Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, S1 Ep7

This was a much needed improvement after last week’s shortcomings. I find myself defending this show to most people, but “Who’s Alice?” had me feeling as though maybe I had been wrong to do so. “Bad Blood“ has put my heart at ease, however.

Most complaints heard through the grapevine concern the special effects used on the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It’s true, they’re far from being the best and at times they’re far too much, but dear audience members, let’s keep in mind that this is Wonderland. They strive every week to make the impossible possible, and the effects used on screen are no worse than the ones used weekly by OUAT. We don’t seem to have a massive problem with those now, do we? So, maybe we’re being a bit too critical in that department. Not that one shouldn’t be, but I believe it is to the point where you’re letting it deduct from the story. I’ve accepted that maybe they don’t have the largest budget in the world to make these magical creatures and places come to life, so the story is what they’ve truly given me. It’s the thing that shouldn’t fail. Focusing on that above all else is what I do. The people working on the show can’t give you less special effects, because then it wouldn’t be Wonderland. If their financial plan doesn’t change, the quality will stay the same.

That being said, let us criticize what the writers can change. You cannot put a budget on the human imagination. Let us criticize the actors. I believe they delivered this week and the choices they made were exceedingly dynamic. Some weak points, yes, but the takeaways from “Bad Blood” were mostly good. For instance, sympathy for Jafar managed to sneak its way into my consciousness. Alice’s father pops by for a cell… I mean, spell. Yes, sorry (bad joke). Must tell you about my issues with Cyrus, though. They’re nothing major, just things I’ve been churning around in my brain that really came to fruition this last episode.

Basically, this show is telling me that if the Sultan had just given in and accepted Jafar as his son, we wouldn’t have the homicidal sorcerer we do today. Good job, Dad. Way to raise your kid. NOT. Yes, let’s allow my younger son to viciously smack my older son. Yes, let’s make Jafar feel like a piece of crap and drown him while we’re at it. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? Here I was thinking that the prisoner in Jafar’s cell was going to be some incredibly cool character with amazing powers, but it turns out he’s a scumbag too. I definitely don’t have any understanding for him. After what he did to his son, he can stay a sad, little jailbird. The great thing is I didn’t see that plot twist coming from a mile away. The discovery was truly shocking in a fantastic way. Part of me does wish that it had been some magnificent hero instead, but this choice will do.

PAPA! This was a neat turn of events. Not that we were surprised because we knew it would happen after the last episode, but the way it was utilized was unexpected, at least from my point of view. Watching Edwin playing Jafar playing Edwin was pretty amazing. It was definitely a solid performance from Shaun Smyth. The bit about him always saying grace before a meal was a cool way for Alice to realize that the man before them was an imposter. In that instant, Alice outsmarted Jafar. Maybe our villain will come up with a better plan next time (he undoubtedly will). And, of course, we need to talk about the elephant in the room: Alice’s second wish. Gone! Poof! Sayonara! My heart was warmed by the fact that Alice could finally bring herself to forgive her father, and that her father actually realized he should plead for her forgiveness! Edwin’s speech scene was brilliant and it actually made the episode for me. However, now we are only one wish away from some nasty thing happening, I wager. We’re all aware of the fact that in the case of wish depletion, some terrible act is going to happen that will bend the rules of magic in a terrifying fashion. Frankly, I’m just curious to see what the dreadful evil looks like.

Cyrus, I like you. I do, really. You’re quiet, nice, and even-tempered. Maybe that’s the problem… this man is missing the fire in his belly! Peter Gadiot plays the wistful romantic well, but shouldn’t he be at least a bit more excitable? The only emotional level I’ve seen from him since he’s parted ways with Alice is calm determination. That’s not enough. Are you quite buying it? I’m not anymore, folks. This is just something that has started to nag at me recently. Let’s get him riled up! He’s not an unlikable character, but in truth, he’s getting to be boring.

This installment helped the storyline and overall vibe of OUATIW bounce back. It is my belief that “Bad Blood” gave us a deeper look into Alice’s character than the episode prior did. Together, Will and Alice work and are a delight to watch on screen. They balance each other so nicely. All I’m saying is that Will had better not turn into the third wheel once Cyrus shows up. Let us also hope that this won’t be the last we see of Alice’s father. Is anyone else at all suspicious of his wife (meaning she may be more than she appears to be)? I’ll be keeping a close eye on her. My gut is telling me she’s more than just an evil stepmother.

Watch “Bad Blood” on Amazon Instant Video.