dr. jekyll and mr. hyde

Once Upon A Time 6×04 “Strange Case” Recap

Spoilers Ahead

It’s a strange case indeed.

Episode Summary: In flashbacks, we’re taken back to the origin of Mr. Hyde and during our journey we come to find that there was a bigger villain than him. In present day Storybrooke, Snow’s first day of teaching doesn’t go as planned, but Jasmine (Karen David) is there to help. Charming deals with Killian and Emma’s move. Rumple imprisons Belle on the Jolly Roger. And the demise of two souls reveals how the Evil Queen could be defeated.

Review | Analysis: “Strange Case” was yet another great example of how well Once Upon A Time writers are able to handle twists. And the truth behind the strangest case of them all is definitely something I was never expecting. Additionally, tonight’s episode once again served as a perfect reminder of the fact that while villains will always believe love is weakness, it is strength. And the belief that it’s a weakness will always lead to a tragic end. In this universe especially, the most important thing that matters is that nothing is cheated. Honesty and perseverance are the key to becoming who we’re meant to, and when we try to take matters into our own heads, we change the frequency in which we’re meant to be on. And as Mr. Hyde points out “you can change the outside, but what’s inside is still there.” To grow fully means to embrace all that we are and choose the paths we know are most honorable.

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Once Upon A Time 6×03 “The Other Shoe” Recap

Spoilers Ahead

We are in this world to right our wrongs, love with all our hearts, and give with all our might.

Episode Summary: When Ashley realizes she has a second chance to save her stepsister Clorinda (Mekenna Melvin), she chooses to do it all on her own, but is later in need of a healing touch. Emma battles with the desire to give Killian his happy ending, but fears and the savior shakes continue to overpower. Snow decides she wants to go back into teaching. Charming searches for the truth about his father’s accident. The Evil Queen teams up with Mr. Hyde while Regina and Dr. Jekyll try to figure out how to control their other halves.

Review | Analysis: Once Upon A Time’s “The Other Shoe” was one of the strongest, thematically moving episodes the series has had in a while. An episode I’d give a solid 9.5 rating, too. It’s the closest we’ve ever gotten to perfection in Once Upon A Time history — every minute of it was rich in storytelling and performances. This show is special. It has been special from the very beginning in the unique way it’s delivered our favorite fairytales with a twist and while a series like this can get redundant quicker than most, Once Upon A Time has managed to keep its magnetism for six years. We are never too old or too young to be reminded of the power of belief — a profound emotion that’s capable of achieving the impossible. “The Other Shoe” served as a beautiful reminder of the fact that it’s never too late for anything.

“The Other Shoe” is unsurprisingly the work of the remarkable wordsmith Jane Espenson — a woman who’s no stranger to writing some of the most incredible episodes of Once Upon A Time. And in “The Other Shoe” Espenson and Jerome Schwartz managed to seamlessly take us back to the magic that made us fall in love with season one while exploring the issues we’re facing today.

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Once Upon A Time 6×01 “The Savior” Recap

Spoilers Ahead

Welcome back to season one. Oh, wait no season six. It’s going to be an incredible ride (like season one).

Episode Summary: Resuming right where we left off in the season five finale, our heroes are disturbed with a dirigible from the Land of Untold Stories, but when they finally capture Mr. Hyde, it turns out he’s actually going to be usual to Emma, leading her on a journey where she learns what her visions mean. Gold wakes up Belle and in her sleeping curse, the two meet their son, Morpheus (Giles Matthey). And while Regina’s made the decision to make proper amends, the Evil Queen has a plot to turn her sister against her.

Review | Analysis: Once Upon A Time’s sixth season premiere has set up a promising arc that’ll focus on the power of our choices beautifully. No person changes overnight — day-by-day human beings grow into better versions of themselves simply by choosing the direction they want to take. And sometimes, the closer they get to progress, the farther back they go, but with persistence, growth can be achieved. Our favorite Storybrooke heroes have continuously found themselves at crossroads and it finally appears as though this season will explore their temptations with great depth. If “The Savior” promised anything, it’s the fact that people are always responsible for the choices they make. And it appears it’s finally time for every character to learn that.

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