Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160516005939/@comment-24674051-20160516171352

Ok, I'll post this ( my longer review of the episode ) first, then start responding to other posts...

I'm not going to say that this was the best episode of the season, because it wasn't. But it was a good episode. There was sufficient action, the conflict was well contained, the character development actually happened.

Regina and Emma's conversation in the NYC Apartment (Seriously, who is paying the rent on that place?) was fantastic, because we got to see a side of Regina that we rarely get. Regina is a very introspective and private character, so to see her open up about what she did as the EQ, and how that has affected who she is now, was very refreshing. She knows what she did in the past, and is truly remorseful about what she did. She knows she can't undo it, and she feels like she's trapped in a place between the Dark and the Light. She appears to be unable to forgive herself, even when her friends have forgiven her (Snow's statement of that at the end of the episode confirms the external forgiveness from others).

Also, Emma wanting to at least attempt to be "delicate" in revealing that Killian is back shows some growth in her character, and in her respect for Regina. Of course, she immediately backslid when she tried to bench Regina. Emma can be hypocritical at times, and Regina (angry and hurt as she was) had a good point in confronting Emma about that hypocrisy, and I thought handled it as well as could be expected.

Also, I had to think about Henry's involvement. But in the end I like what they did, and I think that they opened up the door to more involvement for his character. He is a teenager that has had more than his fair share of issues. He is struggling to find his identity, and I really think his momentary lapse of judgement regarding magic was just a knee jerk reaction from having been to the UW and back, watching as his adoptive Mom and her sister struggle to cope with losing true loves because of Magic, plus all of the baggage he has with his own magical experiences. It's no surprise that, under that kind of stress, he would (as a teenager) make a rash decision regarding magic. and unfortunately, he's got enough background to pull off what he did, with a little help from his gf.

But the episode also reminded us of another facet of Henry, and that is that he has the heart of the truest believer. That trait, combined with his abilities as the Author, could pay dividends in future stories (particularly if the series does go the route of unfinished/untold tales, which would be right in his wheelhouse for finishing and telling)

Moving on to other aspects of the episode. If someone had told me at the beginning of the season that Zelena, Killian, and the Charmings would be stuck somewhere and work together to get out of the mess, I probably would have laughed and asked for a sip of whatever they were imbibing. However, that was the exact dynamic we got with the Land of Untold Stories (LUS) plotline. And I feel that they did a good job pulling that off. there was enough angst and snark (particularly between Killian and Zelena) to remind us that they are still struggling with their new roles, but enough teamwork to show that they are willing to put aside past differences and work toward a common goal. And it was also nice to see Snow being more of her BA self (even if Ginny is pregnant), and David actually stepping up to take the lead. It was not a lot of development for these characters, but it was enough.

The new characters introduced this week (and carrying forward into Season 6) were nicely done. We don't have the flashback on them yet, but it was not needed since Jeckyll and Hyde are more known than some of the other tales. the writers have added very little to the story (so far), with the one twist being that they are now 2 distinct individuals. And showing that twist occurring in present day was well done. I will say that I am not getting the strong Villain vibe from Hyde. Yes, he is dark, but he does seem to have some compassion. and his goal (at least for now) being to find a place where the untold tales could be told does not feel sinister (though that opinion may change once we know more about these untold tales). Honestly, I feel that both J & H could be more Anti-heros, rather than Hero and Villain.

Also, we already know that Hyde and Rumple have a past. So I am curious about what happened in that past that angered Hyde. (though I guess we should not be too surprised. Rumple has that effect on alot of people).

The other new character introduced is more of an enigma, and has piqued my curiousity. Who is Pool (or is it Puhl, or some other spelling? I'm not sure)? He actually seemed to run the asylum (or whatever that place was), except when Hyde was in control. I'm confident that he has a good story waiting to be told.

Finally, a stray thought. I loved that Violet's father, Sir Morgan, was in fact the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court. first, is allows a strong and valid reason for Violet to stay behind rather than returning the the EF. and second, it is yet another non-fairy tale literary tie to the show. I would not mind at all seeing some of Mark Twain's other characters make cameos.

I'm sure there are other thoughts as well, but this wall of words is already long enough.