User blog:Rena Charming/Miniview Mash-Up 2

Fall

 * Flashback story - 4 out of 5 stars. Nill, so, by comparison, I will make Anna and Kristoff's parallel hijinks tantamount to a flashback. I liked that Hans was unfrozen just like the rest of them, I liked the whole wishing star tie-in (for once, some important object wasn't a mere MacGuffin), I liked Black Beard's inclusion and the first tie-in to 3.17 (ha he was alive). Above all things else, I liked the ending of this little adventure with Anna and Kristoff being sealed in a case under water and sharing what might be their last words to one another, specifically Anna trying to marry him. It was an honestly moving moment for a couple we were otherwise not really meant to ship.
 * Present-day action - 5 out of 5 stars. Quite the busy episode. There was something horrific about Hook trapping all the fairies/nuns inside the hat, and I liked Belle's inclusion in the episode. Seeing all of our favorite heroes prepare for the storm ahead was rewarding, and the spell itself was just visually stunning, one of the most beautiful sights the show has treated us to. Anna and Elsa reuniting was cute and moving and somehow it didn't feel like it was long overdue, it was just the right time, and the clunky irony behind this fast-paced episode is actually how slow the curse, the story's trigger, really moves.
 * Usage of cast - 5 out of 5 stars. Sure, Will Scarlet was a party-pooper as usual, but the core cast was so well used I'm willing to overlook that.
 * Writing - 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe you could think that I'm manipulating the ratings to my pleasing, but the fact is that the writing wasn't that sharp for the first half of this episode. Anna's line about how she sang with Hans was more annoying than cute, and how fricking long could it possibly take Elsa to get back to the rocks, to the point that Emma managed to catch up with her before she broke through them even though Elsa had a major head-start? Did she lose herself along the way cos she's new there? Did she take a nap in the meantime? There was also so much exposition in this episode (Black Beard explaining how he was alive, the star pendant being the wishing star, people talking about when the curse would strike), more than the usual dose.

Overall rating: 17'/20. Sure, why not? Tbh it seems a little generous, but alright.

Shattered Sight

 * Flashback story - 5 out of 5 stars. Sure, it's not as a whimsical as any given flashback fairytale story in season 1, but from what we can get these days, it's among the best we can hope for. Elizabeth Mitchell and Abby Ross nailed it as they usually do, and they actually had a palpable chemistry that sort of made me root for Ingrid to work out as Emma's mommy even though we all knew the outcome of that. That ice cream store flashback was something I really, really wanted to see since that picture was found in 4.05, and I'm glad we got it. Emma looked season 1-esque, younger and somehow more beautiful, and the second Graham mention this season was icing on the cake. Nobody bothers to mention Ruby, though. Go figure.
 * Present-day action - 5 out of 5 stars, of course. And already, two sections down, this episode gets a positive grade. As far as climaxes go, this one was outstanding. Sure beats the hell out of Pan getting literally backstabbed or whatever the hell went down in that barn with Zelena. The entire episode was a climax, actually. Way to go, show.
 * Usage of cast - 4 out of 5 stars. Alas, the episode must take a lower blow here. Belle had no lines AGAIN (also the first of two episodes this season in which she is merely shown sleeping), Will's inclusion was God-awful, Henry was barely featured...
 * Writing - 4 out of 5 stars. We could poke holes in Ingrid's story forever if we tried to, but my reasoning with this show is as follows: if I am honestly entertained, then my suspension of disbelief knows no limits. Some people are patient, but Ingrid's patience is ridiculous, and for someone who waited so long to get something, it was odd enough to see her suddenly decide to get over it and kill herself for everyone's sake. Consistency, she lacks it a bit, not as much as me, but a little. Do I care? Meh, not really. These are just objective points I'm making that anyone else could make. Her quest for two magical foster sisters is just something that they randomly came up with and thought, "Sure, no villain has done precisely THAT before in our show." It's alright. Worked out well for me. Can't complain.

Overall rating: 18/20. Kudos, OUaT. This might just be my favorite episode of the season. Let's see how the last five fare.