OUaTiW 1x11: Heart of the Matter
Aug. 10th, 2020 10:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedi_of_urth posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tori_reviewsOUaTiW 1x11: Heart of the Matter
This is one of the episodes I actually remember fairly well from when it first aired; I could have only specifically recalled a few moments, but as I watched the end I also had some things about my initial reaction click into place. The ending was so surprising and sudden that it definitely stuck in my head, and the other bits were mostly about connection to the main series.
And on reflection with the benefit of looking back and analyzing and having less distraction or as many other things I'm paying so much attention to, I conclude that none of it quite works. But I also don't think it's the problem. Or at least not the root cause, but a symptom of the problem with this episode shifting gears into the final string of episodes. I could maybe summarize it as having not enough plot but too much story to finish out the season.
For example there isn't a lot of plot in Alice and Cyrus taking a side trip to Storybrooke, but there could be a lot of story. This world that is unlike anything they have known (though apparently the Rabbit does) and we could be seeing what they're interested in or scared of, drawn to or makes them glad they don't live here, have them getting more caught up in Will's life here or taking the time to reflect on whether it was better or worse that he left it. That's all story; but the plot is just: go to Rabbit's, go to Storybrooke, find Will's very obvious hiding place, return to Wonderland; no trouble along the way, no distractions, just getting stuff done. So the plot is stretched with them not looking in the obvious place for Will's heart, but it does basically nothing for other elements of a well crafted story.
Most of Will and Ana's stuff this episode feels like it's spinning its wheels and just waiting around for Jafar, easily the character with the most agency, to come back and move the story forward. And then the end is just rushed, because these two don't work well as a ship, not yet. Sure he'd be upset at her death, but the stuff leading up to it was too sudden for me to be into.
And oddly enough, the attempted buildup is actually what makes it less believable. The flashbacks only continue to convince me the were dumb kids when they ran off together without thinking of the consequences, that Anastasia was selfish when she chose the king (I'd call her practical or careful if that was what I meant, she was just selfish), and even if she had gone back to Will something else would have broken them up soon enough. And her actions this episode are the first inklings of her being less selfish, in general and regarding him specifically. So for the narrative to turn around and have them making out as soon as he got his heart back doesn't work for me. Plus, you know, the fact that she's a multiple murderer by this point; I'm sure his hands aren't exactly clean, but this isn't meant to be a hot sexy evil (or at least morally compromised) couple, we're supposed to buy into them as a hero pair finally reunited and I don't.
Like in their previous flashback episode, I don't buy these two as ever having had a real loving relationship. I do blame a decent chunk of that on the acting (or whoever decided how the characters should be played), because neither of them seem to quite know how to play the younger versions of their characters (maybe they're likewise confused how long ago it was supposed to be) but unfortunately not for the same reasons. And this time around I think more of the fault goes to the actor playing Will. He's playing an entirely different character, one who acts like a moody teenager but still looks like he's 30 and so just seems kind of dumb. Yes I would expect him to be different, but the portrayal of past-Will is pretty bad, and/or he still has to seem changed even when he gets his heart back because he's lived some indeterminate amount of time apart from her that in any case I'm darn sure is considerably more than they were together for.
Part of the reason I put less of it on Ana this time, is because we actually see some important steps in her development; and we see her choose to take them. It does nothing to convince me she isn't entirely selfish, but we see the decisions she made. I have to admit I have no idea why the king wanted to marry her, they don't seem to have gotten to know each other by the wedding (aside from his views on magic which she's quick enough to discount), and I don't know what he gets out of their relationship. I think this show would have benefited from just owning Ana's selfish scheming ways; it would at least make her an interesting prospect for the king to marry and they would (or at least should) have felt obliged to give her a redemption arc rather that a quick forgiveness one.
By the same token, I remain very unsure how we're supposed to feel about the Sultan. Everyone this episode sees him as a poor victim of Jafar but I don't. I know they don't have all the information we have now, so it would be a plot problem if they started seeing him with the scales off their eyes, but it doesn't feel quite like tragic irony that they don't know that he's not a good guy. There actually could have been something interesting with him and Ana who have both lost their kingdoms and been confronted with the sins of their past, but he's just kind of there and they don't do anything with him except remind us that he is.
I actually want to do a little analysis of Cora in all this. If I recall correctly, blaming everything that went wrong on Cora was kind of thing on OUaT at this point in the verse's chronology, plus this is actually a logical way that connects the two series since her being in Wonderland was already part of her backstory. But her comment on how Regina had been a disappointment to her, begs the question whether she would say the same of Ana. Probably now (also, Ana only seems to have magic powers when the show wants her to; maybe don't draw a lot of attention to the fact that she's supposed to be powerful and then have her helpless in the present) but I think this episode provides a pretty good idea of the difference between her 'failed' grooming of Regina compared to her 'success' with Ana, and the characters themselves exactly. Because Cora was Regina's mother, Regina had a front row seat to her mother's cruelty and in wanting to deny her abusive mother Regina wanted to reject the magic that was so much a part of Cora. But because Ana's mother didn't have magic but was similarly abusive in different ways, Ana wanted to power to stand up to the person or people who had cast her down. And Cora, who might be just as manipulative with Ana, could none the less appear as someone who would help Ana get what she wanted instead of the person holding her back.
It turns out I have very little to say about Alice and Cyrus, I don't know what they intend to do next but there weren't a lot of thoughts inspired from this one.
This is one of the episodes I actually remember fairly well from when it first aired; I could have only specifically recalled a few moments, but as I watched the end I also had some things about my initial reaction click into place. The ending was so surprising and sudden that it definitely stuck in my head, and the other bits were mostly about connection to the main series.
And on reflection with the benefit of looking back and analyzing and having less distraction or as many other things I'm paying so much attention to, I conclude that none of it quite works. But I also don't think it's the problem. Or at least not the root cause, but a symptom of the problem with this episode shifting gears into the final string of episodes. I could maybe summarize it as having not enough plot but too much story to finish out the season.
For example there isn't a lot of plot in Alice and Cyrus taking a side trip to Storybrooke, but there could be a lot of story. This world that is unlike anything they have known (though apparently the Rabbit does) and we could be seeing what they're interested in or scared of, drawn to or makes them glad they don't live here, have them getting more caught up in Will's life here or taking the time to reflect on whether it was better or worse that he left it. That's all story; but the plot is just: go to Rabbit's, go to Storybrooke, find Will's very obvious hiding place, return to Wonderland; no trouble along the way, no distractions, just getting stuff done. So the plot is stretched with them not looking in the obvious place for Will's heart, but it does basically nothing for other elements of a well crafted story.
Most of Will and Ana's stuff this episode feels like it's spinning its wheels and just waiting around for Jafar, easily the character with the most agency, to come back and move the story forward. And then the end is just rushed, because these two don't work well as a ship, not yet. Sure he'd be upset at her death, but the stuff leading up to it was too sudden for me to be into.
And oddly enough, the attempted buildup is actually what makes it less believable. The flashbacks only continue to convince me the were dumb kids when they ran off together without thinking of the consequences, that Anastasia was selfish when she chose the king (I'd call her practical or careful if that was what I meant, she was just selfish), and even if she had gone back to Will something else would have broken them up soon enough. And her actions this episode are the first inklings of her being less selfish, in general and regarding him specifically. So for the narrative to turn around and have them making out as soon as he got his heart back doesn't work for me. Plus, you know, the fact that she's a multiple murderer by this point; I'm sure his hands aren't exactly clean, but this isn't meant to be a hot sexy evil (or at least morally compromised) couple, we're supposed to buy into them as a hero pair finally reunited and I don't.
Like in their previous flashback episode, I don't buy these two as ever having had a real loving relationship. I do blame a decent chunk of that on the acting (or whoever decided how the characters should be played), because neither of them seem to quite know how to play the younger versions of their characters (maybe they're likewise confused how long ago it was supposed to be) but unfortunately not for the same reasons. And this time around I think more of the fault goes to the actor playing Will. He's playing an entirely different character, one who acts like a moody teenager but still looks like he's 30 and so just seems kind of dumb. Yes I would expect him to be different, but the portrayal of past-Will is pretty bad, and/or he still has to seem changed even when he gets his heart back because he's lived some indeterminate amount of time apart from her that in any case I'm darn sure is considerably more than they were together for.
Part of the reason I put less of it on Ana this time, is because we actually see some important steps in her development; and we see her choose to take them. It does nothing to convince me she isn't entirely selfish, but we see the decisions she made. I have to admit I have no idea why the king wanted to marry her, they don't seem to have gotten to know each other by the wedding (aside from his views on magic which she's quick enough to discount), and I don't know what he gets out of their relationship. I think this show would have benefited from just owning Ana's selfish scheming ways; it would at least make her an interesting prospect for the king to marry and they would (or at least should) have felt obliged to give her a redemption arc rather that a quick forgiveness one.
By the same token, I remain very unsure how we're supposed to feel about the Sultan. Everyone this episode sees him as a poor victim of Jafar but I don't. I know they don't have all the information we have now, so it would be a plot problem if they started seeing him with the scales off their eyes, but it doesn't feel quite like tragic irony that they don't know that he's not a good guy. There actually could have been something interesting with him and Ana who have both lost their kingdoms and been confronted with the sins of their past, but he's just kind of there and they don't do anything with him except remind us that he is.
I actually want to do a little analysis of Cora in all this. If I recall correctly, blaming everything that went wrong on Cora was kind of thing on OUaT at this point in the verse's chronology, plus this is actually a logical way that connects the two series since her being in Wonderland was already part of her backstory. But her comment on how Regina had been a disappointment to her, begs the question whether she would say the same of Ana. Probably now (also, Ana only seems to have magic powers when the show wants her to; maybe don't draw a lot of attention to the fact that she's supposed to be powerful and then have her helpless in the present) but I think this episode provides a pretty good idea of the difference between her 'failed' grooming of Regina compared to her 'success' with Ana, and the characters themselves exactly. Because Cora was Regina's mother, Regina had a front row seat to her mother's cruelty and in wanting to deny her abusive mother Regina wanted to reject the magic that was so much a part of Cora. But because Ana's mother didn't have magic but was similarly abusive in different ways, Ana wanted to power to stand up to the person or people who had cast her down. And Cora, who might be just as manipulative with Ana, could none the less appear as someone who would help Ana get what she wanted instead of the person holding her back.
It turns out I have very little to say about Alice and Cyrus, I don't know what they intend to do next but there weren't a lot of thoughts inspired from this one.
