Once Upon A Time - S1 & 2x01/2x02 general thoughts

[keep_counting]

I feel like this show is repeatingly punching me in the face. But in a good way. Lots of rambling and spoilers under the cut. New show, new sensations. I am floored and incoherent, but very much keen on discussing everything with you.



- I am so happy that this show, while taking a premise that can easily be considered silly and childish, takes itself seriously. Don't get me wrong, it mocks itself a lot, like all shows should - self-irony is practically mandatory in order for me to enjoy something. But my point is that many of these stories are only known to us through Disney, and while I love Disney, it is over-the-top, singing birds and damsels in distress 24/7. This show takes the original legends and mixes it with the new material, in a way that makes it very real. A lot of these fairy-tales were dark and twisted, meant to scare children into being good. They weren't as much 'do good, and good will be done to you' as they were 'do good, or a wolf will come and rip you to shreds'. I am glad the show is not skipping the darker nature at all.

- Speaking of darker nature, thank-youthank-youthank-you so much for these villains, OUAT. I usually find the villains more interesting than the heroes and desperately shout for them to be redeemed - it rarely happens, and when it does it is usually followed by a tragic and heroic sacrifice. Which means my babies are dead and I am left to sit and sob my eyes out (no, really. i'm having trouble thinking of a franchise were this hasn't happened). However, this is one of the first series I've followed were our villains are given so many motives and layers and chances for redemption so early on. The beautiful thing is that, our two main villains in season one - Queen Regina and Rumple - ended up like this because of love. They were both desperate back then and they're desperate now as well, just much better at hiding it. And I am so scared, because then there is 2x02 and Regina's 'I want to redeem myself' and I so want to believe it and I think she wants to believe it as well but... she's not ready. She's not strong enough yet, as evidenced by her not burning that book. I'm really scared of what's going to happen. That episode gave me SO MANY FEELINGS, for both of them, because Mr. Gold is yet again prevented from finding his son and, as far as I know, that's why he made the friggin' curse in the first place. It just further goes to enhance how they might have become so powerful, but they're still victims, slaves to the magic, bound by its rules. Ugh, I need to stop watching shows were people continue to ruin their own happiness by being SO STUPID.

- I am so happy I'm not watching a show of cardboard cut-outs. David/Charming actually has flaws, gets desperate, needs to find his courage as well. Mixed with the background story we got for him, it makes me reallyreally like him. He wasn't born a priviliged, annoying whelp, he's had to fight so hard and now he still has to keep fighting. Thank-you Charming, for being interesting instead of just another boring Prince. And its the same with Emma. I love her to bits, but sometimes she can be horribly deluded, irrational and emotionally stunted. And that fits perfectly for someone whose led the life she has. It makes her real.

- Going further back I WAS NOT AT ALL EXPECTING THE CURSE TO BE BROKEN SO SOON (or half-way broken. partially broken? 80% broken). I was expecting S1 to be about Emma starting to believe (and jeez, did that take long enough), and then having to work around it for most of S2, keeping the fact that she knows away from Regina, trying to get her parents back together, being generally weirded out BY EVERYTHING and then maybe, MAYBE at the end of S2 we would get everyone's memories returned or a few of them, or something else. I didn't think the curse would be broken until.... well, the end of the show. It was an incredibly bold move for the writers to make, and I think they can play it to their advantage.

- Especially because Snow and Emma ended up in FTL! Really, I've almost lost my voice from all the screaming at my TV-screen I've been doing. Dementors! Belle and Rumple! Mulan! Mulan! MULAN!

- So who is that mystery guy that shows up in 2x01? I'm guessing most people is assuming it's Bae, so I'm going to go for... the little mermaid. Sure. He's Ariel (that is a non-gender specific name btw IT COULD WORK). I have absolutely nothing to back this theory up...

- I can't wait until Captain Hook shows up, because I've been wanting to jump Colin O'Donoghue's bones since I saw The Rite. Him playing a pirate? Is this real life? Is this all just a dream?? *insert appropriate drooling gif*

- I'm guessing Cora is the Miller's Daughter from the original tale about Rumplestiltskin, the one who had to guess his name - and her firstborn, the one she promised away, would then be Regina. It fits with the magic being what she gets in exchange instead, and Rumple telling Regina he held her as a baby. How she got out of the deal I don't know, since everyone seems to know his name. He does seem keen on Regina getting rid of her though, so he's probably not that happy about her. Want to know more!

- Just to make something clear: if you hate - as in absolutely can't stand, find nothing good about them - Regina, Henry or Rumple, because they're evil or because he's a 'whiny, ungrateful kid' then we can't be friends. Fair enough if you're annoyed with them, but please apply situations, logic, age and psychological behaviour to everything they do. You don't have to like them - I don't always like them - but they seem to be getting a lot of hate from the part of fandom I've been snooping around in, and to me it never seems justified. It's character bashing, and there's nothing I hate more. You can dislike a character if you have good reasons, but sitting and saying you want Regina to die because she's an evil bitch is ignoring the fact that she was abused by her mother her entire life, and calling Henry ungrateful and whiny is ignoring the fact that he's ten years old and was adopted and grew up in a town where everything was frozen and HE IS TEN YEARS OLD, STOP EXPECTING HIM TO ACT LIKE A GROWN-UP I WILL BET YOU MONEY HE IS TWENTY TIMES SMARTER THAN YOU WERE AT THAT AGE, C'MON. Okay, I needed to get that off my chest, because... leave my babies alone.

- and finally and most importantly. WHO IS DOCTOR WHALE?? I need to know!!

Comments

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

I really want even more background-story for Regina. Basically, I want to show her stuck in a loveless marriage with King Leopold who, while apparantly being a good King, doesn't seem like a good man. He does not treat Regina very well at all, as evidenced in the genie-centric episode, and while Regina was already evil here - and what she did was not okay - it does go to show how much of a victim she still is at that time. It's no wonder she relishes in the magic even more after that (notice the wardrobe change: it's actually only after Leopold is dead that she starts wearing the really dark, heavy robes and clothes. She's finally given herself over completely)

and sheesh, could Moffat take some lessons about the lost child storyline
OMG YES THIS PLEASE! I love that Emma isn't all happy-go-lucky when Snow wants to talk, because yeah, everything might be great and her parents might've had the best reason in the world for sending her away, but that doesn't change the fact that for nearly thirty years, all she knew was that they didn't want her. It definitely doesn't help that Snow quotes her exact words about Henry: 'we wanted to give you your best chance'. If there is anything Emma regrets at this point, it's giving away Henry and causing him that pain, and she is smacked with it in the face here. No wonder she freaks out a little - it might be understandable (she needs to escape the curse in order to free the others, and that's hundreds of people, so yeah) but it doesn't change the fact that it isn't fair.

I really hope there is a confrontation with the whole Pinocchio/Gepetto-thing. I sort of want Snow to get really mad at Gepetto, and then forgiving him because how can she now when he did it all for his child, and August making it up to everyone that he abandoned Emma. Think of how different things could have been if he'd stayed with her. She might have understood everything so much better, and she would definitely not have been as alone.

I also want to know more about the Blue Fairy, because she seems shady as all hell! Maybe she just wants the best for everyone, but she is doing it in incredibly manipulative and 'odd' ways. Plus, doesn't all magic comes with a price? Yet hers is different? I wonder how fairies 'become' fairies. I just want her as a villain, I think, like reallyreally much. It would make me unspeakably happy, and I'm not even sure why.

I don't remember who it was, but we were wondering if the mystery guy was Henry's dad. Or possibly Henry's dad and Rumple's son cause that would just make for a really complicated family.
A lot of people seem to think that Henry's dad is Bae, don't they? I'm just sort of worried about what Emma tells about him, because that is definitely not positive - I just want him to still be brave and good, and not be broken because of what his father did (which is very likely to have happened. He was abandoned in a completely different world after all). But in a way it would be awesome as well!

ETA: what if Dr. Whale is the Master from DW?? HE IS HIDING IN STORYBROOKE!

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

Definitely want to see more of Regina's backstory, because she was obviously stuck for years married to the King who didnt really treat her well. Good king maybe, but looks like a lousy husband. I definitely agree that a lot must have happened before she became that 'Evil Queen' totally. She wasn't nice when we see her with the Genie, but the real evil seems to come later.

I never even thought of that, but of course Emma would be seeing the similarities between what she did with Henry and what Snow did with her. She'd understand in that logical sense it was done in her best interest. But she also reacts very emotionally as someone who was sent away from their parents and finds them in odd circumstances. I wonder if it's also hard for her because in a lot of ways they are the same age as her?

A real confrontation with Pinocchio, Gepetto, Snow and Emma would be great (have to get Snow and Emma back first). Some kind of anger and understanding, especially since Snow and Charming should understand why Gepetto did what he did.

Never trust a fairy!! Wonder if we'll get more about them...

I admit, when I first saw mystery guy, I immediately though Henry's dad. Then someone pointed out it could be Bae. Then that they could be the same. And in some ways it'd possibly make sense. The stories Emma told about Henry's dad, I still expect that to come back and bite her in a arse one day. Because I don't think anything she saiod was the truth. Which is why I do wonder if people might be onto something with Bae.

ETA: what if Dr. Whale is the Master from DW?? HE IS HIDING IN STORYBROOKE!

O.O OHH OH! This would make so much sense! He's hiding somewhere time is a bit messed up and he couldn't remember anything until now and the Doctor couldn't sense him!!

(Actually, sounds like a fun fic idea...)

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

There just seems to be so many different factors: Daniel dying was definitely the stepping-stone for her becoming so twisted (with Cora being so abusive lying the groundwork for it even happening), and Rumple then gave her the last little push she needed: getting rid of her main tormentor, making her feel powerful and in-control for the first time in her life - and then easily seducing her with the magic. I adored how that scene was played, despite its absolute creepiness. He's not playing the fool here, like he does when he makes the other deals. He wants something different from her, and he needs another method to get it. From there it was only a matter of time, as she learns more and eventually decides to get rid of everyone who (she thinks) has ever caused her harm.

And yes, about Emma, it must be so weird. As Snow mentions, they've talked about things they probably shouldn't have talked about. I tried imagening suddenly having to see one of my closest friends in a completely different role in my life, and how absolutely awkward it must be.

EXACTLY! :D ... it's a theory as good as the rest, okay xD it would make for excellent crossover-fic (dooo it fogs, doo it!) I've seen one theory about how he's Dr. Frankenstein but... I really hope that's not it, because that book means a lot to me, but it doesn't really fit with the rest of the premise, does it? I mean, I'm sure they could make it work and all, but still....

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

And all those factors are what make Regina so interesting. Ok, and her need/desire to have Henry want to be her son.

It would be weird to wake up one day to realise that person who's been a close friend to you and you've talked to like a friend is actually a parent or a child. Though Emma definitely seems more disturbed than Snow and I can't blame her, with the things I've talked to friends about...

WAIT, WHY ME??

I did briefly wonder if he was Will Scarlett and I have no idea where that came from so I threw the idea out and went back to trying to figure out my fairytales and who'd not like a Prince, cause Dr. Whale states rather forcefully that Charming is not his prince. Yep, I'm still clueless, but Frankenstein doesn't really strike me as much of a fairytale...

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

I am still a wee bit confused about her whole dynamic with Henry. They keep shifting. I mean, I do really think she loves him, but as she says, she doesn't know how to love very well - she wants him to love her as well, without her having to work for it at all (without treating the other people he also cares about well). I guess it's the writers doing it on purpose, because they want us to still wonder if she truly wants redemption or not.

BECAUSE I SAID SO :D

Frankenstein definitely isn't one, but there was this shot in the promo of someone in a tent standing over a table, while lightning strikes and... well, people connected some other things.

I'm kind of hoping he's a villain - or at least a morally grey character. I love that they've brought in Cora, because it opens up the possibility of redemption for Regina and Rumple even more: there's a new baddie in town, and we know for a fact that Regina dislikes Cora, so she's more likely to help the others get rid of her.

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

I kind of like the shifting dynamic for that reason. Makkes it hard to predict exactly which way Regina is going to go next. But you're right, she says it best when she says she doesn't know how to love very well. So she's not sure how to go about loving Henry.

I CAN'T WRITE! YOU WRITE IT!

Ohhh, I must've missed that part of the promo. I'm not sure I could see Frankenstein working in the context of the show really...I love that Cora's back, even if I wasn't expecting her. She opens upp so many new places!

And yep, I like the idea of her appearance pushing Regina further into redemption.

Morally grey would be good! But

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

When looked at it that way, I kind of like it too. It just frustrates me, because most shows I don't start watching until there's at least three season or something (not on purpose, I just have to sort of 'discover' them first, since it takes 2+ years for them to hit danish television), so there are a lot of questions answered. This show is actually turning me off seeing Lost, because I know there are as many looooooong plotlines and things that aren't answered for AGES and I'm going out of my skin not knowing! Like, I need to know what happened to Bae, where he is now, who Henry's father is, who Whale is, everything. In other ways, I sort of love it, because I've been spoiled with so many shows, so many times and this is one of those times were I get to discover things that are happening at the same time as the rest of the fandom, and that's just brilliant.

DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! ;) If inspiration hits me and I do write it though... jesus christ. it would be pure crack...

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

Ahhh. Ok, I can totally appreciate the normally watching things in big lots after they've been out for a while. And there's advantages to that too. Cause yes, I can get impatient wanting to know what's going to happen too.

But luckily I also have years of practice waiting for things too thanks tp watching some shows from the beginning andso many have those nasty season gaps.

So I WANT TO KNOW!! All those things you mentioned but it's kind of exciting finding out with everyone else!

Oh well if it's crack... No wait, I have a huge 'to write' crack list already...

[keep-counting.livejournal.com]

I'm just making crazy theories in my head, and then I have to wait for them to get answered. That's why its nice having someone to discuss it with - I'm currently bullying my friend into watching it, because she's the only irl friend I have that watch some of the same shows as I do, and freak out like I do, and I honestly feel like I'm almost exploding sometimes! Especially when its a new show.

(doooo it)

[fogsblue.livejournal.com]

I've got a friend who watches it but he's so busy we never have time to discuss crazy theories... So glad for the internet!

I'll put it on the list and hope it gets somewhere!