Once Upon A Time 3.06 Review: There Are Such Things As Second Chances

All those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Once Upon A Time, entitled ‘Ariel’, here’s where I suggest that you do that before reading ahead. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Once Upon A Time finally delved into The Little Mermaid treasure trove with our very own Ariel, Eric, and Ursula. JoAnna Garcia Swisher played the titular character in this week’s episode, and while I wasn’t as convinced with the casting decision as a lot of people seemed to be, being that she appeared a little older than she should’ve been, I was pleasantly surprised. Of the three new fabled characters we met this week – although we didn’t completely meet the real Ursula – she was the one I was happiest with. She was actually good at portraying the innocent, yet curious mermaid, and wasn’t half bad by this series standards. Eric, on the other hand, was a little ridiculously written. Maybe there is a thing such as love at first sight, but the way the prince was played and written just made me see him as a kind of dud with no personality. They’re kind of ruining my second favourite Disney movie, after already ruining my first (Beauty and the Beast).

For the most part this week, I wasn’t all that happy with the flashback scenes. Sure I liked the way Ariel’s personality was portrayed, at least in the beginning, but the way Regina pretended to be Ursula was like the actress was trying to mimic the animated movie character instead of making it her own person. Plus Regina was just way too overdone in the flashbacks. It’s like this series is trying to be over-the-top when it comes to acting and writing. Also, while the octopus tentacles looked decently realistic, the actress looked ridiculous pretending to be Ursula, especially with how fake that hair looked.

Elsewhere in the episode, I was happy to see Hook actually tell the Charmings that Neal is both alive, and in Neverland. He doesn’t seem to be going back to his conniving self, he appears to be turning into a better man because of Emma, and that’s something that I love. So basically, everyone – except for Regina – makes their way towards where the trail to Neal leads, and have to reveal their darkest secret. David’s was obvious, but Snow’s was saddening because of David’s secret. Complete squeal moment when it came to Hook’s, who never thought he could love again. Good on the writers to make it so that everyone doesn’t just get one True Love, a person can find another, that makes it possible for them to back themselves into a wall. Emma’s secret was little less encouraging, mostly because I’d’ve expected hers to be about how she didn’t know if she could forgive Neal for leaving her and not coming back for her when he’d learned she’d broken the curse. But then, maybe that’s already been dealt with. I am excited to see this love triangle going ahead, mostly because it isn’t the center of the universe in this series – unlike The Vampire Diaries – and because, like with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I keep going back and forth with who I want her to be with. I think, I think I want her to be with Hook, but then Neal so obviously loves her too, and I loved Emma’s flashback scene last year when they were falling in love. It’s a complete conundrum for me, but it keeps me watching, so I commend the writers for being able to do that.

All in all, I was happier with the present day scenes wherever Emma was involved, as well as Hook. Ariel is also a curious character going forward that I’d like to see more of, but Eric needs more personality, not sure how happy I am about his casting. Pan, while not inherent in this episode, was good as always, and it was interesting to learn Belle wasn’t a figment of Rumplestiltskin’s imagination, but Pan’s shadow. And while it does create for interesting possibilities with Rumple and Regina working together, there wasn’t much to it this week that was any good.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

No lines jumped out at me this week, so I’ll just say that I took a break between reviews and watched the episode ‘The Zeppo’ of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so here this is now. I’m off to go write up the review for Revenge now, so stay tuned.

The Vampire Diaries 5.03 Review: A Woman Scorned

For all those that have yet to watch tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘Original Sin’, I suggest you go and do so now. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

To start off, I have to just say how bad the writing has gotten in this series. Ever since Elena became a vampire (something I very much looked forward to), the writing has just gotten terrible. I honestly think that was the point the creators had planned up to, then they just threw Silas into things, which sounded interesting in the beginning, but has just become something terribly plotted out. Someone please tell me if I’m wrong, but I could’ve sworn that Elena – and Katherine – came into being to enact the curse on Klaus so that he’d be able to be his full badass hybrid self. Now they’ve added it into this whole doppelganger Silas story, where the universe has been trying to set up him and Elena for two thousand years. Do they not understand the whole continuity angle? Did someone at least watch the episode where they explain where Elena’s doppelganger lineage started?

Also, if Elena now stems from the handmaiden Amara, shouldn’t she come from the line of travellers as well? And boy was that a stupid addition to the series. They’ve honestly gone too far this time. Travellers are gypsies? Why? Still, I continue to watch, like a train wreck it is still captivating.

All the scenes set in Greece were badly done. While it was intriguing to learn this woman was Katsia, even her scenes in the past were badly filmed. Plus, Paul Wesley trying to play ancient Greek Silas, the guy just seemed like another version of Stefan. It was disappointing. Maybe that’s more to do with how bad the acting has gotten, than how bad those scenes were. Nina Dobrev’s differentiating Elena and Katherine too has grown bad. I figure Katherine used to enunciate differently, and was more facial movements than the subtle Elena, but it’s hard to see a difference between the two other than the hair sometimes. Zach Roerig’s portrayal of Matt, however, has grown much better. In the scene where he plays the Gregor character in his body, just splendidly done. Ian Somerhaulder, as always, was wonderful.

A few questions about the episode. Why couldn’t Stefan and Katherine end up together instead of Elena? Is it because the cure is in her veins? Does that mean she has to be drained dry for the cure to work? Or could any vampire or immortal that bit her or simply drank a bit of her blood become mortal again? That provides for a more lucrative story to go to, so I hope that’s the way the writers will choose to go. Disappointingly, I doubt it.

Must the writers continue to play this whole love triangle up? I know Elena and Damon are together now, and she made her choice, but by throwing in this whole destiny angle adds another obstacle that they didn’t quite need just yet. Basically it just feels like they’re trying to pander to the Stelena fans, when Delena works so much better. (Okay, yes, I’m a Delena fan, so maybe I’m biased.) Either way, there’s only so much back and forth love triangle the audience can take, and four seasons of it was enough. Do it again, and I’m done.

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Alright, play nice, or I’m gonna revisit the deep dark well idea.” – Damon tells Katherine.

“Okay, trains leaving the station. Choo, choo.” – Damon says to the room.

“Me too.” – Katherine blurts out, popping out of the back seat (which is probably funnier than the line).

“Fine, I was snooping.” – Katherine tells the traveller holding her captive. When you’re caught red-handed, best to own up to it.

“You are my life.” – Damon says to Elena, in a beautifully sweet moment between the two, before Stefan says he recalls neither of them.

Okay, I’ve made up my mind; Grey’s Anatomy is up first. After that it’s The Crazy Ones, and then smooth sailing from there. No Best Performances of the Week tonight, though, that’ll be up tomorrow. I’m going to do some writing, I think. Anyways, stick around for more.

The Vampire Diaries 5.02 Review: Surviving Together

If you have yet to watch this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘True Lies, then now would probably be a good time to do so, if you don’t want the episode to be ruined. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

What is there to say about this episode? There’s not really much to review about this show. It’s passed its prime, time to put it to bed, let Ian Somerhaulder get a better series to act in because he’s honestly one of the best things this show has going for it.

There were some funny lines to this episode, but other than that, I literally have one note about it. That note would be a complaint about the showrunners still trying to play up the love triangle. It’s over, Elena’s made her choice, why are you trying to make it harder on Stefan?

While last week Elena and Katherine kind of seemed to blend together, this week they were a tad better. It’s interesting that Katherine’s having to depend on Matt and Jeremy, especially since she seems to have grown a little attached to Jeremy. Or at least as attached as Katherine Pearce can be attached to anyone. Her shining moment, I believe, was the point where she explains all the things she’s survived, but a sinus infection is going to do her in.

On the other hand, Elena’s shining moment was when she impaled her leg into the chair to stop Silas’s mind control from forcing her to kill Damon. Was anyone hoping her love for him would end up overpowering the hate trigger? But no, it was the sinking pit in her stomach that told her something was wrong with Stefan that stopped it. And what is it about that, anyway? This isn’t True Blood, and the last I checked Damon had sired her, so shouldn’t he be the one – if any – she feels when they’re in serious peril?

Otherwise, I’m bored of this whole Silas deal. The whole build up to this guy, and he doesn’t even beat Klaus in the baddie department. Honestly, why did he have to be Stefan’s doppelganger? It’s just completely ludicrous, and feels like it was just thrown in there last minute, just because they liked Paul Wesley’s acting when he played Ripper Stefan. See, that was done over on Buffy, and Wesley is no David Boreanaz, but they just gave the guy a spinoff, not another, terribly written, role to play. Elena (and Katherine) is the doppelganger, turning Stefan into one makes that whole significance less special.

So basically, this episode was nominally better than the premiere, but still not good enough to warrant a sixth season. Then again, this is a series on The CW, they’re going to milk it for everything it’s got. (See proof via Smallville and Supernatural.)

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“A bullet would’ve been more effective, but we’re trying to be nice.” – Jeremy says to Katherine, emulating Damon rather well.

“You do realize you’re dating a reformed serial killer right?” – Damon rhetorically asks Elena, in a rather dead on definition of his own character.

“It’s because you haven’t had sex with me.” – Damon tells Silas.

“Plus, I work out.” – Jeremy remarks to Silas, as he gives him a beat down.

Okay, that’ll be all for tonight. My head is killing me, I’m not quite sober yet, and I’m just plain exhausted. I’ll hit this place up with my review of Grey’s Anatomy and my Best Performances of the Week first thing tomorrow. Then it’ll be the review of Haven, followed by tomorrow night’s reviews of Once Upon A Time and Revenge. I’m off to go watch the Glee’s memorial episode.

The Vampire Diaries 5.01 Review: Your Problems Follow You No Matter Where You Go

This is your only warning; if you haven’t watched the season five premiere of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, or are simply not caught up at all in the series, then now would be the time leave. As with all my reviews, there is a chance of spoilers. I repeat, THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

The season five premiere wasn’t as great as other premieres this series has had. I find it didn’t have quite the oomph of past years. Maybe it had something to do with the fact last year wasn’t much of a cliffhanger season finale, so it didn’t quite excite me to see the premiere as all the years before it. Or maybe this series is just becoming tiresome and tedious. Either way, something good really needs to pick this show up from the cliff it’s growing closer to hanging over.

First can I just say how very Gossip Girl it was of this show to throw that whole threesome thing in with Matt, Rebecca, and that other girl? Yes, this show is on the same network that series was on, but this is not the same show, please demonstrate some originality. Also, who was that girl? What did they do to Matt? And why was it completely necessary to keep Matt and Rebecca together all summer, just to have her written off this show with very little tie-ups?

I’m really confused, why is there water in Stefan’s coffin/vault? Shouldn’t it have been sealed? Aside from that, why is he breathing? He’s a vampire, he should not be breathing. Yes, in this series there bodies work much the same as long as they keep ingesting a steady supply of blood, but Stefan’s not ingesting any blood. His body should not be forcing him to drown over and over again, otherwise he wouldn’t be a vampire.

Also, can I add how very Angel it is for Stefan to be at the bottom of a body of water, constantly imagining scenarios that never happened in his head? Can this show not come up with anything at all that is original, other than the title of it’s sister series? I don’t want to see the same things that have been acted on screen on other TV series, I want something new, and I very much thing the writers and showrunners owe their audience that.

I have to say I’m really not a fan of Stefan being Silas’s doppelganger. They already had a line of doppelgangers, why in God’s name did they have to add another? They really can’t come up with anything original. It’s truly aggravating. Not only that, but I’m not a fan of how they’re now playing Silas. They built up to be this truly badass, and he just seems like a washed up version of Klaus pre his love for Caroline. I was completely down for when Stefan shut off his emotions, but this guy is also just a mirror of that. Can Wesley not play something new and different?

Last season, the way they ended it with giving Katherine the cure, was completely fitting for her character, almost poetic, now she doesn’t even seem like Katherine. When she’s begging for help from Damon, she just seemed too much like Elena. In the past, Dobrev has been able to differentiate these characters significantly, including when Elena’s emotions were turned off, this year I don’t really feel like these characters are very individualized, or even fully formed characters. In making Elena happy, she almost seems un-Elena.

One highlight of the episode was definitely Damon. Somerhaulder is astounding in his acting of this role, particularly in the scenes where he plays off the Silas character. The guy still has his sarcastic charm too him. And I still felt that subtle moment where he questions where Stefan is, and is pained when he finds out. That and the teary moment where he rushes to Jeremy and hopes he still has enough life in him that his blood will bring him back to life (and can I just say, if he hadn’t, what a waste of Bonnie dying to bring him back to life in the first place?).

Can I just comment on how unhappy I am with the way they’ve gone with Tyler? When he had a thing for Caroline, before they started dating, he had become a much more interesting, werewolf character, but ever since he became a hybrid he’s been terrible. The way this series keeps making excuses for his character not being, it just doesn’t feel organic to the story. Why would he fight for his relationship with Caroline, and basically not care when Klaus has left the building? It just feels to me like they’re trying to keep him out of the story for random reasons, just to let him rear his hybrid head again.

Several questions before I sign off. What is Elena’s connection with Stefan? I’m getting too much of a True Blood vibe from the way she senses something bad about him. Also, are they still trying to play up this love triangle? It was interesting for the first few seasons, but if they’re thinking of going back to that, it’s tired. Buffy was able to rely on good storylines, not love triangles; I don’t see why The Vampire Diaries can’t. Or is it just that Stefan hasn’t been able to get over it, because he’s stuck at the bottom of a lake?

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Do you have any idea what it’s like to run in heels? I have blisters.” – Katherine, human again.

“Yes! In the privacy of your home!” – Damon explaining to Jeremy how he killed him in private, which is how he should take out frustrations on people.

Okay, so I’m still debating on whether I actually want to watch The Originals tonight, or if I just want to go watch August Rush and finally see if I’d like Felicity. Either way, I won’t be posting a review tonight. Check back here tomorrow night, around twenty-four hours from now for that one. Then I’ll probably be reviewing Haven, or, if I do end up having to go to that funeral for my great uncle, that’ll be up here Saturday night/Sunday morning. Anyways, have a nice night.