Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.16, "Heart of Darkness"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.16, "Heart of Darkness"

Written by Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg
Directed by Dean White

Synopsis

After a restatement of the series's premise and the title card, the episode begins with Charming and Red still being pursued and attacked by the king's men. Red bids Charming flee to find Snow White, remaining behind to assume her lupine form; he does, and melee ensues.

No towering figure, she.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret is processed into police custody. She and Emma confer about their respective situations; both are constrained by their positions.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White tends to the dwarves' cottage. Grumpy invites her to dinner, which she resists; the assembled dwarves introduce Jiminy Cricket to her conducting something of an intervention with her, addressing the changes in her behavior following her taking a memory-erasing potion. It does not proceed as they hope, and Snow White prepares to depart in anger to kill Regina.

In Storybrooke, Emma questions Mary Margaret with Regina present. The questioning goes poorly for Mary Margaret. Her counterpart fares better, waylaying one of the Evil Queen's riders and interrogating him regarding Regina's whereabouts. She despoils the rider and proceeds along her way, despite the dwarves' impassioned pleas. Grumpy proposes to take Rumpelstiltskin to reverse the effects of the potion; she demurs.

Yep, everything seems in order.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Emma checks her shared residence for signs of a break-in following the questioning session. None are forthcoming, and Henry arrives to interrupt her search and notes that Regina has motive to frame Mary Margaret. A strange scratching sound attracts attention, and Emma finds a hidden hunting knife.

August later meets Henry at Granny's, conferring with him about developments. August suggests Henry check his book for answers; Henry attempts to demur, but is persuaded into it. August also explains the difficulty of persuading Emma into belief, and Henry resumes his reading.

In it, Charming continues his pursuit of Snow White, coming across the knight Snow White had despoiled. He reports her actions and direction, to Charming's disbelief.

How does he do it?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Storybrooke, David calls on Regina, pleading with her about Mary Margaret. She presses him about his lack of knowledge of her. He tries to argue that he has done ill during his blackouts. Meanwhile, Emma notes her findings to Mary Margaret and notes that she should hire a lawyer--at which point Gold announces himself and offers his services. Mary Margaret accepts the offer, although Emma is uncertain of Gold's sincerity.

In the Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin notes there is no return available for Snow White. He offers to assist her in killing Regina, advising her of a better tactic to do so. Grumpy refuses further complicity, and Rumpelstiltskin delights in the prospects.

David calls on the psychologist, Dr. Hopper, asking how to remember the events of his blackouts.

Charming makes to confront Rumpelstiltskin about Snow White. The Dark One notes that true love's kiss can break the potion's effect and offers Snow White's location in exchange for Charming's cloak. Charming rushes off as Snow White makes her assassin's preparations; he confronts her, finding her memory gone and kissing her. It does not work, and she knocks him unconscious.

Well, that'll open some doors for you, kid.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Henry greets Emma outside her residence, brandishing a set of keys that allows access to everything in Storybrooke. Emma is doubtful, but Henry demonstrates the truth of his claim.

Charming rouses to find himself restrained. Snow White rejects his appeals and stalks off to assassinate Regina. David, meanwhile, undergoes hypnotic regression. The memories that emerge conflate his life in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, and David departs Hopper's office in haste. Charming is confronted by Jiminy Cricket, and the two proceed to try to interdict Snow White, who is taking up position to assassinate the riding Regina. Charming intercepts the arrow meant for Regina, and the two confer, with Charming pressing Snow White to remember who she is. At that point, they kiss, and she recalls herself and him. George's pursuit continues, and Charming is taken prisoner; she begins to pursue him, in turn.

Mary Margaret continues to languish in lockup, David visiting her. He reports his own findings to her, which revelation staggers her no less than his pained rehearsal of the evidence against her. She rebukes him for his doubts and dismisses him.

Snow White, penitent, returns to the dwarves and apologizes. They accept her back, but she notes that she cannot stay; she must retrieve the imprisoned Charming. The dwarves move to accompany her in her quest and fall in to work.

Mary Margaret finds one of the strange keys in her cell. Trying it on the cell door, she finds it works and that she can walk free; she conceals the knowledge as Emma arrives with breakfast. She reports that the heart is, indeed, Kathryn's and that, with that evidence, legal proceedings will have to begin. They confer about circumstances, and Emma goes off to confer with Gold about how to prove Regina's interference. He offers cryptic encouragement, and his alter-ego prepares more magic. Mary Margaret, meanwhile, makes her escape.

Discussion

The thing that stands out in mind for me in the episode is the permeable nature of imprisonment. While it is the case that concerns of race factor heavily into depictions of jail--it is, and they do, as is true of the reality of imprisonment in the United States--the episode does follow precedent both in focusing on incarceration and in depicting it as both porous and escapable. I am minded of Malory, as is often the case in the work I do for the Society; the "knight-prisoner" author of Le Morte d'Arthur refers repeatedly to his own incarceration in the work, and he focuses on knights' imprisonment several times, as well. Indeed, a section of my dissertation (66-72) concerns itself with such matters; I'll not recapitulate it here, but will simply note that at least one major work of medieval literature presents prison as permeable and escapable (not least because of its author's experiences), so that for Once upon a Time to present it as such reinforces the (pseudo-?) neo/medievalism of its milieu.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.15, "Red-Handed"

With apologies for the delay...
Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.15, "Red-Handed"

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Ron Underwood

Synopsis

It's never a good sign...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Following a restatement of the series's premise and the title card, the episode begins with Emma questioning David regarding his possible involvement in Kathryn's disappearance. She sends him home to get some sleep--with a recommendation to retain a lawyer.

Formidable.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

At Granny's, August flirts with Ruby while Granny looks on in some annoyance. He boasts of his travels to her, and the scene pivots to the Enchanted Forest, where Ruby's counterpart, Red, entertains a gentleman caller, Peter, despite her grandmother's intent. The two attest their mutual affection and intent for one another before Red is called away to join her grandmother. The latter dismissed a hunting party and confronts Red about Peter; Red speaks in his defense, and the two secure their home for the evening.

Granny confronts Ruby about her conduct; an argument follows, with heated words exchanged. And in the Enchanted Forest, Red and her grandmother begin the next day, Red tending to the chickens. There, she finds Snow White hiding and purloining eggs; Snow White gives an assumed name and is taken in. Red reports on the ravening wolf as Snow assists her with further chores; they find the slaughtered remains of the previous night's hunting party.

In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret asks Emma about David and Kathryn. They walk together, conferring, and Emma notes the opprobrium facing her. They encounter Ruby and Dr. Whale, the latter soon absenting himself. Ruby notes her desire to leave town in reaction to the fight with Granny and quitting her job. Emma cautions her about the need to have a destination, and Mary Margaret invites her to their shared home.

Hell of a love-nip.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, rabble-rousing regarding the ravenous wolf ensues. Granny and Red arrive at the tavern where another hunting party is being planned, and she rebukes those gathered for their thoughts that they might prevail against the wolf. She notes her own history with such creatures, having watched the beast slaughter her family. Snow White and Red confer about the situation afterward and Red's infatuation with Peter. Red arrives at the idea of killing the wolf; Snow demurs, but Red persuades her to assist.

Administrative work can be rewarding, yes.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret drives up to the town line, meeting clandestinely with David. They confer about their shared situation, though David seems addled and wanders off. And in the Enchanted Forest, Snow White and Red track the wolf, finding signs of its passing and of its immense size. Meanwhile, Henry helps Ruby find new work; she begins answering phones in the sheriff's office, and Emma takes her on as an assistant. Mary Margaret reports her encounter with David to Emma with some shame.

Red and Snow come across strange tracks as they continue searching for the wolf. They realize they are remarkably close to Red's home; the tracks lead there, and Red arrives at the notion that her beloved Peter is the wolf. They work out a plan to save Peter and the rest of them.

Ruby returns to Granny's--as a customer, rather than an employee. Granny greets her bluntly, conversation between them tense and terse.

Why am I hearing four strings and three horns?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Red confronts Peter about the possibility that he is the wolf. He expresses initial confusion but agrees to be restrained for the safety of all involved, and she declares her intent to remain with him.

Henry reports to Emma that Ruby is, in fact, Red Riding Hood and remarkably capable. As he leaves, Ruby arrives with lunch; Emma takes her on patrol, finding her strangely capable as she hunts for David. Ruby soon finds David, unconscious in the woods and injured. Emma rouses him, and he evidences a gap in his memories. Dr. Whale diagnoses it as a similar event to his early emergence from his coma, and David worries that he did something wrong while unaware of it. Regina arrives to disrupt matters, and Emma dispatches Ruby to follow up on a sudden idea she has. Ruby searches, soon finding recently disturbed earth and, beneath it, a box, the contents of which startle her.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White impersonates Red--poorly--and Granny reveals that Red is, in fact the wolf, realizing that Peter is in grave peril. And he learns as much when, chained, he comes under attack from the wolf.

The box Ruby finds contains a human heart, and Emma commends her efforts. Snow White and Red's grandmother charge out into the woods, the latter relating Red's background and history along the way. She notes that she, too, is a werewolf, and she makes ready to kill Red while she feasts upon her erstwhile lover's body. The shot fails to kill Red, but it does incapacitate her long enough for magic to effect her transformation back into a human; they make to flee the coming hunting party as the revelation of her status breaks upon Red.

Ruby returns to Granny's, asking for her job back. Another awkward conversation ensues, offering something like apologies and reconciling the two. Mary Margaret tries to comfort David, and he begins to believe he has done something wrong. Emma arrives where they are, noting findings--including that Mary Margaret's fingerprints were inside the box with the heart.

Discussion

I've written about werewolves before, here, and while it is the case that a lot of work subverts the expectations of audiences, it is also the case that as much or more maintains those expectations; they have to come from somewhere, after all. And despite the protestations of many that Disney and its subsidiaries are "too woke," the media institution that it is is fundamentally conservative in scope; Disney has worked over decades to make itself one of the standard reference points for United States popular culture and common understanding, an unofficial canon that carries more weight than most anything else taught as "authentically American." It's not a surprise, then, that the present episode returns to those understandings in its presentation of lycanthropy--or that it links it to misogyny, as well, because there's no shortage of that in "real America." While not perhaps very neo/medieval/ist, it is unfortunately prominent and common; here, as elsewhere, I am disappointed but not surprised not to have seen better.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.14, "Dreamy"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.14, "Dreamy"

Written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz
Directed by David Solomon

Synopsis

The very picture of grace...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Recapitulation of the series' premise being absent, after the title card, the episode opens in the Enchanted Forest with the Blue Fairy receiving a delivery and report from another fairy of much less poise. She rebukes the other fairy and dispatches her, the latter dropping some fairy dust along the way--which settles onto a large egg and alters it in advance of its unexpected hatching a smiling dwarf.

In Storybrooke, Leroy angrily eats his breakfast as Mary Margaret pleads for help with candle sales. She is greeted with silence. Leroy notes their shared pariah status, rattling her; Emma follows after, asking about the candle sale and reactions to Mary Margaret. She laments her status, and Emma is called off to tend to duty; she offers encouragement as she leaves.

Admittedly, I react to glitter similarly.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Preparations for the festival the candle sales underwrite--the Miner's Day celebration--proceed, and Leroy encounters a nun, Astrid, at work on them. He reacts much more happily than might be expected, helping out, and the two seem to connect before going off to their respective tasks.

Emma reports to the scene of Kathryn's disappearance, soon joined by Sidney. Investigation proceeds, and suspicion begins to fall on David swiflty.

The hatched dwarf, Leroy's counterpart, is brought into service, Explanations are offered to him, along with labor-force indoctrination. The dwarf, along with his seven brothers, receives a mattock that gives him his name, Dreamy, and the group are sent into the mines to work in support of the magic underlying the Enchanted Forest.

Leroy belatedly signs up to volunteer to help with candle sales. He overhears Astrid getting into trouble and moves to offer comfort; he learns of the financial difficulties she and the convent face. Emboldened, Leroy resolves to aid. Meanwhile, Emma confronts David regarding Katharine's disappearance, quizzing him about what he knows. Emma affirms that she will find Kathryn. Regina provides records to Sidney regarding the disappearance, as well.

Shiny.
Image taken form the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, work proceeds in the mines to produce fairy dust, which the fairy counterpart of Astrid, Nova, monitors. She struggles with it and is aided by Dreamy, who recognizes her from his pre-hatching dreams. A series of mishaps ensues, from which Dreamy manages to save the fairy dust and the fairy tasked with its delivery. He encourages her, and the two connect.

Candle sales start off poorly at the event. Leroy takes it into his head to sell door to door. Emma presses Sidney for his promised help as the sales duo tries and fails to peddle their wares.

In the mines, Dreamy sits alone, contemplating his feelings. Belle, present where the dwarves are taking their meal, notes that Dreamy is in love; it is clear to her from his deportment. The other dwarves disbelieve as Belle expounds upon love to Dreamy. She encourages Dreamy to go meet Nova, and he does so.

Leroy makes to report his difficulties to Astrid. He is unable to follow through on doing so, for fear of disappointing her, and Mary Margaret rebukes him for his failure. He avows that he will make good on his promise.

They are cute together.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Dreamy rushes to meet Nova, and the two look out over the Forest together, happily. They confer about their respective situations, and Dreamy offers to sail the world together with Nova. She accepts, and they arrange to meet again and run off together.

Leroy offers to sell his boat to Gold. Gold refuses, citing a history with the nuns. Astrid calls on Leroy after Gold leaves, and she marvels at the boat before finding the unsold candles and silently rebuking Leroy for his dishonesty. Meanwhile, Emma receives Kathryn's phone records, giving her cause to doubt David. Leroy reports his failure to Mary Margaret, and the two commiserate about their common pariah status.

Dreamy rushes away to meet Nova again, sneaking out in the night from the dormitory he shares with his brothers. One, Stealthy, confronts him, the rest waking at the exchange, and they press him. Dreamy relates his reasoning, and his brothers cheer him on his way. A senior dwarf tries to interdict him, citing his responsibilities and a congenital inability to love--which the Blue Fairy, descending, affirms. Dreamy is persuaded to abandon his love for Nova, putatively in her own interest, just as Leroy tries to set aside his affection for Astrid. He resolves to take action, and proceeds to where the Miner's Day festival is in progress. Ascending to a rooftop, he disables the lighting for the festival--and obliging candle sales en masse.

"It's Grumpy, now," understandably.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Nova waits for Dreamy, having found a ship for the two of them to sail away. He relates what he has been persuaded to believe, and she rages at the situation. He denies her love, and they part in sadness. Dreamy returns to work; his old mattock fails him, and a new one declares him Grumpy.

Candles sales proceed at the Miner's Day festival, Mary Margaret and Leroy exhausting their inventory. Leroy delivers the proceeds to Astrid, and he offers to take her aboard his boat once it's restored. They delight in the festival while Emma reviews phone records, her investigation ongoing and under threat from Regina. Mary Margaret even begins to receive some reconciliation from the community, while David looks on in longing, and Emma takes him into custody as the town looks on.

Discussion

Of some interest is the depiction of fairies as being...not entirely benevolent. It's something at odds with the Disney sources that inform the understandings of neo/medieval/ist materials much or most of the presumed primary audience of the series has; in Disney, of course, the colorful fairies are sympathetic, helpful beings that work selflessly to the benefit of those they encounter, rather than traffickers in exploitable resources. Frankly, the Blue Fairy is something of a jerk in the present episode, outright laughing at her subordinate in a way that smacks of what James Fredal discusses in his January 2011 College English article.

I note, too, with some interest the hatching of the dwarves. Given my background and the Society, the Tolkienian comment about there being no dwarven women comes to mind--but who lays the eggs? More seriously, though, with Labor Day in the US having only recently passed, I am in mind of the labor stratification that is clearly at work with the former Dreamy and his siblings. The idea that certain groups are fated to work in support of others is hardly unique to the medieval, of course; there are any number of execrable people even now who espouse such hateful ideology. But it does line up in broad strokes with the traditional three orders social system many ascribe to and associate with the medieval; the dwarves are a "natural" labor class, conditioned and constrained to work and punished for deviations from that labor. It's...not a good message, really, embedded in them.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.13, "What Happened to Frederick"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.13, "What Happened to Frederick"

Written by David H. Goodman
Directed by Dean White

Synopsis

Following a restatement of the series's premise and the title card, the episode opens with Princess Abigail arriving at Charming's kingdom. The king greets her amid sudden tumult, and the search for the escaping Charming commences as the prince rides off. He manages to evade pursuit, at least initially; he is ambushed and taken.

Well ain't this just cozy?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Storybrooke, David and Kathryn dine quietly together. Conversation is clipped and tense, Kathryn noting a hitherto unannounced application to law school in Boston; she suggests moving to make new memories and make a fresh start.

Charming finds himself apprehended by Abigail, who notes his love for Snow White. She offers to assist him in his flight, noting her lack of love for him.

David and Mary Margaret confer about Kathyrn's revelation; she complains about their secrecy and deceit, calling for disclosure, and he demurs despite having no real alternatives. She reiterates the call, pressing David to choose; he chooses Mary Margaret, and she bids him tell his wife before she walks off.

Who is this guy, really? (We find out later.)
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the morning, Emma calls in at Granny's, where she finds the stranger. He reluctantly gives a name--August Wayne Booth--and arranges for them to meet later. Emma follows up by meeting with Mary Margaret, and the confer about the latter's romantic entanglement. Mary Margaret notes that David is supposed to be telling Kathryn. He  tries to confess himself to her, but fails to give an accounting.

In the Enchanted Forest, Abigail takes Charming to Midas's realm, and Charming presses her for her reasons. She notes her ongoing love for another, Frederick, and when he notes that Snow White does not love him, she escorts him to where Frederick, afflicted by Midas's touch, stands. Abigail notes that a means for saving Frederick is available, but guarded; Charming undertakes to face the guardian.

August inserts pages into Henry's book, repairing the physical text with skill. Henry receives a gift of a handheld video game from Regina; he voices a desire to see Emma just before Kathryn intrudes. Henry leaves, and Kathryn presses Regina for details about her husband; Regina notes Mary Margaret's involvement in the affair, which Kathryn had not known, and provides the details requested. They are damning.

The hits keep coming.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Abigail and Charming approach the means for saving Frederick, a lake with salvific water. David mulls over pictures of Kathryn and calls Mary Margaret, lying to her about his actions. Kathryn arrives to rebuke Mary Margaret, publicly and violently. David's dissembling becomes clear.

Charming proceeds to the lake and is confronted as he tries to take its water. An alluring figure emerges from it.

August arrives for his meeting with Emma, taking her for a motorcycle ride. She reluctantly accompanies him, ultimately to a well at the outskirts of town. The significance is explicated, and they confer about the town and about openness to new ideas and experience. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret finds herself the subject of censure and derision in the town.

Fracas, yes.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The confrontation at the water in the Enchanted Forest continues, devolving into a fracas in short order.

Mary Margaret confronts David about his dissembling. She rebukes him for his failure, noting that she is paying for his transgressions and she breaks off the relationship.

Emma finds a box wedged up against her parked car. It contains Henry's book, as August sees. Kathryn calls on Regina, apologizing for her earlier outburst. She also notes that David never seemed to love her the way he clearly does Mary Margaret, and she relinquishes her claim on him in favor of moving to Boston for law school, having encouraged David and Mary Margaret after her initial anger.

In the Enchanted Forest, Charming delivers on his promise to retrieve the water for Abigail. She delights in it, and it restores her beloved Frederick to himself and to her. Charming resolves to pursue Snow White, departing in peace and amity--and with a warning about the coming wrath of Charming's putative father, King George.

Regina covertly enters Kathryn's home, purloining a letter she had left for David. Emma greets Henry at school, returning his book to him, to his surprise and delight. He reads of Charming's continued pursuit of Snow White, where he learns from Red Riding Hood that she has gone before he must flee again. Mary Margaret sorrows over what has transpired, Emma unable to offer much comfort or ease. And Regina delights in continuing to meddle as Kathryn seeks to leave town, only to be narrowly missed by a passer-by: Frederick.

Discussion

I forget if I've made the comment before, but the roads in the Enchanted Forest are remarkably regular, far more than would be expected of the pseudo-medieval milieu. While I am aware that much of medieval Europe--including the medieval England that the series seems most apt to ape--was able to take advantage of existing Roman roads, themselves legendary for their regularity and quality, there is not much to suggest that a similar political body preexists the fairy-tale world in which the characters have their overt origins. It may be inferred, of course, from the medieval(ist) parallels; the medieval was in some ways a reaction to the Roman, so that the Roman is something of a necessary (but insufficient) precondition for the medieval, but there's nothing direct so far, no Classicist ruins or holdovers to be seen. Even Midas, a Classical myth, is not in the series; he's present, but he's solidly medieval(ist). With all that said, that the roads are consistent in size--judged against non-shapeshifting characters for reference--and quality is something of an anachronism, and while I understand that the physical constraints of location-based filming are, I wonder about the choices made.

This dapper fellow, antithetical?
Image taken from Playbill, used for commentary.

I forget, too, if the name of Charming's false father is noted in earlier episodes, but the George is significant for American audiences such as would be expected for a show appearing on ABC. Kings named George are antithetical figures in the United States foundational mythology, of course, but George also has resonance with the medieval England in which the series obliquely traffics. It's not something I'm certain would rise to viewers' attention, but that does not mean it's not present and doesn't have some influence. What it means, though...I do not know.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.12, "Skin Deep"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.12, "Skin Deep"

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Milan Cheylov

Synopsis

Perhaps it ought to be called the Kingdom of Generica...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

After the title card and absent a restatement of the series' premise, the episode opens with peril facing the Enchanted Forest and discussion in a noble's court of that peril. Rumpelstiltskin arrives with an offer of a deal to secure the safety of the town--for the price of Belle as a servant in his estate. The deal is refused by the noble but accepted by Belle, who agrees in the the interest of her community and leaves her father and fiancee.

In Storybrooke, Gold confronts the florist French, alter-ego of Belle's father, repossessing his van as a penalty for defaulting on a loan. Regina confronts him, but Gold evades the confrontation. Emma meets Mary Margaret at Granny's, where she and David are "not together." Ashley reports in, conferring with them, and Ruby invites the three out for drinks and revelry. Emma is summoned back to work and reports to Gold's home, where he has found it broken into and robbed.

Nice digs.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Rumpelstiltskin brings Belle to his estate, where he effectively imprisons her, giggling. Her servitude to him begins, with him taunting her amid her initially inept work.

Emma presses Gold about the robbery, and he reluctantly notes that French was the likely perpetrator. Emma moves to investigate amid oblique threats to French from Gold.

Belle's servitude continues, and she asks Rumpelstiltskin about his spinning. He teases her, and she laughs, the two softening towards one another.

Emma retrieves Gold's stolen property. He complains that French remains at large and begins his own ominous pursuit.

It's in the eyes, really.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Belle continues to press Rumpelstiltskin about himself. They continue to soften towards one another, and Rumpelstiltskin notes the loss of his son. He begins to grow suspicious of her, and Belle's fiancee comes to challenge Rumpelstiltskin; he is turned into a rose, which the captor gifts to the captive before pressing Belle about her reasoning. She explicates, noting the circumstances of her betrothal along the way and musing on love. He offers her a deal, letting her go out on an errand in exchange for relating his story.

The revelry ensues, and Ruby acts the virago, leaving Ashley and Mary Margaret to confer about their respective love lives. David tries to navigate his own relationship, and he and Gold confer over purchases about love--as Gold abducts French, taking him to his cabin in the woods and forcing him in at gunpoint.

This seems ominous.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Belle is going about her errand when the Evil Queen happens on her. They walk together a while, the queen pressing her about her relationship with Rumpelstiltskin. She notes that true love's kiss will break a curse, clearly intuiting who her captor is. Belle makes to act on that knowledge, returning to Rumpelstiltskin to hear about his son and confer again with him about love. They kiss, and Belle lets slip that she has been informed of his weakness by Regina, and he sours against Belle, imprisoning her again.

Gold proceeds to torture French, reflecting Rumpelstiltskin's rage over Belle. Emma stops him as Rumpelstiltskin stops himself.

Ashley and Mary Margaret continue to confer, arriving at a mutual understanding. Sean arrives on his break to give Ashley flowers and propose marriage; she accepts, to the applause of onlookers. Mary Margaret arrives at a decision and meets David. He gives her a gift, awkwardly and backhandedly, ruining the moment, and Mary Margaret sends him home to his wife. He agrees, reluctantly, and they part once again.

Emma confronts Gold about his overreaction to French, arresting him for the assault. Belle languishes in Rumpelstiltskin's cell until he arrives and sends her away. She rebukes him for his choice to reject her love, calling him a coward; he rejects the insult, claiming that power matters more to him than love. She departs.

Ominous, ominous, ominous...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Regina arrives at the jail and sends Emma and Henry away. They confer, and Gold tries to strike a deal; the price is his name. He admits to being Rumpelstiltskin, to remembering. They reaffirm their antipathy.

In the Enchanted Forest, the queen confronts Rumpelstiltskin, seeking to strike a deal. He rebukes her, and she mocks him. She also notes Belle is outcast, turned out by her father and provoked to suicide. He doubts, but not fully. And, as it happens, Belle is imprisoned in the Storybrooke hospital...

Discussion

I note the early ejaculation by Belle's father: "Oh, my gods!" Earlier in the series (such as here), there had been heavy implications that the Enchanted Forest is vaguely medievalist Christian. Certainly, the officiant at the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming looks very much like a medieval bishop. And while the note has been made that the presumed Christianity of the Enchanted Forest is just that, presumed rather than overt, it remains...present; there are enough references to things (Arthuriana, in particular) that are overtly and explicitly Christian that the references carry through. For a noble to ejaculate polytheistically in that milieu, then, is striking. Admittedly, there was another medievalist property attracting attention at the time, about which no few comments--such as these--have been made, and it's possible therefore that the comment was set thus as a nod to that property, which does admit of several faiths and polytheism. Perhaps it goes to the point that many have made, in this webspace and elsewhere, that neo/medievalist properties influence popular understandings--but that would probably be something better addressed by media studies, in which I am not conversant.

I note, too, that the action in Storybrooke centers on Valentine's Day. For the presumed primary audience of the series, of course, the day is associated with romantic (and usually sexual) love, although the linkage is problematic even within the episode. The association of Valentine with love, especially the often-adulterous courtly love at which David and Mary Margaret are playing, gets going in earnest in the high middle ages; it's certainly amply attested in documentation from the time. So that much comes out as authentic, at least, even if it might not resonate with the prevailing audience of a primetime broadcast...but it doesn't have to do so to be present.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.11, "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.11, "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"

Written by Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss
Directed by Bryan Spencer

Synopsis

A relief...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

After the title card, a reprise of the series' premise being again skipped, the episode opens with Emma meeting with Henry at the playground he favors--and at which he has hidden his book; he is concerned that a recent storm has damaged things. Regina soon arrives, searching for her adoptive son and chides Emma--something about which she grouses to Mary Margaret later on. A text from David interrupts, summoning Mary Margaret away; Sidney, the newspaperman, slides in as she leaves, making an offer to Emma of information on Regina.

Robin Williams, he ain't.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Sidney's alter-ego languishes in captivity, a genie in a lamp pulled from a lake. He is released by a crowned man and gives a spiel about the wishes he can grant and their limits. The figure refuses to wish, and the genie discourses on his situation, only to be freed from his servitude and granted a final wish; he holds it, praised for his wisdom as he begins to search for love. The crowned figure takes him along with him to his home--the palace it happens he shares with Regina and his daughter, Snow White. He is welcomed warmly, and his attention follows the queen.

In Storybrooke, Henry's playground is demolished at Regina's insistence, and Henry's book has gone missing. Emma chides Regina for her actions and is dismissed; she decides to accept Sidney's offer. Mary Margaret meets David in the woods, where he has prepared a picnic meal for their illicit assignation, and Emma meets Sidney clandestinely. He notes that Regina has been embezzling funds and asks for aid in ferreting out more details about her.

Naughty, naughty.
Image take from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White's father's birthday is celebrated; he praises his daughter, and Regina is disturbed, which the genie marks. He moves to comfort her, and an illicit attachment of their own begins to develop.

Emma and Sidney review records, finding a gap in them. Mary Margaret returns home, and Sidney undertakes to conduct clandestine acts, supported by Mary Margaret; Emma demurs for a time, but ultimately confronts Regina about it--and plants a listening device in her office.

In the Enchanted Forest, the king confronts the genie about Regina's affections. He opines about his wife's feelings and tasks the genie with finding the object of her affections; the genie accepts the task.

Emma and Sidney, acting on illicitly gained information, pursue Regina during to a clandestine cash handoff; the brakes on their car fail, though, and they crash. Hampered but uninjured, they find the brakes tampered with; Emma presses ahead, finding that the payment was being made to Gold. He notes the payment was for land, his land, and warns them against acting further.

The genie confers with Regina's father, who notes that she is captive. He asks the genie to take a parcel to Regina, citing his affection for her as reason.

Purely platonic...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Emma and Sidney ransack Regina's office, being confronted by Regina. Emma offers to help, only to be turned down, and the genie delivers the package as requested. It turns out to contain a deadly snake, which Regina tacitly encourages the genie to deliver to the king's chambers.

Henry confers with the visitor about the material he recalls from his book. Henry challenges the visitor about his motives, receiving a glib answer and sincere encouragement. Sidney and Emma review the information purloined from Regina, Emma coming to doubt their work; Sidney reveals more information, noting his complicity, and the information is presented in an open town hall meeting--only to be revealed as plans for a new playground, undermining the attempt to thwart Regina's power.

In the Enchanted Forest, the genie delivers the poisonous serpent to the king's chambers, where it kills him as the genie watches, attending his death and confessing his complicity and apologizing. 

Oh, ho, ho!
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Regina confronts Emma, rebuking her. Emma is obliged to keep distance from Henry for some time, but engages in a search for his lost book--which is in the visitor's possession. Emma and Sidney confer about their failure, affirming their alliance.

The genie reports the king's death to Regina, only to learn that he is suspected of the king's death and is to be executed for his perfidy. Regina dismisses him with disdain. He refuses to flee, and enacts his final wish: to remain with Regina. He is trapped in her mirror as a result--much as Sidney is trapped in Regina's service even still.

Discussion

I probably should've read Said more closely than I did and more recently than I have, but it's still clear to me that the episode is reveling in Orientalist tropes that really ought not to be reinvoked--especially in the political climate contemporary to the series. (They don't do much better in the context of the current composition and publication, given events in Afghanistan.) The attire of the genie and the illicit lustfulness associated with him, among others, are both fetishizations, exoticisms, a reduction of what could have been a compelling character down to stereotypes--which is problematic enough on its own, and more so when applied to a person of color and one with a putatively Middle Eastern background. (I have to question the accuracy of the depiction in more general terms; I am not an expert in such matters, so I cannot go into much detail, but I also cannot shake the feeling that it's wrong.) It seems to me to be the kind of thing that was going on in depictions of Middle Eastern people during the Crusades and in many, many presentations of that time and those conflicts more recently. And that is problematic for reasons I should not have to rehearse...

As a reminder, please consider submitting work to the coming roundtable at #Kzoo2020, Twenty-First Century Neo/Medievalisms;
information is here.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.10, "7:15 AM"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

---

1.10, "7:15 AM"

Written by Daniel T. Thomsen, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz
Directed by Ralph Hemecker

Synopsis

Convincing.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

After a recap of the series's premise and the title card, the episode opens with rain coming into Storybrooke as Henry confronts the stranger who arrived at the end of the previous episode. Regina sees the two converse and calls Henry back as the stranger gives a cryptic warning and speeds away. Elsewhere in town, Emma and Mary Margaret make ready for their day as the storm comes in; the latter is hurried, having overslept--for a meeting with David, about which she lies to Emma. It goes somewhat awkwardly, and David leaves to go to work; Emma arrives to confront her about it and her infatuation.

Not creepy at all, guy.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White hunts. She is interrupted by the arrival of Red Riding Hood, who brings supplies and reports on current affairs--James and Abigail are to wed, and Snow White frets about her longing for him. They confer about how to address Snow White's concern, Red reluctantly; she directs her to Rumpelstiltskin, and Snow White proceeds thither. They arrive at a deal for his assistance with her difficulty.

Mary Margaret runs into Kathryn while shopping and learns from the encounter that she and David are working on having a child together. Regina, looking on, urges discretion.

In the Enchanted Forest, James ponders his impending nuptials and the state of his kingdom. The king pushes him about his infatuation, urging him to set aside his feelings in favor of the good of the kingdom. After, James sends a message to Snow White.

Walking in the woods outside Storybrooke, Mary Margaret is distracted by a bird call; investigating, she finds a bird trapped and takes it to the animal shelter where David works. The bird is well, and Mary Margaret makes to return it to its flock; David offers to help and is rebuffed. And as the storm comes in, Emma tries to prepare for it as Regina asks about the stranger in town; she directs the sheriff to investigate him due to his interest in Henry, and Emma agrees.

Smooth.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Mary Margaret drives out into the incoming storm, and Snow White considers her "cure" from Rumpelstiltskin when James's message arrives. She reads it and is moved to question her choices. Mary Margaret finds a roadblock and proceeds on foot as the weather worsens, and Snow White makes for the impending nuptials, infiltrating easily and being detained just as easily. Another prisoner presents himself: the dwarf Grumpy. He notes a lack of egress as she struggles to find her escape; he notes his own lovesick struggles, and another dwarf, Stealthy, arrives to release Grumpy, and they reluctantly take her with them.

Naughty, naughty.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Mary Margaret proceeds on her intended errand as the weather continues to worsen. She falls down a hill and into peril, from which she is rescued by David. Rescued, Mary Margaret returns to her errand despite David's pleas; worsening weather obliges them to flee--and Snow White diverges from the dwarves to pursue her own agenda as they attempt their escape. Stealthy is slain, and Snow White intervenes, securing his freedom at the cost of her own. The storm drives David and Mary Margaret into a nearby cabin, where they confess their illicit love--and David is surprised that Kathryn thinks she may be pregnant.

Emma encounters the stranger, confronting him. His answers to her are evasive, taunting--until she agrees to let him buy her a drink, and he reveals himself to be a writer, carrying a typewriter.

The storm clears, and Mary Margaret resumes her errand, David pleading with her. She releases the bird, which rejoins its flock in the clearing sky, and she abjures David again despite their mutual confession. In the Enchanted Forest, the king presses Snow White to abjure James, whom he admits is not his son; she does so, breaking his heart to save him and the kingdom.

Naughty, naughty, indeed.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

David and Kathryn confer about their relationship. She notes a desire to mend their relationship, and David agrees to work to that end. He also deliberately misses his usual pattern--and Snow White, aching from her actions with James, rejoins the dwarves, relating her tale as they take her in and dissuade her from taking her "cure" for the moment. Mary Margaret, too, breaks her pattern, Emma offering comfort; James rides in search of Snow White, Red noting that she has departed, and he avers that he will find her--although she has taken her "cure," while David and Mary Margaret still encounter each other...and Regina looks on...

Discussion

It is of some interest that the recap came again in the present episode. I have to wonder if it is due to some out-of-order production. I do not wonder about the effect, though; it takes the series back to its neo/medievalist underpinnings, for reasons discussed with the previous episode.

Here's your pseudo-European neomedievalist fantasy...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

It is of more interest that Snow White is shown hunting turkey in the episode. As I've noted once or twice, and as many who read this kind of thing will know, turkey legs are mainstays of faire food; they are commonplaces at mockups of the medieval and early modern, and so are associated strongly with the English / European Middle Ages in the minds of many in the United States--despite being entirely alien to them. The bird is North American, and the fairy tales from which the series takes its indirect inspiration--because they are filtered through Disney--hail from the European continent for the most part. The presence of the turkey is thus incongruous; yes, I know, it's a fantasy world, and the flora and fauna can be what they want to be--but not including a bird is easier than including it, and getting the context right's not that hard, dammit.

Except that Disney knows its audiences well; it has to to get as much of their money from them as it does. And it doubtlessly knows that most of its audiences will not think about where turkeys originate or that it's an oddity to have them pop up in a pseudo-medieval-European setting. Even if they might, well, you can get smoked turkey legs at Renaissance fairs, so maybe they were over there then...it's an issue of the inauthentic matching audience expectations, something others have spoken to at greater length and with greater eloquence and insight than I can summon. The mistake makes sense in that context, even if it rankles for me.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.9, "True North"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

---

1.9, "True North"

Written by David H. Goodman and Liz Tigelaar
Directed by Dean White

Synopsis

Following the title card, the episode opens with Henry reading comic books. A girl, Eva, asks him about it and confers briefly with him; her brother, Nicholas, joins them, and they invite him to hang out with them. They are stopped as they try to leave the store, Eva and Nicholas having exploited Henry to shoplift.

That's not a cutting remark at all...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, a woodcutter plies his trade. Eva's alter-ego Gretel asks him, her father, about helping; he puts her and her brother, Hansel, to work gathering kindling. He also gives them a compass to help them be safe. They spend long in the woods, during which time, their father abandons them, and they are nearly run down by soldiers upon the roads, accompanying the evil queen. She regards them harshly.

In Storybrooke, Regina takes Henry away from the scene of the shoplifting. Emma arrives to take Eva and Nicholas into custody, and they plead in a scene that mirrors their counterparts in the Enchanted Forest; they try to flee from Regina, to no avail, as she captures the wayward children. She enlists them in a task in exchange for finding their father. Emma drops the pair at their home, accepting their story for the moment; they flee as soon as she is out of sight, absconding to the basement of a ramshackle home where they appear to be squatting and where they are caught by Emma--to whom they announce they are orphans.

Emma and Mary Margaret confer about Eva and Nicholas; their situation is glossed. Emma notes the problems of putting them into foster care, speaking from painful experience, and they arrive at the idea of finding the children's father. Emma proceeds to investigate their father, finding that the documentation on the children is absent, pulled by Regina; Regina notes having contacted social services to take the children--to separate homes--and directs Emma to take them thence.

Tasteful.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Regina takes Hansel and Gretel deeper into the woods. There, she sends them to the home of the Blind Witch to retrieve an item for her; she cannot enter, though the children can, and she sends them in to steal it from her. She also notes the perils of the house itself, bidding the children eat nothing.

At her office, Emma reviews documents. Henry arrives and notes Eva's and Nicholas's storybook identities. He also affirms that their father is in town, owing to the unique nature of Storybrooke. Henry also asks about his father; Emma offers some glossed answers about their meeting and relationship--and his brave death. Their conversation gives Emma an idea about how to proceed in her search for the children's father; she acts on it, trying to get from the children an item from their father as a means to find him. Eva produces one, the compass, and Emma proceeds.

Sweet. Seemingly.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Gretel and Hansel approach the Blind Witch's home, sneaking into it and finding it a cornucopia of confectionery. They find the item they are meant to recover, and Gretel retrieves it, but Hansel eats of the offerings, and they are found out and captured in anticipation of being eaten.

Emma calls in at Gold's shop, asking him about the compass. He assesses it and notes knowing the former owner; he provides the information for a price--tolerance. The name is given, and Emma continues on her way--even though the record Gold reports working from is blank. She finds the father, the auto mechanic, and he denies being the father; Emma presses him about them, and he nearly relents after being confronted with the compass. Nearly. Emma reports the problem to Mary Margaret--and notes her lie to Henry regarding his father. Regina confronts Emma, reminder her to take the children to Boston and foster care.

Hot.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Hansel and Gretel are confronted by the pedophagic Blind Witch. As she prepares to cook Hansel, Gretel lays out plans to effect their escape and begins to enact them. They extricate themselves and return to Regina, delivering the retrieved item. The queen exults in the retrieval, and she offers to take the children into her own household; they refuse in favor of their father, and she performs a working on them.

In Storybrooke, Emma makes to take the children to foster care. Henry tries to interdict them, and Emma affirms she has to do her job, driving off. They do not get far before the car stalls out, and Emma calls a mechanic.

The evil queen summons Hansel and Gretel's father, whom she had imprisoned and whom she interrogates. His answers do not satisfy, and she has him released--to another place, far away from his children, who have themselves been sent far away.

Wow, that's not portentous at all...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

As the mechanic approaches, Eva's compass begins to point to him. He is confronted with the physical reality of the children, and Emma pleads with him to take them. He is moved strangely, and he agrees to take in Eva and Nicholas. Emma reports the happy event to Mary Margaret, musing on finding her own parents--and noting Henry's conceit that Mary Margaret is her mother, Snow White. And Henry meets with Emma as she reviews her own adoption file again; he commends her for her intervention with Eva and Nicholas as another visitor arrives in Storybrooke, looking for a place to stay....

Discussion

Notably, the series's premise is not restated at the beginning of the episode. It seems that the audience's habituation is expected at this point--sensibly enough, since two months of initial broadcast have passed to this point, the series premiering episodes weekly. It does mark a difference from the fairy tale and medieval/ist antecedents of the series, however; how many fairy tales open with "Once upon a time" said openly? How many Arthurian tales start with history and context (such as SGGK opening with "Siþen the sege and the assault watz sesed at Troye / The borȝ brittened and brent to brondes and askes" or Malory with "Hit befelle in the dayes of the noble Utherpendragon, whan he was king of Englonde and so regned)? It's a small enough thing, to be sure, but it does mark some shift in audience expectations, and that's worth considering; I'd be interested in hearing from those more up on media studies than I.

Similarly, someone more up on historical depictions of witches than I might have something to say about the Blind Witch. Disney has certainly made some adjustments, to my eye; I don't recall the witch in the Hansel and Gretel story being blind, for example, but that may just be the edition of the stories my father read to me from. In either event, she does not align to depictions of the anthropophagus or the Blemmyes with which they are sometimes conflated--although that can be explained easily enough by the constraints of medium. Still, it seems...strangely shaped, although I am not entirely certain how; others who are, please comment--I look forward to the discussion!

Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.8, "Desperate Souls"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

---

1.8, "Desperate Souls"

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Michael Waxman

Synopsis

Awkward effects. Ostentatious attire. Yep, that's Evil®.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

After another restatement of the series's premise and the title card, the episode begins with Rumpelstiltskin spinning thread. He limps out into the small village of his home, where soldiers are conscripting children into a war effort, aided by powerful magic. Rumpelstiltskin, holding his son and leaning on a crutch, looks on helplessly; his son notes that his own conscription is coming.

Gold works in his pawn shop as Emma enters; he offers condolences on the loss of the sheriff two weeks past. Gold notes also that Graham's belongings are in his possession, urging Emma to take something that had been his and to tend to Henry due to the transience of youth.

Emma meets with Henry, giving him one of Graham's radios as she tries to comfort him. Henry notes reluctance to proceed against Regina in the wake of Graham's death. He also refuses the gift and, saddened, makes to return home. Emma resumes her law-enforcement duties and is informed that Regina has appointed Sidney Glass to the sheriff's office and dismissed her.

Quite the thing to walk in on...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

That evening, Emma is somewhat dissolute when Mary Margaret returns home. They confer about Emma's dismissal and are interrupted by the arrival of Gold at their apartment. He urges her to challenge Regina.

In the Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin wakes his sleeping son, Baelfire, purposing to flee before he can be conscripted. He notes the horrors of war before soldiers come upon them; one recognizes Rumpelstiltskin and accosts him for his cowardice. In an attempt to save his son, Rumpelstiltskin humbles himself before the soldiers' leader and is kicked in the face for his trouble.

In Storybrooke, Regina holds a press event to announce the appointment of Sidney to the post of sheriff. Emma intrudes, citing the legal obligation to hold an election and announcing her candidacy for the position.

Rumpelstiltskin continues to fret about how to help his son escape conscription and likely doom. A benefactor confers with him about following another path, and Rumpelstiltskin notes his cowardice and incapacity. The benefactor notes the Dark One's Dagger, an artifact that allows for control over the Dark One whose magic supports the soldiers; he urges Rumpelstiltskin to steal that dagger, thus coming to control the Dark One and the power the Dark One wields. When Rumpelstiltskin demurs, the benefactor urges him instead to become the Dark One.

Gold receives Regina at his shop. She confronts him about his involvement with Emma, and their tête-à-tête soon treats Henry--whom Emma meets in a diner and with whom he discusses his birth in jail. Henry reminds Emma that Regina is underhanded--and he advises her that Gold is even worse than Regina. And when Emma confronts Regina about the news reports of Henry's birth, an explosion blasts the city offices; Regina is immobilized and cries for Emma's help.

In the Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin has Baelfire help him prepare to take the Dark One's power. The father notes to his son the certainty of his death in battle if he goes to war, warning him against the terrors he himself had fled. Baelfire asks Rumpelstiltskin about the truth of the soldiers' claims of his cowardice, and his father cannot deny it. He makes to help his father even so.

Emma seems to flee Regina, only to return moments later with a fire extinguisher to clear a path for them; they extricate themselves from the town hall. They are met by a crowd and the press, including Sidney. Emma's heroism is noted, and campaign activities begin to coalesce around her--which Henry notices. And Emma notices Gold's handiwork, moving to confront him about it. He does not admit to aiding her, though he lays out hypothetical tactics as he admonishes her.

Aaaaand obligatory castle shot.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin works his infiltration with Baelfire, committing arson. In the ensuing confusion, Rumpelstiltskin retrieves the dagger.

Mary Margaret runs into David as she campaigns for Emma--and he for Sidney. They confer briefly and awkwardly. Elsewhere, debate preparations are finalized, Emma doubting her victory. Mary Margaret offers encouragement.

Rumpelstiltskin returns to Baelfire with the dagger. He sends his son home with the note that he will follow soon after; when Baelfire leaves, Rumpelstiltskin summons the Dark One--finding that it is his benefactor as he kills him and himself becomes the Dark One. The power begins to work on him swiftly.

The debate between sheriff candidates gets underway somewhat raggedly. Glass gives a polished opening statement; Emma's is rougher but more authentic, even as it admits culpability. She departs, leaving Regina smiling and the room quiet. After, Emma consoles herself with drink; Henry approaches her with hope. Regina and Glass join shortly after, congratulating Emma on her victory; Regina warns her about Gold.

The soldiers make to conscript Baelfire. The empowered Rumpelstiltskin interdicts them and humbles the soldier's leader who humbled him before--and slays the lot of them before his son's eyes, to his horror. And, in Storybrooke, Gold offers his own congratulations--in sinister fashion.

Discussion

An interesting point comes to attention early in the episode when Regina fires Emma from what would have been a promotion from deputy to full sheriff. In some early English legal structures, the sheriff was a royally appointed officer, one working with local authorities but answering to the crown. (Echoes of the arrangement sound in Disney's Robin Hood, with its parallels to Isengrim and Reynard.) That the sheriff in Storybrooke answers to the mayor may come across as somewhat odd to the mainstream United States audience expected of the series; the sheriff is typically a county-level official, while the mayor is a city-level official who would not normally "outrank" the sheriff. It does, however, make sense in the fairy-tale context; the mayor is, after all, the queen, and so the sheriff would answer to her. The tension makes for interesting interaction of neomedievalist and modern precedents, something good to see handled directly in contemporary media--and (pleasantly) surprising in a series that shows the problems it has negotiating complexities.

Another interesting point comes up in the episode's fixation on lanolin and wool. It firmly fixes the fairy-tale notions of the series in an Anglophone context, despite most of the stories Disney reworked coming from the Continent (several of the "classic" Disney movies note working from Perrault, for example). The wool-focus does so due to the centering of the wool trade in (late) medieval England, to which no few scholars in several disciplines (including Eileen Power) have attested. Again, given the presumed audience for an ABC broadcast, the Anglophone-centering makes sense, even if it might be more subtle than many viewers would necessarily catch. That said, such details do help solidify the context of the series, offering a more stable frame for interpretation--and that is decidedly welcome.