Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: C+ | 848 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT The Right Thing To Do Was Not To Lead Me On
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 6 | Aired on 2011.12.04
The assembled court applauds James's victory. Two kings are seated on a platform. King Midas (Alex Zahara) rises and says, "Well done." King George, James's father, is played by Alan Dale, whom Lost fans will recognize as Charles Widmore, so that's what I'm calling him, because I'm already having trouble with the David/James/Charming names this week, and this episode's title, "The Shepherd" already has me missing Jack Shephard. King Charles Widmore gets all uppity with his guest. "Well done? There's an understatement. See what my son did to that brute? He just killed the unkillable."
Midas wants to know if James can do the same with a dragon. James is up for the task. Midas's kingdom needs this threat vanquished. King Charles Widmore, "And my kingdom needs gold." Midas holds up his hand, and a knight removes his glove. Midas reaches out and touches James's sword, turning it to gold. "Consider it a downpayment. You'll get the rest when you deliver the dragon's head to me." James looks down at Midas's magical hand. "Forgive me if I refuse to shake on it, King Midas."
Sidebar: I do not like including Midas in this world. The prologue to Once Upon A Time is that our characters once lived in the world of happy endings, but when Queenie cast the dark curse, they were exiled to our world, and lost their happy endings. Midas was a greedy sot and his gift turned out to be a curse. He even turned his own daughter into gold. I am all for messing with these old stories, making merry, even making modern Midrash, but having Midas retain his ability to turn things into gold with just a touch -- seems out of place in our Enchanted Forest -- especially since, as we'll later see, his daughter is alive, well, and flesh and blood.
Once Midas and King Charles Widmore depart to iron out the details of the deal, one of James's men proposes a toast to their fearless prince. James reminds them this was just a test. It's the upcoming task that is their real challenge. "Just because I was easily able to kill this brute doesn't mean..." He's cut short and nearly in two, for that matter. Looks like the Unkillable Brute isn't dead yet. He's just speared (or javelin-ed or something -- I am not your weapons recapper) James through the back. The tip exits through James's chest. He falls to the ground, dead. James's knights draw their swords, but instead of rushing to cut off the still fallen brute's head or something useful, they rally around their dead prince and stand there, waiting for a cue that never comes. Commercial.