First Half of S3 in Review

[ready_to_rumbelle]

1) I’d give it a B-. Call me overly critical but there were a few things that really annoyed me. I loved the overall story with everyone going to NL and I even like the idea of the new curse but the lack of a plan/strategy how to get back Henry and the slow pace from episode 1 to 6 threw me a bit. All the Charmings did was sit around and complain about life being unfair (yes, I’m looking at you Emma…) and then episode 9 was just completely rushed. Besides, the end was a bit repetitive to season 2’s winter finale when everyone thought they escaped and beat the villain (then Cora, now Pan) but in the end the bad guys still managed to go to SB. Moreover, episode 11 was supposed to tie up lose ends but it was only done partially (just read the thread “unanswered questions” and you know what I mean). Of course “going home” was a very emotional episode but Rumple’s death didn’t really make me cry because I think that he’s actually dead but more because he’s AGAIN separated from Belle.

2) Favorite episode: think lovely thoughts

3) Least: good form and – I’m so sorry to say that because it was actually one of my favorite fairy tales – Ariel

4) Favorite moment: Rumbelle reunion

5) Favorite new character: Peter Pan

6) Biggest OMG moment: Pan being Rumple’s dad and Emma & Henry losing their memories at the end of going home

7) Funniest: some of Regina’s sarcastic comments and Grumpy reminding Granny of some of Ruby’s outfits; saddest: Emma admitting to feeling like an orphan and Belle sitting on the ground crying and why did no one give that poor girl a hug???

[obisgirl]

1) Overall grade for the season? A+++++++++++++

2) Favorite two episodes – Good Form and the winter finale

3) Least two favorite episode – Think Lovely Thoughts. Malcolm’s thick accent distracted me. I didn’t understand what he was saying most of the time.

4) Favorite moment – First Captain Swan kiss. I’ve read and written so much fanfiction but to see it happen on screen, it was really beautiful.

5) Favorite new character – Ariel and Tinkerbell

6) Biggest “OMG” moment – Regina finding out earlier on who Henry’s birthmother was.

7) Funniest moment – Emma, Snow and Regina “talking” to Henry in “Good Form.” I saw a really funny gif set where they were Skype chatting with him and as I watched the episode, I couldn’t help but think of that.

Saddest moment – I got teary-eyed a few times watching the winter finale. There was also dust in my eyes because we had recently been cleaning the house.

Happiest moment – seeing Hook find Emma in New York in the last scene.

[WickedRegal]

A- from me along with a seven out of ten stars!

The reason why is because Lana Parrilla, Bobby Carlyle, J Morrison, Colin OD, and even Josh and Ginny rocked this first half! The only reason I didn’t give it an A+ was because we only saw Robin Hood in the first three episodes…but second half…OUTLAW QUEEN will get A+ & 10/10.

 

"If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor

[nutella28]

1) Overall grade for the season?  A- (In my opinion, season 1 is still my favorite but this mini season was definitely better than season 2)

2) Top two favorite episodes 3×09 and 3×08 kind of wish those two were joined together. It was great to get Pan flashback and actually getting to save Henry (sort of)

3) Least two favorite episode I think it was 3×07 (Dark Hollow). That episode seem a bit filler to me and had the annoying love triangle parts blech. Also, the first episode’s plot just seemed to be a little too stretched. I wished the obstacle was something more interesting then a big tide.    

 4) Favorite moment Gah there are too many but I’ll list my top favorite in no specific order: there’s Emma realizing she is an orphan from 3×02, Neal & Rumple’s reunion in 3×09, Emma and Neal’s reunion in the Echo Caves (3×02) and then finally seeing the moment when Snow gave Henry the book in 3×11.

5) Favorite New Character Gah so hard to pick. Peter Pan was an amazing villain and then Felix is just so unique. Then there’s Ariel who “dinglehoppered” the Evil Queen and Tink was pretty cool as well…hmmm…I think I gotta choose Pan. I will miss Robbie Kay’s acting. 

6) Biggest “OMG” moment Definitely the body switching between Peter Pan and Henry. I never saw that coming. I was literally screaming at the television when it happened. 

7) Funniest/saddest/happiest moment Funniest: don’t remember which episode but the part where Rumple says he’s not go into battlefield with just his good looks (paraphrase) Saddest: Rumple’s death 🙁 Happiest: DaddyCharming’s speech to Emma about finding the good moments

Overall, I loved this mini season. It reminded me a lot of Lost especially the last episode and it really is showing the creativity of these writers. March is gonna be a long wait womp womp.

[sweetgrass]

1) Overall grade for the season? B.

There were many things I liked/loved.  I loved Pan, Tink and Ariel.  These characters and the actors playing them were phenomenal.  I liked the Charming family moments.  Snowing seemed more liked a cute couple than in Season 2.  I liked snarky Regina, who is way better than self-pitying weepy Regina of Season 2. I liked the Regina finally showed self-awareness.  It started with Tink and reached the climax in episode 11.  I loved that Colin makes the best of even the smallest scenes because he really did not get many scenes even though they were in Neverland.  I liked most of the CS scenes, the only exception was the infamous lighter scene. Hook’s “I will win your heart” speech was amazing to me. The absolute faith and confidence Hook has in Emma is incredibly sexy.  I realize not everyone on this board agrees.  I liked the mid season finale.

 

So why a B?  I think that the Neverland arc was severely impacted by the decision to make Pan Rumple’s father.  It threw all the pacing off so that they could have a late season reveal and it also resulted in sacrificing all the classic iconic Peter Pan relationships.  Pan-Hook rivalry was essentially eliminated so that the showdown could be between Rumple and Pan.  I deeply resent that as well as the fact that we never saw Pan and Tink interact at all.  These are iconic relationships.   Until this season, I have never minded making Rumple part of other fairy tales, but here he distracted from the original fairy tale.  He did not enhance the Tale.

I wanted Neverbacks.  I wanted to see how the iconic Peter Pan characters got along in Neverland during Hook’s stay there.  It a travesty because Robbie Kay, Colin and Rose really breathe life into their characters and have amazing chemistry on screen.  I have no idea what the relationship between Hook and Tink was.  I am not sure if they are friends, for enemies, friends with benefits, reluctant allies, or something else?   Secondarily, I wanted to see Hook and Bae Neverbacks.  The Pied Piper flashback added absolutely nothing to the story or OUAT mythos, but a flashback to Hook and Bae post Bae leaving the Jolly Roger would help flesh put both Bae/Neal and Hook.

I think that Neverland arc began to wear on people because A&E refused to take advantage of what truly made Peter Pan Classic fairytale unique instead we got a meandering quest that went nowhere, just so that they could give us the “Pan is my father” reveal near the end of the arc and we were robbed of the sword fight confrontation between Pan and Hook, who are supposed to be both master swordsmen.  The midseason finale did not make up for the missed opportunities.  Frankly, pan didn’t need to be Rumple’s father to have Rumple redeem himself.

2) Top two favorite episodes –  last episode and the episode introducing Tink.  I really liked Tink and I liked her unlikely friendship with Regina.  The Neverland parts of Lost Girl were very good but I didn’t yet another flashback of Regina trying to exact revenge on Snowing.  To be honest I wish the show would stop with the Regina Snow flashbacks and  instead used that screen time on the present Snowing Charming family relationships.

3) Least two favorite episode –  Nasty Habits  (yawn) and  (edited to change my selection and fix typos) Think Lovely Thoughts.  Hated the whole Pan is Rumple’s father thing.  It also reduces the greatness of Pan who went from being this incredibly all powerful deliciously creepy kid into a sad pathetic creepy in a highly inappropriate way loser of a middle aged man.

I am all typed out so I finish this later.

Keeper of Hook and Emma's smoldering first kiss, a certain Pirate's sauciness, the Evil Queen's snarkiness, Grumpy's gruffness and a drop of true love to make it all go down smooth.

[kfchimera]

1) Overall grade for the season?

I think a B-.  I expected much more mythology reveal of the history of the Neverlanders.  I had to suspend disbelief and worry about continuity many times.  Plot coupons and devices galore, from the coconut candle shadow,mermaid express, chamber cave of secrets, convenient “not dead yet”, and inconsistent character moments that had people ping-ponging from sensitive and caring, to selfishly clueless (and that was not even just  the “villains” who you might expect it from!).  As I said somewhere, I expect bread crumbs, not entire loaves of backstory culled from nowhere, while things foreshadowed before are suddenly forgotten entirely.   On the other hand, I did enjoy seeing some iconic characters and the fun mashing of them in a way that sort of worked.  Despite how I divide up the episodes, some of my favorite scenes are in my least favorite episodes, some of my least favorites are in my favorites–and that’s part of the uneven feeling I had.

2) Top two favorite episodes: Ariel and Think Lovely Thoughts

3) Least two favorite episode Dark Hollow and Quite a Common Fairy

4) Favorite moment: Ariel dinglehoppering Regina’s neck.

5) Favorite new character: Tink

6) Biggest “OMG” moment: Pan bodyswapping with Henry.

7) Funniest/saddest/happiest moment: Funniest — Ursula putting Regina in her place, Saddest–tie, when Regina and Rumple sacrificed their happiness, Happiest: When they all left NL–up until the body swap reveal.

 

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

[Author]

Posts