Once Upon a Time (ABC) - 1x02 till the bitter end

[davejames]

Emma is turning into the "Scully" archetype, where even when she's presented with all this weird stuff that should make her question her beliefs, she still plays the stubborn skeptic.

The difference is Scully really DID see and experience some crazy, otherworldly shit.

All Emma has really encountered so far are some strange people who either claim to be fairy tale characters, or who have character traits somewhat reminiscent of those characters. Hardly enough to make one start believing in a fairy tale curse (at least I would hope not, or I really have to question the skeptical abilities of the audience).

So far, from her perspective, it's far more likely these people are either seriously sick in the head, or are playing a huge practical joke on her.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Pinocchio shows up in the real world just in time to see the Oceanaic plane with Richard, Kate and Sawyer arrive home.

Actually they flew home in an Ajira Airways plane not an Oceanic Airlines one.

good episode last night but not as good as the previous 4 or so episodes. I doubt that Henry and Emma will make it out of town next week...something will prevent them from leaving.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I did like the opening of the episode, it was pretty epic.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The whole show being about Emma not knowing what we've already known for the past 20 episodes is really starting to wear thin. But the season finale is where she sees the light, right? Because they can't drag this shit into next season. So I figure things will improve from there, once they've gotten past this obstacle and can actually drive the plotline forward.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

They worked on Lost, of course they can drag things out

I'm glad she hasn't started believing yet, it has to be a gradual thing. It's not bothering me too much because, for the moment at least, the other fairytale storylines are entertaining.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Happiness be damned, who the fuck willing go and live as a peasant back in the 12th century?

They're going to go home.

Look at the plumbing and run in terror.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Is Booth talking to Bae on the phone, and is Bae Henry's father are the next two big questions for me.

Am I remembering the episode wrong? I thought he called Mr. Gold.

I was thinking of Booth's conversation from last week. He is on the phone and says "We have to speed things up."

Next shot he is with Henry. Was he talking to Henry or someone else?

I thought maybe he had a conspirator ala Bae.

 

[sonak]

Emma is turning into the "Scully" archetype, where even when she's presented with all this weird stuff that should make her question her beliefs, she still plays the stubborn skeptic.

The difference is Scully really DID see and experience some crazy, otherworldly shit.

All Emma has really encountered so far are some strange people who either claim to be fairy tale characters, or who have character traits somewhat reminiscent of those characters. Hardly enough to make one start believing in a fairy tale curse (at least I would hope not, or I really have to question the skeptical abilities of the audience).

So far, from her perspective, it's far more likely these people are either seriously sick in the head, or are playing a huge practical joke on her.

a town full of crazy people or a town-wide practical joke are extremely likely possibilities? I tend to doubt it.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

More likely than a parallel fairy-tale world. I'd be wondering if I've stumbled into a reality TV series where I'm the only one not clued in and everyone is being paid to make me believe this crazy story...

Hey, that could work for real. You take a town full of people, tell them to do whatever they can to convince somebody of some crazy story and if they succeed they'll all get, like, $5000 each.

 

[sonak]

More likely than a parallel fairy-tale world. I'd be wondering if I've stumbled into a reality TV series where I'm the only one not clued in and everyone is being paid to make me believe this crazy story...

Hey, that could work for real. You take a town full of people, tell them to do whatever they can to convince somebody of some crazy story and if they succeed they'll all get, like, $5000 each.

well yeah, both are more likely than a parallel fairy-tale world. But it's still not like either of them are particularly logical explanations.

 

[Sindatur]

One cool thing they have done with Emma's non-belief "Scully-ness" is that despite her disbelief, which is slowly chipping away, she has gone to Henry as Mulder a couple of times for the "supernatural" answer held in the Storybook

 

[JD]

I really enjoyed the episode. I do have to agree that Emma's not believing is starting to get a little old. I know it's unrealistic to have her just believe right away, but sometimes suspension of disbelief (on the audience's part) is necessary for a story to move forward. I don't think I'll stop watching if she doesn't believe by the end of the season finale, but I will definitely be much happy if she does.

 

[sojourner]

I wouldn't hold your breath on Emma believing in the season finale. At least having it stick past episode 1 of season 2.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I'm not sure about that. I have a feeling that season two will be a completely different animal.

 

[Caliburn24]

Season two is going to have to be very different. The flashbacks and backstories in Fairytale land have been fun to one degree or another, but they can't do that again. The characters have been introduced, the setting and the people are defined. In Storybrooke literally nothing has happened of note, a whole lot of wheel spinning and characters getting to know each other, with various scenes of Emma and Regina and MM acting catty towards each other every so often. All of the characters are basically exactly where they were in the pilot. We just know them a lot better.

The writers need to either expand the premise(maybe lift the curse and go from there?) or complicate things so that we can actually get forward progress on the story without it meaning the end of the show is near.

 

[stj]

It's not really true that nothing has happened in Storybrooke.

Time restarted in the very first episode.

Dr. Hopper has got his conscience mojo back.

Hansel and Gretel are back with their father, making a new start as a family.

Katherine has ditched the dead end marriage with David and is now in the field for Frederick to find.

Jefferson escaped back to Wonderland.

Whether or not he realizes it, Gepetto now has his son.

Ruby has a life without a werewolf curse ahead of her.

Even the central Snow White story has had major developments, the Sleeping Beauty awakened fairly early, it's just that they keep getting undone. We've watched the nefarious forces undo them.

The question is, is this filler or is there a conscious thematic control of the material?

 

[JanewayRulz!]

I liked the fact that TPTB took pains to show us what Emma sees... a "normal" leg where August sees a wooden one. It makes it easier for me to side with her against all these crazy people with their crazy claims.

I'm still surprised that Regina is actually taking all this guff from Henry. Does she realize who he is in the fairytale scheme of things and is allowing him slack so she can keep him under her control? Or is she allowing him slack because she actually wants a son and has no idea who he "really" is?

For that matter... does she know who Emma is? Gold certainly does, but has she figured it out? After all... SHE knows the clock started ticking after Emma came to town.

 

[sojourner]

You guys are saying they can't milk this another season the way it is? Have any of you seen Smallville?

 

[FreezeC77]

Happiness be damned, who the fuck willing go and live as a peasant back in the 12th century?

They're going to go home.

Look at the plumbing and run in terror.

I do think that most of these residents are better off in the 'real world' than the fairy tale world. Never having to worry about an all-powerful magic user who can turn you into a snail and then kill you without having any punishment dished out to him at all.

Better opportunities for the 'lower classes' than in the fairy tale world. The dwarves aren't working as slave labor bred to believe that its 'a-ok' and they're happy while doing it.

Lil' Red Riding Hood isn't having to worry about transforming into a werewolf and killing people. (Conversely people don't have to worry about being killed by werewolves, dragons, magic users, etc...) You still have to contend with normal violence, but that could have happened in the fairy tale world anyway (albeit with a sword or bow instead of a gun).

The only ones probably 'better' off in fairy tale world are those with tremendous wealth like say Snow White/Prince Charming who are rulers of a Kingdom or say August/Pinocchio who is reverting to wood.

 

[davejames]

I wouldn't hold your breath on Emma believing in the season finale. At least having it stick past episode 1 of season 2.

Yeah I don't expect that to happen either. More likely, she'll see something completely strange and fantastical happen, and then we'll see her struggling to make sense of it the following season (possibly chalking it all up to an hallucination or someone drugging her).

Season two is going to have to be very different. The flashbacks and backstories in Fairytale land have been fun to one degree or another, but they can't do that again. The characters have been introduced, the setting and the people are defined. In Storybrooke literally nothing has happened of note, a whole lot of wheel spinning and characters getting to know each other, with various scenes of Emma and Regina and MM acting catty towards each other every so often. All of the characters are basically exactly where they were in the pilot. We just know them a lot better.

The writers need to either expand the premise(maybe lift the curse and go from there?) or complicate things so that we can actually get forward progress on the story without it meaning the end of the show is near.

Well I think us hardcore scifi fans need to maybe adjust our expectations a little. This show is clearly aimed at a more mainstream family audience than something like Fringe. They're not going to suddenly take the storytelling in some crazy, edgy new direction or anything.