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selenakWhat can I say - I just had to.
Okay, I admit it: I should have figured out who the character played by David Anders was before. I mean - "Dr. Whale". That made for a delighted Muwahhaa on my part in the episode in question. Well played, show, well played, since the name means they must have intended this from the start. Incidentally, considering nobody says "Frankenstein" (either Victor, which is his name in the novel, or Henry, which is what the Universal and Hammer movies christened him), I briefly wondered why copyright should be an issue, given that Mary Shelley published the whole thing in 1818. But maybe Universal pulled a fast one back in the 30s - I know they did copright Boris Karloff's make-up as the Monster. And while one detail in The Doctor points to book-Frankenstein (that he brings up his dead brother with Regina - this happened to book!Victor, but not, I think to film!Henry) - we're generally going with homages to the cinematic versions here, specifically James Whale's two movies. (That Dr. Whale led a mob to Regina's house at the season start is in retrospect hysterically funny.)
Anyway. Another thing I really appreciated about The Doctor is that it clarified the extent of magical possibilities in this universe - that is, reawakening the dead (other than through True Love's Kiss when they're only Mostly Dead, to quote Miracle Max from The Princess Bride) is out. (This is important in any universe where magic is on the menu, if we're to take deaths seriously.) "Dr. Whale" eventually manages the trick through MaryShelleyScience, but of course, "Whale" being himself, the result isn't the genuine article and can't live in this state. Flashback wise, we also got clarification of something - why Rumpelstilskin couldn't use Jefferson's hat as a gateway to our world when looking for his son. More importantly, we got filled in to yet another bit of Regina and Rumpel backstory. Not coincidentally in the episode that does the most famous pop culture take on the creation of a monster, we get a look at Regina's apprenticeship by Rumpelstilskin. Considering that here she still refuses to kill in these flashbacks despite Rumpel pushing her towards it, I wonder whether we're gearing up to a flashback of Regina's first murder, and what it will be. I used to think last season it would be her mother but it wasn't; by the time she had Sydney/the Genie kill Leopold she definitely was already there, though, so who will it be?
Meanwhile, in Storybrooke time, Regina and Rumpelstilskin try the maybe-not-a-villain-anymore life in their different ways. The flashbacks in The Crocodile among other things introduce Hook, but they also give us another look both at human Rumpelstilskin and making-another-step-to-darkness recently powerful Rumpelstilskin and introduce us to his wife, Mila. At first in the tavern scene I frowned because I thought she would be vilified, but then her reaction to seeing her son and later her conversation with Rumpelstilskin made her three dimensional. Which is important, considering the flashbacks culminates in Rumpelstilskin killing her. I had suspected that "she ran away" wasn't all there was to the story, but hadn't thought the truth would be as dark as that. I do wonder whether either Belle or Baelfire, when/if he eventually shows up, will find out about this, but given Hook is on his way to Storybrook, suspect this will be the case at least with Belle. Who in present day does a good job of letting neither Rumpelstilskin nor her father condescend to her and decide her fate, and her walkout and starting to establish her own life (hooray for the library shoutout to the Disney version) results in her questionable beloved finally coming clean to her regarding his son. Though I think she's still a bit naive to the extent of just what he did and is capable of, but that's okay; she did not move back to him. Also: Charming's disbelieving "are you asking me for dating advice?" was, no pun intended, comedy gold.
Charles Widmore King George is a paper thin villain compared with the others the show offers and I don't think I buy his motivation, but I liked the werewolf episode anyway, both the flashback part with Red learning to live with the wolf and choosing neither but both, helped by her friendship with Snow White, and the present day part with the friendship between Red and Charming, and Red and Belle so important. (Also, Granny, as ever, for the win!) That the show values friendship between different ensemble members so much is one if its most endearing attributes.
Emma's flashbacks in Tallahassee fill us in to the tale of her and Henry's biodad. Given that guys who call themselves "Neal Cassady" are bound to be untrustworthy per se (teenage Emma clearly hadn't read Kerouac), I was not surprised that it ended with him setting her up; what did surprise me was that he did so not on his own but because of August Booth/Pinnoccio who convinced him it was good for Emma's destiny. You know, before I was August neutral, he just didn't interest me, but now I loathe him. "Guardian Angel" indeed. What rubbish. See, when Regina or Rumpel do this kind of thing I know the show knows it's manipulative and bad, but I have my doubts whether we're supposed to dislike August for this wannabe Dumbledore behaviour. On the bright side of things, the show's take on the Jack and the Bean stalk tale was of the win. Hurley, err, Jorge Garcia as the last Giant was inspired (and of course the victors write the history), and I twinged which way the Emma and Hook team-up would go just a short while before she double crossed and chained him. Because Hook clearly is a nod to Jack Sparrow, and women named Swan(n) have a history there. (Meaning: I'll eat Jefferson's hat if that scene wasn't inspired by the climax of the second Pirates movie when Elizabeth kissed and chained Jack and left him to the Kraken so she and the others could make their escape. Incidentally, I think that's one reason why Emma at the end of 2.09 isn't mad at Rumpelstilskin for what he planned to do with the portal - she understands that kind of ruthless pragmatism (though she presumably asked Hurley!Giant to not kill Hook whereas Rumpel would have doomed her and Snow White to make sure Cora doesn't get to Storybrooke).
Speaking of Cora: her indignation that Regina would send a mere minion to kill her instead of coming herself gave me an unexpected Lindsay MacDonald flashback ("You don't kill me! Angel - Angel kills me!"). Though of course Cora is better at these things than Lindsers and thus, what with being the Queen of Hearts, has stored her heart elsewhere to prevent villaindom's most popular method of assassination. I had my doubts whether she, like Not!Charles Widmore, wasn't too one dimensional a villain compared to Regina and Rumpel, but Queen of Hearts won me around with its double revelations that a) Regina wanted Cora dead before casting her curse precisely because she still loved her, and b) Cora doesn't want to kill Regina but to have her back after she's in pieces. For all that the show constructs lots of plots about the saving power of love, it also shows the twisted shadow side of love, which motivates the villains as well as the heroes. And both Regina and Rumpelstilskin in different ways are good illustrations for the abused-becomes-abuser principle, with the first test to whether or not they can change again being whether or not they can let go. So far, Regina has done better in this category. I'm not seeing this as the same as redemption yet; I don't think Regina seriously regrets the pain she inflicted on people not Henry, and her efforts to improve herself in his eyes aren't because she now thinks doing good is worth doing but because she wants him to love her again. But it's still not easy for her, but a struggle, so - a good mark for effort, and continue to fake it until you make it? Anyway, it's interesting to watch and better than if the show had either continued to play Regina as a pure villain who gets to mutter "curses, foiled again!" every other week or gave her a complete turnaround. So far, this step by step thing (one of them including the literal putting Daniel to rest) works for me. Of course Rumpelstilskin can't resist putting in the verbal stiletto with the "and if you're very lucky, they might even invite you one day to dinner". Don't be smug, Rumpel, you're lucky you got as far as a Hamburger with Belle, and that's because she's that nice, not because you're doing that well. Incidentally, considering he didn't actually need Regina to do anything when manipulating the portal (she used her power only to reverse what he did later after Henry showed up), my guess is the reason he wanted her there in the first place was because he planned on blaming the whole thing on her. After all, she has the obvious motive, he has not (because no one else in Storybrooke knows he has also history with her mother), and while he's disliked as welll, the hate people have for her is more intense.
Bits and pieces: Granny immediately wanting everyone to clear the room when Regina shows up to talk with Rumpelstilskin cracked me up. As did her charging our Mr. Gold extra. Go, Granny! Snow White figuring out the spell-on-scroll thing because after all she grew up the stepdaughter and step granddaughter of a witch was a neat touch. And you know, I think it was a good choice not to make Aurora a warrior princess as well. Because this show has so many female characters that there is room for those who aren't good at fighting but are brave and clever nonetheless (Aurora hiding her burns, being willing to go into the burning room again and again, and not buying Cora's pitch re: Philipp for a second while remembering the information it provides later). Emma having an existential crisis and wondering just how much of her life was predetermined if Rumpelstilskin manipulated: I would, too. And it's very Emma how she deals with it - by straight out talking to the man.
Only a few more episodes to go before I have caught up, I believe.
Okay, I admit it: I should have figured out who the character played by David Anders was before. I mean - "Dr. Whale". That made for a delighted Muwahhaa on my part in the episode in question. Well played, show, well played, since the name means they must have intended this from the start. Incidentally, considering nobody says "Frankenstein" (either Victor, which is his name in the novel, or Henry, which is what the Universal and Hammer movies christened him), I briefly wondered why copyright should be an issue, given that Mary Shelley published the whole thing in 1818. But maybe Universal pulled a fast one back in the 30s - I know they did copright Boris Karloff's make-up as the Monster. And while one detail in The Doctor points to book-Frankenstein (that he brings up his dead brother with Regina - this happened to book!Victor, but not, I think to film!Henry) - we're generally going with homages to the cinematic versions here, specifically James Whale's two movies. (That Dr. Whale led a mob to Regina's house at the season start is in retrospect hysterically funny.)
Anyway. Another thing I really appreciated about The Doctor is that it clarified the extent of magical possibilities in this universe - that is, reawakening the dead (other than through True Love's Kiss when they're only Mostly Dead, to quote Miracle Max from The Princess Bride) is out. (This is important in any universe where magic is on the menu, if we're to take deaths seriously.) "Dr. Whale" eventually manages the trick through MaryShelleyScience, but of course, "Whale" being himself, the result isn't the genuine article and can't live in this state. Flashback wise, we also got clarification of something - why Rumpelstilskin couldn't use Jefferson's hat as a gateway to our world when looking for his son. More importantly, we got filled in to yet another bit of Regina and Rumpel backstory. Not coincidentally in the episode that does the most famous pop culture take on the creation of a monster, we get a look at Regina's apprenticeship by Rumpelstilskin. Considering that here she still refuses to kill in these flashbacks despite Rumpel pushing her towards it, I wonder whether we're gearing up to a flashback of Regina's first murder, and what it will be. I used to think last season it would be her mother but it wasn't; by the time she had Sydney/the Genie kill Leopold she definitely was already there, though, so who will it be?
Meanwhile, in Storybrooke time, Regina and Rumpelstilskin try the maybe-not-a-villain-anymore life in their different ways. The flashbacks in The Crocodile among other things introduce Hook, but they also give us another look both at human Rumpelstilskin and making-another-step-to-darkness recently powerful Rumpelstilskin and introduce us to his wife, Mila. At first in the tavern scene I frowned because I thought she would be vilified, but then her reaction to seeing her son and later her conversation with Rumpelstilskin made her three dimensional. Which is important, considering the flashbacks culminates in Rumpelstilskin killing her. I had suspected that "she ran away" wasn't all there was to the story, but hadn't thought the truth would be as dark as that. I do wonder whether either Belle or Baelfire, when/if he eventually shows up, will find out about this, but given Hook is on his way to Storybrook, suspect this will be the case at least with Belle. Who in present day does a good job of letting neither Rumpelstilskin nor her father condescend to her and decide her fate, and her walkout and starting to establish her own life (hooray for the library shoutout to the Disney version) results in her questionable beloved finally coming clean to her regarding his son. Though I think she's still a bit naive to the extent of just what he did and is capable of, but that's okay; she did not move back to him. Also: Charming's disbelieving "are you asking me for dating advice?" was, no pun intended, comedy gold.
Emma's flashbacks in Tallahassee fill us in to the tale of her and Henry's biodad. Given that guys who call themselves "Neal Cassady" are bound to be untrustworthy per se (teenage Emma clearly hadn't read Kerouac), I was not surprised that it ended with him setting her up; what did surprise me was that he did so not on his own but because of August Booth/Pinnoccio who convinced him it was good for Emma's destiny. You know, before I was August neutral, he just didn't interest me, but now I loathe him. "Guardian Angel" indeed. What rubbish. See, when Regina or Rumpel do this kind of thing I know the show knows it's manipulative and bad, but I have my doubts whether we're supposed to dislike August for this wannabe Dumbledore behaviour. On the bright side of things, the show's take on the Jack and the Bean stalk tale was of the win. Hurley, err, Jorge Garcia as the last Giant was inspired (and of course the victors write the history), and I twinged which way the Emma and Hook team-up would go just a short while before she double crossed and chained him. Because Hook clearly is a nod to Jack Sparrow, and women named Swan(n) have a history there. (Meaning: I'll eat Jefferson's hat if that scene wasn't inspired by the climax of the second Pirates movie when Elizabeth kissed and chained Jack and left him to the Kraken so she and the others could make their escape. Incidentally, I think that's one reason why Emma at the end of 2.09 isn't mad at Rumpelstilskin for what he planned to do with the portal - she understands that kind of ruthless pragmatism (though she presumably asked Hurley!Giant to not kill Hook whereas Rumpel would have doomed her and Snow White to make sure Cora doesn't get to Storybrooke).
Speaking of Cora: her indignation that Regina would send a mere minion to kill her instead of coming herself gave me an unexpected Lindsay MacDonald flashback ("You don't kill me! Angel - Angel kills me!"). Though of course Cora is better at these things than Lindsers and thus, what with being the Queen of Hearts, has stored her heart elsewhere to prevent villaindom's most popular method of assassination. I had my doubts whether she, like Not!Charles Widmore, wasn't too one dimensional a villain compared to Regina and Rumpel, but Queen of Hearts won me around with its double revelations that a) Regina wanted Cora dead before casting her curse precisely because she still loved her, and b) Cora doesn't want to kill Regina but to have her back after she's in pieces. For all that the show constructs lots of plots about the saving power of love, it also shows the twisted shadow side of love, which motivates the villains as well as the heroes. And both Regina and Rumpelstilskin in different ways are good illustrations for the abused-becomes-abuser principle, with the first test to whether or not they can change again being whether or not they can let go. So far, Regina has done better in this category. I'm not seeing this as the same as redemption yet; I don't think Regina seriously regrets the pain she inflicted on people not Henry, and her efforts to improve herself in his eyes aren't because she now thinks doing good is worth doing but because she wants him to love her again. But it's still not easy for her, but a struggle, so - a good mark for effort, and continue to fake it until you make it? Anyway, it's interesting to watch and better than if the show had either continued to play Regina as a pure villain who gets to mutter "curses, foiled again!" every other week or gave her a complete turnaround. So far, this step by step thing (one of them including the literal putting Daniel to rest) works for me. Of course Rumpelstilskin can't resist putting in the verbal stiletto with the "and if you're very lucky, they might even invite you one day to dinner". Don't be smug, Rumpel, you're lucky you got as far as a Hamburger with Belle, and that's because she's that nice, not because you're doing that well. Incidentally, considering he didn't actually need Regina to do anything when manipulating the portal (she used her power only to reverse what he did later after Henry showed up), my guess is the reason he wanted her there in the first place was because he planned on blaming the whole thing on her. After all, she has the obvious motive, he has not (because no one else in Storybrooke knows he has also history with her mother), and while he's disliked as welll, the hate people have for her is more intense.
Bits and pieces: Granny immediately wanting everyone to clear the room when Regina shows up to talk with Rumpelstilskin cracked me up. As did her charging our Mr. Gold extra. Go, Granny! Snow White figuring out the spell-on-scroll thing because after all she grew up the stepdaughter and step granddaughter of a witch was a neat touch. And you know, I think it was a good choice not to make Aurora a warrior princess as well. Because this show has so many female characters that there is room for those who aren't good at fighting but are brave and clever nonetheless (Aurora hiding her burns, being willing to go into the burning room again and again, and not buying Cora's pitch re: Philipp for a second while remembering the information it provides later). Emma having an existential crisis and wondering just how much of her life was predetermined if Rumpelstilskin manipulated: I would, too. And it's very Emma how she deals with it - by straight out talking to the man.
Only a few more episodes to go before I have caught up, I believe.
