S05.E13: Labor Of Love

[oliverwendell]

I will never stop being amazed by how much Bailee looks like a young Ginny. It's uncanny.

[Lexx]

Not that I wanted a rumple story . However I was surprised that nobody seemed to notice he was missing from the group you have a guy with all the darkness in him and you're letting him wander around among the dead people who have vengeance to work out . It doesn't seem like a good idea .

 

Toward the end of last week's episode, Rumple told them that he had fulfilled his part of the deal and was going back to Storybrooke.  They probably think he already left.

[KAOS Agent]

I was not a huge fan of the episode, but it was serviceable. The best part was that my VCR appears to be working again, so I watched it all legally.

 

A few notes:

 

- The Blind Witch entertains me. I liked that she mentioned Regina burning her to death.

 

- Expert archery is taught in two days now. I guess it's harder than sword fighting which only takes an afternoon.

 

- The Hook torture was overdone. It's not okay. And I thought Hades was trying too hard.

 

- Yet again someone asked about why the Underworld looks like Storybrooke and was brushed off. Why must we ask these pointless questions?

 

- Rumpel must be off doing shots with Pan or something. Maybe he'll meet Milah in the bar and she can kick his ass.

 

- Cruella, I love you and your love of gin, but Emma didn't murder you. I didn't think I could hate a Henry subplot more than the Pan heart thing, but this one is looking like it might top it. And as a bonus for this stupid plot, Robin was reduced to doing nothing. Again.

 

- Finally, because it can't be said enough. Stop with the torture.

[Primetimer]

With Once Upon A Time borrowing this season's big bad from Hercules, you might have expected the demigod himself to get more than one episode. You'd be wrong. At least he's cute!

Read the story

[twoods]

Bailee's facial expressions are almost identical to Ginnifer's. It is eerie. The casting team do a great job with flashback characters.

Wish we saw more of Hercules and Meg. Maybe we will get some future episodes in Olympus.

Poor Hook! When he told Meg that Emma was coming for him I got teary eyed. Captain Swan still gives me the feels.

Shut up Cruella. Emma didn't murder you.

Yay to Snow being back. Hope this is for good. I know most don't like the Regina redemption arc, but I really love her scenes with Snow and Emma.

[thuganomics85]

I enjoyed most of it, except the stuff with Henry.  I mean, I love Cruella and how campy Victoria Smurft is, but the idea that not only is Cruella whining about Emma "murdering" her, but Henry seems to be actually buying it and, unless this is all a swerve, fully attends to bring her back to life so Emma will no longer be a  "murderer."  Really, Henry.  Why stop there?  I mean, your other mom and grandfather are also murderers, so why not try and bring all of their victims back to life, buddy?

 

The flashbacks were actually pretty fun. It continues to freak me out how much Bailee Madison not only looks like a young Ginnifer Goodwin, but has copied her voice mannerism and physical action down.  It's almost uncanny at times.  Like I have to remind myself they didn't just age Ginnifer down with CGI or something.  I actually enjoyed Hercules and the actor was solid enough in all of it.  I did love Charming clearly a little jealous that his wife's first boyfriend was a demi-god!

 

Megera was kind of dull and it didn't help that since she was played by Kacey Rohl, I kept waiting for her to be bad.  Sorry, Kacey, but you will always be Abigail Hobbs from Hannibal to me.

 

I suspect Charming disappeared so it could just be Snow, Emma, and Regina together, but I am so waiting to find out that he was actually taken out and this guy is James all along.  If not now, I have to think they're planning some kind of "Charming was James all along" thing.

 

Mixed feeling on Hades.  On one hand, I like that he is actually menacing, violent and diabolical.  On the other hand, even though I think Greg Germann is giving a more then capable performance, it's just always in the back of my mind thinking how awesome it would have been if they actually got James Woods.  I know this certainly isn't the first time they've gotten a different actor from the ones in the films, but I guess it sticks with me because I think it would have been likely, since Woods doesn't seem very picky lately (I'm pretty sure the last thing I've seen him in was freaking White House Down.)

 

So, the more people they save, the more souls Hades is going to force Hook to make stay back.  Not sure how he's actually going to make Hook put anything on those tombstones.  If nothing else, Hook is pretty good at enduring physical pain.  I wonder if Hades as something else in mind.

[Souris]

And if pen has been writing stories all its life then how does it finish its unfinished business?  Is there a particular story it must complete?  Must it run out of ink?  Must it be made obsolete by type writer?  Or did pen's life blood (ink) soak type writer ribbon and therefore live on?  Was type writer murdered by computer? Are pencil and eraser engaged in a war in some unknown quarter of the underworld?  And whose side would pen take?  I think that pencil and pen might team up against eraser and white out.  But if they win, they will definitely turn on each other.

 

Will we see the pen roll into the light after it writes its masterpiece? Or did it need to edit some past stories? Seriously, I LOLed at the pen being in the UW. So I guess Henry is a murderer now, too. Evil pen-killer!

 

Such a better ep than last week! Mary Margaret is dead, long live Snow White! (Please let that be true.) I actually cared about her relationship with Hercules and teared up when they said goodbye. I wish Meg had been sassier & more fleshed-out, though. What was HER unfinished business? Why was she in the cell? Why did she get to go to Olympus with Hades?

 

So happy Hook had actual lines this week. But why is Hook the only person being tortured in the UW? I sadly doubt they will tell us, so it seems like gratuitous torture porn. Loved that he's still snarky to everybody, even gods.

 

Ugh, Henry will never learn, will he? Still falling for the villains' BS. EMMA DID NOT MURDER CRUELLA! It was justifiable homicide because Cruella was about to kill Henry -- Emma didn't know she couldn't kill. Ugh, this show.

[mjgchick]

If he's going to de-murder Emma then he has a long way to go with just his grandpa and other mother run in around but sure Emma's a murderer for saving your life. Henry thinks so little of her sometimes unless of course Henry swerves us and is actually smarter than I think. They did that with David in 5A hopefully he talks to one of his grandparents.

[Camera One]

Arrgh, I wrote a long post and completely lost it since "the thread you were looking at no longer exists".  I guess I'll half-heartedly give it another try...

 

The episode wasn't bad, but it lost almost all the potential that I had hoped for in the first 10 min.

 

I really liked the scene where Snow was looking at the gravestones and feeling bad that she wasn't able to protect her subjects, and losing confidence that she wouldn't be able to protect Emma.  I'm as happy as the next person that she doesn't want to be Mary Margaret anymore, but the Writers didn't earn that epiphany... the rest of the story that Snow got in Underbrooke was very lacklustre.  She hardly had to convince Hercules to face the 3-headed dog, and the "twist" that the dog could be defeated with 3 people was lame.  Especially since the "plan" depended on the random untrained girl stabbing one of the heads with a dagger, while Snow could use archery from a distance and yet she still only shot one arrow.  Merida could probably have shot all three heads at one go.

 

Just as I had feared, Snow got zero minutes of alone time with Emma, though the Writers allowed her to direct 3 lines towards Emma (are we supposed to send gift baskets for that bone?).  And the person who got to give Snow a pep-talk was... Regina, of course.  Meanwhile, David got to disappear and Emma got to do nothing.  

 

The flashbacks could have been good, showing how she gained the confidence to lead the people, but they were very poorly thought out.  Snow's confrontations with the bandits were ridiculous.  Why was Hercules standing around doing nothing?  Snow shot the leader's sword down and suddenly, the villagers were able to fight back?  A good leader can't bring any troops?  Or get any help?  Should they have gotten up on a stage to do some hand-to-hand combat?  They should have stretched out the timeline more so Snow wouldn't have learned archery in 2 days.  

 

Still, it was better than "White Out" since Teenage Snow learning archery from Hercules was more believable than a grown man huffing and puffing in sword play with Anna.  I usually like the actress who played Young Snow but she was a tad too flirtatious in this one.

 

I guess it's not a surprise that Hook is stuck in scenes with Hades, just like previous prisoners Henry (3A), Rumple (3B) and Rumple (5A) with their respective "villains".  Hopefully #FindHook won't drag out as long as #FindHenry and #FindAnna.  

 

Meg was really disappointing.  She felt like an extra until the end.  I was expecting to find out she was working for Hades.  But it turns out Herc/Meg are just a one-off... too boring, I suppose.  

 

They need to define Hade's powers or lackthereof.  He's aware Herc/Meg left his realm but did nothing to stop them?  Couldn't he bar entry to the Fire Pit to Heaven?  The 3-headed dog is gone, but isn't there a billion different obstacles he could put to stop them from getting down to Hook?  Couldn't he just poof them all into cages so they stop helping people with unfinished business?

 

The Henry/Robin/Cruella setup was needless.  Were they desperate to use the Mayor's Office set?   They could have just had Cruella intercept Henry in the forest, at Granny's, or anywhere else.  The Pen having "unfinished business" is as unbelievable as anything else that came out of 4B.  Please stop bringing that dumb plotline back.  No doubt, the Pen will show up just in time for them to escape the Underworld.

 

I did like seeing more of Ginny Goodwin than we normally do, and it wasn't as bad as other standalones, but it could have been way more stimulating and the actress really deserves much more than this.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Camera One

[kili]

If Pan is correct and the dead can only leave if they replace one of the living that came to save Hook, do they have to leave  a Bic in the Underworld if Henry wants to keep the pen? 

 

If they successfully help the pen into the light, what will Hook have to carve onto a tombstone? Maybe he'll have to carve "David's Flip Phone". 

 

I kind of want Hook to carve Mike Hunt, Seymour Butts and Anita Bath on those tombstones. Then we can go watch Hades head explode when he goes to the diner to collect those people ("Mike Hunt, where is Mike Hunt?")  and Henry starts laughing. Hook: "Oh, I thought they were here to save me. My bad."

 

Why does Hook look like road kill (actually, he looks worse than when he was road kill), but Meg looked pretty fresh? There didn't seem to be anybody else getting that kind of treatment. Is that the "Welcome to the Underworld" package? 

 

The Blind Witch is turning out to be pretty helpful for somebody who used to eat kids.

 

Hercules was wearing some serious heels when he was walking around the docks. Why was Meg ever in a position to have a hell-hound chasing her? Glad to see Snow back. When they first started talking about out-of-control thieves, I expected it to be pre-Marian Robin. 

 

Cruella played Henry like a fiddle. 

Edited March 14, 2016 by kili

[KingOfHearts]

While I'm not complaining that Snow wants to call herself Snow now, this episode doesn't set it up that well. Snow's run-in with Hercules had very little to do with any other character in her life. (Regina was plotting behind the scenes, that's it.) Her big revelation comes from a character we've never seen before and will never see again. The show hasn't really given us any clue that Snow was having this internal conflict about her identity. Many of us head-canoned it, but it was never explored beyond, "They call me Mary Margaret here." It was like A&E were following up a plot line they never wanted to execute in the first place.
 

I always thought Snow learned to fight from being forced to become a bandit fugitive. It struck me odd to see Young Snow wearing Bandit Snow's costume. The flashbacks really just don't make sense to me.

Edited March 14, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

Exactly... they didn't actually explore Snow's psyche in this episode at all.  Her big revelation seemed to come from Regina more than Hercules.  Which basically means these writers' mindsets have not changed at all, despite the New Snow slogan we got in this episode.

 

So the 3-headed dog threw itself into the third story window?  They all ran out of Snow and Charming's apartment together.  How did they all manage to lose track of Meg?  Why didn't Emma and Regina just apparate them all out onto the street?  Or zip around with magic looking for Meg?  She clearly couldn't have gone far. And if it's Herc's destiny to kill the 3-headed dog, why did he and Mary Margaret go off alone, while everyone else ran the other way?  It's just so clunky.  It's Hercules for heaven's sake... couldn't he have killed two heads with one sword on each hand?

Edited March 14, 2016 by Camera One

[CheshireCat]

Camera One, on 14 Mar 2016 - 02:09 AM, said:Camera One, on 14 Mar 2016 - 02:09 AM, said:

 Why didn't Emma and Regina just apparate them all out onto the street?  Or zip around with magic looking for Meg?  

 

Maybe they don't want to use too much magic until they can be sure it won't backfire?

 

So... Henry lied to Robin, and seems to be keeping the Cruella encounter a secret, right? After he berated and condemned both his mothers for not being team players in previous episodes?! ...

 

And on a very shallow note - the gowns they've given Regina in the flashbacks so far in 5B are my absolute favorites!

Edited March 14, 2016 by CheshireCat

[Camera One]

Exploring Twitter...

 

 

 

Beverley Elliott ‏@thereelbeverley  3 hours ago

So nice to see Ms Ginny Goodwin with so much screen time. Just sayin'

 

True...

 

Andrew Chambliss ‏@AndrewChambliss  3 hours ago

Loved digging into Greek Mythology for this episode.

 

LOL.  Not even a spade is necessary for that amount of "digging".

Edited March 14, 2016 by Camera One

[KAOS Agent]

If Henry writes Cruella back to life and she goes back to her favorite pastime of killing people, does that not make Henry an accessory to murder? Wouldn't that also just put a whole bunch more guilt on Emma because it's her fault they're dead since Henry was only trying to help his mom? Didn't we have a whole arc about how the Author doesn't write fictional stories, but records history and how when he doesn't do that, bad things happen? I hate the Author/pen stuff so much. 

[Camera One]

You'd think they had "closed the book" on that, but it looks like they just "opened the gates of hell" for all that to come back.  

[KingOfHearts]

Can someone explain why Robin couldn't hear Henry and Cruella talking behind the door?

[Camera One]

Sound waves work differently there.

[KAOS Agent]

Anyone else wonder how a one handed man is supposed to use that chisel?

[MMR]

Ginnifer is billed first not second.

And yes, more Snow and Regina, less Hook. That's why this ep was really good. Not great like the previous one but good. Loved Regina and Snow talk conversation. Young Snow was really good too.

[Writing Wrongs]

You'd think the Underworld would be more interesting, but honestly apart from Hades I've found the last two episodes kind of boring. Watching Emma run around trying to find Hook is as bad as watching Michael on Lost yelling "Walt!" every episode. I just don't feel their "epic love". The Charmings are still my favorite couple and it's nice seeing them get to do more.

 

The girl playing Meg was awful.

[BoPeeps]

The samo samo beat goes on.

Less than brilliant business as usual. Still mildly entertaining because of the still appealing but badly supported original concept of whacked fairy tales... and an emotionally captivating soundtrack and cool costumes. I want it to be so much better than it continually is and that is my fault/choice for hanging on. I cling to the potential.

The gratuitous brutally towards Hook and his grotesquely beaten and bloodied condition is fast becoming a perverse fetish with the creative team. I am sure it is fun for actors to be able to play these types of roles as opposed to being relegated to human scenery but it is now repulsive. Knock it the fuck off.

Hell, underworld, purgatory, thinly disguised dogma land...whatever...it is apparently just another backdrop to churn out the same repetitive plot points.

Did get a big kick out of the Blind Witch. Love her moments!

Henry just took three giant steps backwards towards idiocy.

Never liked Cruella.

David is still pleasing to the eyes. Hope he gets more plot time soon.

Hades...is he all powerful or just a sadistic prick? Totally uneven portrayal.

Shrug.

Holding pattern, again.

Actually missed Rumple.

[maryle]

I really do Not Knowles what to thi k about the Robin and Henry scene.

It was like Henry was the boss of Robin or something a the en when he wants to hissent his little gimmick with Cruella he clairly boss him a round without even smiling.

I felt Robin was a being intrusive for simply asking what Henry found

Cruella Still her awsome self but really the Pen as unfinished business!!

And Emma saving her son do Not make her a murderer. This show!!

[Chaos Theory]

I loved that Hook still the annoying Nat who wont go down easily and is threatening Hades. That's the Hook we've seen from jump.

Ok this.

I still don't buy the Emma/Hook romance and probably never will but I love the above description of Hook.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Selina K]

Exploring Twitter...

 

 

 

 

QUOTE

Andrew Chambliss ‏@AndrewChambliss  3 hours ago

Loved digging into Greek Mythology for this episode.

 

LOL.  Not even a spade is necessary for that amount of "digging".

 

I'll give them props for knowing 1. Hercules had 12 labors and 2. the Nemean lion was the first labor.  I guess they stopped reading after that though.  I call foul on Hercules being stymied by Cerberus' three heads after he had completed the labor of the Hydra which not only had multiple heads, but every time he chopped one off, another (or 2 or 3 depending on which version of the myth one reads) grew back in its place. 

 

I go back and forth on whether or not I can tolerate Regina.  I think the acting choices in this episode were ok for me - Regina seemed to be giving Snow a legitimate pep speech and it lacked the sneering smugness that ruins a lot of the other mea culpa moments from Regina for me.

 

I didn't need movie Megara but a little sass would have been nice. She introduced herself to Hercules with "I'm Megera," and my husband piped up, "No, you're not."

 

I hope we legitimately do get Snow from here forward.  It would be nice to see David call her Snow.  I liked the little flash of jealousy from David in the graveyard scene.  2 for 2 for Josh Dallas as I liked the James cockiness last week, too.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I kind of want Hook to carve Mike Hunt, Seymour Butts and Anita Bath on those tombstones. Then we can go watch Hades head explode when he goes to the diner to collect those people ("Mike Hunt, where is Mike Hunt?")  and Henry starts laughing. Hook: "Oh, I thought they were here to save me. My bad."

Please make this happen, show! That would be the best FU to a villain since Spike told Glory that the key was Bob Barker and that the slayer was going to kick her skanky lopsided ass to whatever dimension would want a cheap, whorish, fashion victim ex-god.

 

It continues to freak me out how much Bailee Madison not only looks like a young Ginnifer Goodwin, but has copied her voice mannerism and physical action down.  It's almost uncanny at times.

ITA - she does the same inhale, the same little growl, the same inflections, etc. It's really remarkable.

Edited March 14, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[3dog]

I hated that they told us instead of showing us that Hook got Emma's message and knows she's coming for him. I was really looking forward to hitting that emotional beat. But no, lah lah, she's in the Underworld and probably has a plan or whatever.

[3dog]

ITA - she does the same inhale, the same little growl, the same inflections, etc. It's really remarkable.

This. Her "No!" when she fell in that pit sounded like Ginny did the voice over.

[mtlchick]

 

Soooo disappointed in this incarnation of Megara.  OuaT turned a sassy and fun character into a bland damsel in distress.  MEH.

 

That was a deal breaker.  Hercules wasn't my favourite Disney movie, but she's up there with favourite princesses.  So when she revealed herself I said "Well that was underwhelming to find out."

[Mari]

I'll give them props for knowing 1. Hercules had 12 labors and 2. the Nemean lion was the first labor.  I guess they stopped reading after that though.  I call foul on Hercules being stymied by Cerberus' three heads after he had completed the labor of the Hydra which not only had multiple heads, but every time he chopped one off, another (or 2 or 3 depending on which version of the myth one reads) grew back in its place.

If they stopped reading after the lion, they probably didn't realize the dog wasn't the most dangerous animal.

[bmoore4026]

Once again, that was one whimpy ass lookin' Hercules.  I like my Hercs manly and Steve Reeves-esque and strong enough to throw a grizzly bear into space.

 

And why wasn't Meg a smart ass?

 

And where the hell are my Gospel Muses!?

[chrisvee]

The Hook torture porn is getting old fast. They do love to hurt that character, don't they?

[daxx]

The Hook torture porn is getting old fast. They do love to hurt that character, don't they?

Because Colin sells it so well. I cringed every time he put weight on his leg even though I know he's acting. Reminded me of watching the end of season two when he was genuinely hurt.

[kirkola]

Megera was kind of dull and it didn't help that since she was played by Kacey Rohl, I kept waiting for her to be bad.  Sorry, Kacey, but you will always be Abigail Hobbs from Hannibal to me.

 

 

 

 

That's where I knew her from.  She drove me crazy because the hair was just all wrong.  Also, until she said she was Megera, I was expecting her to swoosh into Hades at any moment.  I forget that I'm more clever than most Hollywood screen writers though.  Of course, I'd spend more than half my time telling the writers "that's been done to death, find a new twist"...so it's probably a good thing I'm not a screen writer.

[Curio]

"I'm saying I don't want to be Mary Margaret anymore. I want to be Snow White again."

"Well, it's about time."

 

Says the woman who turned Snow White into Mary Margaret in the first place...

[Serena]

Honestly, I think after 30+ years being tortured in the Underworld, it would have been more than a little ridiculous for Megara to still be "sassy". I liked that she was lonely and scared like anyone would be, but still got up her courage after only a little encouragement from Hook and towards the end she did get a little bit of her "spunk" back.

[Chaos Theory]

The only thing that really annoyed me about the episode was Henry making that stupid deal with Cruella. It relies on a trope I really hate (and thanks show for making me use the word "trope". I hate that word."). The unnessasary lie. You know when a character lies when telling the truth would work just as well but lying prolongs the plot and adds drama.

I have no problem with deals with the devil. (ha!). That is a thing just about everyone on the show has done and of Henry had done just that with Cruella I'd have no problem even if she added "don't tell your moms". But this is Henry be shady for the sake of plot contrivance.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[YaddaYadda]

Honestly, I think after 30+ years being tortured in the Underworld, it would have been more than a little ridiculous for Megara to still be "sassy". I liked that she was lonely and scared like anyone would be, but still got up her courage after only a little encouragement from Hook and towards the end she did get a little bit of her "spunk" back.

 

She also didn't want MM and Hercules to risk themselves for her. She told them to get out of there. She was scared, but she wasn't a coward by any means.

 

This episode wasn't bad. Again, I feel like they spent too much time on flashbacks, but I enjoyed the present time stuff. I liked the entire confrontation in the tunnels with Hades. He really hates everyone, doesn't he?

[Camera One]

Honestly, I think after 30+ years being tortured in the Underworld, it would have been more than a little ridiculous for Megara to still be "sassy". I liked that she was lonely and scared like anyone would be, but still got up her courage after only a little encouragement from Hook and towards the end she did get a little bit of her "spunk" back.

 

It also worked that she would be afraid since she herself was killed by that creature.

 

Nevertheless, I'm not sure it worked to give her so little screen presence and then announce she was a major character.  They could have flashed back to the first time she and Hercules met or something.  Plus they took away all the issues that Meg herself had in the movie.  She was all "walls" like Emma with lines like...

 

Meg: Sometimes it's better to be alone.

Hercules: What do you mean?

Meg: Nobody can hurt you.

[RadioGirl27]

This episode was better than last week's by a mile. It has problems, like Henry's idiocy or the ending (this "the villain forces Hook to do something against his will that would hurt Emma and/or her family" is getting old. It's the third time in three seasons, enough with it), but, at least, it was entertaining. The flashback was good and Bailee was great in it. Cruella was great as always and so was Hook in the few moments we saw him.

 

I hope Snow White stays, but I'm not holding my breath.

[iMonrey]

I'm usually pretty generous about giving this show a free pass on the CGI effects, but Cerberus looked really bad. Like they just didn't have the budget and had to hire the cheapest CGI team they could find. It reminded me of one of those old Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning shows that super-imposed live people against cartoon backdrops. 

 

What is the Blind Witch's unfinished business? Eating Hansel and Gretel? Are they going to get around to doing a backstory for her or are they just throwing Emma Caulfield some work?

[Shanna Marie]

Says the woman who turned Snow White into Mary Margaret in the first place...

Thank you! That was bugging me. Yeah, criticize her for being what you turned her into. And really, the scene in which she talked about Snow ultimately winning would have been a nice place for an apology. She apologized to her father. Snow has apologized all over the place. Why can't Regina say she's sorry for what she did to Snow?

 

In the spoilers thread, we were playing CSI: Spoilers and overanalyzing the sneak peek that showed Hook waking up in the cell and helping Meg escape. It seems from the bit that was cut out from the peek that he did, in fact, wake up in a new place, since he was talking about what Hades had already done to him, and he was acting like this was a new place he didn't know anything about.

 

Not that I want to see him actually being tortured, but when they show the results of that kind of damage, it would be nice to at least get a hint of what was going on and why. Hades hasn't acted like the hands-on torturer sort. Was he brutalizing Hook for grins? Trying to get his cooperation? Trying to get information? Was he locking Hook up in other kinds of dungeons where he had to deal with violent guards? It's like they just threw a bucket or two of fake blood on Colin just to suggest Hook's suffering, but it's rather meaningless with no context.

[Mathius]

They took Meg's sass away because it would diminish Regina as the resident sassy female.

It's as simple as that.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Mathius

[Rumsy4]

Honestly, I think after 30+ years being tortured in the Underworld, it would have been more than a little ridiculous for Megara to still be "sassy". I liked that she was lonely and scared like anyone would be, but still got up her courage after only a little encouragement from Hook and towards the end she did get a little bit of her "spunk" back.

As a random person in the Underworld, Megara works perfectly for her history. But the half-assed attempt at connecting her with the Disney movie was probably jarring to people. I know Megara is also a mythological figure, but it's not like the writers are going by that either. The writers just like to push the shipping angle way too much. In fact, Meg as "Meg" was out of place in the episode, especially as she and Herc had no prior history until 5 minutes before death. And yet, Herc takes her with him to Olympus. She'd better watch out with all the lecherous "gods" in that place. :-p

[elle]

Thanks for explaining the Anna/Prince Charming tutor reference for me!

Soooo disappointed in this incarnation of Megara. OuaT turned a sassy and fun character into a bland damsel in distress. MEH.

And why are we surprised after what they did to the character of Merida?

(I did wonder if she was working for Hades and playing Herc as in the movie, but I suspect we've seen the last of them)

[Curio]

And why are we surprised after what they did to the character of Merida?

Or OUAT's version of Rapunzel.

[Camera One]

In the spoilers thread, we were playing CSI: Spoilers and overanalyzing the sneak peek that showed Hook waking up in the cell and helping Meg escape. It seems from the bit that was cut out from the peek that he did, in fact, wake up in a new place, since he was talking about what Hades had already done to him, and he was acting like this was a new place he didn't know anything about.

 

Not that I want to see him actually being tortured, but when they show the results of that kind of damage, it would be nice to at least get a hint of what was going on and why. Hades hasn't acted like the hands-on torturer sort. Was he brutalizing Hook for grins? Trying to get his cooperation? Trying to get information? Was he locking Hook up in other kinds of dungeons where he had to deal with violent guards? It's like they just threw a bucket or two of fake blood on Colin just to suggest Hook's suffering, but it's rather meaningless with no context.

 

Yeah, that confused me... I was wondering why Hook and Meg were just lying around in the middle of nowhere.  At first, I thought Hook was fighting the dog, but then Meg had to tell him about that.

[elle]

Yeah, that confused me... I was wondering why Hook and Meg were just lying around in the middle of nowhere.  At first, I thought Hook was fighting the dog, but then Meg had to tell him about that.

I'm sure I wasn't the only expecting the centaur to be chasing Meg and not the dog.  I also amend my statement about us not seeing them again as Meg will not be allowed to enter Olympus and Herc opts to stay behind with her.  (yeah, who am I kidding)

 

Gospel Muses!?

They were the best part of the movie!  A close second is James Woods, mmv.

[KingOfHearts]

Funny how Hercules was just strolling through the Enchanted Forest and ran into Snow. Hasn't Hercules always been a celebrity of sorts in myth? His appearance was very low-key.

[Mathius]

Smh at all the fan complaints of "they wasted Herc and Meg".  Half-season after half-season now, what has been the biggest complaint?  That the writers focus too much on their shiny new toys/fairy tale characters/Disney characters (Zelena, the Frozen crew, the Queens of Darkness, Merida, etc.) rather than on the core cast.  Now an episode actually develops one of core cast who has been in THE most need of it, and what's the big outrage?  "Herc and Meg were wasted, they should have been in multiple episodes in which they would inevitably eat up screentime we could've used for the core cast!" It's the Neverland character complaints all over again.

 

This fandom will complain about anything.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Mathius