Continuing on my Once Upon a Time binge watch, I run into a patch of almost entirely good episodes after a long run of rambling inconsistency.

“Dark Hollow”:

After half a dozen episodes set exclusively in Neverland (bar flashbacks, anyway), we return to Storybrook as Ariel and Belle work to recover the artifact Rumpel needs to defeat Peter Pan. But Pan’s agents are on their trail.

Back in Neverland, Baelfire, Hook, and Emma set out to capture Pan’s shadow, hoping to use it to escape Neverland, and must battle dark magic and a whole lot of social awkwardness in the process.

I liked Belle and Ariel’s story mainly because I like Belle, and any time she gets to play the hero, I’m happy. That said, it was all a bit too quick and easy.

It’s also a bit hard to accept that a bookish woman in heals and a ditzy mermaid who doesn’t know what a shirt button is could defeat two armed, century-old agents of one of the multiverse’s most powerful magical beings through sheer brute force and determination.

It’s not that I don’t think Belle could beat those two, but it would have felt better if she’d done so using her own special knowledge and skills, as she did when she assisted Mulan and Philip.

Still, more Belle is better than less Belle, so it’s still a win on the whole.

Emma’s plot also had potential, but was too bogged down by the love triangle between her, Baelfire, and Hook.

Man, if I could ban one story-telling device, it would be love triangles. They are so overused and utterly tiresome. I’m sure someone out there finds this kind of story appealing, but I can’t for the life of me find any value of them. Add to that the fact that one third of the triangle is someone I don’t care about at all (Emma), another is someone I find only marginally less irrelevant (Baelfire), and the third is someone I dearly want to see fall into industrial machinery (Hook), and just… ugh. Make it stop.

But hey, at least there was Belle.

Overall rating: 7/10

“Think Lovely Thoughts”:

Once Upon a Time has odd pacing. Here we are in the middle of a season, and yet this episode has the kind of epic scale, drama, and major revelations you normally only see in season finales.

Pan has reached the endgame. He plans to sacrifice Henry to achieve ultimate power, but Emma, Rumpel, Regina, and company are hot on his trail.

Meanwhile, a series of flashbacks delves into Rumpelstitlskin’s childhood, his first encounter with Neverland, and the true nature of Peter Pan.

At the risk of being cliche, there was nary a dull moment in this episode. There was plenty of action and suspense, and some very good twists and revelations.

I liked the actor they got to play Rumpel’s father, too. You could see a real resemblance between him and the adult Rumpel in terms of mannerisms — similar laugh, too.

My only complaint is that it’s a bit hard to believe Henry was foolish enough to fall for Pan’s lies. Henry is usually shown to be smarter than that.

Overall rating: 8.1/10

“Save Henry”:

You’ll never guess what they’re trying to do in this episode.

…

All right, sorry.

So, yes, the race is on to save Henry before Pan can fully absorb the power of his heart, gaining unlimited power at the cost of Henry’s life.

No one is more determined than Regina, and for once, her ruthlessness might just save everyone.

Our flashbacks this time chronicle Regina’s adoption of Henry and the early days of their life together. It’s not really that interesting a story, and it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already surmise — Regina was kind of cold as a mother but came to love him — but Lana Parilla puts on a very strong performance, so that makes it worthwhile.

As is often the case with Once Upon a Time, this episode doesn’t quite live up to the epic expectations set by the last episode, but it’s still mostly enjoyable.

I continue to be impressed with Pan as a villain. Not only is he incredibly cruel and genuinely frightening, but he’s also fiercely clever and persistent. Every time you think he’s lost, it turns out he’s still two steps ahead.

Overall rating: 7.3/10

“The New Neverland”:

By the relatively modest standards of Once Upon a Time, this is an intense season so far.

Emma and company have returned to Storybrook, and joyful reunions abound. But Emma is not content. She can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t her happily ever after, that something terrible is imminent.

Emma’s anxiety is well-founded. Pan, within Henry’s body, wastes no time in enacting his plan to control Storybrook and turn it into a new Neverland. Emma has her suspicions, but by the time she can prove anything, it may be too late.

Meanwhile, the flashbacks this time are a fairly random tale of Snow and Charming facing down the Medusa in an ill-conceived attempt to gain a weapon for use against Regina.

This is another episode that feels more like a season finale than anything, complete with nail-biting cliff-hanger. Once again, Pan proves himself two steps ahead of our heroes.

The death of the Blue Fairy is quite shocking, though with the abundance of magic she could always return. I somewhat hope so; she’s certainly a grave loss for Storybrook. Unless Tinkerbell gets her act together, she’s the only practitioner of light magic to be found.

However, the flashbacks feel like a waste of time. They’re not that interesting, they offer no illumination on current events, and their message of living in the moment feels completely out of place considering Emma turns out to be entirely right to be worried. If she’d taken her parents’ advice, Henry would still be stuck in Pandora’s box.

More and more I’m thinking Once Upon a Time’s traditional flashbacks have become a burden rather than an asset. They used to be my favourite part of the show, but now they just feel like distractions from the important stuff.

Best line of the series to date for Charming: “You think I’m interested in Hook? Emma, I’m a married man!”

Stupid thing that shouldn’t bother me but does: This was not accurate to the true Medusa myth.

Overall rating: 7.5/10

“Going Home”:

The best villains have a few things in common. They’re despicable, they’re powerful, and they require tremendous sacrifices in order to defeat.

All of these things are true of Peter Pan. “Going Home” focuses on the last ditch effort of the people of Storybrook to prevent Pan’s curse, which will render them all his slaves in a new Neverland. Even if they succeed, many will lose everything in the process.

This episode once again shows Pan to be epitome of cruelty and ruthless self interest, and illustrates that his centuries of life have allowed him to plan ahead for nearly every eventuality.

Yet in the end the most memorable thing about this episode is not Pan, but what has to be sacrificed to stop his plans, even after he’s no longer a threat. Stellar performances from Regina, Rumpel, and Belle make for an incredibly powerful episode.

This is another episode that could have worked well as a season finale, or even a series finale. But to some extent this episode’s strength is also its weakness. It’s a spectacular, beautifully bittersweet ending… but it’s still an ending.

Yet the show isn’t over. We don’t even need to skip ahead to the next episode to see proof of that. Undoubtedly the status quo — or something resembling it — will return before long. I suspect even Rumpel’s death will likely prove as temporary as the Blue Fairy’s.

That rather sucks the impact out of what is otherwise an absolutely stellar episode.

Overall rating: 7.9/10

“New York City Serenade”:

Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if they had used this opportunity to shift the focus entirely to the Enchanted Forest, so we’d never have to see Emma again?

I had that thought before watching this episode, so it’s not a commentary on it, but nonetheless, “New York City Serenade” is a good illustration of why the series would be better off without Emma.

Once again, the story is split between worlds and times: a forgetful Emma beset by Hook in the now, and the former residents of Storybrook trying to build a new life for themselves in the Enchanted Forest a year ago.

The Enchanted Forest plot is great. We’ve got Regina tearing out her own heart to deal with the pain of losing Henry, Belle and Baelfire plotting to bring back Rumpelstiltskin, and the mystery of a new dark power in the Forest.

Though admittedly the flying monkeys are a bit of a dead giveaway. Can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea of bringing in the Wizard of Oz — that’s a bit too modern for my taste. At the very least, they should have spent a few episodes dealing with the aftermath of recent events before adding a new threat.

Kudos for making something as ridiculous as flying monkeys actually scary, though.

Also, Baelfire looks surprisingly dapper in fantasy clothes. In real world garb, he looks like a hobo who recently won the lottery, but put him in a tunic and cape and suddenly he looks heroic. I don’t get it.

On the other hand, Emma’s side of the story is just bad. No other way to put it. It’s little more than a retread of the first season in miniature. It’s full of Hook stank. Too much time wasted on Emma’s new boyfriend. And Emma just isn’t interesting enough to carry a story like this. Three seasons in, and her acting is still flat as day-old soda.

Also, dem plot holes. After more than a year, no else took Baelfire’s apartment? The cops didn’t search Hook when they arrested him?

The best part of the plot was seeing Emma and Henry play Diablo III. The fact that Emma plays a wizard is my favourite thing about her to date.

Overall rating: 7/10

We now embark on the third season of Once Upon a Time. It’s once again a hit and miss situation, with some very good episodes and some not so good episodes.

“The Heart of the Truest Believer”:

Well, we’re only one episode in, but so far this is an improvement over last season.

Season three picks up immediately after the end of season two, with the search for Henry in Neverland. While Henry himself tries to escape the Lost Boys, Rumpelstiltskin strikes off on his own, and the party from Storybook battles both the hostile environment of Neverland and each other.

Meanwhile, Baelfire awakens in the Enchanted Forest and tries to find his way back to Emma.

I quite like Neverland so far. It’s an embodiment of the darker side of fairy tales, a strange and capricious place, and Pan himself is a shockingly ruthless twist on the traditional story.

I also quite enjoyed seeing Greg and Tamara get their just deserts. Though on the downside, Hook is still breathing.

Also, Mulan is back in the picture. Huzzah!

My only complaints are that I don’t buy Emma endangering herself as a good way to get the team to work together — why do Hook and Regina care? — and the way Neverland keeps jumping between being a jungle, a deciduous Forest, and British Columbia.

Overall rating: 7.8/10

“Lost Girl”:

Peter Pan likes to play games. Head games, specifically.

He gives Emma a map that will supposedly lead her to Henry, but only if she accepts who she really is. Clearly some soul-searching is in order — not something Emma is very good at.

Meanwhile, we have a series of flashbacks showing a time when Snow had similar problems.

I’m starting to wonder if the flashbacks have outlived their welcome. I wouldn’t say they’ve become a detriment to the show, per se, but they also don’t seem to be adding much. There was a time they were essential to understanding the story and its characters, but that seems to be rarely true, if ever, these days.

Otherwise, this is about as good as an Emma episode ever gets. I still like how strange and creepy Neverland and Pan are.

Overall rating: 7.1/10

“Quite a Common Fairy”:

At Hook’s suggestion, Emma and company seek the aid of the one resident of Neverland who might help them track down Pan: Tinkerbell.

But Tink and Regina have history, so it’s not going to be easy.

Meanwhile, Baelfire tries to talk Robin Hood into helping him with a risky scheme to reach Neverland.

The main storyline of this episode was pretty weak, honestly. What Regina did wasn’t even that bad, by Regina standards, so that robbed the plot of much of its power.

On the other hand, a lot of the side plots and nods to the future were intriguing. Not sure whether to believe Pan about Henry being the saviour of magic; it makes sense, but Pan is a bloody sociopath, and it’s hard to believe anything he says.

Also, apparently Robin Hood is Regina’s soulmate. That’s… unexpected. Does seem to give lie to Tinkerbell’s comment, though. I don’t get the impression Robin’s life is all sunshine and lollipops, but it definitely doesn’t look “ruined,” either.

Also, remember how I said Mulan and Aurora were another goldmine for femslash fans? Heh, funny how things work out.

For my part, I think Mulan can do much better, though.

I do hope Baelfire’s departure doesn’t mean we have to wait another season to see Mulan again. She’s just far too badass to be as much of a background element as she is.

Overall rating: 7/10

“Nasty Habits”:

Proving themselves to have more sense than the Bush administration, Emma’s party decide they need to have an exit strategy before they confront Pan. They seek out the cave Baelfire inhabited when he lived in Neverland in search of clues, but without Baelfire, they can make no sense of what they find.

Meanwhile, Rumpel and Baelfire have a family reunion, but it doesn’t end well, and a series of flashbacks shows Rumpel and Pan have history — who doesn’t have history with Rumpel?

This is one of those weird episodes where a lot happened, but nothing really happened. The pacing was fast and we had all kinds of confrontations and reversals, but in the end, nothing has really changed. Emma and co. are still up a creek without a paddle when it comes to rescuing Henry, Rumpel is still struggling to do the right thing but will probably fail, and Henry is still Pan’s prisoner.

In the end, it just seems like filler.

Overall rating: 6.8/10 I miss Mulan already.

“Good Form”:

There’s a good little plot nestled in this episode about Emma’s party trying to get a message to Henry. Seeing them stoop to Regina’s dark magic was quite a nice piece of drama and a needed justification for Regina’s presence in this journey.

However, most of the screen time goes to Hook, and by now, my feelings on him are clear. What’s amazing, though, is that they managed to make this even worse than a Hook-heavy episode ought to be.

The general message of “Good Form” is that Hook isn’t such a bad guy after all.

I call BS.

Hook has, from the very beginning, been consistently portrayed as selfish and craven in the extreme. This is someone who was willing to do anything, hurt anyone, in order to satisfy his own petty need for retribution. This is the guy who was a good friend of Cora’s. He’s deceitful, cruel, and selfish. That’s the character they’ve established.

So the idea that he was once a noble soldier for the king, that there’s a man of honour buried underneath all that roguishness, is laughable.

Emma beginning to fall for him was also cringe-inducing, though at least that makes a certain kind of sense. Emma has long been shown to be fairly lacking in both intelligence and good judgment.

Overall rating: 5/10 Very poor form indeed.

“Ariel”:

Snow White isn’t very good at keeping secrets. As a result, Emma soon learns that Baelfire is, in fact, alive and in Neverland, and the party sets off to find him. Setting him free will require more secrets to come to light, as each party member must utter their darkest and most terrible secret to unlock his prison.

Meanwhile, Regina strikes off to join forces with Rumpel against Pan, and in the Enchanted Forest’s past, a mermaid named Ariel — yes, that Ariel — becomes entangled in the conflict between Regina and Snow.

This is another of those episodes I hate reviewing because it lacks both major blunders and notable stand-out moments. It’s neither great nor terrible — merely adequate.

I found Ariel a bit insipid, but as a link between worlds, she could serve an interesting role in the plot. I’m also a bit curious if Ursula the sea goddess will play any role going forward, or if that’s just something the writers threw in for fun.

And Emma confessing her feelings for Baelfire was a bit nice purely because it makes Hook unhappy.

I really don’t like him.

Overall rating: 7/10

…Why do they call it the Little Mermaid, anyway? I’ve never actually seen it, but in the photos, she looks normal-sized. Not really sure what normal size is for a mermaid, though, I guess.