When 'Once Upon a Time' first started it was highly addictive and made the most of a truly great and creative premise. Really loved the idea of turning familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time it came on and it was often a highlight of the week. Which was why it was sad when it ran out of ideas and lost its magic in the later seasons.
After the brilliant previous episode "Save Henry", one of the best episodes of Season 3 and even among the best 'Once Upon a Time' episodes (or at least of the early seasons) that had everything that makes 'Once Upon a Time' so addictive and what it stands for, "The New Neverland" is something of a disappointment. Not a disappointment in that it's terrible, actually it's pretty decent. It's disappointing in that after such brilliance in "Save Henry" it doesn't live up to as high a quality, among the season's lesser episodes for me and that it contains a few of the faults that can be present in 'Once Upon a Time' and generally what Season 3 had been generally good at not doing.
Starting with "The New Neverland's" issues, some will not be satisfied in that not much seems to have moved forward in both characterisation and storytelling, a notable exception being the whole stuff with Peter and Henry (a shock when first introduced and it's developing nicely). There is not much new here and not many surprises, some of it reinforces what is already known (for instance the Snow White, Charming and Regina plot line feels like it's going round in circles), making things feel somewhat predictable.
Found also that there was an over-reliance on the flashbacks, which were significantly less interesting than the rest of the episode. They're certainly not unwatchable, due to that Snow White and Charming's chemistry is charming, Regina/Evil Queen is still a fascinating character and they are acted beautifully by Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas and Lana Parrilla (all three always deliver regardless of the state of the material). The basic story though is dull and things feel somewhat repetitive.
My next complaint is going to seem to some people more like a nit-pick, but it is hard not to say anything when it is so distracting that it takes you out of the episode and jars with everything else. It is that the Medusa looks absolutely terrible, 'Once Upon a Time' have not always been consistent when it comes to effects quality and it is not the first time the effects/CGI have been subpar but not usually to this cheap and cheesy extent.
It may sound as if "The New Neverland" was bad. Will say again that for all its major faults, there is a lot to like and actually it's decent. Most of the story still engages regardless of predictability and lack of forwarding, a lot happens but it doesn't feel cluttered or rushed, it doesn't feel confusing or forced generally and the Peter/Henry plot has so far not been a missed opportunity. Didn't have a problem really with the cliff-hanger, even though it was not a shock the intrigue factor was there.
Can't fault the character chemistry or the performances. It is actually the character chemistry between Goodwin, Dallas and Parrilla that makes their portion of the episode more watchable than deserved and nothing can be faulted with their performances. Jared Gilmore and Robbie Kay do good jobs as well, especially Gilmore who has the more interesting role (which gives off the feeling that he can fare well when Henry is well written).
Furthermore, "The New Neverland" is a very handsomely mounted episode visually, the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully too. Which is why it is sad the Medusa was so poorly done. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme. Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue if not always natural in the flashbacks.
Overall, decent but disappointing. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox
After the brilliant previous episode "Save Henry", one of the best episodes of Season 3 and even among the best 'Once Upon a Time' episodes (or at least of the early seasons) that had everything that makes 'Once Upon a Time' so addictive and what it stands for, "The New Neverland" is something of a disappointment. Not a disappointment in that it's terrible, actually it's pretty decent. It's disappointing in that after such brilliance in "Save Henry" it doesn't live up to as high a quality, among the season's lesser episodes for me and that it contains a few of the faults that can be present in 'Once Upon a Time' and generally what Season 3 had been generally good at not doing.
Starting with "The New Neverland's" issues, some will not be satisfied in that not much seems to have moved forward in both characterisation and storytelling, a notable exception being the whole stuff with Peter and Henry (a shock when first introduced and it's developing nicely). There is not much new here and not many surprises, some of it reinforces what is already known (for instance the Snow White, Charming and Regina plot line feels like it's going round in circles), making things feel somewhat predictable.
Found also that there was an over-reliance on the flashbacks, which were significantly less interesting than the rest of the episode. They're certainly not unwatchable, due to that Snow White and Charming's chemistry is charming, Regina/Evil Queen is still a fascinating character and they are acted beautifully by Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas and Lana Parrilla (all three always deliver regardless of the state of the material). The basic story though is dull and things feel somewhat repetitive.
My next complaint is going to seem to some people more like a nit-pick, but it is hard not to say anything when it is so distracting that it takes you out of the episode and jars with everything else. It is that the Medusa looks absolutely terrible, 'Once Upon a Time' have not always been consistent when it comes to effects quality and it is not the first time the effects/CGI have been subpar but not usually to this cheap and cheesy extent.
It may sound as if "The New Neverland" was bad. Will say again that for all its major faults, there is a lot to like and actually it's decent. Most of the story still engages regardless of predictability and lack of forwarding, a lot happens but it doesn't feel cluttered or rushed, it doesn't feel confusing or forced generally and the Peter/Henry plot has so far not been a missed opportunity. Didn't have a problem really with the cliff-hanger, even though it was not a shock the intrigue factor was there.
Can't fault the character chemistry or the performances. It is actually the character chemistry between Goodwin, Dallas and Parrilla that makes their portion of the episode more watchable than deserved and nothing can be faulted with their performances. Jared Gilmore and Robbie Kay do good jobs as well, especially Gilmore who has the more interesting role (which gives off the feeling that he can fare well when Henry is well written).
Furthermore, "The New Neverland" is a very handsomely mounted episode visually, the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully too. Which is why it is sad the Medusa was so poorly done. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme. Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue if not always natural in the flashbacks.
Overall, decent but disappointing. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox
