In an odd turn of events, the 1000th day of Everyday Disney actually landed on another important day in my life: the Season 5 premiere of my favorite TV Show, Once Upon A Time. To be honest, I was kind of distracted during the episode itself, but that's what happens when you live tweet on two twitter accounts, are fangirling, and trying to actually watch the episode and make connections. Luckily, I've somehow managed to determine a few favorite moments from the premiere:
While I may have missed this spectacular shot while watching live (I happened to be sending the below tweet, which ended up being favorited by Liam (Arthur) himself, so I guess it isn't a total loss, I rewatched the scene this afternoon in the only 5 minute break I've really had all day, and I have to say that it makes WAY more sense now why my friends all went "Woahhhhh" last night. I'm honestly curious to see how this all connects, but in my opinion, it's one of the most clever integrations of another story line ever on this show. I was a bit cautious as to Camelot coming on and how they would fit with everything that's happened, but the dagger being part of Excalibur absolutely restored my faith in this new Arc.
Aside from the fact that this was clearly a CaptainSwan moment, this speech from Hook was beautifully written, and took me right back to the Season 3 premiere where Emma gave a similar speech to the people now there for her as they attempted to save Henry. Even better? This time it was a former villain turned hero giving the speech to a hero turning into a villain. As backwards as that sounds, this moment for Emma was so important. For the first time in her life, here is this person really willing to stand up for her and fight for her no matter how terrible she fears she will become. Killian isn't afraid of her, and he's not going to give up on her, and that's exactly what Emma Swan needs.
So maybe the above moment is included simply because I missed it in the episode and needed to make up for that fact by having it forever repeating on my blog. Bonus for you though! Enjoy your wink from Hook!
Sneezy dressed up as Emma was definitely a highlight of the episode for me. I love Gabe (Sneezy), and he's a wonderful person, so to see him get a hilarious moment in the spotlight was great. The fact that he was turned to stone by the new Dark One, on the other hand, was not. I may have screamed out "NOOOO" longer than was probably acceptable.
As the first official footage any of us saw of Season 5, I remember sitting in the D23 Expo OUAT Panel room with my hand over my mouth as we watched this scene. Even last night, as I watched it again, I had the same reaction. I've never been quiet about the fact that I'm a huge fan of Colin O'Donoghue, but if you don't recognize how spectauclar his acting is in this scene, then I think you need to get your eyes checked. He so perfectly portrays the underlying hurt beneath the hard exterior we've come to expect from Hook. And yet, bits of it slip out: his lashing out at Robin, his stunned silence before he ventures to the dagger, and not even the pure want for Emma to return, but the need for her to return. It's a theme we continue to see throughout the episode, and I'm so thankful for the writing for his character so far this season. We all knew Hook would be central to Emma's Dark Storyline, but his pursuit to find his Swan is brilliant on paper, and even more spectacular when O'Donoghue brings it to life. Well done, Sir!
Of course, I think a huge moment for all of us was the conclusion of the episode, where the Dark Swan finally appeared. There's definitely a lot left to be revealed this season, and I'm excited to see it all unwravel before our eyes. What did they do to Emma that caused her to curse them all back to Storybrooke? Where's Arthur? What happened in the last six weeks? What happens next? WE ALL NEED TO KNOW THE ANSWERS! On a side note, let's take a moment to appreicate two things: the OUAT Costume Department and Jennifer Morrison's acting. So much of the acting in this episode was so well done, and while I know I just ended with the Colin O'Donoghue praise, I think we need to think about just how different this is from the Emma we've seen in the last four seasons. In a matter of seconds, Morrison managed to send a shiver up my spine, and I had already prepared myself. Truth be told, I'm so ready to see where Dark Swan goes next, and I, as always, eagerly await the next episode.
Other honorable mentions:
- The Wookiee Gag Mention. Just yes Hook.
- CHIEF! As an English Major who actually really enjoyed reading Cuckoo's Nest in High School, the references to the novel whenever they enter the basement of the hospital astonish me. Cheif's presense will forever be my favorite reference in all of Once Upon A Time!
- Zelena's storyline is sure to get interesting as we move forward, that's for sure. I definitely found compassion for her in this episode I haven't felt in some time, and I have to applaud Bex for her acting as well!
- Pretty much everything Merida related! The poor brothers! Hopefully we'll find them!
- King Arthur. Just King Arthur. I knew weeks before the premiere that he would be on my favorite character list, and while he only spoke a few words, I'm definitely loving Liam in the role!
And finally, as usual, I DisneyBounded for the episode! Not surprisingly, my premiere outfit was inspired by Dark Swan, and I'm excited to share some of the other DisneyBounds I have coming up later this season!
If you watched the premiere, share your comments below! This Oncer would love to hear them!
Have a magical day!
