Once Upon A Time In Wonderland 1.06 Review: Sometimes the Maddest Stories are the Truest

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s episode of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, entitled ‘Who’s Alice’, that is what I suggest you do before proceeding ahead. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, that was an okay episode. We got to see a bit more of Alice’s past and how she came to reside in that asylum after returning home. I couldn’t help but think of the new stepmom as a bitch, but the kid sister was kind of cute. I only wish she’d have tried to explain a few things to her before leaving for the asylum. It may be just me, but sometimes sisters have to protect one another, even from overbearing (and in this case, asshole) parents.

Otherwise, I did like watching Alice in that almost high state of fake happiness. The actress was brilliant at that and in showing her anger towards Will regarding him taking her from that place. Also, I did enjoy the Red Queen tonight, although not half as much as last week’s episode. I was glad that Jafar was only used sparingly in this episode, because he’s honestly not the strongest – or most interesting – character this series has. I was glad to see that Will was back in full form, but not so happy to have so much Cyrus. I’m sorry, but as much as they try to push that Alice and Cyrus are one another’s true love, I can’t help but notice the chemistry between Alice and Will – despite his not having a heart.

All in all, this episode was decent. Nothing extremely exciting about, but I did mostly enjoy the flashbacks. Certainly not as strong as the last episode, but not as bad as some this series has had. I just wish this show could grow to be consistently good, and that the writing and CGI would really get better. With episodes like this, as soon as Cyrus and Alice find each other, I can honestly see myself tuning out. This show really should have stayed a bridge between Once Upon A Time’s winter hiatus.

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Sometimes the maddest stories are the truest ones.” – Jafar explains to the doctor.

“Seems like an awful waste of wood when one sign would do.” – Alice mutters to herself before entering the Black Forest.

“Me! You should believe in me!” – Alice proclaims to her father.

Alright, folks, I’m off to heat up some food and watch Grey’s Anatomy. Stick around for my review of that as well as the one after for The Crazy Ones.

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland 1.04 Review: The Search for Power

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s episode of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, entitled ‘The Serpent’, then now would be the time to go and do that. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Every time I watch this series, the bulk of it makes me cringe and want to stop watching. But then I think, what if there is a crossover with Once Upon A Time, or even just something small that would link the shows together, and I have to keep watching. Not only that but I like the character of Alice and the Knave, it’s just disappointing that this series isn’t better than it is when the show it spun off of was great in its first season. Makes me wish they’d kept the idea of this just linking the winter hiatus of Once.

The most disappointing thing about this series is twofold. Once again I will reiterate how the costumes – namely the Red Queen and Jafar’s – look cheap and make the actors look like they’re dressing up. It doesn’t help that the baby-faced Queen very well could just be a tot imagining all this. Every time I think of that, I flash back to an episode of Avatar: the Last Airbender, where Aang says the two warring communities was just based on the brotherly fight between infants, when in actuality he’d never met them.

The other issue with this series, again, is the CGI. It doesn’t help me immerge with the magic this series is supposed to have. It’s easy with a book, it’s left up to the imagination of the reader, but with a television series, the visuals are quite integral to the pace of the story. And in this case, more so than Once Upon A Time, the CGI is abysmal. And for all those Friends lovers out there, contrary to Joey’s belief, abysmal is not a good thing. I just don’t understand what the showrunners are spending their episodic budget on, the only name actor I can see other than the voice of the rabbit would be Jafar, so salary can’t be an issue. I just don’t see it.

All in all, I’m not sure how I’m still watching this series. It’s not very good, and somehow seems to be more over the top than its mother ship. This week’s episode did have a nice use of a catapult, aiding Alice and the Knave in their escape, and if it hasn’t been said before, the man in the other cage must be the Sultan. But I just don’t see this spinoff being able to stand on its own, it really needs its mother ship to help it get its own legs.

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Line:

“Excuse me. Pardon me. (Pause) I have a blade.” – Alice says to the townspeople, as she tries to get to the board that says the Knave is to be executed that day.

All right, I’m off to watch The Vampire Diaries now. After that it’ll be Grey’s Anatomy, and then capping it off with The Crazy Ones. I may or may not watch all before reviewing anymore, but stay tuned anyways.

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland 1.03 Review: A Story of the Broken Hearted

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s episode of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, titled ‘Forget Me Not’, then I suggest you go and so immediately. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Well, from the beginning of the episode I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why am I still watching this?’ But then there are the tiny little nuggets of intrigue filtered throughout the episode and I remember why. Plus I find it difficult not to watch a spinoff show when I watch the mothership. I mean, what if there are crossover cameos?

Anyways, I’d like to state once again, and until it stops being horrendous, how terrible the CGI work on this series is, much worse than the original series. I mean really, does that trail Alice and the Knave keep ending up on have to look quite so ridiculous? Maleficent’s castle didn’t look quite so bad compared to that stabbing-my-eyes-with-brightness look to it, but that was also really bad. Where are they spending their budget on?

Still not liking Jafar all that much, he continues to look like someone acting the part rather than being the part, but the Red Queen is beginning to grow on me. But perhaps that is because she turned out to be the breaking of hearts Anastasia. I do have to say I picked up on that before the big reveal at the end of the episode, but only this week, especially when the Red Queen reacted to hearing that it was the Knave who was helping Alice. I am curious to learn how and why she betrayed Will, and if Anastasia actually is her name, like Will to the Knave.

Not a terrible episode, but still not great. I find myself thinking I could act out these characters better than some of these actors over the top performances, and I’m a writer. Then again, there are some nice points to the episode. I did guess that Grendel was the man in the frame with his wife before any of the other characters seemed to. I’m surprised Alice didn’t get that pretty much off the bat. Either way, I suppose I’ll keep watching, but like Trophy Wife you won’t see me crying if this series doesn’t get a second season.

My rating: 5.5 out of 10.

Best Line:

“I mean this as a friend, Alice. Sod off.” – the Knave tells Alice.

Okay, folks, I’m off to watch Grey’s Anatomy now. After that it’s The Crazy Ones, and if you’re lucky tonight the sixth edition of Best Performances of the Week.

Once Upon A Time in Wonderland 1.02 Review: Love is About Faith, but Proof is Nice

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s episode of Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, titled ‘Trust Me’, I suggest you do so now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

While I like how spunky Alice is, and how witty the Knave is, this is not a great series. The terrible CGI work is distracting, and I don’t have as strong a pull to this character as I did Emma in the mother show. For the life of me I don’t see how this series could possibly do well without Once Upon A Time as a lead in. When Betrayal is cancelled – and it will be cancelled eventually – Revenge should be moved to the 10 o’clock spot, and this series should move into the 9 o’clock slot. Not as great as the 8 pm slot, but it really will need Once Upon A Time as a lead in if it hopes to do well.

Jafar and the Red Queen’s costumes are always so ridiculous and too over done. They look like they’re kids dressing up in costumes, rather than characters trying to show off how bad or powerful they are. There’s always bits jutting out, mostly from shoulders, and the very costume red they’ve given the Queen is just terrible. The writers are supposed to make these characters feel like actually people that could exist in the fantastical world of Wonderland, but half the time I just expect them to poof into little children playing dress up. The Knave and Alice’s outfits on the other hand feel like just that, outfits. They fit the situations and suit the characters.

Despite how badly the CGI is for Wonderland, when the scenes were set in Agrabbah they actually looked realistic. That setting actually looked like it could exist somewhere. Wonderland’s does not. Again, let me implore the showrunners to actually put a bit more money into the tacky CGI work they’ve been doing so far, make it a little more believable. About the only scenes that were believable were the forest ones, where CGI isn’t needed.

The way Emma Rigby plays the Red Queen is mostly not working. The woman looks like a baby faced model, yet another thing that fits my theory of these characters just being children we’ll eventually learn just have a decent imagination and are playing with each other. Poof, these are actually just kids behind the curtain (and, yes, that was a Wizard of Oz reference). Naveen Andrews is also not playing his character as believably as he should. Sure, kids are supposed to be able to watch this series and not get super frightened, but kids aren’t as stupid as people make them out to be. Besides, I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer when I was eight, and those villains were at least believably evil.

And one final note before I get too worked up about the stupidity of parts of this series, I don’t care what the showrunners are saying, the Knave has some serious chemistry with Alice. Sure, every scene she spends with the Genie has a love feeling to it, but it’s more like puppy love, the thing young kids or teenagers have. With the Knave it’s like they can actually work together. I know they’re writing it so that there is no love triangle involved, but I’m sorry, it doesn’t look that way every time the actors are on screen together. Besides, why would he go to save her from the asylum if he didn’t have some kind of feelings for her?

My rating: 6 out of 10 (and that’s being generous).

Best Lines:

“With a name like that, why would they? Unless they were a care bear.” – the Knave tells Alice.

“Oh, bloody hell.” – Alice says, before she forces herself to drop from the fairy’s magic to save the Knave from drowning.

All right, I’m off to go watch The Vampire Diaries, then either Grey’s Anatomy or The Crazy Ones, not sure which will come next just yet. Stay tuned.

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland 1.01 Review: Love Will Find a Way

All those that have yet to watch the series premiere of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, titled ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’, then please do so now. I’d hate to ruin it for anyone, as this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

So, not a terrible premiere. It was no Once Upon A Time pilot, despite it being the spin-off series of said show, but it had its moments. Including throwing some Storybrooke into the mix, along with a couple of characters and a snippet of Emma’s yellow bug.

I find it funny how Sophie Lowe somewhat resembles Mia Wasikowski, the Alice of Alice in Wonderland film that also “coincidentally” revolves around Alice returning to Wonderland as a young woman. Despite that, I do think Lowe did quite well in this pilot. The quiet tears as she is questioned by the shrinks, the awesome ass-kicking she gives to the orderlies, and the way she is so creative in getting out of bad situations. She’s made no award-winning performance yet, but she’s better than some of the performances in the mother show.

The Knave I also found quite enticing. His slippery hands, the sardonic sense of humour, and the way he just has to go along with what Alice asks of him, it’s all rather well done. While I know this is supposed to be about the love story between Alice and Cyrus, the genie, I kind of hope that something happens between Alice and Will, the knave. He’s much more interesting than the genie, and I think he likes Alice, though I may be reading a bit too much into that.

Let’s wrap the other characters up in one go. Jafar was all right, but nothing spectacular, not like the man’s performance in Lost. The Red Queen had something of an understated acting skill, but she still reminded me too much of a model attempting to act, like Rosie Huntington-Whitley in the last Transformers film. And, like I said above, the genie was kind of boring. I kind of saw his love for Alice and a bit of a spark, but the chemistry didn’t fully seem there. He’s kind of just blah. John Lithgow voicing the rabbit is good, but it almost overtakes the rest of the actors.

Similar to all the scenes in the Fairytaleland in the original series, the special effects are abysmal in this show. It’s even worse for this series, which relies so heavily on them, being that it is set in Wonderland, a fantastical world. It’s rather distracting. They’re almost cartoonish. I mean really, shell on some money for better CGI-ing.

The Red Queen’s costume as well was masterfully terrible. Far too over-the-top, young kid princess type of costume. I almost expected her to turn into a little girl, or break out of character. That just does not look real, or like what a queen would wear. Where is all the money going for this series?

Okay, so Will was in Storybrooke when the Rabbit came for him. He then travels to England to convince Alice that her thought to be lost love Cyrus is alive and that she’ll be able to find him in Wonderland. My question is, did he go through a time warp to England? Not only were they dressed in older garb, they were still practicing, or at least beginning to practice, the lobotomy. How is that anywhere near present day? Do they plan on explaining this? Will is in modern clothes, Alice is not. Is this just bad writing, or what?

One more thing, did anyone else feel bad for the rabbit? He seemed all guilty about betraying a friend, and I felt bad for him, with his ears hanging so low. That will obviously come out in the opening eventually, but I wonder why he would be so cowardly.

Also, I really wish Sebastian Stan was available to play the Mad Hatter, on this or the mother ship… It’s a pity he’s not.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“You should know, nothing’s impossible in Wonderland.” – Will replies to Alice’s belief in the impossibility of Cyrus being alive.

“I hear there’s a procedure for that.” – Alice remarks at the doctor, who is seeing the White Rabbit.

“Particularly when said face meets this branch. Repeatedly.” – Alice says to Will, referring to the Red Queen.

That’s all for tonight folks. I’ll get The Vampire Diaries and Grey’s Anatomy reviews out to you all tomorrow, but for tonight I’m done. It’s off to bed I go. (The Snow White ‘Hi ho’ is now running around in my brain.)