Once Upon A Time Gives Us A “New York City Serenade” This Week

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  10 March  2014.

Hello Oncers! Out of the cloud of sickness I have emerged to witness the glorious return of our beloved show and most importantly, to find out what happened to my Mr. Gold. It’s been a long few months but it’s finally time to add some magic back in our lives. Are you ready for some serious Captain Swan feels?

Previously on Once Upon a Time: Rumple sacrificed himself to kill Pan and save everyone else. Regina couldn’t stop the curse that was going to send all of Storybrooke back to the Enchanted Forest but she was able to give Emma and Henry new, happy memories. They drove off and, a year later, were living in New York. That’s when Hook showed up at their door, kissed Miss Swan in the hopes of restoring her memory and got kneed in the groin for his trouble.

Now that we’re up to speed, it’s all spoilers ahead! Time for a “New York Serenade.”

What you need to know:

Emma Swan, the girl every man wants: In her new reality, Emma’s Billy Bob Thorton lookalike boyfriend proposes after only 8 months. She (perhaps rightfully so) freaks. He says he’ll wait for her to be ready and Henry’s on board with him making their twosome a trio but Emma’s gut is saying otherwise. Well, her gut and a dashing pirate. Hook shows up at her date pre-proposal and gives her an address where she can find answers to the questions she has about her past. She tells him to get lost but takes the address.

There’s no place like home: The Storybrooke crew arrive back in the Enchanted Forest in a poof of purple clouds. Some are glad to be back but Snow and Regina are heartbroken at having to leave their children behind. Regina even tries to bury her heart in the forest but is convinced not to by Snow, who says she can find happiness again. When they’re attacked by a flying monkey, Regina fights back with fire (literally) before Robin Hood saves the day. And so the Regina/Robin ship has begun to sail…

Double potion, please: The address Hook provided is to Neal’s apartment, where Emma finds Henry’s camera and strap with his name on it. She confronts Hook about this and he offers her a potion that would restore her true memories. “Drink the thing the crazy guy just offered me? No thank you,” she replies. She turns him in to the cops but after seeing pictures of Storybrooke on the camera, posts his bail and takes the potion after all. Her memories return and Hook grins, saying, “Did you miss me?”

TV RECAP: ‘Once Upon a Time’ – Ep. 302: ‘Lost Girl’

Originally published on The Flickcast.  8 October 2013.

Well Oncers, this was an episode with a lot of things I cannot stand (Snow and Charming’s gushy optimism) but also some things that I absolutely adore (Rumbelle and Hook’s everything). Read on and let me know what you thought.

We start with Rumple building himself a cozy campfire using his magic. Then he makes quick work of hacking off his shadow using his Dark One dagger. Once his shadow is loose, he gives it his dagger to hide from everyone including himself but mostly Pan.

While Rumple continues on his own, the Storybrooke 5 are tromping through the brush. Regina again establishes her place as the most objective and snarkiest of the lot. “You know, I could’ve just poofed us up here in an instant.” So true Evil Queen, but Hook insists it is safer to travel on foot. Safe from the poisoned thorns that Charming really wants to cut through? Guess they can just take the long way ‘round.

Emma and Snow have an awkward talk about the fact that Emma still calls her mom “Mary Margaret.” Snow suggests “Mom,” Once audiences suggest “Snow,” but Emma thinks the former should be saved for life or death situations and the former for never. So Mary Margaret it is then?

We again hear about Peter Pan’s wickedness from Hook, who says he’s the most treacherous villain. The company comes to a cliff (maybe the same one as Henry from last episode) and stare at the Dark Forest below. Time to make camp and head for the forest tomorrow.

Now we get our first Fairytale flashback in season three. Charming has just kissed Snow awake from her poisoned slumber and the Queen is peeved. Snow tries to drum up an army among villagers with little success, especially after Regina comes along to threaten everyone. She also offers a deal: Snow gives up the throne and the land and she can go with Charming (and the Dwarves) back to the faux prince’s farm. “You may have been a princess but you will never be a Queen,” Regina says.

TV RECAP: ‘Once Upon a Time’ – Ep. 301: ‘Heart of the Truest Believer’

Originally published on The Flickcast.  1 October 2013.

Hey Oncers, it’s finally that time again. Let’s get started.

We begin with a flashback to Henry’s birth, which is emotional and painful (for viewers and for Emma). At least Jennifer Morrison has plenty of experience with this kind of thing. Emma doesn’t even want to hold baby Henry but just wait 11 years Chosen One and you’ll be falling through a magic portal on board a pirate ship to rescue your son from Peter Pan.

That’s where we pick up in present day, with the Jolly Roger splashing into Neverland waters. Meanwhile the boy in question lands in the sand with Greg and Tamara in tow. Henry tells the annoying duo that both of his moms and all of his extended family are coming to find him. Greg and Tamara are unimpressed, which makes sense since this same top notch family were unable to prevent them from easily taking the kid in the first place.

They try to phone the home office but their communicator is chock full of sand. Henry switches tactics and plants seeds of doubt regarding this mysterious “home office.” Greg doesn’t take the bait but Tamara isn’t so sure. Her suspicions are confirmed when they run into the Lost Boys, who apparently are the home office.

VidCon13: ‘Lizzie Bennet Diaries’ Team Unveils ‘Emma’ Adaptation

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  5 August 2013.

Attention The Lizzie Bennet Diaries fans. Emma Approved is coming your way this Fall.

The team of showrunner Bernie Su, producer Hank Green, and Pemberly Digital announced their newest Jane Austen web video adaptation at VidCon 2013. Heroine Emma Woodhouse will be modernized as a confident entrepreneur who, of course, places a bit too much faith in her matchmaking prowess.

Su and Green’s first Austen outing, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, was a resounding success. Over 216,000 subscribers watched the 100 episode series. The program won two Streamys and was nominated for five more. A Kickstarter to fund the DVD raised over $462,000, nearly 800% of the $60,000 goal. The series was followed by Welcome to Sanditon, based on one of Austen’s short stories and starring some of the Lizzie Bennet characters.

There’s no word yet on any casting decisions for Emma Approved. However, with the show hitting YouTube in the Fall, fans should know soon enough who is playing the iconic Emma, Mr. Knightly, Frank Churchill and the rest of Highbury.

Jane Austen’s Emma is Coming To YouTube

Originally published on PopWrapped.Tumblr.com.  2 August 2013.

Emma Woodhouse is coming to YouTube. In an official announcement at VidCon 2013, the team behind the Lizzie Bennet Diariesrevealed that their next vlog series would be Emma Approved.

Bernie Su, showrunner for LBD, unveiled the Emma Approved logo to ear splitting applause and cheers at the packed Lizzie Bennet Meet-Up.

As Su, producer Hank Green, and the Pemberly Digital creative team did with LBD and then Welcome to Sanditon, the Emmaseries will take Jane Austen’s classic story and update it for the web video setting. Emma will be a proud, successful entrepreneur and will of course retain her confidence in her ability to matchmake.

Su, who won a Streamy for his work on LBD, was silent on any other plot or character points but based on the resounding success of both of this team’s Austen series so far, I am prepared to trust them with Emma.

Fans of LBD and Sanditon will no doubt be pleased with the choice of story. Earlier in the LBD Meet Up at VidCon, a fan had asked what adaptation the actors would like to see and a majority of the audience replied, “EMMA!” Wish granted.

Emma Approved will launch this fall.

TV RECAP: ‘Once Upon a Time’ Episode 222 – ‘And Straight on ‘Til Morning’

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  13 May 2013.

It's the second season home stretch Oncers! Let's dive in. We begin with our dear Captain Hook asking about the boy they fished out of the water. Smee says he’s fine and also smartly surmises that he was probably dropped by the Shadow. Smee recommends tossing the boy back ASAP. Below decks Hook and Bae have a heart to heart where within a minute the boy has told the Captain that his mother was killed by a pirate and his father abandoned him. Also, he hates magic.

Hook, proving to be more than a pretty face, puts two and two together and asks the boy his name. To my eternal disappointment he truthfully answers “Baelfire” instead of lying by saying “Peter Pan.” Hook is surprised by his good fortune and more than a bit pleased. He even hides the son of his dead lover from the creepy bounty hunters known as the Lost Ones (but really the Lost Boys) who come looking for him, presumably at the Shadow’s bidding. Hook hardly bats an eye when Head Lost Boy tells him the punishment for lying/disobedience is having your shadow riiiiiiipppped from your body. The band of not-so-merry ones departs and Hook’s impressed with Bae’s ability to stay hidden.

Storybrooke. Henry’s on a swing, all carefree, going higher and higher. Granny’s keeping an eye on him and is apparently not at all concerned about the cluster of large pointy rocks directly in Henry’s landing zone for when he does what everyone does on swings: launch themselves into the air. Someone who does notice this danger zone is Henry’s grandpa who is lurking behind a shrub. Mr. Gold is slowly magicking the swing’s rope to break so that the boy who will be his undoing will fall and die. Before he can succeed, Charming, Snow and Emma arrive. Emma goes to tell Henry about Neal and her parents do the same for Mr. Gold. He’s clearly devastated, even blaming himself for Neal’s death saying he brought magic to Storybrooke.  “Magic always has a price and this is it,” he laments. So deep is his grief that he refuses to help track down or stop the failsafe which is being activated by Oweg and Tamara.

Down in the tunnel the pair in question whacks the diamond of destruction into “on” mode with a handy nearby pickaxe as Hook looks on. Why are they willing to die with Storybrooke? “We have faith in the sacredness of our cause,” Tamara says. Hook may or may not roll his eyes but surely most Once viewers did.

TV RECAP: 'Once Upon a Time' Episode 221 - 'Second Star on the Right'

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  6 May 2013.

We open with young Bae going through the magic bean portal and dropping into a land without magic. He stares in wonder at old timey London. “What is this place?” he says. A whole new wooooorrrrrld! Credits.

Six months later and baby Bae is scrounging for food in the garbage. He uses an unattended ladder to sneak into a manor house through the window. Within a minute of scarfing down some tasty looking bread, he’s caught by a dog (Nana!) and a young girl. Taking in his street rat appearance and the stolen bread in his hands and pockets, she lowers her weapon (a candlestick) and offers Bae as much bread as he wants. We learn her name too: Wendy Darling.

In Storybrooke, grown up Bae awakens to find Tamara is getting ready for to workout. She’s training for a marathon (…of evil!). Neal says, “Come back to bed. I’ll give you a workout.” Ew. She declines, heads out, and meets up with Oweg in the, I’m assuming abandoned, canning factory. They’ve got Regina strapped to a table and at the moment Hook is talking with the subdued Queen. He tells her that Tamara and Oweg want him to kill Rumplestiltskin, which he’s pretty excited about it, but obviously not in any hurry to do. Regina questions why he trusts them and says he has no idea who they really are.

As the “they” in question enter the room, we learn that they’re not alone in their quest to rid the world of magic. There are more of them, even a “home office.” While Tamara is prepared to head out to give their info to the office, Oweg wants to know about his father so he’s going to stay behind and torture Regina. Hook wants none of it and departs. Even with electrodes attached to her, Regina sneers at Oweg. “Is that supposed to scare me?” Oweg tells her it’s going to hurt. A lot. Then he pushes the button.