Once Upon a Time | 7x17
Added 2025-01-18 13:00:08 +0000 UTCno spoilers in comments pls :)
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Some might even say she was changed "for good" when Robin/Margot was born... (iykyk 😂)
Ha'ane Rose 🦋
2025-01-19 18:15:12 +0000 UTCyes - i think the age of margo and henry make sense....(there are many things that don't in this season and don't follow the original plot lmao) but Margo and Henry make sense. Margo was born when Henry was about 14 I think? So if Margo is like...20 maybe. That makes Henry 35, which I think they said he's mid or early 30s? That would also make sense with Lucy being 10. LOL all those ages are guesses, but I think it makes sense. But also, let’s NOT talk about the whole second pair of Hansel and Gretel and other blind witch thing because it makes my head hurt…So we know from the rest of this season that the new Cinderella, new Step mother, etc. are all from a New Enchanted Forest (which is basically just another reality among hundreds. I like to imagine the realms like Oz, EF, land without magic, wonderland, even the Wish realm from season 6, are all part of one connected “reality.” But then we get season 7 and they tell us: There’s basically a multiverse of all the realms. But NOW THEY TELL US: Hansel and Gretel and the blind witch so happened to meet Regina (in season 1) in the Enchanted Forest..and there just so happens to be another exact story of these people NOT in the other reality where all these new characters, but instead in OZ WITH ZELNA?? Like it makes no sense. If there’s double Hansel and Gretel and blind witch in one reality, then where’s the other Hanse, Gretel and Blind witch in this new reality with New Cinderella, et al.?!! And how did Gretel get to the New Enchanted Forest to meet Drizella as we saw in the previous episode… UGH sorry rant over. This episode plot (well the part where they placed them in Oz) makes me mad because they didn’t have to make it this complicated.
Gehazi Whitehurst
2025-01-18 23:33:08 +0000 UTCChosen- Thank you so much for another fantastic reaction for Once Upon a Time, Travis! I really love this episode a lot! In spite of it showing Zelena in such a terrible light once again throughout this episode's backstory. But then... We all know who she was before she finally found redemption as well. More Zelena as the Wicked Witch of the West is always fun! :) First, to help clear up any confusion you might have regarding the Blind Witch in this episode, and throughout season seven... This Blind Witch, and the Blind Witch we get to know back in season one's episode, titled... True North, and throughout season five's Underworld arc, are not the same Blind Witch. They are in fact, two very different versions of the witch from the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. If you remember... The Blind Witch before season seven was played by Emma Caulfield (Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). And her fiercest enemy was the Evil Queen. This Blind Witch we've seen a few times now in this final season, is an enemy of Zelena's. Although, she is actually killed by Hansel in the end, because of his hatred for all witches. Very fitting. It is never revealed to us how Emma Caulfield's version of the Blind Witch became blind. But this season's version of the Blind Witch loses her sight upon Zelena stealing it from her. And as for this episode being Lana Parrilla's directorial debut... This is in fact the first time Lana Parrilla has ever directed an episode of Once Upon a Time, or any other show or movie. And this show's creators were more than happy to give her the opportunity to do so, because Lana Parrilla is so incredibly talented. Both as an actress, and as a director as well. Because this episode is really, really fantastic! And I really commend her for doing such an amazing job! I really enjoy this episode a lot! Especially for Zelena's past and present storyline, as well as Rogers' brief storyline too. :) Next, in regards to Facilier killing Hansel in the ending, including how and why... Facilier tells Hansel in this scene that he had woken him up when Nick was in the hospital with Jacinda, Lucy, and Henry, and had given some of his blood for the blood test. Facilier doesn't explain how he wakes Hansel, but it was most likely done by him performing a little voodoo magic, or even possibly in the same way that Drizella was able to wake up Regina, and in the way that Regina was also able to wake up Zelena, using a potion similar to the potion that came from Gothel. Then... In his scene with Naveen, Facilier talks through his method of gaining newfound magic he gains from pouring the beignet's sugar over the voodoo doll, which absorbs the magic that comes from Naveen gaining Sabine's trust, and him betraying her trust by having her teach him how to make her special beignets, only to give them over to Facilier. I really love this symbol of trust and trust betrayed. It's brilliant! Just like Rumple has taught us in the past... Even the littlest of symbols can give off powerful magic, which had been proven by Rumple in season four's Frozen arc, as we see magic grown from Ingrid's (the Snow Queen) love for her sisters and how their love for her become symbols through their three yellow ribbons. Naveen gaining Sabine's trust, ultimately with all intention of him breaking said trust as he always planned to hand over the beignets he made with her help to Facilier, is where the magic now inside the voodoo doll has come from. And later... When Facilier uses the magic within his voodoo doll to kill Hansel, I suspect he only does so by way of testing his newfound magic, simply to make sure that his plan with Naveen and Sabine has worked. I believe he has bigger plans in mind, where this newfound magic will be needed. Especially if he needs it to help Regina defeat Mother Gothel. Which he also reveals is his plan to Hansel before he kills him. And now... I have to say that this episode's timeline confused me quite a bit the first time I watched this episode back when it first aired, because we see Zelena again as the Wicked Witch. Throughout this episode, we can somewhat put together that the events from the backstory take place sometime before Zelena ever arrives in Storybrooke for the first time, and before she meets everyone when Pan's curse takes everyone from Storybrooke back to the Enchanted Forest. However, in every other episode this season, most the backstories all take place after the events shown to us throughout seasons one through six. With the exception of many of Wish Hook's, Alice's, and Mother Gothel's backstories, given that they are new characters introduced to us this season. So, for this one episode to have gone way back that much further once again into Zelena's past, was a bit confusing. But after having seen this episode many, many times now, it makes much more sense to me now. Next... I have to say that I definitely really love the Blind Witch from seasons one and five far better than I like this new Blind Witch. Emma Caulfield as the Blind Witch, especially when everyone is down in the Underworld, is incredible! This new Blind Witch in just okay, in my opinion. We also find out that this new witch wasn't even blind until Zelena made her so within her backstory. I had mentioned in my comments when we saw her in an earlier episode this season... in this season's episode, titled... A Taste of the Heights, that she was just an okay character. She isn't bad by any means, but she's not nearly as entertaining and creepy as the main Blind Witch from seasons one and five is. However, I do quite enjoy the scenes between her and Zelena. In the beginning, Zelena is hurt after the witch drops the chandelier on her. Something to do with the clasp of her necklace's chain being broken in the attack, causing her powers to go wonky. I really love how this ties back into season three's episode, titled... Kansas, as Glinda gives Zelena her necklace for the first time and warns Zelena to be careful with it, because her magic is now connected to it. I love this! I also like when Zelena goes to the precinct to find Weaver so she can talk to him about being Hansel's next target, but that she runs into Rogers and calls him Captain, after which he quickly corrects her out of confusion by saying it's detective. I love this. It's so funny. And I also enjoy her conversation with Weaver too, especially when she calls Rogers "Captain Cursed." But when Weaver is reluctant to help her due to their dark past, I really like how she pleads with him by reminding him of Belle. I really enjoy the moments between Zelena and Ivo, the man who saves her from the woods and cares for her, and Hansel's and Gretel's father. It's sad that they don't actually wind up together too. Ivo is very sweet, and he could see Zelena as a loving woman, despite his blindness. She was beautiful to him green skin and all. But then she goes back the confront the witch and blinds her when she attempts to save Hansel and Gretel for Ivo, only to be led to believe that she was too late and that the kids were already killed. It's too bad Zelena allows herself to become wicked again so quickly, despite her efforts to change. Shame on her for burning Hansel and turning against them when Ivo sadly calls her a monster after his children have told him everything. He's right, and Zelena is definitely very wrong. Oh... And we also find out that from this incident, Gretel herself eventually becomes a witch herself too upon her longing to become so powerful so that she won't ever be so helpless again, like she had bene when facing against Zelena in her attack against her brother and father. And then we are reminded that she's later killed by Drizella, as we see in the backstory of a previous episode this season, titled... Sisterhood. As for Chad, Zelena's fiancé who is played by actor, Kip Pardue... I actually really like his character a lot! in spite of him actually not being a fairy tale character. One of the very few characters throughout this show who isn't. Like Greg and Tamara. Chad is incredibly understanding of Zelena and of her past mistakes. Almost unbelievably so. And if this were a real life situation, I highly doubt that he would be so understanding if he were to find out all of the terrible things Zelena has really done. Nonetheless... I really love that Zelena has finally found a good man, who truly does love her in return, in the way she finally deserves upon her finally finding true redemption. I love that Zelena explains to him the best she can, with the exception of all the "fairy tale bits", about who she really was before they met, and that after everything, he still chooses to love her, as he places her engagement ring back on her finger. I also love that for once, we have a sweet romance between a character who isn't a part of the fairy tale world in any way, which has never been done before. At least not with any characters we care about. Greg and Tamara clearly don't count. And I am so happy that Regina encourages Zelena to return to San Francisco to be with him, in spite of me wanting Zelena to stay for our entertainment. This really shows us how much Regina and Zelena have grown to love one another. And for the first time, we finally see Regina putting her sister's needs and desire for true happiness above her own, knowing how much more help Zelena could be in helping her to break the curse and defeat the evils here in Hyperion Heights. And it's beautiful!! I really wish that we could have gotten to know Chad a little more, if he had been in previous episodes. Because I really do like his character and would have loved to get to know him better. I also feel that if we had already gotten to know him a little more, the impact and emotions we feel for him upon him being kidnapped and in danger, as well as him being forced to fear for the woman he loves as she is being attacked by Hansel, would be stronger. And I feel that maybe seeing his understanding of Kelly's past might not almost be so unbelievable. But nonetheless... I really like his character. Even if we do only get to know him from this one episode alone. In case you're curious as to why you might recognize Chad's actor, Kip Pardue, Travis... Kip Pardue plays "Sunshine" Ronnie Bass in the movie, Remember the Titans, which you watched for us here on your channel some time back. And I love him in Remember the Titans!! I have seen him in a number of shows and movies, and I always enjoy his character. Just like Chad is here in Once Upon a Time too! He's great! And... I enjoy the moment between Zelena and Margot in the ending too. Especially when Zelena gives her daughter her green amulet that she claims is a family heirloom, and then names her maid of honor. Very sweet. Next... We have Henry still as Hansel's prisoner. And I really love each of their scenes together, as Hansel explains to Henry how and why he had worked hard to become Jack so that she could become someone else, as a way of helping himself to take out the as many witches he believes to be the evils of the world as he can, while also so that he can try to be a hero despite him not being a hero at all, given that he prefers being a witch killer. Even though he's succeeded in conning himself into believing he's a hero, when he isn't. I absolutely understand why Hansel has become a villain even though he's very much in the wrong, and I most certainly sympathize with him. He has a very dark past that we see here in this episode. Which is what I love about Hansel's character. And I understand why Hansel believes as he does. But like all vigilantes, he has allowed himself to become evil in trying to do the right thing. I didn't care much for Hansel's character back when I watched this season the first time through. I felt that he was a weak character, and that his death at the end of this episode made him even weaker and pointless. I was very wrong. Having watched all the episodes within this season many times now, including Hansel's story arc, I've grown to really enjoy his character, and to appreciate his efforts to try to wake up Henry. And as I mentioned... I do sympathize with him. I love that Rogers immediately knows that Henry is in danger upon learning that his car has been found abandoned. And I love how quickly and brilliantly Rogers figures out that Nick is the serial killer from the gingerbread house in Jacinda's car which she said he had given to Lucy, and from the strange text Nick had sent to her pretending to be Henry. Rogers then asks her if Nick has scars on his wrists too. I am so happy when Rogers breaks into Nick's apartment and saves Henry too. Thank goodness Henry's abduction doesn't go beyond just this episode. Finally... We learn that of course Facilier has a new dark agenda to end Gothel. We also learn it had been him who had woken Hansel up to get him to help to go after Mother Gothel and the rest of her coven for him so that he can try to do what he needs to do to try to gain hold of the Dark One dagger without Gothel's interference. He winds up killing Hansel, simply because he has failed him. Just because Hansel has become distracted from his original plan to kill all witches, by going after the one witch who has hurt him the most... Zelena. Overall... This episode is really, really good!! I love Hansel's explanation to Henry about why he had become Jack to try to escape from being Hansel too. It's brilliant writing, and phenomenal directing by the one and only... Lana Parrilla! I love seeing her directions throughout this episode! Thank you again, Travis! Sincerely, Heidi
Heidi Elizabeth Marcum
2025-01-18 13:57:32 +0000 UTC
