Souris

Yep, that ep was conceived, written and promoted heavily as an SQ ep. That's queerbaiting. Now they have a writer whose sole purpose seems to be playing to the SQ crowd on Twitter. That's queerbaiting.

Oh, how could I forget to mention THAT bit of stupidity? Yet another example of the writers needing something to happen, so they make the characters behave in the most incredibly stupid manner to allow it to happen instead of coming up with a way that doesn't make the characters basically mobile ferns. The book plot doesn't stand up to even the most cursory logical examination. I would say it's the dumbest plot the show has ever come up with. And that includes the Home Office.

I finally tried to watch the ep tonight and it was just painful. I intended to watch the scenes with Rumple and the Queens of Darkness -- because, hey, no Regina! -- but I simply could not take them nattering on about their "happy endings" one more time. And then I became Chandler: So I had to start fast-forwarding them as well as Regina. I hate the Author storyline so, so, so much. It's soul-suckingly stupid. The QoD seemed so inept and uninspired. What was with them just standing there when Rumple revealed he was double-crossing them and leaving them with the Chernabog? "Oh, ho hum, we'll just stand here and watch you leave and not even try to use our magic." I felt like I was watching community theater where the actors were overly concerned with hitting their marks and totally wooden as a result. "OK, you move there, then I'll cross here and stop. Then I shall say my line. And you will react." I don't know who directed this ep, but they were not good. About the only plus was the Hook/Belle scene. Except for the eyelash spiders trying to eat her face.

Congratulations! You've officially won The Most Disturbing Speculation I've Ever Heard Award! LOL.

Ginny will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday.

Here are the half-hour breakdowns from Marc Berman: 7:00 ABC – Once Upon a Time: The Secrets of Storybrooke Viewers: 4.67 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#2) 7:30 p.m. ABC – Once Upon a Time: The Secrets of Storybrooke Viewers: 4.09 million (#3), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#3) 8:00 p.m. ABC – Once Upon a Time Viewers: 6.65 million (#2), A18-49: 2.2/ 6 (#1) 8:30 p.m. ABC – Once Upon a Time Viewers: 6.46 million (#2), A18-49: 2.1/ 6 (#1) ABC's press release: Once Upon a Time (8-9pm – 6.6 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49): Jumping over its lead-in by 69% at 8pm, ABC’s mid-season return of Once Upon a Time ranked #1 in the 8pm hour in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6), beating Fox’s comedies by 22% (1.8/5 – The Simpsons/Brooklyn 9-9) and CBS’ return of Madam Secretary by 69% (1.3/4). Building by double digits from its December finale (5.7 million and 1.7/5 on 12/14/14) in Total Viewers (+16%) and Adults 18-49 (+29%), Once Upon a Time marked its strongest results since mid-November – since 11/16/14.

Am I the only one who heard Eddy say "Hook dies at the end of Act One" in the writers' room at the 47-minute mark of the Welcome to Storybrooke special?

Urgh, and I meant he was in Fantasia, not The Apprentice. I had Mickey on the brain. ;)

YEN SID. Read it backward. ;) He was the sorcerer in The Apprentice. (The cartoon, not the OUAT ep.)

Hush, scarynikki12, they can't have such logical questions being asked. Quick, look over there, it's another Disney villain to distract you! ;)

And THAT is why you shouldn't ship real-life people, especially when one of them is married. I HATE that JMo saw the Colifer crap enough that she had to say something about it. Imagine how uncomfortable that makes her and Colin and Helen to see that. Some people need to be shaken repeatedly until some sense falls into place. Obviously she meant actual coffee with no hidden meaning -- good heavens, the woman always has a Starbucks cup in her hand -- but people are obnoxious and don't think. Dear Lord, the SQers pounce on JMo like lions on a wounded zebra. Sadly, I think she abets that behavior by clarifying and apologizing, because she doesn't want to offend or upset anybody. She's not on enough to see that the people screaming are the same bullying drama mongers as always. Nobody jumped on Lana when she said Emma/Regina's relationship was a friendship tonight. But, of course, Regina's the only one they really care about in that fanship.

And that is why fast forward is a necessity!

I'm not watching (fast-forward is a necessity), I'm just enjoying everyone's snark.

LOL. So bad.

The councillor that Rochefort stabbed, the one who told him Richelieu wouldn't ransom him because he thought Rochefort was bonkers. Richelieu, still right from the grave.

Ugh, and the period goes INSIDE the quote marks! So half-assed.

I keep expecting Laura to faint, because she reminds me so much of Rebecca, the contestant who fainted during panel on America's Next Top Model.

People cite Robert saying in an interview that he has a 5-year contract, but I don't know the actual source of that. I'm certain there will be a Season 5, because, like you say, ABC doesn't have much in the way of drama hits that aren't on Thursday nights. They have much bigger ratings worries than Once. But I do think Season 5 will be the last. It might limp to a Season 6 if ABC can't launch any hit dramas in the fall. I cannot see it lasting seven seasons.

FWIW, I was reading an interview with Viola Davis in Entertainment Weekly, and it mentioned that she had signed a "standard 7-year contract" with ABC for HTGAWM. So I would imagine that the Once actors do have 7-year contracts after all. Except for maybe Robert Carlyle, because, well, he's Robert Carlyle. But I still don't see the show going that long if the show keeps hemorrhaging viewers, which seems a given for 4B IMO. The article also mentioned that ABC wanted Viola to tweet more. I'm not surprised that's something they encourage their actors to do.

I completely and utterly understand. Even the very few of those spoilers I should have liked (the CS ones, which I know you hate), at this point I either don't trust them or expect them to be dealt with in 26 seconds while Regina is in the bathroom. I'm sure the heart-to-heart talk will be all of two sentences, if that. Sometimes it's simply best to cut the cord. No point in sticking around for something that you don't get any pleasure from. I've stopped watching several shows I once loved over the years, and I can say that I didn't regret that decision even once. Every single time, things ultimately progressed in a way that had me thanking my lucky stars that I'd made the decision to stop watching. Every. Single. Time. Once a show starts sucking for you, it generally doesn't stop that suck. That Titanic just keeps heading toward the iceberg. There's always Netflix if things happen to magically right themselves.

I'm getting into that phase of life as well, and it's definitely challenging and upsetting on several levels, especially as an only child. It sucks that the weather is keeping you from them, but there's clearly nothing to be done about that. I imagine you will be on the phone a lot this weekend! You're probably right about your dad being scared; I'd imagine it's a subconscious way to exert some control over a situation he feels like he doesn't have control over. I hope your mom will watch him like a hawk for those symptoms. One of the challenges with my mother, for example, is that she is so determined not to be a burden or worry anyone that she sometimes doesn't say when something is the matter.

I'm so sorry about your dad, Shanna Marie! That is definitely upsetting news to get. Of course you're worried. I hope your dad will listen to his doctors -- I know that can be a challenge for some people. ::hugs:: People may be cranky about spoilers and distracting themselves elsewhere. That's what I've mostly been doing!

My suspicion is that A&E know they're getting a Season 5 and that will be it, because most of the actors don't intend to re-up their contracts -- so they don't care what the ratings are. Clearly ABC isn't putting much effort into promoting Once, so they're probably just riding it out and concentrating on shows that aren't so obviously on their last legs and trying to stick their fingers into even leakier holes in the dike. They're probably also spending the bulk of their budget trying to clone Shonda Rhimes.

I'm just surprised the license plate doesn't start with SQ. Though maybe the last letter is Q, since JMo is blocking it.

Story from local TV station about the murders.