Once Upon A Time, Season 2, Episode 21: “Second Star to the Right”
Written by Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg
Directed by Ralph Hemecker
Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on ABC
Action? Check. Nail-biting suspense? Check. Cringe worthy moments? Check. Heart filled scenes? Check. The next to last episode in the second season of Once Upon a Time didn’t leave any unsatisfactory moments. The episode is hands down one of the best we’ve seen of the season, especially with the filler episodes that we have had of late.
The episode starts out with a kick back to a scene from the first season. It is the part where Bae falls into the time portal. This time, however, we are graced with seeing what actually happened to Bae. He just happens to fall into London, England at the same time that Wendy Darling and her family is living there. Kudos need to be given to the casting crew for continuing to use Dylan Schmid as Bae. All too often children characters are cast and then recast, especially if that character is not a main member. It’s nice and refreshing to see them leaving the same actor in the role even if the last episode he appeared in was in Season One. The past storyline, as it proceeds, we find out is going to be about Bae and how his life in our world was after he left the Enchanted Forest. The scenes that take place in London are a nice change of scenery from the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. It’s exciting to get to see the events leading up to just how Bae gets to Neverland.
The storyline that is taking place in Storybrooke has not only suspense in it, but drama and action. It even takes on some cringe worthy moments where we find ourselves wincing in pain. Everything happening in Storybrooke is focused on finding Regina. Emma is dead set that it is Tamara who is behind everything. It’s good to see that she hasn’t lost her confidence. Jennifer Morrison really shined in this episode. The way she handled Emma throughout the events leading up to finding Regina was phenomenal. She was on a mission and because of Morrison we, the viewers, could only root and pray that she succeeded. When she eventually did put all the puzzle pieces together it leads to another impressive scene with Morrison. We got to see her fighting skills once again. Her showdown with Tamara was executed with perfection. The team that choreographs the fight scenes did a tremendous job here. We found ourselves sitting at the edge of our seats hoping that Emma would come out victorious. As if Morrison wasn’t already pulling all the stops we then got to see a softer and heart wrenching side of her. When Neal, after being shot by Tamara, fell into the portal, which was also opened by Tamara, the scene that ensued between them was priceless. Morrison definitely shined throughout the entire episode.
The other focus of the episode was Greg Mendell torturing Regina. Lana Parrilla proves once again that she can do just about anything that is thrown at her. The way the scene was crafted by the writers and handled by Parrilla and Ethan Embry was superb, as well. The actions that Mendell took in torturing her made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Each time that he would turn the knob and Regina would scream out in pain there were so much emotions going through our brains, as we cringed in disgust as well.
Everyone was on their A game tonight. The writers came at everything with full force. They are determined to keep us on this roller coaster ride until the very end and they delivered with full force.
The actors shined with everything that was given to them; from Lana Parrilla, Jennifer Morrison and Ginnifer Goodwin to the guest stars Ethan Embry, Dylan Schmid and Sonequa Martin-Green.
All in all this episode of Once Upon a Time undeniably delivered on the goods and they left so many questions opened that may or may not be answered in the Season Finale. How are they going to escape Storybrooke? Is Belle going to find out that Henry is the one for Rumplestiltskin’s undoing? What is this home branch that Tamara and Greg kept talking about? Will everyone end up working together to escape Storybrooke? And are we going to see Neverland?
There’s only one more episode left for the second season of Once Upon a Time. If tonight’s episode is any indication, then the writers are unquestionably closing out the second season with the loudest bang possible.
– Joshua Bouye