Souris

That is a curiously big ratings drop. ABC as a whole was down, but other networks weren't. I wonder if after the crypt sex, parents decided to watch on DVR so they could better control the family viewing? I'll be interested to see the numbers once DVR is added in.

I'm rather concerned about the writers for this ep: One of them has only one co-write (the godawfully offensive 4x05), and it's the first ep for the other. So the newbies are responsible for the denouement of the season's big curse? Seems like a recipe for crap to me.

We talk about them in other threads, but I thought we should have a devoted thread to discuss the writing and the writers on the show.

Wasn't sure where to put this, but Jane Espenson cleared up the ep-numbering confusion on Twitter: "Two hour was all 8. This was 9. 10 next week."

Ah, true. I didn't say it was a foolproof plan! ;)

Hey, maybe Rumple would prefer Evil Mirror Belle and Evil Mirror Henry -- he wouldn't have to worry about pretending to be heroic and good anymore!

I totally meant to mention that, too! I side-eyes that. But, hey, if Regina can TLK and do light-magic, what's a brief bout of selfishness for Elsa?

Yes, we saw the barnacle-encrusted bottle on the sea floor (Poseidon's Boneyard!) near the remains of their ship when Kristanna were dumped in.

LOL! Awesome. I bet they make sparkly, sparkly meth. Screw you and your plain blue meth, Walt! He said in this ep that he was saved by a mermaid. So Ariel did save him like many had speculated. We never actually saw sharks, just a lot of roiling water. I'm sure Ariel can communicate with sharks just like she can Sebastian and Flounder. :) It was the Jolly. There was a massively clunky bit of dialogue where Hans referred to "this ship we're on, the Jolly Roger." I really enjoyed this ep. I mean, there were TONS of contrivances -- like Elsa finding the necklace, Elsa wishing for Anna just exactly when Kristanna were running out of air, and Hans somehow being unfrozen before Kristanna so he and his bros could be there immediately after they unfroze. But it was briskly paced with some wonderfully emotional bits. I admit to getting sniffly when Anna started saying her marriage vows to Kristoff before they died. I love them. And of course when Emma and Killian were saying goodbye. Emma definitely knew something was up with him, the way she touched her lips, but there was no time to figure it out. Rumple's hatred of fairies is amusing, but I want him to die in a fire for what he's doing to Killian. I totally screamed "Nooooooo!" when it ended. I want next week NOW, like a temper-tantrum-throwing toddler. LOL at Kristoff and David: "You cut your hair! So did you!" And Anna throwing shade at David's Fabio hair. Josh and Ginny were great in the change in facial expressions after they got sharded. I wonder if the note from Elsa & Anna's mother will contain vital information about Ingrid or just something sweet and emotional for them. Somehow and at some point, Elsa/Anna's parents got the Wishing Star from Blackbeard. Obviously it was before the voyage when their ship went down, because it was with the mom's things, where Elsa found it and gifted it to Anna. As for how Hans knew where their ship wrecked, only the Contrivance Gods know.

M is for Belle's Miniskirts.

H is for Red's Hood that keeps her from going wolfy.

Hmm. They probably are reusing. Unless Christie was just wandering in the prop storage!

For anybody that wants the sweet potato casserole: It's 95% this recipe: However, I modify it by using pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon, and I usually add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, because I happen to like it. I also don't use that much sugar -- this time I substituted a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup. I've used maple sugar or brown sugar instead of white sugar before, too. It's an easy recipe to modify for your particular tastes. Once I added coconut to the streusel, and that was yummy, too, though it took it perhaps a bit too desserty.

Oops! We've done so many, I can't keep track anymore. D is for the Denim that David wears.

Christie Laing posted a picture of Regina's vault of hearts.

How am I on Z again? Z is for Zelena, who impersonated Ariel in a convoluted plot to curse Hook's lips. Next up: Costumes. A is for all of Mary Margaret's A-line skirts.

My mom & I went to the local symphony's Christmas Spectacular today. They had an accompanying female illusionist, which was very cool. I tried so hard to see how she was doing the illusions, but I could not. The children's chorus sang, wait for it, "Let It Go." LOL.

Given that Emma and Elsa seem to do some locator spell with the necklace that brings Anna and Kristoff to Storybrooke, while still wearing the ribbons, they must still have their magic.

And what does she do with him, since she clearly doesn't have him while she and Elsa are looking for Anna, and he's back in his stroller with Snowing for the reunion. So that's odd.

T is for her Tail, which she gets rid of to walk on land.

Maybe they find Anna's necklace while trying to escape the wall. Honestly, now that Emma and Elsa have control of their powers, couldn't they bring down the wall?

I finally got around to seeing "Maleficent" on DVD yesterday. I ... didn't really care for it. I found it very predictable, and I am so very over the trend of making the villains have some tragic backstory that excuses their villainy (in no small part because of Once's Regina story).

Anonymity on the Internet really brings out the worst in some people. It's like our world's own Spell of Shattered Sight! I've learned the hard way that it really does very little good trying to argue one's point with the type of people who will send hate online; they're clearly not responsive to logic or manners.

L is for Legs, which Regina-as-Ursula gave her so she could be part of our world.

But, but, but ... it's so romantic! (Excuse me while I go pick up my eyeballs from where they popped out from rolling them so hard.) Seriously, they only let slightly realistic reactions out when characters are conveniently under a spell, like here or on the Jolly in Neverland. And then they pretend that it's not "real" or doesn't matter, and everything goes back to the status quo. I'm sure there will be zero lasting consequences of this spell. OF COURSE Emma wouldn't want to be friends with Regina; at best she'd be cordial for Henry's sake. Then again, Lana has her own take on things that often aren't actually reflected on-screen. Though throwing fireballs at Emma seems pretty definite.