Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 364 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT The Shadow Knows
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 21 | Aired on 2013.05.05
Woods. Tamara tells Groan the Home Office wants them to move onto the "next phase." Groan says, "Already?!" Tamara nods. "Yeah. There's only one way to get what we all want. We have to blow Storybrooke off the map." Dun dun dun!
I received some pushback to my objections (see recaplet) about Emma telling Neal she loves him. I get it. I do. I never figured Emma was over her feelings for Henry's father. The first tip off was back in season 1, when she lied to Henry about him, but never told Snow anything more. Everything I've seen between them this season backs that up. I just want better for Emma. Despite all my hyperbole and douchefires to the contrary, I'm not even saying Neal can't be her something better. I just would have liked her confession of love to come in a different way and at a different time. That said, Jennifer Morrison and Michael-Raymond James have good chemistry. They knocked their big dramatic scene out of the park. Within the story, I can understand Emma confessing her love at that moment, because she believes he's headed for certain death. My objection is to the narrative itself. I can't fault the execution, though.
I want to applaud the twist to the Peter Pan story. I like that the Shadow is such a creepy figure. I've seen lots of objections to this, but I never expected Once Upon A Time to be a straight retelling of fairy tales. What would be the point? This new take has me intrigued, more than I expected to be. There's a lot of speculation that the Darling Children will turn out to be the founders of Groan and Tamara's Home Office. That sounds right to me. What do you think?
I will be back with coverage of the second season finale, "And Straight On 'Til Morning." In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where we're shooting Neal and then shoving him into a portal. Repeatedly.