When 'Once Upon a Time' first started it was highly addictive and made the most of a truly great and creative premise. Really loved the idea of turning familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time it came on and it was often a highlight of the week. Which was why it was sad when it ran out of ideas and lost its magic in the later seasons.
The sixth, and penultimate, season opens with a great, and very promising first episode in "the Saviour". An episode which sees new characters in Aladdin and Jafar, the saviour arc introduced, the return of a long neglected character in Dr Hopper/Jiminy Cricket and more of Hyde, having been introduced in the last two episodes of the previous season. It may not be one of the show's best season openers but sets up what is to come, which is basically what it is, very well indeed. It is great to have something new after the unevenness of the Underworld arc that dominated the second half of Season 5.
With all my reviews for the show having recently been targeted/down-voted in a ridiculously short period of time for reasons unknown to me by someone with something against me, will admit to having almost been put off from continuing with my "reviewing all the 'Once Upon a Time' episodes" project, with such a treatment undermining the hard work that has gone into the writing of them. Am glad to have continued though, because it would have been very difficult to not talk about how good "The Saviour" was.
Not really all that much wrong here, although some of the various interactions/subplots are not exactly new territory (especially the Gold and Belle relationship).
However, there is lots of evidence of forward momentum and character development advancing, the characters true to personality and not distorted or going round in circles. One learns a lot and things are made clearer. It doesn't get over-stuffed or jumpy, making it not a difficult episode to follow. A feat for such a lot going on and with so many characters.
Still love the characters, both the existing characters, the new ones and the relatively new ones continuing to grow. Will always love Regina and Gold/Rumplestiltskin especially. As well as the characters, what is particularly good about much of the show and "The Saviour" is the interaction between them. What is familiar territory is thankfully not too tired or repetitive, due to them being approached from different angles.
Particularly true for the Belle and Gold relationship, going-round-in-circles at first but made fresher. It is great to not have Belle bland, like she tends to be apart from when effort is made to develop her. Regina and Zelena's chemistry has spark, in a witty and tense sense. Aladdin and Jafar makes promising first impressions.
All the acting from the solid ensemble cast is without complaint. Lana Parrilla especially is splendid and makes Regina rootable in a way that's very moving. Robert Carlyle is similarly riveting, he has fun with Gold and has the right amount of charisma, gravitas and shadiness that doesn't make him a standard villain or a character softened too much. How wonderful to see Raphael Sbarge again, having been long neglected.
Jennifer Morrison brings intensity and vulnerability, never being overwrought or too passive, while Emilie DeRavin gives one of her better performances in the role of Belle. Sam Witwer's Hyde once again shows potential to be one of 'Once Upon a Time's' better villains of the latter seasons. Love the casting of Jafar here and he did savour his monologue mentioned here in a big scene between him and Aladdin.
Furthermore, "The Saviour" is a very handsomely mounted episode visually, the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never looking artifical. It is photographed beautifully too. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable theme tune.
Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue, nothing campy or soap-operatic. Compared to when 'Once Upon a Time' first started, the writing mostly came on a long way (less so in the last season).
Overall, great start to Season 6. 9/10 Bethany Cox
The sixth, and penultimate, season opens with a great, and very promising first episode in "the Saviour". An episode which sees new characters in Aladdin and Jafar, the saviour arc introduced, the return of a long neglected character in Dr Hopper/Jiminy Cricket and more of Hyde, having been introduced in the last two episodes of the previous season. It may not be one of the show's best season openers but sets up what is to come, which is basically what it is, very well indeed. It is great to have something new after the unevenness of the Underworld arc that dominated the second half of Season 5.
With all my reviews for the show having recently been targeted/down-voted in a ridiculously short period of time for reasons unknown to me by someone with something against me, will admit to having almost been put off from continuing with my "reviewing all the 'Once Upon a Time' episodes" project, with such a treatment undermining the hard work that has gone into the writing of them. Am glad to have continued though, because it would have been very difficult to not talk about how good "The Saviour" was.
Not really all that much wrong here, although some of the various interactions/subplots are not exactly new territory (especially the Gold and Belle relationship).
However, there is lots of evidence of forward momentum and character development advancing, the characters true to personality and not distorted or going round in circles. One learns a lot and things are made clearer. It doesn't get over-stuffed or jumpy, making it not a difficult episode to follow. A feat for such a lot going on and with so many characters.
Still love the characters, both the existing characters, the new ones and the relatively new ones continuing to grow. Will always love Regina and Gold/Rumplestiltskin especially. As well as the characters, what is particularly good about much of the show and "The Saviour" is the interaction between them. What is familiar territory is thankfully not too tired or repetitive, due to them being approached from different angles.
Particularly true for the Belle and Gold relationship, going-round-in-circles at first but made fresher. It is great to not have Belle bland, like she tends to be apart from when effort is made to develop her. Regina and Zelena's chemistry has spark, in a witty and tense sense. Aladdin and Jafar makes promising first impressions.
All the acting from the solid ensemble cast is without complaint. Lana Parrilla especially is splendid and makes Regina rootable in a way that's very moving. Robert Carlyle is similarly riveting, he has fun with Gold and has the right amount of charisma, gravitas and shadiness that doesn't make him a standard villain or a character softened too much. How wonderful to see Raphael Sbarge again, having been long neglected.
Jennifer Morrison brings intensity and vulnerability, never being overwrought or too passive, while Emilie DeRavin gives one of her better performances in the role of Belle. Sam Witwer's Hyde once again shows potential to be one of 'Once Upon a Time's' better villains of the latter seasons. Love the casting of Jafar here and he did savour his monologue mentioned here in a big scene between him and Aladdin.
Furthermore, "The Saviour" is a very handsomely mounted episode visually, the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never looking artifical. It is photographed beautifully too. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable theme tune.
Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue, nothing campy or soap-operatic. Compared to when 'Once Upon a Time' first started, the writing mostly came on a long way (less so in the last season).
Overall, great start to Season 6. 9/10 Bethany Cox