Over the Rainbow: Reunited in Quarantine

I thought I had recapped "Over the Rainbow," the follow up to "Any Dream Will Do" and "I'd Do Anything" where Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to find Dorothy for his production of The Wizard of Oz. But I don't think it aired on BBC America and I only watched it thanks to the amazing people who posted clips of it on YouTube (you all rocked!). 

Anyway, here's a video where Lloyd Webber reunites with his final 11 Dorothys to perform "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The Dorothys, in order of elimination, are: Amy Diamond, Bronte Barbe, Dani Rayner, Emilie Fleming, Stephanie Davis, Jenny Douglas, Jessica Robinson, Stephanie Fearon, Lauren Samuels, Sophie Evans and the winner, Danielle Hope. 

The theater community - on both sides of the pond - have done so much to help keep us entertained during this time. To them, I say: 

THANK YOU! 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: A Brief Break

So I’m skipping posting a recap this week. I got a little behind so I want to take this week to catch up and continue from there. I was hoping to hold off until when Zoey had skipped an episode but this is necessary.

I hope everyone is staying sane as this quarantine continues. Are you rewatching Zoey? Did you find a new show to enjoy? Let me know in the comments!

See you all next week!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Failure is Always an Option

Last time: When Zoey heard Mo singing a rather sad song, she learned that he was hiding his true self from his church for fear of being run out – again. She felt lost in helping him as faith isn’t a big part of her life. Mo’s pastor, Pastor Steve, gave her some advice about looking for sign posts to show that she was on the right path. It certainly gave Zoey some thing to think about.


David started to spend time with Mitch and they watched his wedding video to listen to Mitch’s father of the groom toast. It caused Mitch to cry. David and Emily realized that there was a lot Mitch was going to miss and they decided to resolve their argument about finding out the sex of their baby (she for, he against) by having a gender reveal party. (It was a boy).


Joan tried to pretend that everything was great following the end of her marriage to Charlie but it was clear she was just trying to distract herself from the pain even before she sang “Wrecking Ball” to Zoey. Zoey convinced Joan to be kinder to herself.


Throughout the episode, Zoey heard the songs of her agoraphobic neighbor Bonnie and tried to engage with her. Bonnie finally came out and let Zoey walk her to Mo’s apartment. It was just the sign Mo needed and he returned to church to make a joyful noise as himself – dress and wig and all.


Believe it or not, that is the short summary of the last episode. I had something else written that was like twice the length and I was like “I just pretty much recapped it again!” I do need to work on summary lengths, which was a problem I had with Once Upon a Time too. I need to start nailing down the major points and covering them.


Anyway, onto this week’s episode…

You gotta fight for your right to SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Leap of Faith

Last time: Zoey found herself dragged in the middle of her boss Joan’s marriage. Charlie didn’t seem very interested in his wife and was very self-absorbed. And though it jeopardized their watch’s launch, Zoey finally gave Joan the confidence to give Charlie the old heave-ho.


After Maggie was disappointed over her husband’s first word once they figured out how to help him communicate with them, Zoey heard her sing a song that reveals she’s barely holding on. Zoey convinced her brother to spend some time helping their parents. He went to the store with her to get more lemonade and when they discovered a sorority had bought out the store’s entire supply, Maggie got into a fight with them. It led David to realize his mother wasn’t doing as well as thought and he agreed with Zoey to work out a schedule so she had more time to herself. Mitch signed onto the plan as well and Maggie agreed to accept their help.


Mo was hired to DJ at the launch party and finally got to meet both Max and Simon. He scoped out Zoey’s romantic interests and decided that he was Team Max, even if he was dating Autumn. By the end, he decided he was Team Simon, even if he was engaged.


USA Today has announced that Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist had the most votes to save it! While the numbers don't look good based on traditional viewing, it's clear Zoey has a strong digital presence. Hopefully we can get a second season of this amazing show! 

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Joan’s Husband Sucks

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is considered a "bubble" show - meaning it could be canceled by NBC ahead of the unveiling of the 2020-2021 TV season in a couple weeks. USA Today has included it in its annual "Save Our Shows" poll. Some shows that have won this poll have gone on to have another season. So if you want Zoey to have a second season, make sure to watch the show (preferably live) and also tweet along (#ZoeysPlaylist) so they know people are watching! And vote for Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist here. 

Last time: Zoey continued to adjust to her new power as well as being the manager of her department now. Unfortunately, her team was not making it easy and she struggled, especially given that one of her direct reports (Max) was singing love songs to her in her head. When he invited her out to dinner, she grew nervous and decided to set him up with their favorite barista, Autumn, instead. Max, though, noticed Zoey seemed to be avoiding him and she played it off as needing to redefine their relationship because of the new power dynamics between them. Max was not happy.


Meanwhile, her family continued to find a way to communicate with her father. They made a start with a buzzer but they still struggled, especially when he kept trying to tell Maggie something but she couldn’t figure it out. Zoey then heard him sing “Moondance” and had to broach the topic of her parents’ sex life. That seemed to be fine but it gave her mother the clue she needed to find what Mitch wanted – apparently a little show. Maybe foreplay? I don’t know.


During all of this, Zoey did manage to get some work done. She and Simon teamed up to design a scavenger hunt that would lead to the launch party for SPRQ Point’s newest product. However, her team refused to do the work and she ended up doing it herself. Joan was useless as she watched her direct report struggle but Simon managed to give her some advice, leading her to take the first steps to become her team’s leader.


If you aren’t aware, you can listen to the songs used on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – their covers and the original versions – on various music apps. I personally prefer Spotify and do have it saved to my library. I was listening to it when driving home from work when all this went down but I still like to just listen to it from time to time. If you’re enjoying the music, you can continue to do so throughout the week!

What the world needs now, is SPOILERS, sweet SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Unwanted Romantic Attention?

Last time: Zoey Clarke has a pretty good life. She has a good job she loves as a coder at SPRQ Point, a tech start up company, and is trying to get a manager position there. Her boss Joan does seem to support her as does her best friend Max. And Zoey is close with her family, though they have been going through a tough time as her father Mitch is suffering from a degenerative disease that has robbed him of his ability to move and communicate.


When Zoey gets an MRI to find out if her headaches are something to worry about, an earthquake hits San Francisco. Entire music libraries appear to be uploaded to her mind and when she leaves, people start singing to her. However, they seem to appear to have no idea what’s she’s talking about and Zoey realizes only she can hear the songs, which are expressions of people’s innermost thoughts.


Through the songs, she learns a colleague named Simon is dealing with some internal angst and she starts bonding with him after learning his dad committed suicide the year before. She understands his grief due to her father’s condition and starts to feel an attraction to him…until she meets his fiancée, Jessica. Zoey then learns her best friend Max is in love with her and has to deal with that just as she lands the manager position.


And that brings us to this, the second episode. This was actually the first I watched and it was nice to revisit it almost two months later.

Strike up the SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: HELP!

As promised, here is the very episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Let’s see how all this zany feels fest started…

Play that funky music, SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: A Fun and Heartwarming TV Musical

That can also rip out your heart.

No, really. This show piles on the feels every week. You get a feel good musical number and then WHAM! feels.

(How it feels to watch this show)

I wasn’t going to watch this show. And that sounds weird because I’m sure as you know, I love shows that feature singing and dancing. Glee. Smash. Galavant. Hell, I’ve even watched the old Fame TV series when a cable station was airing reruns of them. But I guess I just didn’t feel like trying to get into a new show. With the exception of Once Upon a Time, they didn’t have long runs. Heck, I even got into The Magicians…in time for the final season.

More on that later.

But back in February, back before all this madness took over, I went to Washington DC on a girls’ trip with my mom, my aunt and a family friend. My mom and the friend wanted to visit the Bible Museum there. My aunt went with them but I spent my time bouncing around the different Smithsonian museums (namely, American History and Space and Air). Since we were close to the National Mall and surrounded by federal buildings, many places were either closed for the weekend or closed up by 5:30 PM. So we were stuck in the hotel room for most of the night. And that meant watching TV. We found Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and I was hooked.

At first, I was just going to do a summary of the series and that would be that. But that’s easier for past seasons of The Magicians. I could wait for the entire series to be over but then I realized that I miss recapping shows. My schedule hasn’t allowed me then time I need to get them up quickly. But I really do want to recap this series (and I’m working on Season 5 of The Magicians too actually).

And now seems like a good time to do it. I’m stuck at home for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19. I live in New York (which is the epicenter) and work in New Jersey (which isn’t as bad as us but isn’t good as well). While I am working from home, I still have more time than I usually do now. So I’m going to use it while it lasts (which could be at least through May).

While Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is still airing, I’m going to start from the top. So tune in soon for my recap of the premiere.

And most of all – STAY SAFE! If you can – STAY HOME! STOP THE SPREAD! SAVE LIVES!
We can stop this together by staying apart. It’ll only be for a little while and then we can all come together again and celebrate. For now, we just have to be patient and selfless.

Noelle: A Merry Misadventure

I’m sure you’ve realized this by now, but if you’re new to this blog: I am a Disney addict.


So, hell yes I got Disney+.


I’m still exploring it. I have a lot of old Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) on my Watchlist, so get prepared for those. And I have a planned So Weird binge watch. But for now, I’ve watched Endgame yet again and I’m in the middle of watching the recording of the Newsies stage musical.

However, I also took some time to watch Noelle, an original Christmas movie made for the platform. So let’s spread some holiday cheer and enjoy this sweet if wacky movie.

Ho ho SPOILERS!

Revelations of a Fan

I often don’t write about my adventures in fandom here. More often than not, I tend to post that to my other blog about writing. It makes some sense as my fanfiction has kinda taken over all my other writing but I think I should try to focus more fandom stuff here.

After all, that fits into what this blog is about!

So, at the end of October I went to Creation Entertainment’s Once Upon a Time convention in New Jersey. It was my third time going to it and I had a lot of fun. Almost all my friends were able to get to New Jersey and though it didn’t sell as many tickets as they had hoped, we all enjoyed the smaller numbers. It was more intimate and definitely more chill.

I had vowed after my trip to Milan that the next convention that Sean Maguire (Robin Hood) went to, I would do everything of his. And I was true to my word at this one. I did his photo ops both days, got autographs both days and did his meet and greet on Sunday. I was practically his shadow.
The main reason I wanted to do that was to become more known to him, to kinda stand out in the crowd so that he would recognize that yes, I am one of his fans.

So did it work?

Pretty much. I definitely can tell he’s starting to recognize me. And I know this probably sounds crazy to others, but I can see a difference in his smile from the first photo we ever took together to the ones from this con. And at the meet and greet, my friend noted that he included me when motioning to the people he had met before.

That’s pretty good, if you ask me.

I did worry that I would lose my momentum with him as the next con I’m definitely going to see him at is Paris, which is several months away. But my friends assured me otherwise.

I also had an experience earlier that day to prove they might be right. I went to get a picture with Karen David (Princess Jasmine) and Emilie de Ravin (Belle). When I was next, Karen’s face lit up and I realized she remembered me from last year—I had a photo, auto and meet and greet with her then. It was so nice to realize she remembered me and I went in for a hug, even if it was a bit awkward.

(Sorry, Emilie)

But if Karen could remember me a year later, then it’s possible Sean will recognize me several months later.

I had one more experience at the end of the day (and the con). Lana Parrilla (Regina Mills/The Evil Queen) signed autographs at the very end. I had decided to get her autograph as well as Sean’s for a friend I was seeing in Florida, so I approached her with two items to sign—each with a different name.

She signed the one for my friend and then looked at mine, which was a manip for our Outlaw Queen calendar. Lana praised it and I talked to her a bit about the person who made it. She then asked if it was okay if she didn’t write my name on it because Sean already had and I said I didn’t care. She squeezed it into the corner and gave it back to me, thanking me for coming by name. I thanked her as well and walked away.

I showed off the calendar to a few people and told them to check out this year’s Advent calendar for more goodies. I then headed back to my friends when a thought hit me—how did Lana know my name was Allie and not the other name I had also asked her to sign?

First, I wondered if it was because my name was attached to the calendar and my friend’s to a promotional picture but easily dismissed that—we get lots of things signed, it’s not indicative of anything.

Second, I wondered if it was because I said I didn’t care if she put my name on the art. But then I realized that since Sean had already signed it, I could’ve thought that was fine for whoever else I could’ve been getting it signed for.

With those arguments pushed aside, I returned to my friends and told them that I think Lana recognizes me now. My friend Erica’s response was pretty much “duh, of course she does.” When I think about it, I’ve seen her about seven times now and that was my third time that year! She may not be able to call me by my name unprompted, but Lana probably saw “Allie” and connected with me from previous cons, so she knew it was safe to assume it was my name.

So, yes, cast members from one of my favorite shows are starting to recognize me. And that’s pretty thrilling! It’s nice to know that they realize I’m their fan and are happy to see me.

And hopefully, I can keep up the momentum in 2020!

Kim Possible: She Can Do Anything!

Yes, I was a fan of the Disney cartoon Kim Possible. After all, I was a big fan of Christy Carlson Romano as a teenager—especially as my entire class identified with her overachieving, Type A character Ren Stevens on Even Stevens. Kim Possible had some great plots, interesting villains and well-rounded main characters. It was great to see a teen girl who was allowed to be interested in fashion, cheerleading, and other things girls are often interested in and not shamed for it. That they could help her kickass daily. And that it wasn’t some secret identity situation either—everyone knew who she was and what she did, including her parents. It was just a lot of fun and it’s not surprise that when Disney tried to end the show, fans petitioned and got one more season.

When it was announced that Disney was going to revive Kim Possible as a live-action Disney Channel movie, the reaction was mixed. Some people were all for it, some people were totally against it and some people thought it was a good idea but weren’t sure how it would translate from cartoon to live action. (I was in that camp). There was also an uproar from some fans when the first pictures were released and they realized Kim’s suit didn’t feature a bare midriff. Most other fans clapped back at them, calling out the fact they were upset that they were being denied a chance to look at a teenage girl’s stomach was downright creepy. Otherwise, buzz seemed good and people seemed eager for the movie.

The movie debuted on the Disney Channel on Friday, February 15th, and yes, I watched it.

Call me, beep me if you wanna get SPOILERS!

Hello, 2019!

So, it’s 2019. Last year was probably the one where I posted the least. I didn’t even finish recapping the last season of Once Upon a Time, like I wanted to. There seemed to be a lot of changes I didn’t realize I needed to make but as the New Year dawns, I’m ready to do so.

Now, I’m not saying I’ll go back to posting once a week. While that would be nice, I’m trying to be realistic. I’m going to aim for at least once a month, if possible. Though I do want to write more than just recaps. I do want to go back to movie reviews and the like. So we’ll see how that goes!

Let the new year begin!

A Godwink Christmas

There’s just something special about Hallmark’s Christmas movies. Are they cheesy? Yeah. Are they formulaic? Yeah. But do we watch them year after year? Hell to the yeah. There’s just something about quaint towns covered in snow as people fall in love over and over that we just love to see.

Especially me.

We wish you a Merry SPOILERS!

OUAT: A Noblish Sacrifice

Last time on “Once”: Lucy was rushed to the hospital as everyone tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

Victoria meanwhile tried to keep Anastasia safe from Gothel and Drizella. She was forced to work with Rumple, who wanted to know if Anastasia was his long sought after Guardian as well as wanted to heal Lucy. He tested Anastasia and while she showed amazing magical powers, she ran away and let Drizella take her from their mother.

After going with Regina to San Francisco, Henry had to bail on her to be there for Lucy. She was left to deal with “Kelly,” Zelena’s cursed persona. Kelly hated Regina because she convinced Kelly’s daughter to drop out of college and travel the world, also seemingly cutting her mother out of her life as well. Regina apologized and tried to convince Kelly to come back to Seattle with her. When she refused, Regina was able to wake Zelena up. Zelena was willing to go to Seattle but pointed out a big problem—Kelly was getting married in a few weeks.

Rogers and Tilly discovered the coven symbol under the troll bridge and reported it to Weaver. He discovered a coin from the coven and told the two that “they” were in the city.

Henry read to Lucy and decided to try True Love’s Kiss, but it didn’t work. Regina told Zelena that was because Victoria must’ve broken Lucy’s belief, preventing the kiss from working. However, it was a good thing that it didn’t work—Henry’s life depended on it!

In the Enchanted Forest, we did a lot of time jumping. So hold on and try to keep up!

Ella gave birth to Lucy and Drizella showed up to threaten them with the Dark Curse. But Lady Tremaine somehow was working with the heroes and they used her blood to turn to Drizella into a statue. She got freed on Lucy’s eighth birthday by Mother Gothel and the two went off to cast the Dark Curse.

Regina went to recruit Zelena and a grown up Peanut, who were now in the Enchanted Forest while Hook went to visit Alice, who was keeping a fully Dark One Rumple company. Rumple gave Hook something to help him remember who Alice was in the curse and Alice asked him to deliver a letter to someone she had fallen in love with. Henry took Lucy to the original Enchanted Forest, leaving her with Tiger Lily so he could carve a magical wardrobe so they could escape ahead of the curse. But he got captured instead.

All the heroes confronted Drizella and Gothel, who revealed they captured Henry and poisoned him. It forced Regina to cast the curse. Alice’s new love was Peanut and they promised to find each other in the curse while Hook gave Ella the white elephant statue so she and Lucy would still be together in the curse.

In Hyperion Heights, Regina and Zelena vow to find a way to break the curse without killing Henry while Gothel gave Drizella’s powers to Anastasia. She then trapped Drizella in a hole with her mother while preparing to find the rest of her coven so the next part of her plan could start.

We open on a boiling potion as someone chants to some goddess. The camera pulls back to reveal three women in hoods, looking like members of Gothel’s coven, as the one chanting holds a book. She dips a vial in and gathers some potion in it before holding it up. 

(Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...)

Thank You, Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is over.

It is strange to write that. While part of me knew that all TV shows come to an end, it still felt like Once would always be there. So it is strange to think that it won’t be back in September, that there will be no more set pictures or that I won’t be waiting excitedly for spoilers or hints about storylines.

As I said, I will continue recapping the show until the very end. And then I have to go back and finish recapping Season 6. And then I will go back to finish my recaps of Seasons 1, 2 and 3A. So I won’t be saying goodbye to Once Upon a Time so soon.

I know a lot of people are doing rewatches as well so I’m not alone.

The recaps of the last half of this season should come out over the summer, if all goes well. Then I can move into Season 6 in the fall—unless I discover a new show to recap. I doubt there will ever be another show like Once Upon a Time for me, but there will be new shows to watch.

Once Upon a Time will always hold a special place in my heart, especially the Outlaw Queen ship. I thank Sean, Lana and everyone involved with the show for the past seven years. It was truly magical. It brought me amazing new friends, a new found creativity, a wonderful and supportive community and inspired me to live my own dreams. I finally went to Paris because of Once, because I wanted to see my favorite cast members—especially Lana and Sean.

It’s also pushed me closer to realizing another dream—of being a published author. I’m working to turn some of my more popular fanfics into independently published novels. Then I can say I’m a published author. Wish me luck on that project!

So, yes, Once Upon a Time changed my life. It will take time to get used to it not being a regular presence but I know it will always be there—just as long as there are Oncers out there.

Long live us.

Channel Awesome: #ChangetheChannel

I’ve probably talked about being a fan of several contributors on Channel Awesome, formerly known as That Guy With the Glasses. After all, I started my Nostalgia Nook posts because there was media I knew the Nostalgia Chick would never cover and I wanted to discuss them.

(And I know I dropped the ball and didn’t review Halloweentown IV this past Halloween. I forgot but I will do it this year, especially as I’ve come to some realizations about it).

Anyway, I was introduced to That Guy With the Glasses when a friend sent me a link to Lindsay Ellis’ Nostalgia Chick review of Labyrinth. I loved it and watched her other videos before starting to explore the site’s other contributors, including the Nostalgia Critic. I remember watching Kickassia, eager for each part to be released each day, and discovering new people to watch (like Linkara) from it.

Then came To Boldly Flee, which featured the end of the Nostalgia Critic as Doug Walker (the man behind the glasses) wanted to focus on new, more original productions. While I was sad and knew I would miss the Nostalgia Critic, I wished him well. I even gave one of his new shows, Demo Reel, a chance—but soon found that it just didn’t hold my attention or strike me as particularly funny. There also ended up being long stretches between videos and while I understood that it was a more complex production than Nostalgia Critic, the long stretches were definitely more of a turn off. However, I was still watching other contributors on the site and kept going there almost every day.

Barely a year after To Boldly Flee ended the Nostalgia Critic, the last episode of Demo Reel brought the character back. I expressed my concern to some friends on a message board who also followed the site because I didn’t know if Doug was bringing the character back because he truly missed it or because they were losing viewers over Demo Reel, so they were just giving people what they wanted. I was concerned that he wouldn’t have the same passion as he had before. I’m not sure that didn’t happen—while I watched some of the new Nostalgia Critic videos, he started to do a lot more recent stuff that I had no interest in and eventually, I stopped watching his videos.

I did keep watching other contributors, particularly Lindsay, Linkara and Paw Dugan (also occasionally Todd in the Shadows) . So I was still going to the site almost daily.

Jesus Christ Superstar: A Real Superstar

I’ve been familiar with the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber since I was a little girl. My parents are big fans of his and have seen several of his shows on Broadway, including the original production of Evita with Patti Lupone. I used to counteract my insomnia by listening to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at night to fall asleep. And then I eventually graduated to more music, including Jesus Christ Superstar. I saw the 1973 movie version and my mother and I went to see the 2000 revival (which has a story attached to it that’s kinda funny, kinda sad. Maybe I’ll tell it later).

So I was thrilled when I found out the latest entry into the catalogue of live musical events would be Jesus Christ Superstar, fittingly on Easter (and my birthday!). The cast announcements proved it was shaping up to be a good one and I eagerly tuned in, waiting to be blown away.

I was not disappointed.

First, a little synopsis because some people were still confused about the plot even though it should be well known. Jesus Christ Superstar tells of the last 7 days of Jesus’ life…through song. We start before he rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as Judas worries about how large the crowds that surround Jesus are starting to get. He is afraid they will draw the wrong kind of attention from the Pharisees as well as the Roman officials, leading to disaster. It leads to some tensions between him and Jesus while Mary Magdalene tries to keep the peace. But Judas ends up turning Jesus over to the authorities as the crowd turns against him. Ultimately, Jesus is crucified.

Got it? Good. Let’s get on to the review!

Once Upon a Time: Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together!

As I wrote about last month, Once Upon a Time is ending this May. We have received confirmation that the finale will air on Friday, May 18th and will be two hours long. So, you know, like usual. Naturally, this set off a lot of speculation and hopes that different cast members would return for one last hurrah. Co-creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis said that they had sent out invitations for anyone who had been in Once to return and they had been waiting for responses.


Over the past week, we’ve received several announcements over who would be returning for the finale. Here they are:


Beverley Elliot (Granny/Widow Lucas)

Keegan Connor Tracy (Blue Fairy/Mother Superior)

Robbie Kay (Peter Pan)

Joanna Garcia-Swisher (Ariel)

Victoria Smurfit (Cruelle de Vil)

Lee Arenberg (Grumpy/Leroy)

Tony Amendola (Gepetto/Marco)

Sean Maguire (Robin Hood)

Jared Gilmore (younger Henry Mills…or as he called himself, Original Recipe Henry)

Emilie de Ravin (Belle)

Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White)

Josh Dallas (Prince Charming/David Nolan)

Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan)

IMDb also lists Raphael Sbarge as returning as Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket. No other source has confirmed that though.

The fandom is pretty much buzzing at this point now that we know all these familiar faces are returning and we’ll be saying goodbye to our beloved show with our beloved cast (mostly) back. Of course, there are questions about how some of them will appear. Peter Pan and Cruella are dead. So is Robin, unless he’s appearing as a ghost or Sean is playing Dark OQ.

(Pictures posted of Sean, though, seem to hint at Original Recipe Robin, which has most of us leaning toward ghost…though some people are hoping he’s coming back to life for an OQ endgame. I’m trying not to get my hopes up as we’ve been burned way too many times before and I can’t imagine it’s going to change just because the show is ending).

Once Upon a Time has started to film the last two episodes and filming should continue until the end of March, possibly into the first week of April. It’ll be sad to know when they say their goodbyes and leave the set for the last time, but it’s heartening to know they will all be together for one last hurrah.

Here’s the magic they made…

Once Upon a Time: Journey’s End

It’s official—Season 7 of Once Upon a Time will the show’s last. ABC, Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis announced it Tuesday, February 6th, ahead of the show’s return from the midseason hiatus on March 2nd.

Is this a surprise? Honestly, no. It was touch and go for Season 7 last May. Even with the announcement of the reboot, most of us went into this season with the belief that it could very well be the last. It looks like we were right.

What happens now? Well, we’ll see how the final episodes have played out. Adam and Eddy have said that the finale they have planned will tie everything up, though it’s unknown if any past cast members will appear before the end of the series. According to an interview given by Adam and Eddy, the finale will involve another alternate universe (think Heroes and Villains or the Wish Realm), so who knows what that will mean.

There will probably be a lot of speculation in the coming months as we approach the finale. People will probably be calling for certain actors (Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Jennifer Morrison, Emilie de Ravin) to return and may phrase their statements as if they are coming back. We won’t really know until there are official announcements from the production and/or the actors themselves.

What about me?

I will continue to recap the remaining episodes of Season 7. Then I will go back and finally finish recapping Season 6 before continuing with my Season 1 recaps until we get back to where I started recapping on a regular basis. Maybe by then, I can watch Outlaw Queen start all over again without either crying or being angry at everything we could’ve had but didn’t.

I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated and let’s enjoy the last moments we have in this world of fairy tales together.

Once Upon a Time returns Friday, March 2nd at 8PM.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

In 1995, Robin Williams starred in a movie where he played a man who had been trapped in a board game for decades. Bonnie Hunt and a young Kirsten Dunst went along for the ride and we watched jungle animals take over a small New England town.

That was Jumanji. And now twenty-something years later, Jumanji has been reborn for another generation. How is it? Let’s find out!

Beware snakes, stampeding rhinos and SPOILERS!

My Christmas Prince: My Christmas Meh

Hallmark Channel may be the most well known for Christmas movies but they are not alone. Lifetime often runs Christmas movies throughout December as do some other channels. Even Netflix got in on the game this year! They’ve also repeated Hallmark’s tried-and-true girl-becomes-princess for Christmas plots. Lifetime’s offering is My Christmas Prince.


How does it hold up compared to Hallmark? Let’s take a look!

These are my Christmas SPOILERS!

A Gift to Remember: A Movie Not to Forget

Time for another Hallmark movie! Like “A Song for Christmas,” this is part of 2017’s batch of movies. And it’s not a “A Princess for Christmas” knock off! It’s a quirky girl meets guy she thinks she can’t have but starts to fall in love anyway movie. Does it work?


Let’s find out!

As always, SPOILERS!

OUAT: Beware the Coven

Last time on “Once:” Victoria convinced Rumple to let her out of prison and promised him information on the Guardian. She was determined to bring her daughter Anastasia back to life as Drizella and Gothel followed her, determined to find her as well. Rogers broke into Rumple’s evidence locker and realized he was keeping files on everyone in Hyperion Heights, growing more suspicious of the man. 

Victoria relinquished all custody claims to Lucy, which Jacinda had validated by Nick. He kissed her but she pushed him away, saying she just wanted to parent with him. Unbeknownst to them, the kiss was recorded and Victoria planned to use it for nefarious reasons as she took Lucy from ballet and told her the truth about fairy tales—and her own story. 

Besides being Lady Tremaine, Victoria was also Rapunzel! She stole some vegetables to feed her family but was caught by Gothel. Rapunzel made a deal so her family could have a better life—but she ended up trapped in a tower. After her hair grew long enough, Rapunzel finally escaped and was reunited with her family. Only her husband Marcus, believing her dead, had married Ella’s mother, Cecilia. 

Rapunzel was given a job in Marcus and Cecilia’s household and allowed to live in a cottage on the property. She tried to reconnect with her daughters but while Anastasia welcomed her back, Drizella clearly preferred Cecilia over her. And she was getting mixed signals from Marcus, who seemed to love her but also Cecilia. Gothel showed up and gave her a mushroom that would get rid of Cecilia for her, allowing Rapunzel to take her happiness back. Rapunzel refused to use it but Gothel left it behind for her…just in case. 

After Drizella once again rejected Rapunzel and prefers Cecilia, Rapunzel used the poison on Cecilia. It poisoned her heart and drove her to Wonderland. Marcus returned and took Rapunzel back as his wife, the two taking in Ella and raising her with their girls. One day, though, the girls were building a snowman on an ice-covered lake when Anastasia and Ella fell through some ice. Marcus dove in but only managed to rescue Ella. 

Rapunzel found Anastasia, barely clinging to life, and brought her to Gothel. She begged Gothel to save her daughter and Gothel locked in Anastasia’s last breath to keep her from dying. But then Gothel insisted that Anastasia needed to go into the tower and this time, Rapunzel won’t be able to break anyone out. She revealed that she was testing people to find someone who was entirely selfless, trying to find a special person. Rapunzel failed when she ultimately poisoned Cecilia but maybe Anastasia will pass. Rapunzel stole Gothel’s magic and trapped her in the tower, vowing to find a way on her own to rescue Anastasia. 

Victoria took Lucy to see Anastasia in the hospital, showed her the video of Jacinda and Nick kissing and told her that happy endings weren’t real. She traumatized the poor girl into giving up her belief and shedding a tear, which Victoria collected as Lucy ran away. 

Rogers confronted Rumple, who admitted that he had been played by Victoria. He promised to work with Rogers—just as long as he helped him find Lucy, who was missing. Lucy, though, showed up at home and Jacinda noticed how brokenhearted she was. But before Lucy could tell her why she was so upset, she collapsed as Victoria used her tear to wake Anastasia up. 

Drizella watched the reunion before walking away, looking heartbroken yet determined. 

We open as doctors rush Lucy through the hospital. Jacinda runs by the gurney’s side, holding onto her daughter’s hand. She assures Lucy that she’s there as Lucy lies there, hooked up to oxygen. 
A flashback takes us back to the Enchanted Forest. Henry introduces his newborn daughter to Wish!Hook, Tiana and Jack and they all congratulate him. Jack teases him about being a father and Henry asks where his mother is. Drizella shows up, saying that Regina got caught up with something but is unharmed. Henry warns her to stay away from his daughter but she’s not there to hurt Lucy. 

(The proud papa!)

She’s there to deliver a prophecy—a curse will come on Lucy’s eighth birthday, one that will end their lives as they know it. Wish!Hook says she needs to check the prophecy again because she overlooked the part where they defeat her and Henry tells her to look down. Drizella does so and realizes she’s standing on a rune that’s glowing. It slowly turns her into stone and she realizes it’s blood magic. She asks how they did that and Lady Tremaine shows up for some reason, saying she contributed some of her blood because she can’t let Drizella cast the curse. Before her face turns to stone, Drizella vows that she will come back and that the curse will be cast—no matter what. 

(Don't Blink)

OUAT: What a Tangled Web

Get the pun? If not, hopefully you will by the end of the recap.

Last time on “Once:” Alice believed she had found a cure for the curse that separated her from her father—Wish!Hook. However, it didn’t and Hook ended up injured. She ran away to Wonderland, pursued by Ella and Henry. Henry realized Ella was familiar with Wonderland and she revealed that her mother ran away to Wonderland, abandoning her father. Ella hoped to find her mother and get answers, entering the infinite maze to do so.

Ella found Alice as well as her mother’s locket. Alice knew Ella’s mother, Cecilia, and revealed that her mother ran away to Wonderland because she was poisoned the same way Wish!Hook was. She had to stay away from the people she loved and was looking for a cure. Unfortunately, she was killed when the Jabberwocky attacked. Ella thanked her for telling her that and seemed to make peace with the fact that her mother hadn’t just abandoned them for no reason.

Alice revealed a pretty sorceress tricked her into thinking she was cured and Ella realized it was Drizella. Meanwhile, Drizella tried to poison Henry’s heart with the same curse but Ella got there just in time to save him thanks to her Magical Lockets of True Love. She finally gave into her feelings for Henry and they shared a Big Damn Kiss, complete with 360 camera work.

They returned to camp to assure Wish!Hook that Alice was fine and that she hoped they would be reunited one day. Regina noticed they were holding hands and wished them the best. Tiana then revealed that someone claiming to be friends with Henry showed up. He introduced the man as Jack, one of his first friends in the Enchanted Forest, and Jack joined the rebellion.

Meanwhile, Hyperion Heights reeled over Victoria’s arrest. Henry recorded some footage of Drizella for his podcast and she asked if he would want to make videos with Belfrey Industries’ backing. Regina stepped in and warned Drizella away from her son but Drizella was feeling pretty in control, revealing that Eloise Gardiner was Mother Gothel. Regina certainly knew who she was and how dangerous she was.

Gothel, meanwhile, checked in with Officer Rogers and brought him a cake. Regina later threw it out when she found out Gothel made it and she encouraged Rogers to give Tilly a second chance. It certainly gave Rogers something to think about it and he later made a standing appointment with Tilly to play chess with her each week.

Lucy was put into a foster home and Sabine convinced Jacinda to enlist the help of Lucy’s bio-dad (at least according to the curse)—Nick, who is just a cursed Jack. He has become a lawyer and he agreed to help her get their daughter back, though he was probably also flirting with her—even taking her to a fancy restaurant. He met Henry and the two bonded immediately, though it was dampened on Henry’s side when he learned who Nick was. But he had to admit he was a good man and tried to get Lucy to bond with her father. She was having none of it, convinced Nick was the “Kathryn.”

Meanwhile, Regina met with Rumple and told him that she was awake. She told him that Gothel was around and that they both knew they couldn’t let her continue to be free. Rumple, though, played dumb and pretended he wasn’t awake. So Regina said she would get help from somewhere else.

Henry continued to work on the food truck but when he saw Jacinda and Nick coming back from a date, he left after giving her the keys. She chased after him and explained that she felt something for him but she needed to focus on Lucy. She confessed that she didn’t lose Lucy—she signed her parental rights over to Victoria, believing it was for the best. Now she was scared that Lucy will hate her for it. Henry reassured her that it wouldn’t happen and encouraged her to tell that to Nick so he could help her. He then said that maybe it wasn’t a good time for them to start anything and they parted ways.

He then went and drank his feelings, horrifying Regina when she found him at her bar. It only grew as he railed against love, especially since it wasn’t going to work out with Jacinda. She took the bottles from him and said that she needed to go to San Francisco to enlist the help of someone who hates Victoria Belfrey…but hates her more. She invited Henry to come along with her to get a change of scenery and he agreed, saying he had the perfect playlist for their car ride.

Jacinda and Nick got Lucy returned to her custody and Lucy happily returned home to her mother. Jacinda apologized for giving her up but promised that she would always fight for her going forward. Lucy forgave her and told her she believed in her. Jacinda then introduced Lucy formally to Nick, though she wasn’t too thrilled about that. After, Jacinda went to Roni’s to give Henry a mix tape but was told he went to San Francisco with Roni. She left, disappointed.

Drizella and Gothel continued to work together. Gothel asked Drizella to find Anastasia’s body so they could get to her magic. Drizella finally found her in one of Victoria’s other properties but when they opened the coffin, it was empty and so their search continued.

We open in the middle of a storm as a team of horses race through the night, leading a carriage. A clocked figure guides them as two small children rest in the back, caring for a sick man. The carriage comes to a stop by a gate and the man asks the driver why they have stopped, addressing the person as “Rapunzel.” We see Rapunzel in the front seat—and this time it is her, the woman whose appearance Mother Gothel stole in order to seduce Wish!Hook. She explains that she found some food for them and he apologizes that she must care for them. Rapunzel assures him—Marcus—that things will get better and all the dreams they have for their family will come true. She then tells her daughters to stay with their father and assures them that the lanterns will connect them—they will see hers and she’ll see theirs. She promises that family always finds a way to stay together before heading into the garden beyond the gate.

(It's Rapunzel--the real one!)

A Song for Christmas: A Review for Christmas

Tis the season! Hallmark Christmas movie season, that is! They started right before Halloween and I’ve already seen “A Princess for Christmas” three times…in the same week. I think I’ve also seen “Love at the Thanksgiving Parade” twice as well.

Of course, there’s a new crop of movies this year as well. I doubt I’ll review them all, but I thought I would at least try to review this one. So, grab your guitar and light your Christmas tree…oh…and beware of…

SPOILERS!

OUAT: Tainted Love

Last time on “Once:” Rogers asked Tilly to help him find Eloise Gardiner. She met up with him again and told him that Eloise had been living on the street and going by Rain until she was killed in a car accident a couple years earlier. Rogers was shattered and almost fell off the wagon, having gone sober after being drunk on the job when Eloise was kidnapped (which is why he took her disappearance so hard). He realized that the painting Tilly had given as proof that Rain was Eloise was only made recently and knew exactly what was going on.

He stormed the evidence room and confronted Rumple, demanding to know why he made Tilly lie. Rumple told him he was trying to protect Rogers from himself, but couldn’t explain why just yet. Rogers pretty much told him to go to hell and then stormed over to Victoria’s office, getting Drizella to give him access to the GPS on her mother’s car so he could track her down.

Rogers stormed into a warehouse owned by Victoria. He found her there as she had discovered that Drizella was awake and working with the Witch. She hid the Witch but Rogers freed her, saying she was Eloise.

dun dun DUN!

Victoria was arrested while Tilly apologized for lying. Rogers told her he was disappointed in her before heading to the hospital with the Witch. Drizella gloated over her mother’s demise while Lucy had to go into foster care, leaving Jacinda vowing to get her daughter back. It was the main reason why she decided not to pursue a relationship with Henry, encouraged by Regina—who still needed to keep them from sharing True Love’s Kiss.

Our flashbacks took us to the Wish!Realm as well as the Enchanted Forest. Hook prepared his crew to leave with the Queen’s curse but she showed up to reveal that Snow and Charming took her magic, so she couldn’t cast the curse. She asked Hook to go retrieve a flower from a tower so she could use its magic to restore her own. Then they can go get his revenge on the Crocodile. Hook agreed and took Smee with him.

They found the tower and Hook scaled up it, climbing into the window. He met Rapunzel, who explained she was trapped there by a witch’s curse and told him where to get the magical flower. He promised to return so she could use it to escape and she was surprised he would do that. But Hook’s “save a damsel” side had been triggered and he was taken with her.

Hook and Smee went to the garden and Hook sang a sea shanty to find the flower but only managed to start a fight with a giant garden gnome. As Smee acted as bait, Hook started to sing a lullaby which did activate the flower. He grabbed it and it defeated the gnome. Hook ordered Smee to go back to port while he went to rescue Rapunzel. Smee warned him to be careful before heading out.

Returning to the tower, Hook gave Rapunzel the flower. She showed her gratitude by kissing him and then the camera panned away to indicate sexy times.

In the morning, Hook was surprised to learn that Rapunzel had a baby overnight. Rapunzel then revealed she was the Witch, Mother Gothel, and had used a glamor spell to trick him into sleeping with him. She said she needed someone of her bloodline to leave in the tower so she could escape, leaving behind their daughter in her place. Hook was more appalled at that rather than the fact he had been raped by deception, much like Robin was by Zelena. Once again, that was brushed over but I’m not going to start that again.

Hook went back to the port and gave the flower to the Evil Queen while also turning the Jolly Roger to Smee. He said he needed to stay behind because something more important came up. The Evil Queen asked what was more important than revenge and the answer was his daughter, who Hook named after his mother—Alice.

We open with a sword fight between Ella and Henry. It seems she is getting the upper hand, though he is holding his own. She teases him, saying she thought he was taught by a pirate. He replies he was but Hook didn’t cheat as much as did. She counters with the fact that the royal guards won’t fight fair either. They end up entangled in each other’s arms and share a moment before Ella ends it. Henry apologizes and Ella says it’s complicated. Before she can elaborate, she freezes and whispers that they are not alone.

(Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!)