Cast Changes

Season two may be over (boo!) but we are already starting to hear news about season three.  Most of the news so far has involved casting changes.  Ruby (Meghan Ory) will no longer be a regular on the series.  Heck, she may not be on the show at all.  She was a series regular last season but was rarely seen after a few episodes.  Word is, because her part had reduced, she found employment elsewhere.  She will now be on a CBS show called "Intelligence" with the always awesome Josh Holloway (Sawyer from Lost).  So, Meghan is open to doing guest appearances (in an interview she said maybe once per year) but we will be seeing a lot less of her.  I have already wrote a blog entry about Ruby and questioned why she is still on the show, but I still am sad to see her go.  She was a good friend to many characters on the show.

Where we are losing one regular, we are gaining another.  Neal/Baelfire (Michael Raymond-James) will be a regular next season.  This news was both surprising and not surprising.  Surprising because Neal had be shot through a portal into what is probably the Enchanted Forest and we don't know if he is alive or even how he would get home.  Not surprising because a lot of this show is about Rumple and his son, so it would be silly to introduce him and have them reunite in season two just to kill him off or to send him away again.  I am glad we will be seeing more of Neal.  He is connected to so many people on the show and especially because he and Emma realized they still loved each other.  The question is, how will he get home?

I was a little concerned that Belle (Emilie de Ravin) would no longer be a series regular.  After all, the rest of the main cast went to Neverland to rescue Henry and she was left behind with everyone else.  But, Emilie will be a regular next season and Rumbelle will reunite!  Yay!  While we don't know if they will show any of Storybrooke while everyone is in Neverland, we can be certain that we will see her eventually.

I don't have confirmation of this, but Mulan (Jamie Chung) and Aurora (Sarah Bolger) may have been cast in mid-season shows.  I don't even remember where I read this, but if it is true, I really hope we still get to see them next season.  It took awhile to warm up to them, but I really like those two characters.  Plus, we never got to see how they saved Philip.  And now that they found Neal, there could be a good story there.

Is it fall yet?

Belle Remembers and Gets Left Behind

Season two ended on Sunday, and I have mixed emotions about it. This show just drives me crazy sometimes. We learned a little more about Neverland through flashbacks with Hook and Baelfire.  Hook rescued the kid and had him work on his ship and Bae was just starting to trust the pirate.  Of course, once Hook found out that Bae was the son of his former love Milah and his enemy Rumple, his tune changed.  He told the kid that Rumple was the one who killed his mom.  Bae blames Hook for breaking up his family.  Peter Pan, who we can safely assume is a villain, sent out his evil lost boys to capture Bae.  Once Bae is captured, we learn that it wasn't Bae who they wanted, it was a boy who wouldn't have been born for hundreds of years - Bae's son Henry.  Yikes!

Rumple is trying to kill his own grandson with his mind when the Charmings show up to tell him that his son has been shot through a portal and is probably dead.  Rumple of course is very sad, but refuses to help save the town.  He has lost the will to live.

The bad guys Greg and Tamara activated the self-destruct diamond to wipe Storybrooke off the map.  Regina thinks she can slow it down with her magic but it will kill her.  The others plan to open a portal and escape to the Enchanted Forest.  Snow thinks there is a way to save Regina too and Henry would be heartbroken without his mom.  After a tearful hug with her same-aged parents and little son, Emma harnesses the magic in her and helps Regina absorb the energy from the diamond and saves the town.  The magic throws them back and just as they are getting to their feet, they notice that Henry has been taken.  Good job grandparents!

Meanwhile, Grumpy has a bottle of blue stuff that can bring back the memories of those who went over the town line - Sneezy and Belle.  The only catch is that they have to drink the solution from a cup that belonged to them.  As much as Rumple enjoys Lacey, he would rather be comforted by Belle in his last moments.  He uses magic to put together the pieces of the chipped teacup that she had broken and poured in the drink.  Since Lacey never met a drink she didn't like, she drinks without hesitation.  Belle is back!  She tearful makes out with Rumple and comforts him while he cries about his son.  It was beautiful.

Regina and the Charmings are determined to save Henry and high-tail it toward the docks.  They are just in time to see them open a portal in the water and jump in.  Rumple and Belle show up.  Hook brings his ship and everyone boards.  Hook has a bean that can take them to get Henry.  Rumple stops Belle.  She can't go!  She needs to save the town!  Really?  Why must you push her away Rumple?  Stay with your hot girlfriend who would undoubtedly be all over you or board a ship with all your enemies to find a grandson you don't care for and leave your woman forever.  Tough choice!  Of course, it won't be forever, but seriously, he needs to quit abandoning her.  So, Belle walks away crying and everyone else boards the ship and heads to Neverland to rescue the kid.  We also got to see where Neal landed when he went through the portal - on a beach where he can be tended by Aurora, Mulan, and a newly-alive Phillip!

So, overall, lots of good stuff happened.  Belle came back and we get to see what Neverland looks like.  Next season will probably be in that location while we are left to wonder what is happening with Neal and Storybrooke.  Is it fall yet?

To Neverland!

I have to admit, I was never a fan of "Peter Pan".  The cartoon just didn't interest me and "Hook" was only a little better.  But, for some reason, I was super psyched to see Bae (with a much deeper voice!) meeting the Darling children.  I have never quite been able to figure out the timing in "Once Upon A Time", but if Rumple is around 300 years old and Bae was sent to England when he was fourteen, shouldn't it have been mid-1700's, not 1900?  Things that make you go hmmmmmm.

The Darling children were, well, darling, but the shadow who took Wendy away definitely was not.  Being not so familiar with the Peter Pan story, I do recall Peter being separated from his shadow but don't recall that shadow being an evil tyrant who kidnaps children and never lets them leave.  There was a lot of speculation that Bae was Peter Pan, but now we know that he is not.  He was actually picked up from the water by Captain Hook and presumably worked on his ship.

It was very frustrating to see Emma try to convince everyone that Tamara was evil and everyone just patted her hand and told her to sit still.  With Neal, it was a little more understandable because Tamara was his fiancee, but Emma's parents are just morons.  There, I said it.  It's one of the things that kills me about this show.  It is basically a story about Snow White (my least favorite Disney princess), but Snow and Prince Charming are so stupid and unlikable that they are hard to watch.  The really good parts of the show have nothing to do with these characters.  That is a problem.

Of course, Emma was right, and Greg and Tamara are up to know good.  I have said many times before that I dislike Regina, but I also dislike seeing someone (especially when it is a man to a woman) being tortured.  It's gross.  Isn't this supposed to be a family show?  Kill her quickly or yell at her, but torture is just gross.  I get that Greg just wanted his dad back and Regina killed him (probably) for no reason, but still.  Tamara is also gross because Neal is a pretty good guy and she told him she never loved him and then shot him.  She needs to go.  Now.  I am pretty curious about this whole organization that they work for.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this is some sort of religious organization, which I really have a problem with.  I don't like religion being made fun of or mocked.  It has become popular in Hollywood to do so, but I am just not cool with it.  So, I am hoping I am wrong about that.

Even though this episode was pretty great overall, there were definitely some annoying moments.  The Charmings rescued Regina.  Genius move.  She will try to kill them again.  Although.....  (ha ha!)  "Lacey" was drinking again and bringing out Rumple's violent side.  And how creepy was it when she asked if he could make her be young forever?  Is she just using him?  It was really sad to see Neal fall through that portal and Emma refusing to let go of him.  It was surprising to hear them admit they loved each other being apart so long, but it was nice too.  I hope they can be together someday.

So, what is next in the season finale?  According to the episode synopsis, Greg and Tamara will use that diamond to try to destroy Storybrooke and Regina will try to stop it.  Rumple will find out what happened to his son, and of course, be really bummed out about it.  But, will Neal live?  I don't know, but if you pay attention to spoilers, there have been a few pictures of Neal hanging out with Mulan, Aurora, and Philip in the Enchanted Forest.  So, I am guessing, he will be found next season some time after the actor has a chance to film some movies.  :)  And what of the villains?  Well, again, spoilers say that they will be kidnapping Henry and his extended family will travel to Neverland to get him back.  I am not sure if this includes Rumple and Belle.  So, we will probably have another great episode and then have to wait another four months to see what happens!

Regina the Unsympathetic

There are characters on "Once Upon a Time" that I love and even more that I hate.  I love Rumpelstiltskin and Belle.  Emma is usually one of my favorites when she is not acting like an idiot. Snow can be really annoying and self-righteous, which I hate.  Charming annoys the spit out of me with his "I am your leader and I know what's best for you!" Jack Sheppard-like qualities.  Henry is an annoying kid who I don't care for.  Hook hits women and is a Jack Sparrow knockoff without any of Jack's charm or appeal.  And then there is Regina.  The one I hate the most.

Regina, like Rumple, is a complicated villain.  She has reasons for doing bad things, but she never seems to learn anything to actually become a better person.  Once upon a time, she had a really crappy (literally) heartless mother who killed her boyfriend.  Instead of blaming her mother, she blamed Snow, who was a little girl at the time.  It became her mission in life to destroy Snow.  It is all very tragic, because the two liked each other at first.  She chased her down for years with no success.  She decided to enact the curse, pulling everyone from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, Maine.  I never understood this.  Is Regina's idea of paradise living in a small town with terrible winters and having to see your mortal enemy every day?  Why didn't she just stab Snow with a letter opener?

In Storybrooke, Regina was the town's feared mayor.  She had no magic, but she also had no one to talk to.  See, when you kill a whole bunch of people, you don't become very popular.  Her only friend in her old land was Maleficent and that didn't work out so well.  (And how creepy was it that old Mal keeps regenerating in the pit under the library.  Can't that woman get some peace?)  Her only romance was with Sheriff Graham who was only with her because Regina was able to control him by removing his heart.  Regina had adopted Henry as a baby and even he wasn't very fond of her.

You almost want to feel sorry for Regina.  Crappy childhood.  Dead boyfriend.  Married to a king she didn't love.  Friendless.  You know what?  I don't feel sorry for her.  At all.  As much as I hate Hook, she really could have used him as an ally.  And what did she do?  Leave him to fight Maleficent until he died.  Only Hook somehow escaped.  Hook even took her magic.  It was awesome!  You see, Regina has run out of chances.  She can't be good.  She is a villain through and through.

Is Lacey An Improvement Over Belle?

I have been waiting for this episode for so long, and like so many other things in life, the longer you wait, the harder it is to live up to your expectations.

I always thought Belle was pretty great.  She is very pretty, very smart, very nice, and she is with Rumple, which is awesome.  But, Miss Belle had some character flaws.  She is a very all-or-nothing kind of lady.  If she is mad at you, she will dump you and vow never to see you again.  If you try to harm her, she will not confront the person and get very mad if someone tries to harm that person.  It just doesn't add up.  So many times, Rumple could have gotten rid of Regina and Hook and she wouldn't let him.  And do you know what that got her?  Shot over the town line and given a new personality that is totally different from her real one.  Very annoying.

Regina, who I hate with the fire of a thousand suns, decided to treat Belle like a punching bag once again.  Instead of just letting amnesiac Belle leave the hospital in peace, she decided to give her a personality that she believed would ensure that Belle would never love Rumple again.

Poor Rumple.  It is very obvious that the man is a villain, but I still felt so bad for him.  Belle is the only woman who truly loved him and thought he was a good man.  All he wanted was to be with her and now she is "a scantily-clad barfly named Lacey".  Grrrr.  If we didn't already know and love Belle, Lacey might be a good addition to the show.  She likes to have a good time, likes to show off some skin, and loves to drink.  She goes out on a date with Rumple, only to ditch him halfway though because she is a nicer guy than she thought he would be.  Lacey doesn't like nice, she likes bad boys.  Luckily for her, Rumple is very capable of being bad.  He beats the daylights out of the guy Lacey was making out with, while Lacey watches.  Lacey likes bad-boy Rumple.

So, do these two stand a chance together?  The whole point of Rumple pursuing Lacey was to get her to fall in love with him so he can get Belle back.  But, will Rumple want Belle back if Lacey is so into his dark side?  These two have chemistry to spare, and they could create a whole lot of dynamite together, if you know what I mean.  But, I still miss Belle.  I hope she comes back soon.  After Rumple gets his fill of Lacey first of course.  Ha ha.  

How Should the Season End?

After a long hiatus, "Once" will return with the final four episodes of the season on April 21.  While I know very little of what actually will happen in these episodes, here is what I think should happen:

• Belle gets her memory back.  We know that episode 19 "Lacey" is about Belle, so wouldn't it be a great time to remember who she really is?  It is very possible that Lacey/Belle will fall in love with Gold and the curse will be broken either this season or early next season.  It is also possible that she stays as Lacey forever.  I really hope she goes back to how she was.  My prediction - the curse won't be broken until next season.
• Henry picks a family and has much less screen time.  The character is annoying and even though he is the reason the curse was broken, it doesn't mean I need to see him so much.  Gosh, go back to Regina's house and play X-Box or something.  You're a brat.  My prediction - he will stay with Emma and annoy us for the rest of his existence.
• Neal dumps Tamara and she leaves town with Greg.  She is evil and he is a troublemaker, so they need to go.  Besides, Neal and Emma belong together.  My prediction - they aren't going anywhere until at least next season, after they do something really awful.
• Neal and Emma bond.  These two belong together.  They have great chemistry and they also have a kid.  Neal can move back to town and spend more time with his family.  My prediction - bonding with Emma won't happen until next season, after he dumps Tamara's butt.  
• Rumple and Neal make up.  They are off to a good start, and at least they are talking.  Rumple needs to introduce his son to Belle and they can all be one big happen family.  My prediction - the show creators say that something big will happen between Rumple and Neal.  Hopefully it is something good, but if they turn him back into a child, I will be pissed.  It may be something like Rumple having to give up his magic to save his son and he actually does it this time.  
• Ruby and Whale start dating.  These two would be great together, but we see very little of them on screen.  My prediction - with the actress who plays Ruby being on another show next year, we will probably see much less of her next season, so this may not happen.
• Regina makes a new friend.  I am not overly fond of Regina, but even I can see how lonely she is.  Her child abandoned her, no family, no romantic partner, no friends.  She needs someone to talk to.  If she ever decides to apologize to Belle for locking her up all those years, she might be a good choice.  Belle likes almost everyone.  Archie would be another good choice.  My prediction - no new friends, but maybe a new romantic interest next season.  
• Charming becomes mayor.  He loves power and since Regina was asked to step down, he might be the right person for the job.  He could also take over as sheriff since Emma has been slacking lately.  My prediction - next season.
• Hook stops trying to kill Rumple and Belle.  Enough is enough.  We know, you loved Milah, so you want to punish them.  But, Belle is innocent and Rumple has really suffered enough.  Get a hobby.  My prediction - he will keep trying to kill Rumple, until the day that Rumple gets to him first.
• ABC gets their scheduling figured out and we don't have so many three and four week hiatuses to deal with.  Viewers are dropping like crazy.  Start the season late, take a month off in December, and just let us watch the show!  Grrrr!  My prediction - I will keep dreaming cuz this ain't gonna happen.

So, that's it!  I am so excited to see how the season ends and so curious what next season will hold.  

Why is Ruby Still on the Show?

I like Ruby, but does she really have a purpose anymore?  At first, Ruby was an entertaining character who dressed in crazy clothes and was Snow's best friend.  She was also a freaking werewolf.  It was pretty cool. But since the curse has been broken, Ruby has been in the background.  Why was the actress promoted to series regular for season two if she is only going to be in a handful of episodes?  If you think about it, she has had one character-centric episode this season.  Dr. Whale, a guest star, has had two.  Belle was also a main character this year, and while she has been absent at least half of the episodes, she will have her second episode in "Lacey" and she has more of a purpose on the show.

So, why is Ruby still on the show?  I heard rumors that the only reason she was promoted this season was to prevent the actress from appearing on other tv shows.  Pretty dirty, right?  The actress was also the only main cast member (besides the kid who plays Henry) not to be at Paleyfest.  Was she asked?  Would she have even had anything to talk about?  Well, the Ruby problem may be solved quickly, because Meghan Ory has been cast in a pilot for CBS.  You know, a different network than "Once" airs on.  Will the actress leave the show completely or just go back to being recurring?

http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/meghan-ory-to-star-in-cbs-intelligence-robert-buckley-cast-in-holding-patterns/