Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20171007005904/@comment-25926288-20171008004641

Esk's Grade Report

Plot (2.5 out of 3)

- The hardest problem for Once is to not retread and repeat. I think they did a good job keeping the story interesting. The pacing was mostly smooth, the macguffins (Once's weak spot) were fine so far. Hey, we can all have a sigh of relief that they didn't bring back the enchanted cuff again.

- A potential downside is that it was a little on the nose a bit too much, like "Hey, HEY, this is Cinderella. This is Tiana! Look frogs! Look here! Look here!" As an establishing premiere and standalone, it's understandable. If it happens every episode, then that's a little problematic unless it's a motif to the character. (Change my mind, it shouldn't be given slack, given this is also a "sequel".)

Character (3.5 out of 4)

- As a premiere, there's some slack to be given. However, as half of the grade will tend to be....the old characters can't stand in a vacuum.

- Old: Weaver generates the most intrigue, while Roni gets a lengthy monologue. Rogers...got scenes, I guess. So, the downed half-a-point (partially) goes to an uneven entrance. Given what is likely to come, it'll likely balance this out.

- New: Some might be stuck to nostalgia and "no change", but Jace in either world brings a unique style and story to relate to Cinderella. I feared potential niches and she defied those, both her and Lucy. Some are hard on child actors, but I think Allison and Dania play off each other well. Victoria is love-to-hate, Anwar does her well and we get glimpses of her character in all the things she does, while her lines hint at "other" things we may learn about her. Alice generates immense intrigue. Drizzy and Tiana are fine in their small roles. The part of the down-point is mostly Tiana's section that could have been a little more fleshed out. It's very possible most missed who she was and how many scenes she was in.

Balance ( 2 out of 2)

- Adam and Eddy, while less subtle, know how to balance humor and serious, fantasy and mundane. Might be a bit dramatic at times, but it flows equally, whether in fairytaleland or not.

Fandom Outlook ( 0.5 out of 1)

- Personally, I'd give this an 8/10. However, there are some that have recognized points with some valid issues and might dislike the episode (or think it's at least only subpar). I think it's a mixed response, which to Adam and Eddy is the best outcome they were likely looking for.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10

- Adam and Eddy always do the premieres and they usually are well received. Might lean a bit high, but that's primarily taking the show as a reboot, then secondly as a sequel = "requel". I don't expect the Fan Outlook section to ever really change, but I find the weights are properly made Character > Plot > Balance > Fan Outlook. After all, only ratings tell us how the show is recieved bar the quality.