Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 186 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT PANgs
By Cindy McLennan | Season 3 | Episode 6 | Aired on 11.03.2013
Ariel shakes out her goody bag, and explains that she steals collects things. Among her ill-gotten gains is an invitation to Prince Eric's Under the Sea ball, honoring Back to the Future the goddess, Ursula. Snow asks how Ariel plans to go, considering she has a tail and all. Since I pick on this show's use of CGI a lot, I have to say this bit is beautifully realized. Ariel hoists her tail out of the water and onto the seaweed covered rocks. It dissolves into a sea green puff of magic. Once the smoke clears, Ariel rises on her own two, brand new feet. And take a good look at Ms. JoAnna Garcia Swisher here, and then know she just had a baby, in May of this year. Now sure, it's six months later, but while I don't know OUAT's shooting schedule, this had to have been shot when she was about four months postpartum. That's good form of an entirely different order.
Snow asks her new friend how she did that. Ariel tells her, "Every year at the highest tide, the legend says that the sea goddess, Ursula, grants our kind with the ability to walk on dry land until next high tide." Snow asks when that is. Ariel says, "Twelve hours. Enough time for dinner and dancing..." I've seen people quibble with the 12 hour thing, but the thing is, tides run slightly differently in different places. I know, because I've spent time when I should be writing, looking at this website. Atlantic high tides in the Maine city I checked are about 12.5 hours apart. Pacific high tides in the Washington State area I checked are a little less than 11.5 hours. Besides, these women are in a different world. Their tides can run however they want.
Snow suggests that Ariel ask Ursula for some more time. Ariel says, "No one's seen her in a thousand years. She's a bit of a myth." A myth who just turned your tail into legs, goober. Myth or not, Snow is grateful Ariel saved her life, so she's onboard for Operation Love at First Sight. Ariel thanks Snow and asks if she can keep a secret. Snow asks what it is. Ariel says, "I'm a mermaid," which is how Snow learns Ariel took the short ship to school. "Yeah, I got that." Ariel clarifies: "But Eric doesn't know that, so can we just maybe keep that under the sea, right now?" Snow suggests Eric ought to find out, eventually. Ariel: "Just let him fall for me first, okay?" That's actually a little bit of bad form, if you ask me, but our pure of heart princess is a sucker for a love story, so she agrees. We flash forward to...