After feeling for so long that Snow wasn’t really seeing Emma, or recognizing her agency and free will, it was so fulfilling to watch Snow make a decision all parents would make – to put her child’s happiness and future ahead of hers. All those years of Emma being abandoned, left behind, alone.The hurt and pain of rejection and betrayal. All those years as an orphan because of Regina’s curse and – we learned – because of a decision Snowing made to not go and save her when they had a chance.
I’m glad they finally tackled the issue of Snow considering the needs of Emma, The Person, and not Emma, The Savior. I’m glad they recognized that it isn’t healthy for a parent to constantly view their child through the lens of what that child is meant to do for everyone else, and not in terms of her agency, desires, and dreams for herself.
I’m glad we saw from Snow what a normal parent does – they see the future in their child, they put their child and their child’s loved one ahead of themselves. They put the possibilities contained within the future words and deeds of their child, their child’s SO, and their current and potential grandchildren’s lives ahead of their own.
Snowing made a sacrifice out of love for Emma, The Person, which was rewarded by the entire town sacrificing for them. Led by Killian. 🙂 I love the message that sends.
This is why I watch this show – the themes of family and love. Of people like Killian and Regina finding family where it didn’t exist before. Of hope for happy endings. And the growth of new families like Hook, Emma, and Henry (and any other future kids). Or Zelena, Robyn, Regina and Henry.
Time keeps marching on. Parents grow and age, new families burst into life. And the bonds of love and family conquer all.
I’ve fallen a bit behind on watching, and even farther on writing, so this is relatively short. It might also be short because of the lingering “what the hell did I just watch” sensation.
Ill Boding Patterns–part 3 (part 1-2 here and here)
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
I hope you’ll indulge in me in just one thing before we get started. After yesterday’s bullet points I was barraged (not unexpectedly ) by people upset because they feel I hate Rumple. I assure you that absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. I love Rumple as a character and Robert Carlyle as an actor. My affection for both is what drives my dissatisfaction with the current storyline.
Listen–I say all the time that reasonable minds can disagree. If you love the current storyline then I say great. Enjoy it. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is being labeled a hater when I’m the furthest thing from it when it comes to Rumple. So if you’ll indulge me for a second to clarify my position a little…
I think that for the first five seasons of this show Rumple was as layered and nuanced a character as exists on primetime tv. It was refreshing to see someone caught in the eternal struggle between darkness and light who so unapologetically embraced the darkness. A man who knew himself well enough to say nothing is more important to me than the power. Not even love. I like being feared. I am in no way burdened by my conscience. Happily selfish and unrepentant every step of the way.
And Robert Carlyle’s performance was brilliant at every turn. Whether playing the out there Rumple or the understated Gold the characterization remained flawless and unflinching. It wasn’t always easy to watch but it was always spectacular.
In truth, I have no problem with the whole Gideon storyline changing Rumple. How could it not? Especially considering it was all set in motion by his own actions in agreeing to give up his second born child. And using Robert’s storyline to help illuminate Rumple’s was genius. Two men who made irrevocable decisions about the fate of their children and the effects that had not only on their children but on themselves. Beautiful. So to see Rumple make a complete 180 for the sake of his child, just as Robert did (BOING!) I’m here for it.
Well in truth I may not have wanted a full 180 because I like Rumple a little evil so maybe a 270. But still–I have no problem with the change.
What I do have a big problem with is the total retcon in terms of how and why Rumple embraced the darkness. For 2 reasons.
A. It weakens the canon fabric of the show which to me is more unforgivable than anything else. The basic tenets of the story you’re telling need to be sacrosanct because if they aren’t how can the viewer invest emotionally? Twists and turns are fine but they need to stay within the story you’ve been telling all along. No storyline means anything if the past can be discarded on a moment’s notice to fit the future. And to make such a seminal change only to turn around and use a device as cheap as memory tea to try to mitigate it? Sigh.
B. It cheapens the stellar performance Robert Carlyle has given since day one by removing the complicated side of Rumple/Gold and turning him into a man who had no free will in the decision to fully embrace the darkness and reducing 90% of his motivation to sheer cliche. And he deserves better.
So feel free to disagree with me on the storyline but please do both of us a favor and don’t write it off to me simply not liking the character.
And now back to the bullet points.
1. “You think tea with dear old dad is gonna make everything better?”
Very nice foreshadowing here. This being the second time they focused on the tea/thermos they were certainly telegraphing it was going to play an important role.
2. “How can I trust you with the truth when you don’t trust me?”
This line sets up a really interesting exploration into how trust factors into Rumple’s relationship with each of his sons. The level of trust he places in them. The degree to which that trust ends up being misplaced.
There’s a direct compare/contrast set up between Rumple/Gideon and Rumple/Bae here. Not only are these plotlines informing each other this is a case where the latter is actually influencing the former in significant ways.
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
1. It’s a really bittersweet contrast that OR Robin used to come to the forest to think and Robin 2.0 uses is a place to hide his thieving ways and plot out his next shady move.
Setting this scene in the forest was brilliant. It highlights the fact that the two Robins share more similarities than just looks (seeking refuge at the same spot in the forest for example) while also making it clear that at their core, where it matters, they’re very different.
It’s what’s inside that counts.
BOING!!!!!
2. “Believe it or not this is where the other Robin used to come to think.”
For all Regina’s talk about knowing Robin 2.0 is not the man she used to know she still comes looking for him at the place OR Robin used to come. In terms of Regina the fact that he’s actually there is less important than the fact that that’s where she goes looking.
She knows this man isn’t “her Robin”. They made that very clear in her talk with Snow. Yet she’s still seeking him out, in a very literal sense as well as metaphorical one, hoping he can help her fill the void left by OR Robin.
Sometimes a person sees who they want to see in another person. Not who they really are.
BOING!!!!!
3. It’s very interesting how long Robin keeps his bow in a defensive position even after he realizes the person approaching is Regina. It’s a strong indicator that the box o’ potions is something he’s willing to go to any lengths to keep hold of.
It’s also the first instance we see in this ep of him dropping the pretenses. But not the last.
4. “I might have put pressure on you to be someone you’re not.”
I’m sorry …. might have?
5. The blocking in this scene is very illuminating.
Regina is still making an effort to get closer, though nowhere near as close as in previous eps. The path to him is not clear and smooth, but she’s still putting in the effort, far more halting and hesitant than in previous eps as it might be.
Robin 2.0 rebuffs her first with his bow then with a “No” and the universal hand signal for stop. He’s all about protecting the potion box at this point.
But as soon as Regina calls him out on his hyper-vigilance he shifts gears. Takes several steps towards her. Offers to meet her later. Just generally gives her what he thinks she wants to throw her off the scent.
Not cool, Robin 2.0
6. And just in case they weren’t clear enough about his motivation, we get one final shot focused on the potion box.
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
1. The scene progression in the Teaser is VERY enlightening. As we know, it gives us the lens through which to view the rest of the episode. It sets up the relevant themes and as always, each scene is informed by and informs, those that come before and after. I’m gonna point that out a little more here than usual because, as I said, in this case it’s fascinating.
And since this was one of the least subtle eps of primetime tv I’ve see in a long time it’s not hard to spot the throughlines.
A hard hat may not be good enough to protect you from the anvils in this one. Fair warning.
BOING!!!!!!
2. Personally I loved Beowulf when I read it both in high school and in college. Yeppers, I was that kid. You’re shocked, aren’t you?
3. I was surprised (in a good way) when I saw they were casting someone to play Beowulf. I mean I figured they weren’t gonna get too deep into the weeds of the actual story, which frankly I don’t blame them for, it’s a little dense for primetime.
But Hrunting the enchanted sword and the overarching them of epic battle were perfect choices to use as illuminators of the current storyline(s)
Nice story choice!
4. The staging of the first part of the scene is spectacular. Lots of moving pieces. People. Noise. Flaming catapult rounds. Wooden spikes. Potential danger is everywhere and a battle is definitely afoot.
They do a very nice job of giving that time to unfold.
And though there are dozens of people going about their business, including a blacksmith, we only “meet” two of them. Beowulf and a poor, hapless foot solider looking for courage in a flask. (From here on out to be referred to a PHF)
Murder Most Foul-part 6 (parts 1-5 can be found here, here, here, here and here)
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
1. When Act 4 runs a grand total of 5 minutes and consists of only two scenes that says something very important in terms of structure. These two scenes are the climax of the story arcs they represent. They are meant to be viewed with a period at the end. They contain completed thoughts.
That’s not to say the storylines don’t continue on, because clearly they do. But within each of these scenes is contained a final determination. Everything that comes after is a new dynamic.
2. Scene one is about Robert finally believing who he is. He can’t be bought, he can’t be shamed. He’s a father protecting his son. He was given an out when King George pretended to think he’d found James and was bringing him in for the reward and he refused to take it. Whatever he was in the past is unimportant. And not only does George know it, more importantly Robert knows it.
To thine own self be true and all that.
BOING!!!!!!!
3. “The right price fixed it last time.” Ooooof I mean that line was necessary to give Robert a chance to turn it down and prove he wasn’t the man he used to be still … ooof.
4. James got a chance to see his father redeemed although he was too young to understand and David got a chance to understand his father was redeemed even though he never saw it.
Very nice.
In the end both of his sons, on some level, were able to see the truth.
5. Just as the first scene in this very strong pair of scenes was about Robert realizing who he really is, the second scene is about David doing the same.
Murder Most Foul-part 5 (parts 1-4 can be found here, here, here and here)
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
1. Regina brings Robin 2.0 to her vault because she’s hoping against hope that bringing him to the place they first had sex might reach a something inside of him on a more primal level and spark a memory.
It’s very interesting that this entire scene is about making things look good on the surface despite what might be lurking underneath.
Regina knows by this point that Robin 2.0 is VERY different from OR Robin yet she’s still in there trying to fit him into the mold of what SHE wants him to be.
Even with magic you can’t make people who you want them to be.
BOING!!!!!
2. Regina’s response to Robin 2.0 calling her out on her hypocrisy was the perfect example of what I find so frustrating about her character but at the same time it was classic Regina.
“The hearts of my enemies BUT”
There’s always a but. Always a justification. Always the belief that in her own case it’s ok to make exceptions. She’s like an alcoholic who convinces themselves they can still have a few drinks every once in awhile.
3. Regina starts to close the doors on the card catalog of hearts but interestingly, in a metaphorical sense, doesn’t get it done.
BOING!!!!
4. Instead she gets distracted by Robin 2.0 handling a “powerful” object which she takes from him and places haphazardly in an unlocked trunk. Again, just get it off the surface of things. Don’t deal with it, just conceal it.
5. I get accused of hating Regina a lot when in reality I don’t. At all. I just find her characterization extremely frustrating. She’s like that person we’ve all known at one point or another who bitches about their job, their boyfriend, their lack of social life, their cat, and anything and everything else but is unwilling to actually do anything to change their situation. It’s exhausting.
Murder Most Foul-part 2 (part 1 can be found here)
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
One of the questions I get most asked often is what I mean when I say each scene is informed by the one that comes before it and informs the one that comes after it. Calling it basic story building is true but I don’t think it explains the concept well enough. So if you’ll indulge me I’d like to take a second here to point out how it worked in this week’s teaser. As always, please let me know if I get too far into the weeds with this stuff. I can talk about it for literally hours on end.
Normally I would do the entire teaser as one set of bullet points but I decided not to this episode for a very specific reason. The placement of the title card created a perfect illustration of the scene structure mentioned above.
1. The first part of the teaser–covered in part 1–was about actions (or lack thereof) and their consequences. In other words, what we do.
Robert’s inaction in the face of Rumple’s offer had an impact on not only his own future but that of his wife and sons as well. Emma’s action in defeating (at least temporarily) Gideon sets in motion a chain of events that will affect her future as well as those close to her. Actions have consequences. Some of them are more immediate (Emma) and some of them take longer to unfold (Robert).
2. The second half of the teaser is all about perception, our own and other people’s. In other words, who we are. Snow and Regina grapple with who this new Robin really is, Killian grapples with the fear that David doesn’t see him as worthy of Emma, David grapples with his own vision (literally) of his father.
3. Placing these two concepts on opposite sides of the title card, as opposed to separating them by a commercial break, sets up a crystal clear lens through which we will be viewing this ep.
Murder Most Foul-part 4 (parts 1-3 can be found here, here and here)
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
1. The Robin 2.0 storyline is a really well-drawn counterpoint to the current Captain Charming dynamic. David sees Killian as a “lying thieving pirate” because that what he needs him to be right now. Regina sees Robin 2.0 as a sweet soul who would regret killing Nottingham because that’s what she wants him to be.
The really interesting thing though is that each of them is projecting personality traits they feel they themselves lack onto the other person. David is choosing to see Killian as an immoral pirate capable of doing whatever is necessary to achieve a goal. He knows that he’s not that kind of person himself so he needs to find those traits externally. Whether or not Killian is still that person is irrelevant because the bottom line is David’s view isn’t about Killian. It’s about David.
Regina wants to see Robin 2.0 as a kind-hearted, well meaning person who would never kill in cold blood. She wants him to be above reproach and not willing to take shortcuts because those are the parts of her own personality that trouble her. Again, it isn’t about Robin. It’s about Regina.
BOING!!! BOING!!! BOING!!!!
So in addition to being about how we define ourselves this story is also about how we define others. And why. Which is in and of itself an even more fascinating question. And viewed through this lens the Dark Swan storyline takes on a whole new dimension.
Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)
This ep is a really nice example of something I’ve mentioned quite a few times lately–the idea of parallel storytelling. It can be easy to mistake certain common events within 2 storylines as an indication of parallel storytelling when just as often they’re meant to serve as compare/contrast.
There are at minimum five men in this episode dealing with the concept of redemption. Some for themselves (August, Killian, Grandpa Charming), some for a loved one (David) and one wrestling with the idea of not wanting to be redeemed no matter how high the cost he paid (Rumple). Each journey informs all the others. Which provides amazing emotional layers and is what made this such a powerful episode and perfectly set up the emotional gut punch at the end.
But none of these storylines are parallel in a way that would allow you to predict an ending to one based on the other. For example–look at Grandpa Charming and Killian. Both are men dealing with the idea of not only personal redemption but of changing the way the people they love see them. Making good as it were. Do their storylines inform each other? Absolutely. Are there common elements? You betcha. Are they parallel? No. In fact near the end of the ep Killian takes a hard right and Grandpa Charming takes a hard left and they crash into each other head on. So even though they were on similar journeys using either storyline to try to predict the ending of the other is folly.
True parallel storytelling is about a lot more than common events. It’s about larger overarching themes. Motivations. Intentions. That sort of thing.
cshappybeginning 