Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 1 Review: The Savior
Christine Laskodi
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There's nothing more dangerous than an untold story.
Luckily for Once Upon a Time, there is a never-ending supply of stories, and if this episode is any indication of what's to come this season, then let's face it; we're in no danger at all.
After what felt like an extraordinarily long summer, Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 1 welcomed us back into Storybrooke, giving each of its major players something big to work with.
Yes, it's true that a blimp has landed, filled with mysterious residents that we don't know much about...yet. All of that seems like background noise when compared with the everyday struggles that the heroes of Storybrooke face.
Rumbelle's son is already delivering warnings from the womb, Regina can't seem to move forward, Henry's getting a little philosophical, Zelena is face to face with the Evil Queen, and it looks like Emma is headed for death.
We need to talk about absolutely everything that went down in the hour, so let's dive right in!
Jafar: That's why you never, ever hear these words about a Savior: 'They lived happily ever after.'
We've been teased all summer that Aladdin, Jasmine, and Jafar were headed to Once Upon a Time.
If you hoped for this to be the focus of premiere, you were probably sorely disappointed. Our only glimpse of these characters came very briefly in the beginning of the hour, but their appearance set up what will undoubtedly be the most important story of the season; the Savior does not get to live happily ever after.
Or live at all, apparently.
Do I believe that Emma will actually die? Of course not.
I do think that watching Emma try to change her future all season will be fascinating, and opens up plenty of doors for how she treats those she saves, how she interacts with the people she loves, and what risks she's willing to take knowing that death may be imminent.
What bothers me about Emma's tremors, and her discovery about her future from the Oracle, is her need for secrecy and lies. I suppose that she's a bit shaken, and that maybe she's taking time to process her feelings.
But Emma should know by now that she can't hide things from her family, and she especially can't hide things from Hook. I think we've all had just about enough Captain Swan angst. Wouldn't it be a nice change to see them working together to circumvent her future, without hiding anything?
My fingers are crossed that this secret doesn't stay secret for very long at all.
My love for Belle is true. My love for her, and my child, will never be a lie.
Gold
While Emma is dealing with her future, Gold is struggling to have a future with Belle.
Gold is willing to do whatever it takes to wake up his love, even if that means a little bit of trickery in her dreams to help her remember the love she once had for him.
I actually found Rumbelle's story to be the most compelling of the hour.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for the Beauty and the Beast theme song, but watching Gold desperately trying to recreate all of the moments that defined their love story, knowing he only had an hour to make her fall in love with him again, I found myself hoping he'd be able to do it.
But then Belle realized that they had done all of this before, and more importantly, that all of these loving moments also led to a lot of heartache, and I felt torn between what I WANT for Rumbelle as a couple, and what I want for Belle as character growth.
I'm glad that Belle's resolve still hasn't wavered. I'm happy that she's found her voice, and that she's not giving in to Gold simply because he dazzles her.
The warning from her son though, much like the vision Emma saw of her future, left me a little wary.
I believe that Gold isn't lying when he says that his love for Belle, and their son, is true. I want to believe that Gold is going to change for them.
If Emma's glimpse into the future will affect her actions moving forward, then I have to think the same will be true for Gold, and for Belle.
I choose to believe that this story will have a better ending than my last.
Regina
Regina is dealing with a lot of things since Robin's death, and let's face it, she hasn't really had any time to truly grieve him.
Living with Zelena, and with baby Robyn, could have been a great idea, if everyone involved had just done things a bit differently.
Regina's inability to open up to Zelena and talk to her is sad for a number of reasons, but the biggest one, to me, is that Zelena has done nothing but GENUINELY try to have a relationship with her sister.
Should Zelena know where the feather is? Sure. But at the same time, she's a new mom, living out of scattered boxes, trying not to be in the way.
You ripped out the part of yourself that was most like me.
Zelena
Zelena's pain over Regina's (alleged) disposal of her dark side is really just heartbreaking. Until she said it, it wasn't even a thought I had considered. But after that line was delivered, it was impossible not to feel for her.
Their entire argument could have been avoided with just a little bit of honesty on both of their parts.
This did lead to one of my favorite scenes in the episode, between Regina and Mary Margaret, where they seem to reconcile their own rocky family dynamic.
Mary Margaret's confession to learning strength and faith from Regina may have left some tears in my eyes. It was a nice moment for two characters we don't normally see have moments like this together.
Villains say whatever they can to hurt people.
Henry
Henry's moment of clarity came at just the right time, and could really apply to everyone in the episode, even though he only shared it with Regina.
The truth for our heroes is that they are all facing villains, whether it be a physical person potentially attacking them or their own personal demons.
Villains will always do and say anything to get what they want, but that doesn't mean that they'll win, or even that they'll have a leg up.
Everyone, even Gold, can still have faith, just as the audience still has faith in them.
I have faith that Zelena can stand up to the Evil Queen, even though she will surely try to manipulate her. Is that crazy? That might be crazy. Zelena is pretty mad at Regina, and she's not very good at keeping calm and carrying on.
As for what Hyde said about danger in the Untold Stories, I don't know if I believe all of that. Based on how many unfinished story characters came to Granny's, I can only assume they have faith in the citizens of Storybrooke too.
All in all, this was a great opening chapter for Once Upon a Time's sixth season. I'm looking forward to seeing how these stories will unfold.
What did you think of the premiere of Once Upon a Time? Will Emma end up helping the person who might kill her? Will Zelena fall for the Evil Queen's mind games? Have we seen the last of Rumbelle? Sound off in the comments below!
Want to relive Rumbelle's dance? Maybe you just need to see that Captain Swan makeout session again. Or maybe your heart melted during Regina and Snow's warm walk down memory lane. In any case, remember, you can watch Once Upon a Time online right here at TV Fanatic, and see all of your favorite moments again and again!
