The curse is broken in both worlds. While characters in the real world try to make Regina pay for what she did, Phillip and Mulan find Aurora. Mr. Gold makes a soul-eater to make the Queen face her destiny. In order to get saved, Regina uses the hat to open the portal, but it is Emma, Snow and the monster who go through it. Now the monster can finish its task by killing prince Phillip. Aurora finds out what happened while she was sleeping. Mulan and Aurora find Emma and Snow unconscious, and they think they are responsible for death of Phillip. In the real world, Regina attempts to kill Charming, but her son stops her. Simultaneously, Belle believes she can change Gold and decides to stay with him. The adventures of the two heroines in the fairy tale world will keep us expectant for this season.
8 Reviews
The curse may be broken but the show isn't
TheLittleSongbird8 January 2018
When 'Once Upon a Time' first started it was highly addictive and made the most of a truly great and creative premise. Really loved the idea of turning familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time it came on and it was often a highlight of the week. Which was why it was sad when it ran out of ideas and lost its magic in the later seasons.
Season 2 gets off to an incredibly strong start with "Broken", a better and more settled season opener than the first season's. It is proof that 'Once Upon a Time' is showing no signs of breaking, and considering the story and the relationships and characters introduced and those from the first season starting to advance it showed signs of getting stronger and stronger.
My only complaints about "Broken" are that to me they could have come up with a more imaginative design for the wraith which looked like it had been lifted out of 'Harry Potter' and Aurora is a bit bland at this point of the season (understandable one would say as she has only been introduced).
Really liked the introduction of the new characters, especially Mulan, and the relationships are showing huge potential like with Mulan and Aurora and Mr Gold and Belle. Also the direction the relationship between Snow and Emma is going.
"Broken's" story has a real sense of both enchantment and danger. The parallel of the two worlds is as ever seamlessly done. A lot is covered and not in a way that feels rushed, while also having time to build upon these different ideas without including extraneous padding scenes. The mystery angle is similarly very compelling.
As to be expected, "Broken" is a very handsomely mounted episode, with settings and costumes that are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully and there were some make-up that suited the characters perfectly and pretty good effects work. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.
Humour, mysterious intrigue, charm and pathos are beautifully balanced, any signs of corniness that crept in here and there in the previous season are nowhere in sight here.
Good acting is also present, particularly Robert Carlyle, Lana Parrilla, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jamie Chung. Only Sarah Bolger, and the character doesn't help her, leaves me unsure.
Overall, a fine start for Season 2. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Season 2 gets off to an incredibly strong start with "Broken", a better and more settled season opener than the first season's. It is proof that 'Once Upon a Time' is showing no signs of breaking, and considering the story and the relationships and characters introduced and those from the first season starting to advance it showed signs of getting stronger and stronger.
My only complaints about "Broken" are that to me they could have come up with a more imaginative design for the wraith which looked like it had been lifted out of 'Harry Potter' and Aurora is a bit bland at this point of the season (understandable one would say as she has only been introduced).
Really liked the introduction of the new characters, especially Mulan, and the relationships are showing huge potential like with Mulan and Aurora and Mr Gold and Belle. Also the direction the relationship between Snow and Emma is going.
"Broken's" story has a real sense of both enchantment and danger. The parallel of the two worlds is as ever seamlessly done. A lot is covered and not in a way that feels rushed, while also having time to build upon these different ideas without including extraneous padding scenes. The mystery angle is similarly very compelling.
As to be expected, "Broken" is a very handsomely mounted episode, with settings and costumes that are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully and there were some make-up that suited the characters perfectly and pretty good effects work. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.
Humour, mysterious intrigue, charm and pathos are beautifully balanced, any signs of corniness that crept in here and there in the previous season are nowhere in sight here.
Good acting is also present, particularly Robert Carlyle, Lana Parrilla, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jamie Chung. Only Sarah Bolger, and the character doesn't help her, leaves me unsure.
Overall, a fine start for Season 2. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Emma Swan is back.And she brought all the thrills,laughs,emotions,adventures with her.OUAT is still very much powerful.
me_theuninvited1 October 2012
All the anticipation was totally worth it. Once Upon A Time has proved itself one hell of a show. New characters were pretty awesome. And they ended on such a mind blowing note.It will definitely make you want more. Ginnifer Goodwin was the best actress in this episode too.She is an absolutely charming Snow White.And i'm really glad they promoted Ruby (Red) to a regular person.Her single-glimpse is not enough ! People may have gone crazy over Game Of Thrones or Breaking Bad,but this show should not be missed either.It has all the elements of an addicting show.The actors,direction,dialogues,acting everything is worth praising ! I would definitely want more and more people to see it because OUAT is a show,that should not be missed by any chance !
Rumple & Belle... The B.S Begins
XXniteXX26 July 2022
This is the first time you see Rumple / Mr Gold and Belle squabble since their reunion. Many times throughout the series you see Belle mad at Rumple and says something in the line of, "You said you'd change, blah blah blah". She leaves and returns after a bit and believes Rumple's lies. She is the epitome of every abused woman who keeps going back to an abusive relationship trying to "change" them, despite the abuse. Rumple and Belle's relationship is very tiring and gets old really quick. Despite the beginning of the tiresome drama, it was a good episode.
Amazing episode amazing act and amazing new actors
freak-angle1 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
well our waiting has finally reached an end and it was worth it the beginning of the episode was strange! i though i was watching a commercial or something..
the new actors was very cool especially molan was very very great i noticed also that the CGI improved from the first season
everything i dreamed about to see on the premiere episode happened :D it can't get any better than that
the ending was choking i never imagined that will happen it didn't come to my mind.. it makes you want more and more
this is a show can't be missed at all.. this is the best show since LOST and Prison Break
the new actors was very cool especially molan was very very great i noticed also that the CGI improved from the first season
everything i dreamed about to see on the premiere episode happened :D it can't get any better than that
the ending was choking i never imagined that will happen it didn't come to my mind.. it makes you want more and more
this is a show can't be missed at all.. this is the best show since LOST and Prison Break
A terrific season starter and an improvement over Season 1's first episode
gavin-thelordofthefu-48-46029711 January 2018
I really liked the first season of Once Upon a Time. The first half did had some clichéd and corny moments, but the storylines were impressive, the concept of blending the fantasy with reality is unique and as some of the later episodes got progressively better, the characters really grew on you. So, after having watched the second half of the first season on DVD I checked out from the library before I watched the first half on my computer back at 2014, I saw the second season, hoping it would live up to my expectations. To my surprise, it did.
The story continues to be very gripping. Not only does it continue the cliffhanger the 1st season left, but it also progresses the character depth without any padding. Emma, Mary Margaret (Snow White), David (Prince Charming), Henry, the rest of the Storybrooke characters including the seven dwarfs, Red, Granny, Archie, and Leroy (Grumpy), are still as endearing as ever. The writing is engaging, emotional, and suspenseful especially the scene where Emma, Regina, Snow White, and Charming encounter a wraith (which looks like one of the leftover wraiths from Harry Potter, which felt weird to me) before Emma and Snow White get transported to the Enchanted Forest from Mad Hatter's hat. The pacing is exquisite and never drags, the directing is superb, the editing is solid, and Mark Isham continues to shine in his musical score that is both haunting, dramatic, and full of suspense.
My only disappointment with this episode is that while Jamie Chung and Julian Morris do respectable jobs as Mulan and Prince Phillip (along with their solid introductions), Sarah Bolger's performance as Aurora was... meh. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't perfect either. At least her character introduction was good too. So, overall, "Broken" is a terrific season starter and an improvement over Season 1's first episode, which, while not excellent, was still a good introduction. Thumbs up! :)
The story continues to be very gripping. Not only does it continue the cliffhanger the 1st season left, but it also progresses the character depth without any padding. Emma, Mary Margaret (Snow White), David (Prince Charming), Henry, the rest of the Storybrooke characters including the seven dwarfs, Red, Granny, Archie, and Leroy (Grumpy), are still as endearing as ever. The writing is engaging, emotional, and suspenseful especially the scene where Emma, Regina, Snow White, and Charming encounter a wraith (which looks like one of the leftover wraiths from Harry Potter, which felt weird to me) before Emma and Snow White get transported to the Enchanted Forest from Mad Hatter's hat. The pacing is exquisite and never drags, the directing is superb, the editing is solid, and Mark Isham continues to shine in his musical score that is both haunting, dramatic, and full of suspense.
My only disappointment with this episode is that while Jamie Chung and Julian Morris do respectable jobs as Mulan and Prince Phillip (along with their solid introductions), Sarah Bolger's performance as Aurora was... meh. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't perfect either. At least her character introduction was good too. So, overall, "Broken" is a terrific season starter and an improvement over Season 1's first episode, which, while not excellent, was still a good introduction. Thumbs up! :)
Magic is here
sini-20019 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
'Broken' continues where 'A land without magic' left us: Storybrooke with the curse broken and magic back. All characters have their memories back, and the Charmings are reunited. Emma's realistic reaction is nicely written about the curse broken, because they could have made her so that she'd just accept her parents happily. But this is more realistic and Emma.
What is great we get a glimpse of Emma's magic when Regina tries to use the portal (like in the pilot), and with Emma's help she gets the hat going. I love the small hints about Emma's magic, and slowly her discovering her own magic powers.
What is great we get a glimpse of Emma's magic when Regina tries to use the portal (like in the pilot), and with Emma's help she gets the hat going. I love the small hints about Emma's magic, and slowly her discovering her own magic powers.
New Season
danajs2420 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Not as good of an opener as I would have liked for season 2. The wraith seemed fairly cool, but would have been much better if it would have done anything besides fly around and try and suck souls. With Emma and Snow (why do the people keep calling each other by their Storybrooke names?) going through the portal back home, I hope they explore this, because anything in the little town is getting lamer and lamer. The story introduces Mulan, Aurora, and Phillip, and I feel like they did well for the casting of two, but not Aurora. She definitely needed to be blonde, and very tall as well. Most of the other characters have been casted well, I wonder why they didn't try to make her look like the cartoon movie Aurora.
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