What I’m Watching: Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time: Season 1, Episode 21 “An Apple Red as Blood” (C+)

This episode’s events were certainly dramatic, as things in the fairy tale world accelerated almost up to the present day and Regina managed to reach into those moments and extract the poisoned apple that felled Snow White to bring it into the real world. Regina’s bad dream about being burned at the stake at the start of the episode demonstrated that she’s losing her grip on Storybrooke, and drastic measures were necessary. Enlisting Jefferson’s help and promising him a new story was a smart tactic given his speedy procurement of the poisoned apple. The simultaneous reveal of the massive raid executed by dwarves and fairies in formation to rescue Charming was considerably underwhelming when Regina laughed in Snow’s face and told her that she was too late to save him since he wasn’t even there. Snow’s self-sacrifice following Regina’s recounting of Daniel’s death was heroic but foolish, and perhaps that’s why Mary Margaret is such a pushover, though she did do well in this hour to give Emma hell for leaving town with Henry and not thinking to say goodbye. I knew, as I’m sure almost all voters did, that Henry would ultimately eat some of the poisoned apple turnovers meant for Emma, but I didn’t expect him to do so willingly, to prove to a disbelieving Emma that the curse was in fact real and Regina was trying to kill her. Next week is the show’s season finale, and though it has yet to be renewed for a second season, it’s pretty much guaranteed that it will happen, which means that next week should be prepared to send the show off in a whole new direction.