Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, S1 Ep10

“Dirty Little Secrets” is just what it sounds like. Well, on second thought, I wouldn’t say the secrets are dirty, or even little. You know what? Scratch that. They’re just normal, groundbreaking, life-or-death secrets. No big deal. New title: “Seriously Huge Secrets.” Cyrus has been keeping one doozy of a secret for quite some time now. If I were Alice, I’d be worried about discovering this pivotal piece of information from my forever guy just now, but it’s her life. Let’s knock out these secrets like bowling pins, shall we? They go from being understandable to clever to downright infuriating (expect the ranting to be severe). Two out of three receive approval for this chapter of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Not too shabby, kids.

Secret #1: Cyrus, you bad boy, you. The audience comes to find out that our ex-genie is almost single-handedly responsible for the plans currently being set into motion. This part of the story is pretty amazing, the reason being that it ties everything up in a beautiful, tragic package. All of the pieces were expertly placed together in one of the most climactic points in the season thus far. Essentially, Cyrus started the bowling ball rolling swiftly down the lane. He is not the ball itself, but the bowler. The one who gets it all going, without whom the pins would not fall down. Though unintentional, his actions made all the evil ideas Jafar has ever had perfectly possible. Really, how much must that suck for him? His brothers were snared into bottles as well, but only because of something Cyrus encouraged them to do. That’s a lot of weight to have on one’s shoulders.

So, why does he not tell Alice about any of this until now? I don’t know. His reasoning for keeping it to himself was a pile of horse poop (perhaps good for story fertilizer, but quite smelly in real life). However, Cyrus’ past has added so much to the tale as a whole, rounding off the edges and unanswered questions. This second half of Season 1 is stronger than the first as far as storytelling is concerned. Perhaps it is too little, too late, though. We will see. Oh, I forgot to mention that Amara is Cyrus’ mother. How do you like them apples, Jafar? Just kidding. Jafar hates everything, unless it’s somehow related to the suffering of others and kicking puppies.

Secret #2: You know, I occasionally forget that Alice is a worthwhile character. Her personality and story are compelling, but there’s more to her than swordplay. She’s actually exceedingly intelligent, and that’s why the scene with the doors blocking their path was my favorite. Watching her solve the riddle gave Alice a little extra spark. Amid all the clutter and confusion that is Wonderland, a bit of cleverness may be the most powerful weapon. I am happily reminded of why I liked Alice in the first place. She’s not only fierce and headstrong, but smart as well. She’s a protagonist, and she continues to quietly earn her stripes with each passing episode, even if we sometimes forget that she’s supposed to be the star of the show. Wonderland would not be the same without her.

Secret #3: They killed Lizard for her eyes because it revealed that Ana was the one who had taken the lamp. That’s the reason they’re giving me for her demise… are you certain this is the route you want to choose? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is absolutely the worst motivator I can possibly think of for killing off a great character. The writers may say, “They know Ana has the lamp now. That’s important, right?” Big freakin’ deal. Jafar is a sorcerer. There are plenty of other ways he could have traced the lamp. Moving on from that horrible excuse of a death sentence, I demand some sort of ancient, Wonderland-y resurrection ritual. We’ve been robbed.

“Dirty Little Secrets” was surprisingly great (besides my Lizard issues). I’m hoping Cyrus will be a little less broody now that Alice knows his secret. Sharing is caring, you know. And Ana is taking up the mantle against the tyranny of Jafar. Her effort gains my complete support. Protagonist Ana is a fantastic Ana. The momentum is picking up. Big changes are heading our way. Hope you’ll tune in to see them.

Watch “Dirty Little Secrets” on Amazon Instant Video.