Once Upon a Time: Snow Dark

ONCE UPON A TIME:1.16 “Heart of Darkness”

KT is heading into the woods.

Is it just me, or did adding a little more darkness to Snow White make her twice as interesting?

To be fair, disclaimer #1 here is that I missed the first couple months of the show, so I’m not operating with all the information, and disclaimer #2 is that “yes, it’s cheating, but it’s twu wuv, so it’s really okay!” plotlines just leave me cold.  So up to now, Snow White and Mary Margaret just haven’t been much of a draw for me.

And it’s not that I think she actually killed Kathryn — I’m pretty confident that Regina is setting her up — it’s the way she’s reacting to the accusations.  Especially toward the end of the episode, her demeanor has changed and we’re starting to see a gritty determination from her that I think will take this character to some interesting places.

I was very surprised when Emma announced that DNA testing revealed the heart to really be Kathryn’s. The metaphor is apt — here’s the literal heart of a woman who had her figurative heart broken by her unfaithful husband — but I really expected it to be an animal heart (like the one the huntsman takes back to the Queen in place of Snow White’s in the original tale).

I’ve been increasingly drawn into this show lately. I really liked the twist they put on Little Red Riding Hood, and I’m eager to find out more about how Regina came to have Beauty committed as a mental patient.

The March Madness brackets Raked has put together suggest we’ve got more than a few Once Upon a Time fans here.  What do you guys think about Mary Margaret behind bars — and what do you think she’ll do now that she’s escaped?!

Smash: The Workshop

SMASH: 1.07 “The Workshop”

Marilyn may be having trouble finding investors, but with the news today that Smash was picked up for a second season, it looks like we have the time to find out what’s in store for our musical troupe.

Anyway, back to the episode. While I’m still not 100% sure what a workshop means, we saw it on Monday, and it didn’t go well. And really, there’s a lot of blame to be had, even though all fingers point to the heat. Julia was distracted and wrote a bad script. Ivy was so distracted by her mother that she didn’t put her whole effort into the role. The stress holding down Derek made him lash out at Ivy during intermission. Karen was so wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of showbiz to concentrate on her own part. And Michael, well…

Let’s be honest. The only person who impressed was Michael, mainly because he was spending his time focusing on Julia, letting all that emotion bubble to the surface. Nonetheless, the show didn’t impress, and Marilyn could find itself without an investor.

So now it’s the blame game. Julia may want to keep blaming the heat, but both Tom and Eileen know the truth, and in the end, Michael was the scapegoat. Derek’s clearly not happy (and I’m sure Michael won’t be either). In the end, Marilyn lost one of its best people.

Now, in my humble opinion, I didn’t like Michael all that much — and it’s not just his obsession with Julia that turned me off. Yes, he’s a great singer, but when he performed, something just bothered me. Maybe I just didn’t like the gritty tone of his voice, I’m not sure, but I don’t mind seeing him go. Then again, I’m not a Broadway producer. The bad part, though, will be his reaction. Somehow, if he’s willing to chase Julia down all over the building where they rehearse, nothing will hold him back at lashing out and trying to talk to her now that he’s been fired. Somehow, I think letting him go is just making matters worse.

As for Ivy, I enjoyed seeing her mother, and it was nice to see what she deals with in her family. We saw a glimpse in the pilot. If only they had shown us sooner, we might have a little more sympathy for Ivy and like her more in the leading role.

Karen, meanwhile… Well, what can you say about Karen? Personally, I think it was a mistake that she didn’t go after that opportunity, but she loves the stage, as we saw in her dreamlike flashes to her leading in Marilyn. Would the cast and crew have understood if she left? Her fellow ensemble members say yes, but I’m skeptical. This was an important day, and I somehow doubt Derek would have liked her disappearing on workshop day.

So what do you think? Should she have gone? Did they make a mistake firing Michael? What’s next for Marilyn?

One Tree Hill: Danny Boy

ONE TREE HILL: 9.11 “Danny Boy”

No one can kill Dan Scott!

Well, while the tremor and power in the phrase from Dan resonated in a flashback last night, we found out that it wasn’t true: Dan Scott isn’t invincible. And so we said good-bye to the greatest villain in Tree Hill.

It was a great episode. I mean, you almost forget all the wrongdoing that Dan has done in his life. Yes, of course, we all remember Keith. How could you forget? It was by far one of the most shocking things — if not THE most shocking thing — ever seen in Tree Hill (and yes, I’m saying it was bigger than a limo flying off a bridge after a wedding). Even we started to wonder, is this the one thing we’ll remember about Dan Scott once he’s gone?

The flashbacks certainly filled in the holes, but the rescue mission for his son and the moments in the hospital are what really stay in our minds at the end of the episode. For years, we all wondered if Dan Scott would ever really be gone. And for years, we wanted him to! But now, at the end of this episode, could it be that so many fans who hated the man suddenly were turned to tears at his passing?

Ok, so I’m a sucker, but yes, I was one of them. Yes, I got all weepy (I’m pretty sure that Haley has some magical power that every time she squeezes out a tear, fifteen come out of my own face). And really, it was the death of Dan Scott that really reminded us all that One Tree Hill is ending. In all the drama and angst of wondering who was under that sheet and how Nathan would get home to his family and if Brooke would survive against Xavier, we almost forgot that we’re on a ticking clock that’s about to stop at a season finale. Dan’s passing was an incredible way to not only relive the past but close up a story, the first step in closing up the show.

Not that it didn’t have it’s cheese factor. Of course, part of me was skeptical as to why Dan and Nathan were suddenly at the River Court, considering that Dan had just been shot, had surgery, and was dying. But the writers actually played to their own ridiculousness. Heck, if we’re used to seeing a dog eat a heart, we can believe a terminal patient would make it to play one last round of basketball. But even I started to wonder how Dan could really play, right as he flatlined.

While it might have been mean, showing a scene of final closure that was all dreamed, it really helped us, the viewers. Yes, I was incredibly saddened that Dan never heard Nathan say he loved him, but I’ve been waiting since season three to find out why — just why — he took Keith’s life.

And what about Keith? Just when I thought the show was over, there was his ghost, ready to take Dan away. I’m not exaggerating when I said I jumped out of my chair and hopped around as I found out what Keith would do or say. But in the end, Dan found his redemption. He did enough good to at least try to outweigh his bad, and even became a “plus one,” as Keith put it.

Dan will never be the man Keith was, but he certainly left a new impression us, which is all he really wanted. Between family and viewers, didn’t Dan just want to keep a legacy?