Once Upon a Time (TV Series) Bleeding Through (2014) User Reviews

Any stolen bleeding heart

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 18 April 2018]

When 'Once Upon a Time' first started it was highly addictive and made the most of a truly great and creative premise. Really loved the idea of turning familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time it came on and it was often a highlight of the week. Which was why it was sad when it ran out of ideas and lost its magic in the later seasons.

"Bleeding Through" is another one of Season 3's best, and like the previous episodes after the mid-season finale "Going Home" (that episode being one of the show's most special) it has been great that the second half of Season 3 has not been affected at all by the hiatus after the mid-season finale. There are instances where the less focused on ideas and characters are not as interesting as the more prominent story lines and characters, but this is very minor and only indicative that the main story is so good.

Regina is fantastically written here with some of the episode's best lines, and her relationship with Mary Margaret has moved on from the standard and repetitive it at times was before. Really loved seeing Young Cora again, having made such an impression in Season 2's "The Miller's Daughter" and "Bleeding Through" has not lost what made the character interesting and progresses her even more.

Am continuing to love the character of Zelena, who made a very big impression when she was first introduced, she is a very interesting and well written character. Peter Pan left very big shoes to fill as the villain of the first half of the season, Zelena fills them pretty brilliantly. The flashbacks are illuminating and compelling to watch, with nothing being padded out or confused, really advancing the characters.

Something that the episode overall does a very good job in, there is a good deal of progression here and new ideas introduced with great potential. Love the character relationships.

Have no qualms with the acting. Rebecca Mader, Rose McGowan and especially Lana Parrilla have the meatiest material and it shows in their acting.

Furthermore, "Bleeding Through" is a very handsomely mounted episode visually, the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully too. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.

Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue.

Overall, excellent and one of the season's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Cora's past helps explain Zelena's present, and Belle helps explain her future plans.

[Amari-Sali · 3 May 2014]

Now that I like Zelena, I sort of feel sorry for her as I do Regina in a way. Both seemingly lack any true love in their life, though Regina seems on her way to fixing this, and it seems this lack of love made them both very bitter. And while Zelena truly had no one, and Regina at least had riches and title, I'd argue the sisters aren't as different as Zelena makes them out to be.

Topic 1: I Wanted Better – Cora

A good portion of the episode has us exploring Cora's life before she seemingly inherited magical powers. Back when she was a simple miller's daughter with a desire to rise in rank. Said opportunity she thought would come in a man named Johnathan, a would-be prince who visits the pub Cora works in. She falls instantly in love with his charm, if not title, and sleeps with him. The man even says they will be engaged and he will return in two weeks, but instead she finds him two months later and learns he is but a gardener. So, she asks for assistance with said child and is slighted, so she calls out for guards and ends up getting Prince Leopold, Snow's father.

But, even with the luck of meeting the future king, there is the issue he is already bestrode to Princess Ava, Snow's mother, who is far from the sweet woman Snow remembers. She, as I think we saw in another flashback episode, is quite the brat, and not only does she expose Cora being pregnant with the gardener's child, she, in Zelena's eyes perhaps, is the reason why she was abandoned.

For this back story though, the characters on the show are actually treated to knowing as much as we do. You see, with Zelena moving about, talking as if there is something she knows that Regina doesn't, Regina decides to try to do a séance, using the candle which killed Cora, and the presence of her murderer, Snow, to summon her. At first, this doesn't work, but when Charming, Hook and Emma leave, Snow and Regina discover Cora, and after a battle, Cora possesses Snow and lets everything be known.

With this, there is a reminder that, like her mother before her, Snow has ruined a few lives, and she reminds us she still has guilt over this. She took away Regina's original shot at love, and then took away her mother from her. And while Regina is certainly no saint, it is hard to argue that Snow definitely has done enough damage to justify any hatred Regina may still bear. But, with Zelena trying to erase both of them from existence, by killing the woman who created her misery, it seems they bond over saving their futures, and forgiving one another for the past.

Topic 2: I Just Wanted To Be Loved - Regina

Their bond though is something which seemingly Regina doesn't have much faith in though. For, Zelena now has Regina's heart, Charming's Courage, Rumple's Brain, and now all she needs is for Hook to kiss Emma in order to be unstoppable. Thus leading to the need to celebrate, and since her monkey is a bit too uncouth for such, she invites Rumple to dine with her. Which, at first, he seemingly does voluntarily, if just to learn her plan. However, with her giving Rumple hope on getting Neal back, it seems like the Dark One may have found an odd ally. So, with this hope, he decides to change his tone, apologize for choosing Regina, and even comes onto Zelena and starts kissing her and getting frisky. However, we are made quick to learn that his little seduction, making her feel loved, was just to use her. And though Cora may have been naive enough to be fooled by a man, Zelena isn't much for repeating history. It seems Rumple's ruse was to get his dagger back and Zelena doesn't appreciate her being given a false taste of joy, and it being snatched away. After all, Rumple has already done this once before. So, back to his cage he is to go.

It should be noted though, Zelena isn't the only one giving the taste of a little action. With Regina's heart gone, she worries deeply for her fate. Never mind Belle finding out what spell Zelena plans to cast, Regina seemingly is more so sad that everything will be gone, and by everything, I mean her everything: Henry. For, if Zelena succeeds, she doesn't take note, at first, she may not be born, but that the Charmings will be dead, meaning her one speckle of happiness will be gone. And with her barely able to handle Zelena, much less take on her mother, and Emma not giving her much confidence, she gets the case of the blues.

Snow tries to be there for her though, and reminds her how even without a heart, Regina feels with her whole being, and that she has survived so much. And her last parting words is for her to not hold herself back. So, Regina goes out and sees Robin Hood, the man who let Rumple get her heart to save his son, who Rumple was nearly going to kill, and despite what happened, he is forgiven. Then, being that Tinkerbell noted they were fate eons ago, she decides to stop flirting back and forth, playing coy, and take a leap. She kisses him, and he returns the passion of her lips. And that was probably the hottest kiss ever seen on this show. Here is hoping to a long, happy, relationship.