Once Upon a Time Round Table: "Desperate Souls"

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Once Upon a Time returned last Sunday with a battle for the Sheriff's spot, along with a look into Rumplestiltskin. What did you think of "Desperate Souls?"

What did our Round Table team of Jim Garner, Dan Forcella, Christine Orlando and Nick McHatton think of the episode? Find out in the Q&A below!

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Do you think Henry's comment was right, that Good can't win since Evil cheats?
Jim: Well, he might have a point to some degree, look at the claim Mr. Gold made about knowing she would come clean about the fire and that would rally the people behind her. If he's right, then he still cheated to get her elected.

Dan: In the near future, sure. But don't the good guys always win in the end? I don't foresee this fairy tale show on ABC allowing Evil to win at the end of the day. It sure will be challenging for Henry and company, but they'll get the job done.

Christine: I have to believe that Good can win but he's right that Evil will fight dirty and sometimes that gives it an edge. Emma's definitely the candidate for good but Mr. Gold was willing to do anything to get her elected. Emma may have won but Evil still played a hand in it.

Nick: The takeaway for me from Henry's comment has more focus on cheating than it does over who wins. The bad guys are more interested in cheating, and doing whatever it takes, even if good always wins in the end! Which means that there's going to be a lot more carnage and destruction along the way than what would otherwise be possible.

Now that "there's a new sheriff in town," what do you think Emma's first act should be to clean up this one witch town?
Jim: First, I have to say: CALLED IT! (see last Round Table). Now that Emma and Regina are on a more equal power scale, I think the claws are going to come out and the fur is going to fly as these two get into it.

Dan: Nice work, Jim! I'm not the prognosticator that you are, so I won't predict what her first act WILL be, but it should be to come up with a plan to oust Regina from power. After devising her plan, go have a few more drinks in the diner to take the edge off.

Christine: Well, that fact that this sheriff won't literally be in bed with the mayor (that's an entirely different show!) means that Emma and Regina will definitely go up against one another. What's more frightening is that there may be times when they will have to work together. Now that will be scary.

Nick: What I lack in wit like Dan and predictions like Jim I make up for with complete and total agreement with both of you guys.

Emma is going to need a Deputy, who would you like to see her pick?
Jim: I'm sure many will say David, as he would be an obvious choice given he's working at the animal shelter right now. But honestly, I'm going wild card and say Rumpelstiltskin's son is going to turn up. Emma needs someone besides Henry that can beleive in the curse and not be under Regina's spell to get "Graham'ed" (too soon?)

Dan: If she makes Henry her deputy, then Regina would have a difficult decision on her hands. Allow the two of them to team up on an official capacity and have a better shot at figuring everything out, or make her son hate her even more than he already does by putting the kibosh on his new deputized duties.

Christine: Ooh. I also want to know when Rumplestiltskin's son will show up and that's an interesting pick but I've got to go with David. He'll look damn good in a uniform.

Nick: I second the nomination for Dave/Charming. He's currently of very little use in Storybrooke, and I would like to see him integrated with the rest of our favorite characters in an easier and deeper way.

Do you feel any more sympathy for Rumpelstiltskin's after learning how he got his powers?
Jim: Not a whole lot, no. However, I do love that his limp carried over from pre-dark powers to our world, they didn't make a point of calling it out that it carried over, but if you have seen him walking with a cane as Mr. Gold, you might have asked why he was limping.

Dan: No, not really. His back story didn't grab me the way most of the others have this season. If I had really enjoyed Rumpy pre-dark powers maybe things would be different.

Christine: I don't know that I feel sympathy but it definitely makes him even more interesting.  A parent will do anything to protect their child but it seems Rumple embraced his dark side once he found it.  I do like knowing that his talent for finding desperate souls comes from having once been one himself.

Nick: I lost all sympathy for him after learning his origin story. In fact, I hate him ever more now. As the saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and he was no different. Rump let everything go to his head, and lost a lot in the process.

What did you think of how the episode felt without Graham or the Huntsman?
Jim: I think the show was fine, I'm surprised how little I miss Graham even after one episode. However, I'm going to credit some of that to the near month break we had to get use to the idea. I just hope we don't lose anymore.

Dan: I'm in the minority at this table, but I didn't think it was a big deal when he left us in the first place. He was nice to look at, but Graham wasn't that interesting of a character to me. The show will be fine without him, but there are other issues at hand. Specifically, why has this world been cornered into focusing on a small few? Each time we meet new characters, they don't ever stay around as long as I would like them to. Sure, Emma, Henry and Regina can be at the center of it all, but why not keep following what Jiminy is up to? Or why make Cinderella's story disappear altogether? 

Christine: I felt as though we were just getting to know and like Graham so it's a shame to see the character go so soon. My guess is that we'll be seeing more of the Huntsman in later episodes as he still has story to tell in the fairy tale world.

Nick: Well, I'm just going to point out the obvious and say that the hot guy quotient has been halved (right, ladies?). While this is a good enough reason itself, there is a definite hole missing now in the show. Graham brought some vulnerability and history to the show that just isn't possible right now with what we know about the rest of the characters, and I'm still upset, and mad, that he was killed off.

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