New York City Serenade is Flawless [Once Upon a Time]

Don't get me wrong, I'm the biggest Oncer there is, but that doesn't mean I don't want to smack Snow upside the head every time she delivers her cheesy "We always find each other" sickeningly overdone line. Sometimes the special effects are an eyesore, and sometimes there are boring one-dimensional beast/villain things that are just as ugly, distracting, and over the top. Sometimes Emma and the gang get out of situations way too easily using her savior "I'm the savior and I have magic powers" power (remember Greg and Tamara's destroy-Storybrooke-gem-thingy?) And what's with Regina's one liners lately?

Well, other than a good hearty "Watch me," from the evil queen, New York City Serenade toned down all of the series' flaws and only made me flinch one time (when I predicted Regina would say "Watch me" and she did.)

Seriously, I thought it didn't lose a beat. I loved Emma's romantic dates in picturesque NYC restaurants, how she grappled with whether or not her fake life with Henry is real (it's not), and the trail of clues that brings back her memories. I thought the dreamcatcher in Neal's apartment was inspired, finding Henry's camera there was genius and Emma going back for her red leather jacket was adorable.

The end back in Storybrooke left so many confusing questions. So as far as anyone remembers they've just been there the whole time? Nobody remembers going back to the Enchanted Forest? What is the new curse then? Wouldn't it have been more fun if they were back to not remembering they're story book characters? (I'm talking to you, Kitsis and Horowitz — the show was at its best when they were all "Fairy tale characters, what? I'm not Snow White, that's silly and impossible. I just really don't like apples.")

And hey! Snow's pregnant! Wait, why are we acting like that's a reveal? I thought that would be obvious. Well, congratulations, Mary Margaret.

Seems like they're just back where they started, pre-Pan. That whole thing where they're never supposed to see Emma and Henry again didn't last very long, did it? So much for Regina's punishment. Whatever, she seems like she's learned her lesson and earned redemption. Now if only she would stop being such a ... meany pants ... to her step-daughter.

Did anyone else notice the bromance with Hook and Charming? Watch how David smiles when Kilian walks away. It's been a while since I've seen him look at Snow like that. She looks kinda peeved.

I expected to see a bit more of the Wicked Witch, but her final scene sure was ominous! Wicked always wins. But what's her plan? I have to wait until next Sunday to find out what she's up to? Because I don't think reuniting the Charmings back in their hometown was really the point of her evil curse. 

What do you think? Did the first episode of part two of season 3 of Once Upon a Time miss a beat at any point? I was gonna try to come up with some theories as to what the Wicked Witch of the East is up to, but I got nada. How bout you?

Once Upon A Time is back on March 9

Once Upon a Time is back March 9! And, in true OUAT style, they're boldly fracturing fairy tales left and right and adding characters who shouldn't be in the same world together like it's nobodies business.

I thought I would die of anticipation between the mid-season finale and now, but March 9th is quickly approaching, and soon we'll learn why Hook turned up at Emma's apartment with a warning about her fairytale parents, whom, if you remember, she can't remember. So, let's see how Hook gets around that one! There may or may not be a bit of an outcry over the appearance of Evanora, the Wicked Witch of the East from The Wizard of Oz, but come on guys, we've already been able to stomach Mulan and Dr. Frankenstein in one frame (Okay, I lie, I don't think Mulan has met Whale, who, by the way, seems to be in the modern world in this promo, not the fairytale world — weird right?) Sadly, both in this trailer and in Oz, the Great And Powerful, green face makeup looks cheesy and dated no matter how you do it. No one can Evanora like Margaret Hamilton (the original Wicked Witch of the East), not even Mila Kunis or Rebecca Mader (Lost alum!)

Let me know what you think! Can you handle it?

[Once Upon a Time]in Wonderland

Another series from Lost creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is a spin-off of OUAT. The promos don't keep the plot very hush hush, so I'll give you a synopsis for once (just this once…). Alice went on an adventure when she was a little girl; she fell down a rabbit hole and into Wonderland, and when she came home, her father, who had presumed her to be dead, was very concerned about where his little girl had been. For years she continued to tell him stories of caterpillars smoking hookahs and playing cards that come to life, but he could never get out of her where she really disappeared to. To make matters worse, she continued to disappear for long stretches of time throughout her adolescence, never ceasing to recount stories of her travels to Wonderland, even into adulthood. You can't really blame the guy for sending her to the loony bin.

I'm always more interested in these kinds of stories if there's a possibility that everything is happening in the crazy person's imagination. I'll just have to hold out for the next Shutter Island, because Once Upon a Time in Wonderland proposes a real fantasy land with real magic and real trouser-wearing rabbits.

I like Alice. She's spunky, occasionally has some of the childlike wonder of her storybook-self, and sometimes the naivety. Her heroism fits the character development of post-Jabberwocky Alice; she ought to be about as badass a warrior as Prince Charming or any of the rest of them.

We do get to see a little bit of Storybrook in the pilot, a few familiar friends (Grumpy and Cinderella). You think the Knave of Hearts is up to something breaking into Granny's diner, but really he just wants to steal a cup of coffee really badly. Oh wait, he paid for it…

The first time I watched it, I didn't catch John Lithgow saying, "she needs help from the Knave of Hearts," and I spent the whole episode wondering who this thief character was supposed to be — and I liked it better that way. One thing Once Upon a Time has stumbled onto accidentally a few times, at least for me, is keeping things hidden unintentionally in a way that improves the show. For example, in season 1 it felt like they assumed that the audience would know that Regina had her memories from her life in the enchanted forest; there's no sudden reveal of that, it just becomes clearer as time goes on, but I assumed she didn't know, which made the show all the more interesting from my (mistaken) point of view.

I'm certainly worried there won't be enough of a real-world connection through the rest of the show for me. What I've always liked about OUAT is the mash-up between contemporary life and the fairy-tale world.

As much as I will always and forever love Lost's Sayid, I will never be able to see Naveen Andrews as Jafar. I mean, look at him. Does he look like Jafar? Not even a little bit.

The cast are a bunch of unknowns: Sophie Lowe as Alice, Michael Socha as the Knave of Hearts, Peter Gadiot as Cyrus. Emma Rigby simmers as the Red Queen. I guess she's the queen of diamonds if Cora is the queen of hearts. In the pilot these nobodies prove themselves worthy additions to the OUAT crew. OUAT in Wonderland is better than I expected so far. That's because I expected some degree of awfulness, especially as the spin-off tries to gain its feet, but instead it was fairly consistent quality and completely enjoyable. But if you know me, you know I'll find a nitpick somewhere.

And here it is: OUAT in Wonderland is inconsistent with the expectations we've formed from OUAT. On OUAT, in season 1, none of the characters know they are Snow White or Prince Charming, Geppetto, the huntsman, Doctor Frankenstein or Jimminy Cricket, but they know all of the stories. The fairytales exist in the "real world." In OUAT in Wonderland, the situation isn't made as clear, but this is what I can gather: Alice knows who she is, but nobody seems familiar with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. It's not that she realizes she's a storybook character, she just is that character, and the story doesn't seem to exist. Indeed, in the insane asylum her jailers don't accuse her for being insane because she thinks she's Alice from Alice in Wonderland, they accuse her of being insane for believing she has been to Wonderland, period. There's no mention of Carroll.

I doubt this will ever or can ever be addressed, but there you have it. I'll try not to let it ruin my enjoyment of the new series, but it is some food for thought. And hey, let me know if I've missed something or got it wrong. Drop me a comment!

The Heart of the Truest Believer — Some Thoughts [once upon a time]

I fell in love with Peter Pan in my childhood, just like everyone else, but it wasn't until I grew up and read J.M. Barrie's novel that its brilliance really struck me. It's really dark and all about what rotten little human beings children are. For example, if you've watched Disney's Peter Pan lately, you'll notice the abhorrently racist portrayal of native americans, and while you'll be tempted to blame it on "the times" or on Disney, what it really comes down to is how dedicated Barrie was to presenting children's perceptions of things in his novel, and that's how children at that time saw "the Injuns." Read for yourself. What you'll find is a Peter Pan who almost stabs Tootles through the heart with an arrow and keeps bringing Lost Boys to Neverland to replace the ones that have been killed by pirates — not the most promising of destinies.

Creators Kitsis and Horowitz have promised to show an even darker Peter, contributing to the myth by questioning the effect of eternal life on the boy who never grows up. Eternal youth in adults is one thing — do we really want to see what happens to the psyche of a child who lives forever? (Actually, if you do want to, check out Interview with a Vampire. Classic.) Well, like it or not, that's what this season of Once Upon a Time is going to explore.

So what about our heroes? While the hashtag #savehenry has been floating around Twitter, there hasn't been much hinting so far as to how. Emma doesn't really seem to have a plan. Other than leading her band of merry enemies into the thick of things without a plan. Which Regina is almost enjoying pointing out. Rumpelstiltskin seems to have some ideas, but he's not letting anyone in on them, and he's going off on his own. Emma might trust him to find her son, but... we're not so sure, are we? After all, he's destined to die saving Henry, but if Henry doesn't get saved, he just might live.

Anyone else notice how bad Hook is crushing on Emma? In the final scene with the Jolly Roger crew he was blushing like a schoolgirl the whole bloody time. So is he just pretending to care about Baelfire, or... being his typical lady-friend stealing self?

As I promised, Baelfire is alive and well taken care of by Aurora, Prince what's-his-name, and Mulan.

There's something about Baelfire hanging with Mulan that I like. I think it's that their characters happened to be conducive to good conversation.

'Neal' was also perfect for some of that good old our world-your world humour: 

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah I don't know how to explain what a movie is..."

Classic. Almost as good as Hook not knowing what jello is. But, ya know, there was some good deeper stuff in there too, like how he was too cowardly to go after Emma (like father like son?).

Overall, the premiere was pretty solid, and I'll forgive my concerns from last season on the basis that we're moving forward, hopefully toward something better :)

I couldn't resist including this, although I think it's just a promo. I can't think of any reason why Belle would wear her most iconic ballgown to Granny's Diner.

Journey to Neverland [once upon a time]

If you're excited for the season 3 premiere of ABC's Once Upon a Time on Sunday, you'll enjoy the above promo. Another recommendation is to re-watch the finale of season 2 for a pump-up. That's what I did this morning, and it revived a few mixed feelings that I had. I'm thrilled to be heading to Neverland, but I do have a few qualms I'm not putting aside just yet.

#1. It really bothered me that Belle didn't have a problem with Mr. Gold after her memory came back. The pragmatist in me gets that devoting screen time to her rampage might not have been fitting, but it looks like they're going to skip that confrontation entirely. At least give me a "We'll talk about this later." Classic lady line.

#2. Hook and Gold practically kiss and make up. In a split second, for the sake of a kid that didn't want him around (Baelfire), Hook is willing to put aside his blood lust for vengeance, the very quest that led him to Storybrooke, and not only that, he's willing to let the bastard on his ship. It's not a very big ship, so I expect there to be some tension, but not enough to make up for the loving camaraderie they showed in the final scenes of the finale.

On the upside, there's something I forgot: Aurora and company found Baelfire! So that's good news. I think it's an unwritten rule of narratives that if someone just -might- be dead, they're going to last a bit longer. The only character to fall through a portal and never be seen again is Sirius Black. Did you remember that little detail?

So Sunday is approaching, and my nit-picky qualms won't keep me from enjoying the new season. My favorite characters are back! All I'm saying is that the team better watch those character relationships and pay the details the attention they deserve. No more hugs and kisses between Hook and Gold!

What does the Perfect Pilot Accomplish?

Before we dig in to a series of pilot episode reviews, let’s take a look at the criteria for a perfect first episode.

Exposition:

“Don't you just hate exposition?” is a line (from Charmed) that really stuck with me, probably because it struck me in the heart and the wound just won’t heal. What do you mean, you hate exposition? Hate bad exposition, not the backstory-telling itself!

Even when you’re not looking for the exposition, bad story-telling will hit you over the head and ruin the show, and the pilot episode is where this is most likely to happen.

Too many dialogues between characters that don’t really need to talk about said backstory; speeches that are clearly only for the audience’s benefit; flashbacks with voiceovers; and any over-zealous narration, really, immediately kills what could have otherwise been a good pilot. It’s a lot to ask for a writer/director to come up with new and exciting ways to tell us the backstory, but the best rule of thumb is to just let it happen slowly. We don’t need to know very much about our characters and their world in the very premiere. 

I, and most audience members like me, would much rather be left in the dark, than spoon-fed. It insults our intelligence.

Introduction to the Series:

For me, there is a difference between the exposition and the introduction, particularly 

in a television pilot, where the viewer is likely to sit to the end, but whether he or she watches anything beyond that first episode is entirely determined in that approximately 60 minutes. The unaired pilot of Stark Trek, for example, lets the viewer know what kinds of, pardon the language, crazy shit is going to happen in this series in a time when space operas on television were pretty revolutionary. The aliens with the big heads in Star Trek’s pilot, The Cage, really tell the audience a clear message: If you think this is cool, watch on. If this is a little weird for you, go back to M*A*S*H.

The conflict:

If the conflict is resolved by the end, I have no reason to watch the second episode. It may sound obvious, and may be inspiring of far too many extraneous cliff-hangers, but keep this in mind: if all of the conflicts are resolved, it means, inherently, that the show will be episodic. I have little problem with episodic shows, save that I can’t re-watch a single episode of House (for some reason all of the details stick with me, removing any enjoyable tension from a re-watch), but really, why tune in next week unless I’m worried about the state of the story world? If the protagonist is already near completion of his or her quest, I’m bored now. I came out to see a fight!

I will find examples of this in pilots, for example Doctor Who almost fell prey to a resolved conflict, but for a few examples I will largely say that early Angel and late Buffy suffered from some very boring episodic episodes that ended with no movement forward.

At first I found myself wondering why Angel needed a spin-off if all he was going to do is roam LA saving one victim at a time with no character development and no arching plot. Boring! The show did not pick up for me at all until Darla… happens... in Season 2. Buffy lost me at a crucial moment in Season 6 where, despite Season 5 being the absolute climax of a show that would air another 2 years, the story stopped suddenly.

In fact, Lost did the same thing for me mid-season when I just wanted the freaking hatch to be opened already.

If all of the plot strings are tied into a tight, artfully tied bow, the audience gets very bored. Even if we must defeat the first of many evils, solve the first of many crimes, complete the first of many quests, leave just one conflict open for me, please.

The characters:

There had better be a character I love, and a character I hate, if you want me to keep watching. Although I didn’t love the premiere of Once Upon a Time, I loved Emma and hated Regina the evil Queen.

Remember the Firefly pilot? If you remember clearly enough to your first viewing, you should be able to recall really hating Dr. Simon, and a little bit hating Mal unless you don’t really care about Inara, the Shepherd, and sometimes even Kaylee, Zoe and Wash… yeah he’s pretty much mean to the whole crew, including Jayne, who you also will not really like at this point, so no one minds when Mal puts him in his place… but it’s hard to watch when he does the same to Inara and Book. Who do we like in the Firefly pilot? Probably only Wash, to be honest.

Yes... yes. This is a fertile land, and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land, and we will call it... This Land.

A boring cast will kill a good pilot, and hatred is just as good of a reaction as love in the early stages.

When Episode Two is better:
It doesn’t mean the pilot has failed when the second episode is more engaging, entertaining and lovable. In fact, it often takes a few episodes to get into any television show. Lost and Star Trek have the near-perfect pilot, but some do not.

I can, and will, easily argue that some very good shows have sub-par priemeres, such as Doctor Who and Firefly. I can, and probably will, even say that about the Game of Thrones premiere. Once Upon a Time, which I already reviewed, did not wow me from the first glance either. Take a look at my first reaction to the Once Upon a Time premiere: for me, that review is nearly scalding – I don’t normally make a habit of watching things I don’t like long enough to review them, and the Once Upon a Time pilot probably got more heat from me than most anything I’ve discussed on Musings by Starlight before.

That said, a mediocre premiere is not the end of the world, or even that of viewership. The Thing You Love Most is the second episode of Once Upon a Time, and it killed me, repeatedly – laughed, cried, forgot who I was and the fact that I was really planning on not enjoying this series in the least.

The second episode of Doctor Who is a lot easier to swallow once you’ve gotten to know Rose and the Doctor, and even though The End of The World (Ep2) is even more estranging than Rose (Ep1), it’s easier to get swept up in the story and forget all of your qualms, particularly that classy part of you that hates laughing at nerdy jokes in public and thinks it’s too cool for aliens.

Everything has its time and everything dies - Doctor Who, The End of the World

I have covered a lot here and I hope to have stroked the fire enough that you will leave me a comment. The argument has been opinionated and I’m sure I’ve said something you have disagreed with, so let me know! I need some guidance on what to discuss as I review pilots over the next few weeks.

Oh and also, what are some other criteria for the perfect pilot? I definitely missed some.

Thank you for reading, and please leave me a comment!

Piloting a Series on Pilots

What do Once Upon a Time, Doctor Who, Lost,  Firefly, Star Trek, Sherlock, Battlestar Galactica, and Game of Thrones all have in common? Well, lots of things actually; stellar casts and crews, good scores for the most part, strong niche fan-bases that have grown to mass appeal, and great stories.

For my purposes, what they all have in common comes before all of that, to the very beginning: the pilot. Every show on the air by definition has to have a decent pilot, but let's not stop at the obvious -- let's take a look at what makes these particular pilots so incredibly appealing to viewers and networks alike; what gets us past episode one? How do we go from a new audience member to a completely addicted fanatic? What are the different tactics our writers and directors have chosen to keep us watching week after week, or if you have Netflix, hour after hour after hour?

Over the next few weeks, I'll re-examine some of my favorite pilots, and take a scalpel to some new ones. Personally, I tend to watch shows that make it past a season, or fail early but quickly raise to cult status, so you might not see anything new from this current season. If you want to recommend any show to me, I would love the suggestions. I watch on audience demand, these days. You can make your demand public either below, or on Twitter.

The Cage is Star Trek's unaired pilot, currently available on Netflix. It aged better than you might think – that's one good looking cast, for one thing, and the writing was unparalleled. Its well-drafted philosophies were also largely stolen by The Matrix. 

Should you watch the Once Upon a Time pilot on ABC?[Review Time]

Emma Swan is a bail-bondsperson, a loner, a mother who gave up her child for adoption, an orphan, and the daughter of Snow White. Or at least that's what her son Henry tells her when he shows up ten years after being put up for adoption. 

The story really begins at Emma's apartment after a birthday wish to not be alone. The doorbell rings, and there is the son she gave up, as well as the first hint of magic in a very mundane life.

Even when the wish comes true, Emma keeps her distance from Henry, and she certainly doesn’t believe him when he tells her she needs to come to his home, Storybrook Maine, to save our favourite Fairy Tale characters from the terror that is life in the real world, where they’ve been put by the Evil Queen. That's right: the Queen's curse is to live the kind of daily life we live, with no happy endings.

Emma is resistant to staying with Henry, but of course, he's a meddling kid, the kind we all love that can always find a way to get what he wants.