Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160502010041/@comment-27257290-20160504022439

I had a lot of mixed feeling about this episode.

First of all, LOVED the creativity of Cruella making herself the new UW ruler. I can't believe I didn't see it coming, since she's the DeVil. It's also noteworthy that she can't kill people, just like Hades. The irony gauntlet passes from hand to doggy-mittened hand. I liked how the Blind Witch did something cool this episode, even if she took up all of 3 seconds of screen time for it.

One thing that mostly just confused and annoyed me was the scene with the test for Captain Swan's twu luv. I would have thought a scene dedicated to the central theme in this show would be more carefully planned out. First, I never quite understood why Hook's experience in the Navy meant that he could read Ancient Greek. Is he secrelty a multi-linguist who can fluently read almost any language (even for a sailor, you'd probably need an eidetic memory to learn that much in the few years he spent between entering the Navy and becoming a pirate)? Or did he just happen to learn Greek for the hell of it (pun intended)?

Also, I feel like a better test could have been designed to test twu luv. Without all the cheap flame effects. I knew it would have involved Emma putting Hook before herself, so I don't have a problem with the premise they used. But when Hook was surrounded by swirling fire and Emma looked at her heart, for some reason I expected her to have to put her heart in his chest or something. I was surprised that all she had to do was push Hook over, especially when her heart didn't seem to be in any danger - it was just sat there on the scales. I felt like this scene was just a bit unclear, and imo should have been longer. This whole story arc happened because of Emma's love for Hook, it could do them a bit more justice tbf.

However I was truly touched by Emma and Hook's goodbye, even the symbolism of the elevator. Very well done, I almost cried - but then, I've always been a sucker for Captain Swan. I was sad that Hook couldn't return, but I'm still hopeful - 3 episodes left, come on OUAT!! I said it after Birth and I'll say it again now - Emma has lost too much, she deserves her happy ending!

I guess I liked the flashbacks - they cleared up why Emma became a bailbondsperson, why she has her trademark red jacket, and we got to see her trying to dig up her past at last - we all knew it happened at some point. However I just don't feel like they were extremely well fitted for this episode. What was the main point again? That Emma shuts people out? It gave me quite a bit of nostalgia for what seems like forever ago when she first had this problem with Hook. I just hope this issue is finally resolved and we won't have to deal with it again. I just feel like this was a weak theme of the episode since it was only brought up in her goodbye with Hook.

As for Hades, apart from his continually annoying gasps and overly stating the obvious, why did he bother writing Emma's name on a gravestone to begin with? It turns out he knew splitting her heart wouldn't work the entire time. If he thought it would work, he wouldn't have let them try because he wouldn't be able to send them on a wild goose chase for ambrosia. And he knew Emma wouldn't leave the UW without giving her all for Hook, so why not use the stone for someone else's name? I'm sure I'm missing something here.

I was very pleased with Rumple's betrayal of Pan ... although (I swear I'm not whining for the sake of it) I thought Rumple's lines were a bit odd. For the complicated relationship Rumple has with his dad, I'm not sure "you're a villain so you don't get to be happy, LOL" is really a fitting final goodbye. But then, I've always hated anything that implies the world is divided into heroes and villains, when half the time this show is trying to tell us that's not the way it works - and especially coming from Rumple, who is himself a villain by his own standards.

I liked the insertion of ambrosia, Orpheus and Eurydice - even the return of the infamous Pandora's box (though it's kind of lame how only Rumple or Pan ever seem to use it). After last week's use of Lethe water, this arc is finally living up to its origins. Hopefully the Greek references will increase towards the end of the series again, and its only the middle bit that has no Greek stuff.