Emma tries to convince Aladdin to work with Jasmine to help Agrabah, while Regina teams up with Mary Margaret and David to free Archie from Zelena. The Evil Queen sows suspicion between Henr... Read allEmma tries to convince Aladdin to work with Jasmine to help Agrabah, while Regina teams up with Mary Margaret and David to free Archie from Zelena. The Evil Queen sows suspicion between Henry and Hook, even as Mr. Gold reminds her of his most important lesson. Meanwhile, in the p... Read allEmma tries to convince Aladdin to work with Jasmine to help Agrabah, while Regina teams up with Mary Margaret and David to free Archie from Zelena. The Evil Queen sows suspicion between Henry and Hook, even as Mr. Gold reminds her of his most important lesson. Meanwhile, in the past, Hook finds himself kidnapped by the mysterious Captain Nemo and held captive inside h... Read all
- Henry Mills
- (as Jared S. Gilmore)
- Pirate
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough Disney did make 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), their Captain Nemo was played by white Englishman James Mason. Faran Tahir is of Pakistani descent and is therefore much closer to the Nemo in the original novel who was described as an Indian prince rebelling against the British Empire.
- GoofsHook allegedly meets Captain Nemo "During the time of the Dark curse." However, it is revealed in Season 2 that Cora stopped time in a corner of the enchanted forest when she shielded them from the curse.
- Quotes
Henry Mills: Just let me take out the trash.
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: Well, that's a good idea. Actually, you can start with this junk food you call breakfast. You're not really gonna eat this rubbish, are you?
[throws it in the bin]
Henry Mills: My Pop Tarts!
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: Hurry back, and I'll make us a pirate's breakfast of grapefruit and boiled mackerel. There'll be no scurvy here today.
- Crazy creditsThe opening sequence shows a kraken.
- ConnectionsReferences 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Although with a few not so great episodes, Seasons 1-4 gave me a lot of pleasures. Season 5 was decent to brilliant from personal opinion in its first half but the quality became uneven in the Underworld arc. Season 6 started off very promisingly, really liked the first three episodes while feeling more mixed on "Strange Case". "Street Rats" however left me quite conflicted. So did "Dark Waters" and actually even more so. Like "Street Rats", it is not a terrible episode by all means, but there is not enough of what makes the show so good when it's on form and it is a good example of the run out of ideas and lost the magic criticisms. Something that can be seen in the decreasing ratings and the relatively mild critical opinions.
There are definitely good things about "Dark Waters". As is always the case with 'Once Upon a Time' it is a visually handsome episode (on the most part), it's photographed beautifully and the settings have colour and atmosphere without being too dreary or garish. Loved the design of the submarine. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable theme tune.
From personal opinion, the cast mostly do very well with what they had to work with. Colin O'Donoghue has the right amount of charisma and swagger and some of Jared Gilmore's acting is intensely heartfelt, though the writing doesn't do him justice. It is hard to go wrong with Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle and Faran Tahir brings the right amount of enigmatic mystery to Nemo.
Parts of the story engage. Hook's backstory is intriguing, as is the interestingly villainous depiction of Nemo, and Hook has more personality and development than he has had since the Underworld arc in the second half of Season 5. Great chemistry between him and Nemo, which was quite suspenseful in places. Do love Regina and the Evil Queen and there is some wit and tension in scenes between them and the Evil Queen and Zelena. The dynamic between the Evil Queen and Gold was weird and appears randomly but was quite fascinating. There is some heart, like in the reconciliation.
However, the story on the most part is messy and there is definitely a sense that the show has run out of ideas. Too over-stuffed and rather rushed, meaning things don't make as much sense as they ought to, for instance Henry's chemistry and manner with Hook needed more explanation which never really comes, and things happen too abruptly either in introduction or how characters behave, Henry and Hook and the Evil Queen and Regina being the prime examples. The Charmings' roles are present and correct but somewhat predictable and doesn't really compel, and the Aladdin and Jasmine part is completely superfluous to the episode and also confuses.
Other episodes do a much better job at character and plot advancing, it doesn't feel like the story is progressing or adds much to what was seen before in the previous episodes feeling like somewhat of a filler episode. The characters have also been more compelling elsewhere and the writers seem to have forgotten what made them great in the first place, when you compare them from the earlier seasons to now they are unrecognisable and it's not for the better. Felt for Emma in the first three episodes but since "Strange Case" have increasingly started to like her less. The writing is far too camp and often very melodramatic.
Usually have nothing to complain about the costumes but some of them here are dodgy, especially for the Evil Queen and Emma. Liam's role is too reliant on coincidence while Nick Eversman and Karen David are forced sore spots in the acting stakes.
In conclusion, another disappointment. 5/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 17, 2018