Alex, Inc is the New Show the World Needs

When it comes to television, everyone knows fall is the season to get excited for. Fall brings on a whole new line of shows for television fanatics to tune into and hopefully, like dating, they find that perfect match and make an instant connection with. Sure. September is that big month to welcome new faces and new stories to television, but Springtime season also offers a lineup of refreshing shows filled with drama, excitement, heart, and humor. For those looking for a new television show to tune into every week this spring, ABC's new half hour comedy/drama, Alex, Inc, is the show for you! 

Alex, Inc tells the story of a 37-year-old father and husband who quits his job at a company called Cheer Up because they constantly enforce a positive based product. The series is based on a podcast called "StartUp" from Gimlet Media. The show follows Alex Schuman, played by the charming and talented Zach Braff, as he makes the decision to start his own podcast company while maintaining his personal life as a husband and a father to two children. 

Zach Braff is at the helm of this series not only as an actor, but as a director and an executive producer as well. Prior to the series airing, Braff's passion and love for the series was clear from his constant support on his social media accounts. After watching the first three episodes of the series, it is no surprise as to why Braff is proud of the series. In a time where a lot of negativity has been going around and a lot of struggle, Alex, Inc offers a refreshing break from all of that. It is charming, funny, heartwarming, and creative. Fans of Zach Braff can gain that sense of Scrubs familiarity as Braff incorporates his voice-over narration through the episodes like he used to do as J.D. Dorian. 

Braff's humor is also familiar to Dorian's. Rather, his portrayal of Alex Schuman is pretty much effortless as if the character was someone he was born to play. In any scene, Braff is natural, fun, and genuine. Schuman is a lovable father, husband, and friend who has a great sense of humor and a wonderful outlook on life. Not only does Braff's talents light up the screen and make this show special, but the cast he is surrounded by add to the greatness of this series. 

Tiya Sircar plays Alex Schuman's wife, Rooni, a lawyer and a fierce woman. It's refreshing to see Sircar portray a female lead that represents not only a supportive partner for Alex, but one that challenges him and believes in him. Sircar offers a sense of grace to the role as well as assertiveness that is not so overpowering. The first three episodes already also prove the heart of the series comes from Schuman's kids, Ben and Soraya, played by Elisha Henig and Audyssie James. Alex Schuman, in the past three episodes, has found a lot of inspiration from his children, making the relationship between his kids and himself all that more special to watch. Braff's family man persona is warm and lighthearted and the strength of the show is apparent whenever the entire family is on screen. 

To balance out the family aspect of the series, Alex Schuman works at his podcast office alongside his two teammates, Deidra and Eddie, played by Hillary Anne Matthews and Michael Imperioli. Deidra is a producer and appears to keep Alex more on the ground, offering up ideas that are reasonable and beneficial to the podcast. She also has an adorably and slightly creepy infatuation with Alex, but who wouldn't? Zach Braff has always been a charming fellow. Meanwhile, Alex's second cousin, Eddie, is a bit more extreme. He is the one who challenges Alex and sometimes makes his job tougher. There is always a necessity for someone to push a lead into doing things that they normally wouldn't do and Eddie is that catalyst for Alex. This is apparent when Eddie builds a booth to record the podcast in since the office they work in is noisy and has multiple start-up businesses.

The show offers a subtle humor that isn't trying too hard to be funny. Each character is written so well that they hold their own without needing to steal from another character's energy or spotlight. Zach Braff truly has something to be proud of along with creator Matt Tarses. 

Alex, Inc is a refreshing break from all of the regular television on air right now. While superhero shows are great and the surplus of cop shows, medical dramas, and sitcoms that seem too hard to be like each other are filling up the time slots, this isn't a show that should fall behind on ABC. In fact, it should be considered at the forefront of most currently. Fans can find a lot of familiarity with a mid-life crisis, but also develop a genuine connection with these characters as they are your neighbors, friends, and family. While one great reason to watch the series is the at-home feel of Braff's monologue narrations and his light, genuine humor, it is truly the heart in this show that makes it worthwhile. 

ABC has a winner on their hands with this show and here's to hoping that they do not make the mistake in letting this one go. And might I say, the dad look looks great on you, Mr. Braff! 

You can unwind from your stress and troubles by tuning into Alex, Inc at 8:30 PM EST on ABC every Wednesday night. 

This is Us, This is Real, This is Genuine

SPOILER ALERT: THIS IS US SPOILERS! 

One of the most honest and most brilliant shows on television right now is NBC's This is Us. It stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, and Sterling K. Brown. The show centers around the lives of five characters taking place over a certain period of time. In the first episode, fans come onto Kevin, Kate, and Randall Pearson (Hartley, Metz, and Brown) celebrating their 36th birthday in the present time. The three of them are siblings and we immediately see that they are trying to figure out their lives. The show also shows flashbacks following the lives of Jack and Rebecca Pearson (Ventimiglia and Moore), the parents of Kevin, Kate, and Randall. Rebecca is pregnant with triplets and when she gives birth to her children, one of them doesn't make it in the birth. Jack Pearson sees that a baby has been abandoned and left at the hospital on the same day his kids are born. Jack and Rebecca take Randall in to raise him as part of their family. 

In the present day, we discover that Jack Pearson is no longer alive and Rebecca is married to Jack's friend. Kevin struggles to redefine his identity as he is a famous comedic actor on a television show he doesn't like anymore. When he has a breakdown on the show and quits, Kevin must figure out what he wants to do with his life and what direction he wants to go in. Kate currently holds a job as a waitress and she struggles with her weight. Randall has two children and a wife in a house that he built, living a life he earned from hard work and school, but he decides to find his biological father who abandoned him and ends up rekindling a bond that he lost. 

The show is currently on its second season and is airing the season two finale. The fate of the show is unknown right now, but judging on how incredibly compelling the series is, there is no doubt fans will see more of the Pearson family. 

This is Us is beautifully written and also very well casted. Each of the characters are relatable, compelling, and real. This story is about struggle, love, friendship, family, having faith, and learning to go through the trials of life together. These are characters that you can be friends with and have real conversations with. They resemble your neighbors, your family, and your friends. 

Fans immediately connect to this show at the beginning when they go through the midlife crisis with Kevin (Hartley) as he quits a show that has pretty much defined his whole identity. When he takes a chance on abandoning that identity, he has to begin this journey to find out who he really wants to be and many people can relate to that in real life. 

On one hand, you also have Kate (Metz) who is in a weight loss group. She works as a waitress and she has big dreams that she let go of. She wants to be a singer, but her whole life has also been put on the back burner by insecurities and fears. When she meets this joyful and genuine spirit in her weight loss group, Toby (Chris Sullivan), she starts to fall in love and find a way to love herself too. 

Randall Pearson (Brown) is this hardworking father married to Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) who has spent his entire life being different from his brother and sister. When he tracks down his biological father, he starts to form a bond with him. Randall brings his father into his family and transforms the people around him. 

In the flashbacks, Jack goes through alcoholism and growing up with a judgmental father who also struggled with alcoholism. Jack works a dead end job he doesn't really love, but he makes the sacrifice to provide for his family even though he had dreams of his own. Meanwhile, Rebecca raises three children and she wants to pursue her dreams as a performer and go on tour singing. Together, as a married couple, they struggle to be parents while pursuing their own dreams. 

These are every day, real, honest struggles among families and friends. These characters create such a genuine and pure show that makes it so incredible to watch every week. Perhaps one of the most amazing storylines that has happened so far is in the newer season. The show has picked up considerably with storylines. 

Kevin had inherited his father's alcoholism when his career had started to fall apart. He ended up becoming dangerous to his friends and family and he was losing a huge part of himself. In one particular episode, Hartley had really went above and beyond in being raw and heartbreakingly beautiful when Kevin was desperate to find his father's necklace, begging a girl he slept with outside of her house to find it for him. He, at that point, was beyond repair and it was an incredible performance to see come across the screen. Many people have experienced hopelessness and heartbreak to that capacity. Kevin has never really dealt with his father's death because we discover later in season two that on the day of his father's death, he wasn't home. With his identity being one thing his whole life, it's understandable that his childhood follows him into his adult life because he spent his childhood trying to be the star of the family. He was in football and he got injured during a game and lost his chance to be a great athlete, so he had to redefine his identity early on. Kevin was also always the alienated sibling of the family as he never had a close relationship with his father or mother. 

In regards to Kate's experience with her childhood, every person has experienced this before as well. Growing up, she wasn't perfect and she hated shopping with her mother or even talking about beauty with her mother because in her eyes, Rebecca was absolutely stunning. Rebecca had a beautiful singing voice, thin body, and a gorgeous face. Meanwhile, Kate's dad, Jack, always saw Kate as this beautiful, strong woman. He always endorsed her singing and believed in her more than anyone. You can immediately tell that Jack and Kate had a strong bond. Into adulthood, Kate carries her insecurities with her weight and she doesn't pursue singing because of her mother. She never felt good enough and she also carries blame into her adult life for her father's death as she left her dog behind in the house fire and Jack ran back in to save the dog. (No. He didn't die in the fire.) You can see as Kate talks to her mother when she's older that she still doesn't want to tell Rebecca that she sings or that she had a miscarriage. However, when Kate experiences her miscarriage it creates a closeness between her mother and her when Rebecca shares what she went through when she lost her other son, Kyle.

Randall's life seems perfect almost. He has this strong, supportive wife who sometimes can seem abrasive and non-supportive. He has two talented daughters and a beautiful house that he built. Randall has a good job that pays him well. Growing up he was the intelligent and responsible sibling who always received relentless support from his father and mother. However, he had a strained relationship with Kevin as they never got along and his bond with Kate was better since she always saw Randall as this amazing person. Despite having a good childhood, Randall knew he was different from his siblings because of his color. He wanted to know who his biological father was so when he turns 36, Randall tracks his father down and shares how angry he is about being left at the fire station. When Randall gets to know his father, he realizes that he was missing a piece of himself for most of his life. Currently, Randall took it upon himself to leave his job and find more meaning after his father died of cancer. Randall wanted to do the same thing his mother did for him and take a foster kid in, which causes some ups and downs in his family. 

Out of every character in the show, it appears clear that the heart of the entire series is Jack Pearson. Rather than make him a distant memory, the show has built the entire framework around Jack Pearson. He is truly the heart and soul of the series. Jack is a hardworking father with flaws, but above all his family always comes first. When he reaches the point of his life where his alcoholism starts to affect his family, Jack doesn't hide from his wife and kids. He is honest with them and he promises to work on his addiction. With the support of his family, Jack starts to heal and he finds ways to combat his vice. Through this transformation, Jack becomes stronger for it and the fans can relate to his inner demons. However, Jack is also loving, forgiving, and beyond supportive. He gives the whole world to Rebecca and supports her endeavors as she does his. They are a strong couple that combat the world's challenges as a team. Whenever Kate doubts herself, Jack is there by her side reminding her how incredibly talented and beautiful she is. Jack constantly represents what a good man is for his family simply because of the love and strength he instills in everyone around him. 

Perhaps it's heartbreaking when Super Bowl aired the episode which started the heartbreaking story of how Jack is no longer alive. On the night of the Super Bowl, Jack Pearson clearly tries to bring his family together for an important event, but by then, his kids are 17 years old and would rather do something other than spend time with family. Kate leaves. Randall has a girlfriend. Kevin is with his girlfriend. It leaves Jack to celebrate with his wife, Rebecca, but it's heartbreaking to watch as Jack wants a little more time with his kids. The sacrifice he also makes to rescue Kate and Randall from the fire and help them get out of the house with Rebecca shows how incredible this character really is. 

Jack Pearson is selfless. He's honest. He's loving. He's strong. He's truly the heart and soul of this entire show and the reason I believe This is Us holds up well as one of the best shows of all time. 

The season two finale airs on NBC on Tuesday, March 13. 

   

Lucifer: The Devilish Charmer of FOX

One of television's most devilishly charming series on air currently is Fox's Lucifer, starring Tom Ellis as the wickedly good-looking and charismatic Lucifer Morningstar. The television series has been on air for three seasons so far and continues. On Camera with Kam gives Lucifer a five-star rating and highly recommends watching the series. However, before tuning in to the show, here is the basis of what is going on in case this particular story isn't suitable for your preferences. 

WARNING: Potential spoilers involved.

Lucifer tells the story of the Devil himself, Lucifer Morningstar, after the fall from Heaven and his escape from Hell. Lucifer decides to leave Hell to live in Los Angeles and break free from running the prison he was cast to. Now it is advisable to not go into a show such as Lucifer and watch it with the intent of expecting it to remain factual to Christianity or the Bible. In no way does the show promote to worship a certain religion or worship Satan himself. Therefore, it is recommended that the show be watched purely for enjoyment and nothing more.

What is exactly involved? Tom Ellis plays Lucifer, the Devil, the King of Hell, and the fallen son of God. Ellis' portrayal of Lucifer is witty, charming, and sensitive. For a huge portion of the show, Lucifer is what most people are familiar with. He is over-the-top, manipulative, selfish, and vindictive, but he does it with flare and humor. He also owns a club in Los Angeles called Lux. He is an admirer of the good life and definitely endorses sin when sin is committed, but he also punishes the evil. Lucifer doesn't threaten or attack those who do good. In fact, he is a very complex character underneath all of the flare and charm. 

Lucifer has a deep emotional element to his character that Tom Ellis plays with such vulnerability and honesty. He struggles with the world expecting him to be one way, but despite his darkness, Lucifer cares about people. Lucifer cares for his angel brothers. Lucifer cares about his family. 

His character also connects with a special woman, Detective Chloe Decker played by Lauren German. Throughout the series, Lucifer and Chloe develop an intimate bond with each other as Lucifer becomes fascinated with the fact that Chloe is pure of heart and isn't affected by his charms.

In the first episode, fans immediately see Lucifer's effects on others around him. He has a special kind of power to bring out people's deepest desires and confess the truth to him. However, Chloe Decker is the one person in his life that is unaffected by Lucifer's power. This encourages Lucifer to become Chloe's partner and work alongside her with the LAPD in the homicide department. Together, they solve cases and Lucifer helps Chloe by using his connections with the city and his charm. 

Now from the beginning Lucifer admits to Chloe that he is the Devil. Lucifer immediately tells the truth not only to Chloe, but to mostly everyone, but seeing as how insane it sounds, most of the characters don't really believe him. Lucifer even forms a bond with a therapist named Linda Martin (Rachael Harris), whom he goes to for advice and she indulges what she calls delusions. Lucifer is also invulnerable to death, therefore, can't be killed by mortal weapons. However, there is one exception discovered. Whenever he is around Chloe Decker, Lucifer is capable of dying because somehow she makes him human.

Aside from the procedural aspect of the show in regards to following Chloe and Lucifer on a case by case episode, Lucifer also delivers on massive story arcs each season. These particular story arcs involve Lucifer's past and his constant battle with Heaven and Hell. Lucifer's battles with angels and demons sometimes interfere with his life as a consultant for the LAPD which presents great challenges for him to overcome. Perhaps one of the most interesting elements of the show is Lucifer's humanity. 

One of the qualities to notice about Lucifer is how in this particular show, Lucifer doesn't kill people. He might punish evil and he does torture humans who have been sent to Hell, but he never kills them. Part of the reason for this is that Lucifer is still, to his core, an angel, despite being cast out of Heaven and cutting off his wings. According to the show, angels do not kill humans and it appears Lucifer chooses to not kill because of his connection to humanity. While he does partake in sins of other sorts, his bond with Chloe and his time on Earth helps him get in touch with the good inside of him. This tortures him as he struggles with being the Devil and being a good person. When Lucifer does kill, it is clear that it destroys him inside as Tom Ellis delivers a masterful performance with vulnerability and sensitivity. 

For those who might be afraid that because the show centers around Lucifer, the Devil himself, do not go into the series believing it will partake in the worship of Satan as he is the epicenter of the series. In no way does On Camera with Kam promote a specific religion by endorsing Lucifer. Simply, five stars is for good story and character development, wonderful cast performances, and interesting subplots. Television isn't real, folks. There's no need to type this at the end, but there is always one person who might compare this show to worshipping Satan. Just watch television for what it is: Entertainment. 

If one can't tell the difference between real and fake, don't watch it. 

Now, Lucifer is five stars for us. Absolutely phenomenal!

Superheroes in Film & Television

Let's talk about the many faces of the superhero. Specifically, let's draw the attention on film and television adaptations. For years, the film and television industry have made various adaptations on superheroes and in line of the recent release of Avengers: Infinity War trailer, there are a few things to capitalize on here.

First off, despite there being a Marvel versus DC battle in the comics, there should be no comparison of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the DC Cinematic Universe. There should also be no comparison to any of the television universes either. The reason this is important to note is because Justice League was just released in theaters. The tone of the Marvel films are extremely different from DC films. Marvel tends to be colorful and light-hearted. The witty banter between The Avengers team does make it easy to love the characters because they seem relatable. The Avengers come off like a group of people you would want to hang out with at a party because of who they are without their superhero personas.

Marvel also had time to develop the personalities of each individual Avenger for a good amount of years. Tony Stark led the charge in Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. immediately embodied him in every way. Now that Downey has spent a long time being Stark, the fans associate the character's personality to the actor. Chris Evans is another example of an actor who embodies their superhero persona. In every sense, Captain America's courage, honesty, and heart is a picturesque version of the actor himself. Marvel had the sense to specifically search for actors who are not just physically the image of their superhero personas, but similar to them in personality. This project was long established by Marvel way before Iron Man. After the release of Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor, the characters had already been given a platform to grow and develop. 

Taking a look at DC, the tone is very different. Christopher Nolan helped reshape Batman with Christian Bale's portrayal for three films. Bale played a different Bruce Wayne because of the platforms he was given. Ben Affleck's Batman first came into the story with Batman vs. Superman, therefore, not giving him a stand alone film of his own to develop a relationship with his audience. Understanding that this is very important in story development is crucial in separating comparisons when going to the cinema. Affleck had the challenge of presenting his Bruce Wayne for the first time ever sharing the screen with Henry Cavill's Superman. Cavill had already had the ability to introduce his Superman to the world in the stand alone Man of Steel. It wasn't until Affleck had the chance to take on a more leadership role in Justice League that helped him find his footing. For fans, it's easy to connect with characters that have established a relationship with their audience for what seems like a lifetime of films.

For example, fans got to know Tony Stark in three stand alone Iron Man films. Like in television, when the fans have the chance to go through that journey with a character, it's easier to reach them on a personal level. 

DC, in an effort to bring in the Justice League team so soon has hit some bumps in the road. The film was well shot and the tone matched the familiarity of Christopher Nolan. However, the lack of connection to characters hurt the film. Jason Momoa, while doing a brilliant portrayal of Arthur Curry, had not been introduced prior to the film. Gal Gadot was instantly supported by her stand alone film Wonder Woman and her first appearance in Batman vs. Superman. The fans did meet Ezra Miller's Barry Allen for a brief moment in Suicide Squad, but according to reviews, some of the fans didn't like how childish Barry came off. 

This is where I can shift gears and explain why comparisons can't be necessary just yet. 

Example One: Tobey Maguire vs. Andrew Garfield vs. Tom Holland

When Civil War came out, Tom Holland was finally given his first film debut as the webbed superhero, Spiderman. This particular superhero over a short period of time has been recast and played by two other actors. Sony owned the rights to Spiderman until Marvel finally fought to have Spiderman back, therefore giving them the ability to place a new version into their Cinematic Universe. 

Tobey Maguire starred as Peter Parker in three standalone films while Sony owned the rights. In a lot of ways, Maguire embodied Peter Parker more so than Spiderman. The nerdy portrayal of Parker was spot on and the only downside to Maguire's performance was the story in Spiderman 3. He was loved by many fans, but unfortunately, creative differences cast Spiderman 4 aside as an option when director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire tried to fight for creative control. Maguire had the ability to connect to the fans for three films. 

Andrew Garfield, in every sense, was the Spiderman. The sarcasm and the playfulness just came naturally to Garfield and was easily read on screen. His chemistry with Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy was instant and fans could enjoy this lighter version of The Amazing Spiderman. Garfield was given the ability to be Parker for two standalone films, once again establishing a connection with fans. 

The drawback to replacing Spiderman so much was once fans get attached to the characters, it's hard to let them go. Then, it also becomes difficult for the new actor to follow in the footsteps of those actors. 

Tom Holland was cast as Peter Parker/Spiderman for the Marvel film Civil War. Fans were uncertain to how Holland would do, but once the film was released, there was already comparisons to the other Spiderman actors. This doesn't work for a few reasons. Tom Holland came into the MCU among a cast of actors who had been playing their roles for a long time. 

Holland jumps in on the scene with legends like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johannson, Paul Bettany, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Olsen. By this point of the timeline, all of these characters have already created a bond with each other, so it makes it difficult for Tom Holland to just ease into that kind of situation. 

Holland's first portrayal of Spiderman was great for the platform he was introduced on. His character was witty and light. He was also young enough to pass for a teenager more so than Maguire and Garfield was when cast. Tom Holland was given the opportunity after his first film to star in his standalone film, Spiderman Homecoming. Once again, fans were calling it the Robert Downey Jr. film since Tony Stark was in it as well. 

However, it was no mistake that Marvel chose Tom Holland for Peter Parker. Tom Holland trained for the role as well as offered a refreshing interpretation to what was already familiarized with the audiences. The Peter Parker that Maguire and Garfield portrayed was at a very different point of his life. Tom Holland's Peter Parker has met the Avengers and is just starting out as Spiderman. Apples and oranges in most cases as each actor can be appreciated for their individual interpretations. 

Example Two: Batman Film vs. Batman TV

I want to compare two very different Batman characters because there is something impressive to admire about each version. You take a look at someone like Christian Bale, who brought the Batman character to a whole new level. On one hand, as Bruce Wayne, he was sure of himself and yet had a sense of doubt on certain things. As Batman, he was the caped crusader in true form. 

Again, establishing earlier that Ben Affleck's Batman is on a very different path than Christian Bale's Batman. Affleck came in under the light of Henry Cavill and had to jump in with a not-so-easy first script. Rather than getting an origin piece, Ben Affleck has to play Bruce Wayne/Batman as someone who is immediately seeking vengeance on Superman. There was a lot of familiarity in style thanks to Christopher Nolan, but Affleck's Bruce Wayne in Justice League was becoming a strong leader. He seemed to fall into place among the team once Bruce had a purpose. 

Now compare this Bruce Wayne to David Mazouz on Fox's Gotham. Gotham tells the origin story of Bruce Wayne/Batman. This format had been done before when Smallville aired back in 2001. Tom Welling was cast as Clark Kent/Superman in the origin story that lasted ten seasons on the WB turned CW. Despite both shows being about the origin of the superheroes, when cast, David Mazouz was asked to play Bruce Wayne. Tom Welling was asked to play Clark Kent. Neither one of them were cast as Batman or Superman. However, both characters will become their superhero personas.

That's the wonderful advantage of those origin stories. David Mazouz gets to focus his attention on playing Bruce Wayne and not Batman. He doesn't have the added challenge just yet of playing both personas. Batman and Bruce Wayne are two separate personalities. This was clearly established in Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman. In fact, it's very clear in most superhero stories. Batman would choose to react to a situation differently than Bruce Wayne would. David Mazouz's Bruce Wayne is currently starting to train under Alfred to become a vigilante and prowl in the night, protecting innocent people. Alfred (Sean Pertwee) had to remind Bruce that there were going to be times where he would have to separate his life as Bruce Wayne and his life as the vigilante. Mazouz recently started playing his Bruce Wayne as a billionaire party boy in order to separate himself from the Batman. The reason you admire this is because while someone like Ben Affleck has to be both the Batman and Bruce, David Mazouz gets to spend a huge amount of time getting to know who Bruce Wayne is going to be before he ever has to become Batman.

Clark Kent was the same way. Tom Welling talked to Christopher Reeve when Reeve was on the show about Superman versus Clark Kent. Christopher Reeve informed Tom that the character that Reeve played was Superman and Clark Kent was the disguise. Tom Welling was Clark Kent and Superman would become the disguise. Welling spent ten seasons getting to know Clark Kent and living as the man before the superman. Giving these actors the ability to separate the two personas puts them at an advantage of being able to develop not only a personal relationship with the audience, but to the character.

DC Cinema Universe should definitely not rush the connection between audience and character. DC Television has masterfully outdone themselves by creating the Arrowverse and continuously doing crossovers every year. Fans have come to develop bonds with Grant Gustin's Barry Allen, Stephen Amell's Green Arrow, Melissa Benoist's Supergirl, and the entire Legends team. When given the opportunity to get to know the man/woman behind the mask first, it adds a very unique element to the show/film. 

Marvel and DC have created these incredible universes with such believable characters and that is definitely something to revel in. It's amazing what the film and television industry is capable of doing after so many years and there are challenges that come with it. The most important thing to remember is every storyline is coming from a different part of time. Every character is at a different stage of development in their story. Therefore, spending time comparing all of the films and shows is quite redundant. 

Once Upon a Time - Season 6 Premiere Review

SPOILER ALERT! 

This is a review on Episode 1 "The Savior" of Once Upon a Time's Sixth Season Premiere. If you have not seen the episode, do not read further!!! 

Welcome back Oncers! It's fall season on the television front which means all of the television shows new and old return to the networks. Among those shows is the ABC series, Once Upon a Time. Last season, we saw Emma Swan become the Dark One and then, Captain Hook turned into the Dark One. Captain Hook sacrificed himself, landing him in the Underworld with Hades, forcing Emma to drag all of her friends and family down to the Underworld to save him. As a result, Robin Hood's life was taken from Hades. 

In the season five finale, Charming, Snow White, Zelena, and Hook ended up in another world where they met Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It was called the Land of Untold Stories. Meanwhile, Emma and Regina went on a mission to find Rumple and Henry when Henry stole the crystal that held all of Storybrooke's magic. Rumple set out to free Belle from the sleeping curse. Hyde made a deal with Rumple and gave him Storybrooke. Regina separated herself from her darker half, The Evil Queen. 

Now, welcome back to Season Six! In the hour long premiere episode, the writers decided to open with a scene that took place years ago in the desert. This particular scene introduced Aladdin and Jafar. According to the scene, Aladdin was a savior just like Emma was and Jafar had explained that the fate of saviors is a dark one. Come into the next scene, Hook and Emma are making out until a flying giant blimp if you will flies over Storybrooke. Hyde threatens Emma and the town, informing them that Storybrooke belongs to him now.

Rumple goes into Belle's dreams and meets Morpheus. His goal is to wake Belle up by making her fall in love with him again. 

Meanwhile, Emma Swan is having problems throughout the episode having visions of a dark future and constant tremors in her hands. 

Now, typically, I'm all for some action and some new characters, but as of last season's writing complications, the premiere did not do it for me. I'm sure I'll receive some arguments on this. There were some highlights of the premiere. However, I will mention that once again, I am a huge fan of Once and I'm still loyal to the show. 

Let's talk about this for a second.

The premiere episode was rushed into. For starters, Belle took that sleeping curse to protect her child from Rumple. Belle is no longer trusting Rumple and it becomes his goal to wake her up by making her fall in love with him again. There is a flaw in his plan. Belle already loves him, but she won't believe in him. Rumple uses trickery to get her to try and fall for him, but it doesn't work. Morpheus sees Belle trusting her instincts as a good sign and wakes her up. Why? Because Morpheus informs Belle and Rumple that he is their future son. What? No way! Yes way! 

Belle is already awake in the first episode. Flaw there. Here's why. Rumplestiltskin had a backwards character arc in season five. He was written in to start out the season in a preservative state and given a clean slate of a heart. He had the chance to become a good person and then took in all the powers of the Dark Ones again. So for his character development, it was a bad idea. Now, in season six, he has the chance to redeem himself when challenged with waking Belle up, but once again, rather than giving Rumple a challenge, they make it easy for him. There is no obstacle really for him to overcome. 

Belle sees Rumple for who he truly is. Therefore, Rumple finds it impossible to give up the darkness and wants Belle to accept him for it. If Belle will no longer believe in him, I only think it would be interesting if another character came along and bonded with him to transform his soul. If someone else came into Rumple's life to help guide him on the path to that transformation, it would've been a more interesting story. But instead, Rumple and Belle's obstacle was cut short in the first episode. 

Now, it's absolutely great that Regina and Zelena are attempting to get along. There was also a nice bonding moment when Zelena had clutter in Regina's house, trying to unpack her stuff to move in. My biggest issue, however, is that Zelena and Regina argued in Regina's office about Robin Hood's death last season. Zelena felt like she lost someone (Hades) in that same event, but Regina blames Zelena for Robin's death. Yes, it was Zelena's fault. Zelena was selfish and got Robin Hood killed. Rather than apologizing to Regina, Zelena got mad at Regina for separating herself from her evil half because apparently it was the part of Regina that she could most relate to.

While I do love a good Hook and Emma story, the keeping things bottled up and hidden from Hook is getting old. Emma has become the Dark One, saved Hook from the Underworld, and essentially been through enough to trust him, yet she still keeps secrets from him. I think the couple has been through enough to actually communicate with each other. Emma Swan's character transformation should've extended past her lone wolf phase, but it hasn't. Hyde knows something you don't know, Emma. One of the added storylines to this season is that the savior supposedly has a dark fate in store for her and no matter what she does she can't change it.

On top of Hyde, Emma's dark fate, Rumple and Belle, there is also Regina's evil half, The Evil Queen, coming to wreak havoc in the end. Oh. And they captured Hyde and shoved him in a padded cell way too soon! That villain became easy to imprison.

It seems the only beneficial moments to some of the episode involved David and Mary Margaret when they had an old-fashioned adventure in the woods together. Henry and Regina had a heart-to-heart. Rumple and Belle got to dance to the Beauty and the Beast theme song again in Belle's dreams and Snow White and Regina also had a good heart-to-heart at the end after six seasons, Regina finally apologized to Snow for being a terrible person to her all those years. It's good to see that Regina wants to start fresh as a hero and move on from her villain half. That is something to look forward to. 

Now while this post seems a bit critical, keep in mind that it's only the first episode, so my opinions could change once I see how far the writers take the show. My biggest concern is that there are so many balls in the air and I'm not sure how the writers are going to handle every single arc. 

Here's to hoping for a redeeming season six Oncers! 

Once Upon a Time airs on ABC Sundays at 8/7c. 


 

Once Upon a Time 2-Hour Finale Defies the Laws of Magic!

WARNING! THIS ENTRY CONTAINS SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE SEASON FINALE DO NOT READ ON!

         Last night the 2-hour season finale of Once Upon a Time aired on ABC. If the fans were expecting loose ends to be tied up or a grand two hour finale that would make up for this season’s writing fiasco, then this isn’t that finale. After an entire season built on Captain Hook and Emma Swan, the two hour finale didn’t conclude with anything from the previous storyline. In fact, the two hour season finale was in a whole league of its own.

         First, let me preface by saying once again that I am a huge fan of Once Upon a Time, but there comes a time in a show where the writing isn’t always on point. I’m not an angered or raged fan who was disappointed with the writing. I am a screenwriter who believes in a clean story that makes sense. This didn’t even touch the word sensible. This threw out the rules and ignored any other story Once focused on prior. Let me also say, as a fan of Once Upon a Time, this can be stomached, but from a writer's perspective, this story was all over the place.

         In the last entry, I already emphasized what had been happening so far in season five that didn’t work. Let’s make a list to make this easier to understand and focus on one part of the show because now that Once Upon a Time has jumbled most of their characters up, this gets hard to follow.

         One: Robin Hood.

Robin Hood and Regina’s love story was made to be huge and epic in Season Three and it could’ve been an amazing story but they wrote in a baby with Zelena and not to mention, Robin Hood became a damsel in distress one too many times. Then, in season five, Robin Hood and Regina fell short in Hook and Emma’s shadows the whole time. Eventually, the writers decided to kill off Robin Hood at the wrong time, thinking they could make up for it with a noble death by having him sacrifice himself to protect Regina. The death did not work in the season because Robin Hood and Regina’s story wasn’t given remotely enough screen time for fans to really feel devastated by the loss. And it was a great loss. Robin Hood was an important character.

         Two: Rumplestiltskin.

                  After years of trying to better himself and fighting for Belle, trying to be a better man for Baelfire and Belle, Rumplestiltskin is still the meanest evil son of gun on the show. In fact, his character development is almost no longer existent. He’s manipulative and heartless and family doesn’t matter to him anymore. He doesn’t care what happens to Henry, who by the way, I remind you is Neal’s son and Rumplestiltskin’s grandson. Rumplestiltskin is one of the most selfish characters on Once Upon a Time and after writing his character development, he is now just a constant problem with his own hidden agendas. The sadder part is that he justifies his actions to protect Belle, but he is power hungry always and his character is getting SUPER PREDICTABLE. In this two hour season finale, he made a deal with the new villain of the story and once again, left the others hanging. That move is as old as he is.

         Three: Henry Mills

                  In the season finale this time, the writers ruined Henry Mills’ all together. At times in this two-hour finale, Henry was a child trying to do his own thing and acted immature. In season four the writers gave Henry an amazing transformation. He had so much potential to turn into something great and be part of the team in a big way, but they quickly eliminated that idea when he broke the pen. Season Five left Henry behind and may I remind you that he started the whole show by bringing Emma to Storybrooke. Instead in this finale, to make up for how much they put Henry on the backburner, they decided to put him on a small adventure to destroy magic with his new girlfriend, Violet. Guess what? He succeeds at destroying magic because he thinks it is destroying his family and when he does so, he realizes it was a mistake. So they gave Henry a grand speech at a fountain in New York City telling all of the people magic is real so he can bring magic back. Unfortunately, it would’ve been a great scene if Henry hadn’t been forgotten most of the season and they tried to rush his character development at the last minute to make up for what happened. The scene was sad really since it was placed in a weird spot of the episode. A moment like that is more reserved for a climax and in reality, the timing was off as well as the character development didn’t work out well for Henry to be able to give that speech quite yet. In fact, his relationship with Emma suffered a lot this season and so did him and Regina. It’s quite tragic when one of the biggest protagonists on the show who started it all, a smart ten-year-old kid now gets left behind in most of the stories. It’s really tragic when the older he gets, the more Emma and Regina tell him to stay out of the adventures.

         Four: Regina’s Story

                  In the two-hour season finale, the biggest worry for Emma was whether or not Regina would become evil. The only great performance delivered in this finale was Lana Parrilla and Jennifer Morrison’s team-up and Lana delivering a monologue about how she feared the evil queen would come out of her again. It was a vulnerable moment for Regina and it worked. They spent quite a bit on this episode for Regina’s development since Robin Hood died, but it was rushed as well since once again, I must emphasize the focus on Hook and Emma this season.

         Five: The Two-Hour Season Finale!

                  The season finale opened up with what looked to be a brief shower of magic that Rumplestiltskin brought into the Olympian crystal. Killing off the villain, Hades before the season finale was not the smartest writing choice because they considered him the villain of Season 5B and after being in the Underworld and making him a huge deal, they killed him quickly. So once again, they used Rumplestiltskin to move their plot along because that always seems to work since he’s always a villain. Zelena, being the do-gooder she is now, sends Merida and the others back home before Storybrooke might possibly be destroyed. Henry and Violet leave on a bus to New York City so Henry can figure out how to destroy magic. He steals the Olympian crystal from Rumplestiltskin by writing in a book and Rumplestiltskin, Emma, and Regina all go looking for Henry. Rumplestiltskin wants to find Henry to get the crystal back, but Emma and Regina are searching for him to save him. Meanwhile, Charming, Zelena, Snow, and Hook end up sucked into a portal into another realm. This realm is dark and strange. It doesn’t look like the Enchanted Forest, so no one knows what it is.

         They end up captured by someone from the house they are near and trapped into a cage. When Henry took the crystal out of Storybrooke, Emma and Regina find out that all of Storybrooke’s magic is in the crystal, therefore magic exists outside of Storybrooke now. Their powers work out in New York City as well as Gold’s. Emma and Regina plot to stop Rumplestiltskin, but they can’t outsmart him. Henry and Violet end up ambushed by Rumplestiltskin at the library where he takes the crystal back. Henry finds a series of more storybooks in the library labeled the same way as his. They are different stories that he didn’t know existed with different lands. There is a great insert into season six.

         Now, the first impression of this annoying new villain gave off a very Dracula vibe. Sam Witwer plays the new villain and he confronts David, Snow, Hook, and Zelena in the prison he trapped them in to ask them what they are doing in his realm. This nerdy doctor helps them escape. The writers decided to bring in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The land that the others were trapped in was a land of untold stories. It was like a safe haven for people who have long been forgotten, once again trying to set up the new story for season six. Dr. Jekyll separates himself from Hyde already messing up that well-known storyline so Hyde can roam free. Jekyll escapes with help from the others and takes them through the new land to help them return back to their home.

         When Emma and Regina try to stop Rumplestiltskin, it doesn’t work. Henry destroys magic. Henry does a selfish thing, making his character look bad and childish at that. He starts to appear like he’s more in the way and not a hero than the kid with the heart of the truest believer. That’s been thrown out the window. So to save it, they go to the Red Dragon but magic doesn’t work. Henry and Emma use the fountain in the middle of New York City to make wishes on pennies to restore magic. Since it still doesn’t restore it, Henry runs up the steps and yells at the people of New York and tells them that magic is real, which is a ridiculous scene because it’s over dramatic and it isn’t the right time to give that moment to Henry yet. A move like that would’ve been best reserved for when Henry stopped believing in magic and he had to develop himself throughout the season. Somehow magic is restored when all the people make wishes and a portal opens to return Hook and the others to Emma. To save what the writers did, the people of New York only see it as a magic trick and nothing more.

         Rumplestiltskin yet again, could’ve solved the trouble of having Hyde involved in this show by killing him on the spot, but rather than doing so, what does he do? Predictable. Rumplestiltskin makes a deal with Hyde so he can save Belle. What was the deal exactly? He was selfish yet again and didn’t care what happened to the others.

         Hyde was granted passage to Storybrooke along with all of the other characters from the land of untold stories so that Hyde can become the villain of the new season. Once again Rumplestiltskin puts everyone in danger with his own agenda. On top of that, Regina split herself in two, separating her darkness, which has now come back out to play, so there’s that moving part.

         Maleficent and Lily’s story was thrown out the window this season entirely. At the end of season four, Lily asked to stay in Storybrooke to search for her father, but that was never touched upon. Robin Hood’s death was only tragic because Regina and him weren’t remotely given enough development to make it an even worthy execution of his character. The big bad of Season 5B, Hades, was killed before the season finale, which yet again, that build up was worth nothing. He wasn’t even an admirable foe for Rumplestiltskin. I’m going to stress after five seasons how frustrating it gets that Rumplestiltskin always overpowers Regina and Emma. Emma is the savior and she is light magic and she can’t stop Rumplestiltskin ever.

         The writers had so much potential this season. Camelot would’ve been an excellent storyline, but they had that fall apart the moment Captain Hook killed the most powerful sorcerer of all time. Merlin was built up for part of season four and through season five until Emma finally met him. He was the key to saving her from darkness and he created the dagger and Excalibur. Merlin was a powerful sorcerer and they just killed him. Emma Swan took in the darkness at the end of season four to save her family and rather than giving us a true Dark One, Emma wasn’t nearly as evil as expected. They built that exciting concept up for a whole summer for nothing. The Underworld would’ve been better embraced had the story hadn’t been about saving Hook so much. There was a lot of potential there and once again, to try and make up for Henry’s story arc, they reintroduced the quill.

         While Victoria Smurfit was a wonderful Cruella De Vil in Season Four, she was rather a pest in the Underworld. Her character was almost unnecessary. Cora seemed rather worth having for part of the time since it pushed along Zelena and Regina’s development in a small way. Peter Pan was a great addition to the Underworld because he was one of the best-written villains on the series, but Rumplestiltskin didn’t even play much verbal judo with him. It was as if Pan wasn’t much of a challenge at all. On top of that, Hercules was in one episode. When you write about Hades and the Underworld, you expect Zeus and Hercules. They could’ve done so much with Hercules and Hades, but Hades became the epicenter of it all with his ridiculous love plot with Zelena and Hercules got kicked to the curb after one episode. Then to eliminate a loose end with King Arthur, Hades kills him to make it easier for the writers to not have to deal with that loose end.

         Moving parts are fine if they have a purpose. Let me assure you of what worked for Once Upon a Time prior to Season Five.

         In season two, the cliffhanger into season three was Henry got captured by Pan’s minions. Teaming up to save him was not only Emma, Snow, and David, but Rumplestiltskin, Hook, and Regina. It gave a great lead in for the new season and to where they were going as well as Neal got shot, but he ended up in the Enchanted Forest, which was another great part. While Once moved around in three different locations: Neverland, Enchanted Forest, and Storybrooke, those moving parts made sense because all of them pushed the same story along. Neal wanted to save Henry. It also introduced Robin Hood into the show. Belle was still in Storybrooke, which helped move that along.

         In season three, the finale ended with Marian coming back with Emma and Hook, which left the fans with a good dramatic tension between Robin Hood and Regina. There was also tension between Regina and Emma for season three. Season three also left the fans with Hook and Emma’s love arc beginning. On top of that, they introduced Elsa as the new arc for season four. Those moving parts, once again, were okay. They all pushed the story along.

         In season four…these moving parts were absolutely fantastic! They had so much potential to work with. Rumplestiltskin was in a preservative state and his heart was pure white. He was given a clean slate to work with. Henry was chosen to be the next author. While he did break the quill, that was an excellent character arc. Robin Hood and Regina had to deal with the fact that Zelena was back and she was pregnant with Robin’s baby. Now while that particular subplot was a weird one, the writers managed to write that out better than expected. Lastly, Emma Swan became the Dark One. That was by far one of the best cliffhangers in the entire series and there was finally a motion to the sorcerer and the sorcerer’s hat. Once was going to Camelot and finding Merlin. Once was going to an epic, well-known story and the payoff was just not worth it.

         Season Five has left many moving parts, but none of them make any sense at this point. Hyde doesn’t seem like a worth adversary and more than likely, Regina’s doppelganger arc will fall short as well. There is hope in the doppelganger storyline because that’s always an interesting game to play in any show. Right now, Once Upon a Time, while I do love the series had spent most of Season Five demolishing the Camelot plot and Underworld. The characters such as Henry, Regina, Robin Hood, Snow, and Charming have become insignificant this season in Hook and Emma’s shadows. While I do love Hook and Emma, they aren’t the foundation of this show. At this point, I’m still remaining hopeful that Once Upon a Time can pull itself together to stick around longer, but if you’re going to add in Jekyll and Hyde, there might as well be Dracula and turn it into a circus.

I do regrettably say all of this because I love this show more than anything. That’s exactly why it devastates me to say any of this because this show is fantastic and Once Upon a Time always manages to surpass expectations somehow. While some fans might’ve liked what happened in the season finale, there was nothing grand about it, and nothing truly shocking. For my love of this show and my love of writing, especially television writing, I am still hopeful that Once Upon a Time can rise back up and salvage the characters they lost behind because the truth is, while there is a land of untold stories of all the characters that were forgotten, most of the characters except for Hook and Emma got put in that land along time ago.

                 

The Ups and Downs: Once Upon a Time

Warning: This entire entry contains spoilers on Season Five of Once Upon a Time! 


Sometimes in television, especially when a series lasts for longer than two seasons, there is going to be some struggles with the story down the road. With a series like Once Upon a Time, the show has the ability to play off of some great stories since the series is about fairy tales and Disney films. So far, the series has done wonderfully with Snow White and Prince Charming, Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio, and Rumplestiltskin. The show hit a home run with The Wicked Witch of the West in season three and Peter Pan as well. The show continued their streak with the fantastic telling of Frozen in season four and brought in Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, and Ursula for some exciting challenges. 

Part of the reason Frozen worked out so well in Once was for the fact that the casting director did a phenomenal job at finding their Elsa, Anna, and Snow Queen. Georgina Haig was a fantastic Elsa and connected well with Jennifer Morrison on the screen. Their chemistry was as fantastic as Robert Carlyle teaming up with team of villains in the second half of the season. Once worked out a chilling end to the season four story arc by leaving a number of wonderful things into play. Zelena, the Wicked Witch, returns pregnant with Robin Hood's baby. Henry Mills is now the author of the storybook. The major curveball in the finale was when Rumplestiltskin almost died and the apprentice purified his heart by removing the darkness, putting Rumple in a preservative state. Emma Swan took in the darkness with the dagger and a vortex transported her to the chamber. For the whole summer before the season five premiere, there was plenty of buzz on the new evil Dark Swan. Images popped up of her appearance and a teaser video showed her dark persona. The creators were showcasing the exciting and thrilling new season with an evil female lead. 

The unfortunate truth of Season Five was that the story turned out to be a tragedy. While Horowitz and Kitsis have done a phenomenal job on the series, they built up season five for a let down. The fans had a lot to look forward to in the new season when the creators brought in Merlin (Elliot Knight), King Arthur (Liam Garrigan), and Camelot. Every show, however, has a downfall season and Once has reached its challenging story arc to come out of. While The Dark Swan teasers revealed an evil Emma Swan, which would've added a fantastic character development, Emma Swan was in fact, not as evil as people discovered. The first part of the season took place in Storybrooke and Camelot. Once again, the writers brought in the memory loss story where everyone lost their memories from six weeks ago after Emma cast a curse on them to forget what happened in Camelot. The big flaw with that story is because Season 1 was the main platform for memory loss and then, in season 3, they played that story again. 

On top of that, Henry was considerably downplayed this entire season. The writers made him the Author and after he broke the quill, it almost appeared as if they didn't want to focus on Henry at all in season five. Henry Mills was the reason Emma Swan came to Storybrooke and yet, the writers acted as if he has become of less importance to the series entirely. They did their best to involve him in Camelot by giving him a love interest and even made up for the story slightly by writing in an episode where Emma and Henry reach an impasse after Emma breaks his heart. One of the positives of the new season is Regina Mills. The Evil Queen has grown considerably throughout the show and she got the opportunity to play a hero more so in this season than any other. For the first time ever, she was pinned against Emma now that the savior was the Dark Swan, so instead of struggling with her vengeance and pain, Regina now had to face a new foe. She had to learn to be a savior for herself and her town. Once also downplayed the males this season by making Prince Charming, Robin Hood, and Captain Hook seem weaker than the women. Speaking of which, nothing strained the season this year more than Hook and Emma.

The writers revolved their whole season five around Emma Swan and Captain Hook. The biggest mistake for this story arc was that the other character developments got left behind. They tried to make up for it this season by giving Regina the opportunity to be a hero, but Zelena almost seemed unnecessary. She was the odd one out, just causing strain on Robin Hood and Regina, but not really doing damage like she used to. Then, they decided to make Zelena turn on the others by helping King Arthur. Another way Once tried to make up for the story focus on Captain Swan was by having Rumple have character development. He woke up and was now a hero instead of a villain. However, Rumple was a coward and almost seemed of little importance to the show. 

Here's one of the biggest positives to season five. The casting director did another phenomenal job bringing in Amy Manson to play Merida. While Merida didn't seem to fit in quite right, she made herself at home in a strong fashion. The actress delivered beautifully and had absolutely phenomenal chemistry with Jennifer Morrison. The only trouble with Merida later on in the season was when they wrote one episode for her, the story didn't quite fit in the middle of season five. Her back story episode was in the middle of a major plot point between Hook and Emma. One of the better options would've been to build Merida up as part of the group rather than give her a filler episode that made her seem smaller than most of the characters in the show. Someone as strong as Merida deserves more attention than was granted to her. Amy Manson was an excellent choice for this character, so she deserved some more screen time. Unfortunately, it wasn't Manson's fault that the story was jumbled in season five.

One of the biggest problems with season five was Camelot. King Arthur, though Liam Garrigan was another excellent choice for the character, Arthur became one of the most hated characters on the entire show. The writers made him more of a villain than a hero, which is okay since they went with another story. However, Arthur inevitably became a character that was more of an annoyance than a good story plot. He was quite agitating in his portrayal as the king who was mad that his sword was broken in half and power hungry. There was nothing dynamic about his character which isn't always the fault of the actor. In the second half of the season, the writers decided to kill off King Arthur in an instant as Hades killed him. In that one scene, it seemed like a quick fix or a solution to tie up a loose end as season five is coming to a close. 

Merlin was excellently cast with Elliot Knight, however, the biggest problem with Merlin's story is that for part of season four, the creators built him up to be the most powerful sorcerer of all. He created the dagger. He was in love with the first Dark One and he made Excalibur. When Emma saved him from being trapped in the tree, Merlin had the chance to establish his power. He aided Emma in retrieving the spark and helped her eliminate the darkness. The only problem with Merlin was that the writers built him up for nothing. There was a phenomenal storyline between Merlin being in love with Nimue, the first Dark One. It added a great dynamic and a great back story as to why Merlin created the dagger to tether the Dark One to it. However, here is where the problem came. Merlin was the big hero to save Emma from the darkness and he fails because Hook almost dies and Emma decides to turn Hook into another Dark One in order to save him. Hook ends up becoming super evil and betrays Emma and out of all the people to kill Merlin, Dark Hook does.

First off, Once threw a massive curveball in the "Broken Kingdom" episode when the fans realized everything Emma was doing in the end was because she was protecting her true love. In reality, Emma wasn't the Dark One after all. A part of her was still operating on good intentions, but when she turned Hook into another Dark One by tethering him to Excalibur, she was selfish. The writers put a lot of energy into Hook and Emma that all of the other characters essentially became insignificant. What has been overwritten is death. Hook has died a few times on the show, so when Emma stabbed him with Excalibur to destroy the darkness in the winter finale, "Swan Song", the death didn't feel surprising. However, the scene was emotional to the point where fans could truly connect to Colin O'Donoghue and Jennifer Morrison's beautiful performance. Hook wouldn't stay dead for long and here is why. 

After spending pretty much the entire first half of season five focusing on Hook and Emma's love story, there was no way the writers would eliminate O'Donoghue from the show for good.

Season 5A had a lot of potential with Camelot, which was barely visited. The first half had potential with Emma Swan by giving her the chance to become Dark Swan, but the writers lacked in that area. Hook's portrayal of the Dark One was rough around the edges because the writers spent a huge portion of time on developing Emma as evil and Hook's time as the Dark One was rushed and the justification for Hook's darkness was basically a reminder that he was once already a villain prior to loving Emma. To some of the fans, Hook also was a love sick puppy dog for part of the show and it does seem some of the male characters have fallen in the shadows of the powerful women. There is nothing wrong with a powerful woman, but the reason the show was phenomenal from the beginning was that the men and women on the show were equally strong. What helped a little with Prince Charming this season was teaming him up next to King Arthur briefly, but he inevitably fell behind much like Robin Hood. 

A tale as old as time. Rumplestiltskin also ends up taking the darkness back in so he can be the Dark One again. First off, this works just fine because Robert Carlyle will and always will be an incredible Dark One, but the writers also built up a potential good Rumple to eliminate that entirely in one instant. Even good Rumple was power hungry. Then, the idea was the Underworld for Season 5B. This also had potential because now the writers could've tapped into Hercules, Hades, and gods. Once again, the writers destroyed the entire Underworld concept. The concept was for the team to go down to the Underworld to rescue Hook.

Great! Let's invite Hercules too! And Hades! Once also reached its 100th episode this season and to make up for where the story was going, they invited some old characters back to try and make the 100th episode seem somewhat strong. The return of Robbie Kay's Peter Pan was an excellent choice even if he ended up dying in the long run for good. Let me save you the trouble of the fact that Emma does find Hook and he returns to Storybrooke. Spoiler there! Season 5B felt extremely rough. While the finale is upon us, the writing this season has felt rushed and weak. The casting of Hades wasn't painful. Greg Germann did a fair job at playing Hades. He has a creepy and quiet darkness to him when he speaks softly, but the weirdest storyline to write in was his romance with Zelena. 

Hades and Zelena's romance was an odd writing move for the creators and tragically, the story didn't work. The only benefit so far to Season 5B is how Regina and Zelena have been given a great transformation. Regina and Zelena have grown close and it adds an interesting dynamic to their characters. After spending their whole lives being filled with hatred toward each other, vengeance, and power, Regina and Zelena both find a common ground this season, making them stronger characters. However, once again because the focus was on Hook and Emma, most of the characters got sidelined. They invited Hercules into the storyline and it was even magnificent that he was connected to Snow White's past, but HE WAS IN ONE EPISODE! The Underworld and Hades has everything to do with Hercules and the gods. The creators cast the actor, but kicked him out after one episode and never even involved him longer. Not to mention, Henry was able to become the author again, which, once again, it was a great idea since Henry needed to be involved more into the show. However, Henry got sidelined some more farther into the season. 

The writers also tried to add Red Riding Hood and Mulan in for one episode as well as Dorothy. It was a bold mood and in all honesty, just another filler this season much like Merida's episode. Red Riding Hood and Mulan are fan favorites, so they always deserve more screen time. Hercules could've been a fan favorite, but he served no actual purpose if he was only in one episode. Rumple's battle with Hades wasn't even that interesting and it's almost as if Rumple is getting tiring and there is no character development left for him to do since all he seems to want is more and more power. Now to add to the final part of the longest entry of my blog is ROBIN HOOD! 

Robin Hood and Regina's love story was epic in season three. Their relationship had fire and passion because they started off not really interested in each other. There was some witty banter and a lot of versatility between them. One of the weirdest storylines they put into their love arc was when Marian came back and Robin Hood had to eventually leave to New York. Later on, the writers decide to add a bizarre complication by making Marian into Zelena and Robin gets her pregnant! Suddenly, Robin Hood and Regina's relationship turns into a giant soap opera in one episode. Regina and Robin Hood took a bit of a backseat in season five which was tragic because in Season 5B in the "Last Rites" episode, Once decided to kill off Robin Hood for good. Hades kills Robin Hood when he steps in front of the blast of an Olympian crystal to protect Regina. While the death was a great sacrifice...NOTHING. There was no real sympathy to the death. Why? Here's where they messed up.

This season was about Hook and Emma. Then Hook decides to not even go back when Emma and her family leave to Storybrooke. Basically it was like making the entire trip to the Underworld a complete waste of time. There wasn't much character development for a lot of the characters. Worse: Robin Hood's death didn't even matter. His sacrifice wasn't a big deal. The writers didn't build up tension for Robin Hood and Regina. He just died. There were no previous episodes before it that suggested Robin Hood's life was in danger and that Regina might lose him. They didn't focus on their love arc at all, so when Robin sacrificed himself, there was absolutely no great feeling of sadness to his death. He just died! The writing suffered on Regina and Robin, leaving no real emotional effect on the audience when he dies. And then, what do they do? Zelena turns on Hades and kills him. Zeus pops up and returns Hook down to Earth. How rushed is that? There was no build.

The season finale is airing next week and there is no telling where the writers are going, but as a huge Once fan who feels pain writing this entry, I am hoping for a resurrection season in the fall. The writing in season five was rushed and weak. Please understand I'm not a hate fan because I love this show more than anything, but season five needed a lot of work. I'm also a fellow screenwriter and I studied film and I write novels for a living. There is nothing more important to me in writing than character development and this season was a tragedy. That is unfortunately the most brutal I would ever be to a show. I can't sugar coat how tragic the writing is this year on Once. Once again, I have to emphasize how much I love this show, but this is hard. Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis are amazing writers and have done so well with this show, so hopefully the last two episodes are going to lead us into an excellent resurrection season in the fall. 

Once Upon a Time 2 Hour Season Finale airs on ABC on Sunday May 15 at 8 pm EST