Had very mixed feelings about 'Once Upon a Time' returning. On one hand, there was the thought that there was potential to correct the flaws that most of the inconsistent Season 6 made, that with a new setting and characters there was potential for less of a running out of ideas feel. On the other hand, really did question its necessity as Season 6 ended perfectly and would have served as a worthy ending for the show.
Unfortunately, the Season 7 opener "Hyperion Heights" really made me question the point of 'Once Upon a Time' returning. There wasn't much point having a new setting and characters when all the flaws of the previous season were here and more made too and when everything introduced was done badly or worse. Instead of feeling fresh everything felt stale and muddled, there was more of a running out of ideas feel and it basically felt like a different show. Did not watch "Hyperion Heights" or the season with the intent or want to hate them, actually genuinely wanted any doubts to be proven wrong. Doubts elsewhere have been proved wrong quite a number of times in the past, sadly they were proven right here.
"Hyperion Heights" has a few good things. The production values have a lot of beauty and atmosphere, nothing drab or gaudy here, while being attractively photographed. The music doesn't ever sound cheap or out-of-kilter, fitting well with the mood and never found myself questioning its placement. The main theme is still memorable.
The remaining original cast members do very well with what they have, Jared Gilmore has the lion's share and he has grown so much as Henry. Lana Parrilla always did make the most of anything that was thrown at her and she does here.
It is sad though that the new characters feature in the episode much more, and most of the acting for the newer cast members, apart from perhaps Rose Reynolds as Alice, is not very good at all. Almost all of them just don't feel, sound or look right, and either overplay or have little presence. Absolutely agree with the panning of Dania Ramirez's too old, irritating and completely charmless Cinderella, everything about the performance and character is a failure. The chemistry between the actors isn't there either, everything is very stiff when it's remotely existent. Am aware there is such thing as settling in, but most "settling inners" are much more natural and engaged than this.
Also failures are the writing and storytelling. The unintentional camp and soap opera that was all over some of the second half of Season 5 and most of Season 6 is here in "Hyperion Heights" and we're not talking in splashes, this is more than a whole bathtub's worth here we're talking about. The dialogue is very corny and has the maturity of very awkward first day at secondary school banter, especially between Henry and Cinderella. Nothing really feels fresh, there is an unfocused feel as a result of trying to include too much, it manages to feel both rushed and dull (with the newer material making no impact) and instead of questions being answered more questions are raised, not what a season with the intent of refreshing a show should do.
On the whole, for a season opener this is a major disappointment. 4/10
