Once Upon a Time 4.02: White Out

I could bash this episode for how silly some of it was, but the better parts of it were enough that the weaker parts didn’t bother me all that much.

This week’s biggest problem arrived in one of the show’s silliest costumes so far; Bo Peep. Even though she was one of the most ridiculous villains we’ve met in the past three years, there was still something undeniable entertaining about how she was used. The idea of her being this powerful warlord is so absolutely absurd that I kind of loved it. I just don’t understand why someone like her stayed quiet in a butcher shop for as long as she did.

The Frozen takeover was just as heavy this week, but even if we’re seeing certain characters falling into the background I think the two new princesses have been incorporated really well so far. Finding a place for them is difficult considering how crowded Once is already, but I think they’ve, so far, been even more appealing than a portion of the long running characters who are starting to grate.

A certain amount of Emma and Elsa’s bonding was shoehorned in, but I guess they just have such similar struggles with their powers that it was always going to be something they would need to talk about, and I loved watching them bond. Also, the fact that Emma gave her the benefit of the doubt instead of attacking outright made me like our favourite saviour even more. It’ll be interesting to see if Emma and Elsa help each other to develop their respective powers.

The flashback to David and Anna’s meeting provided some interesting insight into David’s past. Learning about his father didn’t really change my mind about him all that much – he’s still one of the weakest characters the show has – but I did appreciate the fact that he isn’t completely perfect. His fight against Bo Peep in the end was lacklustre, but I appreciated the sentiment of what Anna did for David in helping him to reclaim his hope, in the same way she does for Elsa.

The quest to find Anna looks like it will lead to some great flashbacks for the duration of the arc, which is refreshing since the flashbacks last season needed something equally compelling to keep them from falling apart. As this season’s “missing year”, I think Anna’s inclusion should do the trick. She’s energetic and likable without being even slightly annoying, and I like to think she’ll play off a lot of characters extremely well.

Last week was so Frozen crazy I think there was a risk of forgetting who we’ve really been following for three seasons, but ‘White Out’ married the established stories with Anna and Elsa’s past wonderfully, even with evil Bo Peep and her off-putting accent.

8/10

Plus

Hello Elisabeth Mitchell. Hello Ice Queen. You can either love or hate the fact that she works in an ice cream parlour. I chose to love it. This show...

It was a little silly, but I enjoyed Snow’s cute little side plot trying to figure out how to turn the power back on. I especially liked watching her snap at the residents. I think Leroy gets more annoying each season.

He Said, She Said

Elsa: “I’ll do whatever it takes to get my sister back.”

Snow: “You have survived your entire lives without light bulbs. Buy a flashlight!”

Also posted at Doux Reviews and Nad's Reviews.