Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20150413002300/@comment-25926288-20150413034213

GothicNarcissus wrote: Boy, do I need a moment.

Okay, a couple of things I didn't really like first.


 * Is Will really making sense in this episode? He's in Oz, then in the Enchanted Forest, then Wonderland, the hell? Although getting to Oz is what might have inspired him to flee to Wonderland with Ana, eventually, so I'm rolling with that. Also, he inspired Robin's code, then he betrayed it when he joined him… I don't know, I found it a bit lame, but whatever.


 * Zelena's return. I'm kind of not getting how she didn't die. I mean, okay, the pendant was apparently a failsafe, but even the Dark One had to be resurrected once he killed himself, so how could she regain a body in the Enchanted Forest and stuff? It felt a bit contrived. And also, she was Marian all along yet her heart wasn't darkened when Regina tore it out? Is the glamour spell that powerful? Meh.


 * I hoped this episode would address the little continuity error regarding Marian's death: Robin said it was his fault and had no clue Regina was behind it (she might have saved your child, but you're not nice to the person who killed your wife), yet she was still executed / went M.I.A. when Regina captured her and set her for an execution. So, we still have an open problem with that.

Now, the awesomeness:


 * Rebecca is officially on my top 3 actresses list, and I love and hate a bit Zelena at the same time. Gosh, her performance was so over the top that she breathed so much life in her character and I loved each single second of it! Glad to have her back on board, she loves so much what she does in the show and that makes her brilliant!
 * Also, kudos to Christie Laing for mimicking so well Rebecca's diction in the scene with Gold: at first I thought Rebecca was dubbing her!


 * I love Rumple's heart-to-hearts. Fake as a three cent coin, but I love him when he (pretends to) try and do good. Sneaky bastad, he played Robin like a violin to have leverage on Regina. Also, I didn't find it strange that he came to a compromise with Zelena despite the whole Nealfire debacle: he's ultimately a coward and, faced with death, he chose the easy way out in spite of any love there might have been in his life. Typically Rumple, that's why I love to hate him.


 * Despite my ship, I loved Robin and Marian's flashbacks in the Enchanted Forest: they have a really good chemistry and their love really looked genuine. I ship them… in the past. Now can we get back to OutlawQueen already, please?


 * The glamour spell: I love how they pulled it off. I didn't care much for the recast, but they found a very elegant way to address it. I also defend the writers' choice not to bring Tom Ellis back: long-term or dedicated viewers had a nod they would easily get, more recent or casual ones won't be confused by something they don't recall: everyone's happy.


 * Bonus points: Robin under the shower. Thank you, OUAT, for that.


 * Not a huge fan of Regina's morality going back and forth like a flag in the wind, so while I loved the scene where she tried to tell Gold off, I wasn't very thrilled at her final glance – except for how wonderfully Lana pulled it out, she's amazing. But after all, I understand that, between the life of her True Love and the person who, unwittingly or not, has actively screwed her life over multiple times, she'd choose the boo. So I'm rolling with that, as long as it's just a temporary relapse. But she's a clever woman, so let's see what comes out.

I think you forgot to mention how great Rebecca was.
 * Did I already say how amazing Rebecca is?

So, in simple terms, Zelena's lifeforce/magic escaped the pendant and traveled back in time. She travelled to a time in which she exists and has a form, a body. Then she concocts her plan. I think of it almost like Kingdom Hearts's time travel, except Emma and Hook sort of bend the rules since Hook exists twice and Emma was there before she was born. But all is fine.

In terms of stuff, Regina killed Marian in the Original Timeline. Regina sentenced Marian to death in the second timeline, but Emma rescued her and Zelena (for no reason) killed Marian. I take this as a way to make it more morally clean, since it would be awkward for Robin to like the woman who sentenced his wife to death, which she still sort of did. However, Robin doesn't know the Evil Queen and this apparent crime, unless he doesn't care. Poor Marian rejected even while dead.

I liked that Robin choose Marian, since she gave up everything for him and helped inspire his code. Sadly, it isn't Marian and now it justifies (somehow) Regina and Robin together. (Note: I don't ship, but like Zelena said some "see the forest for the trees" and I can't help but see how awkward it is.)