OUaT season 2 finale response
Sep. 14th, 2013 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallowness2.22 And Straight on ‘til Morning
I found myself enjoying this – a lot because of Hook. I haven’t fallen for the kohl-rimmed, leather duster snarkiness, at least I don’t think I have, though it’s entertaining, but I did like that they gave him a lot more greyness WRT Bae. (Worst ‘let me be your stepfather’ pitch ever.) He’s always been tricksy, so I refuse to trust him much when he seems to be noble, and approve of the other characters when they’re sensible like that, though it was interesting that he chose survival over revenge. I tend to think he was telling the truth about his father – because this show loves parent-child stuff. And I don’t know if the show runners have fully thought out how weird his position is every time he flirts with Emma now.
But I did love the growing realisation that the Lost Ones (are they vampires? Is the fact that we’ve only seen them during the night significant?) were working for the real big bad of Neverland...Peter Pan. That’s got delicious potential. And just as I was thinking about how they couldn’t keep Bae there while they were telling that story, because that boy actor is about to become too much of a young man, they came up with a very elegant solution.
At least, it is WRT Henry being the wanted one, and that for as yet unknown reasons. But Tamara and Owen going there after all the talk of the Home Office, which was in this world, is almost a step too far. I suppose they could have been dupes – Owen’s backstory and their fanatical belief in getting rid of magic from Earth was too convincing. I think some ‘splainin will need to happen.
I was also pretty sure that Neal wasn’t dead, so I couldn’t get invested in anyone’s grief about that, although I thought they used it well as a motivating factor for Emma and his dad (I’m also confused as to how Belle knew he was dead, although I may have missed something blindingly obvious).
However, I melted at Emma calling Snow ‘Mom’ and David ‘Dad’. FINALLY! I also loved their collectively choosing the harder path and, when it didn’t work, finding another – i.e. Emma using her powers. I had wondered if they were going to be as forgotten as her internal polygraph.
(My head canon is that after coming up with the potion, the Blue Fairy decided to have a lie down and slept through Storybrooke being threatened with destruction. Yes.)
I couldn’t see that they were going to let Regina die yet, although I’ve always thought her sacrificing herself for Henry was the endgame. Plus! Village of innocents!
The last bit was so busy. I feel they covered most of the bases they thought necessary in the time they had.
I’m glad Belle got at Rumpelstiltskin’s better self, and I love their chemistry, although I could have done with much more time being spent on their issues.
However, I worry that we won’t get a Storybrooke episode if it’s just Belle (and the dwarves, Granny, Archiminy Cricket, the Blue Fairy, Gepetto and Pinnochio, Dr Frankenwhale and SOB! Red) remaining. At best, it’ll probably be just a strand until the characters on the ship return with Henry. I’m glad we’re not done with Aurora, Mulan and Philip’s story of how they’re rebuilding the Enchanted Forest. I wish we could have had Nova back this season, though. For that matter, the Blue Fairy isn’t the only fairy in town, but they barely remember her when magic would be useful, so. Oh, and Frederick and his Princess never got a callback. It was all so busy at the start of the second series, but I’d have loved them to do even more with characters getting their memories back and reconnecting. I would also have liked to follow Henry to school, which seemed to have restarted. What arrangements had been made without Mary Margaret? What was the children’s response to realising they’d been frozen for 28 years, perhaps separated from their families? I’ve always wondered how Henry felt about being the only boy who aged in town.
The Charmings, Regina, Rumpel and Hook (I noticed the actor was promoted to a regular for this ep, which was nice for him) setting forth in an uneasy alliance for Neverland is a fascinating set up for the beginning of season 3. Despite not setting up the new show, they tied up more stuff fairly satisfactorily than I could have hoped for – did hope for, with so much going on.
I also got very excited yesterday at seeing an Agents of Shield trailer and learning Channel 4 are starting to air it at the end of September.
I found myself enjoying this – a lot because of Hook. I haven’t fallen for the kohl-rimmed, leather duster snarkiness, at least I don’t think I have, though it’s entertaining, but I did like that they gave him a lot more greyness WRT Bae. (Worst ‘let me be your stepfather’ pitch ever.) He’s always been tricksy, so I refuse to trust him much when he seems to be noble, and approve of the other characters when they’re sensible like that, though it was interesting that he chose survival over revenge. I tend to think he was telling the truth about his father – because this show loves parent-child stuff. And I don’t know if the show runners have fully thought out how weird his position is every time he flirts with Emma now.
But I did love the growing realisation that the Lost Ones (are they vampires? Is the fact that we’ve only seen them during the night significant?) were working for the real big bad of Neverland...Peter Pan. That’s got delicious potential. And just as I was thinking about how they couldn’t keep Bae there while they were telling that story, because that boy actor is about to become too much of a young man, they came up with a very elegant solution.
At least, it is WRT Henry being the wanted one, and that for as yet unknown reasons. But Tamara and Owen going there after all the talk of the Home Office, which was in this world, is almost a step too far. I suppose they could have been dupes – Owen’s backstory and their fanatical belief in getting rid of magic from Earth was too convincing. I think some ‘splainin will need to happen.
I was also pretty sure that Neal wasn’t dead, so I couldn’t get invested in anyone’s grief about that, although I thought they used it well as a motivating factor for Emma and his dad (I’m also confused as to how Belle knew he was dead, although I may have missed something blindingly obvious).
However, I melted at Emma calling Snow ‘Mom’ and David ‘Dad’. FINALLY! I also loved their collectively choosing the harder path and, when it didn’t work, finding another – i.e. Emma using her powers. I had wondered if they were going to be as forgotten as her internal polygraph.
(My head canon is that after coming up with the potion, the Blue Fairy decided to have a lie down and slept through Storybrooke being threatened with destruction. Yes.)
I couldn’t see that they were going to let Regina die yet, although I’ve always thought her sacrificing herself for Henry was the endgame. Plus! Village of innocents!
The last bit was so busy. I feel they covered most of the bases they thought necessary in the time they had.
I’m glad Belle got at Rumpelstiltskin’s better self, and I love their chemistry, although I could have done with much more time being spent on their issues.
However, I worry that we won’t get a Storybrooke episode if it’s just Belle (and the dwarves, Granny, Archiminy Cricket, the Blue Fairy, Gepetto and Pinnochio, Dr Frankenwhale and SOB! Red) remaining. At best, it’ll probably be just a strand until the characters on the ship return with Henry. I’m glad we’re not done with Aurora, Mulan and Philip’s story of how they’re rebuilding the Enchanted Forest. I wish we could have had Nova back this season, though. For that matter, the Blue Fairy isn’t the only fairy in town, but they barely remember her when magic would be useful, so. Oh, and Frederick and his Princess never got a callback. It was all so busy at the start of the second series, but I’d have loved them to do even more with characters getting their memories back and reconnecting. I would also have liked to follow Henry to school, which seemed to have restarted. What arrangements had been made without Mary Margaret? What was the children’s response to realising they’d been frozen for 28 years, perhaps separated from their families? I’ve always wondered how Henry felt about being the only boy who aged in town.
The Charmings, Regina, Rumpel and Hook (I noticed the actor was promoted to a regular for this ep, which was nice for him) setting forth in an uneasy alliance for Neverland is a fascinating set up for the beginning of season 3. Despite not setting up the new show, they tied up more stuff fairly satisfactorily than I could have hoped for – did hope for, with so much going on.
I also got very excited yesterday at seeing an Agents of Shield trailer and learning Channel 4 are starting to air it at the end of September.
no subject
Date: 2013-09-15 05:39 am (UTC)Yeah, it will be very interesting to see what the connection is between Peter Pan and the Home Office - Owen & Tamara definitely seemed to be sincere in their desire to rid the world of magic and I have to think they're working in Neverland out of necessity to achieve a greater goal. I can't wait to see what they actually do with Peter - I'm kind of getting a Magic Mafia vibe from him so far. Although that could just be me having watched too much of "The Sopranos." *G*
Poor Neal, he has baggage with everyone - first his parents, then Hook, now Emma. I really want to see some more Hook/Neal interaction somewhere down the line, I think in his own effed-up way Hook was kind of affected by the thought that Bae was dead. I couldn't get too worried about his "death" either, mainly because I think he and Emma are end-game and I'm pretty sure Henry gets his happy ending in a show that's about fairy tales.
I...would be totally OK with Regina dying to save Henry? This won't endear me to many Regina or Swan Queen fans, but after the whole village-of-innocents thing (which I gathered from that episode only represented one of the villages she slaughtered), I think she needs to go out with a big sacrificing-herself-for-Henry moment to get any kind of redemption. She's just done too many bad things to too many innocent people to chalk it up to broken heart over Daniel and loveless marriage yada yada and get a free pass.
And forget Wonderland, I want to see the spin-off where Mayor Belle and Sherriff Red and Victor and Granny totally pick up the leadership reins of Storybrooke and just be awesome handling everything!
no subject
Date: 2013-09-15 07:56 am (UTC)I have to think they're working in Neverland out of necessity to achieve a greater goal.
That's very possible - I can't see the Neverland stuff lasting all season.
I don't know The Sopranos, but they've set Hook and Rumpelstiltskin up as being afraid of Peter, so they'll need to live up to that build up.
I really want to see some more Hook/Neal interaction somewhere down the line
Absolutely, I wanted it before we saw Hook and Baelfire.
I think in his own effed-up way Hook was kind of affected by the thought that Bae was dead.
Certainly, apart from being Mila's son as much as his father's, Hook saw himself in him.
And yes, while I am interested in seeing what has led Regina to this point and sympathise with her at moments (love the actress), she has chosen to do too many evil things. Even her love for Henry, the best thing about her, is warped and damaged. I think the show has to watch it doesn't overuse the sacrificing herself for Henry card, though.
I want to see the spin-off where Mayor Belle and Sherriff Red and Victor and Granny totally pick up the leadership reins of Storybrooke and just be awesome handling everything!
Oh, please tell me that that fic exists, at least...
no subject
Date: 2013-09-17 08:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-18 04:25 pm (UTC)