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Mark Baker

Once Upon a Time 1-16: Heart of Darkness

After last week’s dark episode and the title of this one, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It thought it might be very dark. And while it wasn’t happy go lucky and was more in keeping with the darker tone of this half of the season, I definitely enjoyed it.

Plus we finally got back to amnesia Snow White. That really helped me enjoy the episode because I am so invested in Snow/James because of all the complications they’ve put in their way that we aren’t expecting.

In fact, let’s start there. Our first look at Fairy Tale was of Snow White working around the dwarfs’ cottage and whistling “With a Smile and a Song” from the Disney movie. There’s a blue bird in the room, and Snow reaches out her hand. The bird flies over to her finger. And then Snow tries to crush it with her broom. And the bird flies around the room, she keeps whacking at it. It’s chirping is too cheerful for her. Grumpy comes in and leads her to an intervention with the other dwarfs and Jiminy Cricket. Turns out that without her memories of James, Snow has become a very different person – a bitter, angry, vindictive person. As the dwarfs try to convince her she has changed (she’s even making Happy sad by breaking his mug), she decides that the way to regain her happiness and the life in a palace she deserves as a princess is to kill the Queen.Read More »Once Upon a Time 1-16: Heart of Darkness

Once Upon a Time 1-15: Red-Handed

I never in a million years would have guessed where they were going with last night’s episode of Once Upon a Time. Well, okay, maybe I figured some of it out early on, but they still managed to throw some twists I wasn’t expecting. I think this was the darkest trip to Fairy Tale we’ve had yet.

I find it easiest to break the episode into the two settings, so I’m going to keep doing that, starting with Fairy Tale. We meet up with Red as she is flirting with Peter, her long time friend turned boyfriend through the window on Granny’s cottage. But it doesn’t last long because Granny insists that the cabin be locked up tight. A group of hunters even comes to the door talking about tracking and killing the wolf that terrorizes the village, but Granny says the best approach is to stay inside and wait out his time, two more days. Granny also insists that Red wear her famous red cloak because it repels wolves.Read More »Once Upon a Time 1-15: Red-Handed

Once Upon a Time 1-14: Dreamy

When it comes to fairy tales, the biggest question that has never been answered is, why is Grumpy grumpy? Okay, okay, so I’ve never really wondered that, but that’s what was explored on this week’s Once Upon a Time. We even got a cameo by a guest star from a couple episodes back and Amy Acker as a new character. Here’s hoping they can get her back as well.

The parallels between the Fairy Tale romance of Dreamy (aka Grumpy) and Nova the fairy and the Storybrooke relationship between Leroy and Sister Astrid were fun. Plus we also got an update on Katherine’s disappearance.

We’ve got lots of ground to cover, so let’s start in Fairy Tale.Read More »Once Upon a Time 1-14: Dreamy

Castle 4-17: Once Upon a Crime

While Castle seems to have more serious episodes than it used to these days, you can pretty much count on them having lighter episodes on either side of the more dramatic ones. That was certainly the case last night.

It also felt like they were trying make up for the fact that Once Upon a Time wasn’t on Sunday night in favor of the Oscars since the murders had a fairy tale theme.

It all starts with a woman in a red cape running through the woods. When she trips, she throws her hands up to protect herself from an attacker of some kind.Read More »Castle 4-17: Once Upon a Crime

Castle 4-16 Recap: Linchpin

Last night’s Castle was an exercise in changing opinions. While I was watching it, I enjoyed it. It was lots of fun with great twists. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve been disappointed by it.

The episode started off with Castle and Beckett in the car that was pushed off the dock and into the water in the cliffhanger at the end of part one of this two part saga. As the water rose, they couldn’t get the doors to open, and Beckett’s seatbelt was jammed. Her gun had fallen on the floor, and Castle had to dive down to find it to shoot off her seat belt and then use it to break the windows so they could get out. Read More »Castle 4-16 Recap: Linchpin

Once Upon a Time 1-13: What Happened to Frederick

When I saw the title of this episode, I was wondering who exactly Frederick was. I was wondering if he was someone we’d met before, but he wasn’t ringing any bells. Fortunately, he wasn’t someone I’d forgotten, and I loved his twist to the story.

Plus tonight we found out a little more about Snow White and Prince Charming (aka James). Their story in Fairy Tale is just fascinating to me since they have added so many twists to it. All told, it was another great episode.

I should start this recap by admitting something I haven’t had to since I started the recaps. Read More »Once Upon a Time 1-13: What Happened to Frederick

Castle 4.15 Recap – Pandora

Amazing, isn’t it, how during February sweeps Castle and Beckett manage to find themselves in a case that puts the balance of New York if not the entire world on the line and requires two episodes to complete. It’s now the third year in a row that this has happened. So shall we strap in for part one of the wild ride?

The episode opens with Castle learning that Alexis has taken on a third internship, but no one will tell him what it is. Immediately, bells went off in my head screaming “It has something to do with police work.”

We head out to the murder scene where the victim was shot and stabbed with a knife and pencil before being thrown out the window. As Castle quips, “Talk about overkill.” And it’s at the crime scene that Castle learns Alexis is interning with Lanie. While he puts a good face on it, he’s not happy because he likes to keep his police work separate from his family life. Alexis is loving it and Lanie seems to be enjoying having her there as well.

Read More »Castle 4.15 Recap – Pandora

Once Upon a Time Episode 1-12: Skin Deep

I love Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time (along with Monster’s, Inc. and Up). So I’ve been looking forward to seeing how Once Upon a Time would tackle the familiar tale ever since I learned that that had cast Lost‘s Emilie de Ravin in the part. I was not disappointed.

Not only that, but this episode featured the return of another couple characters and a huge revelation I had suspected all along. Plus psych‘s Sage Brocklebank (recurring character Buzz McNab over there) also guest starred as Gaston.

While this episode felt jammed packed, I also felt it was fairly simple in some regards. And I think the story is best told as they told it – alternating between Storybrooke and Fairy Tale.Read More »Once Upon a Time Episode 1-12: Skin Deep