I’m not sure this episode did all that it could have done, especially with such amazing tools at its disposal, not the least of which was a coveted Buffy alum appearance. While I appreciate the loyalty to the source material, a little re-interpretation wouldn’t have gone amiss here.
Though the Fairytale story this week wasn’t the cleverest interpretation, especially hot on the heels of something as out of the box as ‘Desperate Souls’, married with the real world case it managed to get to somewhere pretty powerful in a short amount of time. Emma’s constant reminder of what she lost was obviously the major catalyst in getting Michael to understand just what he had given up. It was pretty standard, but it all came from a sound place. Emma’s decision to hide Henry’s father’s identity doesn’t really feel wrong. He’s a young impressionable boy who could be unnecessarily hurt by learning something like that.
Emma Caulfield was a delight, but just like Amber Benson in Ringer, she suffered an all too short appearance that, despite a solid performance, wasn’t the right forum for showcasing her talents she so easily put on show all those years ago. The direction and imagery in True North was given a surprising amount of scope and depth, though, especially with a reduced TV budget. That whole sequence in the gingerbread house was so creepy and colorful at the same time.
One of the biggest parts of this series, at least for me, has always been the idea that Mary Margaret and Emma are mother and daughter. The ease with which they’ve found one another has been one of the nicest of the unspoken fairy tale connections. Their short acknowledgement was filled with a lot of unexpressed confusion and restraint. More of this please writers!
So, yeah, it was all a little disappointing in the end, but after 8 weeks of straight quality, I guess a few minor slip-ups are allowed, so long as they don’t become habit.
6/10
Plus
Snow has been hanging out with dwarves since Regina last saw her.
He Said, She Said
Loved this little conversation about finding Emma’s parents:
Emma: “I think I need to let go.”
Mary: “No you don’t.”
Emma: “Really? If they wanted to know me they wouldn’t make it so hard to look.”
Mary: “Maybe...but maybe there’s other reasons, maybe there’s an explanation.”
Emma: “If there is it’s something crazy.”
Though the Fairytale story this week wasn’t the cleverest interpretation, especially hot on the heels of something as out of the box as ‘Desperate Souls’, married with the real world case it managed to get to somewhere pretty powerful in a short amount of time. Emma’s constant reminder of what she lost was obviously the major catalyst in getting Michael to understand just what he had given up. It was pretty standard, but it all came from a sound place. Emma’s decision to hide Henry’s father’s identity doesn’t really feel wrong. He’s a young impressionable boy who could be unnecessarily hurt by learning something like that.
Emma Caulfield was a delight, but just like Amber Benson in Ringer, she suffered an all too short appearance that, despite a solid performance, wasn’t the right forum for showcasing her talents she so easily put on show all those years ago. The direction and imagery in True North was given a surprising amount of scope and depth, though, especially with a reduced TV budget. That whole sequence in the gingerbread house was so creepy and colorful at the same time.
One of the biggest parts of this series, at least for me, has always been the idea that Mary Margaret and Emma are mother and daughter. The ease with which they’ve found one another has been one of the nicest of the unspoken fairy tale connections. Their short acknowledgement was filled with a lot of unexpressed confusion and restraint. More of this please writers!
So, yeah, it was all a little disappointing in the end, but after 8 weeks of straight quality, I guess a few minor slip-ups are allowed, so long as they don’t become habit.
6/10
Plus
Snow has been hanging out with dwarves since Regina last saw her.
He Said, She Said
Loved this little conversation about finding Emma’s parents:
Emma: “I think I need to let go.”
Mary: “No you don’t.”
Emma: “Really? If they wanted to know me they wouldn’t make it so hard to look.”
Mary: “Maybe...but maybe there’s other reasons, maybe there’s an explanation.”
Emma: “If there is it’s something crazy.”
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