Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160404010039/@comment-5106672-20160404024433

My goodness, what a great episode! I really enjoyed it start to finish.


 * ”I'm not the Devil; people are always conflating us, no.” And that's why I love OUAT.


 * “True love. You can't tell me you don't feel something too.”, “Yes, but we've just met.” And that's why I love OUAT #2.


 * I knew they would do something GREAT out of Zelena sooner or later. She's been one of the least relatable characters in the series so far, but I knew they would find a way to make her resonate with the audience. In this whole episode I felt so much for her that oh my gosh, I even cried a little. Her being so damaged that she's scared to love is something I can identify with. There was a bit of Skin-Deep!Rumple and Quite A Common Fairy!Regina in that, which I didn't mind. And it showed how all the Mills women are reiterating Cora's self-harming cycle: as Regina said last season, they're the one standing in the way or their own happiness and Zelena clearly showed that.


 * Speaking of which, at long last we're seeing some true character development with him. He's been so brutally honest with Belle that for a moment I thought that was a glamoured Hades or something. He's finally learning from his mistakes and trying to be more open in his relationship, which is something we've never seen before to this extent.


 * Downside: I think he pretty much stated how unhealthy Rumbelle has become right now. Also, yes, Belle rushing out has been done x infinity, but that was a very realistic thing for her to do: take some time to process all that news and see what to do next. I don't really know where they can go from here, though: on the one side, Rumple is right, Belle cannot expect him to completely change; on the other hand, she couldn't compromise on her morals just to be with him, because that would be a very unhealthy message. Well, let's see.


 * Yeah, well, give the Charmings anything to do.


 * On a shallower level, Robin looks unnecessarily cruel in the whole baby custody department; on a deeper level, I can quite understand his concern: trusting Zelena has never been such a great idea so far, I can totally see where he's coming from. But while she's still going about it the worst way possible, I think for the first time her intent is not a nefarious one. That's a first step.


 * Conversely, I see Regina is discovering some common ground with Zelena through the motherhood thing and trying to really help her step on the redemption path while still keeping a close eye on her. I really hope the show will be exploring their present-day relationship too in Sisters, 'cause I'd like to see more of this thawing/tolerance going on.

So yeah, I felt the episode was a bit rushed too, but there was SO MUCH going on that I'm okay. I think Zelena and Hades might have become my OTP on the show (which isn't saying much, considering how dysfunctional or frustrating all the others are) and I'm glad they've shown a more human side of both of them.