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.
"Child of the Moon" is not one of the best Season 2 episodes and a lesser instalment of 'Once Upon a Time' up to this point of the show. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty good but not the finest example of the enormous promise that generally Season 2 showed, where everything began feeling more settled, old characters and plot lines were expanded upon and new ones were introduced with richer content.
The mixed reception for "Child of the Moon" is understandable. Personally really liked the idea of giving more development to Ruby/Red Riding Hood, with a tragic and intense back-story and Storybrooke plot that allows one, without being manipulated to, to root for the character. The mystery elements in the Storybrooke story, and there is plenty of it for a Storybrooke-centric story (after "Tallahassee" focused heavily on the fairy-tale elements), are intriguing. The horror elements are not tame but not gratuitous. Did appreciate more of a focus on Storybrooke, even if there weren't quite enough of the flashbacks.
Strictly speaking, "Child of the Moon" is somewhat of a filler episode that is setting things up for what is to follow, something that it does quite well. For an episode that resolves existing or just introduced ideas or advances them, there are other episodes of 'Once Upon a Time' that do that better. Some of the dialogue is corny, the biggest offender being for Belle, and there are a few scenes that don't really fit within the episode, a prime example being the opening sequence that did mislead and added nothing.
Visually, "Child of the Moon" is a step up from the limitations seen in "Tallahassee". Enough of the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully too. The effects are not as sloppy here. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.
Humour, mysterious intrigue, charm and pathos are beautifully balanced, although the corniness that was there when the show first started creeps in. The story is flawed, but it does feel more focused and not as over-stuffed as a couple of the previous episodes, not focusing on as many characters.
Acting is good, with Meghan Ory carrying the episode beautifully with pathos and intensity. Annabeth Gish, despite being too young (with a rather small age difference between her and Ory, just over a decade) is suitably mysterious as Anita. The chemistry between the two is well done.
Ginnifer Goodwin is as charming as ever, Alan Dale provides the conflict with authority and Sarah Bolger is becoming more comfortable as Aurora. Emilie De Ravin is a bit bland as Belle still and Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle have far too little to do.
Overall, pretty good but a dip quality-wise for Season 2. 7/10 Bethany Cox
"Child of the Moon" is not one of the best Season 2 episodes and a lesser instalment of 'Once Upon a Time' up to this point of the show. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty good but not the finest example of the enormous promise that generally Season 2 showed, where everything began feeling more settled, old characters and plot lines were expanded upon and new ones were introduced with richer content.
The mixed reception for "Child of the Moon" is understandable. Personally really liked the idea of giving more development to Ruby/Red Riding Hood, with a tragic and intense back-story and Storybrooke plot that allows one, without being manipulated to, to root for the character. The mystery elements in the Storybrooke story, and there is plenty of it for a Storybrooke-centric story (after "Tallahassee" focused heavily on the fairy-tale elements), are intriguing. The horror elements are not tame but not gratuitous. Did appreciate more of a focus on Storybrooke, even if there weren't quite enough of the flashbacks.
Strictly speaking, "Child of the Moon" is somewhat of a filler episode that is setting things up for what is to follow, something that it does quite well. For an episode that resolves existing or just introduced ideas or advances them, there are other episodes of 'Once Upon a Time' that do that better. Some of the dialogue is corny, the biggest offender being for Belle, and there are a few scenes that don't really fit within the episode, a prime example being the opening sequence that did mislead and added nothing.
Visually, "Child of the Moon" is a step up from the limitations seen in "Tallahassee". Enough of the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully too. The effects are not as sloppy here. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.
Humour, mysterious intrigue, charm and pathos are beautifully balanced, although the corniness that was there when the show first started creeps in. The story is flawed, but it does feel more focused and not as over-stuffed as a couple of the previous episodes, not focusing on as many characters.
Acting is good, with Meghan Ory carrying the episode beautifully with pathos and intensity. Annabeth Gish, despite being too young (with a rather small age difference between her and Ory, just over a decade) is suitably mysterious as Anita. The chemistry between the two is well done.
Ginnifer Goodwin is as charming as ever, Alan Dale provides the conflict with authority and Sarah Bolger is becoming more comfortable as Aurora. Emilie De Ravin is a bit bland as Belle still and Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle have far too little to do.
Overall, pretty good but a dip quality-wise for Season 2. 7/10 Bethany Cox