OUAT 2.07 Child of the Moon

[shallowness]

I was really pleased to have a Red-centric episode, but then woke up to hear that Ory is leaving because she’s been underused for the rest of the season season. But Ruby’s cool, and in this episode I loved that we saw more of her relationship with Snow and Belle, and I wanted more that I probably won’t get, so I'm sad, although I wish Ory well. I obviously haven’t seen the rest of the season, but I know that with a cast of dozens, still growing, characters are going to get less development and attention than they deserve – for instance, in this episode, I’d have liked to see Ruby actually visit Gold in her search for the cloak, instead of being told about it.

I wish they’d thought a little more about the CGI before making a wolf-centric episode, because well, very few films and TV shows have cracked it and this one didn’t either.

The wolf pack deserved more time and space. In fact, it was ridiculously compressed (or the script editor was dozing, because Snow talked about ‘this morning’ when I thought that Red had spent the night out with the pack. Surely it should have been yesterday - and oh, Red, couldn't you have insisted you saw your friend and told her where you were going instead of just followed Quin?

I could have stood to learn more about Quin (and Billy for that matter, because the idea of a mouse become human, a very minor character in one fairy tale about to start a relationship with a major one, is a fascinating thing that the current set-up at Storybrooke throws up) and Red’s mother and the Pack hierarchy. I mean, come on, they didn’t bother with Red finding her place in the pack at all – I know it was her story and her struggle with the wolf/human and ‘monster’ aspects of her personality – ‘I choose me’ (oops, I killed you). Still. Or seen her be playful with wolves.

And I would like to know what the knowledge that Granny had lied about her mother did to Red. I hope it is at least addressed later. Why was sketched out, because Mama Wolf was hardcore, but still, she lied about another thing. They could have stretched out the tension about whether it was true or not - I don't want to know about the age gap, but Gish and Ory's bone structure made them credible as kin - they could have made more of Red’s wolf senses in figuring it out.

I loved Red and Snow becoming sisters of choice here – a very nice nod to the Snow White and Rose Red story/stories. The way they helped each other out was great and filled in gaps in season 1. And I loved how both actresses played it young – especially Ory. Red and Ruby are still distinctly different – it’s interesting how the characters stick to their Storybrooke names a lot, still, I don’t know if they’re going to go into that and the carrying of two memories and the need to cling to normalcy.

Oh, and while I was glad to see KCT's blue fairy, not a mention of Leroy/Grumpy and Nova? Or resolution about the fairy dust?

Ruby’s glee about getting to run wild was great (also the show seems to have forgotten the season 1 wolf). I suppose David was there to echo Snow’s belief in Ruby and that was fine, but I have a sneaky suspicion that Ruby would make a better stand-in deputy than him if the writers would let her. But then again, the symbolic idea of the shepherd (‘s son) protecting the wolf was delicious.

Still, every time Granny was awesome with a shotgun, you felt she could have been allowed to be even more awesome. For instance, she or David should have sat watch the first night the moon was full.

Am loving Belle and Ruby’s developing friendship, OF COURSE. Ruby’s remorse (like Red’s) and belief in her own monstrosity just GUH.

I cared less about David and Spencer, or James and George. There was an echo of Emma struggles over who decided what’s just in this town, and the use of the axe iconography to set Ruby up was powerful. I liked the little moment where Spencer watched David and his (grand)son by blood, and that said more about all the exposition about wanting to get back at the man who had betrayed him and got what George couldn't have. But mainly when they concentrate on Charming's past, I still think ‘Charming’s birth name can’t have been James, it would have been too much of a coincidence and so I prefer the nickname. UGH.’

Finally, to Henry’s dream. It only jyst clicked that Henry had eaten the poisoned apple tart meant for Emma and thus was affected like Snow had been. (If they ever go into Aurora’s backstory, that might be an interesting tit-bit to tidy up.) That Goldpelstiltskin was willing to help him...was that because of Emma or Charming or that Henry reminds him of Baelfire? Probably both. I don’t think that fear of fire that hurts you is necessarily a bad thing, and I don’t want to read too much into ‘Don’t be afraid’, but given that the hat is now gone (why not tackle him, Ruby, with your wolfy speed? Or did you, like me already think he’d chucked it into the flames?) it’s good that Henry and Aurora made contact. I wonder if she’s in his story book...