Ep. 21: “Snow Drifts”
Ep. 22 “There’s No Place Like Home”
**Spoiler Alert**
Fans were lavished with a special two hour season finale of Once Upon A Time. And I for one was thrilled. The last two episodes of the season shouldn’t be watched any other way but in tandem. This two hour special included everything that I love about OUAT from the lavish costumes, to the fairytale world and love stories that make you smile foolishly with glee.
While not yet romantically involved, Emma and Hook embark on an unwanted adventure that brings them closer together. It was Emma that was sucked into the time portal, Hook didn’t have to let go, but as he points out Emma’s a woman he just can’t stop chasing. She’s perfect for him, she’s stubborn, independent, self-reliant — she’s no damsel in distress (even if she is part princess). Seeing Emma and Hook interact outside of Storybrooke gave their budding relationship another captivating layer. We were able to see how much they complement one another, they were the perfect problem solving duo. If you weren’t rooting for this couple before, I’m sure you are now.
I kept waiting for the time portal to be explained, the few bits of dialogue about Zelena’s magic running free didn’t do it justice. If anything it just made it more confusing. Her death should have broken any curse she’d enacted while living, not eek out enough power to fulfill one last complicated curse. Plus wasn’t Snow White’s baby the magic ingredient? So with no baby, and the death of Zelena, the time portal doesn’t make much sense. I’m not complaining, just making a point; sometimes logic has to be sacrificed for the bigger picture. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed our jump back in time.
Back in time we were treated to Regina’s darker side: the Evil Queen. It was important to be reminded of how truly evil she once was so that we can better appreciate her newly developed character arc. Love (or the loss thereof) turned Regina into the dark bitter woman that reigned as an Evil Queen, but it is also love that has transformed her into a modern day hero.
Coincidentally, love is also the motivating force for Killian. No longer a rogue, he’s now a man of honor and a man smitten with a certain princess, one he’ll do just about anything for. Together Killian and Emma fight their way through a time they don’t belong to in the Enchanted Forest. Not many people get to see their parents fall in love, but Emma did. She also almost ruined it. Emma causes so many ripples in time it’s hard to believe it’ll all be okay in the end.
It was a pleasant surprise to see Emma as a Princess, no matter how brief a moment it was. She was stunning. Jennifer Morrison proved that she can be as equally charming all dressed up, though my favorite outfit on her was the everyday wench garb. Killian couldn’t take his eyes off of her and was even plagued with a case of the jealous jitters when Emma “distracted” his past self. Killian knows exactly what type of guy he was and cares far too much about Emma to see her in a compromising position.
One of the big surprises of the finale was Belle’s wedding. I’m surprised it didn’t get more attention. The wedding felt rushed and deserved some time to breathe. It was such a touching moment between Beauty and the Beast. Belle’s vows were heartwarming as were Rumple’s, both felt earnest and true to character. At the very least their wedding deserved a happy tear shedding audience.
Weaving a current modern day Disney character into OUAT was a stroke of genius. Especially since that character is from Frozen, the highest grossing animated film of all time (according to Wikipedia). Can’t wait to see what that does to the ratings. With so many of our characters taking the high road, there’s a real lack of regular villains these days. So excited to see what Elsa brings to Storybrooke.
With the loss of her second chance at love, it looks like Regina might be on the war path. And she blames Emma. To be fair it is Emma’s fault. Her naivety, much like her mother’s before her, has inadvertently stolen Regina’s happiness. We might be seeing the Evil Queen sooner than we realized.
What a sensational way to end the third season.
Aurora Snow Says
Season Finale Rating:
[Rating:5/5]
