1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?
This will probably have to go to “Firebird.” Emma has always been the main character of the show, and while the writers might like to throw Regina in our faces as much as they’d like (this is coming from someone who loves Regina and her character arc), I still am invested in Emma’s story. So to see her as an adult but pre-Henry, an era we see very rarely, was really cool. Yeah, I didn’t like the modern day portions, but I thought the flashbacks more than made up for it.
Runner-ups: “Souls of the Departed,” due to the celebratory feel of Once’s 100th episode, “Only You/An Untold Story,” which gave a different, more uplifting feel than we’ve seen this season, and “Devil’s Due,” which added some much-needed depth to the mess that is Rumple’s story.
2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?
I’m going to go against the fray and name “Our Decay” as my least favorite. We’ve seen exceptional episodes of television on this show (“Going Home,” “Skin Deep,” “A Land Without Magic”), so to see an episode that portrays all the faults of what this show has become annoys me. While Zelena has surprised me with how enjoyable she is and Hades is the best villain since Pan, their romance was ridiculous. Dorothy was unnecessary and, to be frank, blandly portrayed. Sending a message to a baby? A baby that probably forgot what his parents look like since they’re always away from him?!?! While the episode had its moments (“This could be our decay.”), it was bad.
Runner-ups: “The Brothers Jones,” which was just FILLED with terrible messages, and “Last Rites,” another episode where the show reaches at its most ridiculous impulses.
3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?
I liked Hades! He brought a breath of fresh air (or, rather, fire) to the show, something we needed after the attempt at, well, some kind of legend in 5A (like, I still don’t know what they tried to accomplish there. Everyone ended up where they started!). The Underworld was a cool place, even if it did seem to get a bit boring as time went on. The twists on roles (Blind Witch at Granny’s, James as Sheriff) were probably its saving grace, as we got to really see what a “hellish” version of Storybrooke would be.
4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment? [\quote]
Favorite: Regina’s scene with Emma in Neal’s apartment, by far. These two have had amazing chemistry since the pilot, a chemistry that has only increased over time. So to see Regina being so raw, so vulnerable to someone she’s gone from hating to tolerating to caring about was just great. Hearing her sentiments about how hard it is to control the darkness and how much she wants to give in was just superb writing and acting. Props to Lana, JMo, and, surprisingly, the writers.
I also loved the scene between Cora and Zelena at her house. It took a while to get here, but I think it was worth the wait.
Least favorite: Can we get rid of the Charmings v. Evil Queen flashbacks? They’ve become annoying, unnecessary, and entirely irrelevant. Oh, and of course Robin’s death. As I’ve said, for a show that prides itself on its strong women, they have multiple examples of misogyny. This just added to that list.
5) We had a lot of old favorite (and least favorite) characters return this arc; which character did you most like seeing? Who do you wish we saw?
I’ve always loved Neal as a character, so to see him again in such a great scene made me pretty happy. Pan and Cora, my favorite villains, were a great treat too.
While the return of Ruby brought back the wonderful Meghan Ory, she served no purpose! She deserved a storyline, not to be a tool for the writers to check “LGBT” off their list. At least her return brought back a nice scene with Snow (and, in turn, a great scene at the cemetery between Snow and Charming).
6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?
I’m really hoping they talk about the new books Henry found, since I thought that was a bit convenient that, suddenly, there isn’t only one copy of the book! Issac had his own publishing company! And he wrote a sequel!
7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?
Definitely an improvement over 5A, though not quite my favorite since 3A. I thought it came together nicely, even if it took some lags and stalls to get there. Is the show what it once was? No. Does it have a chance to get there? Probably not. But that shouldn’t prevent it from being good at what it is now. That’s what I’m looking forward to, so we’ll see where it leads.
My arc rankings:
3A, S1, 4B, 5B, 3B, 2A (Emma/Snow in EF), 2B (GOAT/Cora/Neverland), with 4A and 5A tied.
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Keeper of Thor’s Hammer, Will Scarlet’s Genie Bottle, Emma’s Gun, Emma and Henry’s Moment at the Castle, Cora, and the infamous Family Tree!