Once Upon a Time 5x08 & 5x09 Thoughts
Nov. 18th, 2015 11:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iaria5x08 'Birth'
+ The Emma/Regina scene in Camelot was wonderful. "I thought you could use a friend." ♥ How far they have come. I loved the entire talk. I loved how genuine Regina's caring for Emma was and how much Regina believed in Emma. I even loved Regina's use of the dagger this time. She was clearly doing it entirely to help Emma and did it as gently as she could. It was very much tough love but it was love. I was on her side this time.
+ The Regina vs Charming fight outside Emma's house felt a bit off. Regina angrily charging after Zelena, determined to save her to the extent that she would consider harming Emma came kind of out of no where.
+ The scene at Granny's when Hook was dying was really nice. I liked how it played out, Emma's grief, everyone's sadness and gentle attempts to convince Emma not to do what she was planning, Emma calling Regina on how far she would be willing to go. I liked the acting from everyone. I wish Henry had gotten to say something.
+ Why would Merlin be so much more powerful than Emma? Nimue defeated him after all. I suppose Emma wasn't full on Dark One yet.
+ Ah, so they've been bringing up Neal so much lately to a) give more meaning to Emma being so unwilling to lose Hook that she would go to such lengths (she can't lose him too) and b) give more reason for Emma chosing Zelena as her sacrifice and why she'd be willing to kill her. I never really thought they'd be bringing Neal back but I'm actually a little disappointed all the same. Also seeing the lengths that Emma is willing to go here (perhaps in part because of Neal's loss) does make how quickly she let Neal go a little ~ eh.
+ I like that the show actually had Hook tell Emma he didn't want to be saved by becoming the dark one and then had her do it anyway. It creates an interesting tension. I see both sides. That said I don't buy Hook seemingly turning against her in the final scene.
+ Nice to see Dr. Whale again. I was amused by him grumbling over Regina commenting on his hair.
5x09 'The Bear King'
It was a little weird to go from the last episode, especially with how it ended, to this one which was pretty much a filler but I really enjoyed it.
+ Red! Mulan! Yay! So happy to see both of them again. I also really enjoyed Merida.
+ I am all aboard the Red/Mulan ship [...Red Warrior, I guess?] Their first meeting was great. I loved Mulan's expression when she saw Red for the first time. Yes she is very hot, Mulan. I liked that their relationship starts with Mulan recognising that Red isn't just an animal even in her wolf form and then her freeing Red, and that it ends with Red inviting Mulan to travel with her to get over her broken heart (and perhaps saving Mulan from that?)
+ Snow/Red!! Oh, I've missed them. Despite minor issues with some reasoning their scene was absolutely lovely. They are so wonderful together. "I think you need to do what makes you happy." I love how attuned to Red Snow was. I love Snow noticing something was wrong and her confronting Red about it and her understanding why Red needed to leave and being so supportive of her. The hug was lovely. I can't wait until they're reunited.
+ "I will teach you to fight better than any man here. I'll teach you the most important thing you need to have to fight - honour." - Mulan. I loved Mulan as Merida's teacher. They were great.
+ As a retconned explanation for Red's absence what we got semi-works. The fact that she left willingly post-Zelena defeat (when everything looked good) and Snow (and thus presumably everyone) knew about it explains why there has been no mention of her for the most part. [Not so much the complete lack of it - not even an occasional 'I miss her', or someone wondering if they should go find her once they found themselves back in the Enchanted Forest. It could have been a great explanation for why Granny went with them.] I'm glad that she was actually gone all last season and they didn't try to say she'd just been in the background all along.
What didn't work for me was the explanation for why she left. She missed her own people/felt their loss? She didn't feel like she belonged because she was the only one of her kind? Wha??? Since when? Other wolves have never mattered to her. It makes absolutely no sense to me.
Also the convenient bean was very convenient. I'm surprised everyone else was willing to let her use it. Hmm. I wonder if other Storybrooke denizens returned to Storybrooke with her?
+ Mulan going post-heartbreaking scene with Auroru to chooing to shut down her feelings and work as a paid mercenary/thug is a bit much. I hope there is something else that happened with her to cause the change.
+ I'm a tiny bit annoyed that the show emphasised the Merida/Fergus relationship so much considering how important the Merida/Elinor one was in the movie. I mean I like them a lot and considering the storyline with his death it makes complete sense but it still bugged me. I'd hope for more Elinor/Merida in the second half of the season but tbh the casting for Elinor didn't entirely work for me. Usually I really like the casting on this show but I don't love her.
+ I liked that in the end both Merida and her father taught each other important lessons. I loved him giving her his first bow for her first battle. Their goodbye scene was really well done.
+ I loved the witch. Great casting there. Considering how the situation with the helmet plays out it seems that she's definitely a neutral/'grey' witch not someone dark on the show so I have to wonder her reasoning for keeping Red trapped in wolf form as a guard dog?
+ The Emma/Regina scene in Camelot was wonderful. "I thought you could use a friend." ♥ How far they have come. I loved the entire talk. I loved how genuine Regina's caring for Emma was and how much Regina believed in Emma. I even loved Regina's use of the dagger this time. She was clearly doing it entirely to help Emma and did it as gently as she could. It was very much tough love but it was love. I was on her side this time.
+ The Regina vs Charming fight outside Emma's house felt a bit off. Regina angrily charging after Zelena, determined to save her to the extent that she would consider harming Emma came kind of out of no where.
+ The scene at Granny's when Hook was dying was really nice. I liked how it played out, Emma's grief, everyone's sadness and gentle attempts to convince Emma not to do what she was planning, Emma calling Regina on how far she would be willing to go. I liked the acting from everyone. I wish Henry had gotten to say something.
+ Why would Merlin be so much more powerful than Emma? Nimue defeated him after all. I suppose Emma wasn't full on Dark One yet.
+ Ah, so they've been bringing up Neal so much lately to a) give more meaning to Emma being so unwilling to lose Hook that she would go to such lengths (she can't lose him too) and b) give more reason for Emma chosing Zelena as her sacrifice and why she'd be willing to kill her. I never really thought they'd be bringing Neal back but I'm actually a little disappointed all the same. Also seeing the lengths that Emma is willing to go here (perhaps in part because of Neal's loss) does make how quickly she let Neal go a little ~ eh.
+ I like that the show actually had Hook tell Emma he didn't want to be saved by becoming the dark one and then had her do it anyway. It creates an interesting tension. I see both sides. That said I don't buy Hook seemingly turning against her in the final scene.
+ Nice to see Dr. Whale again. I was amused by him grumbling over Regina commenting on his hair.
5x09 'The Bear King'
It was a little weird to go from the last episode, especially with how it ended, to this one which was pretty much a filler but I really enjoyed it.
+ Red! Mulan! Yay! So happy to see both of them again. I also really enjoyed Merida.
+ I am all aboard the Red/Mulan ship [...Red Warrior, I guess?] Their first meeting was great. I loved Mulan's expression when she saw Red for the first time. Yes she is very hot, Mulan. I liked that their relationship starts with Mulan recognising that Red isn't just an animal even in her wolf form and then her freeing Red, and that it ends with Red inviting Mulan to travel with her to get over her broken heart (and perhaps saving Mulan from that?)
+ Snow/Red!! Oh, I've missed them. Despite minor issues with some reasoning their scene was absolutely lovely. They are so wonderful together. "I think you need to do what makes you happy." I love how attuned to Red Snow was. I love Snow noticing something was wrong and her confronting Red about it and her understanding why Red needed to leave and being so supportive of her. The hug was lovely. I can't wait until they're reunited.
+ "I will teach you to fight better than any man here. I'll teach you the most important thing you need to have to fight - honour." - Mulan. I loved Mulan as Merida's teacher. They were great.
+ As a retconned explanation for Red's absence what we got semi-works. The fact that she left willingly post-Zelena defeat (when everything looked good) and Snow (and thus presumably everyone) knew about it explains why there has been no mention of her for the most part. [Not so much the complete lack of it - not even an occasional 'I miss her', or someone wondering if they should go find her once they found themselves back in the Enchanted Forest. It could have been a great explanation for why Granny went with them.] I'm glad that she was actually gone all last season and they didn't try to say she'd just been in the background all along.
What didn't work for me was the explanation for why she left. She missed her own people/felt their loss? She didn't feel like she belonged because she was the only one of her kind? Wha??? Since when? Other wolves have never mattered to her. It makes absolutely no sense to me.
Also the convenient bean was very convenient. I'm surprised everyone else was willing to let her use it. Hmm. I wonder if other Storybrooke denizens returned to Storybrooke with her?
+ Mulan going post-heartbreaking scene with Auroru to chooing to shut down her feelings and work as a paid mercenary/thug is a bit much. I hope there is something else that happened with her to cause the change.
+ I'm a tiny bit annoyed that the show emphasised the Merida/Fergus relationship so much considering how important the Merida/Elinor one was in the movie. I mean I like them a lot and considering the storyline with his death it makes complete sense but it still bugged me. I'd hope for more Elinor/Merida in the second half of the season but tbh the casting for Elinor didn't entirely work for me. Usually I really like the casting on this show but I don't love her.
+ I liked that in the end both Merida and her father taught each other important lessons. I loved him giving her his first bow for her first battle. Their goodbye scene was really well done.
+ I loved the witch. Great casting there. Considering how the situation with the helmet plays out it seems that she's definitely a neutral/'grey' witch not someone dark on the show so I have to wonder her reasoning for keeping Red trapped in wolf form as a guard dog?
