Rumple becomes furious. Back into the scaly, evil beast he's was. He rips down one of the mirror coverings and yells at his reflection. He knows it was the Evil Queen behind the plan. Outraged, he turns on Belle and casts her into the dungeon.
As Rumple's heart turns harder, he decides to release Belle forever. She doesn't love him. She never did, he thinks. However, Belle knows her feelings and it's Rumple who's afraid to love. He can only see the beauty that's skin deep. But at some point, he's going to have to shed that thick skin and realize he can change and become the man he should be. The man she knows he is.
Belle walks out.
It's weeks later that Rumple receives a visit from the Evil Queen. She's come to find out more on a certain mermaid, but she also bears bad news. Belle, after leaving Rumple, lost her good reputation and her father locked her in a tower. Nuns tried to cast out the evilness Rumple had put in her and one day Belle had had enough. She threw herself out of the tower and died.
Rumple is devastated. He loved Belle. She was the only one who could ever love a beast like him. And one day he'll seek out his revenge on the one responsible for her death...Belle's father.
In Storybrooke, Mr. French (creatively derived from the origin of which this classic tale is from) has run into dept to Mr. Gold for his rose shop. And no matter that it's basically Valentine's Day, Mr. Gold has no heart, only a grudge. Mr. Gold takes away Mr. French's business only to find out that he's been robbed as well. The only suspect is Mr. French. And he's taken something of irreplaceable value to Mr. Gold.
Side story: As mentioned, it's Valentines' Day. And as we all know, the couples in this town are having a hard go of finding and keeping their true loves. Ashley finally got her prince back plus her baby, but Mary Margaret and David Nolan just can't seem to get it together. And this Valentine's Day is no different.
David is in a love struggle between his wife of Storybrooke and his wife of Fairy Tale Land. He wants to do this right without anyone getting hurt, but it seems the longer he keeps this up the more hurt he's dishing out. Especially when it comes to Valentine's Day cards.
Surprising Mary Margaret after a girls' night out, David decides this is the best time to give her a card. Something with a sweet saying that will express his true feelings about her. Something like, "Kathryn, I woof you" seems to do the trick. Oops. Wrong card. He, um, uh.... He meant to give her the other one. Mary Margaret is polite about it, but clearly hurt. She wishes him a Happy Valentine's Day and tells him to go be with Kathryn. She didn't even want to see the card meant for her. Huh?
Nice one David. Major points scored there!
Anyways, back to Mr. Gold's dilemma.
Mr. Gold's possessions are gone. So, he sets up his old tactics of enlisting Emma's help to retrieve his belongings and puts her to tracking down Mr. French and the stolen goods. Emma does, except one item is missing. The item. Mr. Gold is not satisfied and decides to go after Mr. French himself. Only his methods are more shady, which is all too clear when he purchases duct tape and some rope at the local general store.
He kidnaps Mr. French and takes him to an abandoned cabin the woods. He gives Mr. French a one-sided ultimatum. Tell him where it is and who told him to take it? Mr. French doesn't know what Mr. Gold is talking about.
Mr. Gold goes ballistic on Mr. French. He beats him with his cane, angry at the injustices caused by the man. He took her away. He killed her and it's all Mr. French's fault. Mr. Gold gets in some heavy hits before Emma rushes in.
Mr. Gold is thrown in jail for nearly killing a man. And it's only a matter of time before Regina finds out. She's been wanting to speak to Mr. Gold, only Mr. Gold has turned down each of her offers nicely with the magic word, please.
Now that he's in jail, Regina decides he can't turn her away. She knows he won't comply easily so she brought a small bargaining chip. The item that was missing from the stolen goods...the cracked teacup.
So what does Regina want? Simple, what is Mr. Gold's name. Mr. Gold mouths off. Easy, it's Mr. Gold, of course. Always has been, always will be.
No, what's his first name?
Well, that would be telling wouldn't it? But Regina won't give him the cup unless he spills the beans.
After a moments hesitation, Mr. Gold replies, "Rumplestiltskin."
Regina's only mildly shocked. She'd suspected, but now it's official. And from here on out, they can get back to being the good ol' chums they were back in Fairy Tale Land, fighting for the upper-hand.
And what does she have that's more priceless than Rumplestiltskin's chipped cup, one that can be used as the ultimate bargaining chip? Well, it's locked away in a psychiatric cell underneath Storybrooke's hospital. She's alive and well except for the common case of amnesia.
Her name is Belle...
Burning Questions:
1) What happened to Rumplestiltskin's son?
2) Can David ever truly return to being Prince Charming?
3) What's going to happen to Belle in the dungeon?
4) What is Emma's favor to Mr. Gold?
5) How did Mr. Gold get around the curse and continue being Rumplestiltskin? Did the curse affect him at all?
6) Who is more powerful, Evil Queen Regina or Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold?
~ Taryn
P.S. Check out the "Trivia" page to see what Mary Margaret's unopened Valentine's Day card said.
A kingdom is under attack. The Ogres War is killing countless men and the army needs help. The general does not know what to do to change this except call on one man who can alter the fate of so many with the snap of his fingers. That's right, Rumplestiltskin. Only, the general's offer for Rumple's services will not satisfy this powerful man.
You see, he makes gold and so all the gold in the world won't be payment enough. No, Rumple needs a companion, not love, just a companion. And who is available but the beautiful Belle. So what if she's engaged to the ghastly Gaston. She agrees to help her father. Besides, Rumple's not a beast. Right?
Except upon arrival at Rumple's palace she receives the royal treatment and it promptly shoved into the nearest dungeon cell, her room. She is later released to serve Rumple tea and go over the terms of her lifelong servitude. Serve the meals, clean the castle, dust his collection and clean his clothes, fetch fresh straw, and....skin the children he brings home. No, no. That last one was just a joke. But the damage is done. Belle dropped the cup she was holding, giving it a small chip on the side. Rumple doesn't care about the cup and Belle laughs in relief. Oh that Rumple, such a funny guy he is...
Anyway, several months pass and spring is nearing. Belle and Rumple haven't spoken much and Belle, being curious, decides she ought to know the man she is spending the rest of her days with. Why does he spin the gold wheel so much? Why are the drapes always hung? Why are there covers for all the mirrors? Who are the boy clothes in the attic for? You know, that sort of thing.
Rumple, being a guy, isn't ready to talk about any of his feelings, although he does mention a son. But he's gone, and that is the end of the discussion. Belle wants to know more and Rumple agrees to tell her, except she must leave the castle first and go fetch more straw. That was one part of her duties. The catch, she never leaves the castle. She's not supposed to. What if she runs away and never comes back?
Rumple doesn't care. He doesn't expect her to come back. He's letting her go. But feelings have risen on both their parts, unbeknownst to either of them. So inevitably when Belle leaves the palace she runs into the only other person with such extreme power, the Evil Queen.
The Evil Queen convinces Belle that she can change the beast. True love's kiss will break any spell. (Sure, the queen knows that now, but not when it comes to her own spells and Snow White?) Belle takes only a moment to think it over. She does love Rumple and she feels he is the same with her. So she goes back ready to try out this spell-breaking kiss.
And she does. The effects are immediate. Rumple's scaly skin begins to soften. His eyes turn kind. He's turning back into a man. But Belle lets the cat out of the bag about her master plan and Rumple becomes furious. Back into the scaly, evil beast he's was. He rips down one of the mirror coverings and yells at his reflection. He knows it was the Evil Queen behind the plan. Outraged, he turns on Belle and casts her into the dungeon.
As Rumple's heart turns harder, he decides to release Belle forever. She doesn't love him. She never did, he thinks. However, Belle knows her feelings and it's Rumple who's afraid to love. He can only see the beauty that's skin deep. But at some point, he's going to have to shed that thick skin and realize he can change and become the man he should be. The man she knows he is.
Belle walks out.
It's weeks later that Rumple receives a visit from the Evil Queen. She's come to find out more on a certain mermaid, but she also bears bad news. Belle, after leaving Rumple, lost her good reputation and her father locked her in a tower. Nuns tried to cast out the evilness Rumple had put in her and one day Belle had had enough. She threw herself out of the tower and died.
Rumple is devastated. He loved Belle. She was the only one who could ever love a beast like him. And one day he'll seek out his revenge on the one responsible for her death...Belle's father.
In Storybrooke, Mr. French (creatively derived from the origin of which this classic tale is from) has run into dept to Mr. Gold for his rose shop. And no matter that it's basically Valentine's Day, Mr. Gold has no heart, only a grudge. Mr. Gold takes away Mr. French's business only to find out that he's been robbed as well. The only suspect is Mr. French. And he's taken something of irreplaceable value to Mr. Gold.
Side story: As mentioned, it's Valentines' Day. And as we all know, the couples in this town are having a hard go of finding and keeping their true loves. Ashley finally got her prince back plus her baby, but Mary Margaret and David Nolan just can't seem to get it together. And this Valentine's Day is no different.
David is in a love struggle between his wife of Storybrooke and his wife of Fairy Tale Land. He wants to do this right without anyone getting hurt, but it seems the longer he keeps this up the more hurt he's dishing out. Especially when it comes to Valentine's Day cards.
Surprising Mary Margaret after a girls' night out, David decides this is the best time to give her a card. Something with a sweet saying that will express his true feelings about her. Something like, "Kathryn, I woof you" seems to do the trick. Oops. Wrong card. He, um, uh.... He meant to give her the other one. Mary Margaret is polite about it, but clearly hurt. She wishes him a Happy Valentine's Day and tells him to go be with Kathryn. She didn't even want to see the card meant for her. Huh?
Nice one David. Major points scored there!
Anyways, back to Mr. Gold's dilemma.
Mr. Gold's possessions are gone. So, he sets up his old tactics of enlisting Emma's help to retrieve his belongings and puts her to tracking down Mr. French and the stolen goods. Emma does, except one item is missing. The item. Mr. Gold is not satisfied and decides to go after Mr. French himself. Only his methods are more shady, which is all too clear when he purchases duct tape and some rope at the local general store.
He kidnaps Mr. French and takes him to an abandoned cabin the woods. He gives Mr. French a one-sided ultimatum. Tell him where it is and who told him to take it? Mr. French doesn't know what Mr. Gold is talking about.
Mr. Gold goes ballistic on Mr. French. He beats him with his cane, angry at the injustices caused by the man. He took her away. He killed her and it's all Mr. French's fault. Mr. Gold gets in some heavy hits before Emma rushes in.
Mr. Gold is thrown in jail for nearly killing a man. And it's only a matter of time before Regina finds out. She's been wanting to speak to Mr. Gold, only Mr. Gold has turned down each of her offers nicely with the magic word, please.
Now that he's in jail, Regina decides he can't turn her away. She knows he won't comply easily so she brought a small bargaining chip. The item that was missing from the stolen goods...the cracked teacup.
So what does Regina want? Simple, what is Mr. Gold's name. Mr. Gold mouths off. Easy, it's Mr. Gold, of course. Always has been, always will be.
No, what's his first name?
Well, that would be telling wouldn't it? But Regina won't give him the cup unless he spills the beans.
After a moments hesitation, Mr. Gold replies, "Rumplestiltskin."
Regina's only mildly shocked. She'd suspected, but now it's official. And from here on out, they can get back to being the good ol' chums they were back in Fairy Tale Land, fighting for the upper-hand.
And what does she have that's more priceless than Rumplestiltskin's chipped cup, one that can be used as the ultimate bargaining chip? Well, it's locked away in a psychiatric cell underneath Storybrooke's hospital. She's alive and well except for the common case of amnesia.
Her name is Belle...
Burning Questions:
1) What happened to Rumplestiltskin's son?
2) Can David ever truly return to being Prince Charming?
3) What's going to happen to Belle in the dungeon?
4) What is Emma's favor to Mr. Gold?
5) How did Mr. Gold get around the curse and continue being Rumplestiltskin? Did the curse affect him at all?
6) Who is more powerful, Evil Queen Regina or Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold?
~ Taryn
P.S. Check out the "Trivia" page to see what Mary Margaret's unopened Valentine's Day card said.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 13 - What Happened to Frederick - "Gone Missing"
Its waters are said to have magical properties that can return to you something that was once lost.
Two days have passed since Snow White ended all memories of her knight in shining armor, the one and only Prince Charming. The royal wedding is hours away; the gown's been made, the cake's been decorated, guests have arrived, and all is accounted for except the main attraction: Prince Charming himself.
Ever since Snow White left him high and dry, Prince Charming has been searching for an explanation and a way out. He doesn't want to marry the beautiful Princess Abigail. She's a nice lady, but she's no Snow White. And he also doesn't want to see his beloved farm destroyed or his mother hurt. He wants Snow White, and as he's said all along, he'll do anything to find her. Even if she truly doesn't want him.
So when she left him to dry his own tears, Prince Charming devised a plan, albeit a trite one: run away. King George won't find him, therefore, he can't make him marry King Midas' daughter. He'll find Snow White and they can run off into the Enchanted Forest and live happily ever after.
Great plan, but slightly predictable. And who knew that Princess Abigail felt the same? Whoever thought to ask her? Maybe she wanted her own Prince Charming. Say, a guy named Frederick?
And who better to help her get him than the bravest guy around. If Prince Charming can help her get Frederick back, the wedding's off. Who cares about King George and his less-than-empty threats of death and destruction? That's a problem for a different day. True love is on the line.
So Prince Charming agrees. It's a win-win for him. And for the lovely Abigail.
Only there's a catch. Frederick is not lost. He does not need to be found. And he's not dead. Technically. Turned into gold, yes. But not dead. And the cure? Magical water from Lake Nostos.
Another catch. The lake is guarded by a deadly monster. No one knows what the monster looks like because no man has ever returned.
Ah, but this monster has not fought against the noble and brave Prince Charming. (Who, by the way, had been a simple shepherd just a month before. But that was before). Prince Charming is sure he can win, hands down. He'll get that water and return in a jiffy to bring good ol' Frederick back to humanity.
Princess Abigail is overjoyed, and only slightly concerned for his safety. She hands him a leather canteen, points him in the general direction of the lake, and wishes him good luck.
Now, if I knew that I was about to face a monster that has killed every man before me, my plan would be to get in and get out. No surveying the landscape or peering into the surprisingly clear lake water to see my reflection. No, I would fill that canteen up and high-tail it out of there.
Prince Charming, however, must have felt it was his obligation to go above and beyond his duty. Sure he'd get the water, but he'd also kill the monster. So, ever so slowly, he fills his canteen, waiting for the dreaded beast to appear.
But like all great plans, it's thwarted when the monster turns out to be none other than a beautiful, did I say beautiful?, young maiden. She's dressed in the finest white silk dress and sashaying her hips at Prince Charming. Seconds pass before he calls her out on her devious plan. She's nothing more than a siren. He can resist her. It's Snow White he loves.
Then the siren calls his bluff. He can resist her now, but what if she were Snow White? Immediately the siren morphs into Snow White before his eyes.
He knows it's still the siren and Snow White isn't really there, but...oh how she feels like Snow White and kisses like Snow White.
He must remain strong. She's not real.
But, oh how she kisses like Snow White...
And just like that, the siren body slams Prince Charming, who lost his sword during one of the kisses, and pulls him deep under the semi-murky water.
This is how they all died. Allured by their deepest desires. But Prince Charming has to keep his head. And when he spots a rusty knife, he snatches it up and waits for the siren to come to him. Then, during a deceptive underwater kiss, Prince Charming plunges the knife into the Snow White siren's chest. The siren turns back into the blond beauty and Prince Charming swims to safety.
Princess Abigail is happy to see him return and in a timely fashion. The water is poured over dear Frederick and voila!, he's back!
The two kiss then thank Prince Charming for his bravery. Prince Charming asks to borrow a few horses and supplies. He needs to find Snow White before it's too late. Perhaps he can change her mind that maybe, just maybe, she might really want him after all.
While bravery and nobility are great themes in the fairy tale world, Storybrooke is lacking such traits in men. There, men are cowards, cheats, and liars. They still want true love. They can still feel the pull of such love deep down inside where, perhaps, their true selves reside. For now, though, such authenticity is severely hidden beneath weak character.
And the bravest and most noble man in all of Fairy Tale Land has fallen the farthest. He is not one but all of those negative characteristics listed above.
Married to Kathryn, David Nolan feels no connection with her. Mary Margaret is his true love, but he chooses to hide his feelings towards her from Kathryn. For good reason because cheating is wrong and he knows it. Even if he doesn't really love Kathryn or want to be married to her. No matter that he feels trapped in a land that feels so wrong altogether.
Mary Margaret is fed up with his two-faced regime. He says he wants to be with her but stays with Kathryn. Not to mention that everything they do is in secret. If he really wants to be with her, it's time to tell Kathryn what's up and leave her.
David agrees. He'll tell Kathryn and leave.
But he can't do it. He doesn't want to hurt her. Especially now when her future is bright. (She just got accepted to law school). So he fumbles his way through what would have been an even harder conversation and denies that anything is happening. Things are just off right now. And maybe it's best if he leaves.
Kathryn wants to believe him, and so she does. Saddened, she lets him go and runs off to seek comfort from a good friend.
But when best-friend Regina digs into her file and pulls out a pic of David and Mary Margaret kissing, Kathryn feels betrayed. And rightly so, given the recent conversation with her husband about such a topic. Not only that, but now her best friend has kept this affair from her. She's the last to know about the biggest nightmare in her life.
Mad and hurt, Kathryn rushes to the school to confront Mary Margaret.
Down the school steps, Mary Margaret is ending a call from David, who just reported that he told Kathryn everything. Mary Margaret is happy to be done with this part in their relationship and is ready to move on. So when she sees Kathryn, she's ready to face it like a woman.
One problem, David lied. A lot. When Kathryn slaps Mary Margaret, she's stunned.
David lied?
Yeah, well, he's lied to everyone. Kathryn wishes Mary Margaret well with the louse and marches out. She's going to law school in Boston. And since there's nothing she cares about left in Storybrooke, what better time to leave than right now!
On the flipside, Mary Margaret is angry at David. The whole town is calling her a tramp, even tagging her car with the filthy word. And she can't keep going on like this. He didn't want anyone to get hurt but now everyone is hurt. And if it's going to be like this, Mary Margaret and David shouldn't be together. So Mary Margaret calls it quits.
After a few hours to cool off, Kathryn decides there is one person she must see before she leaves. Regina Mills. Her only friend. Kathryn tells Regina her plans to leave and that she's given David and Mary Margaret her permission to be together. She can see they really love each other. Their love is real. For her, she needs to move on. So she thanks Regina for her kindness and leaves.
Regina just smiles...wickedly. Not happy that Kathryn gave the very people she despises permission to be together, Regina is set on ruining their happiness....again. And what better way to do that than for Kathryn to suddenly go missing.
Near the Storybrooke city limits, where fairy tale characters are not supposed to go, a single pair of headlights light up a broken down car. A man, who looks a lot like Frederick from Fairy Tale Land, steps out to survey the damage. The car is rocking in the ditch with the airbag deflating, but no driver....
Then we see Regina's evil smirk as she pulls out a lighter from the drawer right next to a can of red spray paint. Flicking the flame, Regina burns that letter from Kathryn. What did Regina do to Kathryn?
Okay, on a side note, the stranger, now known as August Wayne Booth, took Emma out for that drink. Like really out, as in outside, by a tree, at a well. The water's safe to drink, though. So fine in fact that some say that the water has magical properties and anyone who drinks it will receive something lost to them. Emma, the skeptic, just smiles and sips.
But later, when Henry's book, which had gone missing from the demolition of his castle fort, shows up in the gutter by Emma's car, she thinks twice about that magical water. However, hidden from view, August watches on. For it is he who has returned it, albeit altered slightly by adding some pages to the fantastical text. What was he up to?
Burning Questions:
1) What happened to Kathryn?
2) Is Fairy Tale Land actually beneath Storybrooke?
3) What did August do to the book?
4) Can David ever be Prince Charming again?
5) Do all Storybrooke citizens have some instinctual knowledge about the danger of leaving or that they are someone else than who Regina says they are?
~ Taryn
Two days have passed since Snow White ended all memories of her knight in shining armor, the one and only Prince Charming. The royal wedding is hours away; the gown's been made, the cake's been decorated, guests have arrived, and all is accounted for except the main attraction: Prince Charming himself.
Ever since Snow White left him high and dry, Prince Charming has been searching for an explanation and a way out. He doesn't want to marry the beautiful Princess Abigail. She's a nice lady, but she's no Snow White. And he also doesn't want to see his beloved farm destroyed or his mother hurt. He wants Snow White, and as he's said all along, he'll do anything to find her. Even if she truly doesn't want him.
So when she left him to dry his own tears, Prince Charming devised a plan, albeit a trite one: run away. King George won't find him, therefore, he can't make him marry King Midas' daughter. He'll find Snow White and they can run off into the Enchanted Forest and live happily ever after.
Great plan, but slightly predictable. And who knew that Princess Abigail felt the same? Whoever thought to ask her? Maybe she wanted her own Prince Charming. Say, a guy named Frederick?
And who better to help her get him than the bravest guy around. If Prince Charming can help her get Frederick back, the wedding's off. Who cares about King George and his less-than-empty threats of death and destruction? That's a problem for a different day. True love is on the line.
So Prince Charming agrees. It's a win-win for him. And for the lovely Abigail.
Only there's a catch. Frederick is not lost. He does not need to be found. And he's not dead. Technically. Turned into gold, yes. But not dead. And the cure? Magical water from Lake Nostos.
Another catch. The lake is guarded by a deadly monster. No one knows what the monster looks like because no man has ever returned.
Ah, but this monster has not fought against the noble and brave Prince Charming. (Who, by the way, had been a simple shepherd just a month before. But that was before). Prince Charming is sure he can win, hands down. He'll get that water and return in a jiffy to bring good ol' Frederick back to humanity.
Princess Abigail is overjoyed, and only slightly concerned for his safety. She hands him a leather canteen, points him in the general direction of the lake, and wishes him good luck.
Now, if I knew that I was about to face a monster that has killed every man before me, my plan would be to get in and get out. No surveying the landscape or peering into the surprisingly clear lake water to see my reflection. No, I would fill that canteen up and high-tail it out of there.
Prince Charming, however, must have felt it was his obligation to go above and beyond his duty. Sure he'd get the water, but he'd also kill the monster. So, ever so slowly, he fills his canteen, waiting for the dreaded beast to appear.
But like all great plans, it's thwarted when the monster turns out to be none other than a beautiful, did I say beautiful?, young maiden. She's dressed in the finest white silk dress and sashaying her hips at Prince Charming. Seconds pass before he calls her out on her devious plan. She's nothing more than a siren. He can resist her. It's Snow White he loves.
Then the siren calls his bluff. He can resist her now, but what if she were Snow White? Immediately the siren morphs into Snow White before his eyes.
He knows it's still the siren and Snow White isn't really there, but...oh how she feels like Snow White and kisses like Snow White.
He must remain strong. She's not real.
But, oh how she kisses like Snow White...
And just like that, the siren body slams Prince Charming, who lost his sword during one of the kisses, and pulls him deep under the semi-murky water.
This is how they all died. Allured by their deepest desires. But Prince Charming has to keep his head. And when he spots a rusty knife, he snatches it up and waits for the siren to come to him. Then, during a deceptive underwater kiss, Prince Charming plunges the knife into the Snow White siren's chest. The siren turns back into the blond beauty and Prince Charming swims to safety.
Princess Abigail is happy to see him return and in a timely fashion. The water is poured over dear Frederick and voila!, he's back!
The two kiss then thank Prince Charming for his bravery. Prince Charming asks to borrow a few horses and supplies. He needs to find Snow White before it's too late. Perhaps he can change her mind that maybe, just maybe, she might really want him after all.
While bravery and nobility are great themes in the fairy tale world, Storybrooke is lacking such traits in men. There, men are cowards, cheats, and liars. They still want true love. They can still feel the pull of such love deep down inside where, perhaps, their true selves reside. For now, though, such authenticity is severely hidden beneath weak character.
And the bravest and most noble man in all of Fairy Tale Land has fallen the farthest. He is not one but all of those negative characteristics listed above.
Married to Kathryn, David Nolan feels no connection with her. Mary Margaret is his true love, but he chooses to hide his feelings towards her from Kathryn. For good reason because cheating is wrong and he knows it. Even if he doesn't really love Kathryn or want to be married to her. No matter that he feels trapped in a land that feels so wrong altogether.
Mary Margaret is fed up with his two-faced regime. He says he wants to be with her but stays with Kathryn. Not to mention that everything they do is in secret. If he really wants to be with her, it's time to tell Kathryn what's up and leave her.
David agrees. He'll tell Kathryn and leave.
But he can't do it. He doesn't want to hurt her. Especially now when her future is bright. (She just got accepted to law school). So he fumbles his way through what would have been an even harder conversation and denies that anything is happening. Things are just off right now. And maybe it's best if he leaves.
Kathryn wants to believe him, and so she does. Saddened, she lets him go and runs off to seek comfort from a good friend.
But when best-friend Regina digs into her file and pulls out a pic of David and Mary Margaret kissing, Kathryn feels betrayed. And rightly so, given the recent conversation with her husband about such a topic. Not only that, but now her best friend has kept this affair from her. She's the last to know about the biggest nightmare in her life.
Mad and hurt, Kathryn rushes to the school to confront Mary Margaret.
Down the school steps, Mary Margaret is ending a call from David, who just reported that he told Kathryn everything. Mary Margaret is happy to be done with this part in their relationship and is ready to move on. So when she sees Kathryn, she's ready to face it like a woman.
One problem, David lied. A lot. When Kathryn slaps Mary Margaret, she's stunned.
David lied?
Yeah, well, he's lied to everyone. Kathryn wishes Mary Margaret well with the louse and marches out. She's going to law school in Boston. And since there's nothing she cares about left in Storybrooke, what better time to leave than right now!
On the flipside, Mary Margaret is angry at David. The whole town is calling her a tramp, even tagging her car with the filthy word. And she can't keep going on like this. He didn't want anyone to get hurt but now everyone is hurt. And if it's going to be like this, Mary Margaret and David shouldn't be together. So Mary Margaret calls it quits.
After a few hours to cool off, Kathryn decides there is one person she must see before she leaves. Regina Mills. Her only friend. Kathryn tells Regina her plans to leave and that she's given David and Mary Margaret her permission to be together. She can see they really love each other. Their love is real. For her, she needs to move on. So she thanks Regina for her kindness and leaves.
Regina just smiles...wickedly. Not happy that Kathryn gave the very people she despises permission to be together, Regina is set on ruining their happiness....again. And what better way to do that than for Kathryn to suddenly go missing.
Near the Storybrooke city limits, where fairy tale characters are not supposed to go, a single pair of headlights light up a broken down car. A man, who looks a lot like Frederick from Fairy Tale Land, steps out to survey the damage. The car is rocking in the ditch with the airbag deflating, but no driver....
Then we see Regina's evil smirk as she pulls out a lighter from the drawer right next to a can of red spray paint. Flicking the flame, Regina burns that letter from Kathryn. What did Regina do to Kathryn?
Okay, on a side note, the stranger, now known as August Wayne Booth, took Emma out for that drink. Like really out, as in outside, by a tree, at a well. The water's safe to drink, though. So fine in fact that some say that the water has magical properties and anyone who drinks it will receive something lost to them. Emma, the skeptic, just smiles and sips.
But later, when Henry's book, which had gone missing from the demolition of his castle fort, shows up in the gutter by Emma's car, she thinks twice about that magical water. However, hidden from view, August watches on. For it is he who has returned it, albeit altered slightly by adding some pages to the fantastical text. What was he up to?
Burning Questions:
1) What happened to Kathryn?
2) Is Fairy Tale Land actually beneath Storybrooke?
3) What did August do to the book?
4) Can David ever be Prince Charming again?
5) Do all Storybrooke citizens have some instinctual knowledge about the danger of leaving or that they are someone else than who Regina says they are?
~ Taryn
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 14 - Dreamy - "Miner's Day"
I thought we were meant to live our lives here, in the mines.
Things change when you fall in love. Suddenly anything seems possible.
Where did the seven dwarves come from? Why are they miners? How did Grumpy get his name, other than the obvious? How does Fairy Tale Land receive its seemingly endless supply of magic fairy dust?
Let’s just say that none of our wildest imaginations could have predicted that dwarves are not born but merely hatched, fully grown, from an egg. Within days of their hatching they are ready to beat the insides of underground caves with pick axes, digging up the precious gems hidden within. Quite a feat for a newborn. And so far, we’ve only seen male dwarves. That’s because there aren’t female dwarves. What would be the point if dwarves can’t fall in love?
Nevertheless, hatching from eggs is beside the point. As far as falling in love, well, that’s a whole ‘nother issue.
On one particular day of dwarf hatching, Grumpy, or should I say Dreamy, is hatched. A little early, but that’s merely because he’s eager to begin his lifelong work in the mines. Just kidding. No, apparently, Dreamy saw a fairy-in-training from within his egg. He’s not joking. She was there and she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his very, very, very short lifetime.
Well Bossy, the dwarves’ boss—go figure—doesn’t think Dreamy is all there. His head is in the clouds. There is no way Dreamy could have seen a fairy, especially from inside his egg. Dreamy insists, which causes him to wonder who she is. From there, he begins dreaming of falling in love with her. His dreams are cut short when he’s tossed an axe and told there is no way, ever, that he can fall in love. It just doesn’t happen. And definitely not with a fairy.
So Dreamy accepts his fate of being a lonely miner, but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming…
Until one day, a year later, the same fairy-in-training is gathering fairy dust. Ready for this, fairy dust comes from the crushed diamonds the dwarves dig up. Who knew?
Anyways, this fairy is kind of a klutz and forgetful, but nevertheless, joyful and bubbly.
On this day, she’s gathering fairy dust when suddenly the fairy dust machine won’t shut off. It’s stuck and Dreamy rushes to her rescue. He recognizes her from his hatching. She doesn’t remember, but thinks he’s awfully handsome. They’re so engrossed in each other that neither sees the bag of fairy dust on the conveyor belt heading for the furnace. Probably where all bad diamonds go…
Dreamy, once again, rushes to the rescue and snags the fairy dust with his axe just in time. The fairy, whose name is Nova, is so impressed she invites Dreamy to Firefly Hill, the greatest location for seeing the whole kingdom and beyond. Dreamy doesn’t quite get the hint that she wants him along and wishes her good times. He’s stuck in the mine’s anyway, so why would he have thought he could go?
It’s not until the rare day comes that the dwarves all get to go above ground. Dreamy is confused about feeling in love but not being able to actually be in love. He’s voicing his thoughts aloud when Belle catches his attention. She tells him that he’s sad because he can’t be with the one he loves. He should be with her.
That’s all the encouragement he needs and heads for Firefly Hill. He’s not too late. Nova is there and she’s overjoyed to see him. He tells Nova that he wants to see the world and be with Nova forever. They both agree that sailing around the world together would be the best idea ever. Dreamy can’t wait to get started.
Against Bossy’s wishes, Dreamy decides to leave mining behind. He packs a bag and heads for Firefly Hill to meet Nova again. However, on his way, Bossy catches up to him. He and the Blue Fairy, Nova’s teacher, convince Dreamy that making Nova give up her dream of being a fairy in exchange for a life with him is a bad idea. Dreamy doesn’t want to cause Nova trouble and decides to tell her that the plan is off. He can’t run away with her. He can’t fall in love. It’s not possible. And he’s meant to be a miner. That’s it.
Nova is heartbroken. So is Dreamy.
They say good-bye and Dreamy goes back to the mines. As he’s pounding at the hard ground with his axe, it breaks. He’s given a new one. This time, thought, the axe reads Grumpy.
Without Nova, without the ability to dream, and without being able to follow his heart, Dreamy has become Grumpy. But forever?
In Storybrooke, Grumpy, AKA Leroy, still has a bad attitude. This time, though, there is no reason why, except to say that he really is Grumpy…
Anyway, the town is getting ready for Miner’s Day, a day of celebration in remembrance of the time when the nuns would trade homemade candles to the miners in exchange for coal. Not lobster, coal. Yes, in Maine.
Mary Margaret is trying to find volunteers to help her sell the candles, but ever since the fiasco with David and Kathryn, she’s practically being shunned. Not even Leroy wants to be seen with her. I mean, he’s about as low as she can go without pointing her finger at herself.
Yeah, Leroy has a way with words.
In preparation, the nuns are hanging lights throughout the main town square in front of the courthouse. One particular nun, Astrid, is having difficulty. She’s kind of a klutz and forgetful, but she’s joyful and bubbly. Sound familiar?
Just like Grumpy, Leroy is there to help when Astrid accidentally knocks some glitter all over Leroy from her place on a ladder. She is trying to get the lights to work, but they won’t turn on. Leroy volunteers to get them working and climbs the ladder. Within seconds the lights turn on and Astrid is overjoyed. How wonderful that he was there at the right time. Leroy accepts her thanks and watches as she joins the other sisters. He’s smitten.
In order to keep his eyes on her he decides to volunteer with Mary Margaret and sell candles. On top of that, he finds out that Astrid made another mistake and spent $5,000 dollars over budget on helium. Leroy can’t see the nuns go under, especially when their landlord is Mr. Gold. No, Leroy will do whatever he can to help Astrid out of this hole, even if it means sell his dream fix-‘er-up boat.
This turns out badly when his only interested buyer is Mr. Gold. When Mr. Gold finds out it’s to help the nuns, he refuses to be of any service. The nuns have done him wrong and it’s not his problem if they can’t keep up on their rent. It’s either pay up or get out of town.
Leroy is desperate. When the candles aren’t selling, he talks Mary Margaret into going door to door. That doesn’t work either. He can’t tell Astrid he didn’t get her money back. So he lies and stashes all the candles on his boat.
Astrid, however, wants to thank Leroy for his hard work and dedication and how happy the nuns are to be financially safe again. But then she sees them, hiding under the tarp. Why did he lie to her?
Simple, he didn’t want to see her disappointed. Well, now she really is.
How can he make it up to her? He can’t sell the candles. Nobody wants them. But what if they needed them…
With that, as night is upon them, Leroy blows up the transformer. Lights out! Now the only source of light is from the flickering flames atop a homemade candle.
Yeah, I smiled too! Great thinking, Leroy!
With all the candles sold, the nuns are safe from Mr. Gold’s wrath and they can stay in Storybrooke. Sure, Leroy can’t be with Astrid. He, well, he may not be as grumpy as before, but he’s still Leroy and she’s a nun. But maybe they can still be friends…
On a side note, Emma is investigating Kathryn’s disappearance. Her car and luggage are still intact right where she left them at Storybrooke’s city limits. But no Kathryn. The only suspect is David. He wasn’t the last one to see her. Regina was. But nevertheless, their fight about Mary Margaret, which resulted in Kathryn’s blessing, is still motive. And he’s got no alibi. Not to mention that eight-minute-long phone call from David just hours before she went missing.
Emma has no choice but to take him in for questioning.
Burning Questions:
1) Why are dwarves hatched from eggs?
2) Why do dwarves have to be miners?
3) Where did Kathryn go?
4) What is Mr. Gold’s grudge against nuns? Something to do with Belle?
5) How good is Emma’s “superpower” detector about liars? Seems to be malfunctioning around Sidney Glass…
6) What was said during that 8 minute phone call between David and Kathryn? Was is really David or were the records doctored?
7) Will Grumpy always be grumpy?
~ Taryn
Things change when you fall in love. Suddenly anything seems possible.
Where did the seven dwarves come from? Why are they miners? How did Grumpy get his name, other than the obvious? How does Fairy Tale Land receive its seemingly endless supply of magic fairy dust?
Let’s just say that none of our wildest imaginations could have predicted that dwarves are not born but merely hatched, fully grown, from an egg. Within days of their hatching they are ready to beat the insides of underground caves with pick axes, digging up the precious gems hidden within. Quite a feat for a newborn. And so far, we’ve only seen male dwarves. That’s because there aren’t female dwarves. What would be the point if dwarves can’t fall in love?
Nevertheless, hatching from eggs is beside the point. As far as falling in love, well, that’s a whole ‘nother issue.
On one particular day of dwarf hatching, Grumpy, or should I say Dreamy, is hatched. A little early, but that’s merely because he’s eager to begin his lifelong work in the mines. Just kidding. No, apparently, Dreamy saw a fairy-in-training from within his egg. He’s not joking. She was there and she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his very, very, very short lifetime.
Well Bossy, the dwarves’ boss—go figure—doesn’t think Dreamy is all there. His head is in the clouds. There is no way Dreamy could have seen a fairy, especially from inside his egg. Dreamy insists, which causes him to wonder who she is. From there, he begins dreaming of falling in love with her. His dreams are cut short when he’s tossed an axe and told there is no way, ever, that he can fall in love. It just doesn’t happen. And definitely not with a fairy.
So Dreamy accepts his fate of being a lonely miner, but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming…
Until one day, a year later, the same fairy-in-training is gathering fairy dust. Ready for this, fairy dust comes from the crushed diamonds the dwarves dig up. Who knew?
Anyways, this fairy is kind of a klutz and forgetful, but nevertheless, joyful and bubbly.
On this day, she’s gathering fairy dust when suddenly the fairy dust machine won’t shut off. It’s stuck and Dreamy rushes to her rescue. He recognizes her from his hatching. She doesn’t remember, but thinks he’s awfully handsome. They’re so engrossed in each other that neither sees the bag of fairy dust on the conveyor belt heading for the furnace. Probably where all bad diamonds go…
Dreamy, once again, rushes to the rescue and snags the fairy dust with his axe just in time. The fairy, whose name is Nova, is so impressed she invites Dreamy to Firefly Hill, the greatest location for seeing the whole kingdom and beyond. Dreamy doesn’t quite get the hint that she wants him along and wishes her good times. He’s stuck in the mine’s anyway, so why would he have thought he could go?
It’s not until the rare day comes that the dwarves all get to go above ground. Dreamy is confused about feeling in love but not being able to actually be in love. He’s voicing his thoughts aloud when Belle catches his attention. She tells him that he’s sad because he can’t be with the one he loves. He should be with her.
That’s all the encouragement he needs and heads for Firefly Hill. He’s not too late. Nova is there and she’s overjoyed to see him. He tells Nova that he wants to see the world and be with Nova forever. They both agree that sailing around the world together would be the best idea ever. Dreamy can’t wait to get started.
Against Bossy’s wishes, Dreamy decides to leave mining behind. He packs a bag and heads for Firefly Hill to meet Nova again. However, on his way, Bossy catches up to him. He and the Blue Fairy, Nova’s teacher, convince Dreamy that making Nova give up her dream of being a fairy in exchange for a life with him is a bad idea. Dreamy doesn’t want to cause Nova trouble and decides to tell her that the plan is off. He can’t run away with her. He can’t fall in love. It’s not possible. And he’s meant to be a miner. That’s it.
Nova is heartbroken. So is Dreamy.
They say good-bye and Dreamy goes back to the mines. As he’s pounding at the hard ground with his axe, it breaks. He’s given a new one. This time, thought, the axe reads Grumpy.
Without Nova, without the ability to dream, and without being able to follow his heart, Dreamy has become Grumpy. But forever?
In Storybrooke, Grumpy, AKA Leroy, still has a bad attitude. This time, though, there is no reason why, except to say that he really is Grumpy…
Anyway, the town is getting ready for Miner’s Day, a day of celebration in remembrance of the time when the nuns would trade homemade candles to the miners in exchange for coal. Not lobster, coal. Yes, in Maine.
Mary Margaret is trying to find volunteers to help her sell the candles, but ever since the fiasco with David and Kathryn, she’s practically being shunned. Not even Leroy wants to be seen with her. I mean, he’s about as low as she can go without pointing her finger at herself.
Yeah, Leroy has a way with words.
In preparation, the nuns are hanging lights throughout the main town square in front of the courthouse. One particular nun, Astrid, is having difficulty. She’s kind of a klutz and forgetful, but she’s joyful and bubbly. Sound familiar?
Just like Grumpy, Leroy is there to help when Astrid accidentally knocks some glitter all over Leroy from her place on a ladder. She is trying to get the lights to work, but they won’t turn on. Leroy volunteers to get them working and climbs the ladder. Within seconds the lights turn on and Astrid is overjoyed. How wonderful that he was there at the right time. Leroy accepts her thanks and watches as she joins the other sisters. He’s smitten.
In order to keep his eyes on her he decides to volunteer with Mary Margaret and sell candles. On top of that, he finds out that Astrid made another mistake and spent $5,000 dollars over budget on helium. Leroy can’t see the nuns go under, especially when their landlord is Mr. Gold. No, Leroy will do whatever he can to help Astrid out of this hole, even if it means sell his dream fix-‘er-up boat.
This turns out badly when his only interested buyer is Mr. Gold. When Mr. Gold finds out it’s to help the nuns, he refuses to be of any service. The nuns have done him wrong and it’s not his problem if they can’t keep up on their rent. It’s either pay up or get out of town.
Leroy is desperate. When the candles aren’t selling, he talks Mary Margaret into going door to door. That doesn’t work either. He can’t tell Astrid he didn’t get her money back. So he lies and stashes all the candles on his boat.
Astrid, however, wants to thank Leroy for his hard work and dedication and how happy the nuns are to be financially safe again. But then she sees them, hiding under the tarp. Why did he lie to her?
Simple, he didn’t want to see her disappointed. Well, now she really is.
How can he make it up to her? He can’t sell the candles. Nobody wants them. But what if they needed them…
With that, as night is upon them, Leroy blows up the transformer. Lights out! Now the only source of light is from the flickering flames atop a homemade candle.
Yeah, I smiled too! Great thinking, Leroy!
With all the candles sold, the nuns are safe from Mr. Gold’s wrath and they can stay in Storybrooke. Sure, Leroy can’t be with Astrid. He, well, he may not be as grumpy as before, but he’s still Leroy and she’s a nun. But maybe they can still be friends…
On a side note, Emma is investigating Kathryn’s disappearance. Her car and luggage are still intact right where she left them at Storybrooke’s city limits. But no Kathryn. The only suspect is David. He wasn’t the last one to see her. Regina was. But nevertheless, their fight about Mary Margaret, which resulted in Kathryn’s blessing, is still motive. And he’s got no alibi. Not to mention that eight-minute-long phone call from David just hours before she went missing.
Emma has no choice but to take him in for questioning.
Burning Questions:
1) Why are dwarves hatched from eggs?
2) Why do dwarves have to be miners?
3) Where did Kathryn go?
4) What is Mr. Gold’s grudge against nuns? Something to do with Belle?
5) How good is Emma’s “superpower” detector about liars? Seems to be malfunctioning around Sidney Glass…
6) What was said during that 8 minute phone call between David and Kathryn? Was is really David or were the records doctored?
7) Will Grumpy always be grumpy?
~ Taryn
Wednesday, September 4, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 15 - Red-Handed - "A Full Moon and Little Red Cap"
Just follow your instincts…
What would you do if you found out your boyfriend was a werewolf? Worse yet, what if you were the werewolf? And, you, uh…accidentally ate him? Well, you might end up hiding beneath a red cloak day in and day out to avoid any further mishaps…like, say, a full moon.
Yeah, that scenario sounds pretty far-fetched, but not if you’re Little Red Riding Hood and your classical tale has taken a dangerous, but incredibly astounding twist.
Red lives with her able-bodied, cross-bow toting grandmother, Granny. Ever since she can remember, Granny’s always been on her case about wearing that stupid red cloak. Supposedly it keeps the wolves at bay. They don’t like the color red. But, wolves won’t ever get her if she’s never allowed to leave the cabin.
Nevertheless, it’s Wolf’s Time, and Granny is more ferociously adamant in her reasoning and persistence towards the red hood. Several hunters are found dead, attacked by a wolf larger than any man has ever known.
Red craves adventure. She wants to help track this wolf down and kill it. Oh, what a grand time she’d have out from under Granny’s stiff thumb. And she could do it too, if only Granny would let her leave the cabin.
One day after a boring night of staying indoors, dreaming about wolf hunting, Red trudges through the snow to the chicken house to collect eggs for breakfast. As she’s ready to leave, she hears a small scrape against the back wall. An egg thief? What if it’s the wolf?
Nope. Just Snow White, the recent runaway princess from the Evil Queen. Only Red doesn’t know that. The stranger says she was only hiding from whatever was out there last night. It sounded huge and mean. And she was hungry. Raw egg sounded pretty good, I guess.
But Red won’t have any of it. Whoever this stranger is…Sn--, I mean, Margaret. No, Mary. Yes, Mary. She can come in and have a nice hot meal with Red and Granny. First, though, they’ll need to fetch a pail of water.
One problem: It’s turned to blood. The wolf has struck again.
The small village rapidly gathers, rallying a troop to kill this wolf once and for all. Everyone’s adrenaline is pumping. Everyone’s except Granny’s.
Granny’s seen the wolf. She knows exactly what it looks like and what it is. It’s no ordinary wolf. It has been many, many years, but she remembers like it was yesterday. It was Wolf’s Time and her brothers had geared up to hunt down the wolf, much like these men were. Only on this occasion, Granny, a young girl, had snuck out of her house to join in the action. That’s when she saw it. Her brothers had cornered it, but the beast swiped the weapons from their grasps. They were mauled. The beast’s eyes were black with rage as it turned and saw her. It lunged and bit her upper arm, leaving a snarly scar. But instead of killing her, the beast turned and walked into the woods.
This wolf was like no other; its eyes held reasoning. Why would it have let her go? The best course of action for these men today: leave it alone. There’s nothing that can be done.
Red’s not convinced. She wants to track down this wolf, especially if it means she’ll get out from under Granny. Plus, she’s got this guy…Peter, whom she really likes. Granny isn’t fond of him, but Red doesn’t care. Without the wolf, she and Peter can runaway together.
And that’s what Red plans to do. Track the wolf down and kill it. Snow White joins in if only to protect her new friend. And what they find in the snow is not only wolf tracks, but half-wolf, half-human prints. This wolf is half-man and the tracks lead right up to Red’s window, just where Peter had been the night before.
Peter’s the wolf?
The only way to be sure is chain him to a tree. If he stays human, he’s not the wolf, but if he is then everyone will be safe because he’ll be tied up. Red will stay with him all night and Snow White can pretend to be Red so Granny won’t be suspicious. That means Snow White will have to wear the red hood.
Well, Granny’s not easily fooled. When she finds out that Red has Peter chained to a tree without her red cloak, she’s furious. Don’t you see, Snow White? Red is the wolf!
Quickly the too track down Red. On the way Granny reveals a family secret. Red’s mother was a werewolf, although she was killed. And Granny was once a werewolf too, but the changing powers have since worn off. What’s left is a super sniffer. She can track anybody with only a few inhales of air. The only thing keeping Red from turning is her magical cloak, which Granny bought from a wizard. That’s why she has to be wearing it at all times!
Soon enough they find Red and Peter…or what’s left of him. Red, now the wolf, whips around at Granny’s and Snow’s startled cries. Snow throws off the red cape and onto Red. The hunters are coming and Red has turned human again under the magical cloak, albeit dazed and confused.
Granny can hold the hunters off if Snow can take Red to safety. No one can know about this. No one can ever know that sweet Little Red Riding Hood is actually the wolf!
In Storybrooke, Kathryn’s still missing. David’s been taken in for questioning, although he knows nothing more about it than the rest of us. Emma is forced to let him go, but not without a warning to keep his nose clean. Mary Margaret is still worried about her reputation in the town. Ruby is angry because Granny wants her to work Saturdays at the diner and Ruby’s fed up. Granny’s cramping her style. She craves adventure like the ones August the stranger has been on. Why, he’s even seen lemurs. She should be on adventures with lemurs. It’s just not fair.
So what can she do but quit. And leave town. But since fairy tale characters can’t actually leave Storybrooke without something bad happening, Emma and Mary Margaret invite her to stay with them. Maybe Henry and Emma can find Ruby a job at the police station. She’s got to be good at something besides waiting tables, right? Like carrying things in little baskets…
Okay, so back to Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret isn’t just worried about her reputation. Sure, she’s mad at David for lying to her and Kathryn, yada, yada, but she doesn’t want to see him in any kind of real trouble. She figures she can help him by searching in the vast woods near the scene of the crime. But then she spots David searching too.
Oh, he’s searching alright, and it’s probably for his lost mind. He’s acting strange, like looking through her as if she wasn’t there. Before Mary Margaret can question him further, he stumbles away in a distant haze.
Now Mary Margaret’s alarmed. She rushes to the police station. Emma and Ruby quickly hit the woods. It’s only then that Ruby’s enhanced, almost dog-like senses kick in. She can hear small sounds across long distances. And she hears David. He’s just waking up from his fog. He doesn’t remember anything. Nothing from the time Emma let him go at the station until now.
Unfortunately it’s only more incriminating evidence. And what’s worse, with Kathryn out of the picture, Regina has stepped back in to being David’s emergency contact. She now has more ammunition to frame David for Kathryn’s disappearance.
But Emma’s not so sure David’s behind this mystery. She needs to keep looking. And this time Ruby might be the key. So Emma sends Ruby down to the Toll Bridge where David was first found. Ruby begins searching for anything out of the ordinary only to find a mysterious jewelry box. Slowly she opens the lid, and finds…a heart!
Panicked, Ruby decides police work isn’t her thing, but waiting tables and working extra hours at the diner is. She leaves the heart and jewelry box with Emma and practically runs back into Granny’s loving arms.
At the Storybrooke Animal Shelter, Mary Margaret is trying to comfort David about this entire fiasco when Emma walks in. She comes bearing bad news. That heart they found was Kathryn’s, but even worse, the fingerprints on the jewelry box belong not to David but Mary Margaret!
Things just took a nasty turn!
Burning Questions:
1) Who saw that twist coming?! Obviously the writers have drifted from the original tale. But don’t you think this version is so much cooler?!
2) When the curse is broken, will Ruby gain back her werewolf powers?
3) What is wrong with David?
4) How long did Snow White stay with Red and Granny?
5) Is this what Snow White helped Red with when no one else would? (see Ep: 10)
6) Who is Doctor Whale if he’s not the wolf? Could he still be the Big Bad Wolf from the Three Little Pigs?
7) Who is the wizard Granny bought the red cape from?
~ Taryn
What would you do if you found out your boyfriend was a werewolf? Worse yet, what if you were the werewolf? And, you, uh…accidentally ate him? Well, you might end up hiding beneath a red cloak day in and day out to avoid any further mishaps…like, say, a full moon.
Yeah, that scenario sounds pretty far-fetched, but not if you’re Little Red Riding Hood and your classical tale has taken a dangerous, but incredibly astounding twist.
Red lives with her able-bodied, cross-bow toting grandmother, Granny. Ever since she can remember, Granny’s always been on her case about wearing that stupid red cloak. Supposedly it keeps the wolves at bay. They don’t like the color red. But, wolves won’t ever get her if she’s never allowed to leave the cabin.
Nevertheless, it’s Wolf’s Time, and Granny is more ferociously adamant in her reasoning and persistence towards the red hood. Several hunters are found dead, attacked by a wolf larger than any man has ever known.
Red craves adventure. She wants to help track this wolf down and kill it. Oh, what a grand time she’d have out from under Granny’s stiff thumb. And she could do it too, if only Granny would let her leave the cabin.
One day after a boring night of staying indoors, dreaming about wolf hunting, Red trudges through the snow to the chicken house to collect eggs for breakfast. As she’s ready to leave, she hears a small scrape against the back wall. An egg thief? What if it’s the wolf?
Nope. Just Snow White, the recent runaway princess from the Evil Queen. Only Red doesn’t know that. The stranger says she was only hiding from whatever was out there last night. It sounded huge and mean. And she was hungry. Raw egg sounded pretty good, I guess.
But Red won’t have any of it. Whoever this stranger is…Sn--, I mean, Margaret. No, Mary. Yes, Mary. She can come in and have a nice hot meal with Red and Granny. First, though, they’ll need to fetch a pail of water.
One problem: It’s turned to blood. The wolf has struck again.
The small village rapidly gathers, rallying a troop to kill this wolf once and for all. Everyone’s adrenaline is pumping. Everyone’s except Granny’s.
Granny’s seen the wolf. She knows exactly what it looks like and what it is. It’s no ordinary wolf. It has been many, many years, but she remembers like it was yesterday. It was Wolf’s Time and her brothers had geared up to hunt down the wolf, much like these men were. Only on this occasion, Granny, a young girl, had snuck out of her house to join in the action. That’s when she saw it. Her brothers had cornered it, but the beast swiped the weapons from their grasps. They were mauled. The beast’s eyes were black with rage as it turned and saw her. It lunged and bit her upper arm, leaving a snarly scar. But instead of killing her, the beast turned and walked into the woods.
This wolf was like no other; its eyes held reasoning. Why would it have let her go? The best course of action for these men today: leave it alone. There’s nothing that can be done.
Red’s not convinced. She wants to track down this wolf, especially if it means she’ll get out from under Granny. Plus, she’s got this guy…Peter, whom she really likes. Granny isn’t fond of him, but Red doesn’t care. Without the wolf, she and Peter can runaway together.
And that’s what Red plans to do. Track the wolf down and kill it. Snow White joins in if only to protect her new friend. And what they find in the snow is not only wolf tracks, but half-wolf, half-human prints. This wolf is half-man and the tracks lead right up to Red’s window, just where Peter had been the night before.
Peter’s the wolf?
The only way to be sure is chain him to a tree. If he stays human, he’s not the wolf, but if he is then everyone will be safe because he’ll be tied up. Red will stay with him all night and Snow White can pretend to be Red so Granny won’t be suspicious. That means Snow White will have to wear the red hood.
Well, Granny’s not easily fooled. When she finds out that Red has Peter chained to a tree without her red cloak, she’s furious. Don’t you see, Snow White? Red is the wolf!
Quickly the too track down Red. On the way Granny reveals a family secret. Red’s mother was a werewolf, although she was killed. And Granny was once a werewolf too, but the changing powers have since worn off. What’s left is a super sniffer. She can track anybody with only a few inhales of air. The only thing keeping Red from turning is her magical cloak, which Granny bought from a wizard. That’s why she has to be wearing it at all times!
Soon enough they find Red and Peter…or what’s left of him. Red, now the wolf, whips around at Granny’s and Snow’s startled cries. Snow throws off the red cape and onto Red. The hunters are coming and Red has turned human again under the magical cloak, albeit dazed and confused.
Granny can hold the hunters off if Snow can take Red to safety. No one can know about this. No one can ever know that sweet Little Red Riding Hood is actually the wolf!
In Storybrooke, Kathryn’s still missing. David’s been taken in for questioning, although he knows nothing more about it than the rest of us. Emma is forced to let him go, but not without a warning to keep his nose clean. Mary Margaret is still worried about her reputation in the town. Ruby is angry because Granny wants her to work Saturdays at the diner and Ruby’s fed up. Granny’s cramping her style. She craves adventure like the ones August the stranger has been on. Why, he’s even seen lemurs. She should be on adventures with lemurs. It’s just not fair.
So what can she do but quit. And leave town. But since fairy tale characters can’t actually leave Storybrooke without something bad happening, Emma and Mary Margaret invite her to stay with them. Maybe Henry and Emma can find Ruby a job at the police station. She’s got to be good at something besides waiting tables, right? Like carrying things in little baskets…
Okay, so back to Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret isn’t just worried about her reputation. Sure, she’s mad at David for lying to her and Kathryn, yada, yada, but she doesn’t want to see him in any kind of real trouble. She figures she can help him by searching in the vast woods near the scene of the crime. But then she spots David searching too.
Oh, he’s searching alright, and it’s probably for his lost mind. He’s acting strange, like looking through her as if she wasn’t there. Before Mary Margaret can question him further, he stumbles away in a distant haze.
Now Mary Margaret’s alarmed. She rushes to the police station. Emma and Ruby quickly hit the woods. It’s only then that Ruby’s enhanced, almost dog-like senses kick in. She can hear small sounds across long distances. And she hears David. He’s just waking up from his fog. He doesn’t remember anything. Nothing from the time Emma let him go at the station until now.
Unfortunately it’s only more incriminating evidence. And what’s worse, with Kathryn out of the picture, Regina has stepped back in to being David’s emergency contact. She now has more ammunition to frame David for Kathryn’s disappearance.
But Emma’s not so sure David’s behind this mystery. She needs to keep looking. And this time Ruby might be the key. So Emma sends Ruby down to the Toll Bridge where David was first found. Ruby begins searching for anything out of the ordinary only to find a mysterious jewelry box. Slowly she opens the lid, and finds…a heart!
Panicked, Ruby decides police work isn’t her thing, but waiting tables and working extra hours at the diner is. She leaves the heart and jewelry box with Emma and practically runs back into Granny’s loving arms.
At the Storybrooke Animal Shelter, Mary Margaret is trying to comfort David about this entire fiasco when Emma walks in. She comes bearing bad news. That heart they found was Kathryn’s, but even worse, the fingerprints on the jewelry box belong not to David but Mary Margaret!
Things just took a nasty turn!
Burning Questions:
1) Who saw that twist coming?! Obviously the writers have drifted from the original tale. But don’t you think this version is so much cooler?!
2) When the curse is broken, will Ruby gain back her werewolf powers?
3) What is wrong with David?
4) How long did Snow White stay with Red and Granny?
5) Is this what Snow White helped Red with when no one else would? (see Ep: 10)
6) Who is Doctor Whale if he’s not the wolf? Could he still be the Big Bad Wolf from the Three Little Pigs?
7) Who is the wizard Granny bought the red cape from?
~ Taryn
Tuesday, September 10, 2012
Review - Season 1 Episode 16 - Heart of Darkness - "Love Lost and Found"
Sometimes evil doesn’t always look evil. Sometimes it’s staring right at us and we don’t even realize it.
We’re right where we left off in “7:15 am” where Snow White drank her forget-me potion and completely erased Prince Charming from her memory. Only problem is that the side-effects were severe. Not only did she forget him but her heart became full of darkness, not anything resembling the purity her name represents. Why, she’s taken to lulling sweet bluebirds into her home only to try and off them with a broom. Some might say her attitude reflects a certain dwarf. I won’t name any names, but I think we can all guess which grumpy character I’m referring too.
As a result, the dwarves plus Jiminy Cricket have staged an intervention. They just want the old Snow White back; the one that knows how to love, who’s kind and isn’t seeking violent revenge on the Evil Queen.
But Snow White doesn’t remember such love, nor does she care. They can just get used to or get over it. All she does remember is that the Evil Queen did her wrong and she’s got to pay.
And so taking quick leave of the dwarves’ cabin, Snow White resorts to her hiding-out-in-the-woods days and sets up an ambush for one of the queen’s guards as a way to track down her Evilness. Yeah, that may involve knocking the poor man out with the blunt edge of a pick ax (if there even is such thing as a blunt edge) and taking all of his clothes in the dead of winter. It’s harsh, but he works for the Queen, so it’s the price he’ll have to pay.
The Queen, he says, will be heading to her summer palace via the Queen’s Highway. Yeah, it’s winter, and there is snow on the ground, but the Queen’s hoping summer will come early, I guess.
In order to kill the Queen without detection and on the first try, Snow White seeks Rumplestiltskin’s help. He may just have the solution, I mean potion, she needs to get that straight-shooting arrow. And he does. Whoever her target may be, she cannot miss with this arrow. No price for such help this time. Rumplestiltskin is simply invested in her future. (Can we all say, “Emma!”)?
Snow White stakes out the perfect location to stay hidden from the road but have the exact line of sight to take out the queen by arrow. She’ll kill her when the she’s on the move.
But wait! Prince Charming hasn’t forgotten his true love. No, he’s been searching for her ever since he left Princess Abigail with her newly revived Frederick. And with the help of Red, and Rumplestiltskin, he’s found her. And it only cost him his cape, Rumplestiltskin’s price. And just in time. She had just pulled back her bow. Now, she’s annoyed. Who is this crazy man who insists they not only know each other but that they’re meant to be together? He just needs to let her be.
But Prince Charming won’t do that. He can’t do that. He loves her with an eternal kind of love that would be able to transcend any realm they may find themselves in. It’s just a matter of getting her to remember their love. I mean, he would even let her tie him to a tree and leave him in the cold woods all alone.
What will it take? Follow her around? Remind her of their memories together? Kiss her?
Sacrifice his life for her? Bingo! Take an arrow for his true love and viola! she’s back! No, he didn’t die, but he could have, and that’s what counts.
Yes, he’s her Charming, her Prince Charming. She remembers. And she loves him, completely and forever. Now they can be together always.
But that would be too simple. King George is still after him and he’s madder than ever since Prince Charming ran away from a profitable merger wedding. And so King George’s men haul away the injured prince as Snow White watches from behind a tree.
Now it’s Snow White’s turn. She will find him, she will always find him!
In Storybrooke, David’s been released from Regina’s hook only to have Mary Margaret charged with Kathryn’s murder. Sure, the jewelry box that held Kathryn’s heart is hers, and unfortunately she accidentally confessed to wanting Kathryn out of the way because of her affair with David. But she didn’t do it. With everyone harassing her to confess she only said what they wanted to hear. She’s just an elementary school teacher with nothing to hide, especially not murder. She didn’t do it! Can’t they see she’s innocent? She’s being framed.
That doesn’t matter anymore. She’s confessed, her fingerprints are all over the box, and Regina wants what she wants. Mary Margaret can’t be free to roam the streets of Storybrooke. She must be jailed.
And so she is. But who’s going to believe her story? Emma? Yes, but she doesn’t know how to help. Not after the evidence keeps piling up against Mary Margaret. First the jewelry box then the hidden dagger in Mary Margaret’s house. The list keeps growing.
What about David? Well, since Mary Margaret’s been jailed and the evidence seems pretty clear, he’s not so sure anymore. What if he doesn’t know her as well as he thought? And those black outs in his memory? He can’t be sure of anything anymore. Yet, when he talked to Dr. Hopper things only got worse. Why, he saw Mary Margaret confessing to premeditation of wanting to kill someone. Sure she had long hair and they were in the middle of the woods wearing Medieval-style clothing, but she had to have been talking about killing Kathryn, right?
Oh, David, eyes open or shut you just can’t seem to get hold of the truth. Can’t you see the difference between reality and your memories from another life? I mean, seriously.
Anyway, David can’t stand behind Mary Margaret anymore. Not after he’s remembered the “truth.”
Heartbroken from David’s lack of “charming-ness” and any type of true love quality, Mary Margaret’s only hope is Mr. Gold. He professes to be invested in her future. Why? It doesn’t matter so long as he can get her out of this mess.
And what is she supposed to do with this skull-key that suddenly turned up in her cot, especially when it’s the very key to unlock her cell?
What to do, what to do?
Run, of course...
Burning Questions:
1) How does Kathryn’s “heart” have her DNA on it?
2) What will Rumplestiltskin do with his true love in a bottle? Perhaps create the most perfect curse or perhaps it is the way to break said curse?
3) Who hid the key for Mary Margaret?
4) What is Mr. Gold’s plan to expose Regina?
5) What is going to happen to Prince Charming?
~ Taryn
We’re right where we left off in “7:15 am” where Snow White drank her forget-me potion and completely erased Prince Charming from her memory. Only problem is that the side-effects were severe. Not only did she forget him but her heart became full of darkness, not anything resembling the purity her name represents. Why, she’s taken to lulling sweet bluebirds into her home only to try and off them with a broom. Some might say her attitude reflects a certain dwarf. I won’t name any names, but I think we can all guess which grumpy character I’m referring too.
As a result, the dwarves plus Jiminy Cricket have staged an intervention. They just want the old Snow White back; the one that knows how to love, who’s kind and isn’t seeking violent revenge on the Evil Queen.
But Snow White doesn’t remember such love, nor does she care. They can just get used to or get over it. All she does remember is that the Evil Queen did her wrong and she’s got to pay.
And so taking quick leave of the dwarves’ cabin, Snow White resorts to her hiding-out-in-the-woods days and sets up an ambush for one of the queen’s guards as a way to track down her Evilness. Yeah, that may involve knocking the poor man out with the blunt edge of a pick ax (if there even is such thing as a blunt edge) and taking all of his clothes in the dead of winter. It’s harsh, but he works for the Queen, so it’s the price he’ll have to pay.
The Queen, he says, will be heading to her summer palace via the Queen’s Highway. Yeah, it’s winter, and there is snow on the ground, but the Queen’s hoping summer will come early, I guess.
In order to kill the Queen without detection and on the first try, Snow White seeks Rumplestiltskin’s help. He may just have the solution, I mean potion, she needs to get that straight-shooting arrow. And he does. Whoever her target may be, she cannot miss with this arrow. No price for such help this time. Rumplestiltskin is simply invested in her future. (Can we all say, “Emma!”)?
Snow White stakes out the perfect location to stay hidden from the road but have the exact line of sight to take out the queen by arrow. She’ll kill her when the she’s on the move.
But wait! Prince Charming hasn’t forgotten his true love. No, he’s been searching for her ever since he left Princess Abigail with her newly revived Frederick. And with the help of Red, and Rumplestiltskin, he’s found her. And it only cost him his cape, Rumplestiltskin’s price. And just in time. She had just pulled back her bow. Now, she’s annoyed. Who is this crazy man who insists they not only know each other but that they’re meant to be together? He just needs to let her be.
But Prince Charming won’t do that. He can’t do that. He loves her with an eternal kind of love that would be able to transcend any realm they may find themselves in. It’s just a matter of getting her to remember their love. I mean, he would even let her tie him to a tree and leave him in the cold woods all alone.
What will it take? Follow her around? Remind her of their memories together? Kiss her?
Sacrifice his life for her? Bingo! Take an arrow for his true love and viola! she’s back! No, he didn’t die, but he could have, and that’s what counts.
Yes, he’s her Charming, her Prince Charming. She remembers. And she loves him, completely and forever. Now they can be together always.
But that would be too simple. King George is still after him and he’s madder than ever since Prince Charming ran away from a profitable merger wedding. And so King George’s men haul away the injured prince as Snow White watches from behind a tree.
Now it’s Snow White’s turn. She will find him, she will always find him!
In Storybrooke, David’s been released from Regina’s hook only to have Mary Margaret charged with Kathryn’s murder. Sure, the jewelry box that held Kathryn’s heart is hers, and unfortunately she accidentally confessed to wanting Kathryn out of the way because of her affair with David. But she didn’t do it. With everyone harassing her to confess she only said what they wanted to hear. She’s just an elementary school teacher with nothing to hide, especially not murder. She didn’t do it! Can’t they see she’s innocent? She’s being framed.
That doesn’t matter anymore. She’s confessed, her fingerprints are all over the box, and Regina wants what she wants. Mary Margaret can’t be free to roam the streets of Storybrooke. She must be jailed.
And so she is. But who’s going to believe her story? Emma? Yes, but she doesn’t know how to help. Not after the evidence keeps piling up against Mary Margaret. First the jewelry box then the hidden dagger in Mary Margaret’s house. The list keeps growing.
What about David? Well, since Mary Margaret’s been jailed and the evidence seems pretty clear, he’s not so sure anymore. What if he doesn’t know her as well as he thought? And those black outs in his memory? He can’t be sure of anything anymore. Yet, when he talked to Dr. Hopper things only got worse. Why, he saw Mary Margaret confessing to premeditation of wanting to kill someone. Sure she had long hair and they were in the middle of the woods wearing Medieval-style clothing, but she had to have been talking about killing Kathryn, right?
Oh, David, eyes open or shut you just can’t seem to get hold of the truth. Can’t you see the difference between reality and your memories from another life? I mean, seriously.
Anyway, David can’t stand behind Mary Margaret anymore. Not after he’s remembered the “truth.”
Heartbroken from David’s lack of “charming-ness” and any type of true love quality, Mary Margaret’s only hope is Mr. Gold. He professes to be invested in her future. Why? It doesn’t matter so long as he can get her out of this mess.
And what is she supposed to do with this skull-key that suddenly turned up in her cot, especially when it’s the very key to unlock her cell?
What to do, what to do?
Run, of course...
Burning Questions:
1) How does Kathryn’s “heart” have her DNA on it?
2) What will Rumplestiltskin do with his true love in a bottle? Perhaps create the most perfect curse or perhaps it is the way to break said curse?
3) Who hid the key for Mary Margaret?
4) What is Mr. Gold’s plan to expose Regina?
5) What is going to happen to Prince Charming?
~ Taryn