Review/Recap of Once Upon a Time Episode 5.18 "Ruby Slippers" - SPOILERS!
Well... now we know why OUAT!Dorothy looks so much like Snow White. They basically redid that entire storyline - right down the short people mooning after the not-dead-just-sleeping!Dorothy. No points for creativity there, guys.
I know what everyone from Twitter to Tumblr and everywhere else inbetween is talking about with this episode - they finally put in an LGBTQ couple in Once Upon a Time. Even gave them a ship name and everything (I will give them points for creativity there - that was actually kind of clever). Pretty much everyone and their dog is acting like this is the Greatest Thing In All Of Our Lifetimes And Beyond And If You Don't Think So, Then You Are A Hatey-Hate-Hateful Person Who Deserves Death Threats And To Be Called Every Mean Name In The Book.
I have also been around fandom long enough to know that someone, somewhere is complaining about some aspect of it - that it wasn't done right, it was the wrong characters. That's how this value signaling crap works. You give a subgroup of fandom what they want, and they'll still find reason to whine about it.
For me, this is how I feel about it -
Seriously - you want to ship Ruby Slippers, you freaking be my guest. If you don't want to ship Ruby Slippers, you freaking be my guest. It's no skin off my nose what you do and do not like about this show. But if I get crap for not giving a crap about this, I will come uncorked one way or the other. And whichever side you're advocating for, I will probably take the other one. Because I'm obstinate like that.
I write about politics on the internet for a living. I know how this goes. I'm going to get crap no matter what I say about this episode - even if I say I don't care about it. *shores up email inbox for incoming onslaught*
I have my ships and favorite characters and storylines. And you all know what those are (CAPTAIN SWAN, baby!) Dorothy was randomly dropped into the Underworld plotline without rhyme or reason a few episodes ago - I joked then that she was pretty much generic Strong Female Character/Snow White expy and I wondered why they brought in Dorothy and not another Oz character. I do appreciate that they gave us a reason for Dorothy being back in Oz, though a small part of me wishes that could have been it's own separate thing. Part of me wishes that they'd done something like Once Upon a Time in Wonderland for Oz - have Dorothy against the Wicked Witch with some crossover with the main show. Especially given how fantastically awesome Zelena's been in this storyline - I would LOVE an Oz-centric spinoff. But we're probably not going to get that, so I will be content with what I do have.
Because I do not want to risk falling into the Legend of Korra trap and only focus on the itty-bitty social justice bullshit portion of this episode as the expense of everything else that was noteworthy and interesting, what else did this episode feature that the clickbait enterprises will be falling over themselves to talk about?
- The prospect of splitting up Snow and Charming into separate plotlines - OH NOES! WHATEVER SHALL WE DOOOOOO??? Probably be a lot more interesting and less fluff... oh, it's Charming that's leaving and Snow that's staying. Hmphf... Not helpful.
- Oh - Hook carved David's name into the headstone! PRAISE THE LORD AND ALL THE LITTLE FISHES IN THE SEA! (More Captain Charming bromance AND Daddy Charming awesome - HERE FOR IT!)
- Belle and Zelena talking about motherhood and pregnancy, with Zelena giving Belle a much-needed reality check. Look, I just adore Zelena. I probably shouldn't, because she's the VILLAIN. But she's so deliciously awful that I don't care.
- For a while, I wondered where the hell Mulan ended up? For an episode that's supposed to be all about lesbian sisters doing it for themselves, they seem to have left behind someone who's kind of key for that fandom lobby.
- Hades melted Auntie Em and I hate him for it. Bastard.
- Zelena's dastardly plan to kill Dorothy was actually really clever. It didn't work - but points for creativity.
- As is Belle's plan to fall under a sleeping curse to prolong her pregnancy. I also quite liked her plan that her father will be the one to wake her up and not Rumple. Because Rumple is a piece of rotten garbage when it comes to these things.
So, we got a fluffy filler episode that was just kind... there. There were a few good moments that I liked. Most that I don't care one way or the other about. Rumple still sucks and Hades is looking to join his clubhouse. Business as usual.
Next week - FAMILY FEUD! (Ooooh - will Cora and Zelena meet face to face? *crosses fingers*)
Will we get some actual PLOT DEVELOPMENT in this next episode instead of just randomly loitering around the Underworld and listen to Princess Rainbow Sparklepoo cry about giving people hope like they're handing out popcorn at a circus? Well, they sent Princess Rainbow Sparklepoo home, so maaaaaaaybe they'll finally get something significant done here for once.
(This storyline still isn't as bad as Neverland. I will give them that).
Well... now we know why OUAT!Dorothy looks so much like Snow White. They basically redid that entire storyline - right down the short people mooning after the not-dead-just-sleeping!Dorothy. No points for creativity there, guys.
I know what everyone from Twitter to Tumblr and everywhere else inbetween is talking about with this episode - they finally put in an LGBTQ couple in Once Upon a Time. Even gave them a ship name and everything (I will give them points for creativity there - that was actually kind of clever). Pretty much everyone and their dog is acting like this is the Greatest Thing In All Of Our Lifetimes And Beyond And If You Don't Think So, Then You Are A Hatey-Hate-Hateful Person Who Deserves Death Threats And To Be Called Every Mean Name In The Book.
I have also been around fandom long enough to know that someone, somewhere is complaining about some aspect of it - that it wasn't done right, it was the wrong characters. That's how this value signaling crap works. You give a subgroup of fandom what they want, and they'll still find reason to whine about it.
For me, this is how I feel about it -
Seriously - you want to ship Ruby Slippers, you freaking be my guest. If you don't want to ship Ruby Slippers, you freaking be my guest. It's no skin off my nose what you do and do not like about this show. But if I get crap for not giving a crap about this, I will come uncorked one way or the other. And whichever side you're advocating for, I will probably take the other one. Because I'm obstinate like that.
I write about politics on the internet for a living. I know how this goes. I'm going to get crap no matter what I say about this episode - even if I say I don't care about it. *shores up email inbox for incoming onslaught*
I have my ships and favorite characters and storylines. And you all know what those are (CAPTAIN SWAN, baby!) Dorothy was randomly dropped into the Underworld plotline without rhyme or reason a few episodes ago - I joked then that she was pretty much generic Strong Female Character/Snow White expy and I wondered why they brought in Dorothy and not another Oz character. I do appreciate that they gave us a reason for Dorothy being back in Oz, though a small part of me wishes that could have been it's own separate thing. Part of me wishes that they'd done something like Once Upon a Time in Wonderland for Oz - have Dorothy against the Wicked Witch with some crossover with the main show. Especially given how fantastically awesome Zelena's been in this storyline - I would LOVE an Oz-centric spinoff. But we're probably not going to get that, so I will be content with what I do have.
Because I do not want to risk falling into the Legend of Korra trap and only focus on the itty-bitty social justice bullshit portion of this episode as the expense of everything else that was noteworthy and interesting, what else did this episode feature that the clickbait enterprises will be falling over themselves to talk about?
- The prospect of splitting up Snow and Charming into separate plotlines - OH NOES! WHATEVER SHALL WE DOOOOOO??? Probably be a lot more interesting and less fluff... oh, it's Charming that's leaving and Snow that's staying. Hmphf... Not helpful.
- Oh - Hook carved David's name into the headstone! PRAISE THE LORD AND ALL THE LITTLE FISHES IN THE SEA! (More Captain Charming bromance AND Daddy Charming awesome - HERE FOR IT!)
- Belle and Zelena talking about motherhood and pregnancy, with Zelena giving Belle a much-needed reality check. Look, I just adore Zelena. I probably shouldn't, because she's the VILLAIN. But she's so deliciously awful that I don't care.
- For a while, I wondered where the hell Mulan ended up? For an episode that's supposed to be all about lesbian sisters doing it for themselves, they seem to have left behind someone who's kind of key for that fandom lobby.
- Hades melted Auntie Em and I hate him for it. Bastard.
- Zelena's dastardly plan to kill Dorothy was actually really clever. It didn't work - but points for creativity.
- As is Belle's plan to fall under a sleeping curse to prolong her pregnancy. I also quite liked her plan that her father will be the one to wake her up and not Rumple. Because Rumple is a piece of rotten garbage when it comes to these things.
So, we got a fluffy filler episode that was just kind... there. There were a few good moments that I liked. Most that I don't care one way or the other about. Rumple still sucks and Hades is looking to join his clubhouse. Business as usual.
Next week - FAMILY FEUD! (Ooooh - will Cora and Zelena meet face to face? *crosses fingers*)
Will we get some actual PLOT DEVELOPMENT in this next episode instead of just randomly loitering around the Underworld and listen to Princess Rainbow Sparklepoo cry about giving people hope like they're handing out popcorn at a circus? Well, they sent Princess Rainbow Sparklepoo home, so maaaaaaaybe they'll finally get something significant done here for once.
(This storyline still isn't as bad as Neverland. I will give them that).
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