'Once Upon A Time' Season 5 Episode 11 'Swan Song' Mid-Season Finale Review

Non Spoiler Review- A mixed bag of an episode in my opinion. This was a great episode that had some insane twists that were unfortunately undercut by some mind blowing reveals. I enjoyed the episode and it was very emotional and I will discuss in more detail what I exactly disliked as there were a few things that bugged me in this midseason finale. However I'm very excited for the rest of the season and can't wait for the show's returning March.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Trip to the Underworld- The end of the episode sees Emma wanting to bring Hook back from the Underworld with plans to share her heart with him like Snow and Charming. The promo for the next episode showed a few dead characters that the gang will come across and it got me thinking and I really think that each character will run into someone and be compelled to bring them back or it will complicate relationships. I wouldn't be surprised if Emma runs into Neil and he is confused why she didn't come for him and Hook instead. I also think this means Hades will be the main villain for the rest of the season since he is the ruler of the underworld and Hercules and Meg have both been cast for the show. One thing that bothered me about this was that I didn't understand why they would allow Henry to accompany them into the Underworld. That just bothered me as it seems like awful parenting. But in all seriousness, they should be looking for Henry's safety and best interests and there's not really a reason he needed to tag along. Another thing that bothered me about this was that this totally undercut the importance of Hook's death and I like Hook's character but I feel like there are no stakes for the characters if they can just journey to the Underworld to save someone. I'm glad Hook won't be gone for good though. 

2. Rumplestiltskin tricks everyone-  The huge twist that I feel a little mixed about in this episode was Rumple's big reveal that he turned Excalibur into a conduit and somehow re retrieved the Dark One Dagger, which doesn't make sense to me since it was a part of Excalibur and vanished with the sword, and he is the Dark One again with the power of all the previous Dark One's so he is significantly more powerful than ever before. Once again I felt that this undercut Hook's sacrifice as he dies to stop the darkness and really died for nothing. This also seemed to contradict the direction of Gold's character arc as he was becoming a hero and seemed to finally fill that void and just became a villain again unexpectedly. It didn't feel natural for the story and his character given the recent episodes but I personally prefer Gold as a villain and Rumpelstiltskin is one of my favorite character so I'm glad to see him back as the villain but didn't feel that it progressed with the story.

3. Hook's death- The big moment of the episode that was undercut by the above highlights was Hook's sacrifice. This moment was very emotional and it made it even more emotional when Emma had to be the one to put Excalibur through him. I thought he had a very noble sacrifice and it worked effectively for the episode and wish that at least one episode had passed before they decide to try to bring him back.

4. Belle and Rumple- Another crucial heartbreaking part of the episode was the drama between Gold and Belle. First Gold does the noble thing and provides Belle with a means to travel the world and leave the town as she's always desired. I liked this as it contributed to Gold's hero arc that was unfortunately undercut by the twist later. She then returns after learning the truth and says she wants to stay and be with Rumpelstiltskin. I'm curious to see how she will react to the truth about Gold's schemes and if it will continue this cycle between them where she constantly changes her mind. 

5. Hook's strained past with his father- A very interesting piece of the episode were flashbacks that delved more into Hook's backstory. I was surprised to see Hook choose to kill his father as Regina made it seem as though Hook made the "right choice". I feel as though this may return to be part of the larger story arc for the rest of the season especially since a majority of the cast is currently in the Underworld.

6. Regina sends Zelena back to Oz- This episode also had Regina send Zelena back to Oz. Hopefully we will see Zelena in a future episode as I quite enjoy her as a villain for the series and would be interested to see if she makes her way back for her daughter, which still is un named for some reason.

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'Once Upon A Time' Season 5 Episode 10 'Broken Heart' Review

Non Spoiler Review- This episode of 'Once Upon A Time' manages to answer all the questions involving the flashbacks and another very intriguing episode of the series that will as the episode title implies will indeed break your heart if you're a fan of the show. A great episode that really sets the stage for next week's midseason finale. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Hook brings back previous Dark Ones- At the end of the episode after Hook's duel with Rumple, he is able to use Rumple's blood to open the door to the Underworld and bring all of the Dark Ones back for an army or something. I'm curious to see what Hook will use the Dark One's for and what his grand scheme is aside from extinguishing the light. I have a theory that this is a subtle hint that the Underworld will have significant importance for the next half of the season and that Hades will be the villain of that half especially after seeing that Hercules was cast on the show. 

2. Hook was responsible for the curse- The episode also comes full circle answering every question from the season premiere when everyone awoke in Storybrooke confused. We learn that Hook killed Merlin to create a curse so he could seek revenge once again. The reasoning behind this is that a a curse requires the death of the person you love most and since Hook is a Dark One and all of the previous Dark Ones are inside him technically Merlin is the thing that Nimue loved most and so it worked. Emma then arrives and wipes everyone's memory so that she can stop Hook and make him the man he was before he became a Dark One. I felt that this made Emma seem less like a villain as her motivations were very pure and revealed that she never really did anything that was very evil. 

3. Hook and Emma splintered apart- One interesting subplot was seeing Emma's mistrust of Hook drove him away from her as he gave into the darkness and then in Storybrooke seeing Hook vengeful of what had happened to him so he wants to both stop Emma and seek his revenge. It was very sad to see their relationship destroyed in some aspects and I think it's led to next week's midseason finale will result in someone's death given the stakes. 

4. Gold bests Hook- I liked how Gold managed to best Hook despite being at a significant disadvantage with no magic while Hook is a Dark One and he uses his wit to win and seizes Excalibur, which is revealed can no longer control either Hook or Emma but can harm them. I'm curious to see if Gold will become more of a hero in the coming episodes and if he will strike the final blow wiping out darkness. 

5. Belle breaks Rumple- At the end of the episode Gold had told Belle to meet him at the well if she did love him and she does arrive but instead tells him that she's tired of having her heart broken by him and needs time to figure herself out really breaking his heart. To me this made absolutely no sense since Rumple is clearly changed, his heart is pure and he is a hero now with noble intentions. This was a very sad moment and I'm curious to see if she'll change her mind and how Gold will be affected by her words. 

6. Emma restores everyone's memories- Emma finally returns everyone's memories after working with Henry and gains everyone's trust once again, which I was very happy to see because I worried that could be dragged out. I also liked that Henry has restored faith and confidence in Emma as that was slightly annoying. 

7. Zelena is allowed to see her child- One very small subplot involved Regina and Robin allowing Zelena to see the child. I liked that they still don't trust her and say that one of the two must be present for her to see her daughter. I'm curious to see if the child will have any greater significance later in the season. I really liked Regina's speech telling Zelena that Henry made her good and she has hope that Zelena's daughter can do the same for her. I'm curious to see if that development will take place throughout the season. 

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'Once Upon A Time' Season 5 Episode 6 'The Bear and the Bow' Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another great episode this season but wasn't quite as enjoyable as last weeks in my opinion. I did however really enjoy the character progression accomplished for Rumpelstiltskin. Overall another solid addition to the season but not quite the best episode of the season. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Rumple lifts Excalibur- The big moment of the episode came down to Rumple lifting Excalibur from the stone proving he is indeed now a hero and has great potential to be a great one. Another reason I feel this made him a better person and somewhat redeemed him given that he did it to save Merida and have her heart returns to her. I'm curious to see what will become of him now that he's good and how others will react to his sudden change. 

2. Rumple threatens Emma- One particular moment I really enjoyed was that right after Gold lifted Excalibur he told Emma that she needs to watch out because she created a hero and he will stop her. I'm very curious to see where this leads. 

3. Merlin's message- At the end of the episode Regina and company discovered a message from Merlin stating that Nimue would be able to defeat Emma so I wonder who that is but given that it's the title of the next episode I assume we will learn the answer soon. 

4. Emma tries to gain an ally- I thought this scene was very funny because Zelena was craving onion rings since she's pregnant and Emma appeared with just that to try to appeal to her and wanted her assistance with something although we never got to know exactly what that was or what she wanted an ally for. 

5. Merida and Belle save Merida's brothers- The flashbacks showed Merida and Belle working together to save her brothers and I liked that the central theme of that subplot was that Merida should embrace who she is and show how that makes her a strong leader which worked and not only saved her brothers but her kingdom as well. 

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'Once Upon A Time' Season 5 Episode 'Dreamcatcher' Review

Non Spoiler Review- This episode was by far the best of the season as it had interesting reveals, great character moments, and some pivotal emotional scenes. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

 

1. Emma breaks Henry's heart to free Merlin- The big reveal was that in Camelot, Emma manipulated Violet using her heart to ensure Henry's heart would be broken so she could free Merlin from the tree. I think this moment as highlighted in the episode paralleled to what Cora did for Regina. I think it was a very difficult decision for Emma to make but she did it to ensure that Merlin could be free and help them. It seems as though she was trying to make up for it through manipulation by helping Henry win over Violet in actuality as she interfered in Camelot.

2. Merlin freed- It was interesting to finally see Merlin on the show as he was been teased since last season and I wasn't expecting him to appear so soon. He seems to be very powerful and I'm curious to see if and how he relates to Emma going full dark.

3. Emma still cares about Henry- Even though Emma is full dark she still certainly cares about Henry as she wanted to see him happy and ensure she made up for her mistake in Camelot even though Henry didn't know about it. There's a piece of her that still wishes to be good similarly to how Rumpelstiltskin cared about Belle and Neil and was willing to do anything for either one of them.

4. Merida teaches Gold to be brave- I thought it was very interesting to see Merida go research about Rumple's history and then use that to instill courage in him. I liked that she used the chipped cup that is so significant between him and Belle to motivate him. And then she mentioned she wants to use him to stop Emma so she has other motivations to training him besides being forced to. 

5. Emma sees Regina's heartbreak through the dreamcatcher- I thought it was very interesting how Emma was able to see into the Dreamcatcher's as they relate to her history and how she was even able to see Regina's memories inside of one. I'm curious to see how important dreamcatchers are to her role as the Dark One and if they relate to her plan. And then it must have been eyeopening for her to experience Regina's pain through viewing the memory and understand what she went through.

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'Once Upon A Time' Season 5 Episode 2 'The Price' Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another solid episode to this fifth season that maintains the mystery and intrigue while revealing some of the events that occurred in Camelot through flashbacks. The episode really focused on Regina along with a subplot for Hook that was nice to see. One thing I really like about this show is that it does a terrific job of switching the focus on specific characters from episode to episode so each character is given a compelling arc at one point or another.  For the most part I really enjoyed this episode and I'm looking forward to the upcoming episodes as they reveal more in the flashbacks, etc.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode 

1. Emma's plan revealed- At the end of the episode,  Rumpelstiltskin appears to Emma and tells her that he is there to help her complete her plan and we learn that she plans to use Excalibur to wipe out the light. As of now, I like Emma as the Dark One because it's so different and I enjoy how they included Rumpelstitskin into her consciousness, etc. 

2. Hook wants to save Emma from the darkness- I really like how this arc is developing because it's interesting to see Hook, who was once a villain, have the desire to save Emma when he could easily become evil again. I also like how this led him to have a better relationship with Belle because she understands his problem. I can't wait to see this arc further explored.

3. Regina saves Robin- A man attempts to kill Regina when he learns she is the evil queen and instead Robin ends up being stabbed and so Regina turns to Emma to save Robin. She then asks Emma to use dark magic to save him which works but is said to come with a price. And we see that it starts expediting the process of Emma becoming dark. And at the end of the episode she saves him from the fury potentially revealing she could be the Savior now that Emma's dark. 

4. Henry's first crush- Henry seems to have a crush on a girl and I feel like this girl will later be important. This is because she seems to remember hearing the song that Henry shows her in Granny's Diner from before when he showed it to her in the Enchanted Forest. I think this means that maybe she could be able to have her memories restored somehow. 

5. Merlin trapped in a tree- This episode also reveals that Merlin is trapped as a tree but prophesied the events that have occurred.

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'Once Upon A Time' Season 5 Episode 1 'The Dark Swan' Review

Non Spoiler Review- A very interesting episode that felt very brief but filled with drama. I enjoyed seeing some characters spotlighted that had been somewhat pushed aside last season and new characters and ideas introduced to the show. This episode had a great cliffhanger ending that was very shocking and I'm interested to learn what happened in flashbacks. Overall, it was a a very solid premiere episode. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode 

1. The ending- The ending was very shocking and filled with surprises like that something happened in Camelot that made Emma fully dark, that Emma has the dagger, and this information should be revealed in flashbacks throughout the season similarly to Season 3 where we learned of how the Witch cursed Storybook, etc.

2. Merida- The actress who was cast to play Merida was cast perfectly. She not only looked the part but really seemed to do quite well with portraying the character. It was very exciting to see Merida onscreen and I hope to see more of her throughout the season. 

3. Zelena goes crazy- Zelena managed to manipulate Hook into allowing her to escape her prison and she creates a portal to go to Oz but Regina quickly incapacitates her with another bracelet that restricts her magical abilities and corrects the portal to send them to Camelot. It was great to see Zelena being wicked again and to watch her cut off her hand to remove the bracelet and reattach it with magic was so creepy and it worked perfectly. I hope to see her have an increased role throughout this season. 

4. Emma's inner conflict- A very interesting concept introduced was learning that the Dark One has something along the lines of a multiple personality disorder. Emma was having Rumpelstiltskin as a voice in her mind trying to convince her to go down the dark path while Emma was trying to fight it and try her hardest to remain good. I think this is an interesting dynamic and really a great use for Rumpelstiltskin in the show. 

5. Belle's Rose- It was a fun little nod to see Belle receive a rose which is very reminiscent of the rose from 'Beauty and The Beast'. 

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'Once Upon A Time' Season 4 Episode 22 and 23 'Operation Mongoose Part 1' and 'Operation Mongoose Part 2' Season Finale Review

Non Spoiler Review- The Season finale of 'Once Upon a Time' was definitely the best episode of the fourth season that has many twists and a huge cliffhanger that will certainly change the show for the better. I'm very intrigued to see how this affects the series. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of Part 1

1. Swapped roles- It was very interesting to see different cast members basically play a different interpretation of their characters. I enjoyed each of these but my favorite was the evil Snow White. I really enjoyed exploring what the heroes and villains would be like in an alternate timeline and thought it was an interesting direction of the series. 

2. Henry confronts Issac- I liked that Henry actually had an opportunity to be a hero where usually he is off to the side watching the action but I loved his participation and importance in this episode. 

3. Alternative origins- Another interesting aspect was that alternative origins for characters setting them off in different directions and a fun "what-if" episode. I hope for more episodes like this in the show's future. 

4. Author creates new reality for Gold- It was very interesting to note that the Author created this alternate reality for Gold and made himself a best seller violating the rules of the author.

5. Author backstory- I liked seeing Issac's origin and why he became the author initially. I hope to see the character back next season.

Highlights of Part 2

1. Emma Swan is the new Dark One- The huge plot twist of the episode was when Emma decided to save Regina and become the Dark One. I am all for this because I can't wait to see Emma Swan evil because i feel that it will be quite interesting.

2. Henry is the new Author- Another fun twist was that Henry became the new author. This isn't too surprising given his connection to the book and the character's importance.

3. Gold is stripped of darkness- Another surprise was that the darkness in Gold was killing him so the apprentice removes the darkness so does this make Gold good by default. It was a cool point ot have the darkness take other people as hosts for the dark one and can;t wait to see what it does to Emma.

4. Regina sacrifices herself in the alternative timeline- Regina kills herself to save Henry in the alternate world/timeline and luckily she survived and will continue on. Her sacrifice allowed the reality to be destroyed.

5. Hook dies in alternative timeline- Hook also made a sacrifice in order to protect Regina, Henry, and Emma but survives since it was in the alternate timeline. I liked the very shy version  of Hook because it was so funny to see Hook uncomfortable with himself.