Season 5B: In Review

[RumplesGirl]

Well, another arc has come and gone and here we are once again, with me asking everyone to weigh in on how you felt about S5B: Hades and the Underworld.

Y’all know the drill. Answer the questions

1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?

2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?

3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?

4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment?

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?

6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?

7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?

[RumplesGirl]

1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?

“Our Decay” (5×16)

This episode was an absolute looney-tunes of an episode, embracing the camp in every way they could. There is no reason why I should even remotely like the idea of Hades and Zelena, but gosh darn it the show totally sold me on this couple with their over the top personas. The final moment at the clock tower between the two had me on the edge of my seat and in agony when they didn’t kiss right then and there. I credit Greg Germann a lot for why this season was the best OUAT has been in a while.

Runner up: “Sisters” (5×20) and “An Untold Story” (5×23)

2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?

“Last Rites” (5×21)

Ye gods, where do we begin? Robin’s death, the underwhelming Zeus, the deux ex machina’d Hook, the tacky make out in front of a fresh grave, the plot holes, the inconsistency in character and world building,Emma’s recklessness, and the fact that Hades was wasted in what should have been his moment to shine. A lot of good will was built up with me over this season and they almost ruined it all in the final moments with this episode. Really, a poor one.

Runner ups: “The Brothers Jones” (5×15); “Ruby Slippers” (5×18)

3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?

Greg Germann as Hades *made* this arc. In the hands of another actor, this would have been boring or played “evil to the hilt.” Instead, Hades was actually rather charming. I enjoyed having him on my screen and wanted to keep him around forever. He’d have made a lovely addition to the show.

The Underworld….was complicated. It started off with a lot of potential, looking like SB and all, but it soon got pretty tiring. The red tint was annoying and the world building on this show will never amount to anything stellar. Even though I appreciated Zades, I wish we had more backstory on Hades and his design of the Underworld and his rule there.

4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment?

Favorite moment: Neal and Emma in the bug; Hades and Zelena at the clock tower; Emma learning the truth from Milah; anytime Cruella showed up.

Least favorite moment: The make out scene in the cemetery and anytime Rumple acted like a mustache-twisting black hat just for the sake of power.

5) We had a lot of old favorite (and least favorite) return this arc; which character did you most like seeing? Who did you wish we saw?

I really loved seeing Henry Sr with Regina in 5×12; that made me go seriously teary-eyed.

Cora is always welcome on this show. Barbara Hershey is a class act.

Seeing Neal is always going to be a complicated matter for me, but there’s no denying that Neal and Emma have a true connection (even after death) and their scene together was heartbreaking but beautiful.

I wish we saw Graham, of course. I also wish we had some victims vs villains stories. It needed to be in this arc, as it really fit with the idea of “the past coming back to haunt us”

6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?

All these untold stories! Who are these characters?!

7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?

I don’t say this lightly, but this was easily the best and most fun arc of OUAT since Neverland (S3A). Yes, there are a host of problems including an unclear motivation for the seasonal villain, horrible morality, pointless plotlines that served no purpose, and some poor world building. But a lot of times, a charismatic character and an idea can override a lot.. Hades with all his charms, one-liners, and chemistry with Zelena made the episodes enjoyable; at least eclipsing the more eye-roll worthy aspects of 5B. While I still loathe that Emma’s entire story is centered around her romantic relationship, while I still don’t approve of Robin’s death, and while I still find myself frustrated with the themes of redemption, atonement, and forgiveness being paraded around this show, there was enough intrigue, thought, and interesting otherness happening that it elevated an arc that could have gone bottom up much quicker than it did. There was also a surprising amount of closure between characters and storylines. Regina got to say goodbye to her mother and father; Emma had a better final moment with Neal; Pan is out of the picture of good. The writers took what usually works, the dynamics between the characters, and tried to craft a story around those moments. I applaud Rumple’s story becoming (mostly) about being a father again; I like the way Belle’s heroic black and white world is being tested; I like(d) Zades and exploring the idea of love changing a person. However, there were definitely bad parts, like the travesty that was the LGBT tokenism relationship, the underdeveloped back story and motivation for Hades, the James/David storyline, and the super silly Hercules and Snow one-off. And of course, even though this should have really been Emma’s moment to shine as the Savior of this little enterprise, it wasn’t and the character is becoming increasingly hollow and pod-like

Final Grade: B

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[disneyana]

1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?
The finale, 2nd part.

2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?
The Gaston one

3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?
Loved Hades!  He was so slimy.  The underBrooke part was interesting.

4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment?
Favorite:  Zelena & Hades on the bike.
Least favorite: Robin’s death

5) We had a lot of old favorite (and least favorite) return this arc; which character did you most like seeing? Who did you wish we saw?
Liked seeing: Ruby
Wished we saw: Lilly

6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?
Rumbelle’s baby

7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?
B-.   The finale almost made up for a lot of the less likeable episodes.

Ana the Librarian
Disney fan, Oncer, Mom to twins
Cataloging Assistant to Belle, Storybrooke Library

[MatthewPaul]

1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?

I think I’m going to have to go with “Our Decay”, too. Bex and Greg German really sold the episode for me. The relationship between Zelena and Hades just worked so well, despite being fast paced. It was a lot of fun, and I’m still stunned at how much I enjoyed it.

2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?

“Ruby Slippers”. Ruby and Dorothy’s relationship came out of nowhere, especially when we all expected Mulan to be part of the LGBT ship. They also only knew each other over the course of a day, and yet Ruby got to wake Dorothy with true love’s kiss?

3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?

Hades by far was the main highlight of the entire Season, and I mean that with 5A factored in too. Sure he was hammy and over the top, but Greg German was a pure delight to watch on screen. Hades happens to be one of my favorite Disney villains, and his performance did not disappoint. However, I felt there was a lot more that could have been done with his character. We were robbed of a proper backstory flashback, showing his relationship with Zeus and how he came to ruling the Underworld. We were only told, but never shown.

I have mixed feelings about the Underworld itself. At first I thought it was a creative twist to have the Underworld look like a twisted version of Storybrooke. This avoided the lack of set variety we encountered in Neverland, which was all jungle with no daylight. I also loved how it opened the opportunities for dead characters to reappear in present day, while also allowing certain characters to interact for the first time. We had Cora reuniting with both of her daughters, Henry meeting Henry Sr., and Milah meeting Emma. However, the rent tint got old fast, and the rules of how the Underworld worked were all over the place. What defined “unfinished business”, getting sent to “a better place”, “getting sent to “a worse place”, the river of Lost Souls, etc. I was also disappointed that the people in the River of Lost Souls never got saved. So Auntie Em and Milah are just up a creek without a paddle for all eternity?

4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment?

Favorite moment: Cora reuniting with Regina and Zelena. We had been waiting for 2 years for Cora and Zelena to interact on screen, and it was one heck of a scene. It was also very heartfelt to see Cora help her daughters make peace with one another. There were emotions all over the place, and I couldn’t help but feel very touched by all of it.

Least favorite moment: Robin Hood’s death. I was so against the idea of permanently killing him off for a variety of reasons, and I still am. After 3 Seasons of development for Outlaw Queen, they suddenly decide to kill off Robin? Not to mention, once again Regina’s character gets crapped on. Also rubbed salt in the wounds that Robin died, yet Hook got to come back from the dead by the end of the same episode.

5) We had a lot of old favorite (and least favorite) return this arc; which character did you most like seeing? Who did you wish we saw?

I loved seeing Cora again, for the reasons stated above in favorite moment. Pan returning was a treat too, though I wish more had been done with him. He was probably my favorite villain, before Hades showed up.

6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?

I’m intrigued to see if more characters will take Jekyll’s serum. It could be fun to see Rumple, Hook and Zelena face off against their pure evil counterparts. I also want to see more of Jekyll/Hyde, along with the other characters that have untold stories!

7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?

B+. Aside from the issues I brought up, this was my favorite arc since 3A’s Neverland arc. Overall, Hades and the Underworld gave a lot of life to the how. However, more could have been done, and there were some very questionable moves along the way. I’d still take it over 5A by far. It’s odd, because normally I prefer the A half of the Season over the B half of the Season. This is clearly the exception so far.

[WickedRegal]

SEASON 5B FINAL REVIEW:

1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?

5×19 Sisters had to take the cake for me, Barbra Hershey, Rebecca Mader, & Lana Parrilla just really stole the show and everything was beautiful! From Cora’s reunions with her daughters to Regina and Zelena seeing their mother off to Heaven!

2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?

5×21 The Last Rites….obvious reasons. I still do not understand why Robin Hood had to die to further the Season Finale’s plots, so my faith in the writers limited intelligence is momentarily at it’s lowest point.

3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?

The minute I start trusting Hades, and start shipping Zades…he goes and kills Robin Hood. Why does this always happen? The Underworld was neat, nothing spectacular, but enough to do what this half season needed it to do.

4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment?

Favorite Moment: It’s a tie for me, Regina and Henry seeing Henry Sr. off to Heaven & Zelena and Regina seeing Cora off to Heaven was the best scenes this entire season to me. Acted brilliantly, and down right perfect!

Least Favorite Moment: Robin Hood dying…I just…Adam and Eddy killed a legend for no apparent reason. (Eye Roll)

5) We had a lot of old favorite (and least favorite) return this arc; which character did you most like seeing? Who did you wish we saw?

Enjoyed Most: I loved Cruella, Pan, Milah, and especially Henry Sr’s return, but nothing could compare to Cora! Cora just brought back a light to this show that’s been missing for a long time!

Wish: I wish we could have seen Graham…I really would have loved an episode where he goes on a mission with Regina and Emma and finishes his unfinished business, and this way he can have closure with Emma, and make amends/peace with Regina.

6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?

Really, I’m hoping our theory of a Civil War between Anti Heroes and Villains Counterparts come true! Mr. Gold, Regina, Zelena, & Killian vs Dark One Rumplestilskin, The Evil Queen, The Wicked Witch of the West, & Captain Hook would be very entertaining and bring new meaning to facing one’s inner demons.

7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?

Season 5B was definetly better than 5A. A little mishaps here and there, and one major issue that I’m sure everyone knows I’m talking about, but “our questions are pointless”. Minus certain unnecessary situations, 5B was a win for me!

Final Rating: B-

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

[TheWatcher]

Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?

This season was much more interesting than the first half, and probably all of season 4, for me. I liked almost all of the episodes and Hades was such a great villain, loved him and Zee’s story.

The downsides were the usual, for me. Forced CS, unanswered questions, questionable story decisions, etc,etc. But ultimately this last half really had me invested in almost every episode.

I am most looking forward to this literal Evil Queen vs Regina thing and Jekyll…well, I can’t wait to see more of him :3 That voice!!!! Those eyes!!!!! But yeah.

OVERALL: B+

 

"I could have the giant duck as my steed!" --Daniel Radcliffe
Keeper Of Tamara's Taser , Jafar's Staff, Kitsis’s Glasses , Ariel’s Tail, Dopey's Hat , Peter Pan’s Shadow, Outfit, & Pied Cloak,Red Queen's Castle, White Rabbit's Power To World Hop, Zelena's BroomStick, & ALL MAGIC

[sciencevsmagic]

1) What was your favorite episode of S5B?

“Ruby Slippers”. The fact that this is my favourite highlights my low opinion of 5B. There were things I HATED about this episode, but also things I really liked. Ultimately, I liked seeing an LGBT storyline play out, rushed as it was. The poor execution was mitigated by the fact that the writers have pretty much wrecked all the ships on the show. Also, I loved seeing Red and Mulan. These days, I don’t take the plot seriously because of all the inconsistencies, plot holes and retcons and I’m indifferent to all of the main characters except Regina and Belle. So it’s the small things like seeing Red and Mulan that bring happiness to my jaded self.

Runner up: “Devil’s Due”

2) What was your least favorite episode of S5B?

“Last Rites”. For the reasons RG mentioned.

Runner up: “The Brothers Jones”

3) What did you think of Hades and the Underworld?

Greg Germann as Hades gets an A+ from me for acting. The air seemed to crackle with electricity whenever he was in a scene (and not just because of his hair). The writing for his character wasn’t great though. We never got a backstory or any clear motivations for him. There were also times when he threatened really bad things but never delivered. As for the Underworld, I didn’t like it. I hated the red tint. Everything down there (with the exception of Hades and Cruella) seemed kind of lethargic and without purpose. There was no threat to the heroes, no confrontations (from past victims), no real sense of urgency.

4) What was your favorite and least favorite moment?

Favourite: Ruby and Dorothy’s kiss (even though I had to work very hard to imagine Mulan in Dorothy’s place).

Least favourite: Hook deciding that he deserved to be resurrected because his brother was a mass murderer.

5) We had a lot of old favorite (and least favorite) return this arc; which character did you most like seeing? Who did you wish we saw?

Ruby. Also good to see Milah and have her meet Emma. Oh and Cruella with her incomparible wit. I wish we’d seen more of Merida. Her appearances had absolutely no purpose unless you count representing the higher frequency range of the visible light spectrum.

6) Thing you’re most looking forward to in S6?

Exploration of the theme of dealing with the darkest parts of ourselves. Seeing the main characters split into their good/bad selves.

7) Overall grade and final thoughts on S5B?

C-. 5B really didn’t cut it for me. The plot drifted aimlessly, stagnated, retconned and became filled with holes and inconsistencies. Character development stalled, with past favourites like Rumple and Emma becoming one-dimensional and annoying versions of their former selves. Some characters’ redemption was rushed, some were simply whitewashed and others had to deal with their ‘dark karma’ till the cows came home. Key points on the show like TLK were messed up so badly that they left everyone confused. Sleeping curses and portals were overused. Finally, from a personal point of view, I didn’t really like some of the messages coming out of this arc. Examples include: one good deed erasing decades of murder, love is sacrificing everything, being heroic means leaving your newborns behind to help your friends in hell.

[RumplesGirl]

unless you count representing the higher frequency range of the visible light spectrum.

I may have just choked my coffee a bit…thanks for that.

 

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[sciencevsmagic]

I may have just choked my coffee a bit…thanks for that.

My pleasure. I will go to bed happy because of your appreciation. 🙂

[TheWatcher]

Milah

My god…. I just remembered….MILA IS STILL TRAPPED IN ETERNAL…..Lake-ness. :O someone help the poor woman >> But seriously, do u guys think A&E are ever gonna remember to let those people out.

"I could have the giant duck as my steed!" --Daniel Radcliffe
Keeper Of Tamara's Taser , Jafar's Staff, Kitsis’s Glasses , Ariel’s Tail, Dopey's Hat , Peter Pan’s Shadow, Outfit, & Pied Cloak,Red Queen's Castle, White Rabbit's Power To World Hop, Zelena's BroomStick, & ALL MAGIC

[Author]

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