Revelations, Questions and Frustrations

This week there was a double bill of Once Upon a Time to watch. Episode 8 and Episode 9, Birth and The Bear King and the first episode contained a shocking plot twist, the second was any of the main characters actually really in it?

The revelations sparked questions and the frustrations come from the message on the netflix site. The next new episode will be “January 1st” – excuse me? Now Once Upon a Time has a really long hiatus, three months from December 6th to March 6th. That is expected, that’s why they split the season into two story arcs A and B. They wrap up one story arc so people aren’t mad as hell for three months waiting to see how it ends.

Netflix have been brilliant, putting up the new episode on the wednesday, after it airs in the US on the sunday. Why are they suddenly breaking from form? The last two episodes of 5A and saying we have to wait 6 weeks for them. Have to wait for the episodes that will wrap up the story arc, explain everything and bring resolution to the conflict which has ramped up over the previous 9 episodes. Why do that? That is mean, that is cruel and unusual and mean and very, very frustrating.

Alright so let’s talk about the episodes that have aired and that shocking plot twist. Obviously massive spoilers below.

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A New Hero Rises

I missed writing a post about last weeks episode. I had a cold (man-flu) and I felt really tired, then NaNo started and too much time had passed. However, the episodes did sort of lead from one to the other, or at least when it came to the important part – Rumplestiltskin of course!

My friend just asked me what I thought of last nights episode (5.06 – The Bear and the Bow) as they thought I would really have liked it. They know I’m a big Rumple and Rumple/Belle fan and this was a centric episode for them, they finally got their moment in the spotlight. When it came to my answer I was a bit more conflicted than I think either of us had expected.

The problem with head canon is that then on screen things happen that don’t seem right. I agreed with a lot of what happened last night, likely all of it but the episode was only 40 minutes and they had to show a transformation in that time. I suppose it’s no surprise that it came across a bit false but more on that under the cut.

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His Greatest Weakness

The Broken Kingdom, episode 4 of season 5 was added to Netflix yesterday.

I reached the end and had the exact same thought as a friend of mine – next episode please! It almost felt like it was paced as a two-parter. The credits started to roll and I couldn’t believe that was the end already, a lot had been covered but so much more was just set up and teased for what was coming next.

One of the things that I really like about this show, I think I’ve said this before, is it’s capacity to surprise me. I’ll see the promo, or I’ll see the live tweets which have pictures and quotes. This will form a picture in my mind, I’ll add it to my theories of what I think will happen. I then watch the episode and something totally different happens, but it’s not wrong, it makes as much sense as my theories.

I’ve never watched a show that seemed to encourage speculation as much. I am worried though because the ratings aren’t as healthy as I’d like. They are still winning the timeslot but it’s an expensive show, and this season will reach the magic number 100 for syndication.

With the numbers much lower than in the past, I could see ABC wanting to save the money. I really hope not though because I want this show to go on forever, or at least much longer than just the rest of this season! It’s too awesome, just like Stargate, and there needs to be a healthy amount for rewatching.

Ok so I’ve rambled on enough to now go to the cut.

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A Seat at the Table

The third episode of Once Upon a Time’s season 5 was put up on Netflix last night. I had read the live tweets and seen a couple of preview clips courtesy of the official twitter account. One of those clips I thought was for next weeks episode, so I was very pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be the ending of this one – and wow what an ending!

This is a show which I believe encourages speculation about where plot lines are going. However, it seems every time I come up with a theory the writers take a totally unexpected turn. The turn might be unexpected but it also makes perfect sense, it’s just a plot twist that never occurred to me. It keeps the show surprising and makes me count down the days to the next episode.

Right, usual disclaimer though surely I could dispense with that by now? Spoilers under the cut …

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All Magic Comes With a Price

Episode two, season five was put up on Netflix last night. It was entitled – The Price and the episode surrounded the price of magic. Both for previous events and for events that are yet to come.

I don’t entirely know what to say above the cut because of spoilers. Perhaps I could make a confession, it’s unusual for me to watch shows live. I usually binge watch because I have the DVD, waiting each week for the next episode is a little bit torturous.

Just randomly, I’m actually dictating this post using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I usually type, and I have to say this is really weird, it’s almost a different process like my brain and my mouth aren’t connected the same as my brain and my hands. I have a shoulder injury at the moment which makes typing painful. If it isn’t fixed by next month then this will be good practice for NanNoWriMo.

I think I’ve rambled on long enough now. As always, consider this a warning of spoilers under the cut.

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Dark Swan Rises

There is no savior in this town anymore.

Season five of Once Upon a Time has started. Thanks to Netflix picking up distribution for the UK I only have to wait three days from the US broadcast to watch. That is just brilliant and makes me wish all my shows could work like that. I mean seriously in the days of the internet, I don’t see why it can’t. I’m permanently 18 months behind on some of them, not getting the previous season until they are halfway through the next one. However, that is probably a rant topic for another day.

I know I was going to post my thoughts on season three and four. Quite frankly I just haven’t got round to it yet and now I don’t know whether I should do it at all. The last post I made to wrap up season two was rather difficult, as I was halfway into season four at the time.

Perspective is everything and watching what happens later, does change my opinion about what happened before. I’ve been rewatching season one lately. First time through I hated Regina and was cheering for Emma. Now Regina is my second favorite character, I’m cheering for her and thinking Emma is the mean one. Perhaps I should do a post about that. I know, I know, I find it way too easy to ramble on about this show. It’s not my fault the show is so damn awesome.

Anyway, this post is supposed to be about season five, the premiere episode. Obviously, there will be spoilers for that episode under the cut.

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Never Thinking of Consequences

I haven’t blogged in a couple of weeks which was probably a bit of a mistake. In my last post about Once Upon a Time I was on episode 2.15, I’m now on episode 4.10, so I have nearly two seasons worth of comments swirling around in my brain, I don’t even know where to start. I can’t decide if it would be better to go by character, or chronologically – so much happened!

Best bet is chronologically in the hope I don’t forget anything. Not that if I do, that matters to anyone but me but then that’s kinda the whole point. The title of this post comes from a line of Regina’s in the season three finale. It’s oddly apt given that I clearly didn’t think of the consequences of not blogging about this show for so long. I was going to write everything today, in the one post. Given I’m at over 4500 words and I haven’t started season three yet, I figured I better split the posts.

Nearly two seasons of perspective have completely changed my view of Regina, I was starting to see her differently when I wrote the last post. Now? She’s my second favorite character. In my own words I’m on ‘Team Bad Guy’ which is funny as I don’t really see Regina or Rumple as out and out bad guys. They are complex characters but I’ll get back to this later on.

I was speaking with my friend the other day and we had an interesting discussion about character motives, and the writers opinion of characters vs the readers/watchers. This will probably be a topic of it’s own one day, but I’m going to mention it here too.

Get comfortable, this might take a while.

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A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When I watch a show, I watch for the characters really. If the characters don’t get under my skin, then the show doesn’t either. I might still watch it but I won’t care, I won’t think about it afterwards, I won’t ever be desperate to watch more. Characters are compelling, plot happens but characters make it worthwhile.

Rumpelstiltskin has got under my skin.

I’ve watched up to episode 15 of season 2 now. I’m further on than I was when I wrote the last post on Once Upon a Time. I have some vague awareness about what’s happening next, but no real context to go with it. For me, that’s about as unspoiled as I ever really get, so I’m learning about the characters as I watch.

My last post was mostly about Rumpelstiltskin because, for me, he’s the most compelling part of the show. From the time of my last post to now I’ve watched another ten episodes, which include some pretty big revelations about Rumple’s past, plus some very difficult current events for him.

Yes I’m probably going to try and talk logic again.

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Once Upon a Time

To save my friend from my endless walls of text on skype, I just had to write a blog post about the TV show Once Upon a Time. This isn’t my usual kind of show, over the past few years I have broadened my tastes and now I like a lot of Sci-Fi. However, this is fantasy, not something that would usually get my attention.

I subscribed to Netflix for the free month, I wanted to watch Marvel’s Daredevil. To give Netflix their due, they know what they are doing as I’m now past my free month. We even got an Amazon FireTV box, in the sale, to make watching streaming services easier. As I was now subscribed I went through their catalogue looking for other shows to try.

The first episode made me want to watch the second, within a couple more I was safely hooked. I’ve now watched all of season one, and the first few episodes of season two. Really Netflix is a good fit for how I watch TV, as I binge watch everything. I don’t watch anything live, as I live in the UK. I’m used to getting the dvd’s, now with the FireTV box, Netflix works just like a dvd.

Anyway, the show itself, where do I even begin? Fair warning, it might seem like I’m complaining. Although it might not seem like that, the more I like something, the more I pick fault. I think it’s because I care enough to bother, I actually think about it rather than just accepting it for what it is and moving on.

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