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True Love, The Most Magical Potion

When I first wrote about Once Upon A Time a few months ago, I had such high hopes for this tv series.

I’m thrilled to report that, seven episodes later, I have enjoyed every one, from the story of Jiminy Cricket, to Hansel and Gretel, to the paranormal Little Red Riding Hood.

Robert Carlisle as Mr. Gold

Subtle clues are woven into each episode about a variety of fairy tale characters’ lives and the overall story arc built around Snow White vs. The Evil Queen. As detestable as Rumplestilskin/Mr. Gold can be, he’s one of the most fascinating characters, a credit to Robert Carlisle and the show’s quality writing.

Exciting, too, is the arrival of a writer to Storybrooke, the only person other than Emma’s son to believe a book of fairy tales may be more than a bunch of stories. Perhaps that writer will turn out to be her love interest. Emma has been through so much in her life. Doesn’t she deserve a fairy tale ending?

With the March 18th  episode, we’re drawn back into the central drama of Mary Margaret (Snow White) and David (Prince Charming), after David’s so-called wife Catherine has gone missing. Of course, the audience knows Mayor Regina (The Evil Queen) is behind Catherine’s disappearance, and that’s confirmed with the gruesome discovery of Catherine’s heart in a box.  Yes, the Evil Queen has quite the MO. Anyway, Mary Margaret is framed for Catherine’s murder, and the only one who believes in her innocence is Emma, the sheriff who has no choice but to charge and arrest her friend.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly.

Emma is the only one who still believes Mary Margaret is innocent. That’s because, in true fantasy-soap opera fashion, David attempts to learn from his memory lapses by undergoing hypnosis. Sadly, he misinprets his memory and, in one of his most uncharming moments to date, questions Mary Margaret about her role in Catherine’s disappearance. Here’s the heartwrenching exchange:

Every week this show treats the viewer to more memorable lines. The HEART OF DARKNESS episode is no exception:

“Revenge is not the answer. It will turn you into something darker than you can imagine.” (Jiminy Cricket to a vengeful, desperate Snow White)

“Everyone has a dark side. Evil doesn’t always look evil, sometimes it’s staring you right in the face and you don’t even know it.” (Regina, aka The Evil Queen, to David when he says Mary Margaret couldn’t hurt anyone)

“Evil isn’t born, evil is made.” (Mr. Gold to Prince Charming)

“It’s the only thing I broke that I can replace. All I can say is ‘I’m sorry.'” (Snow White’s apology to the Seven Dwarfs)

“No potion can bring back love. Love is the most magical potion of all. If you can bottle love, you can do anything.”  (Rumplestiltskin gets the best lines!)

The scene that includes the last line shared here gives you a glimpse into Mr. Gold’s investment. He often refers to it when speaking with Emma, Mary Margaret, and David. If for no other reason, enjoy Carlisle’s acting:

What are some of your favorite tv show or movie lines?

11 comments on “True Love, The Most Magical Potion

    1. I’m hopeful they can, Alica, with so many storyline possibilities. Do you have a favorite character or episode? What fairy tale character would you like them to explore?

      Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week. 🙂

    1. I think you may enjoy this one, Dawn, being a lover of well-crafted story arcs! The story lines overlap and weave, keeping my mind busy and surprising me with its twists and turns. I adore the writing and enjoy the acting. I don’t even mind that it has darker moments, because it’s only used as an integral part of the plot.

      Thanks for stopping by. I know how busy your fledgling critique partner keeps you. 🙂

  1. Hi, I know this isn’t about fairytales at all, but one of my favorite lines in a movie comes from Jaws, when Roy Scheider’s character first sees how big the shark is:
    “We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” he mutters. We use it at home all the time, and I think of it as a way to say, “Okay, not quitting, just have to adjust the plan…”

    There’s also a ton of lines we use from The Princess Bride, especially “Have fun storming the castle!” for inspirational purposes.

    We’re more “Grimm” fans over here… but both shows are interesting, no?

    1. HA! Love the “I think we need a bigger boat” line, Lynne. My husband references it often, and we make a game out of using movie and tv lines as well as lyrics. Since we have a common reference point, we rarely miss a beat. 🙂

  2. I like Once Upon a Time (especially Mr. Gold). It has not reached favorite level in my house, yet. But we haven’t quit watching it, which is a good sign.

    Justified is one of our favorite shows. The best TV line I’ve heard recently is from Justified. It’s actually more than one line, but I laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a long time.

    Raylan Givens: “Agent Masters is one of the best.”

    Sheriff Napier: “Is that why he doesn’t talk? Doesn’t smile? Just stands in my doorway like a big, hot, steaming pile of sh!t?”

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