"Heroes and Villains"
Episode Review
Happy New Year, everyone! Now that the Christmas holiday has passed, I have some time to lend my opinion of the midseason finale, "Heroes and Villains." Did the episode end on a satisfying note? Not really, but I must admit, the ending was intriguing, and anything that makes me really want to see the next episode means the writers did something right.
There was heartbreak aplenty as well as a few happy moments sprinkled in, with of course some main characters being ripped apart. Betrayal, happiness, loss, answers - after all, what would a finale be without all of those things? We finally got to see Anna and Kristoff get married, and Belle finally found out about the dagger, something I've been holding my breath about since the end of season 3. Hook got his heart back, Regina ended up losing Robin, and we got a few answers about the storybook, as well as some insight about what the season's next half holds.
To begin, let me admit how glad I was to finally see the Frozen group leave en masse back to Arendelle, where they never should have strayed from. It wasn't a terrible arc, but it was weak. I was more than ready to be done with it. The last scene was touching, though, as Anna and Elsa walked hand in hand toward the wedding, no longer afraid of Elsa's magic. And of course, the chocolate reference was a cute shout-out to the film.
As far as the backstory goes, it was also weak. An Enchanted Forest flashback to Rumplestiltskin and Belle usually ends up paying off in a big way, but this one felt contrived merely as a way to give Belle a method for finding out about the dagger. To be really honest, I wasn't quite sure why finding the gauntlet made her so angry. Rumplestiltskin did trade it to save her life. Just because he went back for it later doesn't mean he cared more about it than her; if that were the case then he never would have gone to rescue her in the first place. It seemed like a smart move on his part to me. But did he ever use the gauntlet? I hope to see a bit more on that. With any luck it can tie in to stories back in season one, perhaps explaining his uncanny ability to guess people's greatest love and weakness.
The backstory was also a way to introduce us to the new triple threat for the season's next half. I'm thrilled to see Ursula and particularly Maleficent revisited, characters I've always wanted to see explored. I'm glad to see a huge fairy tale villain coming to the screen, not just a cartoon creation. This is more what Once has always been about, and I'm looking forward to it. Cruella has potential also, as long as she's done right. However, I'm not sure that I'm happy to get them all at once. It's difficult to put one villain in half a season, let alone three. Maleficent is huge, and could easily take up a whole season by herself. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these three are done justice, without being glossed over or taking the spotlight from the main characters. Each one is rather delicious, and I'd like to learn a lot about them. Props for fantastic casting and fabulous costumes as well!
The Storybrooke portion was stronger, and I particularly liked the scenes with Regina. As much as fans are probably weeping over the well-played scene between Regina and Robin, I was glad to see it. I want her to have her happy ending as much as anybody, but having it so soon would have been far too easy and much less interesting. The best happy endings are earned, and have to be fought for. None of our main characters have gotten their true happy endings yet, something that keeps us watching the show. Each season they have to fight for their happiness, battling villains and their own weaknesses, making the show's theme of hope that much more poignant. I have a feeling that no one will be perfectly happy until the series finale, the way it should be. Regina has been a shining star this season, really only having a few missteps at the very beginning. I was glad to see her take some responsibility, since the situation was partly her own fault for not listening to Tink in the first place. It seems she really has changed.
Which is more than we can say for Gold. At last Belle found out about his dirty little secret, something I've been dreading but wanting to get over with the whole season. And it was painful. I was glad to see Belle stand her ground, as his behavior simply was not acceptable. While I'm certain she would have left him, I had to feel badly for her for being forced to throw him out permanently from Storybrooke to protect everyone. We know she loves him, but she was willing to never see him again to save the town. I was glad to see her demand truth, and accept nothing less. This was really the first scene the two were given any good substance to portray, as the Frozen storyline froze out everyone else's. Robert Carlyle and Emilie de Ravin sparkled in this scene, perfectly portraying Belle's heartbreak, as well as Rumple's desperation and fear. And despite all that Rumple has done to deserve his fate, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him, more evidence of Carlyle's fantastic acting. When he whispered, "I'm afraid," while his leg crumpled under him was heartbreaking. The scene was devastating but beautifully done. We were warned that Rumple and Belle's relationship would be stretched to the breaking point this season, but luckily I don't think the creators would ever completely let that relationship end, for which I'm glad. Rumple and Belle have one of the sweetest relationships in the show, keeping their love alive despite so much opposition. I have a lot of thoughts about Rumple's arc this season, which I will put in a separate post, so stay tuned.
The scene with Gold and Regina was a bit strange, but I was glad to see them together, since we've had a sore lack of both of them this season. His knowing about Henry's snooping was cute, especially since he didn't stop him. But again, that was another promising storyline that didn't come through. We know Gold's heart is still aching for his lost son, and having Henry soften it and maybe even be a source of conscience could have been an excellent pairing. But all we saw were two very short parts with Henry cleaning, another storyline practically obliterated in Frozen's wake. The only real purpose the scene served was to give us our one and only clue as to Gold's behavior. He mentions that being brought back to life from darkness and losing one's son as a slave changes a person. Agreed. So I still need some info on that. A lot of it. Regina's eyebrows furrow as she mentions that he sounds like the old Rumple, proving that the characters are as confused by his new self as we are. Explanation, please?
The ending was my the best part. I'm glad to see that Rumple hasn't given up, and seeing him and all the others in New York was intriguing. I'm very glad that's he's trying to get back, because after all, what a pale place Storybrooke would be without the Dark One! His finding Ursula and vowing to find the author gives me renewed hope. The storybook author was the strongest and most interesting storyline of the season, and I'm glad to see it taking the lead. Henry's finding a room full of blank storybooks brought further interest, making me want to meet the author more than ever. It seems that endings can be changed after all! I give the episode a 7/10. Season 4B will introduce us to the Queens of Darkness, as well as the author. Stay turned for March 1st, everyone!