Rebecca Mader

The first half of season three of Once Upon a Time was very shaky. Most of it left us agitated, frustrated, and downright bored. However after the very long hiatus, the writers came back rejuvenated and fighting fresh and the first handful of episodes back have been packed with the magic that Once featured in its first season. Episodes 16 and 17 are no different. Both of them have us biting our fingers in suspense and laughing out loud.

Just when we think that Once Upon a Time has forgotten about our beloved Belle, the writers hit us with an episode like “Quiet Minds”. While Belle does not have much of a role in the present day storyline, it is nice to see her and Neal popping up in the past.

Emilie de Ravin has always been a nice addition to the cast and she knows how to hold her own against the big gun characters. She proved that when she first debuted back in the first season of Once Upon a Time. It’s clear that she is glad to be given something to do here and that something just happens to be teaming up with Neal- the two of them are convinced that Rumplestiltskin can be resurrected and they are determined to do just that. Pairing de Ravin with Michael Raymond-James is brilliant on the writers’ part. Like Josh Dallas’ storyline last week, it’s a chance to spend time with characters we never get to see up front and center.

Every now and then, Once Upon a Time treats us to a delightfully fear-filled episode. Usually these episodes happen around Halloween, when we are all in the mood for a good scare. However with “The Tower”, the writers decided that Halloween was coming in March this year.

Are we back in season one of Once Upon a Time? Because that’s what “Witch Hunt” feels like. The magic is there. The suspense is palpable. Plot twists loom around every corner and even humor is present and accounted for.

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