Downton Abbey and OUAT Stuff
Feb. 18th, 2013 07:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shipperxI actually enjoyed both episodes (though this may not be a popular position to take). I enjoyed them not because either have particularly notable writing but because they both set-up up some interesting stuff. At least it's interesting to me.
On Downton, I have to admit I was 'over' Matthew and Mary from the time Livinia died to conveniently pave the way for their future. After the miracle recovery from paralysis, Livinia quickly and lovingly kicking the bucket (and even doing a ouiji board blessing) made them a bit too much of a blessed by fate duo. Add in Matthew's convenient fortune this season. . .
I was a bit sad for Matthew's sake. And a bit more sad for Isobel's. But I guess I just have an evil streak and I was actually sort of happy that it meant that Mary will never, ever, ever be Countess of Grantham. I sort of got over that particular ambition when it became clear that while Mary was all up on being the heir to the place (never really acknowleging in her pain of not being heir that neither Sybil nor Edith ever were) , she had no interest in actually running the place. Yes, I know the era and all of that, but for the entire season Matthew was trying to tell her details and she simply did not want to know. At the end of the day, I don't find Mary to be thwarted in her desire for a bigger life. I find her to be a snob who feels entitled. So, I actually don't mind that her perfect ending is shattered and she's going to have to regroup. Is she going to learn from tragedy and actually become the person that Matthew (and Carson!) thought she was (I'm not even entirely sure why he thought it), or is she going to be "Edith's Mary" which she is 95% of the time. Either option is possible, which is more doubt than there was in M&M, where after such weirdness as a convenient cure of paralysis, convenient fortune, and a conveniently dead fiance... there was no doubt in M&M. Whatever was needed to happen for them would happen for them, and frankly, having saved the Abbey and produced an heir, their story was told. So, I'm not actually bothered that poor Matthew shuffled this mortal coil to place Mary in uncomfortable circumstances.
I would like to know whether Daisy ever accepted the farm. I was happy enough that Thomas gained a bit of humanity. I LOL'd at O'Brien figuring out that her punch was 90% whiskey (seriously, what did the other ladies maid think was going to happen? You can taste whiskey!). I like poor Branson's tears over Sybil. Cute baby. Cute Carson and Baby. Mrs. Hughs rocked (and so did Mrs. Patmore). My only real quibbles is I wished to heck Edith were given a love interest that didn't annoy me. I have a hard time accepting the "My wife is crazy, so will you be my lover anyway?" plot when it seems rather passionless. (And couldn't he be hotter? Shallow? Yeah. But I wish he were hotter.) And I'm not at all up on Rose. I don't passionately hate her. But I'm not exactly thrilled by her either (though I did like the dress she was showing to her mother's ire.)
Similarly, I liked what was set-up on OUAT. I wasn't particularly surprised that Bae turned out to be Emma's ex. Ever since that was presented as a possibility, I thought it was a likely one. Bae being Emma's ex and Henry's father presents so many story possibilities.
Given Bae's history, he won't want to abandon his child, so of course he'll have to return to Storybrooke... where he'll be forced to deal with his own father despite the fact that under other circumstances he wouldn't want to deal with Rumple at all.
Also, Rumple was willing to sacrifice a lot of other characters' lives and happiness to find his son. He made a deal with the Miller's daughter for her first-born child, which means that Regina was promised to Rumple. Then he manipulated Regina to enact the curse that cost Snow and Charming their child Emma. Then Emma and "Neal" were manipulated by Pinnochio (and who wants a bet that Rump had a hand in that as well?) ,with Rumpy bring Emma and Bae's kid to Storybrooke to be raised by Regina. (Then we can talk about Rumpy having killed Bae's mom.) All these things that Rumpy has done to 'find' Bae... and now Bae is going to be furious because not only did Rumpy abandon Bae at the wormhole, but he also inadvertantly cost Bae many years with his son.
The show functions far more on parent/child dynamics than 'true love' ship dynamics. This turn of events sets up many parent/child dynamics. Not only Rump/Bae but Bae/Henry, Emma/Henry. I bet Charming won't be happy with Bae either. I also wonder about Bae's reaction to Rumpy's girlfriend being younger than he is (speaking of, I still have a suspicion that Bae's first stop was in Hook's world. It's still possible at least.)
So basically, I like the set-up and look forward to the fall-out. (I also want Regina to turn on Cora, because my read on Cora is that trying to steal the dagger is all about Cora trying to become the Dark One herself. Cora is still using Regina. Regina is going to have to learn to turn her back on her mom before she can ever even begin to actually change. And I do want her to grow (though first, I think she needs to learn what Bae learned a long time ago, namely that she's been really screwed up and that her mother has always been far more concerned with power than anything else. Until she can face that about Cora, Regina will never really understand what Henry is saying is wrong with Regina.
Cora set the pattern that Regina has lived -- clinging to power. And, since the show can't exactly vanquish Regina (since she's one of the main characters) Cora can become the object lesson (not that I expect Regina to change any time soon).
I've also begun watching Scandal (thanks to OnDemand). Holy cow, a lot goes down on that show!
On Downton, I have to admit I was 'over' Matthew and Mary from the time Livinia died to conveniently pave the way for their future. After the miracle recovery from paralysis, Livinia quickly and lovingly kicking the bucket (and even doing a ouiji board blessing) made them a bit too much of a blessed by fate duo. Add in Matthew's convenient fortune this season. . .
I was a bit sad for Matthew's sake. And a bit more sad for Isobel's. But I guess I just have an evil streak and I was actually sort of happy that it meant that Mary will never, ever, ever be Countess of Grantham. I sort of got over that particular ambition when it became clear that while Mary was all up on being the heir to the place (never really acknowleging in her pain of not being heir that neither Sybil nor Edith ever were) , she had no interest in actually running the place. Yes, I know the era and all of that, but for the entire season Matthew was trying to tell her details and she simply did not want to know. At the end of the day, I don't find Mary to be thwarted in her desire for a bigger life. I find her to be a snob who feels entitled. So, I actually don't mind that her perfect ending is shattered and she's going to have to regroup. Is she going to learn from tragedy and actually become the person that Matthew (and Carson!) thought she was (I'm not even entirely sure why he thought it), or is she going to be "Edith's Mary" which she is 95% of the time. Either option is possible, which is more doubt than there was in M&M, where after such weirdness as a convenient cure of paralysis, convenient fortune, and a conveniently dead fiance... there was no doubt in M&M. Whatever was needed to happen for them would happen for them, and frankly, having saved the Abbey and produced an heir, their story was told. So, I'm not actually bothered that poor Matthew shuffled this mortal coil to place Mary in uncomfortable circumstances.
I would like to know whether Daisy ever accepted the farm. I was happy enough that Thomas gained a bit of humanity. I LOL'd at O'Brien figuring out that her punch was 90% whiskey (seriously, what did the other ladies maid think was going to happen? You can taste whiskey!). I like poor Branson's tears over Sybil. Cute baby. Cute Carson and Baby. Mrs. Hughs rocked (and so did Mrs. Patmore). My only real quibbles is I wished to heck Edith were given a love interest that didn't annoy me. I have a hard time accepting the "My wife is crazy, so will you be my lover anyway?" plot when it seems rather passionless. (And couldn't he be hotter? Shallow? Yeah. But I wish he were hotter.) And I'm not at all up on Rose. I don't passionately hate her. But I'm not exactly thrilled by her either (though I did like the dress she was showing to her mother's ire.)
Similarly, I liked what was set-up o
Given Bae's history, he won't want to abandon his child, so of course he'll have to return to Storybrooke... where he'll be forced to deal with his own father despite the fact that under other circumstances he wouldn't want to deal with Rumple at all.
Also, Rumple was willing to sacrifice a lot of other characters' lives and happiness to find his son. He made a deal with the Miller's daughter for her first-born child, which means that Regina was promised to Rumple. Then he manipulated Regina to enact the curse that cost Snow and Charming their child Emma. Then Emma and "Neal" were manipulated by Pinnochio (and who wants a bet that Rump had a hand in that as well?) ,with Rumpy bring Emma and Bae's kid to Storybrooke to be raised by Regina. (Then we can talk about Rumpy having killed Bae's mom.) All these things that Rumpy has done to 'find' Bae... and now Bae is going to be furious because not only did Rumpy abandon Bae at the wormhole, but he also inadvertantly cost Bae many years with his son.
The show functions far more on parent/child dynamics than 'true love' ship dynamics. This turn of events sets up many parent/child dynamics. Not only Rump/Bae but Bae/Henry, Emma/Henry. I bet Charming won't be happy with Bae either. I also wonder about Bae's reaction to Rumpy's girlfriend being younger than he is (speaking of, I still have a suspicion that Bae's first stop was in Hook's world. It's still possible at least.)
So basically, I like the set-up and look forward to the fall-out. (I also want Regina to turn on Cora, because my read on Cora is that trying to steal the dagger is all about Cora trying to become the Dark One herself. Cora is still using Regina. Regina is going to have to learn to turn her back on her mom before she can ever even begin to actually change. And I do want her to grow (though first, I think she needs to learn what Bae learned a long time ago, namely that she's been really screwed up and that her mother has always been far more concerned with power than anything else. Until she can face that about Cora, Regina will never really understand what Henry is saying is wrong with Regina.
Cora set the pattern that Regina has lived -- clinging to power. And, since the show can't exactly vanquish Regina (since she's one of the main characters) Cora can become the object lesson (not that I expect Regina to change any time soon).
I've also begun watching Scandal (thanks to OnDemand). Holy cow, a lot goes down on that show!
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Date: 2013-02-19 09:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-19 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-21 02:45 am (UTC)Not only does Neal=Bae work to bring Bae into the story where he wouldn't have want to be but it also forces Gold into the story rather than staying separate since he is now connected to everyone else in a (hopefully) positive way.