Initial reactions.

[astrawoid]

I was disappointed that August didn’t get a chance to explain why he put Emma through all that nonsense of going to jail and all or even apologizing. But I suppose trying to warn her about the next new big baddie, Tamara (aka HER) was more important. That last scene with Greg and Tamara was 😯 !!! And the making out like teenagers while Neal was taking a shower. Yikes!

Looks like Emma may want to leave Storybrooke for a safer place… I wonder who suggests their next destination? Hook or Neal?

[wewerecursed]

Ugh. I didn’t like this episode. I won’t say I hated it, because I LOVED the Snow shooting arrows at a tree scene, (Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the BLACKHEARTS! Hahaha.) And even though I was hoping for MUCH more resolution to the wardrobe debacle, I was starting to think they weren’t even going to mention it so Snow slapping Marco made me very happy. But overall…I think it sucked.

Emma didn’t see Tamara twirling her mustache in the diner when Snow came in talking about August? Seriously?

WTF is with the Taser?! Okay, yes, it IS possible to kill somebody with a taser…but…but she just looked so ridiculous running around with it!

SHE KILLED PINOCCHIO WITH A TASER. Um…wood doesn’t conduct electricity well. He was made of wood. How the heck did she kill him with electricity?

Of COURSE he couldn’t manage the ONE word: Tamara before he died. Of course.

WHY didn’t anyone comment on Tamara being there after Pinocchio poofed into a boy? Can she make herself invisible?

I won’t say anything about Henry’s summoning ability, because when Blue popped up that was just hilarious. I actually loved that.

Anyone else notice that only Snow was wearing an appropriate expression when Pinocchio poofed into a boy? I mean, yes, everyone is just happy he’s alive, but she was the only one who looked appropriately “what…the…heck….”

And the whole episode felt very rushed and sloppy. I wish they’d slow down a little, everything is just too crazy. They’re not allowing enough time for the relationships. Like last season, there was action yeah, but they actually got to sit down occasionally. I love this show, and I’ll never abandon it, but this ep just didn’t do it for me.

[theevilone]

No me gusta… is my initial reaction. This episode was just badly written, and the reason I say this is that I was questioning everything that happened. Not the kind of questioning that usually is related to mysteries that move along the plot, if that makes sense, but just things that where questionable. In some episode I do get questions but not that extreme. The trailer in the middle of the woods, where the hell did a wooden man get it? Was The Dragon and Pinocchio killed by a taser? Really? If it turns out to be magical, no, just no. How was August able to go out of Storybrooke without dying. Also, if this is the land without magic, why does the Dragon have magic at all?

I don’t know, I didn’t feel this episode at all. Pretty bummed that it was the last to see before going on this long hiatus. Also only my preferences but not enough Regina and where the hell was Rumple? I get it they had a lot of screen time in the previous episodes but come on when ever they are involve it is always boss and sooo good and soo much better. Oh what I do like. If Tamara is evil and trying to obtain magic. I would love to see Rumple or Regina take down this bitch, give her a taste of true evil 😈

Ugh, was it just me but I found Greg/Owen and Tamara making out kind of gross.

[wewerecursed]

^ Also, everything TheEvilOne just said. That too.

[laurieanne]

I loved this episode. My favorite parts were the surprises – and there were very many of them. I’m glad Pinocchio is getting another chance. I’m glad Marco is getting another chance – and that Snow said she forgave him. I’m glad Tamara is as bad as I wanted her to be — actually she is even worse than I thought. I suspected (from the previews) that she knew about magic but I did NOT expect her to be “HER.” It makes so much sense in terms of storyline and condensing the plot a little. (A LOT). I loved Snow’s smile at the end when Charming reassured her about her heart. I loved the scene with Emma and Henry – sometimes with a child you DO need to make sure they understand that you really are sorry. It came at the perfect time – after seeing the damage lying can do, and then seeing what the truth can do (with Pinocchio). I don’t expect this show to be like real life – that’s exactly why I love it so much. I don’t mind making the jumps in logic and faith in order to move the story along. I agree that things are moving quickly – but it is almost the end of the season! They know where they want to be at Episode 22 and they need to get us there. I have a feeling that Tamara’s grandmother might be Cinderella’s fairy godmother (the one Rumple killed) –would love to get a screen shot of the photo to prove or disprove. Rumple made a comment in Apple as Red as Blood (I think) that “no one mourns her.” It would be interesting if Tamara was one person who mourned her.

[beastwhisperer]

@HappyEndings wrote:

If Bae truly loved Emma regardless of thinking she might not want to see him it was his manly duty to try and at least tell her his side of the story or try to contact her by phone, mail, etc.. To me that is just a cop out – coward in my opinon. 👿

You can have your opinion. I just feel the rspeated coward accusations are being constantly connected with illogical support. To me it is going beyond a stretch to distorting the essence of the story to take a scene where Neal travels to Storybrooke to save Rumple, despite his anger, and not only faces his past with his father but also stands against two evil sorceresses armed with only a sword and come to the conclusion that it proves Neal is a coward because David is the one who throws himself in front of a fireball. Neal didn’t have to be there at all, but he stood his ground to protect his family even after David got thrown out the door. Neal moves to take action at the well, but Emma stops him. Rather than the obvious conclusion that Neal trusts Emma’s judgement, you conclude that it means he’s a coward hiding behind her. If he were a coward, he wouldn’t have been there let alone trying to move closer. You declared that Neal was a coward in New York for not helping August break the curse. As I pointed out, August never asked for Neal to help and Neal again didn’t run despite having an ideal chance. Now Neal is a coward because he didn’t do some manly duty to seek Emma out to tell her his side of the story?

Neal isn’t supposed to contact Emma so that she breaks the curse without distraction. That was his promise to August. By the time the curse is broken he’s already fallen under Tamara’s power. She’s found magic in our world before, so we can’t even rule out whether it’s emotional or magical manipulation. I also find “manly duty” to be rather an outdated and sexist notion. I can’t help but wonder what Emma’s womanly duty is after hearing that term. It seems no matter what Neal does you will declare him a coward for it anyways. LOL

Anyhow, I liked most of the episode pretty well… except the taser. I found dragons and wooden men dying by taser to be ridiculous. Watched with my mother, and we both found that bizarre. Very happy that Tamara is indeed HER. I called that one way back, so feels good. Plus, it actually makes me like her more for her to have a purpose beyond an annoying relationship obstacle.

[playarita]

The only issue I have with the taser is that with wood it can conduct electricity but only when hit by lightening where the resins and water heat up causing the wood to explode.

As for the other parts I am not quite sure how to feel. However overall I do like the story and its progression.

[kfchimera]

A great episode that still held surprises despite all the spoilers and speculation I’d seen.

I think the best episodes, like Tallahasse, answer as many questions as they create.
So we now know who “Her” is, but not what she wants or why she targeted Neal. What’s up with her and Greg? He obviously knows about Neal, so she is not exactly playing Greg romantically like she is Neal.
Have we seen the last of the Dragon and what was he?
And far as Greg, at the end of last episode and the middle of this, I was rooting for him. Then the writers tug a string, and I think maybe it would not be so bad if Regina loosed a little Evil Queen his way. But only a little–depends on what he is planning with Tamarra. He may not know all her plans. We certainly do not!

I do agree the Taser of Doom is a bit wonky. I hope the writers have a fix in mind.

And I agree with what BeastWhisperer wrote about “manly duty” and Neal’s character. Neal may have run away from some things, but that does not mean he is overall being portrayed as a coward anymore than Snow is now portrayed as evil.

“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

[antbee]

@HeatherC1275 wrote:

@HappyEndings wrote:

I guess one thing is for sure August didn’t use the money Neil gave to Emma for the medicine from the Healer, so is that what Neil was living on instead?

When did MM have a chance to put on her clothes and coat when David was in the kitchen cooking did I miss something again?

So maybe Emma will go to Netherland thinking that is saver then Storybrooke huh?

If Gold sees stuff wouldn’t he now about Tamera coming and what she wants?

August was probably living off that money. We know Neal didn’t keep it so I assume August used it to get back to Phuket but didn’t have enough left over to pay the Dragon for his cure.

MM had clothes on when she was in the bed under the covers. You could see it when they panned to her while Emma & David were talking but that was a quick shot and it was more of her head than anything (you could see her wearing an outfit though).

I don’t know about the other two things but I’m all ready anxious for the show to be back and the break has barely gotten started, LOL 😆

I should be getting ready for work because of the darn snow, but I just wanted to address this money issue first. The writers have said that August took all of the money Neal wanted to give to Emma, and spending 20,000 in 10 years isn’t that unbelievable.

Anyhow, I liked most of the episode pretty well… except the taser. I found dragons and wooden men dying by taser to be ridiculous. Watched with my mother, and we both found that bizarre. Very happy that Tamara is indeed HER. I called that one way back, so feels good. Plus, it actually makes me like her more for her to have a purpose beyond an annoying relationship obstacle.

I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. If I really loved the whole episode, I don’t think the taser would have bothered me that much. Right now I’m just trying to fanwank it as being a magic taser though. 😀

I enjoyed most of it even though I think that once again they were speeding things up too quickly and there was too much heavy-handedness about how evil Tamara was, but I felt like the last 15 minutes or so were awful. I did have a few nitpicks before the last 15 minutes like about how the Dragon showed his magical self, and then just gets killed off so easily. Or how the magic beans might be ready so soon. Or why that one guy helped August, and who he was exactly. Or how Snow had every right to be upset, but no it must be because her heart has a black spot on it, that’s why she really slapped Marco. For the most part though, those didn’t bother me as much as the last 15 minutes did.

I know they’ve gave hints all season long about being able to turn back someone into when they were young, but the execution of it was horrible imo. Not only did things move too quickly, but it felt like a SNL parody and not even a good SNL parody with how they turned August back into a boy. First, there’s Henry getting the idea that maybe he can still be saved because he did something selfless, brave, and true which was really awkwardly written to me. Then, all of these characters just pop up out of nowhere just like in a SNL skit. So the Blue Fairy just happens to be around right at that very moment. (I know others see it as maybe she’s up to something, but no I think it’s just poor writing.) Then, of course Tamara pops up, but it’s okay because no one will clearly see that she’s worried about her reaction to Pinocchio being alive again, and that it’s not at all coincidental that a stranger comes into town the very day someone kills August, and that he’s trying to warn them about someone.

Finally, there’s the scene at the end with the Charmings. I know what the writers were trying to do, but it just didn’t come across that well specifically Emma and Henry. It makes sense for them to finally make up in an episode where Geppetto gets his son back, but when they don’t even show that Henry is still mad at Emma, it just doesn’t fit together.

[Keb]

Honestly, the episode kept me on the edge of my seat, and I don’t mind Pinocchio getting his second chance with his father so much as apparently some in the fandom do. I did think that before that happened, though, August really needed a chance to properly apologize to Neal and Emma–or at least explain his thinking. It left a lot unresolved for him, that now can’t be resolved properly. I was also kinda hoping that his hiding out had to do with more than just shame for being wooden; this is the man who faked being Bae, knew about Rumple’s dagger, and freakin’ tried to USE it. Rumple only let him live then because he wanted the curse ended, too. Granted, Gold’s been a little busy since the curse ended, but some acknowledgement of all that would’ve been nice, yanno?

(Of course, even David knew about the dagger once he remembered FTL, so maybe it’s not such a big secret. Blue might have told him when they were plotting to capture the Dark One though, so it might not be THAT common of knowledge. Cora could have found out from Hook, who spent three centuries learning how one might kill the Dark One… I’m going really off topic here though.)

But yeah, the worst part was the complete lack of Rumbelle. Snow says it’s been a whole WEEK since Cora died at this point, and nobody even mentions Gold. Bae’s still in town and Gold’s not stalking the heck out of him in hopes of a full reconciliation? Nobody mentions whether or not Bae’s cool with what happened? (We know David sure wasn’t happy about it, but isn’t Bae’s response more relevant to Gold?)

And that means that Belle’s been in the hospital for almost two weeks. It’s been a week since Gold called her up and made her cry. If Bae isn’t talking to him, then Belle’s Gold’s other obvious priority (and while it’s unlike him to say so, it’s reasonable to assume that’s why he was so eager to leave the Charmings to their own Regina-defenses). She’s interacted with Greg, which is really relevant to the last two episodes that she wasn’t in at all.

The lack of Hook and Regina didn’t help, either. The “villains” really do make this show–the best moments were Regina’s last night, and they were all too brief. No stab-happy pirate, no Rumbelle…so many loose ends and not enough August mysteries cleared up. Gah. It’s a lot to ask of one episode, but again it feels like things are being overlooked.

Not the best way to leave us for a long hiatus at all, though I guess saving some of this stuff for the first ep after wasn’t a bad idea either.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

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