The promos did not do "That Still Small Voice" justice; Sunday's episode of Once Upon a Time was a sterling example of the show at its best. ("At its best" = like a Disneyland charactor actor: gorgeous, enchanting, but operating on dream logic and possibly insane.) While the episode did go on a tangent with Jiminy Cricket's backstory, the tangent was a thoroughly entertaining mini horror movie, and the ending of the episode cemented the dual realities of the series (at long last).
The fun started when the most handsome sheriff on TV deputized Emma by giving her a badge—which she clipped to her waistband, triggering a sinkhole to appear on the outskirts of Storybrooke and settling the debate of whether or not she's actually wearing pants or whether the costume people merely have her squat in a bathtub of dark blue paint to cut costs because Mama, those jeggings are TIGHT.
The entire town gathered at the sinkhole, where Regina promised to bulldoze the new safety hazard and pocketed a shard of something. Henry called Regina out on lifting a piece of rubble and accused her of hiding something, and then she gave his child psychiatrist an ultimatum: Get rid of Henry's fairytale theory or YOUR UMBRELLA WILL BE ALL YOU HAVE LEFT! (Jiminy cricket reference)
Because Jiminy Cricket has relatively shallow folkloric roots (he is an original, minor character from the 1883 novel Le avventure di Pinocchio), the writers went to town on his backstory. OUAT's Jiminy started out human, and his parents were as scathing a takedown of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter as I've ever wanted to see.
The family worked as traveling puppeteers/con artists, which distressed young Jiminy, but not enough to run away or stand up to his parents when he was still living with them as a 40-year-old man. The idea that he couldn't shake those steampunks as a full grown adult was beyond ridiculous, but the parents were well cast and had impressive comic timing.
Fairytale Jiminy (I cannot believe what I'm typing right now) was forced to turn to Rumpelstiltskin to free himself from his parents, who suggested splashing them with the contents of a dark vial and then Rumpelstiltskin would "come and collect them." It was a hell of a thing to depict Jiminy Cricket as so cowardly he would turn to murdering his parents. If this can be called murder:
That was probably one of the most frightening/darling murders I've ever seen on TV. This young couple drank puppet juice and then sat down and held hands while they morphed into marionettes? Kind of adorbs.
In real life, Jiminy/Archie caved to Regina's threats and told Henry that his fairytale theory was a delusion and that if he didn't give it up he'd have to be locked away, an emotional trauma to those of us hoping the writers would write Henry right off the show. (Would Emma visit him at an asylum every other episode? Don't tease me!) This caused Henry to run straight into the sinkhole with a bag of no-name candy bars. Regina and Emma teamed up to recover him and Archie ran straight in after him, risking certain death yadda yadda. The fact is, the fun sinkhole/bizarre puppet murder world of Jiminy Cricket was nothing compared to the few brief minutes we spent with these guys:
You know why they cast Josh Dallas? Because he GLOWS around Ginnifer Goodwin. Together they have more chemistry than ten thousand beakers on ten thousand Bunsen burners. "John Doe" still has no memory or connection with his past, including his "wife," but told Margaret she was the only thing that seemed real to him. The total on-screen time they shared was maybe three minutes' worth, but it made my effing day. Although Margaret turned in a resignation letter at the hospital (Margaret don't play with married men), the promos for next week point to an episode all about them, to which I say, HELLS YES.
Emma managed to wrangle her way down an airshaft and snatch up Henry moments before the elevator he and Archie were trapped in plummeted to Kingdom Come. Emma locked eyes with Archie and said "I'm sorry" right before the elevator fell, but the wily child psychiatrist hooked onto her with his umbrella, so she and Henry didn't have to watch him fall to his death. Still, Emma: You're grizzled as hell, girl.
The fairytale storyline concluded with Jiminy wishing on a star and a fairy appearing and turning him into a grasshopper. A grasshopper with subtitles is our happy ending. I don't know why the fairy was dressed like a hooker, I don't know why he didn't just wish for a horse, but now we all know that Gepetto got his love of puppets from coming home and finding his young parents turned into marionettes. Let's take from that what we can.
The most important development of "That Still Small Voice" came after Henry was pulled out of the ground, when Regina threw the shard she'd nabbed earlier back down the airshaft, where it fell and fell and fell until it landed on Snow White's glass coffin. This was our first confirmation that the fairytale world is real and that Regina remembers it, and it came at a crucial time, after the word "psychosis" had been bandied about. Even if it seems illogical that physical elements of the fairytale world would remain, the ultimate progress of the storyline will depend on concrete physical evidence. This reveal was a perfect ending and re-dedication to Once Upon A Time's addictive kind of crazy.
Questions:
… Jiminy Cricket hinted at a custody battle. Season 1? Season 2?
… The thing down the airshaft: The glass coffin, right? Is everything else down there, too? I thought she transported the characters? HELP!
… According to Emma's lie-detection skills, Regina doesn't really love Henry. She also doesn't know he's Snow White's grandson. So why is she so protective of him?
… Did the Sheriff defy Regina by making Emma the deputy, or is this a joint effort to keep tabs on her?
… Does Lana Parilla have "the sexiest lips in the biz"?
… Next week's promo: Will Snow and Prince Charming get together?! AIIEEE can't wait a week!!!
It was Snow White's coffin under the mines. The same from the pilot.
I can hardly wait for Ruby's "backstory". It should be a doozie.
While watching I assumed it was the mirror you know 'mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?' but you saying its the coffin makes more sense so we shall see!
There were scenes of the castle with that dark glass. I was thinking it was from Regina's castle. That the dark hole is her castle - the starting point of the entire curse.
Remember that the mirror is actually a person. They showed him in an earlier episode.
I was thinking the same thing. My first thought was magic mirror, but the idea of the coffin makes just as much sense.
I find myself being more interested in the fairy tale side story than what's actually going on in Storybrook. Jiminy's story was the best one so far.
I liked the episode especially for Marc Isham's score. His music for Jiminy was beautiful..
And the music for Henry too. The variation we heard while Henry started exploring the mine was so pretty I rewound and listened a couple of times. I hope this show will distribute Isham's score at some point.
I liked the episode because I love the show, but I was never a huge Pinocchio fan so I didn't go in with high hopes for a Jiminy-centric episode. I can say that I loved seeing David and Mary Margaret's interactions, aside from that I was quietly rooting for the mine.
I had a pennant flag that said "Mine" on it and another one that said "Thar He Blows"
Ha! At least one person shares my beliefs, apparently it's uncouth to dislike a kid, even a fictional one.
@CarlosR628891
I agree about the little mistakes being distracting. You forgot to add the remark from Gepetto about not being able to let the hook down without a person or it would destroy the shaft - Yes if miners since the 16th century had never figured out that it's not the human on the hook that stops it from swinging around and catching onto something but simply ANY mass on a string will stabilize it. Of course you send down a human to save someone, but not just to be dead weight on a string.
OK, it's TV and its a fairy tale. Still, there's a collapsing mine with tremors strong enough to shake the town, so the annoying kid runs straight into it. Right. Then a bunch of supposedly smart adults use explosives (!) on an unstable mine with people trapped inside. Right. Then they send someone down with no experience with mining / spelunking whatsoever, even though ex-miners are right there. Right. Darwin awards, anyone?
Then the rescuees come up without the slightest bit of dust or dirt on them. Right. Then, last shot, we see this glass coffin (supposedly) when we should be seeing a trashed elevator cabin. Right. (Not to mention the rain machine scene with bright sunshine. Duh.)
Most annoying episode so far. I was so distracted by those stupidities I didn't even keep track of the story.
Oh, and what was that thing the kid found in the mine, again?moreless
Like you said - It's a friggin' fairy tale! There are plenty of shows on the Science Channel if you don't want any deviation from reality. I wonder why you watch the show if you can't even suspend your disbelief for 45 minutes.
I was a big fan of "24", and there were way more "holes" in that supposedly "realistic" drama, but I was still able to overlook them for the sake of entertainment. Again, when I want a dose of the real world, I tune into the Science Network.
I suggest you watch something else on Sundays, because I think after this most excellent episode, there will be more "inconsistencies" that you will not be able to reconcile and that will "annoy" you even more.
Best episode yet, and they all have been very good. When you look at all the "new" shows this or any recent year, the "originality factor" and creativity of this series is way off the charts. Not that I am saying this is the best show ever, but it is certainly one of the best shows this year, or in recent years. Not a reality show, not a remake, not a rip off, not a formulaic show, not pretending to be anything else than it is - pure family entertainment. Well written and equally well acted.moreless
Whoa, easy there! My point entirely you miss. I'm perfectly happy with "alternative universes", with fairy tales, super powers, time warps, monsters, or ray guns. That's why I watch OUAT, it's original, as you said. But keep it consistent! If an elevator cage plummets to the ground, I want it to remain there, or have it explained otherwise. Too much to ask?
Yeah the day for night was extremely annoying, in films I find it inexcusable but TV deadlines are so tight I let it slide. I'm sure anyone with any experience in spelunking/engineering/physics was screaming at the TV. My ignorance in this regard, for once, was bliss.
I *think* Henry found a sizable shard of the glass coffin..but how that could possibly be identified is beyond my imagining.
Totally agree the 3 minutes of Snow and Charming made my week so awesome and I can't wait for more, I am loving the roller-coaster ride that is OUAT!
On the coffin, I agree with everyone who said that as time is passing, more and more of the old fairy tale world is coming back. And once all the fairy tale chracters gain their memories, the city will look a lot more like the fairy tale world
And I think Regina's so protective of Henry because she's kind of using him as a replacement for the old Henry, her dad. She wants someone to love in place of Henry, but as much as she tries she doesn't actually love him.
I think that she is trying to love him but like she was told before she enacted the curse-it woudl leave a hole inside of her she would never be able to fill. I think that she honestly thought that adopting a child would make her happy and that she wouldn't feel alone in the new world. But being that she is a)the only one (except for Mr. Gold I suspect) who remembers anything and b) she killed her own Dad- she is alone and still kinda miserable. THe things she thought would bring her happiness did not and ironically she has probably lost her only chance at happiness by enacting the curse,
Sinkhole? Where did that come from? Clearly this is an abandoned mine which suffered a collapse. Where did the idea of a sinkhole come from?
That's Regina's explanation, but some of us (aka, me) think its the power of the curse being broken deep underground that's created a giant sinkhole.
Wait a second...Henry is Regina's father and Emma is Snow Whites daughter...I thought we got that in Ep. 2??
Henry is the same name...there seems to be a prevailing belief that Henry is the reincarnation of Henry, Regina's father, but all the characters in Storybrooke were not re-born there, they were transported, and Henry is Emma's kid, and she was transported as a baby onto a highway. So he's a namesake, not an old soul. And Regina doesn't know Emma is Snow White's kid. I put all this information in the cube of my brain that used to know how to multiply fractions.
I don't always agree with everything you say, but I every single word you wrote about Mary Margaret and David (Snow White and Prince Charming or Josh Dallas and Ginnifer Goodwin) could have been written by me. I was thinking the exact same things! Those 3 minutes made the episode for me.
I think this is quickly becoming one fo my favourite shows. I cant wait until next week! Bring on more Charming and Snow!!!!!!
Love the episode and love the show!
Custody battle? Only if they stay in the real world. would be really funny to see Emma in fairy tale land, though :P
I think that "breaking the curse" means sort of reverting the world to the place all the characters originally came from and bit by bit objects from the fairy tale world will start appearing. Maybe sort-of like the return of the crickets to Storybrooke.
Regina is so protective of him because she desperately wants to love him (which is imo why she named him Henry in the first place), but she just can't feel it.
Not sure about the sheriff just yet. Regina seemed way too cool about Emma being a deputy. She didn't even threaten to fire him.
Next week's promo: DRAGON!!!!!!!!! :D
HELL YES it would be funny to see Emma in fairy tale reality. Season 2? Season 3?
I think part of Regina's attachment to Henry is the fact that he is the reincarnation of her father (or they at least share the name, but I think that's too big a coincidence).
Awesome episode, and an awesome review!
(and I'm also just loving the Snow White-Prince Charming storyline, can't wait for next week!)
I think he's just a namesake, actually. None of the other characters have been reincarnated, they've been cursed and transported. And after all, if he was the reincarnation of her dad, wouldn't he love her and vice versa?
Someone may have addressed this earlier, but "no name" candy bars? Those looked to me to be some delish Apollo bars from Lost.
Also, Lily, I got rid of my TV almost three years ago. Thanks for sucking me back in with your entertaining recaps.
Awww thanks!! The Apollo candy bars is a cool Easter Egg. I love it when writers send secret high fives to the fans.
"this was our first confirmation that the fairytale world is real and that Regina remembers it"
This has bugged me from the start that it wasn't obvious to everyone that Regina was completely aware of the plan the whole time. I knew it straight away. But you guys should know it now that they SAY IT OUTRIGHT AT THE START OF EVERY SHOW. Honestly, do you not watch the 'previously on once upon a time' bit? They literally say that Regina knows and show a picture of her on screen.
hahahaha you're totally right about the promos, they do say it flat out. I guess that goes to show the popularity of DVRs and the unpopularity of promos! Thanks for the reality check!
One of the best episodes so far, and yet, further proof the little brat playing Henry cannot act worth a damn. Couldn't the others stars of this wonderful show just interact with a tennis ball on a stick, with the lines read by someone just off-screen? It'd be pretty much the exact same thing and the viewer would be saved from Henry's whining, annoying voice. Plus, tennis ball with googly-eyes? Epic!
Yes. Letter writing campaign! I will write the first fifty! Tennis Ball re cast NOW!
I loved this episode. Snow White/Prince Charming and Emma/Henry are my favorite relationships to watch evolve, but throw in Regina's wily manipulations and some good fairytales and seriously - this show is GOLD. One of my favorite episodes yet! (I like the idea of a custody battle... o.O)
Gnarly episode.
Pongo from 101 dalmatians! Will they dare bring Cruela?!
I seriously take issue with 101 Dalmations being considered a fairy tale. Its set in like the 20s-30s? There's no supernatural element to it that I can think of. Hopefully its just a Disney shout out and they don't explore that line further.
My theory is that since Emma arrived and started helping Henry with Operation Cobra Storybrooke, like Henry said in the last few minutes of this episode, has been changing. First, the clock started ticking. Second, Prince "Charming" James/John Doe/David woke up from his coma. I believe that not only are the characters of Fairytale land becoming more aware of who they are, but the setting Storybrooke is also slowly turning back into the way it was as Fairytale land. Snow White's glass coffin is just another part of the fairytale setting merging with Storybrooke.
Jiminy Cricket now joins Giles and Dumbledore on the list of wise mentors with shady pasts.
"..wise mentors with shady pasts. Well I think those are the people that actually learn something and are able to share... others have shady pasts and they just remain stuck there...
Love it.