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Aleki77
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Once Upon a Time - Episode 1.08 - Desperate Souls - Press Release
CITAZIONEREGINA AND MR. GOLD TAKE OPPOSITE SIDES WHEN EMMA RUNS FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, AND RUMPLESTILTSKIN TRIES TO TRACK DOWN A POWERFUL SOURCE TO KEEP HIS SON FROM FIGHTING IN A MEANINGLESS WAR, ON ABC'S "ONCE UPON A TIME"
Brad Dourif ("The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers") Guest Stars as an Old Beggar
"Desperate Souls" - Regina and Mr. Gold play dirty politics and take opposite sides when Emma runs for a coveted Storybrooke public office against Sidney. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world that was, Rumplestiltskin tries to track down the ultimate power source in order to help his son avert the horrors of a meaningless war, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, JANUARY 8 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
"Once Upon a Time" stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Jared Gilmore as Henry Mills, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/John Doe and Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper.
Guest starring are Meghan Ory as Ruby/Red Riding Hood, Patti Allan as Miss Ginger/blind witch, Beverley Elliott as granny, Giancarlo Esposito as Sidney/mirror, Dylan Schmid as Baelfire, Conner Dwelly as Morraine, Kate Bateman as mother, Mark Gash as father, Ty Olsson as Hordor, Brad Dourif as old beggar, Michael Phenicie as The Duke, C. Ernst Harth as burly man/the ogre, David-Paul Grove as Doc and Gabe Khouth as Sneezy.
"Desperate Souls" was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Michael Waxman.
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Edited by Aleki77 - 20/12/2011, 09:53
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Aleki77 .
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TV Review: Once Upon a Time - "Desperate Souls"
Author: Barbara Barnett
What does it take to defeat evil? What is the personal cost, and is it even possible without sacrificing a piece of your own soul? Those are the questions in Once Upon Time’s eighth episode of the season “Desperate Souls.”
Jane Espenson’s intriguing script dives into Rumpelstiltskin’s (the mesmerizing Robert Carlyle) origin story, reflecting upon how he’d become the trickster imp we meet not only at the beginning of the series, but in the Grimm fairy tale as well. A weak and easily frightened man—a self-described town coward—he runs from the face of battle, having fled the front lines of the Ogre wars.
Watching the children being taken one by one at the Duke’s behest, Rumple knows that his son Baelfire (Dylan Schmid)—the only thing he has left in this world—is next, as his 13th birthday fast approaches. Baelfire is willing to follow the knights onto the front lines, but Rumple explains that the red sky visible on the horizon is not from the fire of war, but from the blood of the people—the children—upon whose back the battle is ruthlessly waged. No sane person would knowingly submit to such certain death.
As I mentioned in my preview of the episode, this idea of forced conscription of the persecuted and oppressed goes back a long way in European history. (My own grandfather fled forced service Czar’s army in pre-Soviet Latvia by fleeing across the border.) But this scenario also made me think of the countless young men in the trenches of WWI sent endlessly to the front lines at places like Gallipoli and Ypres. They went not to fight (using Rumple’s words), but to die.
And so Rumple and Bae flee down the King’s Road, encountering a beggar (Brad Dourif, Lord of the Rings) to whom Rumple gives a portion of his meager cash as alms. But soon, the duke’s men overtake the journeying father and son. Rumple would do anything to protect his son from certain death—even debase himself in front of the 13-year-old boy. Having been humiliated by the Duke’s soldiers, Rumple is beaten down, but has saved Bae for the moment. But he knows they will return on Bae's birthday.
Suddenly, the beggar appears again, this time with the promise of a way out. The Duke possesses a magic dagger, he explains, and with it he controls “The Dark One,” a mysterious force in the universe. If Rumple can summon the courage to steal it, he can save Bae, and perhaps redeem his good name—and himself. Rumple believes that by acquiring this great power, he will not only save Bae, but all the children, rescuing the entire people of the Frontlands. This power will be a force for good in his hands.
But, as Rumple has come to show us in previous Once episodes, magic is something not be trifled with—and comes with (and often steep) price. He has also warned that deals are tricky things, and in the end you better know in advance what you’re getting yourself into. This lesson comes hard for Rumple. Very hard.
Succeeding in stealing the dagger, he summons the dark power of Zoso. (Zoso is a magical symbol, closely associate with Led Zeppelin’s legendary Jimmy Page. Double Hmmm.) He learns that The Dark One is none other than the beggar, who has engineered the entire situation. He wants only to die, and in Rumple, he’s found a way out—a way to pass the torch to another desperate soul who's stumbled into a bad bargain without reading the fine print.
In the end, Rumple loses himself—and the son he fought so hard and at such great cost to protect. He comes out of this bargain as the new incarnation of The Dark One. It is a fall with great ramifications, most of which we’ve not yet experienced (but which I’m sure form many excellent bits of future Once Upon a Time narrative).
Back in Storybrooke, with Graham now dead, the town needs a new sheriff. Although Emma (Jennifer Morrison) has been serving as deputy, the mayor (Lana Parrilla) pulls rank and fires her, only to put in place her own man—the politics writer for The Storybrooke Mirror. His name? Sidney Glass, a man who only wants to reflect well on the town. (Okay, enough with the bad puns.) But Emma doesn’t take this lightly.
Despite Henry’s (Jared Gilmore) admonition that good never prevails because it has to play fair, while evil can do whatever it wants, Emma is determined to win the mayoral race without resorting to political chicanery. However, Emma has a benefactor, who is equally determined to use whatever means necessary to win—and defeat Madame the Mayor. That, of course is Mr. Gold.
Apparently a master chess player, Mr. Gold plays Emma like a burnished knight, anticipating her moves and everyone else’s. In the end, Emma wins by defying him—all part of the plan. A greater good forged by underhanded means and a strategy that would make Niccolo Machiavelli proud.
I loved this episode. We learn a lot about what makes Rumple (and Mr. Gold) tick. Rumple is quite insane when we first meet him in the pilot episode; he bears no resemblance to the desperate soul we meet in "Desperate Souls." The deal he’s made with The Dark One has cost him everything. He says early in the episode that if he loses his son, he will have nothing. He will truly be “dust.” And perhaps that is what he's become.
And like a man insane, Rumple finds new desperate souls, seeking to strike bargains, yet warning them time and again of the steep price to be paid if they deal with him. He is no longer the town coward, but the town madman. A classic tragic figure, he is damned in the Enchanted Forest, ultimately imprisoned—soulless and friendless.
Does Rumple still bear this burden deep within his heart as Storybrooke's Mr. Gold, or has he gleefully embraced the dark power of magic? Are there vestiges of humanity resident in his heart, or has that organ truly turned to dust? And although Rumple/Mr. Gold has seeming left the saddest chapter of his life far behind him, I cannot help but wonder if the remnants of those memories ultimately drive him in the present-day story.
How does it all tie in, then to Rumple’s decision to help Snow White hide the infant Emma—and Mr. Gold’s connection to Henry? And what are Mr. Gold’s motivations in helping Emma? Will her ascension to sheriff (with its accompnaying increase of power) weaken the curse further? And is that something Mr. Gold desires? Or does he simply want to defeat Regina, his old rival—or is there something more significant at play; some endgame that could lead to Rumple’s redemption someday? Perhaps that’s Gold’s angle in all this. What would it take for him to win back his son? To be reunited with the one person that gives his life meaning?
I know it sounds like I’m romanticizing the character—a character who may turn out to be the most evil of evil characters: the devil incarnate (after all, he is The Dark One). But I think there is so much more to Rumple and Mr. Gold than meets the eye, and every fiber of my literary sensibility insists that I’m right. But it’s probably not something we’ll know for certain until the very end of the series run—perhaps years in the future.
Rumple and Emma take parallel paths to combat the evil confronting them. Yet they both seek to be saviors in the eyes of their sons. The both seek to triumph over evil. Rumple follows a path into darkness, never intending to get lost within it; only hoping to save his son and his people. He doesn't understand the risks or consequences, but needs to do what he has to in order to save his son’s life. He cannot play fair; he has to play evil’s game to defeat it. But instead, it consumes him; he loses.
Emma insists that she can win by playing fair—as good must. But in forging an alliance with Mr. Gold, Emma has innocently trod on a darker path. In the end she wins, but not without a little help from the side that doesn’t always play fair. Both she and Rumple play with fire, and that’s always dangerous. We know the consequences (at least some of them) of Rumple’s path; we do not know what Emma’s coerced alliance with Mr. Gold will bring. Lots to chew on!
This review cannot be complete without saying something about Robert Carlyle’s performance in this episode. Carlyle is an actor of astonishing range, as his body of work demonstrates. And as Rumple/Mr. Gold, Carlyle always plays two very distinct sides of the same character. His Rumple is impish and crazy, bizarre and gleefully demonic. Gold is reserved and enigmatic; as menacing as he is courtly.
In “Desperate Souls” the brilliant Mr. Carlyle adds yet a third side to this character—the terrified, powerless victim, who can do nothing but watch helplessly allowing his oppressors humiliate and trample him. It is a great performance.
And a couple of random thoughts: I love Mr. Gold’s ties. They seem to change in every scene. The dazzling colors are always striking against his dark wardrobe. Do they signify some light within the darkness of his soul, or do the costumers just like giving the dapper Mr. Gold beautiful accessories to wear?
The next episode of Once Upon a Time airs next Sunday, January 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
http://blogcritics.org/video/article/tv-re.../#ixzz1iyiYOQyn
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Aleki77 .
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Episode 08 | Aired Jan 8, 2012 'Once Upon a Time' recap: The Dark One Rises
Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold gets some long overdue backstory, and everything is set on fire
By Hillary Busis | Published Jan 9, 2012
Hola, Once-lers! I'm Hillary Busis, certified fairy tale aficionado and your new recapper -- as well as EW's once and future OUAT live-blogger. It's a pleasure to write about tonight's installment, a well-paced and innovative episode that almost made up for the crushing loss of Sheriff Tight Pants Graham. (Blame Jane Espenson, the geek goddess who penned both "Desperate Souls" and many of Buffy's most memorable moments.)
After the first of several commercials hawking Beauty and the Beast 3D -- which, by the way, I'm totally seeing -- it's time to get down to business. We open on Rumpelstiltskin, a humble spinner who looks a lot less eeeeeevil than the grubby-toothed sprite we've seen previously causing mischief in Fairy Tale Land.
Human Rumpel's quaint village is picturesque but troubled: When its children turn 14, they're snatched from their parents and forced to fight against an army of ogres. (Dare I dream of a Once/Shrek crossover event?) This Hunger Games-esque conscription is enforced by a team of sneering knights who serve a wicked duke. They're backed up by a mysterious being known as the Dark One; he wears a nifty hooded cloak and has the power to create CGI force fields. Rumpel has not yet transformed into the world's premier child-snatcher -- but he does have a boy of his own, the awesomely-named Baelfire. Who happens to be 13 years and 362 days old. Uh-oh.
Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Emma pays a visit to Mr. Gold. The quietly scary dude is passing the time by brushing some stuff with lanolin, as you do. We learn that Mr. Gold owned Graham's apartment, which somehow means he's the one who ended up with all Graham's stuff. Maine's got some weird laws. Anyway, he wants to pass some of it along to Emma; otherwise, it'll just go to the trash, or worse, to Regina.
Though Emma somehow refuses to accept the ex-Sheriff's jacket -- I thought the girl never met leather outerwear she didn't like -- she ends up leaving with a pair of Graham's old walkie talkies. Mr. Gold bids her to take them and share them with Henry, saying she should enjoy the time she has left with him: "That's the thing about children. Before you know it, you lose them." And the cat's in the cradle, and the Ogre Wars...
But even a pair of neat police toys can't cheer up Henry, who's convinced that Graham is dead because of Operation Cobra. (Bummer that he's sorta right.) Henry's in such a bad place that he's apparently lost all faith in, well, everything: "Good always loses 'cause good has to play fair," he tells Emma when she tries to pull him out of his funk. "Evil doesn't." Am I wrong for liking Cynical Broken Henry more than Relentlessly Cheery Henry?
Emma has bigger things to worry about than Henry's shattered spirit. Though she's finally ready to assume Graham's old job, Regina has other plans: She's using her all-encompassing mayoral powers to appoint Sidney Glass, editor-in-chief of Storybrooke's Daily Mirror, to the Sheriff's seat. Wait, pause -- can we imagine a world in which Gus Fring serves as the sheriff of a small town in Maine? Can someone please make that series immediately?
Anyway -- meow meow, Emma and Regina have their first catfight of the year. Everybody take a sip. Their encounter ends with Regina firing Emma altogether and snatching away the shiny sheriff badge.
When Mary Margaret arrives home that night, she finds her secret daughter listening to angry grrrrl rock and trying to fix a toaster that she smashed in rage. Girl has got to invest in some Krav Maga classes or something. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. It's Mr. Gold. He waltzes inside, revealing that he heard what Regina did (word travels fast in a town with 30 residents). Gold has a proposition for Emma: He wants to help her fight against Regina by becoming her benefactor. Ooh, it's like when Spike helped the Scoobies at the end of Season 2!
Back in New Fairyton, Rumpel and Baelfire steal into the night, hoping to escape the knight Hodor Hordor and his band of teen-snatching miscreants. As they sneak, they're approached by a beggar -- played by Brad Dourif of Deadwood and Lord of the Rings fame -- who asks for some coin. Rumpel appeases him. He's apparently read a few fairy tales; the miserable beggar always turns out to be a powerful sorcerer in disguise. (See Beauty and the Beast. No, really, see it! It's in 3D!)
And then the pair comes across something even scarier than Dourif's dirty beggar: Sir Hordor and his crew. The main knight dismounts and realizes he knows Rumpelstiltskin. The spinner was once in an ogre war himself; he's infamous for fleeing a battle in which every one of his comrades was killed, then being abandoned by a wife who was ashamed of his cowardice.
Alas, Rumpel doesn't win any points for bravery after what happens next. He begs Hordor not to take Baelfire; the knight agrees to spare the boy (for now, anyway) if Rumpel kisses his boot. And then Rump does, only to get savagely kicked in the face for his trouble. This might be the most devastating scene in Once thus far. As the crew of knights rides away from a humiliated Rumpel and his boy, the beggar approaches them again and offers his aid. He says he wants to become Rumpel's "benefactor." Methinks the beggar doesn't understand that generally, benefactors have money.
Speaking of money: In her fabulous, Cruella-chic office, Regina tells a crew of reporters that Sidney -- presumably their boss, because how many newspapers can Storybrooke have? -- will soon be the town's new sheriff. But not so fast! Emma stalks in, informing everyone that Regina can't actually appoint a sheriff; she can only nominate someone to take over for Graham. Meaning that before Sidney gets the badge, he's going to have to beat Emma in a fair election. What a timely storyline!
Fairyback: Rumpel feeds the beggar at his cottage, bemoaning his fate. But the beggar believes Rump doesn't have to sit back and let Baelfire be stolen. In fact, all he has to do to save his son is break into the duke's castle and find a mystical dagger inscribed with the Scary Dark One's true name. Once he takes it, Rump can control the inky baddie and force him to do his bidding -- or take the Dark power for himself. Sounds like child's play, right?
After Regina and Gold have their weekly confrontation, Emma finds herself lower than ever. Sidney's published a front-page article in the Mirror alleging that she gave birth to Henry while incarcerated; when she tries to reassure Henry that at least she has Mr. Gold on her side, he moans that Gold's even worse than the Mayor. Geez, Henry, what will it take to please you?
Emma then storms into Regina's office -- you'd think the mayor might invest in some better security one of these days -- and the ladies have another confrontation. This time, Regina warns Emma not to get in bed with Gold, the only guy in town more evil than she is. "I'm not getting into bed with anyone," Emma answers. "I'm just fighting fire with...." FIRE!
Actual fire! Regina's house-office is ablaze, and to make matters worse, the mayor's ankle is pinned down by a bit of debris. (Earlier, Gold snarked about subtlety not being Regina's strong suit; the same could be said for Once itself.) Emma runs off as though she's going to leave Regina behind -- but no, she's just gone to find a fire extinguisher. She puts out a few of the flames and manages to carry the Mayor to safety as a breathless crowd of townspeople watch. Nothing like an instance of heroism to bolster your chances in a local election, right?
But Emma realizes that there's something fishy about this fire. In fact, the whole thing stinks -- just like Mr. Gold's odoriferous lanolin. (A sentence I never thought I would write.) She confronts the pawn shop owner and accuses him of starting the fire. While he doesn't exactly confess, Gold does say smoothly that it would take something big for the outsider to win an election against one of Regina's minions. He couldn't have just had her rescue a few kittens in trees, or something?
There's fire afoot in Fairyworld too: Consumed by thoughts of saving his son, Rumpel sets the wicked Duke's castle aflame and stalks inside to get the dagger that controls the Dark One. I guess just sneaking in and grabbing it would have been too subtle.
He races into the woods, thrusting the dagger aloft and calling out Zoso -- the Dark One's true name. Zoso appears and, after a tense bit of conversation, Rumpel stabs him straight through the chest...only to discover that Zoso and that suspiciously helpful beggar are actually the same person. So wait, maybe you shouldn't ever give beggars money. Fairy tales have conflicting lessons!
In any case, Zoso's plan all along was to have Rumpel kill him -- thus freeing him from the curse of being the Dark One. "My life was such a burden. You'll see -- magic always comes with a price. And now it's yours to pay," he says before expiring. And then Rumpelstiltskin's own name appears on the dagger in Zoso's place.
Back in Storybrooke, the Quickest Election of All Time has already progressed to the debate stage. After Sidney promises to embrace the values of honesty, neighborliness and strength, Emma does him one better by displaying those qualities outright. She comes clean about Gold's involvement in the fire, saying that she never wanted to win the election through such a dirty setup. As the stunned crowd takes in her confession, Gold gets up and slowly limps out of the room.
Convinced that she's thrown the election away, Emma decides to drown her sorrows in the only restaurant in town. (Side note: Ruby, for the love of Granny, please put on some pants!) Soon enough, she's not alone -- Henry appears, and he's carrying one of Graham's old walkie talkies. Her honesty has inspired him to throw away his cynicism and re-embrace Operation Cobra. Yay! (And boo.)
And as it turns out, most of the townspeople think just like Henry. A few seconds later, an irritated Regina waltzes in and tells Emma that by standing up to Mr. Gold, she's won the townspeople's confidence. She's also officially earned that sheriff's badge.
Our final fairyback is an intense, effective little scene. Hordor and his goons arrive at Rumpel's cottage to take Baelfire. But before they can, they're attacked by the new Dark One: Rumpelstiltskin himself, transformed into a powerful, bloodthirsty, dentally challenged monster. The formerly meek spinner commands Hordor to kiss his boot -- and when the knight kneels, Rump swiftly breaks his neck, then systematically stabs each of his remaining men. Then he turns to Baelfire and hisses, "Do you feel safe, son?" One word: Awesome.
And Mr. Gold's last scene is a doozy as well. He finds Emma in her new office, where he informs her that she's been playing into his hands all along. He had a hunch she would out him, thus winning over the townspeople who fear him. "I know how to recognize a desperate soul," Gold tells her, echoing the words Zoso once said to his fairytale counterpart.
When an astounded Emma asks why he went to all this trouble, Gold tells her it's because she owes him a favor -- and now that she's in a position of power, he'll be sure to collect. Moral of the story, kids: Unless his name is Monty Hall, never ever EVER make a deal with anyone. Ever.
Next week, we delve into the story of Hansel and Gretel, which includes an appearance by the awesome Emma Caulfield -- a.k.a. Buffy's Anya -- as the Blind Witch. I'm pumped, but it'll also be pretty difficult to top tonight's ep. What did you think of "Desperate Souls"? If he wasn't there already, has Rumpel/Gold officially become your favorite character? And finally, did it bother anyone else that Baelfire didn't have an accent?
http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/once-upon-a-t...on-1-episode-8/. -
Aleki77 .
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TV Ratings Sunday: Tebow Time Lifts CBS to Easy Win; 'The Firm' Premieres Weakly; 'Once Upon a Time' Shoots Up
Written By Robert Seidman
January 9th, 2012
The Steelers-Broncos game went into overtime and though the overtime didn't last very long (exactly one play!) don't cry for CBS, it still squeezed in over an hour of NFL playoff "Tebow time!" coverage into primetime. CBS had scheduled football coverage until 8pm ET so the schedule was only delayed 18 minutes. Still, we'll need to wait until Tuesday morning for the Sunday finals to know how 60 Minutes, The Good Wife and CSI: Miami really did. But either way, CBS cruised to a nightly victory.
Fans must've caught up on Once Upon A Time over the holidays, it was up 28% from its last original on December 11 to a 3.7 adults 18-49 rating. Desperate Housewives returned up 11% from its last original on December 4 to a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating. Those gains didn't carry over for the sure-to-be-canceled Pan Am which was down 13% to a series low 1.3 adults 18-49 rating.
Fox's animations were all down from a little to a lot. The Simpsons, which aired directly against the end of the Steelers-Broncos game for the first part of its telecast was down 23% from its last original on December 4 to a 2.3 adults 18-49 rating. Cleveland Show was down 9% to a 2.1 adults 18-49 rating, and Family Guy was down 3% from its last original to a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating. American Dad was off 16% to a 2.1 adults 18-49 rating.
The two-hour premiere of NBC's The Firm got off to a slow start averaging a 1.4 adults 18-49 rating between 9-11p and 6.3 million viewers - that was 46% lower than the premiere of the canceled 'The Cape' which debuted with a 2.6 adults 18-49 rating on January 9, 2011.
Broadcast primetime ratings for Sunday, January 1, 2012:
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/01/0..._source=twitterABC's 'Once Upon a Time' Posts Double-Digit Gains on Its Return and Its Top Numbers Since November
CITAZIONEDespite facing the tail-end of the NFL playoff game, ABC freshman drama Once Upon A Time catapulted over its lead-in at 8pm (+4.5 million viewers/+164% in AD18-49) and gained audience through its broadcast to finish a dominant #1 against its non-sports-driven competition on NBC and Fox. Sunday’s #1 entertainment show in Adults 18-49, ABC’s Once Upon A Time beat out the second hour of NBC’s 2-hour Dateline by 147% and Fox’s first-run animated comedies (The Simpsons/The Cleveland Show) by 68% from 8-9pm.
TV’s #1 new drama this season with young adults, Once Upon A Time continued to produce impressive year-over-year time-period improvement for ABC, improving over original programming on the year-ago night by 11% in Total Viewers and by 37% in Adults 18-49.
Returning to original for the first time 4 weeks (since 12/11/11), Once Upon A Time was up by double digits over its last first-run broadcast in Total Viewers (+16%) and Adults 18-49 (+28%), marking its best results since November on both counts – since 11/27/11 and 11/13/11, respectively. In addition, the Disney-owned drama hit a series high with Teens 12-17, shooting up by 53% over its last original telecast.
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/01/0..._source=twitter. -
Aleki77 .
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CITAZIONEwolvesorsheep: @LanaParrilla how intense was it to shoot the fire scene?
https://twitter.com/wolvesorsheep/status/156426462189199360CITAZIONELanaParrilla: @wolvesorsheep Intense, fun, & safe! Jen n I loved shooting that scene! Tons of laughs
#OnceAUponTime
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Aleki77 .
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'Once Upon A Time' - Desperate Souls
ABC's fairytale series returns, wisely focusing on the intriguing Rumpelstiltskin
by DEBBY ANDREDE
As "Once Upon a Time" returns from its nearly month-long hiatus, it focuses on one of its best characters and a sudden death in Storybrook.
In the modern world, it's been two weeks since Sherriff Graham had his heart broken -- literally -- and was killed by the Mayor/Evil Queen. And when Regina (Lana Parilla) plans to appoint her own man as the new sheriff, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) band together to force an election instead.
Of course, Mr. Gold plays dirty to win, setting a fire to make Emma appear heroic in the town's eyes. She realizes the mistake she made in siding with him and publicly admits his deceit to the townsfolk. Impressed by her choice to stand up to Gold, the town votes her in as the new sheriff. Mr. Gold, however, tells her that he planned the whole thing in order to ensure that Emma -- who owes him a favor -- got into office.
Meanwhile in the fairytale world, we meet Rumpelstiltskin before he was the powerful wielder of deals and magic that we know. A penniless, helpless father, Rumpelstiltskin is desperately trying to save his young son from forced conscription and death in the Ogre Wars. He also harbors a humiliating secret of cowardice.
To gain the power to save his son, Rumpelstiltskin steals a dagger that controls a mysterious and deadly figure known as the Dark One. Tragically, he ends up being tricked into killing the Dark One and unwittingly becomes the new Dark One instead. Although his new role gives him great power and fearlessness, all magic comes with a price.
His own son, although safe, is now afraid of him.
What Worked
Filling in backstory about mysterious characters is always a gamble. Will it take away the intrigue or build on it?
This episode added more layers to Rumpelstiltskin, and still left him an unknown variable in both worlds. Robert Carlyle continues to do fantastic work. He shows great range, bringing to life Rumpelstiltskin as a desperate father, an inscrutable fairytale character and an enigmatic real world character.
The episode's themes about the definition of heroism and cowardice, and parents and children flowed nicely between the fairytale world and real world stories.
What Didn't Work
Storybrook seems woefully under-policed. How safe are they if their only choice for law enforcement is between an ex-con with only a few weeks' experience and a milquetoast newspaper editor with no experience?
Also, the Dark One could have used some more explanation, although it's possible that it will come in future episodes.
Finally, why have we learned nothing yet about Ruby/Red Riding Hood? She's in nearly every episode, but to date is little more than strikingly red window dressing.
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
"Desperate Souls" was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Michael Waxman.
"Once Upon a Time" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Aleki77 .
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'Once Upon a Time' 'Desperate Souls' Recap: Rumpelstiltskin’s Story
January 09, 2012 02:45 PM EST
In Once Upon a Time, how did Mr. Gold, a.k.a. Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle), become such an evil person? The winter return of the ABC fantasy, episode "Desperate Souls," focused on the story of Mr. Gold, but also followed up where "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" left off: with the fall-out of Sheriff Graham's death.
BAH Jennifer Morrison Oct 15 2010 20Emma Swan wants to be a hero
Even though Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is the town's only deputy, she doesn't become the sheriff by default, due to the unsurprising conniving ways of Mayor Regina (Lana Parrilla). The Mayor claims she can elect anyone she wants, and so she chooses the town reporter, Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito).
But then Emma comes up with a "benefactor" of sorts on Once Upon a Time "Desperate Souls." Mr. Gold offers to help her take apart the town charter and take down the Mayor, since they have a common goal and a common enemy. But dealing with Mr. Gold is like dealing with the devil, and once Emma realizes that Mr. Gold stages a fire in the Mayor's house, making Emma look like the hero in saving Regina, she decides to do the right thing at the town debate. She tells the truth, hoping to prove to young Henry (Jared Gilmore) that good can overcome evil.
Emma ends up winning the spot of Sheriff, since people liked the idea of how brave she was in standing up to Mr. Gold, someone who everyone is even more afraid of than Regina. But Mr. Gold knew this would happen all along, because he truly is just as evil -- if not more so -- than the Mayor. "I know how to recognize a desperate soul," Mr. Gold says.
Once Upon a Time Rumpelstiltskin's Story
Rumpelstiltskin wasn't always an evil man. In the fairytale world, he was just a poor miller who wanted to save his young son from being taken by the Dark One and the Duke, who kidnapped children on their 14th birthday.
As a miller, an old man (Brad Dourif) tells Rumpelstiltskin a story, that he can control the dark one if he gets the dagger from the castle. And so Rumpelstiltskin sets a fire, burns the dagger, and calls the Dark One. He then stabs the Dark One, hoping to take the Dark One's powers for himself -- but in turn he becomes the Dark One. And he doesn't wield his power wisely, as he kills the Duke's men and frightens his only son.
But Rumpelstiltskin did protect what belongs to him, and that was his goal all along.
What did you think of this insight into Mr. Gold's past life on Once Upon a Time "Desperate Souls"? While it gives his character an edge of humanity, it also proves that he's long past saving. He is a villian, but so too is Regina/Evil Queen, and now Emma Swan has an enemy in both of them.
http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticl...281474981005936. -
Aleki77 .
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my little review:
I think this episode is very balanced. The autors, revisiting the fairy story, show us a complex and fascinating psychological level. I think writers are doing a great job. On the one hand, a coward who tries to redeem himself and from the other Emma tries to show her son that the good can win over evil, even following the rules. Both stories leave a bad taste in mouth: Rumpelstiltskin protect his son but he loses his esteem and affection, and Emma, for a moment, thinks that the good has won, but in the end she discovers that good has lost because sometimes who seems to act for the good, is the evil. I like the fact that this villain is more insidious and evil than I thought possible. The finale battle is going to be more interesting and compelling.. -
Zanajgpk .
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Su questo sito è possibile seguire tutte le risposte a giocare
Slot gratuitamente.
È sufficiente fare clic sul gioco che ti piace e aspettare che il gioco .
igrovieavtomati.net.
JMOLOVE - Jennifer Morrison - Once Upon A Time a Fairy Tale 
Once Upon A Time - Once Upon A Time Season 1
OUAT - S01E08 - Desperate Souls |
