Wednesday, May 25, 2016

OUAT: There is Suffering Too Terrible to Name

That’s right. I’m using Hamilton lyrics. And if you know Hamilton, you know those lyrics are from one of the most heart-breaking songs in the show.

You have been warned.

Last time on “Once:” Hades rescued Zelena from Rumple and Pan and they shared True Love’s Kiss. He took everyone’s names off the tombstones but Hook was still unable to leave the Underworld. Hades told them of a nectar Hook could eat and it would allow him to leave. Emma and Hook headed down to where the tree was while the others waited.

After convincing Robin to let Zelena take his daughter with Hades, he then stood with her and Henry as Henry wrote pages for the denizens of the Underworld. Cruella and the Blind Witch trapped them in the library and the heroes realized Hades was really behind it.

Further down, Emma weighed her heart but it appeared she and Hook did not share True Love. But when each chose the other over saving themselves, a door opened and their love was confirmed to be true. They discovered, though, that the ambrosia tree was cut down and realized Hades did it.

In the past, Emma met a bails bond person named Cleo, who tried to take Emma back to Phoenix. Emma discovered that there might be information about her and her parents so Cleo agreed to take her to the courthouse. Unsatisfied with what she found, Emma broke back in and Cleo had to come after her. They ended up running from the cops and Cleo was fatally wounded in the process. Emma ran off and changed her life, becoming a bails bond person. She also gave some closure to the daughter Cleo gave up for adoption.

As the portal to Storybrooke opened, Emma and Hook came to grips with the fact he could not return home. They had a bittersweet goodbye before Emma returned to help the others bust out of the library. They all made it into the portal as Rumple sent his father to the River o’ Souls, having returned Robin’s heart without Pan knowing.

Brace yourself. This is going to be painful.

And ranty.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

OUAT: Weighing Your Heart

Last time on “Once:” Hades proposed to Zelena, offering to leave the heroes in the Underworld while the two of them took over Storybrooke. She didn’t say yes or no, but Regina was concerned. After talking to Zelena did nothing, she called in the big guns—Cora.

Hook helped Regina bust Cora out of her Underworld prison while David ran errands. Along the way, he ran into his twin brother James—who tased him and then pretended to be him. He went with Emma to drop supplies off for Robin Hood, taking Robin and Peanut with Cruella. They wanted to give Hades Peanut for a chance to be alive again.

Cora decided that they needed to give Zelena some water from one of the rivers of the Underworld that would make her forget about her feelings for Hades. So she went to the farmhouse and had a talk with her eldest while Regina waited for the moment to give her the water. But Zelena saw through it and the sisters fought again. Cora stopped them and revealed memories she had stolen from them years ago.

As a child, a lonely Regina used her mother’s wand in an attempt to turn her doll into a sister. She was knocked unconscious, forcing Cora to retrieve Zelena from Oz so she could heal Regina. Regina and Zelena bonded, becoming the best of friends. But when they realized they were sisters, Cora sent Zelena back to Oz and made both girls forget about their bond.

Their memories now restored, Regina and Zelena seemed to have a fresh start. Cora was able to go to the happy place and Regina agreed to let Zelena try to change Hades. Meanwhile, David and Hook came to Emma’s and Robin’s rescue. While Cruella got away, David ended up struggling with James and threw him into the harbor, trapping his twin in the River o’ Souls.

In the end, Regina agreed to let Zelena meet with Hades to try and change him. But Rumple and Peter Pan intercepted and kidnapped her instead.

Out on Main Street, most of the main cast argues about Regina’s choice to let Zelena go to Hades. Hook in particular thinks that the queen has gone mad. Regina insists they give Zelena a chance. They are then surprised and alarmed when Hades shows up. He tells them he is there for their help as Zelena never showed up for their date. Instead, he got a ransom note from Rumple and Peter Pan. While Regina looks ready to strangle the two, Emma asks why they should help Hades. He tells her if she does, he’ll take their names off the graves and let them go home.


(Hades looks as surprised as the heroes)

Sunday, May 8, 2016

OUAT: Family Dynamics

Last time on “Once”: Red woke up and informed her friends that she came from Oz to find Zelena because she did something to Dorothy and Red wanted to know what it was. Hades warned Zelena about Red’s appearance and she tried to escape but Regina prevented her. Confronted, Zelena admitted to putting Dorothy under a sleeping curse and handed over her slippers so Red could get back. The only problem was finding someone to give Dorothy True Love’s Kiss.

It was decided to find Auntie Em, who ended up running a diner in the Underworld. She agreed to help but Hades trapped her in the River o’ Souls to prevent her from doing so. He then informed everyone that people who helped the heroes would also be thrown into the River o’ Souls. The heroines were not pleased.

Snow told Red that she should give Dorothy True Love’s Kiss because it was obvious to everyone that she loved Dorothy. So Red prepared to leave and take David with her so he could take care of Neal now that Cruella destroyed their one connection to him. But he got Hook to carve his name over Snow’s, allowing her to leave instead.

Back in Oz, Red and Mulan met Dorothy after Red accidentally scared off Toto. She and Dorothy didn’t get along but were forced to work together when Zelena kidnapped Toto. Red believed she scared Dorothy when she transformed into a wolf to take care of monkey but Dorothy ran off to confront Zelena. The witch used a sleeping curse on her, which Red ultimately broke with True Love’s Kiss as Mulan wondered what she was doing there.

Snow returned to Storybrooke and everyone else grew more resolute in their determination to get out of the Underworld.

A red car speeds along, Hades and Zelena inside of their way to a date. He takes her to a hill overlooking the Underworld’s version of Storybrooke and lays out a picnic for them. Hades asks her why she thought he brought here there and she says it’s her experience that men want one thing. He chuckles but tells her that he brought her up there to ask her something.

Hades reminds her that he made the Underworld to look like Storybrooke because he wanted to give her everything her sister had. But he knows it’s not the same. So if she restarts his heart, they can leave and take over Storybrooke for themselves. Zelena asks about the heroes and he reveals that after Snow’s switcheroo, he carved everyone’s name on the tombstones. So they’ll be trapped in the Underworld, leaving the two of them the freedom to cause chaos together.



Uh oh.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Outlander: Purpose

Last time on “Outlander:” Jamie managed to get a meeting with Prince Charlie. He and Claire realized they had to cut off any chance of him receiving money from the French king. Claire’s friend Louise invited them to join her and ward Mary Hawkins at Versailles, introducing them to the Minister of Finance. After a rather wet start, he became good friends with the Frasers, which was a relief to them.

Claire and Jamie found the Duke of Sandringham, who tried to grovel about giving the letter to Black Jack. He and Claire exchanged words before he introduced her to his secretary, Alexander Randall. She learned he was the brother of Black Jack and also learned that her foe was very much alive.
Now, she has to tell Jamie.

Or does she?

(Yes, yes she does).

Night turns to early morning as Jamie and Murtagh return from another night at the brothel with Prince Charles. He grabs a glass of wine and changes, ready to start a rather busy day. He has inspectors coming to Jared’s warehouse, is supposed to play chess with Duveney and then has another night with Prince Charles to look forward to. But he figures it’s worth a few nights of missed sleep and encourages Claire to go back to bed for their child’s sake.

She, though, is feeling a bit useless while Jamie does all the work. But he says her days with Louise might produce something useful. So he tells her to enjoy her day there as he hurries down the stairs. He pauses but only to ask if she’s seen his wooden snake. She hasn’t but she’ll have the servants do a search of the house. He thanks her and leaves.


(Wishes there was more for her to do)


Tuesday, May 3, 2016

OUAT: Making Good

I’m running out of Wicked songs to use now! That title is a song that was cut and replaced with “The Wizard and I”! If we see anymore of Oz, I may have to start recycling titles. Or move on to “The Wiz.”

Last time on “Once”: Belle ran into her former fiancĂ©, Gaston, in the Underworld. And he was out for Rumple’s head, spurned on by Hades. Belle, though, was trying to get Rumple to use his magic for good and decided to help Gaston with his unfinished business…which turned out to be her. He blamed her for making him weak and leaving him vulnerable to Rumple. When he tried to attack Rumple, Belle ended up pushing Gaston into the River o’Souls. Hades had made Belle a deal but voided it because she didn’t follow it to the letter. So her baby was still in danger.

After a failed attempt at breaking into Hades’ lair, Emma went to the cemetery with Hook and Snow because a dream told her to. But the dream also warned her of her mother dying and she worked hard to prevent that from happening. Especially because she felt guilty for getting everyone in this situation. After she was assured she had nothing to feel guilty for, Regina joined them to seek out the creature that had ended up pursuing them. It ended up being a wolf…who Snow lays a cape over it to turn it back into Red!

Why is she there? Is she dead? Let’s find out!

We open in Oz…some time ago. This scene was one of the sneak peeks posted by ABC during the week and it original said “Many years ago,” which had confused fans since Red and Mulan were in it. By their reckoning, it should be part of the current timeline. Adam confirmed on Twitter that they were right and that ABC had screwed up the graph. Looks like he got to someone in editing in time to correct it.

Red and Mulan walk down a deserted road as Red tries to sniff out her pack. Mulan asks her about this land and Red says there’s some singing, or at least there was in the movie. We know Storybrooke showed it since everyone was familiar with it back in Season 3B. Red also points out it was a book and all I could think of was “Samantha: An American Girl” where Rebecca Mader played Aunt Cornelia, who gave Samantha “The Wizard of Oz” as a gift.


(Welcome back, you two!)

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Outlander: A Glitzier Snake Pit

Last time on “Outlander”: Claire found herself in 1948 and she reunited with Frank. She connected better with Mrs. Graham while Frank tried to figure out what happened to his wife. Claire told him everything and he was pretty chill about it…until she revealed she was carrying Jamie’s baby. But after waging destruction on Wakefield’s shed that would make the Hulk proud and a conversation with Wakefield, Frank decided to commit to Claire and raise the child together. They went to Boston to start over.

In France, Claire and Jamie decided to infiltrate the Jacobite cause in order to prevent the destruction it will cause. Jamie convinced his cousin Jared of his supposed dedication and Jared promised to help. He asked Jamie to help run his wine importing business, which Jamie agreed to do.

On the docks, Claire diagnosed a dying sailor with smallpox. The harbormaster had to declare a ship infected and ordered it—and its cargo—burned. Its own, the Comte St. Germaine, warned Claire and Jamie that they had made a dangerous enemy.

Uh oh.

We open with a sex scene. Ahh, welcome back, Outlander. Jamie and Claire have sex…but then it turns into Black Jack. Jamie freaks out and stabs him, blood going everywhere. Outlander really is back! Anyway, even though it appears Black Jack is dead, he opens his eyes and is like “Never gonna die!”

Jamie sits up, panting. Claire wakes up and asks if he had another nightmare. He tells her he did and she assures him that Black Jack is dead. But Jamie knows he won’t be getting anymore sleep. So he slips from bed and tells her to go back to sleep.


(Poor bby)