Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Regina paying off some latent karmic debt would make more sense this season when they were still in the UW with all off Regina’s victims. Imagine a scene where Regina is confronted by that entire village, en masse, demanding apologies/explanations.
That scene would have made SENSE. What did not make sense was our clowns wandering around Underbrooke without feeling the slightest bit unsafe. Where the hell were their victims and why did they not want revenge? Gosh, I’m feeling very cynical about OUAT today. Must be those promo pics from ‘Last Rites’.
[adrotate group="5"]Regina (Lana Parrilla) HOROWITZ: Regina, much like Emma, is dealing with an inward crisis that dovetails with something that’s happening to the people she really cares about. Because of that, she finds herself really tested. KITSIS: Also, Regina finds herself, once again, feeling like the Evil Queen is something she can never break free off. There’s a karmic debt that she still hasn’t repaid.
So now they bring up karma? How interesting that Regina has to pay off her “karmic debt” when the likes of Hook can skip along merrily towards his happy ending with Emma.
Interestingly, I think Hades is the only major villain in the entires series to date for whom no backstory has been provided in the form of flashbacks. For all the other villains, we had one if not more episodes of flashbacks, usually showing them as a youngster in at least one. It was through these that we learned their primary motivation. Hades only had ‘Our Decay’ and it wasn’t during a formative time as it was for Rumple, Regina, Cora, Hook, Greg, Pan, Zelena, the Snow Queen, Cruella, Ursula or Arthur.
I actually hope that they do science vs magic again rather than just ”let’s get rid of magic”.
I’d like that too. 😉 It would be a throwback to their days on Lost with Jack vs Locke. But they don’t really have a character to represent the science side of things, unless that’s the function of the new characters.
The idea of sacrificial love doesn’t hold up for me. Hades hasn’t sacrificed anything of importance. Ruby didn’t sacrifice anything for Dorothy; she ended up in the underworld by accident. As for Rumple and Belle, he was willing to sacrifice his life in 5X06 wasn’t he? And later, I think she rejects the opportunity to travel the world to return to him. So how recent does the sacrifice have to be? You could argue that Rumple’s changed. So does that mean that you have to be the exact same person who made the sacrifice? Everyone’s changing all the time, so that’s impossible. Also, does the sacrifice have to be something specific? What if Rumple was willing to give up his life for Belle, but not his power? And exactly what sacrifice has her father made that he can awaken her with TLK?
The idea of sacrifice being central to True Love is also a disturbing message. Sacrifice is heavily romanticised in myth and literature, but it real life having to make too many sacrifices usually just means that you’re incompatible. Then there is the thorny question of whether you should make any particular sacrifice. Is it right to sacrifice yourself for your partner when you have children who depend on you? Is it even wise to sacrifice your happiness for your partner? It’s OUAT’s over-the-top portrayal of grand sacrifices for love that makes it seem ridiculous and unrelatable at times – examples include a pregnant Snow splitting her heart and Emma traipsing off to the underworld for her boyfriend when she has a thirteen year old son. Sure, love may involve sacrifice, but there are many other vital components too. Sacrifice in and of itself does not make love between two people special.
I feel like the “unconditional” factor is a slippery slope. If Charming wakes up on Sunday and decides to go out and kill everyone he meets in the streets, do he and Snow still have TL because Snow loves him “unconditionally.” I know love gets heavily romanticized on OUAT but romantic love shouldn’t be unconditional. There ARE conditions–safety, the general welfare of yourself and everyone around you, loyalty, fidelity, no abuse of any sort.
I see what you mean. But maybe the unconditional part can refer to what you know of the other person as they are now. This could explain why Belle’s kiss in S1 started to turn Rumple; maybe she didn’t fully comprehend all the evil he’d done back then and simply thought she loved all of him.
Do you think he’ll actually stay dead/down in the Underworld?
I sincerely hope so. Bringing him back after Firebird will be the stupidest thing they’ve ever done. But there are rumours that he was filming for the finale so….maybe 22/23 will take place in an alternate universe/fantasy where Hook still exists? The finales of seasons 3 and 4 did that. It would be a good way to bring him back but not bring him back and keep fans confused about his ultimate fate – at least until the end of season 5.
Maybe True Love has to be unconditional? Like they’ll believe in each other, find each other, die for each other no matter what? Belle and Rumple are always like, “I love you BUT you have to be a better man” and “I love you BUT I’m never going to give up my power”. It’s been getting worse and worse to the point where I’d have been more surprised if the kiss did work.
I liked this one more than I thought I would. But that’s mainly because of one specific thing and if that gets reversed in future episodes, it will change my opinion of this episode.
LIKED
– They FINALLY left the underworld. Here’s to no more red tint!
– Hook is still dead. Personally I like sticking to “dead is dead” and “whatever happened, happened”, even in fantasy. It keeps things meaningful. I just hope it stays that way, although I have serious doubts.
– Hook and Emma’s goodbye. This was a moving scene, which will lose all meaning if Hook returns.
– Cleo and the flashbacks. It was nice spending time with pre-Storybrooke Emma. I liked Cleo as a character and also the message she was trying to impart.
– Pan is gone. I half-thought he’d make a comeback and I’m glad that’s not the case. He was great but he’s had his time, let’s move on.
– Rumple returning Robin’s heart. How surprisingly compassionate.
– Hades remaining a manipulative, deceitful jerk. He’s the Lord of the Underworld. Let’s not try to reform everyone.
MIXED
– Rumple’s kiss not being a TLK. I’m so confused about what constitutes TL at this point that I don’t know what to say about this.
– Everything was a bit rushed. But I liked that things moved along, so I’m not really complaining.
DISLIKED
– Portals appearing without explanation, like trains at a train station. All we needed was a voiceover – “Next portal from Underbrooke, nonstop to Storybrooke will depart from the clocktower in 1 min. Passengers for this service please pass through now.”
– Operation Firebird. The underworld has existed since the dawn of time (I think) and yet Henry thinks it’s up to him to help because people might not know what their unfinished business is? Talk about having a hero complex.
– How easy it is to rip out Emma’s heart these days. ‘Queen of Hearts’ never happened.
– Emma’s heart being filled with ‘true love’ for her boyfriend. No. Emma is the product of True Love. Hook has nothing to do with it.
– Zades TLK. She trusts him, he’s lying to her, so how can this be true love? I guess that it can be love, since he obviously cares about her, but calling it the highest form of love is an honour the relationship doesn’t deserve IMO.
– Emma’s goodbye with Henry at the elevator door. She was potentially going to her death!! Henry used to be Emma’s TL and this goodbye had all the emotion of a documentary on drainage systems.
– Regina’s treatment of Robin. She was pressuring him to hand his baby over to his rapist!!! It’s great that she trusts Zelena, but Robin doesn’t, and he has every right not to. I mean, he doesn’t have a television in the woods, so he couldn’t tune in to ‘Sisters’ last week. Regina should have been more understanding. Also, we see that Robin was right. Zelena didn’t reform Hades and they almost got trapped in the underworld while Zelena left with Hades, taking the baby with her.
