'Tis the season—for finales, that is; the much-anticipated episodes that, ideally, leave us with enough juicy loose threads that'll make us crave more; the ultimate culmination of all the hours and months we've invested in our particular shows (which, when you really think about it, is probably more than you're comfortable admitting).
In the past two weeks, I've watched a handful of season finales—New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, and, of course, Once Upon a Time—and in doing so, one right after the other, I happened to pick up on what appeared to be a rather common theme:
A lot has to happen in a short amount of time.
And that's not necessarily a bad thing; after all, even before we're capable of defining it with appropriate terminology, we're conscious of the fact that plot, or at the very least action, is the driving force of any story. If nothing happens, we've nothing to be interested in.
And the season one finale of OUAT, in its entire almost-hour, never seems to lose sight of that sentiment. The moment that's been twenty-two episodes in the making finally occurs; the characters newly recall their fairytale pasts, and the curse plaguing Storybrooke is finally broken—and it all ends thanks to, of course, true love's kiss.
On the surface, the episode does everything it needs to do. It's filled with action and drama, recalls previous episodes and even characters (the Huntsman!), prompts new questions from seemingly old answers, and it reaches its long-awaited climax.
But it does so at a cost.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/once- upon-a-time-1-22-a-land-without-magic/
In the past two weeks, I've watched a handful of season finales—New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, and, of course, Once Upon a Time—and in doing so, one right after the other, I happened to pick up on what appeared to be a rather common theme:
A lot has to happen in a short amount of time.
And that's not necessarily a bad thing; after all, even before we're capable of defining it with appropriate terminology, we're conscious of the fact that plot, or at the very least action, is the driving force of any story. If nothing happens, we've nothing to be interested in.
And the season one finale of OUAT, in its entire almost-hour, never seems to lose sight of that sentiment. The moment that's been twenty-two episodes in the making finally occurs; the characters newly recall their fairytale pasts, and the curse plaguing Storybrooke is finally broken—and it all ends thanks to, of course, true love's kiss.
On the surface, the episode does everything it needs to do. It's filled with action and drama, recalls previous episodes and even characters (the Huntsman!), prompts new questions from seemingly old answers, and it reaches its long-awaited climax.
But it does so at a cost.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/once- upon-a-time-1-22-a-land-without-magic/