Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 601 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Might As Well Jump
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2012.09.30
The earth shakes. There's a rumble. Outside alarms sound. Everyone rushes to look out the window. Although they don't see it, it's clear to us that the wraith is in town, and it seems in addition to sucking out its preys' souls, its hobbies include blowing paper through town and making streetlights explode. Yes, I just plagiarized my own darned recaplet, but not everyone reads both -- like apparently my own MOTHER. Ahem. Rumpy tells Emma, "That is my gift to you. That is going to take care of Regina." As lights continue to explode and as paper drifts down the middle of the street, threatening the Storybrookers with annoying albeit harmless papers cuts, Snow puts on her Mommy Pants. "Emma, come on." Charming adds, "We need to go take care of this." Emma hisses at Rumpy that they're not done. Rumpy: "Oh, I know. You still owe me a favor." Emma's cynical smile warms the cockles of my jaded heart.
Bemused, Rumpy watches the Charming family make their exit. His smile turns to chagrin as he realizes Belle overheard the whole scene and insists he didn't lie to her. "I kept my word. I will not kill her." Belle will not play his word games and tells him he's still a man who makes "wrong choices," which seems to be putting it a bit mildly. When she says thought he'd changed, Rumpy scoffs. "What? In the hour you've known me." He and Emma ought to have an Emotional Wall Erect-off...uh, right after I find another name for it, because I just made myself sick. As Belle leaves the shop, Rumpy cries out that he's sorry. Unimpressed, she slams the door behind her. Rather than rushing after her, Rumpy only stands there and mopes, so really, he'll be doubly to blame when that poor girl ends up covered in paper cuts, which he'll learn when a Sardonic Sapsucker delivers him a post card reading, "Shredded!" Commercial.
Enchanted Forest. When Aurora wonders where Phillip is, Mulan notices the missing horses and snits that he must have been marked by the Chintz Monster and has gone off to his doom alone. She's going after him because he's sacrificing himself for Aurora. Aurora wants to help, but Mulan dismisses her and takes off alone. Although I knew the basics, I'd never watched Mulan until the day after this episode aired. I'm not crazy about her Once Upon A Time incarnation. Mulan's own story centers on her rejecting the narrow path available to girls and making her own life and fate, yet here she is marginalizing Aurora, after barely getting to know her. Alone, Aurora doesn't seem to know which way to go, which seems unnecessarily silly because she saw Phillip leave and she saw Mulan leave. She should have a clue as to their general direction. Maybe she just needs a strong cup of coffee. Our last look at her in this scene, is through some sort of hole. I can't help but wonder if it's the hollowed out tree trunk in which Snow White hid her booty, back in "Snow Falls." If it is -- is there something in there -- watching -- or is this just an artful bit of camera work?