jared gilmore

Once Upon A Time 6×06 “Dark Waters” Recap

Spoilers Ahead

Where there is hope, there is forgiveness. Where there is love, there is strength.

Episode Summary: In flashbacks, we learn that a submarine Captain named Nemo tries to convince Killian to join his crew, and as it turns out his first mate is Liam, Killian’s father’s second son. In Storybrooke, when the two return Liam attempts to avenge his father’s death. Emma and Aladdin go off an adventure to the town line. Belle visits the hospital for her first ultrasound. And the Evil Queen continues to gross us out with her crush on Gold.

Review | Analysis: “Dark Waters” much like “The Other Shoe” did a fantastic job of showcasing the strength that’s found in forgiveness. By exploring the dynamics between fathers and sons/brothers and sisters it has revealed that there’s great strength in communication, for it’s the key to moving forwards. We explore issues such as this often on television, and frankly, it’s necessary because in spite of how many times the story’s told it isn’t always fully processed. And as human beings, we’re bound to make mistakes over and over again, but as long as we continue trying, we’re making the wise choices in life.

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Once Upon A Time 6×05 “Street Rats” Recap

Spoilers Ahead

A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. (You all saw that coming.)

Episode Summary: In flashbacks, Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz) accompanies Jasmine portrayed by Galavant’s Karen David on an adventure to find a weapon, and in doing so he learns that he’s actually the weapon — the savior. In present day Storybrooke, the Evil Queen pretends to be Archie in order to learn Emma’s secret then “he” ends up revealing the fact that she’s hiding something in front of her family prompting her to tell them about her visions.

Review | Analysis: “Street Rats” was yet another episode that beautifully brought to life one of Disney’s classics. It may be too soon to already adore Aladdin and Jasmine, but here we are wanting them to stay in our world forever. At its core Once Upon A Time has been a show about hope and “Street Rats” was the perfect example of the fact that no matter what a person’s fate holds, where there’s hope, there’s everything. And over the years our characters have needed to learn a lot about the power of hope, but most importantly they’ve needed to believe in the fact that they deserve to have hope.

Hope is a powerful weapon, but in the world of Once Upon A Time our characters tend to believe that hope isn’t even an option. They’ve reached their last resort, but as we’ve learned, hope is a choice, and that’s something we have full control over.

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Once Upon A Time 5×15 “The Brothers Jones” Recap

Spoilers Ahead

It’s not enough to have others forgive you, you have to forgive yourself, too.

Episode Summary: Flashbacks reveal the terrible deal Liam took with Hades to ensure his and Killian’s place in the King’s Navy. And when Liam doesn’t choose to see the best in Emma, she needs to put her heartache aside to fight and make sure Killian forgives himself. The heroes go on a quest to find the underworld’s version of the storybook, but in order to keep his secret hidden, Liam does Hades another favor by tearing his story from the book. However, when he’s caught red-handed, sacrificing himself after revealing the truth to Killian and the crew gives him the chance to finally move on.

Review | Analysis: Once again, the series beautifully magnified the significance of forgiveness and true heroism reminding its viewers that the honorable road is the honest one. As human beings, desperate times call for desperate measures, but the secrets that are kept and the inability to forgive ourselves can haunt in unbelievable ways. A hero isn’t someone who’s free of all sin, but rather the person who’s learned from their mistakes. “The Brothers Jones” reminded viewers of the fact that there’s a clear difference between selfishness and self-love, one dooms us, while the other frees us. And most importantly, a hero is someone who lends a hand. Once Upon A Time has continuously illuminated the idea that selflessness will lead to a far better future than constant greed.

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