Contributor: Edmund B.
Written by Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss
Directed by Anthony Hemingway
One of the problems “Once Upon A Time” had last season was maintaining the dramatic balance between Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land. Too often, especially during the love triangle debacle, Storybrooke paled compared to events in the Enchanted Forest. That imbalance is rearing its head again in “Child of the Moon”. While Red’s backstory adds more intriguing details, it’s weighed down by a clumsy procedural in Storybrooke.
Ruby’s fears about weathering her first full moon and lupine transformation since the curse was broken are certainly justified. The problem is the story plays out so predictably. We know the safe room’s going to prove inadequate, someone’s going to die, and Ruby’s going to be falsely accused. Even the attempt to generate some pathos with the victim falls flat. Gus’ attraction to Ruby hasn’t been played up enough to give his passing much resonance.
Also, King George coming out the shadows to confront Sheriff Charming leaves little doubt of who’s the real perpetrator. Given the King’s years as D.A., a subtler undercutting of Charming’s authority seemed possible. The new Sheriff has no experience, and the D.A. could have been beating him to the clues, especially since he did it. Instead, he becomes a cartoonish mob inciter. At first, I thought he was returning to the crude , blunt responses he was used to as King. But his machinations there had far more elegance than he shows here.
The continuation of Red’s story while she was on the run with Snow fares better. Hooking up with a good-looking pack of wolves, including her back-from-the-dead mother, may smack of playing to the “Twilight” crowd, especially airing just before the latest premiere. However, from the playful initial approach of Quinn, to the ominous intensity of her mother, Red’s initiation rings true. Their run through the woods also comes off much better than the egregious CGI of the previous episode.
Snow tracking Red to the lair, and Red being caught on the horns of a dilemma, has a certain predictability. We know what Red’s choice has to be, but, unlike in Storybrooke, it comes from staying true to the characters. Red’s story has an emotional resonance and narrative force that is lacking from the present-day story.
The solution for the current story is to get everyone back together. The diamonds/fairy dust turn out to be a McGuffin, after King George destroys the magic hat. However, while Regina and Gold are largely on the sidelines this time, their surprising collaboration to provide Henry with a protective amulet opens up communication via mutual nightmare. I hope this is the first step in reuniting the cast. They’ve done enough setup; it’s time to move the story forward.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Directing: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Total Score: 7/10
