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.
The first four seasons had a few ups and downs, like blips in some of the writing, effects and characters that are not as interesting or as well used as they could be, but were on the most part very solid. Many episodes being good to fantastic, with interesting spins on characters, great character interactions and performances and compelling and emotionally involving back-stories for most of the characters. So was expecting a good deal from Season 5 and "The Dark Swan" didn't disappoint at all. All the episodes between that episode and "Devil's Due" ranged to me from decent to brilliant, before reaching disappointment with "Our Decay" and especially "The Brothers Jones" and then picking up.
"Last Rites" from personal opinion was a very good episode. Not one of the show's best, and a small step down after "Firebird", but one of the better episodes of the second half of Season 5 dealing with the Underworld arc. Not perfect and could have been even better than it was but the emotional impact, character development and character interaction make it an improvement over the four episodes between "Devil's Due" and "Sisters".
Do think that Zelena trusts Hades too quickly and easily here, he is one of those characters essentially that shouldn't be trusted with a bargepole and Zelena has good reason not to be trusting of him and is far from an intelligence-free character.
Robin's exit is not one of the most go out on a bang as much as one would like. It is moving sure, mainly for how it affects and will affect Regina, and finally Robin is actually interesting. But it just treads too familiar ground, not much different in execution from other exits and they felt more genuine, it is a blessing that Robin is the best used and most interesting he's been for the whole Underworld arc and even the season perhaps but because of not caring for the character and how he was written for a while it felt too little too late.
However, there is lots of evidence of forward momentum and character development advancing, the characters true to personality and not distorted or going round in circles. One learns a lot and things are made clearer.
What really makes "Last Rites" is the character development, Robin is not annoying, bland or useless this time, the only time that's been the case in the whole Underworld arc. Similarly the character interaction. Lots of fun is to be had with the writing for Hades (still a great character, and one of the best assets of the Underworld arc dominating the second half of the season) and Zelena is similarly beautifully developed, one feels for her here. There is a lot of heart and tension in the relationship between Regina and Zelena, charm and emotion in that between Regina and Robin and Hook (with much improved character writing) and Arthur also have some neat exchanges. it was great to see Arthur back and more conflicted than the interestingly villainous take on him in the first half of Season 5 with the Camelot arc.
Much of the acting is strong, with excellent turns from Greg Germann (sinister and fun), Rebecca Mader (casting a spell very effectively), and Lana Parrilla showing why she was always one of the show's best and most consistent actors. Liam Garrigan and Colin O'Donoghue are also fine and Sean Maguire finally has something to do this season, sad though it came so late, and does a good job.
Furthermore, "Last Rites" 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 theme tune.
Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue mostly, with less soap and camp that has been seen in some of the Underworld arc. This aspect has come on a long way since when 'Once Upon a Time' first started, much more complexity and nuance, or at least at this point on the most part.
Summing up, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The first four seasons had a few ups and downs, like blips in some of the writing, effects and characters that are not as interesting or as well used as they could be, but were on the most part very solid. Many episodes being good to fantastic, with interesting spins on characters, great character interactions and performances and compelling and emotionally involving back-stories for most of the characters. So was expecting a good deal from Season 5 and "The Dark Swan" didn't disappoint at all. All the episodes between that episode and "Devil's Due" ranged to me from decent to brilliant, before reaching disappointment with "Our Decay" and especially "The Brothers Jones" and then picking up.
"Last Rites" from personal opinion was a very good episode. Not one of the show's best, and a small step down after "Firebird", but one of the better episodes of the second half of Season 5 dealing with the Underworld arc. Not perfect and could have been even better than it was but the emotional impact, character development and character interaction make it an improvement over the four episodes between "Devil's Due" and "Sisters".
Do think that Zelena trusts Hades too quickly and easily here, he is one of those characters essentially that shouldn't be trusted with a bargepole and Zelena has good reason not to be trusting of him and is far from an intelligence-free character.
Robin's exit is not one of the most go out on a bang as much as one would like. It is moving sure, mainly for how it affects and will affect Regina, and finally Robin is actually interesting. But it just treads too familiar ground, not much different in execution from other exits and they felt more genuine, it is a blessing that Robin is the best used and most interesting he's been for the whole Underworld arc and even the season perhaps but because of not caring for the character and how he was written for a while it felt too little too late.
However, there is lots of evidence of forward momentum and character development advancing, the characters true to personality and not distorted or going round in circles. One learns a lot and things are made clearer.
What really makes "Last Rites" is the character development, Robin is not annoying, bland or useless this time, the only time that's been the case in the whole Underworld arc. Similarly the character interaction. Lots of fun is to be had with the writing for Hades (still a great character, and one of the best assets of the Underworld arc dominating the second half of the season) and Zelena is similarly beautifully developed, one feels for her here. There is a lot of heart and tension in the relationship between Regina and Zelena, charm and emotion in that between Regina and Robin and Hook (with much improved character writing) and Arthur also have some neat exchanges. it was great to see Arthur back and more conflicted than the interestingly villainous take on him in the first half of Season 5 with the Camelot arc.
Much of the acting is strong, with excellent turns from Greg Germann (sinister and fun), Rebecca Mader (casting a spell very effectively), and Lana Parrilla showing why she was always one of the show's best and most consistent actors. Liam Garrigan and Colin O'Donoghue are also fine and Sean Maguire finally has something to do this season, sad though it came so late, and does a good job.
Furthermore, "Last Rites" 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 theme tune.
Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue mostly, with less soap and camp that has been seen in some of the Underworld arc. This aspect has come on a long way since when 'Once Upon a Time' first started, much more complexity and nuance, or at least at this point on the most part.
Summing up, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
