‘Once Upon A Time’ Review: The Price of Gold

Wow, how can you even describe last night’s Once Upon A Time? A story that we all knew so well turned into a complex, and dark fairytale. Let’s just say that this adaption of Cinderella featured zero fairy godmothers, but the substitute definitely caught our interest immediately.

The Fairytale World:

Before I even begin, I must say that I love how Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) can jump into any story, no questions asked. No matter what the situation, all the attention goes towards him. For example, when he magically appears before Cinderella (Jessy Schram). It definitely sparked our interest, seeing as he blew up the fairy godmother. Dramatic, but effective.

“All magic comes with a price.” -Rumpelstiltskin

It’s explained that Ella (Cinderella) wanted so desperately to get out of the lifestyle situation she was in, no matter what the cost. Foolishly, she made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, promising him something precious of hers. She thought that he would come collect jewels, but instead he wanted her first born child. Okay, the whole Rumpelstiltskin, baby thing bothers me, but I’m not going to waste my time questioning why he would even want a baby.

“I made a deal, I can’t break that! He’s too powerful.” -Ella

“Then the answer is simple, we make another deal.” -Prince Thomas (Tim Phillipps)

This is when I shake my head in shame. The hot prince just HAD to suggest the most idiotic thing. He thinks that making another deal would solve their problem? That’s what got them into this mess! Regardless, they set up a plan to imprison Rumpelstiltskin.

“As we all know, all magic comes with a price! And if you were to use it, to say… Imprison me, than your debt to me would only grow. And we wouldn’t want that now, would we?” -Rumpelstiltskin

Ella seemed to be questioning her decision to do this, but ultimately went through with it. Rumpelstiltskin was imprisoned, and all was well. Just kidding. In doing this, Prince Thomas is… Prince-napped? He disappeared, and according to Mr. Rumpel, Ella wouldn’t see him again until she handed over her baby. Okay, this is the fairytale world, where happy ending are supposed to happen. Yet, it’s just as horrible as Storybrooke. There have been four episodes, and I cannot recall a true happy ending in any of them. Interesting how that plays out.

Storybrooke:

“In order for something to grow, Miss Swan, it needs roots. And you don’t have any.” – Regina (Lana Parrilla)

That quote leads Emma into planting her roots. Before Regina taunted her, Emma was nowhere near settled. She had a few shirts, and a temporary place to stay, but after what Regina said, it pushed her into taking the next step. If I was Regina, I would back off. It’s obvious by now that giving her threats and insults will only make her stay longer.

Emma is offered a job as the town’s deputy thanks to the very handsome, Sheriff Graham. As Emma’s first unofficial case, Mr. Gold asks her to track down Ashley, the pregnant 19-year-old alter ego of Cinderella. Once Emma realizes the real reason Mr. Gold wants her to find Ashley, she makes a deal with him. Ashley gets to keep her baby, and Emma will owe Mr. Gold a favor. It was a sweet thought, but very stupid. Granted, Emma doesn’t realize how evil Mr. Gold is, but it leads me to wonder, what will that favor be?

I loved this episode. Honestly, I love every episode of this series. It’s smart, dark, and an intriguing take on the world’s most famous fairytales. Its characters are complex, and have so much depth to them. The writing, the acting… Everything is flawless, and I cannot wait to see where this story takes us. One note: Robert Carlyle is genius. Words cannot describe how amazing he is in his role. How ever will we survive two weeks until the next episode?

Rating: A

Questions:

  • What was your favorite moment during last night’s episode?
  • What do you think Mr. Gold’s favor from Emma will be?
  • Which fairytale character are you most excited to see?
  • Regina and Sheriff Graham! What, when, where, why, how?!

Responses

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  1. Is it weird that a 22 year old guy really enjoys this show? I really want to talk to someone about it but I’m extremely embarrass.am I wrong to think that way?

  2. I loved the last episode cause Rumpelstiltskin AKA Rumpy came out and made everything all the more interesting.

    And thank you for pointing out that no one seems to have a happily ever after ending in fairytale land. Princes are disappearing/dying. Princess and Queens are making deals with Rumpy.

    Looks like Henry’s prediction of Emma breaking the curse is already coming to fruitation with Cinderella and Prince Charming (Shawn).

  3. Adam – Don’t feel bad. I was talking with a bunch of GA Tech guys last night that ranged from 23 to 26 and they all love it too! 🙂 Feel free to talk about the series here! We’ll have reviews up after every new episode and we even have a message board for it – you can see the fan topics if you scroll up! 🙂