S05.E16: Our Decay

[CheshireCat]

AudienceofOne, on 04 Apr 2016 - 5:46 PM, said:AudienceofOne, on 04 Apr 2016 - 5:46 PM, said:AudienceofOne, on 04 Apr 2016 - 5:46 PM, said:

I still have to shake myself every time Henry's on screen and I have to remind myself his adopted mother is the Evil Queen, his grandparents are Snow White, Prince Charming and Rumpelstilskin, his (almost) stepfather is Captain Hook and his great-grandfather is Peter Pan. Oh, and Hook was with both his mother and Grandmother.

 

And Zelena is Henry's aunt and the baby should be his cousin. And his adoptive mother was married to his great-grandfather...

Edited April 4, 2016 by CheshireCat

[legaleagle53]

CheshireCat, on 04 Apr 2016 - 4:30 PM, said:

And Zelena is Henry's aunt and the baby should be his cousin. And his adoptive mother was married to his great-grandfather...

 

And if Hades has his way, he'll be Henry's uncle.  David was right -- Thanksgiving dinner in the Enchanted Forest WOULD suck!

[KingOfHearts]

 

And Zelena is Henry's aunt and the baby should be his cousin. And his adoptive mother was married to his great-grandfather...

And she slept with his cousin's dad in the mausoleum where his grandparents rest.

Edited April 5, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[kili]

And Zelena is Henry's aunt and the baby should be his cousin.

And Henry's step-father-figure is his cousin's dad. And his step-brother's own half-sister is also kind of a step-cousin. 

[Jul 68]

Rumple told way too many truths to Belle - truths he went to hell to avoid telling her. I'm not buying that it was him.

That would make so much sense ..... Because otherwise it makes his decision to go to the Underworld to avoid her learning about him seem rather silly. If he was just going to spill it all right away, he could have removed himself entirely from Emma's power by just telling Belle about being the Dark One again.

I think that it was Rumple talking to Belle. I think he learned a (soon to be forgotten, I'm sure) lesson from the situation he let Emma put him in. By coming immediately clean with Belle, he freed himself from a level or two of Hades' blackmail. Rumple is many things, but he is normally fairly intelligent.

Is there more going on with him than meets the eye? Yeah. There always is, which is what made him such a delicious character in S1.

[Camera One]

That's a good point.  If he didn't Hades would.  And the Dark One stuff could also come from any of their mutual "friends".  I wonder if she'll be angry that everyone was planning to keep the secret from her.

[Mari]

And Henry's step-father-figure is his cousin's dad. And his step-brother's own half-sister is also kind of a step-cousin. 

Technically, Henry is his own mother's uncle.

 

And his grandmother's brother.

 

And his own great-uncle.

[Randomosity]

Technically, Henry is his own mother's uncle.

And his grandmother's brother.

And his own great-uncle.

All of this just makes me think of:

 

[CheshireCat]

InsertWordHere, on 04 Apr 2016 - 01:22 AM, said:

With the mansion unavailable, I wonder where Regina and Robin are sleeping? I'm guessing the CS house as there's no room in the loft and I don't see Regina going to camp in the (probably already occupied by Owen's father) Underworld woods, which would most likely be Robin's first choice.

 

Do you think the group actually separates to sleep? They stuck together while they were in Neverland and I would imagine they stick together in the UW, too, since sleeping makes them vulnerable and while it looks like Storybrooke, they're on enemy territory.

[Curio]

With the mansion unavailable, I wonder where Regina and Robin are sleeping?

Do you think the group actually separates to sleep?

Yeah, I think everyone is just crashing in the loft at the moment. When Zelena knocked on the door, Regina made a comment about "our" apartment, so it seems like she's staying there, too. There's the main bed Snow and Charming sleep in on the first floor, the bed upstairs Emma and Hook probably stay in, I think there's a tiny bed next to that one upstairs where Henry could sleep, and then Robin and Regina could crash on the couch downstairs. Now that Belle has entered the picture, maybe she can crash on the floor or a chair.

[Shanna Marie]

I wonder if Hook needs to sleep. He is dead, after all. I guess the dead need to eat, given that Granny's exists in the Underworld, and he made a quip about breakfast, but given that he's the one out of the group who currently isn't actually a living being, I wonder if that makes a difference. He was knocked unconscious or passed out, but does he need rest?

 

Really, even the food might be something of a habit or a way to fill the time, not something that's necessary. Can a dead person starve to death?

 

I may have read too much mythology and folklore, but I was cringing about the idea of Snow and David eating food while in the Underworld. In stories, it generally doesn't go well for a living person to eat food from the land of the dead. That's how you get trapped there. But I guess these writers aren't up on the source material of the story they're telling.

[Camera One]

There's the main bed Snow and Charming sleep in on the first floor, the bed upstairs Emma and Hook probably stay in, I think there's a tiny bed next to that one upstairs where Henry could sleep, and then Robin and Regina could crash on the couch downstairs. Now that Belle has entered the picture, maybe she can crash on the floor or a chair.

LOL, we had enough trouble trying to figure out where Emma was sleeping back in 2B.  And now double the people can fit.  I'm sure the window ledge is especially comfortable.

 

But I guess these writers aren't up on the source material of the story they're telling.

 

I loved the Greek myth about Hades' love affair with the Wicked Witch.

 

Seriously speaking though, those would be the questions which would actually be interesting to ponder and explore.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Camera One

[Shanna Marie]

I loved the Greek myth about Hades' love affair with the Wicked Witch.

That was always one of my favorites. It's touching, yet creepy. But I prefer the one about his other romance, the one where just a few pomegranate seeds got her stuck in the underworld. What would toast and oatmeal do?

 

One of my life rules is to always carry supplies when traveling to another realm. Eating the local food tends to get you stuck in those places.

 

Also, if Emma gets to take Hook out of the Underworld, she should know not to look back to make sure he's coming. She has to be able to trust him to follow her.

[tennisgurl]

 

I may have read too much mythology and folklore, but I was cringing about the idea of Snow and David eating food while in the Underworld. In stories, it generally doesn't go well for a living person to eat food from the land of the dead. That's how you get trapped there.

See, that would actually be interesting, mythical, and use actual mythology. But that would be silly. 

[Dianthus]

Last week's ep was disappointing, but at least I was engaged. Last night's ep really didn't hold much interest for me.

[Camera One]

I was really hoping for a scene like this.

 

CONVENT NURSERY.  ABOVE CRIB, GHOSTLY HEADS OF SNOWING APPEARS.

 

BLUE FAIRY: What the hell?!

SNOW: Hello from Hell.

CHARMING: How is babysitting?

BLUE FAIRY: Your baby is fine.  The other one fell into a portal while I watched.  Don't worry, Belle jumped after it.

SNOW: Oh no worries, that baby is in hell with us now.

BLUE FAIRY: Do you have any questions you want to ask me?  Maybe about how to escape from hell?

CHARMING: No, I think we'll wing it like that time Maleficent told us our baby would be the darkest ever and we went and made everything worse.

BLUE FAIRY: Fine, I'm off to do whatever I do at night in my secluded tower now.  Goodbye, Mary Margaret.

SNOW: I'm SNOW WHITE now.  Couldn't you tell?

BLUE FAIRY: I'm afraid the connection is cutting in and out.  Buh bye.

[Leia1979]

Oh, and of course Henry is also a fantastic illustrator on top of being a fantastic writer. He is the writers' self-insert after all. As a graphic artist, Regina's line telling Henry "the illustrations are lovely" made my blood boil. (P.S. That isn't an illustration, Regina. That's just a crappy Photoshop filter of a screenshot.) We've never been shown Henry having any huge artistic abilities, but now he can draw amazing illustrations in his sleep on top of writing a New York Times Best Seller? Screw you, Henry Sue. 

 

My theory is that Henry is merely a conduit and the pen does all the work. That's why Henry doesn't remember doing anything--the pen can just suck the memories out of his head and commit them to paper.

 

Yeah, that doesn't quite jibe with the whole previous author story, but maybe that guy learned over time how to control the pen. Or maybe an underworld pen has extra special powers.

[Camera One]

That's certainly what it seems like if he wakes up and has no idea how he wrote all the pages.  I love free will on this show.

[KingOfHearts]

Henry doing things while he's sleeping and "being a teenager" in the same scene. Sounds like writing is some sort of metaphor almost. That's just a little disturbing.

Edited April 5, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[darkestboy]

Loved this one. Zelena and Hades, love it, love everything about it and although rushed as hell, they still have more chemistry than Regina and Robin ever will.

 

I think Hades's love for Zelena is genuine but he still could turn on her if she keeps him at arm's length. I do like that Zelena is wary of him though. I guess she's taking on the Persephone role here.

 

I liked Zelena's scenes with Regina and Robin but someone give that baby a name already. I know why they won't at the moment but even still.

 

Rumple telling Belle everything was unexpected but will it actually change anything with their dynamic though? I'm not so sure.

 

Nice moments with Snow/David and Emma/Hook but Henry's teenage strop was grating enough, 9/10

[YaddaYadda]

Yeah, I think everyone is just crashing in the loft at the moment. When Zelena knocked on the door, Regina made a comment about "our" apartment, so it seems like she's staying there, too. There's the main bed Snow and Charming sleep in on the first floor, the bed upstairs Emma and Hook probably stay in, I think there's a tiny bed next to that one upstairs where Henry could sleep, and then Robin and Regina could crash on the couch downstairs. Now that Belle has entered the picture, maybe she can crash on the floor or a chair.

 

Robin has gone into the woods with his infant daughter since that's the only place he feels at home.

 

Emma and Killian have a house, they should use it.

[Camera One]

With Belle arriving, it would be Snow White and the 7 Other People in the loft.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Hades And The Wicked Witch Meet Cute On Once Upon A Time
Is the most villainous bicycle ride in history also the most romantic?

[Shanna Marie]

Why are they hanging out in the loft instead of in Emma's huge Victorian house that probably has multiple bedrooms with walls?

 

I suppose there's that portal to the under-Underworld in the basement. But walls!

[Curio]

Everyone is too creeped out by all the baby toy decorations to stay there?

[Randomosity]

Why are they hanging out in the loft instead of in Emma's huge Victorian house that probably has multiple bedrooms with walls?

I suppose there's that portal to the under-Underworld in the basement. But walls!

Then they (writers) would actually have to deal with why Emma's baby whatnot is there...

[kili]

When Emma was reading the story about Snowflake hearing his parent's voice, didn't she mention the unicorn mobile? That instead of hearing the clink of the mobile, he heard his parents sing him a lullaby?

 

Have we ever seen the unicorn mobile over his crib? He had a lamb mobile (possibly made out of wood) in the loft and no mobile at Blue's house, but the unicorn mobile is only ever shown in Gold's shop in Storybrooke.

 

Did Blue take him to Gold's shop? Or did I mishear? Or is it a clue that Henry isn't always writing what actually happens? Or is it just a continuity error?

[Mitch]

Good episode, despite the usual plot holes.  I loved the Tardis Booth Haunting Machine, it was everything that makes this show worth watching, when they actually get it right...it was dark, a bit sad, a bit hopefull, a little campy, an easter egg, and oddly sweet all at once.  Loved Hades and Zelena together....and yea, the actor made us sure we knew it wasnt his "heart," that was suddenly back in action. Again, only this show could put these two together and make me want to see these crazy kids make it work. Also love it when Rump gets his ass handed to him by another villain, though I am sure we will get a turn around soon.  Blue was useless as ever....(though I did have to laugh that Zelena was actually scared by Blue, obviously she hasnt been around to know St. Mary DoNothing is as intimaditing as Belle.)

 

I love Oz so it scares me that they are back. I hate it that Bogg is dead and I am looking forward to Warrior Dorothy beating Zelena which is what she obviously does as you know they will get Scarecrows brain back...sending her to get new ingrediants.  I just wish the good people won by more then luck or the villains stupidity...(a curtain Zelena...really????) Though my love of Zelena will die if she hurts Toto!

 

Speaking of food, just what are they serving up in the diner? They can't grow anything there??? My hope and dream is that Zelena and Cruella come back to SB and instead of ridiculous schemes about changing time and happy endings, they just prance around town adding the needed sass and eye rolling the gang needs on a continuing basis.

[legaleagle53]

Mitch, on 05 Apr 2016 - 12:40 PM, said:

I love Oz so it scares me that they are back. I hate it that Bogg is dead and I am looking forward to Warrior Dorothy beating Zelena which is what she obviously does as you know they will get Scarecrows brain back...sending her to get new ingrediants.  I just wish the good people won by more then luck or the villains stupidity...(a curtain Zelena...really????) Though my love of Zelena will die if she hurts Toto!

 

Yeah, I noticed that Zelena addressed Dorothy as "my pretty," but I was disappointed that she didn't say the whole iconic line:  "I'll GET you, my pretty -- and your little dog, too!"

[CheshireCat]

Shanna Marie, on 05 Apr 2016 - 2:19 PM, said:

Why are they hanging out in the loft instead of in Emma's huge Victorian house that probably has multiple bedrooms with walls?

 

I suppose there's that portal to the under-Underworld in the basement. But walls!

 

But the loft set is more complete and the Victorian house only has a downstairs and even that seems to have very sparse decoration (and is currently stuffed with baby stuff)

[Kromm]

Why does this site keep supporting that horrible phrase "Meet Cute"? This is like the 4th or 5th use of it in a headline or sub-head in the past few months.

[YaddaYadda]

I didn't find Hades' insta true love cute. I didn't care for the pairing.

[Rumsy4]

I thought I was the only one not shipping Hell Witch. Tumblr is all over that pairing. lol

[Jul 68]

But the loft set is more complete and the Victorian house only has a downstairs and even that seems to have very sparse decoration (and is currently stuffed with baby stuff)

Also, the loft gives them an easy excuse for everyone being in the same room all the time (except Henry off 'writting' upstairs). Speaking of, I have a teen boy and if he slept that much, I'd DRAG him out of that room. Seriously, no teen sleeps that much without a medical condition.

[KingOfHearts]

I didn't find Hades' insta true love cute. I didn't care for the pairing.

I ship it, but I didn't care for how it was handled. They're compatible and there's chemistry, but Hades' lovesick puppy act was something Enchanted would parody. The flashbacks, except for maybe the bike scene, were garbage. However, I did appreciate Zelena's inner conflict in the present about whether to trust him or not. There was no definitive answer, which was nice.

[Mitch]

I ship it, but I didn't care for how it was handled. They're compatible and there's chemistry, but Hades' lovesick puppy act was something Enchanted would parody. The flashbacks, except for maybe the bike scene, were garbage. However, I did appreciate Zelena's inner conflict in the present about whether to trust him or not. There was no definitive answer, which was nice.

 

Yea, whlle I like Zelena and think Mader is all kinds of sexy..Hades being lovesick over her I am not buying, especially if he has been watching her (creepy) he should know she is a basket case who would give Glenn Close a run for her money in stalking...(Rump in a cage???)  I did like that Zelena, when musing on if Hades would betray her said.."That's what I would do!" She seems to have more self awareness then her sister.

 

I am diappointed, as I was kind of hoping the gay couple they were talking about would be Cruella (who you know would be into ANYTHING) and Zelena...imagine them driving down the street in Cruella's car, cackling at all the Storybrookers..

[KingOfHearts]

This episode falls under "Wouldn't it be cool if..." with Zelena/Hades. While it is good concept, A&E were in a rush to introduce and execute it all within 42 minutes. In other words, anything organic was thrown out the window. Additionally, Dorothy's return, though done before in other media, could have paralleled Bandit Snow elegantly. Our Decay suffers from a similar problem to Brothers Jones, however the difference is that Our Decay is a little more creative and isn't an eggnapper story. Instead of tackling a story over the course of a few episodes, the writers opted to complete one each week. That does work in some cases (True North, Sympathy for the DeVil), but in others it's so contrived it feels strange to see it go in and go out so quickly.

 

Zelena's business with Hades will probably continue only to function as an Achilles Heel of sorts. But their relationship is not going to get much more development. Like with Liam, their story is to serve the plot.

[andromeda331]

I may have read too much mythology and folklore, but I was cringing about the idea of Snow and David eating food while in the Underworld. In stories, it generally doesn't go well for a living person to eat food from the land of the dead. That's how you get trapped there. But I guess these writers aren't up on the source material of the story they're telling.

That's what I kept thinking during the diner scene too. That's how Hades tricked Persephone in staying in the Underworld.

[KingOfHearts]

Henry in this episode must have been a portrayal of A&E's own angsty youths. "Are all of you authors now? I'm doing my best!"

Edited April 8, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

Or A&E right now towards people asking questions on Twitter.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Camera One

[andromeda331]

Is it wrong that I kind of wanted to see more of the phone booth and the dead "haunting" their alive love ones?

Who is "haunting" who? That could have been comedy gold. Maybe even had Charming or Snow realize one

of their nightmares was actually their parents' trying to talk to them. And even though I know they'd never do

it but have some of the people taking turns to haunt Regina and Gold. Maybe have six or seven people

in a row all excited to haunt them in a row, or fighting over who got to go next.

[rainbowstickers]

Two (mild parts) of the episode I did not like:

Zelena defeated by a dog. Yeah, ok...

Henry's sleep trance writing. This just makes no sense at all. Is this supposed to be something all Authors go through in the beginning or is Henry reacting to the quill in a different way from the prior Authors?

I'm in agreement the whole "You're gorgeous and I love you and we could be together if you just give me true love's kiss" was a bit too fast of a declaration for Hades to make towards Zelena. It looked like they literally met on the same day and he decided he was in love with her hours later. The only way I can imagine him being that hasty and quick about the matter of love is if he seriously spent centuries feeling absolutely nothing and finally feeling a smidget of something with Zelena. Still, damn, he sure makes up his mind fast lol. I still don't trust Hades though.

I'm a little disturbed at the realization of how back in "Mother", Zelena used the baby as a sort of bargaining chip to keep Regina from killing her or she'd have to live with knowing she made a child motherless. The whole idea of Zelena being pregnant with Robin's baby was messed up because I felt Zelena didn't care about the baby and the baby was just another excuse to get revenge on Regina and force her apart from Robin. Then in "The Dark Swan", Zelena seemed to have grown into the idea the child was her only chance at unconditional love, but again, it was all about her and her needs again, with little care about who she hurt in the process to get what she wanted. Now in "Our Decay", I was relieved she gave the baby back to Robin with the understanding she did more harm than good by trying to use magic to forcibly take away their daughter. I do see potential for redemption in Zelena, but I would have to see it done in a realistic way without it being a cliche of "oh and then she has a baby and she became a good witch who was devoted to raising her child and never did another horrible thing again". A child can change a person, but a child is not a magical fix for everything that is wrong with the parent. Regina and Rumple are both good examples of being flawed and doing questionable things even when they had children.

[pezgirl7]

Two (mild parts) of the episode I did not like:

Zelena defeated by a dog. Yeah, ok...

Although it was totally silly, I didn't really mind it because it was a callback to the movie, when Toto pulled back the curtain to reveal the wizard of Oz. This episode had quite a few silly/comic relief moments, which I think the show has been lacking recently. Give me more of those, please! Edited April 10, 2016 by pezgirl7

[TheGreenKnight]

Then in "The Dark Swan", Zelena seemed to have grown into the idea the child was her only chance at unconditional love, but again, it was all about her and her needs again, with little care about who she hurt in the process to get what she wanted.

I was glad this episode had Zelena teeter on the understanding that she would hurt her baby more than help it because she's a crap person who does dark magic. That was a kind of depth I appreciated because a character like Zelena, whose entire story revolves around rejection and being unloved or second-best, would naturally love the idea of a baby to fill that hole for her (ie, a baby would have to love her because she's its mother even if she is a monster). I'm glad they showed her coming close to accepting the fact that--if she really loves her daughter--she should be looking at the child's best interest and not fulfilling her own need for love.

 

I mean, the only reason the whole arc with Regina being changed for the better because of Henry could work was because Henry was forced to live with her most of his life since nobody could take him away from her, allowing a connection to be formed. And a similar almost-arc with Rumpel and Bae (although Rumpel never got better); nobody could take Baelfire away from Rumpel because he was the Dark One. That same arc couldn't work with Zelena, because Regina, Robin, Emma, et al have the ability to interfere and the moral obligation.

[Shanna Marie]

I rewatched this one before the new one, and one thing that cracked me up was Hook's and Robin's expressions while Henry was playing Author and Regina and Emma were trying to find ways to praise his stories about breakfast. They were in the background of the two angles they were cutting back and forth between, and based on the line of sight, it looked like they were making eye contact behind the others' backs and having a hard time keeping a straight face. So there was a shot of Hook with an eyebrow raised, then a shot of Robin looking in his direction and smirking, then a shot of Hook with his lips twitching like he was trying not to smile, then a shot of Robin looking amused.

[KingOfHearts]

 

So there was a shot of Hook with an eyebrow raised, then a shot of Robin looking in his direction and smirking, then a shot of Hook with his lips twitching like he was trying not to smile, then a shot of Robin looking amused.

Maybe they realized what show they were in? Actually that might have instigated crying instead of amusement.

Edited April 11, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[kingshearte]

Rumple telling Belle everything was unexpected but will it actually change anything with their dynamic though? I'm not so sure.

I can't help but hope so, since he not only told her everything, but also called her on her hots for the darkness-in-denial. If she can find a way to accept that about herself and not be all taken in by this "deep down, he's really a good guy" crap, I would hate this relationship so much less.

[HoodlumSheep]

Still playing catch-up:

I oddly enjoyed this episode? Moreso than last week's (forgive me, Hook & liam) probably because this one felt like it had some breathing room.

Odd thoughts and stuff:

-someone please burn Regina's ugly hat. It looks awful paired with that jacket. Regina's face gets smooshed between the hat and the jacket.

-I ship Hell Witch / Wicked Hell; I wasn't too bothered by the insta-love on Hades' part. I thought it worked. You could tell Zelena felt a spark too.

-why would your first choice for looking for Belle and Pistachio be the forest? since when did Belle like hiding in forests more than libraries?

-i didn't mind the scarecrow cgi.

-Dorothy is a non-entity

-so Zelena had given Dorothy the slippers at some point, and something went down in Kansas?? How did the munchkins contact Dorothy?

-the bicycle scene was adorable and so was Zelena's giggling.

-Zelena this entire episode ;_;

-this show is so morally twisted that I was getting angry at Belle for snatching Pistachio away from Zelena in the beginning.

-will we find out how Zelena got back to Storybrooke?

-the Blind Witch is a gift. Can we somehow keep her forever? At this point I think I'd be willing to trade Granny for her.

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I'd rewatch it????

?

At least Robin existed and had dialogue this episode.

Edited April 12, 2016 by HoodlumSheep

[Rumsy4]

I rewatched this episode. I think I like Hell Witch a little more now, but I'm still not completely sold. I do think Zelena will play a big role in defeating Hades though. He might even like it. ;-) (That heart-flutter was totally a reference to his... libido).

[CheshireCat]

I hadn't had a chance to watch the episode before now and what I found interesting is the parallel between both Regina and Zelena turning down a chance at love. I don't know if Hades wanted to betray Zelena but I guess if he wanted to, he could have taken the brain and then disappear. But she pushed him away because she didn't want to trust him.

 

I also felt that the episode was meant to create instant Zelena sympathy so they can justify her redemption because the character wasn't meant to be good/sympathetic before. Personally, I prefer characters who can grow on me and while I have made peace with the fact that Zelena will be redeemed and I liked the scene between Regina and Zelena in the most recent episode, while watching this episode I realized that something about Zelena's chance at redemption bothers me. She was brought in as a villain and I find it very hard to all of a sudden care for her and her redemption and this episode didn't make it any easier (though I think Zelena and Hades could be an interesting pairing)