Once Upon a Time 5x22/5x23
Okay, we've got two hours to cover so I have a funny feeling this is going to be long. Here we go!
-Little Roland toasting his papa with a glass of chocolate milk may in fact be the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Poor little munchkin.
-Violet and Henry in puppy love is adorable. I'm sorry but this is so cute.
-Emma and Killian walking down the street with their fingers intertwined is also adorable. My sweet babies.
Also: Emma: “She cursed an entire kingdom when she lost her first love.” Killian: “Yeah but she's changed much since then.” Emma: “I know.”
I want to talk about this for a second. I like that Killian pointed out that Regina has changed but I also don't blame Emma for being wary. Because it wasn't that long ago in TV time that Regina was plotting to kill Marian. (I can't remember if anyone knows about that but still.) And as we hear directly from the horse's mouth later, her first instinct is still to kill. Yes, she's changed in that now she's doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing but I also think the fact that she even still considers the wrong thing as a path she must actively choose not to take is kind of troublesome. (Because I don't know about y'all but my first instinct when I'm mad or something doesn't go my way is not to, y'know, kill the other person.)
-Rumple: “There's only one way I can free you both: I need more power.” Me: *facepalm* Here's the thing, Rumple. Power is only the answer because you make it the answer. Because you want it to be the answer so you can give yourself a reason to acquire it. So can we please stop with the justifications?
-Regina: “I'm used to suffering, Swan, and I'm used to others getting their way.” Me: *sigh* The woe is me crap is so tiring, Regina. You suffer because you keep yourself miserable. Other people don't get their way; they learn how to be happy in their new circumstances. (Because really, tell me how Snow and Charming missing three decades of their daughter's life is getting their way. It's not; they just learned how to make peace with it and move forward.)
-Emma: “I just want what's best for you.” Regina: “No, you don't. When you're upset, we follow you to hell but when I'm upset, I get a time-out.” Me: Regina, I WANT to like you but I swear, you make it so damn hard. Are you forgetting that you tried to give Emma this exact same “time-out” last week? So why is it okay when you do it but not okay when she does?
(I'm sorry. I know Regina's grieving but as usual, she's taking her grief out on everyone else instead of dealing with it like a mature adult and it sets my teeth on edge.)
-Henry, honey, I know you're upset but magic is not the problem. The problem is the people using the magic for nefarious purposes. You can get rid of magic but evil will still exist.
(Also, Henry and Violet's little quest is so, so, so not okay but also really cute?)
-Regina: “You benched me. Now I bench you.” Me: What are you, five? Jesus Christ, Regina.
-Poor little Roland kissing baby Pistachio goodbye and leaving Regina some fletching from one of Robin's arrows broke my heart. I'm going to miss that adorable little pumpkin.
-I am totally here for the Captain Snowing Witch adventures in Steampunk Land.
-The blood on the map trick is neat … convenient, perhaps, but neat. (I'm assuming Regina got the idea from the blood on the globe trick they used to track Henry to Neverland.)
-So, I know this “Neal was trying to destroy magic” stuff was supposed to be sweet and heroic (but maybe not because when Henry follows his trail, it's shown to be a very misguided plan) but all I got out of it was Neal was in New York “trying to find a way to protect himself in case his dad found him.” Which to me says that his leaving Emma to her fate was indeed more about Neal's own fears of facing Rumple again than his love for Emma. So … backfire, show. ;)
-Nerdy Glasses Guy is adorable and I already love him to pieces. I just want to wrap him in a blanket and tell him everything's going to be okay.
-Zelena: “Should I be offended he didn't frisk me?” Me: Zelena! You are on an hour earlier this week! Watch your mouth! ;)
-Yo, Steampunk Warden, we just got the pirate back from certain death, can you please take it easy with the choking? (I love love love Charming trying to free poor Killian and Snow stepping up to talk Steampunk Warden down. They love their son-in-law. ;))
-Emma: “I fought the darkness. You know I do understand.” Regina: “All due respect but you don't. You went up to the precipice but you got pulled back before it consumed you.” Me: Oh here we go.
Emma pulled herself back from the precipice. Because even with the darkest power flowing through her veins and taking over her mind and whispering in her ear, she fought it with all she had. She made a choice. It was a hard, grueling choice but she made it. She didn't allow it to consume her. Regina also made a choice. She chose to listen to her darkness. The fact that Regina listened to the darkness in her mind is no one's fault but her own.
And I'm sorry but doing good just because you think you're supposed to isn't … well, good. I appreciate Regina's struggle, I really, really do but I don't give her any redemption points because from what she's saying, I don't think she's really seen the error of her ways, here. She knows she's not supposed to kill people so she doesn't but the fact that she still wants to is troubling.
All that being said, I very much appreciate the fact that Regina does acknowledge that her evil was her choice and that maybe her struggles now are a form of karma. I still think, though, that she's missing the bigger picture, here. Because she's still framing it about her own desires. If she regresses, she loses everyone, but if she continues on the good path, she faces her consequences. I'm sorry, Regina, but those consequences are yours to face. What about your victims? The innocent people you hurt? What about their happiness? And maybe once you face your consequences and make restitution where you can, you can actually emotionally heal and actually be happy. Maybe then you can find happiness in your new circumstances. Because that's all everyone around you does. That's how they're happy. They find ways to be happy even amidst the challenges they face.
Ugh.
(I'm sorry, as far as I'm concerned, Regina constantly keeps herself miserable by refusing to move forward so her wallowing is tiresome.)
-Okay, so Henry flips past Gulliver's Travels, Don Quixote and, more importantly to me, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox. I am so very down for getting some American folktales up in this place. I demand Johnny Appleseed in Storybrooke!
-Henry fearlessly facing down Rumple is kinda awesome. I love when they let the kid be the little badass he is.
-Y'know, I didn't get the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing until the guard gave Glasses Boy the potion. Then I was like, OH! That was neat. :D (I think it was the two separate actors that was throwing me off, hee.)
Also, I am so down with bringing all of Steampunk Land to Storybrooke if we get all those new stories out of it!
-Henry, honey, I love you but your teenager-y self-righteousness is kinda grating right now. Watch your tone to your moms, kid.
-I'm kinda amused how everyone keeps trying to steal Belle-in-the-box. Sucking your wife into a box wasn't one of the five best ideas you've ever had, was it, now, Rumple? :)
-Killian trying to pick the lock with his hook is cute. I love all the uses that thing has. :)
-I am so totally down with more on the Land of Untold Stories. I very much want to hear those stories. :)
-Y'know, it's never a good sign when the door you're going to deliver room service to is glowing. I'm just saying. I don't care how much of a tip I'd be getting, someone else would be delivering that room service for me.
-Emma: “My parents, Hook, and your sister were pulled through some kind of portal.” Regina: “Again?” Me: *snerk*
-Emma: “We need a plan.” Regina: “I have a plan. I still have a fist, and Gold still has a nose.” Me: HA! Although, really, Regina, you might want to listen to Emma here because going in without a plan didn't work out all that well for Robin, did it?
-Jekyll: “There is where I lived when I was still a doctor at the hospital.” Zelena: “There's not many maids with untold stories, then.” Me: Hee!!
-I absolutely love how Snow and Charming recognize Jekyll and Hyde from the story and poor befuddled Killian is completely lost.
-I also love all of Emma's bail bonds spy gadgets.
-I appreciate Henry bursting into the room before Gold flambes his moms but maybe someone could have grabbed the grail from his hand before he sucked all the magic ever into it?
-Killian busting into the room to jam his hook into Hyde's back was awesome!! As was Zelena's, “To be clear, I was fine running.” Whee!! And omg Snow with the wand thing taking out Hyde … this was fun.
-Henry, sweetie? Please don't take misplaced blame lessons from your adopted mom. You destroyed magic. It was your plan. You did it. Own it.
-I love this little bit with Emma and Henry at the fountain. I love that she knew how to find him because that was where she used to take him when he was upset. I love that they have those memories.
And I love that Emma, of all people, was the one who reminded Henry that while they may have been happy then, they were alone. And now they have all these people in their lives, people they love, and people they're going to figure out how to bring home.
-Hi, Dragon! It's like season two back up in this place!
-I love Emma's proud little smile when Henry shuts down Gold's debbie-downer-ing. Hee! And I love love love the little story Henry tells of how he made a wish in the fountain for Emma because she was lonely. He wished that their family would be complete and a couple days later, Killian knocks on their door to bring them home. Just like once upon a time Emma wished on a birthday candle that she wouldn't have to be alone and a wee tiny Henry knocked on her door.
-I know it's super-cheesy but I really liked Henry making everyone get in touch with their inner child, believe in magic, and make wishes in the fountain (and also making everyone in that square believe they'd just seen the best piece of street magic they'll ever see in their lives :)). Also, the reunion was super-cute.
-I cannot believe Gold hopped the portal. Heh!
-So this plan to separate the Evil Queen from herself is not only a VERY BAD IDEA, it's also completely missing the point. “I wished the Evil Queen away so I could be free of everything she did. I did.” That's not how it works. Past mistakes and misdeeds can't just be wished away. They need to be dealt with.
And I'm gathering this is the point of the upcoming arc, where Regina realizes she actually has to take responsibility for her past actions instead of just burying them and brushing them aside but oh my God right now I just want to shake her by the shoulders and face her consequences like a damn adult.
-I love the twist that Violet's father is originally from Connecticut. Whee! Oh, and the Henry/Violet first kiss is super-sweet.
-And Emma and Killian and their breezy, calm “I love you” and the kiss and the two of them basking in the quiet moment was so lovely. I've already waxed poetic about it a few times so I won't repeat but I loved this moment and was glad they got it. They're finally happy, and all the moments they share from now on are literal gifts from the gods.
-And that's a wrap! As a whole, I adored this season. It may have tried my patience a few times but oh wow did we get some awesome stuff on the CS/Charming Family front. Onward to season six … in four and a half long months.
-Little Roland toasting his papa with a glass of chocolate milk may in fact be the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Poor little munchkin.
-Violet and Henry in puppy love is adorable. I'm sorry but this is so cute.
-Emma and Killian walking down the street with their fingers intertwined is also adorable. My sweet babies.
Also: Emma: “She cursed an entire kingdom when she lost her first love.” Killian: “Yeah but she's changed much since then.” Emma: “I know.”
I want to talk about this for a second. I like that Killian pointed out that Regina has changed but I also don't blame Emma for being wary. Because it wasn't that long ago in TV time that Regina was plotting to kill Marian. (I can't remember if anyone knows about that but still.) And as we hear directly from the horse's mouth later, her first instinct is still to kill. Yes, she's changed in that now she's doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing but I also think the fact that she even still considers the wrong thing as a path she must actively choose not to take is kind of troublesome. (Because I don't know about y'all but my first instinct when I'm mad or something doesn't go my way is not to, y'know, kill the other person.)
-Rumple: “There's only one way I can free you both: I need more power.” Me: *facepalm* Here's the thing, Rumple. Power is only the answer because you make it the answer. Because you want it to be the answer so you can give yourself a reason to acquire it. So can we please stop with the justifications?
-Regina: “I'm used to suffering, Swan, and I'm used to others getting their way.” Me: *sigh* The woe is me crap is so tiring, Regina. You suffer because you keep yourself miserable. Other people don't get their way; they learn how to be happy in their new circumstances. (Because really, tell me how Snow and Charming missing three decades of their daughter's life is getting their way. It's not; they just learned how to make peace with it and move forward.)
-Emma: “I just want what's best for you.” Regina: “No, you don't. When you're upset, we follow you to hell but when I'm upset, I get a time-out.” Me: Regina, I WANT to like you but I swear, you make it so damn hard. Are you forgetting that you tried to give Emma this exact same “time-out” last week? So why is it okay when you do it but not okay when she does?
(I'm sorry. I know Regina's grieving but as usual, she's taking her grief out on everyone else instead of dealing with it like a mature adult and it sets my teeth on edge.)
-Henry, honey, I know you're upset but magic is not the problem. The problem is the people using the magic for nefarious purposes. You can get rid of magic but evil will still exist.
(Also, Henry and Violet's little quest is so, so, so not okay but also really cute?)
-Regina: “You benched me. Now I bench you.” Me: What are you, five? Jesus Christ, Regina.
-Poor little Roland kissing baby Pistachio goodbye and leaving Regina some fletching from one of Robin's arrows broke my heart. I'm going to miss that adorable little pumpkin.
-I am totally here for the Captain Snowing Witch adventures in Steampunk Land.
-The blood on the map trick is neat … convenient, perhaps, but neat. (I'm assuming Regina got the idea from the blood on the globe trick they used to track Henry to Neverland.)
-So, I know this “Neal was trying to destroy magic” stuff was supposed to be sweet and heroic (but maybe not because when Henry follows his trail, it's shown to be a very misguided plan) but all I got out of it was Neal was in New York “trying to find a way to protect himself in case his dad found him.” Which to me says that his leaving Emma to her fate was indeed more about Neal's own fears of facing Rumple again than his love for Emma. So … backfire, show. ;)
-Nerdy Glasses Guy is adorable and I already love him to pieces. I just want to wrap him in a blanket and tell him everything's going to be okay.
-Zelena: “Should I be offended he didn't frisk me?” Me: Zelena! You are on an hour earlier this week! Watch your mouth! ;)
-Yo, Steampunk Warden, we just got the pirate back from certain death, can you please take it easy with the choking? (I love love love Charming trying to free poor Killian and Snow stepping up to talk Steampunk Warden down. They love their son-in-law. ;))
-Emma: “I fought the darkness. You know I do understand.” Regina: “All due respect but you don't. You went up to the precipice but you got pulled back before it consumed you.” Me: Oh here we go.
Emma pulled herself back from the precipice. Because even with the darkest power flowing through her veins and taking over her mind and whispering in her ear, she fought it with all she had. She made a choice. It was a hard, grueling choice but she made it. She didn't allow it to consume her. Regina also made a choice. She chose to listen to her darkness. The fact that Regina listened to the darkness in her mind is no one's fault but her own.
And I'm sorry but doing good just because you think you're supposed to isn't … well, good. I appreciate Regina's struggle, I really, really do but I don't give her any redemption points because from what she's saying, I don't think she's really seen the error of her ways, here. She knows she's not supposed to kill people so she doesn't but the fact that she still wants to is troubling.
All that being said, I very much appreciate the fact that Regina does acknowledge that her evil was her choice and that maybe her struggles now are a form of karma. I still think, though, that she's missing the bigger picture, here. Because she's still framing it about her own desires. If she regresses, she loses everyone, but if she continues on the good path, she faces her consequences. I'm sorry, Regina, but those consequences are yours to face. What about your victims? The innocent people you hurt? What about their happiness? And maybe once you face your consequences and make restitution where you can, you can actually emotionally heal and actually be happy. Maybe then you can find happiness in your new circumstances. Because that's all everyone around you does. That's how they're happy. They find ways to be happy even amidst the challenges they face.
Ugh.
(I'm sorry, as far as I'm concerned, Regina constantly keeps herself miserable by refusing to move forward so her wallowing is tiresome.)
-Okay, so Henry flips past Gulliver's Travels, Don Quixote and, more importantly to me, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox. I am so very down for getting some American folktales up in this place. I demand Johnny Appleseed in Storybrooke!
-Henry fearlessly facing down Rumple is kinda awesome. I love when they let the kid be the little badass he is.
-Y'know, I didn't get the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing until the guard gave Glasses Boy the potion. Then I was like, OH! That was neat. :D (I think it was the two separate actors that was throwing me off, hee.)
Also, I am so down with bringing all of Steampunk Land to Storybrooke if we get all those new stories out of it!
-Henry, honey, I love you but your teenager-y self-righteousness is kinda grating right now. Watch your tone to your moms, kid.
-I'm kinda amused how everyone keeps trying to steal Belle-in-the-box. Sucking your wife into a box wasn't one of the five best ideas you've ever had, was it, now, Rumple? :)
-Killian trying to pick the lock with his hook is cute. I love all the uses that thing has. :)
-I am so totally down with more on the Land of Untold Stories. I very much want to hear those stories. :)
-Y'know, it's never a good sign when the door you're going to deliver room service to is glowing. I'm just saying. I don't care how much of a tip I'd be getting, someone else would be delivering that room service for me.
-Emma: “My parents, Hook, and your sister were pulled through some kind of portal.” Regina: “Again?” Me: *snerk*
-Emma: “We need a plan.” Regina: “I have a plan. I still have a fist, and Gold still has a nose.” Me: HA! Although, really, Regina, you might want to listen to Emma here because going in without a plan didn't work out all that well for Robin, did it?
-Jekyll: “There is where I lived when I was still a doctor at the hospital.” Zelena: “There's not many maids with untold stories, then.” Me: Hee!!
-I absolutely love how Snow and Charming recognize Jekyll and Hyde from the story and poor befuddled Killian is completely lost.
-I also love all of Emma's bail bonds spy gadgets.
-I appreciate Henry bursting into the room before Gold flambes his moms but maybe someone could have grabbed the grail from his hand before he sucked all the magic ever into it?
-Killian busting into the room to jam his hook into Hyde's back was awesome!! As was Zelena's, “To be clear, I was fine running.” Whee!! And omg Snow with the wand thing taking out Hyde … this was fun.
-Henry, sweetie? Please don't take misplaced blame lessons from your adopted mom. You destroyed magic. It was your plan. You did it. Own it.
-I love this little bit with Emma and Henry at the fountain. I love that she knew how to find him because that was where she used to take him when he was upset. I love that they have those memories.
And I love that Emma, of all people, was the one who reminded Henry that while they may have been happy then, they were alone. And now they have all these people in their lives, people they love, and people they're going to figure out how to bring home.
-Hi, Dragon! It's like season two back up in this place!
-I love Emma's proud little smile when Henry shuts down Gold's debbie-downer-ing. Hee! And I love love love the little story Henry tells of how he made a wish in the fountain for Emma because she was lonely. He wished that their family would be complete and a couple days later, Killian knocks on their door to bring them home. Just like once upon a time Emma wished on a birthday candle that she wouldn't have to be alone and a wee tiny Henry knocked on her door.
-I know it's super-cheesy but I really liked Henry making everyone get in touch with their inner child, believe in magic, and make wishes in the fountain (and also making everyone in that square believe they'd just seen the best piece of street magic they'll ever see in their lives :)). Also, the reunion was super-cute.
-I cannot believe Gold hopped the portal. Heh!
-So this plan to separate the Evil Queen from herself is not only a VERY BAD IDEA, it's also completely missing the point. “I wished the Evil Queen away so I could be free of everything she did. I did.” That's not how it works. Past mistakes and misdeeds can't just be wished away. They need to be dealt with.
And I'm gathering this is the point of the upcoming arc, where Regina realizes she actually has to take responsibility for her past actions instead of just burying them and brushing them aside but oh my God right now I just want to shake her by the shoulders and face her consequences like a damn adult.
-I love the twist that Violet's father is originally from Connecticut. Whee! Oh, and the Henry/Violet first kiss is super-sweet.
-And Emma and Killian and their breezy, calm “I love you” and the kiss and the two of them basking in the quiet moment was so lovely. I've already waxed poetic about it a few times so I won't repeat but I loved this moment and was glad they got it. They're finally happy, and all the moments they share from now on are literal gifts from the gods.
-And that's a wrap! As a whole, I adored this season. It may have tried my patience a few times but oh wow did we get some awesome stuff on the CS/Charming Family front. Onward to season six … in four and a half long months.