Best Kept Secrets: SMALLVILLE

What separated WB series, Smallville, from the others was the concept of origins of a superhero. Before Gotham, Arrow, The Flash, there was Smallville. The series debuted in 2001 and the world was impartial to the origin story of Superman. Most of the films that have come out on Superman were already deep into the reporter from The Daily Planet who is also a superhero angle. 

When Smallville debuted, the series was nowhere near focused on Superman. Instead, the creators, Al Gough and Miles Millar, focused their attention on Clark Kent, played by Tom Welling, the young man destined to become Superman. From the beginning point, the creators started off in Clark Kent's freshmen year of high school, so fans of the beloved superhero not only got to watch their favorite hero, but they got to grow up with him. Fans got to watch Clark Kent's human parents, Jon and Martha Kent, played by John Schneider and Annette O'Toole, raise a superhuman child as well as Clark growing up with normal high school friends and having a best friend like Lex Luthor, played by Michael Rosenbaum, who turns into his nemesis.

The series turned out to be so successful that it lasted for 10 seasons. Like most shows, a series isn't complete without character development and transformations as well as a good twist. Smallville was good at best kept secrets in large part to do with the fact that, well Clark Kent is keeping the biggest secret of his life: He's an alien from Krypton.

These are the 10 best kept secrets on Smallville. 


10. GRANT GABRIEL IS JULIAN

  Michael Cassidy graced his way onto the series in Season Seven as Grant Gabriel, the new editor-in-chief of The Daily Planet. Of course fans enjoyed his presence when he was a breath of fresh air for Lois (Erica Durance) as her new love interest and wasn't a superhero. However, like most characters on the show, he had secrets of his own. Gabriel was only appointed new editor because Lex was his friend.

Later on in the show, fans discovered that Grant wasn't just editor of the newspaper, but he was in fact, Lex' s dead brother, Julian. Back in the previous seasons, fans found out Lex's little brother, Julian, was killed by his mother so she could save him from Lionel's terrible parenting. Talk about family issues.

It was an unfortunate ending for Grant Gabriel when Lex had his own brother killed, but not to worry. Grant was more of a subject in a lab it turns out rather than actual blood. Grant was shot when about to go to dinner with his dad, Lionel Luthor (John Glover).


9. BIZARRO IS CLARK KENT

 In season seven of Smallville, the fans got to meet another comic book familiar by the name of Bizarro. A phantom from the phantom zone escaped after season six and Clark had been trying to capture the phantoms to put them back in prison. When the phantom collided with Clark in the season six finale, it split Clark into two entities. In the comic books, this entity was called Bizarro.

There is a difference between evil Clark and Bizarro Clark. Bizarro is not exactly evil, but he is the opposite of Clark Kent. Just like red kryptonite affects Clark differently than blue, gold, and silver do, Bizarro isn't an evil version of Clark. The best way to describe Bizarro is that he is a backwards, strange character with a peculiar view on the world. Bizarro has emotions, but his view of the world is warped. Throughout season seven, we later find out in "Gemini" that Clark Kent was trapped in the fortress and Bizarro was parading around pretending to be the real Clark. Lana unfortunately couldn't tell the difference, but Chloe noticed a difference. Eventually Clark had trapped Bizarro back into the phantom zone, but it put a strain on him and Lana's relationship.


8. LANA LANG KNOWS CLARK'S SECRET

 Throughout Season 6, though Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) was in a relationship with Clark's nemesis, Lex, she started digging up information. Slowly, piece by piece, she had theories about Clark Kent's identity and who he was. The first clue was the metal chisel that Lex stabbed into Clark's stomach in episode "Crimson". Although, most of her theories begun in "Hydro", Lana wasn't sure until the wedding episode "Promise".

It was to be Lex and Lana's wedding. In the beginning of the episode, Lana trapped Chloe down in the wine cellar, forcing Chloe to call Clark. Lana hid behind the wine shelves and watched as Clark sped into the room and broke the door open for his best friend. Chloe tried to convince Clark to say something to Lana before she made a huge mistake in marrying Lex, but Clark refused to get involved. Lana watched as Clark sped off. When Clark worked up the courage to go to Luthor mansion to convince Lana not to marry Lex, she assures Clark that she doesn't want to marry Lex. Lana wants to be with Clark and Clark is happy. When Lionel Luthor comes in and threatens to hurt Clark and expose his secret, Lana is forced into a marriage she doesn't want to be in forcing Clark to attend the wedding and confront Lana about what happened. Eventually in the season 6 finale, Lana ends it with Lex and goes to Clark in the barn and tells him that she knows he is superhuman. Clark is relieved to find out that Lana sees him as the same Clark Kent he has always been.

7. JASON TEAGUE AND LANA LANG

In perhaps one of the best written seasons on the series, Season 4 introduced two new characters to the cast. Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles). However, the story in season 4 took an interesting turn for the run-of-the-mill Superman angle and meteor freaks of the week.

Lana met Jason in Paris when she was there for the summer and while they started out as an epic romance story like the one in a movie, a tomb in a church that caused Lana to blackout and wake up with a tattoo sends her back to Smallville. Jason makes a decision to follow Lana back to Smallville and be with her by getting a job as the high school's football coach. The best kept secret is that Jason and Lana didn't meet by accident. The audience discovers that Jason's mother, Genevieve (Jane Seymour) was a descendant of Gertrude Teage, a woman who was the nemesis to a witch in Salem named Isobel Thoreaux. Lana discovers that she is the vessel of this 16th century witch in season four and Isobel takes possession of her body a few times in the season. Jason ends up searching for the same stones that Isobel is looking for, putting him against Lana. Jason ends up in the crossfire of a battle between Lana, Clark, and the Luthors, resulting in a tragic death.

6. TESS MERCER IS A LUTHOR

When a new character comes into the show that has nothing related in the comic book, the audience can get skeptical at how they will fit into the universe. After the finale of season 7, Lex Luthor left the show. To fill his place in the LuthorCorp world the writers brought in Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman). Tess ran the Daily Planet, the company, and took her place as Lex's successor. It almost seemed she was chosen for a reason. In the final season of the show, the fans discovered that Tess Mercer was a Luthor. In Season 10's "Abandoned", Tess was a foster child under Granny Goodness' care. When she goes back to her past, she finds out that her father Lionel Luthor, gave her up for adoption. Once we saw that, it was no surprise how she fit into the Luthor world with her boldness and her intimidating demeanor. She was a strong woman and this Luthor, Clark was able to save from darkness. In the end, Tess chose to protect Clark's secret by erasing Lex's memories of him. Unfortunately, Tess died protecting Clark's secret.

5. LANA LANG'S PREGNANCY

This should come as no shock, but Season 6 was one of the most ridiculously written stories to occur on Smallville. The fans reactions to the Lex and Lana love story wasn't hidden and it made the season very difficult to watch. Loyal fans managed to push on through this odd turn of events. Not only was it hard to watch, but Lana finds out she's pregnant in "Static". That wasn't the real kicker. Lex induced her pregnancy with fake hormones forcing her into a marriage she didn't want. Keep in mind that this was season six, so given that season five was a college year for Clark, Chloe, and Lana, either that meant Lana was marrying at the age of 20 to a billionaire in his 30s. If the writers, however, wrote in a gap between season 5 and 6, it made sense since they didn't continue to explore the college years of Clark Kent. It's almost as if he dropped out, but Lana ended up finding out that her pregnancy wasn't real and called off the marriage. She gave Lex a good slap for it.

4. MARTHA KENT IS THE RED QUEEN

Martha Kent without a doubt had become one of the characters on Smallville that had the largest transformation in the series. Throughout the first few seasons, Martha Kent was the heart of the family and was sweet. She was wholesome and was a loving mother to Clark, keeping the family strong. She took on the Luthors in Season 2, working as Lionel's assistance. The fans discovered she was pregnant with a child in Season 2, but ended up having a miscarriage. Martha became the rock of the family when Jonathan had a heart attack. In Season 4, Martha took on the responsibility of running the Talon. However, it was in Season 5 where Martha had to decide on a bigger transformation. After the death of her husband, the night he won the campaign for State Senate, Martha had to carry on as Jon's successor. Martha Kent became a beacon of hope and was a strong Senator. When she returned in Season 10, she was the voice of the heroes as the world tried to turn against them. The biggest surprise was that the fans discovered that she was the Red Queen, a vigilante in her own way making sure the heroes weren't seen as villains. There wasn't anything that Martha wouldn't do to protect her son, but in the end, she did what Jonathan always did. She put her family above everything else.

3. THE EMISSARY OF JOR-EL

One of the most impressive twists to happen on the show was the involvement of Lionel Luthor in Clark's life. In the Season 4 finale, Commencement, Lionel has a Kryptonian stone in his pocket that ends up putting him in a comatose state. Throughout the first few episodes of Season 5, Lionel is trapped in a mental institution spouting nonsense until Kal-El needs him. Lionel had temporarily become a vessel for Jor-El.

The Kents were always worried that Lionel knew the truth about Clark Kent. However, when it came to the Season 5 finale, Clark discovers that Lionel did know who he was, but knew his Kryptonian origins. Somehow, Lionel Luthor became the emissary for Jor-El, according to Martian Manhunter. Jor-El was using Lionel to send messages in Kryptonian to warn Clark that Zod was coming. Though the relationship was a tough one to handle, Clark eventually trusted Lionel, seeing as how Lionel did everything he could to protect Clark's secret. Lionel was so ruthless in the beginning of the show and he raised Lex with an iron fist, but Lionel had a different opinion of Clark. Though Lionel's fate was an excellent one, his own flesh and blood threw him out the window of his LuthorCorp office, killing him.

2. CHLOE'S SPECIAL POWERS

Aside from Martha Kent, the biggest transformation for a character throughout the series was Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack). In the beginning of the series, Chloe started as Clark's best friend with a tenacious attitude to writing about all things meteor freak related. She had a Wall of Weird, which held the articles of every strange thing that happened in Smallville since the 1989 Meteor Shower.

Chloe Sullivan wasn't a comic book character. She was written in by the writers, but now she is a staple in the Smallville world. Her spunky attitude is what helped shape Clark's future in journalism. In Season 6, the fans got to find out more about Chloe's mother and her background. When Lex sent out a hitlist for meteor freaks, Chloe discovers that she might be one of them after being kidnapped and implanted with a chip. Clark has to use his heat vision to burn it out of her skin. It's the first moment that Chloe realizes she might be a meteor freak after spending so many years doing stories on them. It isn't until the season finale of 6 that Lois dies of a knife wound, forcing Chloe to cry a tear that heals her cousin.
The only drawback with Chloe's healing abilities is that she takes on the side effects of the injury.

1. CHLOE FINDS OUT CLARK'S SECRET

At our number 1 spot for the Smallville Best Kept Secrets is Chloe Sullivan knows Clark's secret. There is dramatic irony in this seeing as how once she finds out, Clark doesn't know she knows. That's why it ends up being so fantastic to watch!

In Season 4 episode "Pariah", Clark Kent was dating Alicia (Sarah Carter), a meteor freak from Season 3 that returned. Alicia had the ability to teleport. When she was angry with Clark, she went to The Torch to take Chloe along for the ride to show Chloe who Clark Kent really was. Alicia fakes a car going out of control and calls Clark. Alicia then teleports Chloe and herself out of the car and to the side away from the wreck. When Chloe watches, Clark Kent suddenly speeds in front of the car and the car goes up an incline and into the air. Clark catches the car like its weightless, stunning his best friend. The whole episode is quite amazing especially when Chloe is still trying to process what happened. However, what becomes even better is throughout Season 4, how Chloe handles being around her different friend.

She makes little jokes throughout each episode after towards Clark, waiting for him to eventually trust her enough to tell her the truth. In the first few seasons, Chloe had assured Clark once before that being from another planet was something amazing, but because of her tendency to be obsessed with all things weird and write about it, Clark didn't feel like she would understand. It isn't until Season 4's "Blank" episode when a meteor freak takes away Clark's memory that forces Chloe to have to remind amnesia Clark who he really is. Through this journey, she discovers more about him and when his memory is restored, Clark confronts Chloe about what happened and she informs him that he trusted her. It isn't until the epic season finale when Chloe stops Lex from going into the caves and she ends up transported to the fortress of solitude with Clark when Clark finds out Chloe knows the truth.

Chloe almost freezes to death in the fortress, so when Clark finds her, she tells him to speed them out of there, leaving Clark with a shocked face. In the hospital, while Chloe is warming up, lying in the hospital bed, Clark sits a few feet away from her trying to figure out how she knows, which is a great scene.

Chloe tells Clark that she saw him catch the car as if it were a beach ball. When Clark confronts her about why she never said anything, Chloe tells him that she wanted him to trust her in his own time. When he was ready to tell her the truth, he would, proving that Chloe is a real friend. Clark decides to tell her that he is from another planet and he wasn't born on Earth, leaving Chloe speechless because he looks like everyone else.

In the end, Chloe informs Clark that he is a superhero and thinks that he is one of the most amazing people she's ever known. This moment brings them closer together, making Chloe and Clark's friendship one of the best written friendships on television.

Smallville was the master of secret keeping. As Clark would say, "I'm the Fort Knox of secrets."

Soundtrack Mastering - CHUCK

One of the most important things aside from story and characters on a television series to get right is the soundtrack. Music is a storyteller in itself. Music is a universal language and it helps move the stories along that we watch. 

In particular, NBC's Chuck, was a master at music selection. Not only was the composer, Tim Jones, a legend at creating a score that was fun to listen to, but the music supervisors were smart in choosing a soundtrack for all five seasons that matched their main character's personality.

In fact, that is where great music selection comes from. Typically, a show tries to match the tone with their music and in regards to the Chuck soundtrack, the music supervisors pulled it off. 


A bit about the show:

NBC's Chuck only lasted five seasons, but had a very loyal following. 

Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi), a regular guy who works for an electronics store called the Buy More in the Nerd Herd, receives an email from his old college friend, Bryce Larkin (Matthew Bomer) and ends up downloading the email. The email is encoded with government secrets, so all of the secrets go into Chuck's brain. When the CIA and NSA find out that Bryce Larkin might've been a rogue spy, they send CIA Agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and NSA Agent John Casey (Adam Baldwin) to protect Chuck, who becomes the government's most valuable asset. Throughout the show, Chuck's life changes drastically when he lives a life of danger now while trying to keep his CIA/NSA life a secret from his friends and family. 

 A pilot episode sets the bar high for how a television show's soundtrack is going to run. Not only does the show have to succeed at matching the tone and the characters, but the soundtrack has to make sense with helping to push the story along. 

Tim Jones, the composer of the series does a brilliant job at creating a terrific score that not only matches the action moments in Chuck's life, but he even has great themes for the Buy More world, Chuck's family, and his romance with Sarah. In the pilot episode, the first song that plays in the show is featured a few times which is "Cobrastyle" by Teddybears feat. Mad Cobra. This song fits Chuck's personality and the tone of the show for the action parts, but also the comical moments. This proves to be true when the song is played in a scene between Chuck and Morgan when they come home to Chuck's apartment and find a thief in their house trying to steal his computer. When the scene continues and the song plays, Morgan tries to fight off the thief, but it ends up injuring Chuck in the process and the computer breaks. 

However, because this show is so separate, meaning Buy More versus CIA/NSA life, the music creates a perfect barrier for each scene. 

For example, Sarah Walker is an entirely different world for Chuck Bartowski. So songs such as "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is" by Jet and "Into Your Dream" by Foreign Born fit perfectly when Chuck and Sarah get ready for their first date and then go to the concert. The songs fit both of their personalities. Sarah isn't a regular girl and Chuck is an average guy so it provides a nice balance between the two. They do this by having Chuck introduce Sarah to Foreign Born at the concert when he shows her one of his favorite bands. This song also suits the scene because Sarah has to fight off Casey's men as they try to capture Chuck, but she has to be stealth about it without letting Chuck know she is CIA. 

 "A Comet Appears" by The Shins plays towards the end of the pilot episode when Sarah confronts Chuck at the beach and asks him to trust her. What Chuck is great at besides the soundtrack behind action scenes and comical moments are the dramatic scenes. The only reason this is probably the most brilliant of music they've done well with in the whole show is because every dramatic song screams Chuck Bartowski. A show has a great soundtrack when you can hear a song and think that is exactly what the main character sounds like. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, but when a main character's personality carries the show so well, the comical soundtrack, the action soundtrack are important, but when the hero is facing challenges and needs sad music to play in the background, it's important to have that kind of soundtrack. 

The music supervisors succeed at this also by using the same artists that help provide a constant theme. For example, Band of Horses is played quite often in the series as well as Frightened Rabbit. 

When a show is able to surpass its first season, just like a show must elevate its story, the music gets refined. The selection of music becomes specifically about what would work best with the theme that was set in season one. How do we keep that theme while stepping it up a little? 

Aiding in that selection comes the writers of the show, creating exciting, new challenges for the hero. There also comes a great opportunity to switch up the game in different moments. For example, in Season Two, Chuck versus the First Date, a song like "Dropped" by Phantom Planet becomes a fun background for Chuck and Sarah getting ready for the first official date and then it plays again when Chuck tries to run away from the bad guy. 

However, in an episode like "Chuck versus The Break-Up", "Fake Empire" by The National was an interesting choice to a stand-off at the train station between Bryce and the villain who was holding Chuck at gun point. It was just before Bryce asks Sarah to take the shot but she can't because she cares about Chuck. A song like "Fake Empire" isn't fast-paced, so it doesn't necessarily fit the action-packed scenes we are used to with Chuck, but it fits the character motivation. Sarah Walker is not usually emotional and with Bryce in a similar situation when he was held at gun point, she was able to shoot. In this particular scene, Sarah hesitates to shoot because she could hurt Chuck and she doesn't want to do that. The song fits perfectly for that scene as Bryce realizes that Sarah cares way too much about Chuck. 
 
The show doesn't take away from those moments, however. "Try it Again" by The Hives is played in Chuck versus The Third Dimension in a great beginning scene where Chuck and Casey have to get rid of a bomb, but the Buy More friends interfere thinking they are playing football. Season Two also raised the bar for the music giving two supporting roles, Lester (Vik Sahay) and Jeff (Scott Krinsky) the chance to show off their music skills. Season Two introduced Jeffster, a band Jeff and Lester had started a long time ago. They both think it would be a great idea to be the band at Devon and Ellie's wedding, so the first time they perform at Buy More is in Chuck versus the Best Friend. However, their shining moment becomes when Fulcrum agent Ted Roark (Chevy Chase) threatens to kill Ellie at her own wedding and Chuck is forced to give him the intersect. Instead, Bryce (Bomer) comes to the wedding and while a major action scene happens at the wedding, Chuck had asked Morgan to stall, so Jeffster performs a cover of Styx's "Mr. Roboto" at the wedding. While this is going on, Casey and his men crash into the skylight to save Chuck, Sarah, and Bryce. This is a case of music matching up with what is happening in the climax of the season finale. 

With Season Two escalating, the story has to continue and season three was a great way to raise the bar even higher. How do you do that? By giving the hero a major transformation. Chuck was free at the end of season two to not have the Intersect in his brain anymore, but with a surprising twist decides to download Intersect 2.0. This computer ended up having some major upgrades to it. Chuck was able to fight, play guitar, dance, speak different languages, and essentially become the CIA's most valuable spy. 

The soundtrack for Chuck's CIA life becomes more upbeat, fast-paced, and less comical. This is because Chuck now is a spy who can fight. This is true with songs like "Got Nuffin" by Spoon in Chuck versus Operation Awesome or a song like "Ready, Aim, Fire" by The Unknown in Chuck versus First Class. 

However, to balance that out now, the Buy More scenes are filled with great Jeffster covers like Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son". Of course, the sadder songs for the more dramatic moments still remain true to Chuck's personality. Band of Horses guides the show out mostly in the dramatic soundtrack portion, but one of the most pivotal moments in the show is when Chuck's father dies in Chuck versus the Subway.

"One October Song" by Nico Stai was the perfect song to put in the background of this scene. Not only does Chuck watch his father die in front of him after Shaw kills him, but Ellie watches from afar.

The season finale proves another Jeffster backdrop where they do a cover of Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory" and it is in the background during Shaw and Chuck's final fight scene in the Buy More. 

Band of Horses becomes the closer for Season 3, which, like Frightened Rabbit, is a top choice band for the show's original music format. No matter how far a show gets in season length, the music must always remain somewhat familiar to the original tone established by season 1. This is important because it can confuse the audience when the music starts to change. Change in soundtrack only works when the characters slowly transform and in that case, the music still has to be gradual.

"Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys, for example is one of the first songs you hear in Season Four's premiere episode. This song is perfect for Chuck's CIA tone. Another great example of an action song is "Black Leaf" by the Cave Singers when Chuck and Sarah are pretending to rob the bank for Vivian (Lauren Cohan). It's a fantastic song for the backdrop of the scene. Season Four didn't stray too far from the original theme of season one. 


What is great about Season Five is that when a show knows it might be over, sometimes it's great to refer back to the original concept to help close the show out. Towards the end of season five, the song "She Tows the Line" by Crooked Fingers plays after Chuck discovers Sarah's memory has been wiped now that becomes the human intersect. She took the intersect into her brain to save Chuck, but there are flaws with it. Chuck and Casey try to save her during this song and it relates to the season two episode Chuck versus The Break Up where Sarah can't shoot Chuck and a softer song is playing in the background. 

It also would only be appropriate for Chuck to close out its final season with a Jeffster cover. In an effort to stall the orchestra, Morgan has Lester and Jeff stage a performance so a bomb doesn't blow up. They cover A-Ha's "Take On Me". Since the show is known for its epic counter action moments during these numbers, Chuck officially downloads the Intersect back into his brain and Sarah and Casey rush down to stop the bomb. This moment of the series finale is an exact mirror of the pilot episode when Chuck defused the first bomb.

Just like the pilot episode, Chuck also closed out with a softer song "Rivers and Roads" by The Head and The Heart. The scene ended at the beach, which was similar to the pilot episode. 

A show's soundtrack is just as vital as the story it tells. Music is an important part of telling a story and NBC's Chuck, though it didn't last for long, had a great soundtrack. 

A great television soundtrack always fits the personality of the character as much as the world they live in. In my opinion, Chuck was an excellent example of superb music selection and has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a long time in television. 

Characters We Love: Emma Swan - ONCE UPON A TIME

With the midseason finale upon us for the beloved Once Upon a Time it is now fitting to talk about our leading lady, Emma Swan. No one has undergone the biggest transformation on the series than lead actress Jennifer Morrison. In season one, Emma Swan started off as a bail bonds person whose job was it to track people down who skipped out on bail. She was, however, this orphan, who never knew who her parents were because they gave her up when she was a baby. Most of her life, Emma Swan had been alone. In the "Pilot" episode, Emma comes into a restaurant in a beautiful red dress and the fans find her on a blind date. It turns out that she was actually setting the guy up to track him down because he skipped bail. Emma automatically shows herself as this tough, closed-off woman who is hurt by not knowing who her parents were. Throughout the series, the fans came to know her as so much more than that.

In the first season, her son, Henry, a boy she gave up for adoption 10 years ago comes to her door on her 28th birthday to bring her to a town called Storybrooke. In this town, Henry believes that all of the people living there are characters from fairy tales but an evil queen cursed them so they don't remember who they are. Among the residents are Snow White and Prince Charming, who Henry believes to be Emma's biological parents, making Emma Swan the product of true love and the savior who can break the curse for good. 

Emma Swan embeds herself into Henry's life after realizing that she wants to be a part of it. She becomes the sheriff of Storybrooke and of course, the one person having trouble with all of this is Henry's adoptive mother, Regina, the evil queen. Regina tries everything to stop Emma and make sure she doesn't take away her son, but in the end, Henry makes certain that Emma believes in magic and in the curse by sacrificing himself on a poisonous turnover. Once Henry's life hangs in the balance, Emma finally believes and teams up with Regina to save their son. There are a lot of things in season one that really show how far Emma has come in five seasons. Emma was not a believer. She got close to Graham and he got taken away from her. The great story arc for Emma was the idea of "home". In fact, that has always been her biggest problem. Henry was the first thing in her life that made her feel like she was a part of something. Emma had a home with Henry, so when her character transformation began the moment she decided to stay in Storybrooke, the idea of losing it was hard for her. All Emma ever knew before Henry was the feeling of abandonment and being a foster kid. She was good at running away and being by herself. Even Regina points out in an episode that Emma never put down roots anywhere, so she wasn't afraid if Emma inevitably decided to leave.

Not only did Henry begin making Emma feel like she belonged somewhere, but Mary Margaret became her roommate and gave her a place to stay. Of course, Henry informed Emma that Mary Margaret was Snow White (her mother), but Emma just saw Mary Margaret as a friend.

Going into season two, Emma was in new territory and when putting a character who isn't used to magic into a magical world, there is sure to be some challenges. 

Emma falls through a portal to the Enchanted Forest and Snow White goes after her to not be separated from her daughter again. While David and Henry are stuck behind in Storybrooke with Regina and Rumplestiltskin, Emma and Snow return to what is technically Snow's home. Once Emma tries to come to terms with the idea that the Enchanted Forest would've been a home to her. She already informs Snow and Charming that even though she was finally reunited with her parents, she had been alone all of her life. Snow and Emma encounter Mulan and Aurora in the Enchanted Forest and are taken to a safe haven as prisoners where Snow reunites with Lancelot. When Emma and Snow have to go back to Snow's castle to find the wardrobe that transported Emma as a baby in hopes of returning home, Emma encounters her first ogre. The reason I'm emphasizing this moment is because during the time frame, Snow keeps informing Emma that she was new to the Enchanted Forest and didn't know that world as well. This proves true when Emma shoots her gun in the air and angers the ogre forcing the others to run. Emma proceeds with Snow to the castle and in one of the most emotional scenes delivered by Jennifer Morrison, Emma sees the nursery where she would've lived, completely destroyed by the curse. Snow informs Emma that she was going to teach her how to walk and talk, so Emma realizes that Snow had a whole life planned for her daughter and had to sacrifice it all for her safety. 

The writers also decided to invite a new presence in Emma's life in season two. While back in the Enchanted Forest, Emma Swan met the infamous pirate, Killian Jones. AKA Captain Hook. Hook was working alongside Cora to try and get to Storybrooke so he could seek revenge on Rumplestiltskin. Since Emma and the others found him, he tried to gain their trust, but Emma's superpower (she can tell when someone is always lying), prevents him from doing just that. Emma threatens him, but instead he calls for a deal to help them retrieve a compass that can lead them back home. Emma and Hook climb the beanstalk. During the climb, fans got to see a side of Emma that was surprising. Hook could see through her like "an open book" and knew she was abandoned when she was younger. This character was a challenge for her and someone that understood her in a way that bothered her. Not only did the fans get to see Emma with Hook, but season two also gave fans the chance to know more about Emma's past. She was in love once, with a man named Neal Cassidy.

Neal came in officially into the second half of season two. For fans, Emma's abandonment issues were not only because of her parents, but because Neal left her behind. Neal was also Henry's biological father and the son of Rumplestiltskin. Of course, when Emma discovers this, not only is she mad at Neal for leaving her behind, but that he lied to her. Emma Swan still didn't have a sense of home with her parents, with Neal, or anyone other than Henry. Throughout the season, Emma felt like everyone she loved kept disappointing her and she still didn't feel a part of anything. Emma, however, was special. When Cora is unable to rip her heart out, it is revealed that Emma is more powerful than expected. Emma and her friends go to Neverland to save Henry when he is taken by Peter Pan in the beginning of season three. 

I'm going to get personal here. In order to better discuss season three. Out of all of the seasons in Once Upon a Time, in my personal opinion, Season 3 was the best written. In Season 3A, the writers introduced Neverland, Peter Pan, and a whole lot of back story to Hook, Neal, and Rumplestiltskin. In Season 3B, the writers brought in the Wicked Witch and focused their attention on Regina. It's never bad when the lead character doesn't get much focus because Emma was always the main point of the show in my opinion.

This was the season for Emma to really find herself as a part of the Storybrooke world. I think that some of those moments really came through when Emma had to unlock Pan's map by admitting she was always an orphan and she still never felt like she had a family. Emma also had many human moments throughout the season when she admitted to Neal that she wished he wasn't alive so she didn't have to hurt again because she still loved him. Emma was also struggling to accept the fact that she was different and had magic which she wasn't used to at all. One of the most pivotal moments of the season is when Emma and Henry go to New York after the curse was cast again and they lost their memories. When Hook returns to New York to bring Emma back and restores her memories, Emma has this huge weight on her shoulders now. While Henry doesn't remember still, Emma knows that evil and magic isn't what she wanted and thinks that it would be best if she returns to New York with Henry after it's all over. For the longest time, Emma believes that Storybrooke isn't her home and I think they really explored that well in season 3.

Emma loses someone important to her again in this season, so of course she will feel disconnected. She doesn't want to attach to anyone or anything other than Henry because she's too afraid to get close, settle down, or have a home. Emma is running away in this season and not only does Henry want her to believe in herself, but Hook does as well. Even though the writers didn't put Hook and Emma as close yet in season two, Hook develops a bond with Emma in season three that makes it aware to the audience he loves her. I think that Emma knows that deep down and makes her pull away even more because she doesn't want to lose anyone else. It's a big challenge to face when Emma is uncertain about who she is to herself, not just to everyone she loves. 

Emma and Hook fall through a time portal in the finale that takes Emma back to the first time her parents met and fell in love. When she accidentally interferes with them meeting, her and Hook go on a mission to unite the two of them so it doesn't mess up the story. While on this adventure with Hook, Emma discovers a lot about herself and her parents. She gets to know her parents and is around them when they first met and it gives her a deeper connection to who they are. After the mission is successful, Emma realizes how much she misses Storybrooke and finally accepts that she has found a home. By the end of season three, not only has Emma opened herself up to having a family and a home, but she also opens herself up to love again when Hook and Emma begin their powerful relationship into season four. 

Going into season four, now that Emma has found a home and has opened herself to love, the next thing that Emma gets to conquer is accepting herself entirely, including her abilities. This season was big on Emma's past and learning to overcome what happened. Emma is the savior, but she struggles with her magic and though seeks help from Regina, inevitably alienates herself from her loved ones again. Emma is scared for her family and for herself. The writers introduced a pivotal character for the story. Elsa was someone as unique as Emma and even though the fans weren't crazy about the fact that Regina was no longer teaching Emma how to use magic, Elsa could relate to Emma's struggle.

Regina had no problems accepting her dark side and magic to go along with it, even though at first she wanted nothing to do with it. Regina did have an easier time using magic than Emma did. Emma's powers were extraordinary and terrified her to the point where she didn't want to hurt anyone and Elsa understood that best. Elsa served as a guide. I think it's vital that Emma doesn't always rely on Snow, Charming, Henry, or Hook to guide her through the challenges. Elsa was a perfect fit to do that for Emma and keep her on the good path. It wasn't until after Elsa left, when in season 4B, we figured out that Rumplestiltskin and the other villains wanted to find the author of the book and change the story. They wanted to corrupt Emma and make her dark, but because of Elsa, that was put to a stop. However, in season four, Emma faced her past once again when her old childhood friend, Lily came back into her life.

Emma had one of the most impressive moments in the entire season four that I think set the bar high for what her fate was going to be. After tracking Lily down, Emma had the decision to kill Lily or not, but Regina was there, making sure Emma didn't do something she would regret. 




Emma Swan had faced her previous demons throughout the show. She was able to find a home with Henry and her parents. She found love with Hook and she accepted who she was, magic and all. Emma had everything she ever wanted finally and without a second thought, because that's who she became, a hero, she made a sacrifice for Regina.

Emma took in the darkness to become the Dark One to save her loved ones. Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing the fans didn't realize is that the writers were going to tear apart the epic relationship between Captain Hook and Emma Swan. 

Though Emma was still good inside, she struggled in the beginning of season 5 as the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin was the voice inside her head and while her loved ones did their best to keep her from falling prey to the darkness completely, Emma always battled with it. I think this was a great way for the writers to give our leading hero a new challenge to face. After all of the previous things she struggled with, she finally had to face her own darkness and what she was capable of. The thing is, though a part of the darkness is in Emma, as the season unveiled more and more, it appears that Emma isn't as evil as one would've thought.

Emma's intentions became clear throughout the show after the Storybrooke regulars discovered they lost about six weeks of their memories and Emma had become the Dark One. Now that mid-season finale is upon us, Emma's secret was revealed. She turned into the Dark One to save Hook. When King Arthur captured Emma's loved ones in an effort to get Excalibur back from her and the spark, Emma came in ready to save her loved ones against Merlin. She used her dark magic to help them, but Hook ended up cut by the blade. Even though Emma healed his wound, when she tries to merge the blade and the Dark One dagger as one to free herself from the darkness, Hook's wound bleeds and he dies. Emma discovers that any part of the dagger and blade once merged can't be undone. Emma's vulnerability is most powerful in the scene when she takes Hook to a field of flowers and shows her true pain by tethering him to the blade to make him another Dark One.

I think it's going to be an interesting battle when the writers pin two loves against each other. One thing is for sure is that Emma has to make another choice. In every moment where Emma has had to make a huge sacrifice, she has lost something important to her and I have a feeling that Emma will protect Henry and her family more so than Hook. Hook has taken quite a shining to his new evil side and doesn't appear to be hindered by his true love for Emma. There is a lot of darkness in him and though Emma may be a Dark One, she doesn't seem to be fully taken by it.

Emma Swan has had the biggest transformation on this show and Jennifer Morrison has delivered her so well. I'm sure, like most Oncers, I'm eager for the moment where the Savior returns and The Dark One no longer remains. Once Emma Swan, the Savior, comes back, there is no telling what kind of excitement will happen. Fighting for power is one thing, but fighting for something you believe in has proved to be the best motivation for this show. Whether it's love, hope, or simply for good to prevail, I think the Savior is what it will take to bring Hook back. 

There in lies the challenge. Emma must overcome her own darkness to save the one she loves and the ones she is trying to protect. 

Once Upon a Time Winter Finale airs Sunday at 8/7c on ABC.

Trilogy Master: SCREAM

Wes Craven was the horror film master when it came to telling brilliant stories on-screen that made the audience fear for the characters' lives. With Nightmare on Elm Street under his belt, Craven tapped into a whole new version of fear by making the audience unable to fall asleep at night, but perhaps one of the most well-known horror film trilogies Craven completed was Scream. 

Scream was released in 1996 and became the horror box office film telling the story of young Sydney Prescott who was hunted by a serial killer seeking revenge for what her mother did. At first, the killings in Woodsboro were random until Sydney realized the killers were two people she knew and trusted. Discovering her mother's past, she is essentially the one paying for the sins of her mother by having to deal with this huge burden of a killer known as Ghostface that wants her dead for what happened.

Much like a television show, when going into a film, knowing there is potential for more than one project, the introduction to a trilogy or a sequel is vital. In the first film, Scream was subtle and the whole appeal of the project was based around the idea of the "classic horror film". Take for instance, the character, Randy (Jamie Kennedy). He becomes an essential character to the trilogy because he is a movie buff and he loves horror films. In the first film, he's watching Halloween with his friends. Randy explains the first rules of a horror film.

1. Virgins survive. Essentially in the first film, you aren't allowed to have sex or you will die.
2. No alcohol or drugs of any kind. Those who drink and do drugs in the film will also die.
3. Under no circumstances, do you leave a room and say "I'll be right back". According to Randy, you will not be right back. You will be dead.

Those particular rules set the bar for a low opening film to a trilogy. The rules aren't strict and seem somewhat ridiculous in a way, but the first film has to set an easy story to lead up to an even bigger one. For the audience, Billy and Stu were average serial killers. The murders were incredibly average, but the standards have to be something that a trilogy can beat. For instance, go into, Scream 2, and Sydney has now moved on with her life at college. She has new friends, but a part of her past can't escape her because the Hollywood world has decided to make her old life a movie. Once Craven set that up in the second one, the rules changed.

The rules became guidelines for the entire trilogy which is what made it successful. Craven took classic horror film genre and built an entire universe around these characters and this particular killer. Going into the second one, with the two killers from the first one gone, Craven connects Mickey (Timothy Olyphant), a psychotically obsessed horror film lover and Billy's mother. One is driven by the horror film genre while Billy's mother is driven by revenge. The death scenes are slightly amped up, but not to the point where it doesn't outdo a possible third film. Randy, our rule guider, adds the new rules.

1. Body count is always bigger.
2. Death scenes are more elaborate.
3. This rule was to be explained in the film, however, Dewey ends up cutting Randy off in that scene. But the rule was "Never ever assume the killer is dead." That rule pertains to when Mickey comes back from the dead to try and kill Sydney but she shoots him.

Now what makes this trilogy so successful isn't the death count, the death scenes, or even the fact that Sydney, Gale, and Dewey all continued to play their roles throughout the entire trilogy, but it is in fact that the Ghostface killer turns out to be an even bigger role than the fans expected. The audience finds out in Scream 3, that Billy, Stu, Billy's mom, and Mickey were all just pawns to the original killer's plan. Sydney discovers the mastermind behind all of the murders, the entire set up, who turns out to be her long-lost brother, Roman (Scott Foley). To understand the concept of the storyline, at the beginning of the third film, Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) dies in the first scene. Cotton was a suspected murderer of Sydney's mother because she had an affair with Cotton.

Roman had framed Cotton from the beginning and was finally ready to finish the final movie. The rules did change in the third one and even though Randy died, he left behind a video message to tell Sydney and her friends how the trilogy works.

1. You've got a killer who is superhuman. Shooting him won't work, stabbing him won't work. You either have to decapitate him or blow him up.
2. Anyone including the main character can die this time.
3. The past will come back in the final installment of the trilogy. The past will haunt you.

All of these rules remain true and serve the greater storyline throughout the entire trilogy. Sydney essentially receives all of the answers she is looking for by the third one and most of what Roman is doing is connecting her to her mother's past. Roman is making Sydney suffer for what her mother did to him when he was younger. Nothing serves a great thriller better than family dysfunction. The killer became an entity of his own.

He turned smarter. The voice altering technology transformed from this creepy familiar voice that fans came to know, into by the third film, a voice imitation device. The killer was able to sound exactly like everyone in the film and trick them into thinking they were talking to their friends. He still had the deep, scary voice asking that one fun question "What's your favorite scary movie?" Craven coined the entire Ghostface character that fans now wear as a Halloween costume, but fans enjoy.

After a few years, the trilogy was no longer a trilogy. Scream 4 had been released and the original characters, Sydney, Gale, and Dewey all returned for one last time. However, the storyline was not as strong because Roman was an excellent closer. Sydney's cousin essentially tries to recreate the horror film admiration theory, but Sydney of course wins because Sydney isn't the stereotypical female in distress character. In both the first two films, her and Gale took down the killers. Sydney killed Roman essentially. The female leads were not damsels in distress, but rather strong protagonists. When it came to the killer, Sydney always fought against him. Her survival instincts kicked in with every situation.

Craven was a master of the trilogy with Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3 because he followed and established his own rules for his characters and created a tasteful horror film that set the bar high for the genre itself. Scream stood on its own and was a cult phenomenon for the years it was released and to this day, still remains as a horror film classic.

Mastermind Enemies: WHITE COLLAR

After a few weeks of writing on Once Upon a Time, it is time to dive into some other shows for a little while. I used to watch a TV series on the USA Network called White Collar starring Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay. The series ran for six seasons. In the show, Matt Bomer plays a con man named Neal Caffrey who is captured by Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), the FBI agent who had been seeking him out for years for art forgery and theft. Caffrey is released into the FBI's custody under Burke to become a criminal consultant for the white collar division under supervision of a tracking anklet. Together, Burke and Caffrey solve white collar crimes.

Though the series only ran for six seasons, White Collar was quite a thrilling show to watch. Bomer and DeKay had excellent team-up chemistry in the series with a lot of fun, witty banter to match. The cast was lined up beautifully as well with Tiffani Thiesen as Agent Burke's wife, Elizabeth, Willie Garson as Neal's trusted sideman, Mozzie, and other members of the FBI team, Sharif Atkins and Marsha Thomason as Agent Jones and Agent Barrigan. 
 
An important concept in a long show such as White Collar is always changing up the story arc by developing Mastermind Enemies. Though Neal starts off as the enemy of the FBI, there is no doubt that his character transformation becomes an important point of the story throughout as he works alongside Peter. He forms an alliance to the character and can be seen through the series every time either one of them are willing to go the distance in order to protect each other. What makes a great show like this in this particular case are creating villains that are fun to watch. 

We've ranked the Top 5 Mastermind Enemies throughout the series and why they worked on the show for great story arcs. 

5. Detective Fowler










Fowler was brought into the series within season one and made appearances in season two as well. He was working alongside the FBI, also in search of the infamous music box Neal was trying to find thinking it would help him reunite with Kate. When Peter decided to help Neal take down Fowler, it cost Kate's life in the process when she dies in a plane explosion. Neal decides to try and take down Fowler himself with his own personal vendetta, almost costing him his freedom. Fowler informs there was a bigger person in play behind Kate's death, so Neal and Peter had to figure out who orchestrated Kate's death from the start.

It's true, Fowler was more of a tolerable enemy of Caffrey and Burke, but he worked out phenomenally well in the first part of the series as an admirable foe. Going into a show's first season, it's safe to always start the playing field off easy so other foes who come in are able to make a big splash as an even bigger foe. Fowler was a simple nemesis compared to most of the foes on the series, but he started the show off right.

4. Rebecca Lowe/Rachel Turner

It's important for a man like Neal Caffrey to be partnered up with women who challenge him like Sara and Alex. In Season Five, the writers invited a very sexy nemesis into Neal's bed by the name of Rebecca Lowe, an ex MI5 agent who conned her way into Neal's life. She essentially followed him for a long time, gaining intel on him and his personal relationships, then took on the perfect role for Neal to fall in love with her. She was chasing after the twin of the hope diamond and used Neal to help retrieve it. For White Collar, she was certainly a beautiful nemesis for Caffrey. It was also a nice turn for the show to put a female as the villain in season five to change up the pace. 


3. Vincent Adler

What makes a villain typically work if you don't know the villain is by bringing them early on the show and develop a dialogue between them and the leads. If that isn't able to be done, then the second best option for a nemesis is by involving someone from a main character's past. Since Neal Caffrey was a con man prior to aiding the FBI, he has a history with a lot of dangerous people. In this case, our number 3 is Vincent Adler played by the well-known Andrew McCarthy. Vincent Adler was a friend of Neal's who essentially took him in and mentored him. Adler was where Neal met Kate and how Neal fell into the role of being a suave con man. Adler was responsible for a major insurance fraud scam. When Adler falls back onto Caffrey and Burke's radar after Caffrey discovers Adler was the reason Kate died, Caffrey decides to go after Adler with Burke's help to take him down. Adler is after a hidden treasure from a German Uboat and he needs Caffrey's help to do it. Adler worked out well as a nemesis since he played a role in Neal's past, which aids in embedding the character into the story arc for season three. 


2.CURTIS HAGEN aka THE DUTCHMAN

In Season One, the pilot episode introduced Curtis Hagen as the Dutchman, a famous bond forger and art restorer. Peter caught Hagen thanks to Neal breaking into Hagen's headquarters and forcing Peter to chase down his asset into the building. It was Neal and Peter's first official case together. 

You may recognize this lovely face from television everywhere. If there is one actor who has made a great name for himself as a villain on television it's Mark Sheppard. He's the master of mastermind enemies naturally. Mark Sheppard has starred in TNT's Leverage as Sterling, an old colleague of Nate's as well as now the CW's Supernatural as the King of Hell himself, Crowley, a character fans have come to love for the last five seasons. Mark Sheppard is phenomenal on delivery and while he only made one appearance in the beginning of the season, the writers were kind enough to resurrect the beloved Sheppard as Curtis Hagen again in season five. To aid Peter Burke's release after Peter is accused of murdering a senator, Curtis asks Neal to help him so he can have Peter released. In return, Neal becomes trapped in a deal with Hagen that causes Neal to have to go search for the twin to the hope diamond by having Mozzie help him solve a bunch of puzzles along the way. Unfortunately, Hagen ends up shot by Rebecca Lowe, but for the first half of the season, watching the dynamic between Bomer and Sheppard was absolutely entertaining. Sheppard always delivers on wit and charm.


1. MATTHEW KELLER

Then there are those Mastermind Enemies that really just get under your skin. Those are the great ones. At number 1, Matthew Keller, Neal's competitor in the conning business. Perhaps it's the crooked smirk that helps sell the role or that Brooklyn-like dialect, but Keller is one nemesis of Caffrey's that came into the show and destroyed everything he touched. Keller had been Caffrey's foe for years before working for the FBI and they conned as if it were a sport. Keller knew Caffrey well, including his love for Kate. Caffrey and Keller were similar in con ways, but in order to give the protagonist a true nemesis, the character had to have a flaw that Caffrey struggled with. Murder. Keller was willing to do whatever it takes in a con to get the job done and wasn't ever afraid to pull the trigger. That particular character trait was a nice challenge for Neal because in times where Keller tested him, fans got to see a side of Neal that was a bit darker. Neal was almost willing to take the extra mile the more Keller interfered in his life. Keller came back throughout the series in different spots. In one particular moment, Keller kidnapped Peter's wife, Elizabeth, and wanted Neal to show him the Uboat treasure that Neal stole.

A character like Keller is fun to put in because he plays alongside not just Caffrey, but the entire cast. They eventually put Keller in prison, but it isn't until the final season where Keller is released under Interpol and strikes a deal similar to Neal's FBI sentence. Keller and Caffrey are forced to team up one last time in the final season in order to take down a dangerous group of thieves called the Pink Panthers. Now while foes like Fowler, Hagen, and Lowe work out in an average nemesis sense, meaning they are introduced into the show as brand new characters, but given a length amount of time to grow, characters like Adler and Keller work out exceptionally because of their history with the protagonist. Keller worked out the best out of all of them because not only was he a part of Neal's past, the writers kept Keller in for a longer amount of time in order for him to embed himself into the lives of the entire cast. It was because Keller affected people like Peter by kidnapping Elizabeth or destroying Neal's life by always sabotaging it in some way that fans can feel as if Keller was their own nemesis. He always made the story arc compelling because he was a true adversary good enough to test the dark parts of our heroes, Caffrey and Burke. 

Eventually, Keller got what was coming to him and Burke shot him. It was Neal's moment in the underground area with him where Neal could've shot him and was tempted to do so, but Neal refused because no matter how much Keller tried to convince Neal that he was like him, Neal spent six seasons trying to change for the better and that's what made the ending work out so well. 

A character transformation like Neal Caffrey's is important because in season six and partly in the end of season five, the writers were already putting Neal around people that basically kept reminding him he was a criminal and he would never change. He would never be free. Keller was essentially that final moment for Neal to decide to what he wanted and who he wanted to be. A true adversary tests the protagonist at their darkest moments. 

Some honorable mentions go to Gordon Taylor played by the talented Hal Ozsan. 

Gordon Taylor was known for his expert heists and when they brought him into the series, he orchestrated a team to steal a signed Babe Ruth baseball from Yankee Stadium. Neal Caffrey got to be a part of that team with Mozzie. Gordon got away with it thanks to Mozzie, so if the show had prolonged in some way, there was hope of bringing back this fabulous nemesis. 

In the world of elegant crimes, the minds behind them have to be masterful. Gordon Taylor was no exception to that rule. 

Senator Pratt's story arc didn't last entirely that long in season four, but he did cause a lot of trouble for Neal and Peter. Pratt was involved in government destruction and he inevitably became the wedge that separated Neal from his father, James Bennett. James killed Pratt and left Peter at the scene so he took the fall for the death. While Neal tried to convince his father to confess to protect Peter, James left. If the show had continued longer, perhaps the writers would've helped tie up the loose end of what happened to James Bennett and if he would've ever returned to Neal. 




Mastermind Enemies are tricky. If a series doesn't give enough time for the fans to welcome in a nemesis, the foes won't seem worthy to the protagonist. In most stories, there are two types of ways to bring them in. Bring the villains in as a fresh face into the series and then embed them in for some time to have them interact with the characters or bring someone from the main characters' past to make the nemesis already pivotal to the storyline. White Collar is all about the con and having masterminds of their own throughout the series, so most of the adversaries had to live up to the standards of Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke.