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To be fair and honest, I do watch this show and I liked the first season so this isn't just random hating, but it has gone straight downhill after that. Season 2 was so awful and a waste of time, and season 3 so far hasn't really done anything except add a few more zombies to the show as opposed to season 2.

I know it's all about different tastes and opinions, and that I don't have to watch it, yeah yeah; yet, how this show can be held to such high standards is beyond me. It's predictable and filled with annoying moments, and the show in general is incredibly inconsistent.

I've also read about 5 issues of the comics and really don't see why it was adapted in the first place. Gotta fill the air time, I suppose.

Judging from what I have read around here this opinion seems to be the minority.

After the downer of the last episode (sorry Red fans) and a week break from Once Upon A time (boo), the story looked to be picking up from the previews. Many in Storybrooke and Fairy Tale land appeared to right in the thick of the action. How would Henry and Aurora finding a way to communicate using their dreams get Emma and Snow White home? Whatever happened to Hook, did he escape the Giant's lair? To find out the answers to these questions and more we go "Into the Deep."

Good (besides everything?)

“I’m done reading about heroes, I want to be one."- Oh, Henry, you adorable little boy, you are a hero and knight. Willing to sacrifice and subject himself to repeated pain by entering the netherworld, all to re-unite his family and see his mother and grandmother again.Henry's got perspective on things, he understands that a lot more is at stake than just himself and his family, and though he is doing it for more than them he still remains focused on that goal as well. Charming's lessons on how to be a knight must have worked because this young man is blossoming into a real hero.

"I know I've been useless but that's going to change starting now"- Okay, not an actual quote from her but it does accurately describe Aurora's character up to this point. Yes, up to this point because Aurora's finally putting herself to good use by acknowledging that she hasn't carried her weight in the group and wants to change that by volunteering to go back in the dream. Sure, going back in was unsuccessful due to the fire being too loud but effort counts for a lot. Aurora was a pointless character and a weight around the groups neck but now she's displaying courage and loyalty by standing up to Cora, though she apparently hasn't gotten much smarter as evidence by Hook tricking and taking her heart (who knew he could do that?). It appears Cora is in control over Aurora but there's something sneaky about Hook, and it does seem like he could be playing Cora still and really wanting to help Emma and the girls. Hmm...

"For you. I can handle Cora"- Storybrooke's most powerful resident and pawnshop owner is finally getting some serious competition in the form of Cora, at least according to Regina and others. Gold doesn't seem too worried about Cora (does he know about her zombies, though?), and as he said himself he's beaten her once already plus nobody else has been able to stand up to him, but Cora does seem different. She's another former protégé of Rumpelstiltskin like her daughter Regina, usually a teacher will know more than their student and hold something back, though Regina does make an excellent point regarding Belle. It was a little too insensitive and cold to claim that Belle is Mr. Gold's weakness; however, Regina did have a point in that Cora (if she ever makes it to Storybrooke) will be smart enough to attempt to attack Belle, though Mr. Gold is incredibly intelligent so he wouldn't allow that to happen. Gold lost Belle once to one of his enemies, Cora won't get the same chance. Not to mention he called Prince Charming "Dearie" which was hilarious.

“They always find each other”- Leave it to Regina to state the obvious but once again the Charmings were reunited again, though it was short-lived and different since Snow White was the one to find Charming as opposed to the other way around. Prince Charming unsurprisingly put it all on the line and potentially never waking up again by taking the sleeping potion, all to just see his lovely wife again, well... and to tell her how to defeat Cora but mainly to see her again, yeah. Charming has complete faith that Snow will be able to break the curse and wake him, using True Love's kiss, and it is his optimism that has been keeping the town of Storybrooke afloat, now it will motivate Snow White to do what must be done and defeat Cora. Their brief reunion produced joy at them being together again, hope from Charming telling Snow how to defeat Cora, sadness upon the realization that Charming is now sleeping till she cures him, and finally heartbreak when their kiss couldn't connect. These two people have been through more than anyone else; however, it doesn't appear that the immediate future will take it lightly on them, they may be from a fairy tale land but their world has real and dangerous turmoil, where good does not always prevail over evil but must be fought for.

Legolas, Aragorn, and not Gimli- This si a group of badass women who don't need a Prince Charming to keep them safe, though Snow wouldn't say No to him being there right now. Snow White sniping with uncanny accuracy, and Emma was like Aragorn just beasting when it came to defeating Cora's heartless (literally) warriors without too much difficulty. Too bad Mulan couldn't be their Gimli as she rather tried to help Aurora, and she had such potential. Strong female characters are over this show and especially in the forefront. Aurora finally got her act together (see above) so the group just needs Mulan to buck up and be what she's capable of, a leader who is able to make the tough decisions, that type of person will be needed with the war coming. Mulan needs to keep her humanity and not willingly sacrifice just anyone, but rather take a page out of Charming's book and do what is in the best interest of the group, not selfish reasons. Emma and Snow have their priorities in order, of course number one is getting back to Storybrooke but along the way they're going to do as much good as possible, starting with stopping Cora, why? To protect the ones they love and everyone else in both world's, something Mulan knew was the right choice but was blinded by her unnerving loyalty towards Phillip.

Bad

Honestly, I didn't think anything should have gone in the "Bad" section but for the sake of putting something here, there were some inconsistencies.

“This helps control the flames in the room, it’ll keep you safe”- Yeah, except they didn't do either for Henry. Why didn't the necklace allow Henry to control the fire in the dream again, or if he didn't think to do that, why not? Gold's magic can heal the burns and Henry didn't appear to be affected by them much, it didn't seem like there should have been much concern over him going back into the netherworld.

“I had to see you”- And to his credit he did see her, but this is the second episode in a row that Charming has made a boneheaded move, this time he forgets to put back on the necklace before breaking the floor. Yes, it was slightly hot but he was wearing a collared shirt and would have barely noticed it. Plus, if Henry can deal with some burns there's see no reason Charming can't suck it up for a few seconds.The reunion between Charming and Snow overshadowed this so no big deal, not to mention all their adorable quotes.

Mulan... What could have been- For a character who's entrance into this season was with a bang, displaying her skill with a blade and courage in a dark world, she looked to join Emma, Snow, and Ruby (when she's not hitting on everyone) as another strong female character but alas she's been somewhat of a disappointment in recent weeks. It's obvious her love for Phillip is clouding her judgement, while both Henry and especially Charming are able to focus and use their love of others to fuel their passion to succeed. Mulan is just solely concerned with her promise to Phillip and doesn't care if she puts everyone in both worlds at risk, which is what she is doing by trying to cave into Cora's demands. Aurora was one woman, a necessary sacrifice to save everyone else.

Overall

10/10. WOW, easily the best Once Upon A Time episode ever, and well worth the wait. Absolute perfection, not a single second wasted throughout the entire episode. Incredible pacing, it felt like the story was moving along at a hundred miles a minute, so much happening at once but it didn't feel rushed. Nearly every main character was featured and contributed to the story, haven't seen that since this seasons premiere. As if OUaT wasn't amazing enough this week, next weeks episode is the Winter finale (winter is coming!) and looks to be wonderfully chaotic. Rumple and Regina teaming up to stop her evil mother Cora!!! This season has vastly succeeded in surpassing the high expectations set-down by season 1 and the future couldn't look any brighter.

Here is the episode link in case anyone missed it or wants to watch it again: http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55250845/into-the-deep

*Spoilers*

Last week brought us magic beans, a beanstalk, giant, showed Emma’s less than magical past, and a critical moment for Captain Hook, all to reunite both worlds. Now back in Storybrooke, when one of the townspeople is murdered and a wolf is suspected, will Charming be able to keep Ruby safe or will the wolf run wild all over the town? Henry’s mysterious and scary dream is fleshed out with a little help from Mr. Gold. And Charming’s control of the town is challenged by an old foe as “Child of the Moon” brings us closer to a reunion… for a time, anyways.

Good

“I’m not a killer”- Again, seeing more of Red’s past experiences as a wolf was an important moment for her character and also very cool that she’s been able to control herself in her wolf form. She used to be so gullible and childish, but as has been the case with others, Red needed to grow up and make a choice. Unfortunately for her that choice also involved killing her own mother (and accepting that without question was very odd, no DNA testing?), though to be fair she was about to kill Snow White. Her attempted self-sacrifice to appease the mob while admirable, was ultimately unnecessary, in addition to being foolish as her death accomplishes nothing. Thankfully, Charming was there to save her and find the true murderer. Hopefully the red hood isn't discarded for good as it’s an iconic piece of her character.

“This one’s on me”- Of course Mr. Gold has solutions to everything, except how to leave Storybrooke; yet, his remedy for Henry’s bad dream looks to be incredibly powerful. It’s not wise to take Gold lightly but it does seem unlikely that he suspects that Henry’s dream is going to play a part in Emma and Snow making it back to Storybrooke, it’s certainly possible though. Obviously his magic is effective against a lot so he’ll most likely play an important part and further fleshing out Henry’s potential opportunity within his dream. Also, it’s interesting that Mr. Gold’s Curse had some unintentional side effects, mainly Henry’s dream, plus Regina being able to choose who she wishes to bring with her to Storybrooke.

“I’m done reading about heroes, I want to be one”- Looks like in the coming weeks Red won’t be the only character who decides to grow up, Henry’s had enough to sitting on the sidelines and is ready to become involved and reunite his family. Dealing with those crazy fire-filled dreams couldn’t have been easy for someone so young, nor is seeing another in your dream that appears distressed. As mentioned earlier, Mr. Gold’s invaluable help allowed Henry to control the fire and the dream, to find out that Sleeping Beauty (not as worthless as once though, perhaps?) and he share a link between worlds. There’s no doubt he would do anything to reunite his family, but make no mistake nothing is ever easy and Cora won’t go down without a fight.

Bad

King George foiling the big plan!- Unable to stop Prince Charming in Fairy Tale land from taking over the kingdom, Decker (King George) works to undermine his authority and control in Storybrooke. As if King George’s past transgressions weren’t bad enough in Fairy Tale land, in Storybrooke he murders an innocent man (and potential love interest for poor Ruby), frames Ruby the murder due to her being a werewolf, and tries to convince the town to mutiny against Charming! This is pure evil! His biggest fault is underestimating Charming, though he did get back at the entire town by destroying the fairy dust (Massive mistake, Charming, massive). He appears to believe he has nothing to lose, but if his actions ever get back to Mr. Gold or Regina, he might figure out that there are a lot of things worse than death.

Mutinying against Charming- Is the pirate Hook in town? No? Not very believable, even if your life is at stake, to just abandon the one person who swore above all else to keep them save and protect them. Sure, Ruby turning into the wolf and being accused of murdering Billy is scary, but Charming hasn’t let the people of Storybrooke down before so those simply siding with Spencer seemed out of character for the lot of them. Not to mention Charming giving up hope and needing to be reassured by Ruby that he never gives up, that he’ll “always find you”. Perhaps one or two of Storybrooke’s residents witnessed the good Sheriff smashing car windows and breaking into trunks, not exactly the actions of a Prince…

“We’re her pack”- New characters are exciting! However, Ruby’s “pack” consisted of the very people she was fighting against becoming. After just accepting that Anita was her mother, Red intends to plant roots and leave underground with the rest of the wolves to learn self-control. The pack members are simply monsters, with either less or more self-control than others depending on the viewpoint. The reason for their actions, “This is what it means to be a wolf”, killing innocent people who have helped your daughter in the past (and future). Just another crazy cult leader who needed to be put down, and Anita’s ultimatum to Red to kill her friend Snow White proved to be her down fall, not unlike many other villains.

Overall

5/10. Finally Ruby gets more screen time doing something other than being an assistant to David, yet the episode was still underwhelming. There was a lot of hope with the fairy dust but it was too good to be true, and a major error by David to let something that valuable out of his sight. Still, two weeks from now OUaT returns and the previews for that episode look amazing, Henry being the link between worlds and capable of controlling his dream. There was no way that OUaT could keep up their pace of amazing episode after amazing episode, so it's understandable that "Child of the Moon" was a letdown, but hopefully this is one of the few.

Here's the link to the episode in case you missed it: http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55246815/child-of-the-moon

Never a dull moment in Storybrooke or Fairy Tale Land; the dead being brought back to life, times being rough for a student of dark magic, and finally a magic beanstalk with a menacing giant at the top. So up the beanstalk we go with “Manhattan” to find out what beast awaits at the top, as well as getting a glimpse into Emma Swan's past!

Good

“No, I have never been in love”- And dressing like a naughty schoolgirl, who would be shocked? Emma's coldness is finally really hashed out in detail, it's now completely clear why she is so angry inside. As if being orphaned because your parents were forced to abandon you wasn't bad enough, then the first time she allows herself to fall in love he also leaves her, and worse he betrayed her and put her in jail for a crime he committed. Emma used to be so young and naive plus a awful dresser, to trust someone that much and have zero doubt. Scars like that can and do endure as she has shown. Obviously August had a lot to do with the turn of events but it was ultimately the Neal's choice, though the life he and Emma were living wasn't much of one, especially with a child on the way.

August Booth returns! - Granted it was just a flashback but August was back (with a weird haircut and no beard!), if only for a one time cameo. There's still no word what his current wooden body is up or even where it is, yet his influence in this episode was profound and revealed a lot. His interfering was the right thing to do, in addition to his role, but also brought another plot point up, it showed that he did indeed try to help Emma, however, like he said the world is filled with temptations and he wasn't strong enough to resist them. It appears the Curse took no mercy on him in the end as he was turned to wood for his troubles and is no who knows where.

Girl Power- The foursome of Aurora, Emma, Mulan, and Snow all have a role in their little group and a valid reason to want to climb the beanstalk, Emma and Snow to get back to Storybrooke and their family (Snow to protect Emma), Mulan because she's best suited if it came to fighting, and lastly Aurora (Quite the shocker). Even though Aurora has been a weight around the characters so far, you still have to respect her bravery in volunteering since she appears to be useless in terms of the story. Still, Emma made the right choice in being the one who went with Hook and it turned out to be correct as she, more than any of them is willing to make the difficult choice. Snow's such a mom, trying to shield Emma from harm and also watching over Aurora while she slept.

"The victors tell the story"- New characters and mysteries to add to the ones already circulating around these characters. The Giant wasn't a bad guy, but all of his race are long dead thanks to humans. It does leave open the possibility of him returning, however getting hopes up can be a bad thing. Jack the Giant Killer died trying to kill a Giant, that's irony, and also sad since it most likely means he won't make another appearance. Also worth mentioning is the mysterious red room both Aurora and Henry dreamed of, the one with no doors or windows and curtains on fire. The box August had is also curious.

Bad

“It’s Florida, everything is near a beach”- In addition to being a lie, it was also the beginning of the end for Neal and Emma's relationship, at least for the time being. Their love didn't get off to a good start at all, Emma stealing the car Neal had stolen from someone else, plus their five finger grabbing at convenience store, and lastly to selling off stolen goods. The only positive that came out of this train-wreck of a relationship was Henry, and hopefully his father never has the chance to negatively influence him, though inevitably he will have that opportunity. At least Henry's dad is finally revealed, as well as the man from the season premiere.

“I’m always a gentleman”- Captain Hook disappoints yet again, this episode he proves his worth extends to being a distraction, literally. Emma can't trust him, and despite his charming and flirtatious attitude, there's no reason for anyone to trust him. His motives are clear, yet there's still the chance that he's undercover for Cora;however, if he's not this moment where Emma betrayed him will come back to the haunt the group. He's a valuable ally, when he's not kidnapping women or bullying harmless people, yeah, he's always a gentleman. Hook is pretty brave and put a lot of trust in Emma when facing the Giant, that might have been enough for a lot of people but not Emma. Hopefully she is correct and her "super power" was working.

Overall

8/10. Another filler episode that didn't advance the overall story much, if at all, but a lot of the content was very interesting. From the main reason Emma is so cold, to the "return" of August, as well as the introduction of new characters and minor mysteries, and finally to the preview for next week where Red/the Wolf is let loose upon Storybrooke. A lot of episodes of OUaT is never a bad thing, it would be nice if the story could progress a little each week, though.

Episode link in case anyone missed it or wants to watch again: http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55245000/tallahassee

With Halloween upon them, the town of Storybrooke finds their surroundings a little more peaceful, but how would the citizens react to finding out that Regina’s long lost lover has been raised from the dead. Meanwhile in Fairy Tale land, we've already seen how unpleasantly evil Captain Hook could be, so why is he tied to a tree and faced with interrogation from Snow white and Emma? Have the Dwarves gotten any closer to finding the elusive fairy dust? And most importantly, who exactly is the mysterious Dr. Whale, and why is it that the Evil Queen nor Prince Charming had authority over him? “The Doctor” will hopefully answer at least three of these questions and perhaps more!

The Good:

“I prefer the Doctor”- I know I’m not the only that is glad to finally find out who Dr. Whale is, nor surprised that he is Dr. Frankenstein! Wow, this opens up so many additional possibilities, from the unique land he comes from where science is more powerful than magic, to story lines surrounding his brother, and in a way getting his experiment to work, by bringing back Daniel... In a way. I do wonder if he was able to get his idea to work in Storybrooke, what exactly prevented it from being successful in his land? Clearly his story isn't over here, and he appears to be connected in some way to Storybrooke's most powerful residents, mainly Regina and Mr. Gold, so his future is wide open. In addition to all of this, Dr. Whale sure can take a punch!

"If you won't put him down, I will"- Charming continues to be directly involved in almost everything that's happening in Storybrooke, and will do anything that needs to be done in order to protect the citizens of the town. Finding a way back home, check. Standing up to Regina and protecting everyone, check. Teaching Henry to be a knight, adorable and check. His character has continued to show amazing growth and potential and is clearly a central figure going forward. His surprise at Regina using hearts is a little amusing, seeing how when he went to get Henry out of Regina's vault there were who knows how many hearts down there and he wasn't the least bit concerned.

"So long as you live in the past you'll never find the future"- More backstory on Regina was surprising since just a few episodes ago she was front and center, but I really enjoyed seeing her learning the dark arts from Rumpelstiltskin, as well as her slow crawl towards becoming the woman she currently is. I don't know why but I always assumed that learning magic was easy, almost as if all the spells and ability is just inside your brain; however, Regina struggled mightly with the harsher aspects. Also interesting is that it wasn't just Cora alone who forced Regina down the path she eventually took, but also Rumpelstiltskin egging her on to become the very woman she hates, her own mother. The similarities between the two are almost exactly the same, both taught by Rumpel, both driven by more than something petty, and both incredibly evil. I will say that Regina isn't completely beyond redemption, she's showing that she wants to change and is trying to, though any kind of change is extremely difficult. She appeared to be unwilling to let zombie Daniel go, but thought better of it even though it returned her to being alone. Lastly, another layer regarding the Curse was revealed, Regina had control over who she brought along with her to Storybrooke. So this begs the question, why did she choose the people she did and leave those she didn't alone? Did Rumpelstiltskin have any say since he designed the curse?

The Bad:

“Oh, so you've heard of me?”- Was it just me or is Hook one of the worst double agents in recent memory? First, he's an awful liar, not even taking into account that Emma's "super power" decided to start working again, he just wasn't very believable. He tells them Cora’s entire plan without much pressuring from the ladies, is willing to lead them to a way to get back to Storybrooke, all to get revenge against Rumpelstiltskin? Yeah, I'm not buying it and apparently Snow and Emma aren't either. Also good luck trying to do anything to Rumpel/Mr. Gold, he tried before and lost a hand. I would just leave bad enough alone but we know Hook is too stubborn for that. I'm thinking Cora is setting up the group to do all the hard work for her, then when they least expect she'll pop up and try to steal what they've found.

Too centralized- It's understandable that every single character can't be included every week but this episode felt very limiting, didn't even show or mention a lot of other characters and what they're doing. A lot of questions remained unanswered and ignored, what is going on with the Dwarves and the mining, why does it appear like Storybrooke has given up on finding a way back home?

Overall:

6/10. Eh, more of a filler episode than I would have preferred but finally finding out who Dr. Whale is (Dr. Victor Frankenstein!!) was more than worth it. With the past few episodes being similar, not advancing the overall story much, it just feels like an explosion is about to occur and an amazing over the top episode is soon to come. I did like seeing more of some minor characters incorporated this week, Jiminy Cricket and Dr. Whale. Next week The Giant is going to make an appearance as Emma and Hook climb up the Beanstalk to retrieve a special compass. Who knows, Aurora might follow them up and get eaten, though that might be asking for too much.

Author’s note: Check out the episode here http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55243142/the-doctor in case you missed it or want to watch it again.

Taking a break from all the Charming family drama and switching back to Rumbelle where many questions still remain. Why was Mr. Gold so intent on leaving Storybrooke and alone without Belle in tow? What has happened to his son, Bael? And has Belle completely forgiven Rumpelstiltskin? "The Crocodile just might answer some of these questions and no doubt pose more that need to be answered in coming weeks.

The Good

"Oh, it's me Dearie"- Not that Belle is gullible or unintelligent, but her act is growing tiresome. Now it can't be easy loving someone like Rumpelstiltskin, yet she's making it much more difficult herself. She readily admits to seeing the good in Rumpelstiltskin and the need for her to stay, but not much later her mind is changed and Rumpel is once again a bad guy. She can't control who she loves, though if you're going to love someone and want to be with them you should be expected to accept the bad with the good. Rumpelstiltskin isn't a perfect person by any means, but neither is Belle. Making assumptions based off Rumpelstiltskin's past is understandable, however the man is in a precarious situation and has trust issues which Belle just expects to go away in an hour. Back to Belle not being unintelligent... Yeah, how do you not recognize the questions someone who is about to kidnap you is asking? Good thing Rumpel and Sheriff Charming were in pursuit. She wants to make her own decisions and stand up for herself, both of which are admirable and long overdue, it just appears that might be awkward since she has no clue what or who it is she wants. Hopefully she finds purpose in fixing up the Library, maybe read a few self help books and be as good as new.

"Keep swinging, Dwarves"- The mines in Storybrooke are going to be a focal point for this season and for a lot of discoveries as well. The dwarves are naturally only looking for Fairy Dust to help out their brother in ax Sneezy, but who knows what else they could uncover down there from the Fairy Tale land. The ritual space Regina used to activate the Curse was shown down in the mines in season 1, the dwarves just might not know how important it is that they keep digging. Also,Grumpy should have taken a better course to get his ax back from Mr. Gold's possession, and if not for Belle saving him, he could have been a dead dwarf and wouldn't have been able to do anyone any good. Plus, it was a nice surprise to see others in the town helping them out, like Charming who has also taken on the job of Sheriff, and between you and me I hope he keeps it.

"Always nice to make an impression"- It's hard not to sympathize with Rumpelstiltskin before he becomes the Dark One, as if his story wasn't bad enough we learn that his wife, Mila, is a trollop that has no qualms abandoning her husband and son or telling it like it is, that she never loved Rumpelstiltskin and that he is a coward for not fighting in a pointless war. Not sure this woman is really in a position to toss around insults, nor is her lover the oh so brave pirate (more on him later). Again we see what Rumpelstiltskin has had to deal with in his life and ultimately contributed to his lust for power and magic. It's no wonder Rumpelstiltskin finds it so difficult to open up and be honest with people, his former wife revealed that their entire marriage was a sham and that she had lied the entire time. Rumpelstiltskin also reveals why he is so hellbent on getting out of Storybrooke, it's to find his son Baelfire who was sent to the same planet as Storybrooke by the Blue Fairy. Wounds like that take time to heal, but Rumpel is working at it, he really does love Belle and it appears all she needs to do is have a little patience. For both their sake, I hope she does.

A Magic Bean- Yet another character is foreshadowed this week, possibly both Jack and the Giant's who lived up the Beanstalk. Jorge Garcia who played Hurley on Lost is set to appear as the Giant in the next few weeks. Another story-line and a few new characters will only add more to the chaos already enveloping both the town of Storybrooke and the Fairy Tale land!

Regina and Her Hearts- Even though Regina wasn't in this episode at all, we did learn a few things about where she learned some of her magical abilities, referring to taking someones heart out of their body and crushing it to dust (poor Graham).

The "Rumping" partnership- There was mention of it last week but come "The Crocodile" it is becoming more evident that an alliance of sorts has unofficially been made between Charming and Rumpelstiltskin, two of the most influential people in Storybrooke. They got along well, acting Sheriff and the antiques dealer, and were able to solve a few mysteries the ended with saving Belle from having her memory wiped. I could see these two working together in the future against all off the common enemies they will have. Also, loved how Mr. Gold asked Charming for dating advice, and forgot that he turned a butcher into a pig.

Dr. Whale is...- Well, I don't know about you but Dr. Whale looks like he's Dr. Frankenstein in the Fairy Tale land. This would surly explain why Regina has no control over him, and why Charming couldn't be his king.

The Bad

"I've had many a mans wife"- It pains me to say it after anticipating his arrival so much, but Captain Hook was a huge letdown and appears to be an awful character in more than one way. I can understand him being an evil jerk who steals women and forces them to pleasure his entire crew, actually I can't, however his character doesn't appear to have any depth to speak of, and no actual goal other than skinning Rumpelstiltskin (good luck with that). He's also not the most intelligent chap either and losing a hand probably makes him even more reckless, as evidence by him plotting against Rumpelstiltskin.Captain Hook seemed to be nothing more than a bully who picked upon people he knew he could defeat, like a lame Rumpelstiltskin. It should have come as no surprise to Hook that Rumpel would get his revenge in the end.

Belle's father- The hypocrisy of Belle's father apparently doesn't have a limit as he has her kidnapped in broad daylight, prepares to seemingly trap her inside his house, and when that doesn't work resorts to sending her across the limits of the town so that she will forget all about Rumpelstiltskin and her love for him, as well as her father. Sounds like the actions of a lunatic, as if this wasn't clear enough when he essentially sells his own daughter to Rumpelstiltskin then complains that Rumpel was the one who trapped her. I'm sure he's not the only one who feels that Rumbelle is a weird relationship but being jealous of their love and trying to end it would not have worked out well for anyone, especially Belle's father who would have most likely been killed by Mr. Gold, with the cane, in the flower shop.

Storybrooke is business as usual- Yes, this is exactly what Charming wanted when he gave his big speech but it still feels odd to me that the entire town has just gone back to their Storybrooke lives, except for Charming (with a non-scantly clad Ruby who has a wolf's sense of smell, helping!) and the dwarves. I guess at least they are doing something. Imagine how much faster digging might go if the entire town were there to help, or searching for August, fixing up the Library with Belle, or any number of things as opposed to acting like nothing changed.

Overall

8/10 Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin clearly carried this episode, and as it was Rumpelstiltskin-centric this isn't surprising, but combined with not much advancement of the story in Storybrooke and Captain Hook bringing the episode down, I couldn't go higher. I expected much more out of this episode besides a lot of filler, which is fine especially if it's surrounding Rumpelstiltskin.

Here's a link to the episode so you can watch it again or for the first time:

http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55241131/the-crocodile

*Spoilers present!*

Still separated worlds apart, with Emma and Snow White trapped in Fairy Tale land while David and Henry remain in Storybrooke, the Charming family will do anything to be reunited. Can Snow White and Emma find a portal with the help of the warrior Mulan and courageous knight Lancelot that will reunite them with their family? "Lady of the Lake" looks to answer these questions and more.

The Good:

“Maybe we should have gone with Operation Viper”- Charming is still getting to know his grandson Henry so in time he’ll realize that Henry never does what you tell him. Henry was quite busy this episode; from tricking Regina, getting her keys and finding out where her vault is (with all those still beating hearts...), to almost getting himself in serious trouble, and eventually encouraging Jefferson (Mad Hatter) to reunite with his daughter! It took Emma a while to trust Henry's intuition, thankfully Charming didn't take as long, especially considering he needs all the help he can get. The relationship Henry and Charming are developing is heartwarming to watch and looks to be critical, as well as the best chance to getting everyone back home. Charming sword-fighting with Henry has to be one of the sweetest and most adorable moments of the entire series and it was nice to see that while there are bad times, our lovable characters don't let it get them down.

“The Leviathan, that’s what they’re calling me?”- I prefer Lancelot too. The former knight of the Round Table who used to work for King George was invaluable in this episode, from finding magical water which was used to cure Snow White, to allowing Mulan to guide Snow and Emma to their former castle, and lastly marrying Snow White and Prince Charming in front of his mother! He was such an awesome character, that is until we find out Cora killed him. Nooooooooo! Of course characters we think are dead come back all the time so he wouldn't be the first, or maybe Cora is lying. At this point i’d settle for either, Lancelot's character showed how amazing he could be in less than an episodes time. This can't be the end for him, that's no way for a knight to go out.

“Take my greatest warrior”- Finally Mulan gets screen time doing more than talking and traveling with Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), she saved Snow White and Emma at the last second by blocking Cora’s fireball attack and looks to be able to go toe to toe with Snow as well. Mulan adds another strong female character to join Ruby, Emma, Snow, and Regina. Hopefully this assertiveness is a sign of things to come for her character, as like Henry, she too can be an incredibly useful person in such a desperate time.

The Bad:

“I cursed her”- King George is completely evil, not that we didn't already know this, but poisoning Snow White to prevent her from fathering a child is about as disgusting as it gets. We know this doesn't work as Emma is around, but it further shows that Regina and Cora aren't the only evil characters. Clearly King David's plans for Prince Charming haven't ended and makes for yet another enemy he has to contend with while trying to reunite his family.

“It needs something more powerful than fairy dust”- Charming’s mother getting shot by a poison arrow was heartbreaking, yet again an innocent character is killed as a result of revenge. Just another example showing that they may live in the Enchanted Forest but their lives are anything but fairy tales, death and tragedy occur a lot more often than anyone would like. At least she was able to see her only son get married, thanks to Lancelot.

“I came here to be with you”- Emma’s emotional distance is still very annoying. It’s completely understandable why she’s still prissy as she said “ I've been angry for so long” but it appears that she has realized her parents and a lot of other people sacrificed everything for her. Emma's act of being angry at the world has gone on for long enough, it's time she grows up and puts the past behind and looks towards the future, to getting back with her father and son.

Overall:

9/10. Wow... OuaT throughout both seasons is known for packing a lot of content into each of their episodes so it's not a surprise that "Lady of the Lake" revealed as much as it did. Next weeks episode looks amazing as well, Captain Hook (who is a series regular for the rest of the season!!) joins in on the story. More evil than Rumpelstiltskin? Consider Rumple isn't evil, per se, the dashing Captain Hook doesn't have to do a lot in order to surpass him. Clearly the Captain has a reputation, finding out what he did exactly to earn such and how he fits in with the rest of the characters is going to be a lot of fun. This season is off to an absolutely scorching beginning.

Here is the link to the episode in case you would like to watch it, or re-watch it:

http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55239206/lady-of-the-lake

Eight cast photos for season two were released earlier today, as you can see seven are of one main cast member by themselves, in Fairy Tale land attire but in Storybrooke, and the eighth a group shot. All of them look amazing, especially the group shot which shows the characters having a barbecue! Henry has a bow and arrow in this shot, could he be Robin Hood in Fairy Tale land (if he exists)? I might be getting ahead of myself.

Gallery

What do you think of the photos, and which is your favorite?

Following the fantastic season premiere (which I reviewed here, shameless plug) that left Storybrooke in absolute chaos, how would all of our favorite characters adapt to the aftereffects of the curse being broken, magic in Storybrooke, and knowing the truth about themselves but being powerless to change it? Will David be able to bring back Emma and Snow? Does Regina find out how to unleash magic to imprison the town? Most importantly, can the nuns now date? Hopefully "We Are Both" will reveal all of that!

The Good:

Regina-centric- The character most of us love to hate dominated this episode.It was nice seeing more of her past; how her mother (and Rumpelstiltskin to a certain extent) corrupted and led her character down this path. Regina’s lust for power has caused her to lose those she has loved, like her dad and Henry, and while her mother obviously had a big impact on that, clearly she could have made some better choices along the way (i.e. not killing both of your parents). Also interesting was how far back Rumpelstiltskin and Regina’s relationship goes, that he was the one who gave Regina and her mother their power, though we don’t know the terms of their deals (Rumple does nothing for free). Oh well, she claims that redemption is her goal, but am I the only one who isn't buying it? Especially after she declined to throw away the spell book, guess that lust for power is still too great.

Nothing says “I love you” like forcing your adopted son to go with you under the threat of magical violence against the rest of the town, keeping him prisoner in your house, bribing him with magic, and offering to mold him in your own (evil) image. She’s an amazing mother, not. At least Henry was allowed to leave, but despite what Regina says, it doesn't appear as if she is really turning over a new leaf.

“You're not going to need that sword”- Nothing concerning his past like Regina, but after her this episode showcased Prince Charming’s character amazingly well. From his steadfast obsession of doing anything possible to get back Snow White and Emma, to ensuring that Storybrooke’s residents are protected (from themselves and Regina), and uniting everyone while giving them hope. David (Prince Charming) showed his amazing and charismatic leadership ability, just when all seemed lost and the residents of Storybrooke were abandoning the town he came through and delivered quite the speech. Prince Charming is known to doubt himself and his worth, but David showed that he didn't need his sword or Snow White’s words to accomplish what he needed to. There is very little doubt Charming has all the qualities of a king and is Storybrooke’s best chance of making it through all the chaos alive and getting back to their real lives.

Also, David walking into Regina's house... LIKE A BOSS. He doesn't need an invite.

"Lady of the Lake"- From the look of things next week we'll see what Snow, Emma, Mulan (plus Lancelot!!!) are up to, and a few weeks after that Captain Hook (!!). In typical OuaT fashion, only a few characters are focused on per week (minus the premiere which spoiled us rotten) but this allows the writers to balance out the numerous and complex story-lines with the many characters.

The Bad:

Leaving Storybrooke has serious consequences- Depending on your viewpoint; this may be good or bad, keeping the characters together or another way of trapping them (how most of the characters see it). Sneezy (Mr. Clark) drew the short straw, literally, and lost his memory again. It’s obvious this limitation has and is going to continue to impact the lives of everyone in Storybrooke, quite a few who were willing to leave. After so much time and energy spent trying to break the curse, if not for David most of Storybrooke could have been right back where they started and forgotten everything they are.

Magic is different here… Or not- Thanks to Mr. Gold; Regina’s magical powers are back and without limit, which is very bad news for Storybrooke. Apparently Mr. Gold’s been preparing for this moment for a long time and has stocked up on magical items, whether it’s a book of spells or potions to find someone. David put magic to good use, but the same could not said for Regina. Magic being in Storybrooke drastically shifts the balance of power to but a few.

"Oh, dear, we are in trouble"- As if the residents of Storybrooke didn't have it bad enough being trapped in the town and cut off from their real lives, now they have to contend with Regina being able to fully use magic and Mr. Gold who's beyond furious that he can't leave Storybrooke or he'll lose his memory. Good thing David has a deal with both of the town's big and powerful "baddies."

Overall:

7/10. There was very little chance another episode was going to live up to the premiere, but "We Are Both" provided a lot of filler and valuable information, especially in regards to Regina. Combine all that we learned this week with the preview for next weeks and this season is certainly shaping up to be "magical."

Edit: Here's the link to this episode: http://abc.go.com/watch/once-upon-a-time/SH55126545/VD55237218/we-are-both