Monday 21 October 2013

Once Upon A Time, Season 3, Episode 4, "Nasty Habits"

Or better title, "Everyone Gets Knocked Out"

tumblr.com

Neil is kidnapped by one of Lost Boys. There's a lot of tough talk about how awesome Peter Pan is and how no one can beat him. Neil encourages the Lost Boys' monologue while he wiggles out of his ropes. Before you can say, "We can fly!" he knocks the dude unconscious and takes off into the jungle. 

Rumpelstiltskin (all fancy in his sparkle make-up and perm) arrives home and gives Baelfire the latest token from a terror stricken peasant. But poor Baelfire is tired of being The Dark One's son and wants the freedom to play with other kids. Rumpelstiltskin refuses, saying there are too many enemies who would try and hurt him.

Really? I'd bet the opposite. I would think no one would mess with him.

Mr. Gold paints his face with black lines (more make-up?) for his upcoming battle with Peter Pan. A vision of Belle arrives for a hologram therapy session. She reminds him that Henry will be his undoing. Mr. Gold tells her since Neil is dead, he has nothing to live for, and that the only way he can redeem himself is to trade his life by saving Henry.

allieiswired.com

Emma maps out Henry's rescue mission. But Tinkerbell soon finds out there is no clear plan to get off Neverland. She refuses to help until they can prove they can help her escape the island—an island she reminds us, that is full of dangerous shadow bane... or something.

On cue, Captain Sexy Eyes (CSE) shares a glance with a dying David, the latest victim of shadow bane... or something. CSE then tries to save the day and reminds them Neil somehow escaped Neverland as Baelfire.

Mr. Gold wanders the jungle and comes across two Lost Boys. He magics them unconscious and takes their spears dipped in shadow bane. Someone crashes through the bushes—it's Neil! Mr. Gold is convinced Neil is another vision, just like Belle. He attacks him with the spear, but Neil calls him Papa and the soft music begins to play in the background letting us know everything will be okay.

Rumpelstiltskin returns home from another pillaging field trip, but Baelfire is missing. He uses magic to follow his trail to a nearby village. He is shocked to find most of the boys in the town are missing. Someone is luring them out of their beds at night. It's the Piped Piper.

Neil and Mr. Gold connect the dots in a bitter sweet reunion, okay it was more like a bitter and bitterest reunion. Mr. Gold confirms the only way to beat Peter Pan is to be wiling to die. But Neil has another way. He takes his dad to the lagoon and blows a conch shell; a sound that giant squids find irresistible. They manage to wrestle a giant squid from the shore. Apparently the ink will render any magical being useless.

What? No sleeping spell or knocking it unconscious? 

Emma and the gang follow CSE to what used to be Baelfire's hideaway while he lived on Neverland. They enter the cave and see drawings on the wall. They search for a clue that will help them get off of the island.

Rumpelstiltskin tracks the Piped Piper the next night and watches from the shadows as the enchanted runaways dance around a fire. He unmasks the flute player and discovers it's Peter Pan. He of course recognizes Rumpelstiltskin from when he was a Lost Boy. Peter Pan tells him that the flute can only be heard by boys who feels unloved and lost—that's why they come to him.

Back at Peter Pan's camp on Neverland, Henry is refusing to dance with the other dudes around the fire. Peter Pan plays the flute knowing no one can resist his impersonation of Zamfir. But guess what! Henry can't hear the flute.

Peter Pan is slightly flummoxed, but he gets downright flabbergasted when he discovers Neil has escaped and that two of his guards were knocked unconscious with a sleeping spell. Peter Pan figures out Neil and Rumpelstiltskin have found each other. Now he's ready to rumble. The first thing he does is knock Henry unconscious.

Sweet Mother of God! Is there any other option on this island?

                                                                          tvfanatic.com

Emma finds a broken coconut shell with holes in it. She puts in a candle and the ceiling of the cave lights up with stars. CSE tells them it's a map back home.

See? No one was rendered unconscious and the plot still moved forward.

Mr. Gold and Neil arrive to confront Peter Pan. Neil shoots an arrow, but Pan grabs it. Neil is smug when he admits to putting the squid's ink on the handle.

Smart.

While Peter Pan's magic is rendered useless, Neil grabs Henry and flips him over his shoulder, fireman style. Peter Pan uses this moment to tell Neil about the prophecy; you know, the one about Henry being the undoing of Mr. Gold.

Neil's all like..., huh? what?  He demands answers from dear old dad. Mr. Gold confirms the seers prophecy.

Remember that episode? She had no eyes. *shivers*

Neil is upset that his dad had originally planned to kill Henry. Mr. Gold tries to explain that was before he knew Henry was his grandson, but Neil is still grossed out.

I can see his point. 


                                                                          boomtron.com

Rumpelstiltskin is shocked to see Baelfire frolicking with the other boys around the fire. He magics him back to their home, saying Peter Pan cannot be trusted. Baelfire is incensed that his dad forced him away from the maniac kidnapper instead of nicely asking him to leave.

Teenagers. *rolls eyes*

Mr. Gold tells Neil he is willing to trade his life's for Henry's. Neil hugs him, but then brings up the old story of how he chose magic over him.

God! Not that again.

Mr. Gold looks at his hand and sees a black smear. The squid ink renders Mr. Gold powerless.

How much of that ink does Niel have left anyway?

CSE dampens everyone's hopes when he lets them know that the star map is written in a code that only Baelfire would know. Emma reminds the group that Neil is dead, and she runs out of the cave weeping for the only guy she's ever loved.

At times like this, I really miss Schmexy.


Neil carries Henry though the jungle. He smiles when he comes across Emma's old camp site. Peter Pan arrives with his brood of kidnappers. “No one gets off this island without my permission,” he says.  Neil realizes Peter Pan let him go the first time, and that no one can outwit this immortal adolescent. Peter Pan smugly disappears with a STILL unconscious Henry.

He's going to have to read this blog to catch up on all the stuff he missed.

Mr. Gold regains his magic. A vision of Belle tries to comfort him, saying that he's a changed man ...a good man. And now that his son is alive, he has something to live for. Darn that prophecy! Mr. Gold has to struggle with his nasty habit of self preservation.

Seriously? That's the reason for the title?

Henry finally wakes up, back at the party of dancing boys. He thinks he just fell asleep, has no idea he's been dragged back and forth across the jungle. He says he dreamt about his dad. Peter Pan reminds him that his father is dead and his mother abandoned him.

His host skills could use a little finesse.

But Peter Pan suggests Henry can now make new dreams, and create a new family. He pulls out his flute and of course, Henry can hear the tune now. He starts to dance and get down with his bad self and all the other Lost Boys.

Where the heck is Simon to tell everyone that the beast is really just a dead pilot? Oh, sorry, wrong island.



1 comment:

Unknown said...

I love these, I really do. Your commentary is funny. But the one thing that annoys me is how you spell Bae's new name as 'Neil', when the script and everyone else spells it 'Neal'. That's the only thing grating my nerves. Otherwise, these are pretty cool. (:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...