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Title Shattered Sight

Two-Sentence Summary As the Spell of Shattered Sight takes hold of the residents of Storybrooke, Emma, Elsa, and Anna search for a way to defeat Ingrid. In flashbacks, we learn what happened to Emma during her time as Ingrid’s foster child and how she lost all memories of that time.

Favorite Line “Still want to hold hands, sing ‘Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah?’” (Snow)

My Thoughts “Shattered Sight” was an emotional roller coaster. Throughout the course of one hour, it had me laughing, cheering, crying, ugly crying, swooning, feeling pride for my favorite characters, and feeling wonderfully nervous and excited about what’s to come in next week’s midseason finale. This was an incredibly well-balanced episode, and that actually took me by surprise. I was ready to laugh and maybe cry a little bit at the interactions brought about by the Spell of Shattered Sight, but I certainly did not expect to end up sobbing harder than I have at any point while watching this show since Emma drove away in last season’s “Going Home”—and to do that over a character we just met this season. But such is the magic of Elizabeth Mitchell and the power of a well-written redemption story.

Even before the brilliant emotional tour de force of the episode’s climax, I was already thinking of “Shattered Sight” as one of my favorite episodes of the season because it was so much fun to watch. Every little detail of the spell’s effects on the residents of Storybrooke was brilliant—from Happy somehow getting Granny’s crossbow to Kristoff throwing papers at Charming in the background of one of the scenes in the sheriff’s station. My only desire was that we could have seen even more of it—I wanted to see Dark Robin and Dark Archie and even more Dark Henry (I was so hoping he’d run into Regina or Emma because I think there could have been some really deep stuff to come out of those interactions). But I had a feeling this spell would get broken before this episode was done, setting up a climatic finale showdown with this season’s real villain: Rumplestiltskin. And, despite my love for all of the wonderfully snarky scenes this spell gave us, I don’t think this kind of campy stuff would have carried over well for more than one episode. It was perfect just as it was.

I could have watched any combination of cursed Kristoff/Charming/Snow/Regina interact forever and still wanted more because all of the actors were just so good in this episode. You could tell they were enjoying playing these different sides to their roles (or, in Lana Parrilla’s case, returning to a side she hasn’t gotten to show in a while). It was the most alive I have seen Snow and Charming as characters in a long time, and it was nice to see my favorite couple on the show get a lot of screen time after a half-season that has (understandably) seen them and their relationship mostly in the background.

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Title Fall

Two-Sentence Summary As the Spell of Shattered Sight looms in the distance, the residents of Storybrooke prepare for the worst. Even a happy reunion between Anna and Elsa can’t stop it, especially after Rumplestiltskin orders Hook to trap the fairies (who were working on a counter-spell) in the sorcerer’s hat.

Favorite Line “Well if the mayor only has to worry about one villain—and it’s herself—that frees up a lot of time for infrastructure and other issues.” (Snow)

My Thoughts When Once Upon a Time is driven by pure emotion, there’s nothing else on television that makes me feel like this show. “Fall” was basically a series of deeply emotional moments strung together by some very small (but significant) points of plot progression, and sometimes that’s exactly what this show needs—to take a step back from breathless plotting and twists and simply allow these characters time to open their hearts to one another. Episodes like this one show off the talents and chemistry of this cast, and they’re reminders that Once Upon a Time isn’t afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.

There’s something special about episodes of Once Upon a Time centered on the arrival of a curse (“Pilot,” “Going Home,” all of the Snow/Charming stuff in “A Curious Thing”). If there’s one thing this show gets right every single time, it’s goodbyes. These actors tap into something special in episodes like this; their emotions are so palpable that it’s easy to forget that every spell and curse on this show gets broken, and for every tearful goodbye there’s a good chance of a happy reunion. That’s a sign of good acting—when you forget that logically things have to work out okay because you’re so caught up in the emotions of characters who don’t know that everything will work out in the end.

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