So we're on episode two of the fairy tales.
Well, now we're on like three or four or something. I'm sorry. I fell behind. Things got in the way. Life happens, my friends, and when it happens it happens all over the everything.
Once Upon a Time is really picking up. I'm really pleased with it. I still wish there was more diversity, but as far as having complex, well-written characters and strong females, I am pretty pleased.
My notes on episode two include:
And this is the point that most irritated me in the entire episode:
EQ has a bit about apples, because of course she does. But the point is, she is all, "Oh, honey crisps are such hardy fruit, and they're badass, and something something THIS IS ME, I AM THIS APPLE, AND I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED," which was pretty okay, but THEN. THEN MY FRIENDS.
SHE HANDS JENNIFER MORRISON A RED DELICIOUS APPLE.
I'm sorry. I cannot accept inaccuracy in fruit naming. That is just nonsense.
In the world of Grimm. Well. I had to stop watching it. Things took a real nosedive. In fact, in my notes, I drew an arrow that went up a little bit and then crashed to the bottom of the page, where it was accompanied by a frowny face. Episode two (after which I gave up) is Goldilocks and the Three Bears, only the Bears are a family descended from a German race of bear-people, and there is a lot that is weird and somewhat racist and definitely some overtones of like, noble savage vs. SAVAGE SAVAGES who are HORRIBLE and BACKWARDS and are TERRORIZING THE COUNTRYSIDE and AUGHGHHGH.
Basically, things just got sort of awful, and weirdly uncomfortable, and they used a didgeridoo for the part where it's like, our SAVAGE TRADITIONS are WEIRD and make you UNCOMFORTABLE because you're WHITE and CIVILIZED (I may be exaggerating a bit, but seriously, that was the vibe of this whole thing), and it REALLY did not help that it was the mother who was "clinging" to the old traditions and the father who was all, "She doesn't know any better, we're not like that, etc."
So, basically, I just, I'm sorry Grimm. You seemed like you had promise. But now things are weird, and you're making me really uncomfortable with your creepy, vaguely racist and sexist over- or undertones, I'm not sure which. And the burn-victim-as-face-of-evil thing is still making me weirded out.
Plus, there was a completely nonsensical fight scene in which someone rips off someone's arm, and then says, "Whoops," and throws the arm elsewhere, which could've been maybe kind of funny if it seemed like it tied into the plot whatsoever. Yeah, yeah, sure, he thought they were supes trying to kill the old lady, but like, that was not in any way clear.
Basically, guys, what I'm saying is, I am completely reversing my decision from the pilot. If you have room for just one more show in your fall TV schedule, make it Once Upon a Time. If you have room for two, don't make the second one Grimm. Hell, if you have room for ten, I can give you any number of suggestions of things that will be a better use of your precious TV time than Grimm.
/sigh. I had such hopes. I was so young and naive. Oh well.
Well, now we're on like three or four or something. I'm sorry. I fell behind. Things got in the way. Life happens, my friends, and when it happens it happens all over the everything.
Once Upon a Time is really picking up. I'm really pleased with it. I still wish there was more diversity, but as far as having complex, well-written characters and strong females, I am pretty pleased.
My notes on episode two include:
- thinking that the mirror that talks to EQ is pretty awesome (played by Giancarlo Esposito, also known as this guy on Breaking Bad, also known as the best damn character on Breaking Bad)
- Maleficent (also known as Pam from True Blood, or Kristin Bauer) is not as awesome as I was hoping - somehow a woman who has been on a sci-fi-ish show for several years has still not mastered the art of acting with invisible/CGI elements, and her fight scene with EQ is just sort of... it is not the best sci fi magical fight scene I've ever seen, is what I'm saying
- EQ is even better than I originally thought, and I originally thought she was a baller. She has a really complicated backstory that has only started to be touched on, and I'm in love with it
- the flashbacks, which had been driving me insane, have become a lot more useful in backstory exposition and are used way more effectively than they were in the past
- the random cop guy is pretty attractive, but is not one of the better rounded characters yet
- Jimminy Cricket, in the enchanted town thing where nobody remembers who they are, is a therapist, which, well, I don't know, I guess I would've expected that? Honestly I was kind of surprised that he showed up at all, as he is a cricket, so, I don't know
- Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold is one of the better villains I've ever seen, and is an excellent example of a character actor getting the sort of role that is really expansive
- WHY DO SHOWS HATE SINGLE MOTHERS? Rawr. Do not approve.
- Ginnifer Goodwin's character's hair grew like two inches between the pilot and the second episode, which in real-world time makes sense, but in TV time, I mean, it was supposed to be like 12 hours later, so, HMM. But her character got a thousand times less annoying in the second episode, because she actually seems to have a personality instead of being like, Oh! The little birdies!
And this is the point that most irritated me in the entire episode:
EQ has a bit about apples, because of course she does. But the point is, she is all, "Oh, honey crisps are such hardy fruit, and they're badass, and something something THIS IS ME, I AM THIS APPLE, AND I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED," which was pretty okay, but THEN. THEN MY FRIENDS.
SHE HANDS JENNIFER MORRISON A RED DELICIOUS APPLE.
I'm sorry. I cannot accept inaccuracy in fruit naming. That is just nonsense.
In the world of Grimm. Well. I had to stop watching it. Things took a real nosedive. In fact, in my notes, I drew an arrow that went up a little bit and then crashed to the bottom of the page, where it was accompanied by a frowny face. Episode two (after which I gave up) is Goldilocks and the Three Bears, only the Bears are a family descended from a German race of bear-people, and there is a lot that is weird and somewhat racist and definitely some overtones of like, noble savage vs. SAVAGE SAVAGES who are HORRIBLE and BACKWARDS and are TERRORIZING THE COUNTRYSIDE and AUGHGHHGH.
Basically, things just got sort of awful, and weirdly uncomfortable, and they used a didgeridoo for the part where it's like, our SAVAGE TRADITIONS are WEIRD and make you UNCOMFORTABLE because you're WHITE and CIVILIZED (I may be exaggerating a bit, but seriously, that was the vibe of this whole thing), and it REALLY did not help that it was the mother who was "clinging" to the old traditions and the father who was all, "She doesn't know any better, we're not like that, etc."
So, basically, I just, I'm sorry Grimm. You seemed like you had promise. But now things are weird, and you're making me really uncomfortable with your creepy, vaguely racist and sexist over- or undertones, I'm not sure which. And the burn-victim-as-face-of-evil thing is still making me weirded out.
Plus, there was a completely nonsensical fight scene in which someone rips off someone's arm, and then says, "Whoops," and throws the arm elsewhere, which could've been maybe kind of funny if it seemed like it tied into the plot whatsoever. Yeah, yeah, sure, he thought they were supes trying to kill the old lady, but like, that was not in any way clear.
Basically, guys, what I'm saying is, I am completely reversing my decision from the pilot. If you have room for just one more show in your fall TV schedule, make it Once Upon a Time. If you have room for two, don't make the second one Grimm. Hell, if you have room for ten, I can give you any number of suggestions of things that will be a better use of your precious TV time than Grimm.
/sigh. I had such hopes. I was so young and naive. Oh well.
