Espenson Brings ‘Once Upon A Time’ to a New Level

I know I talked about Once Upon A Time not that long ago, but after last night’s incredible episode I can’t help but bring it up again, especially to talk about how Jane Espenson‘s writing is this show’s redemption.

First of all, we finally get to learn more about Frankenstein, and Henry actually says something meaningful again, expressing what all of the viewers are thinking: “Frankenstein isn’t in here. It’s not even a fairy tale!” Hopefully the fact that someone in the show finally sees Dr. Whale/Frankenstein’s presence as strange means that this incongruity will soon be explored.

“In the Name of the Brother” seems like a completely different show, rife with witty dialogue and clever quips as opposed to unnatural, awkwardly delivered lines. The entrance of the “outside” world into Storybrooke allowed Espenson to inject her characteristic referential humor into a show that has been bland for quite some time, throwing in a Star Wars ringtone, a joke about posting pictures of food to Twitter, and worries about outsiders wanting to experiment on Storybrooke’s magic inhabitants like in the movies E.T. and Splash.

Not only that, all of the characters seem to have, well, more character in this episode. Mary Margaret’s pluck seen previously in some of her Fairy Tale World exploits is revived, especially in one cheeky aside about the doctor: “Does anybody else notice that he’s drunk off his ass?” Rumpelstiltskin is also given some particularly biting dialogue, bringing back some of that acerbity that we all so loved in his character in the first season.

Another Espenson staple, no doubt fostered by her time on the Joss Whedon shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, is the supurb–and superbly funny–ensemble scenes. As I’m sure any of you screenwriters out there know, ensemble scenes are exceedingly difficult to write. You need to have the correct balance of participation among all those present, not leaving any characters by the wayside with little or no presence in the scene, otherwise they might as well not be there at all. But on the other hand, no character should speak unless it is truly in their character to interject at that point.

Both Espenson and Whedon are extremely adept at maintaining this balance, and Espenson definitely displays her skill in last night’s Once. There are far too many examples to list here, and if you haven’t seen the episode yet, I don’t want give away too much and keep you from enjoying it as much as I did. But I’ll just give you one classic example of the quick, sharp group dialogue, as they are trying to figure out where the doctor has gone:

CHARMING
Got the scent?

RED
Boozy.

EMMA
Just find him and bring him back. We’ll watch Hook and figure out options if Whale doesn’t come back.

EMMA
Maybe Doc can do it.

GRUMPY
(uncontrollable laughter)
Surgery?!
(a beat)
No!!

SNOW
Maybe he didn’t even run. Maybe Cora grabbed him for some reason.

CHARMING
I don’t think so. He’s been a rough place since he brought Regina’s fiance back to life.

SNOW
Daniel?

EMMA
Back to life?!

CHARMING
And had his arm ripped off and put back on.

GRUMPY
Cool.

SNOW
Wait, Daniel came back?

EMMA
Like some kind of Frankenstein?

CHARMING
That’s Whale. The Doctor. And Daniel was his…

EMMA
What went on here while we were gone??

CHARMING
(exhausted groan)

A testament to the excellence of this episode is the fact that it was trending worldwide on Twitter as it aired, which apparently was right in the middle of some major sporting event that was taking place. Check it out:

This review has a great summary of some of the greatest moments in this episode. Thank you, Jane Espenson, for such a delightful hour of television!

Once Upon a Time Review: The World Comes to Storybrooke
Christine Orlando @ TV Fanatic

Back in the Fairy Tale World… First off, Henry was right. Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster is not a fairy tale. I’ve always considered it more of a horror story. I know some will disagree, but I’ve never been thrilled that they’ve incorporated this story into the show.

Nathan Fillion: Awards Host Extraordinaire

I’ve never watched the Writers Guild Awards, but I’m definitely going to this year, all because the incomparable Nathan Fillion will be hosting. When watching the Golden Globes and I saw him come up to announce the winner of one category (and oddly got paired up with Glee‘s Lea Michele for the segment), I was eager to see the audience get a taste of his characteristic wit and charm, but apparently his script called for a straight performance as opposed to a humorous one, despite the fact that he is more than capable of getting the room laughing. So hopefully as the host of the Writers Guild Awards he’ll get a chance to do just that.

I, of course, love Fillion for his leading role in Firefly, but I’ve been catching up on Castle lately, too, and it’s wonderful how the role of Rick Castle has given him the opportunity to be even goofier, which is very fitting to his personality. If you want to see some of Fillion at his silly and singing best, make sure to check out Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. It’s a great, 45-minute 3-parter produced independently by Joss Whedon and friends during the writer’s strike. Not only does it star our beloved Nathan Fillion, but also Neal Patrick Harris and Felicia Day. Good times are had by all.

Check out the official announcement Fillion’s selection as host for the awards – he accepts the honor with his usual mix of ironic hubris and self-deprecation.

Castle Star Nathan Fillion Set to Host 2013 Writers Guild Awards West Coast Show
Gregg Mitchell @ WGA, West

When I first accepted the honor of hosting the Writers Guild Awards, I was confused and actually thought I was receiving one. Since I play a writer on TV, I felt perhaps someone was under the impression I deserved an award and I wasn’t about to correct them. However, now I’m in the perfect position to present myself with whichever award I choose. Who’s going to know? At the very least, I can network with the most talented writers in the business in preparation for my next round of unemployment. It’s a win/win.

Top Ten of Twenty Twelve

I would be remiss if I did not post my Top Ten Films of 2012 list, and what a better way to start up the reboot of Mewling Quim. Now, I of course haven’t seen every single film that came out this year, but I saw a good deal of them, so here is my judgement. I’d be delighted to hear your top ten lists, or your thoughts on mine.

1. The Avengers (Joss Whedon)

I think it’s pretty much a no-brainer that The Avengers would be my favorite film of the year, if not of all time. This box office smash has an incredible ensemble cast, compelling action sequences, stunning visuals, and above all, phenomenal writing. I just rewatched this film last night and I am truly astonished at the clever, quick-witted, and sarcastically humorous quips that all fit impeccably with the different characters. This is, of course, all thanks to the incredible Joss Whedon.

2. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)

I’ve always loved Tarantino films, but Django goes beyond what he has done in the past. Not only does this film tell a touching love story that is not overdone, but it also includes all the badassery you would expect from Tarantino. I’m not one to flinch at violence, but the true brutality of some of the scenes in this film were hard for even me to watch, reflecting the horrors of slavery around which the narrative centers. Pair that with an impeccable and clever performance from Christoph Waltz, a terrifyingly real one from Leonardo DiCaprio, and a better-than-expected one from Jamie Foxx, and you’ve got my #2 pick for the year.

3. The Cabin in the Woods (Joss Whedon)

Yes, another Joss Whedon film. It’s been an admittedly great year for the guy (including the stellar premiere of his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing at the Toronto Film Festival leading it to be promptly picked up by Lionsgate and slated to be released in the near future). Cabin in the Woods reflects Whedon’s roots in his love for the monster-of-the-week spoof, appealing to horror film lovers of all kinds. I don’t want to say too much about this film because its greatness lies in its surprises, so if you haven’t seen it, just go watch it. You won’t regret it.

4. Looper (Rian Johnson)

Looper offers one of the year’s greatest serious sci-fi flicks, with all of the plot twists and mysteries you would expect from one. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is incredible and is an uncanny young Bruce Willis. As the film was written for Gordon-Levitt, is major shortcoming is that, once Willis got on board, Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of the young Joe Simmons is a bit restricted by his need to also be a young Bruce Willis. While the acting from both parties is great, I wish I could have seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt play the character the way he would have originally. Also, the ending was both horrible and great at the same time – just the way I like them.

5. The Amazing Spider-man (Marc Webb)

Thank god somebody finally gave us a likeable Peter Parker. No offense to Toby Maguire, but he was almost too sniveling and insecure to play the witty Spiderman, with a penchant for sarcastic banter. Andrew Garfield on the other hand… I wants me some more of that. While Garfield is almost too cool to be the nerdy Peter Parker, but at least he brings out the cleverly sarcastic side of Spiderman. His portrayal is also emotionally honest, and Emma Stone plays his counterpart, Gwen Stacy (who is so much better than Mary Jane anyway) wonderfully. Although it is a bit awkward to find the balance between retelling Spiderman’s genesis story so soon after another trilogy with striking out into a new narrative, I almost feel as though that essential part of Peter Parker’s life gets skimmed over. Overall, a highly enjoyable film and I can’t wait to see the rest of the new trilogy.

6. The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan)

Okay, I’m a huge Batman fan. He’s my favorite (at least DC) super hero by far, and The Dark Knight (2008) was probably my favorite movie of all time, until this year when it was usurped by The Avengers. The Dark Knight Rises, however, while still totally enjoyable and almost as epic, really fell flat for me. Nolan needs to stop playing with voice alterations – it’s bad enough with Christian Bale as Batman, and I think it’s gotten worse, but why give Bane such a whiny voice? I wish I could have heard Tom Hardy’s delivery of the lines a bit better, as I’m sure he did an incredible job. Also, I am still entirely against Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. It’s just wrong. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was the saving grace of that film, and I hope to Odin they do some films with him as Robin.

7. Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore)

If you like video games – or even if you don’t – see this movie. Yeah, so it’s a kid’s movie, but sometimes they can be really great. Sure it’s a little predictable in terms of the plot, but that’s okay sometimes, especially when you get the hilarity of John C. Reilly and Jane Lynch involved. Pair that with great classic video game references and a fascinating world where characters in these games meet up for drinks at the bar after the arcade is closed, and you’ve got a solid 108 minutes of fun.

8. Les Misérables (Tom Hooper)

You may be surprised to see this film so low on my list, especially seeing as it is based on my favorite musical of all time. I was a bit perplexed by this film – I went into it expecting to love Hugh Jackman and hate Anne Hathaway (my hostility against her is probably unwarranted, but oh well), but I was surprised to find that, while Jackman’s performance was emotionally strong and resonant, his wonderful Broadway voice just does not translate well to film. Hathaway, on the other hand, provided the single best scene of the movie with her impeccably performed ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. I didn’t like the fact that I liked her. Plus, my favorite character, Eponine (Samantha Barks) was somewhat forgettable (although I recognized her from a TV special of the musical when she unfortunately played opposite a Jonas brother, for fuck’s sake), and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) was a little whiny not well-suited to the screen. But overall, this film was basically the musical on the big screen, which simply doesn’t work. Film is something completely different than the Broadway stage, and it should be treated as such.

9. Prometheus (Ridley Scott)

I was really excited for Prometheus. I re-watched all of the Alien films shortly before going to see it to make sure I wouldn’t miss any hints or references. Well, there were plenty of those, but so much of the film just didn’t make sense. The acting was great, the visuals were great, but the story somehow seems incomplete. I suppose this is likely on purpose, as I’m sure Scott will be continuing the franchise, but come on. Even if a film is part of a series, it has to be able to stand on its own.

10. The Hobbit (Peter Jackson)

It truly pains me to put this film at the bottom of my list. I was such a hardcore LOTR fan back in the day – I love the books, and I can’t even tell you how many (probably dozens) of times I’ve seen those films. The Hobbit isn’t bad, of course. It just isn’t great that either. The book is meant to be light and funny and it has an episodic structure as opposed to along epic narrative, so they felt the need to pull a super villain from the appendix to heighten the drama bit. But, I’m sorry, The Hobbit is about Bilbo, not Thorin Oakenshield. And it is Martin Freeman’s rendition of Bilbo that really saves this film – he successfully retains the goofiness of this children’s story amidst all the attempts to make it an epic tale like Lord of the Rings. (Also, side note: when you have a scene with such excellent actors as Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, and Hugo Weaving who can’t carry a scene because it is pure exposition and completely bores the audience, that is the writer’s fault. Rewrite it or cut it out altogether.)