Winter Finale

Last Sunday's Winter Finale was something else. The Frozen story was wrapped up, but many more stories are just beginning. I'm really going to miss the show until March, but for now, lets just recap what happened last week and look fondly upon the past. The episode focused on three main stories. Hook's situation, Rumpel's power trip. and Robin and Regina's love story.

Oh Regina...The poor woman has such terrible fortune. Once Marian was unfrozen, she and Robin had to put her heart back in and save her (Why couldn't she just die?!). Things started to look up when Marian said that she just wanted to be happy and could tell he wasn't happy unless he was with Regina. She said she would let Robin decide who to go with and step out of the way. Yay Marian! You finally did something right! Of course they could not just let Regina be happy. About 30 seconds after Robin kissed Regina and told her how much he loved her, Marian had a sudden relapse and fell down half-frozen. Apparently, the only way to save Marian was to send her outside the town and she could never return. However, Regina was too nice and couldn't let Marian go out in the world on her own. For some reason, Robin and Roland were the only two who seemed fit to go with her. Once they left, they would never be able to return. Ugh! All I can say is if they don't bring Robin back, I'm not going to be okay. I don't care if Sean Maguire is filming a movie! Robin can't just leave like that!

At the very beginning of the episode, Rumpel threatened Hook saying that he was living his last day. Well, that was a bunch of bologne. Since season 2, Rumpel has been threatening to kill Hook, and he never has. Honestly, I really believe the writers are smart enough to know that they might lose a very large portion of (mainly teenage girl) viewers if they kill off Hook. I will admit though, I was more than a little nervous. After they killed Neal last season, I don't even know anymore. However, my initial prediction was correct. Rumpel surely tried his hardest to kill Hook, but he couldn't. As Colin O'Donoghue put it on Twitter, Hook was "Saved by the Belle". Belle had found some special secret gauntlet (confusing, I know, I didn't get it either) and it lead her to Rumpel's dagger which somehow meant that Rumpel's true love was his power. In my opinion, that was all a little vague, but anyways Hook is alive and well. In the end of the episode, he and Emma shared a kiss and melted my heart.

Belle finally caught on. It took her way too long, but last episode, she finally realized that Rumpel was all about that power and was using her. She saved Hook  (I am eternally grateful) and in the process, she found out what Rumpel was doing. In a tearful ending, Belle used Rumpel's dagger to send him over the town line. Supposedly, that means he will never be able to return. I know I should be happy that Rumpel was finally seen for what he really is, but I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Robert Carlyle is amazing, and I really believed he was scared when faced with never seeing Storybrooke again. In his final few moments, I think he finally saw his fault, but it was too late. I hate to admit it, but I was crying like a baby through the whole thing.

Rumpel was seen wandering through the streets of New York at the very end of the episode. He seemed to be recruting Ursula, Cruella, and Maleficent to help him most likely attack Storybrooke. We also got a glimpse of Regina, Emma, and Henry in the house of who we think is the author of the story. Maybe she will finally get her happy ending.

The way this season is shaping up, it looks like this is going to be the end, but one never knows. So far, however, nothing has been confirmed. Tune in to ABC in March when OUaT restarts to find out more. Until then, I'll be watching Downton Abbey starting on January 4th. I can't wait! Merry Christmas and I'll blog again after the holidays!

To the Winter Finale and Beyond!

This Sunday is Once Upon a Time's fourth Winter Finale. There are several things that are foreshadowed and hinted at in the previews for this week. If everything they are showing really happens, this episode should be one crazy emotional roller coaster.

In the preview, they show Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff going through a door and disappearing. Presumably, this door is a portal back to Arendelle, their home. This could wrap up the Frozen story and make way for a new adventure for the people of Storybrooke. However, I hope that the characters get at least one episode of rest before starting to battle another evil villain trying to curse them all!

Another thing from the preview is the introduction of three more villains, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and Ursula. They seem to be pretty awesome from the short clips we have gotten so far. I've yet to see Maleficent, so I don't know what to expect from her. However, I was hoping they would do more with Ursula than just a modified version of Regina in one of the episodes, and I've finally gotten my wish. As far as Cruella de Vil goes, I'm curious what they will do with a villain who traditionally has no magic. Also, I'm slightly terrified of the fate of Archie's dalmatian.

One of the scariest sneak peeks for me was when Hook and Rumpel were conversing. It seems that Rumpel needs Hook one last time. After that, however, he promises to end the pirate's life. Rumpel

has promised to kill Hook since season two, and it is starting to get extremely annoying. Even though I will be heart broken if Hook dies, I just want to know the truth. Whether or not Rumpel kills Hook, I've already developed a hatred for him that I don't believe can be reversed. He literally has Hook's life in his hands, and I despise him for it.

As a whole, the Winter Finale seems that it will wrap up the Frozen storyline and introduce the new villains for the second half of the season. I do have a list of necessities for this episode. If they are not addressed, I might have to write a very angry letter to Eddy and Adam (the writers).

1. Is Hook going to live or die?! Seriously, just tell me already. I cannot live with this suspense!
2. What's the deal with Marian? Is she still a popsicle, ooor...
3. Robin and Regina ('nuf said)
4. At least one more Captain Swan moment! I mean come on...just because he doesn't have a heart doesn't mean he can't love her, right?
5. Some interaction between Belle and Rumpel. Recently, it seems like that woman fell off the face of the Earth.  

There are several things we can forecast for the future of the show. First of all, there has been no official announcement whether or not Once has been picked up for a season five. Usually by this point in a season, we would at least know something, but everyone is keeping very tight-lipped about the situation. However, it seems improbable that they would introduce new villains and characters into the show if it was just going to end in half a season.

We can expect to see less of certain characters next season due to scheduling conflicts. Ginny and Josh Dallas are trying to raise a baby at the moment and have their hands pretty full. Therefore, we can expect less of Snow and Charming for the rest of the season. The biggest disappointment, however, is that Sean Maguire is currently working on another project that will limit his role on OUaT. This means that there will be a lot less of Robin during a time that is really important for his relationship with Regina. It will be interesting to see how the show will handle that.

The only way to really know the future of Once Upon a Time is to watch the show every week! Tune in to ABC this Sunday at 8:00 PM to catch the Winter Finale.

I'm Hooked on Hook

 

"Killian Jones, but most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker – Hook" 

 

With those few words, Colin O'Donoghue (better known to Oncers as Killian Jones or Hook) captured my heart. Since then, I have watched every week anticipating the moment when his amazing Irish accent would fill my living room. Last year, I even wrote a poem about him (okay so maybe I am a little obsessed...) Not only is Hook super gorgeous and attractive, but he has also gone through one of the most dramatic changes of any Once character (besides Rumpel).


When Hook was introduced to the show in season two he was helping Cora get to Storybrooke. All he cared about was getting revenge on Rumpelstiltskin, the man who killed his love, Milah. At that point in time, Hook was so bent on revenge that he did not care who he was hurting and what means he used to get it. In truth, the thought of revenge on Rumpel was the only thing that kept him going.
Even after he met Emma for the first time, his mission was all-consuming. He pushed down his feelings for her because they got in the way of his hatred of Rumpel and trea
ted her like he had been treating all women since the death of Milah. That would not last long however.

From the very first moment Hook met Emma, the chemistry was apparent. They flirted back and forth (often Emma was not even aware of it), but they did not really take each other seriously. Hook believed he could never love again after Milah, and Emma believed she could not after Neal. Also, Hook did not know what to do with himself after his visions of revenge were blotted out. Emma invited him to join them on a trip to Neverland to save Henry. The first big step Hook took was giving them the magic bean - his last portal out of any world - so they could save Henry.

In Neverland, things got rather complicated between Hook and Emma. Neal had come back, and Emma felt like she needed to give him a second chance. Hook was not willing to give up without a fight, but he respected her decisions and wanted to work honestly to gain her affection. The way he reacted to Emma after she found Neal again showed how far he came. Instead of reacting with anger, he did the logical thing and realized he was just going to have to show her respect and love in order to receive the same from her.

After Neverland, Hook became a part of Storybrooke. This was the first time he felt like he belonged since being with Milah. When Emma and Henry were separated from everyone by a curse, Hook worked tirelessly to get back to her and eventually saved her. Towards the end of season three, Neal died. That was the perfect opportunity for Hook, but he did not take it. Instead, he gave Emma her space. It wasn't until the final few minutes of season three that we found out just how far Hook had come. He gave up his most prized possession, the Jolly Roger, to save her.

So far in season four, Hook has displayed many great qualities, and his relationship with Emma has blossomed. However, he has a very hard time trusting people and sometimes makes bad decisions because of it. All of the problems he is currently involved in could have been avoided if he just told Emma about Rumpel in the first place. When he left Emma a voice-mail explaining everything, he took another giant step in the right direction. Sadly, she never got that message, and now he is in even more trouble than before.

With a squeeze of his hand, Rumpel could kill Killian at any second. I watch the show in constant fear for the death of my favorite character. If Rumpel ever kills Killian, I might actually stop watching the show. That is how much I care. Hopefully, the writers are smart enough to keep him alive, but if they aren't BEWARE!

The Winter Finale is this Sunday @ 8:00 EST. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing happens to my Killybear!

OMG: Oh My Gold

Last weekend's special two hour Once Upon a Time episode was in my opinion, the best one so far this season. There was magic, romance, betrayal, backstabbing, true love, hope, and hate. I came to love certain characters more, hate certain characters less, and completely detest a character I was just starting to understand.

The episode began with a quite risque scene between our favorite Evil Queen, Regina, and her lover/boyfriend/true love/affair/I-don't-even-know-anymore, Robin Hood. First of all, where the heck do they find these men, and how can I get there? Almost every male character in Once Upon a Time is smoking hot, and it's not even fair! I digress. Anywho, the modern day part of the episode started out in Regina's crypt where Robin Hood stated that he had just had the best "sleep" in his life. Mhm, sure you did Robin, but don't worry, your secret is safe with us. Regina seemed genuinely happy, but, always the logical type, explained that their not-so-secret affair couldn't continue. Robin wasn't ready to give her up so quickly and stole Henry's storybook to try to find out how to rewrite Regina's future. I mean come on ladies! Who wouldn't be completely wooed by a man stealing your 14 year old son's storybook/family history to explain that your affair with said man is perfectly okay? It turns out that stealing that book paid off in the end. After questioning why a cat would want a hat, Robin found a page in his messenger bag that was definitely not there before. This page just so happened to have Regina and Robin together as a couple. True love prevails! Something repeated more than once in the episode was that you write your own future. It seems that Regina is finally learning that, and accepting that she might actually have a future with her hottie, Robin Hood.

 After that glimpse of hope, the episode went downhill very quickly. However, I found myself feeling bad for the Snow Queen. This episode revealed that she might not be the main villain in this season. She just wants to have a family again and has a weird obsession with Emma and Elsa. Every step she has taken so far is to reach the goal of getting her family back together. Sadly, those steps might cause destruction for the rest of Storybrooke. At the end of the episode, she released the spell of shattered sight to turn the inhabitants of the town against each other. Right now, I am just hanging on the hope that she doesn't have enough power to enact a spell of that magnitude on her own, because I cannot imagine if Emma and Killian are turned against each other.

Speaking of Killian, Storybrooke's perfect pirate was in a boat load of trouble this week. For almost the entire first hour of the episode, he hung around the Charmings' apartment sulking. He obviously missed Emma and felt terrible about not being able to get her to stay. As soon as he found out she had found a way to get rid of her magic, his thoughts immediately jumped to Rumpelstiltskin and his magic hat that could obliterate, not only her magic, but also Emma herself. His first step was to find his "talking phone" and call her, explaining not to trust Rumpel. When he arrived at Gold's shop and saw Emma's hand-print burned into a box, he called her again. Killian's second voice-mail was much more passionate. In it, he explained how he knew about Rumpel's hat and how he had been lying to her. At the end of his voice-mail he said he hoped she would never forgive him for what he had done, because that would mean that she had lived long enough to listen to it. That was about the point that I lost it. Hook has never been that apologetic in his life, as far as we know. Hearing him say those words while realizing that Emma could die, broke my heart and made me pray (to the all-knowing Eddy and Adam) for some sort of Sunday-night drama miracle.

Emma has struggled with feeling accepted since day one of Once Upon a Time. Seeing the look in her parents' eyes made her feel even more of an outcast and forced her to lose control of her emotions and her powers. My heart broke for her when she accidentally hurt Henry. In that moment, she must have felt so hopeless and like a danger to everyone around her. It is not that hard to see why she went to Rumpelstiltskin for help. Luckily, Elsa was there when she was about to enter a room with magic that would kill her. She explained that in order to control her magic, she would have to accept herself and embrace her uniqueness. As soon as Emma listened, she gained control of her magic and was able to even put on a fireworks display for her family within a few minutes.

Rumpelstiltskin showed his true colors in this episode. I had finally started to feel like he was trying to change, and then he decided to go all psycho on me. How could he revert to being so terrible after the sacrifice of his son to save him? If nothing else, his actions were a flagrant disgrace to the memory of Neal. At first, I could see where he was coming from, because he is addicted to power. Once he started endangering his family, however, there was no going back. The last straw came at the end of the episode when he viciously ripped out the heart of my favorite character in the show, Killian Jones and inadvertently ripped out mine as well. Not only does he now have the ability to kill Killian with a squeeze of his hand, but he can also control everything that Killian does. Rumpel was finally becoming a good guy, and I was actually starting to like him, but then he messed with Killybear. No one messes with Killybear!

There is no OUaT episode this weekend because of some music awards, but tune in on November 30 to find out what happens in the not-so-peaceful town of  Storybrooke, Maine.

The Good, the Bad, and the Magical

In the past few weeks of OUaT, so much has happened! I have so many thoughts and reactions to what has happened so far, that I'm not sure it will all fit into one post, but I'm sure as heck going to try. Each character has become more personal over the last few weeks. The more time they spend in Storybrooke, the easier it is for me to understand them and see some of myself in them. Being in Storybrooke also leads to some of them making some big mistakes that may change their lives forever.

Emma Swan has been one of my favorite characters since I began to watch the show. Recently, I have begun to feel like I can relate to her more and more. In the past few episodes, Emma has been struggling with feeling like she doesn't fit in.  Having magic when the rest of her family is "normal" (I hate that word!), takes a big tole on her. Also, she feels as though her parents view her differently because of it. In the past, we have always seen a rough exterior to Emma. This season, she began to let her guard down a little bit. Her family and friends' reactions to her situation with the magic might cause her to put those walls right back up, and I'm afraid we might see her revert back to square one.

Mary Margret and David have taken a step back in the show since their son, Neal was born. Not only do Snow and Charming have a baby in the show, but Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas (the actors who play them and are married in real life), have a new baby. The writers might be shortening their roles in the show for both reasons. However, the moments that they are on the show are significant. Just a few weeks ago, Snow and Charming were acting like loving parents towards Emma. Since they have seen her magic blossom, they have treated her differently. It is understandable that Snow is protective of her baby, but Emma is her child as well, and I feel as though she could have handled situations much better. David really hasn't changed too much. He has always seemed to treat Emma the same, no matter what, and I think he is a more accepting person in general. Watching the most recent episode and seeing the look of disappointment and hurt in Emma's eyes really made me annoyed at Mary Margaret in particular, but it is understandable that she would act that way because she is a "new" mother.

The Snow Queen is one of my favorite villains so far. Instead of just using magic to mess with things, she is playing mind games with the people of Storybrooke. In some way or another, she has influenced their actions without actually using magic. Also, I find her back story with Emma to be very interesting, and I am excited to see what will happen with that. She is one of the most creative characters that the writers have thought up in my opinion, and even though she endangers some of my favorite relationships in the show, I cannot help but find her pretty awesome.

Elsa has become a good friend to Emma. They are really perfect for each other as friends, and are the only ones who can truly understand the other. I'm not a huge fan of Elsa, but I really have no good reason not to like her. Something about her seems just a little off to me, and I cannot put my finger on it. However, I cannot deny that she brings a lot to the show and gets along well with the characters. 

Hook, like Snow and Charming, has taken a step back in the past few episodes. Since his and Emma's date, we haven't seen much of him. Any time he has been on the screen, though, I am always happy. Emma's relationship with Hook up until the end of last episode seemed to have been solidified. They were treating each other more like newlyweds then two people who had just gone on their first date. Also, Hook offers some comic relief to the show. His constant one-liners and mumbles under his breath always make me and the characters in the show smile. Hook still remains one of my favorite characters, and I don't think that will ever change. However, he seemed to be in some kind of peril in the preview for this week, so all I can say is that the writers better not kill him of or there will be a horde of furious fangirls at their doors (including me)!

 Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold seems to be back to his old ways. I was really excited to see the change in him when he married Belle, but the honeymoon effect has worn off, and he has slipped back into being a very shady character. Rather than do things for the greater good of Storybrooke and his family, Rumpel is always trying to get something out of it. Even his relationship with Belle seems to be under extreme stress. Last episode, he was treating her more as an annoying servant than a wife. It is really upsetting to see a character who had come so far revert so drastically.

Regina and Robin are the final two characters that I really feel need to be mentioned. Their relationship has been confusing for them over the past few episodes. While Regina was saying that he needed to forget about her, the hurt in her eyes was obvious. She has really come so far, and deserves the best. Luckily, Robin agrees. After struggling between love and duty, love finally won out for him, and he decided that Regina was the one for him. This gave us the second-best kiss of the season (behind the Captain Swan one after their date, of course), and made me jump for joy. I really hope that they can work everything out and Regina will receive the happy ending that is so rightfully hers.

 Tune in this Sunday to find out what happens to Emma, why Rumple is so fond of the Snow Queen, and why Hook was telling someone "Don't do this!" 

The Walking Dead

Okay, so I know when I first made this blog, I mentioned that I would center it on Once Upon a Time and Downton Abbey, but recently, I got into a new show that is also on Sunday nights, so I think it deserves a shout-out. The Walking Dead. On from  9 to 10 PM on AMC, this show is one of the best I have ever seen. Apart from the genius storyline, the show has some of the best makeup and special effects I have ever seen on TV. It makes you feel like you are right in the middle of the action with great camera angles and amazing filming in general.

Every single week, The Walking Dead delivers. It follows a group of people, lead by a former Sheriff's Deputy, Rick Grimes, trying to survive what we would call a zombie apocalypse. Accompanying Rick are a rag-tag group of survivors. Glenn and Maggie are a married couple who are both great fighters. Carol is a woman who knows that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good. Tyresse is a generally gentle man who realizes that sometimes violence is necessary. Sasha and Bob are another couple on the show. Abraham protects Eugene, a man who supposedly knows the cure for the apocalypse. Rick's only family consists of his daughter (we think), Judith, and his son, Carl. Finally, there's Daryl. Daryl is like the new Chuck Norris. He's an amazing killer who takes out dozens of walkers with his crossbow. However, he's a lot more than that. We see many sides of Daryl through his relationships with different people of the show, and he is a definite viewer favorite.  

Andrew Lincoln (the actor who plays Rick) and a "walker"

The premise of the show is that a disease caused people when they died to come back to life. However, the only part of their brain that worked was the one to run their movements. They have no recollection of the people they knew before they "turned." When they come back to life, the people are called "walkers". If you get bit by a walker, you turn by the end of the day. The only way to kill these creatures is to stop their brain function by shooting them, stabbing them, or bashing them in the
head. Because of this, the show tends to be very graphic and hard to watch at some points.

The walkers aren't the only things that Rick and his group need to watch for. Sometimes the people can be worse. The survivors started out with a policy to not kill humans. Soon they had to rethink that. The characters in TWD are locked in a constant struggle to maintain their morality but still stay alive. I think one of the reasons why the show is so popular is because some of the problems they face are just heightened versions of the problems we face every day. 

Captain Swan

Finally, after long weeks, months, years of watching the show, the writers have finally given thousands of fans hope for Captain Swan (the relationship between Hook and Emma). For the sake of this post (and my heart) I'm going to refrain from talking too much about Hook's deal with Rumple  and just focus on the matter at hand (pun intended). Emma asked Hook out on a date!

Hook was just playing darts in Granny's minding his own business and taking out all of his frustrations on that green, red, and black dart board when Emma came strolling right up to him and asked him out. The scene couldn't be more cliche. Hook immediately missed the dart board and joked about the fact that he wasn't the one doing the asking before accepting. There was only one condition, he was the one to plan it. Emma had a condition as well - she wouldn't "pillage and plunder" on the first date. Way to go Emma, sticking to your values even when you are staring at the hottest man to ever come into your life!

That night, Hook showed up at the Charmings' door. Of course, Snow whipped out the camera like a proud mamma. Emma was, according to Hook, "stunning", but the real surprise came from the Captain himself. He had given up his pirate outfit and swapped it for a much more modern look that made him 1000x more attractive, if that's even possible. But wait, there's more! He handed Emma a single red rose (so romantic) with his left hand...wait....his left hand?! That's right ladies and gentlemen, Hook was hook-less. He managed to get Rumpelstiltskin to restore his hand. The only one who didn't seem too happy about Killian's new hand was Charming. The protective father was afraid what Killian could do with the added use of a second hand.

Don't worry Daddy Charming, Emma and Hook just went on the most old-school date ever - a romantic dinner at an Italian restaurant. There was a lot of hand holding, flirting, and long looks into

each other's eyes, but our dashing rapscallion kept it PG. However, I don't think I have ever seen the two happier. Except for a brush with the bandit in town, they were all-smiles the whole time. For Emma, that's almost unheard of. They seemed to have a great time and just really enjoyed being with each other. When Killian dropped Emma off at her house, it was obvious she didn't want to say good bye quite yet. However, as she pointed out, she lived with two obsessive parents, a baby, and an Ice Queen. I guess they'll just have to wait until next time. Next time? Yup, Killian asked Emma to go out again, and she accepted with the best kiss we've seen so far in the show.

Based on the preview for this week, it looks like fans are going to have to wait a little while until we get to see a second Captain Swan date, but we can wait!