Once Upon a Time - Season 7 Prospects

[Merry Prankster]

MP thought “Greenbacks” was a semi-decent episode.  Tiana’s backstory was thoroughly uninteresting except for the mysterious, delightfully evil Dr. Facilier (We need to see more of him.  Is he lurking somewhere in Hyperion Heights? If he is, the British accent marks him as a government official.) and the funny twist at the end.  The Hyperion Heights stories were OK, but MP perked up when the Belfry Witch entered the picture.  So, Ivy, the seemingly whipped pup, is really a chip off the old block.  Evil games within evil games and BW playing all sides.  MP loves it, it appeals to his Poe side.

Speaking of the BW, MP is quite intrigued by this evil (just how evil is she?) vixen.  OUAT needs to give her a name so MP can be properly introduced.  When he was reunited with her MP even broke into song:

Raven hair and ruby lips
Sparks fly from her finger tips
Echoed voices in the night
She's a restless spirit on an endless flight
Wooo hooo witchy woman see how high she flies
Woo hoo witchy woman she got the moon in her eye

She held me spellbound in the night
Dancing shadows and firelight
Crazy laughter in another room
And she drove herself to madness with a silver spoon
Woo hoo witchy woman see how high she flies
Woo hoo witchy woman she got the moon in her eye…

Lyrics from Witchy Woman, Eagles

MP always sings off-key but he compensates by singing very loudly.  He needs to be retrofitted with auto tune.  For those who would like to listen to “The Full Monty” version (sorry for the weak reference, Outtie) sung on-key:

https://youtu.be/DkxOuzbJy98?t=44

[LindaM]

I've heard she is the witch from Rapunzel but they're playing that close to the vest.  I'm figuring it is one of the many witches of Oz and we'll learn more about her when Zelena appears.

Now I have a question:  How are they going to explain these children's growth spurts.  I know that we already agreed that Gideon grew because they moved to a different land where time was different but I don't remember Zelena leaving Storybrooke unless we haven't seen it yet.

[Outlast]

Loved - Weaver refusing to use the wheelchair and also Alice getting Rogers to wheel her out in it. Love them both.

Dislike - Jacinda and Lucy. Still not feeling them.

Intrigued - I wonder what Ivy did to lock Regina into the curse? I assume it must involve Henry or possibly Lucy getting hurt if the curse is broken. I wonder who's heart Drizella used to cast the curse? She didn't seem to love anyone at all, not even that nice prince of hers ( you know the one she murdered to blacken her heart).

[LindaM]

I've wondered that also.  Unless in the new EW the spell can be casted with a dark heart, maybe that's why it will be hard and destructive to cast the spell.

Missed the wheelchair bit.  Here's my question.  How can Weaver continue to fake it now that he's awake. 

Wonder if Tremaine hates magic because of Drucillza.

[Merry Prankster]

MP must admit the vortex of the plot is drawing him in a bit.  Wake Up Call advanced the story significantly and introduced some interesting twists.  MP’s question is:  How did the Belfry witch retain her magic in a magicless Hyperion Heights?  If MP recalls season 1 correctly, even Rumple did not have his magic in Storybrooke after the curse was cast.  MP also seems to recall that even true love’s kiss did not return magic to Storybrooke, it was something Rumple did.  Will he do so again?  Or will it be Regina?  Also,  if Victoria Belfry has her memory (how did she remember Anastasia), how come she is not on to Drisella?

Drisella and BW appear to be quite the evil botanists.  MP expected that evil Venus fly trap to say “I’m, hungry Drisella,  feed me!”

Good call on Drisella, Outtie.

[Outlast]

Ok I just finished episode one of the double from last night....

SPOILERS

.... Eeeeeeeeeeeeeew on Hook and fake Rapunzel making a baby in the tower. I'm still annoyed that the fabulously acted Alice is stupid fake-Hook's kid.

In HH
Looks like RumpleWeaver WAS trying to help Rogers after all. But Rogers didn't listen and now the clearly uber evil Goetle (great now I have to learn to spell that) is on the loose in HH.

Loved the reveal that the dagger is stashed in an evidence box.

Glad to see Belfrey arrested, even if it was part of Ivy's evil plot, it was still enjoyable.

Social services suck even in fairytale character curse created places.

Wish Realm nonsense
Ok pardon me for being confused, but all I can recall from our previous visit to the Wish Realm (which took place thirty or so years in the future from the events of this episode and supposedly the land didn't exist before that because it was created when Emma's wish was granted by The Evil Queen when she was split from Regina) ...lets see Snow and Charming defeated the evil queen, they had Emma, Emma married Neal (still completely unexplained) Neal dies (because the writers are jerks) they had Henry and all was happy until Regina came from Storybrooke murdered the wishCharmings, took Emma back with her leaving WishHenry an orphan and also wishHook was old fat and othwise the same. WishRumple (all this wish realm crap and NO More WishRumple?! These writers suck) was nuts because he found Belle starved to death in a tower (again the writers are jerks).

...so this episode picks up thirtyish years in the past from all that and the defeated WishEvilQueen (who is a different person from Regina or the split from her Evil Queen who used Emma's wish to create this epic plot swamp) has come magicless to WishHook for help in getting her revenge on The WishCharmings (just wait thirty years love and one of your other selves will do it for you). Hook still wants revenge on Rumple (where is he? I want my crazy WishRumple back!) so he goes looking for a tower where he finds a pretty blonde and almost immediately get it on. WishHook wakes up and suddenly he's a dad and his pretty blonde is now an evil witch who hustled out the window leaving their magically born daughter alone to die in a tower (ones this make Goetle the official worst person in all of ONCE?). Hook gives Smee the Jolly Roger and stays behind to raise his daughter 'Alice' in said tower until what...the new curse hits?

So is Wish Realm the same land that our new Cinderella comes from? If they're saying that WishHook and WishEvilQueen met up to plan revenge on the WishCharmings and WishRumple then clearly they must be in Wish Realm still. And if Goetle is from Wish Realm does that mean that Lady Tremaine, Drizella, Jacinda and Tiana are all Wish Realm people created by Emma's wish too? ...man you really should be careful what you wish for.

What I wouldn't give to see this show rewritten by people who actually care about the show.

[Outlast]

Ok so on the next episode...

Wonderland looked cool.

Still don't like Jacinda.

Jack (of beanstalk fame) was a bad woman in our Enchanted Forest, so will this new Jack be bad too? Or will he be the Catherine (I agree with Lucy. Nobody wants to be the Catherine) of this love triangle?

Is there a reason we're not being shown Anastasia's face? Is she maybe Rapuzel (the 'real' wishrealm one, not Hook's one night/nine month stand)?

Why is Rumple/Weaver keeping mum? Is Regina right about the reason being The Guardian and WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN?!

And probably most importantly we learn why Regina can't let Henry kiss Jacinda...Ivy must've succeeded in poisoning his heart. Of course it's worth noting that WishHook was apparently heart poisoned too and he's still alive sooooo... what's the problem again?

[LindaM]

Okay -- I'm still trying to dissect all of this.  Here's what I got with the two episodes combined.

Wish Realm must have existed in some form even without Emma but this Wish Regina stinks to high heaven.  I don't even think Lana knew how to play her.  If she wimps out at the drop of a hat, she doesn't deserve the title Evil Queen.

I think the Wish Realm and the Enchanted Forest redux are two different lands.  Thus, they were going between three realms not two.

Wish Realm Hook came to Enchanted Forest redux looking to take Hook 1's place.  Thus, the spell was cast in Enchanted Forest 2.  Evidently, when a realm is created, it stays created and becomes a realm you can visit.

Regarding the "one night stand."  Well, Twitter is referring to it as rape.  I'm not sure I'd go that way or put it in "Vault sex" realm.  I will write a column about this sometime over Thanksgiving.  All I know that I like the fact that Hook 2 has found his daughter even if he doesn't know it.

Not sure either about this new witch.  Drizivy is beginning to play the role like Mary Queen of Scots.  Don't get me wrong, Kane is good and has the talent to carry "crazy" off but I thought she was only recurring.  When is big bad recurring.

I'm beginning to agree with Ass--I mean Ausiello that the show's return is a long shot.

[Outlast]

While I enjoyed the present day storyline of this week's episode with Rumple helping Rapunzel to wake Anastasia...which unbeknownst to him came at the cost of Lucy (who I'm sure is only going to sleep and not dead). I personally thought the Rapunzel backstory was a bit of a bust.

Rapunzel - why doesn't she love Drizella? I really wish they'd explain this in some way since it's kind of integral to the plot. I can understand her quest to save the life of her daughter, I can even see why she (being a villain) would be willing to sacrifice Lucy (who is both not her blood and the daughter of someone she resents) to do it. What I didn't get in that backstory was the reason that she doesn't love her other daughter Drizella.

The father - boy was he a cardboard louse or what? I can easily understand why a man with two young children might remarry after his wife disappears, what I fail to understand is why he then employed her as his new wife's maid. How could he possibly miss how painful that would be for her (not to mention awkward for wife #2 as well). None of this story worked for me.

Mother Gothel - At least we got a few tidbits about this mysterious 'Guardian'. Now we know that the guardian must be pure of heart and that Gothel is looking for him or her too. If we're still thinking that the Guardian had to be nearby when Rumple portaled in and the two people nearby were Alice and Henry...I think Henry fits the pure heart line better than Alice. But you could also interpret that as Lucy since she may or may not have been born yet (timeline problems abound after all) so she may in fact have been present in a way.. After all Peter Pan kidnapped Baelfire as a boy when he was really searching for the as yet unborn Henry.

Gothel is probably the best new character other than Alice. Plus I think she and Rumple have great screen chemistry so I hope they get more scenes together.

Rumple - I love that he is basically recreating his pawn shop in a police evidence locker! (which was ridiculously easy to break in to I might add, though I did enjoy seeing 'Rogers' looking blankly at the hook.) It's also funny that he's apparently handing random fairy tale people his dagger and asking them if they feel anything. That's just so funny to me. 

[LindaM]

For me Roni and Rumple and Henry are the only working characters in modern day.  I think that Rogers is coming over but he's still stuck in his own little world.  Henry is playing the characters so that is why he is going in the R/R group.  The one NOT working (and who needs to) is Ella/Jacinda.  She's one note all the way through and gullible in modern day as the day is long.  Lucy is the key.  I have thought Henry was the Guardian from the appearance of Rumple in other world Enchanted Forest.  It will be him who somehow figures out how to get Lucy back.

Lady Tremaine isn't working at all as the villian.  While I understand present day's version, I didn't care for this Rapunzel's version of the story.  I understand she wants to help her family.  The only thing I can see about Drizilla is Rap/Vicki hates that she accepted Ella's mother.  My question is:  Are we sure Ella's mom is gone for good.  Only thing we have to go on is Alice's story.

And yeah, we need some explanation on the Tremaine/Drizilla's story.  And yes, the daddy/husband is a wimp in all sense of the word.

Mother G is a mystery.  I understand that she is looking for the Guardian but I'm seeing a little more.  It's almost like she's one of the Fates which is overseeing a long pattern.  Maybe Rumple was supposed originally  to be the Guardian but his fate ran different.  Could it be that she must oversee the final transfer of power.  I'm always thinking back to Baker's Doctor Who's Key of Time.  Good must win over evil and the setup appears to make that impossible.  I seem to remember Mother story but haven't found it yet.  It may have been Russian in origin.

I hadn't posted because I'm trying to figure things out.  No luc yet.  And while it's good to see Rumple with story, it's been bad without Roni there to try to solve things.  And the "big reveal" may have taken too long in the process.

Regarding Lucy -- Rumple is looking for her and realizes what may be going down.  Now Victoria has another reason to fear the great "Dark One."

And eight witches:  Regina, Zelena, Robin (I bet), Druzilla . . .  who else.

[Outlast]

And eight witches:  Regina, Zelena, Robin (I bet), Druzilla . . .  who else.

Let's see Cora? Nope she dead. How about... Wish Regina...Evil Queen split version Regina... maybe Maleficent... throw in Lily just for continuity laughs... maybe Gothel too.

I certainly agree that Jacinda isn't working as a character. Honestly I'm just tired of talking about it because she just never seems to get better.

I still remember the stuff Merlin said about someone finally be strong enough to wield the darkness for good and always thought it was or at least should be Rumple. He's been the dark one longer than anyone. He's had possession of his knife for most of that time and yet he's still not murdering people left and right. But they've yo-yo's his character's moral compass so many times it hard to know what the writer's even think about how that stuff works. In any case if Rumple is the only person capable of containing the darkness without murdering folk, does that not mean that he has to remain the Dark One for the sake of all the realms? Yet his own goal is basically death at this point so that he can be with Belle again. I can only surmise that the ending of this arc will be the destruction of the Dark One entity itself and then Rumple will either die right then or become mortal and die in the fullness of time.

[LindaM]

Don't know if you have seen it but Zelena got cursed this time and is a cycling trainer who calls her students bike monkeys.  When I posted under Adam's twitter account something about plot hole, he said it would be explained.  My question:  How?  Zelena lost her powers.  Did she get them back due to the good deeds she did at the end?

Yep -- Cora is dead.  Interesting enough, Tiger Lily is listed on the cast for this week's episode. 

Witches I see fighting:  Regina/Zelena/Robin (she is Zelena's daughter) on one side.
I don't think Bellany/Tremaine has magic but knows it.
Goethel/Drizilla on the other.  Still short some witches and I doubt "Wish" Regina will be one of them.

Rumple is a mixed character.  He was born to be the Savior but became the Dark One instead.  He is capable of good but he will not be reunited with Belle if he becomes the Guardian.  Thus, it seems to me, it must go to one of his descendants.  Neal or Gideon would be first choice but who knows where Gideon is and both Neal and Wish Neal is dead.  That leaves Neal's children/grandchildren -- Henry and Lucy.  Henry must regain his belief trust.  Once he does, he could be the Guardian. He does have a moral compass.  By relieving grandfather of the curse of the Dark One and embracing his mom's Savior magic, he could contain both good and bad.  Of course, Emma could have been it but she's out of this story and apparently there is a reason they can't call Storybrooke which may be revealed this week.

[Outlast]

Why was Rumple golden again in this episode? Not that I mind exactly. Golden imp Rumple is my very favorite Rumple, but it doesn't make sense timeline wise. Am I to assume that his living in new enchanted forest (or whatever the heck everybody moved to to be near Henry except of course for his MOTHER and GRANDPARENTS!) has made him turn golden and impish again?

The witches being nothing but magical coat hangers (basically) was a disappointment. With all that buildup I was hoping for a big surprise and well...nothing was there.

Why was Zelena going to get her wand anyway? Was it just to hand it over to Regina as a backup or did the writers forget the plot bunny from last season where Zelena gave up all her magic? Did I miss the episode where she got her magic back?

Less Jacinda/Ella please! She just ruins every scene she's in.

[LindaM]

Didn't you hear the throw away line that she got an invitation to join the Coven of eight?  I wondered why then she went to get her wand.  She never used a wand before and I didn't get my explanation from Adam either.  Must be coming second half.

This could have been a whole lot worse but there are some plot holes (missteps) I want addressed.

1.  I thought Henry was protected in every possible way.  How did the poison happen?
2.  Was Henry going through with Lucy or just send her through the tree?  At least we know what was going on at the beginning/end of season 6 finale.
3.  If curse is broken, Henry dies but Lucy awakes.  Good plot right?  Wrong!  There is always a twist.  If Henry suddenly realizes the truth and kisses Lucy again, he does it as a hero.  Thus the curse can be reversed and Henry can come back with magic.  Ghee.  Solved that in a few minutes, didn't I.

More later.  We had our Christmas pageant today and I'm still exhausted.

[LindaM]

On the future  of Once

http://ew.com/tv/2018/01/08/agents-of-shield-once-upon-a-time-future-abc/