Guest Review by Panda
After so much build up it was strange that there was such a massive 180 this week. Was it all a bit too easy?
I had started to think about what made Ingrid so crazy about getting her plan in place, and what made her so nonchalant about losing so many lives just to get Emma and Elsa on her side. I think her motives were there but where along the way did she become someone so quick to throw away all these innocents lives?
All it took was a letter from her sister to make her turn her back on being this reckless baddie, and sacrifice herself to put an end to the spell she started. It was so easy and neat, but it was all so sudden, just like how easily she turned into a scheming villain when she was freed from the urn. I’m still happy that she didn’t go down in a bad way. I was rooting for her to turn, especially after seeing her past and it was nice that she was able to see the same bond she had with her sisters in Anna and Elsa.
Ingrid’s spell brought out some great interaction between the characters that were under the influence of it. Emma and Elsa using Regina to break the ribbons was great, but it made it obvious that those ugly bands were only there as a story mechanism for setting the former evil queen loose on Storybrooke. At least the spell broke before she had a chance to do some real damage?
Plus
I really liked those flashbacks to Emma and Ingrid’s past. As the last piece in the puzzle they helped to fill in some of the blanks, but the character path still feels shaky to me.
Nice throwback to Sheriff Graham if anyone noticed it.
He Said, She Said
Regina: “You said you could keep a secret!”
Snow: “I WAS TEN!”
The fact that this wasn’t even an issue before says so much about how silly this show can be.
Conclusion
I’m not sure if there’s anywhere else for this arc to go now, but Rumple’s planning in the background this season feels like it’s all a big setup for something down the line. Maybe that’s where the fall finale will go?
Panda Rating
C+
Previously posted on PandaTV.
I loved this episode so much that maybe I excuse some of plot´s flaws. But it was fun watching all the characters interact, the fight scene between Snow and the Evil Queen was exhilarating and the flashbacks were well done. The ending made me cry and I admit it was a bit too happy but I honestly didn´t mind.