Media Musings Part 3: Once Upon a Time

Finally, here's the third and final post in my Media Musings series.  If you'd like to see the first two, click HERE for "The Avengers" and HERE for "The Hunger Games". :)

My Belle and Rumpel collage, made with Picmonkey.com's new-ish collage option.  I'm thrilled to have a collage option once again, but I'm wishing it was a little more user-friendly, like Picnik's was.  I'll save that discussion for another post, though.  Right now it's time for...

ONCE UPON A TIME
I know, I know...I already did a big post about this after the Rumpel and Belle episode, and then apologized for mentioning the series after the next episode.  But I just thought I'd say a few final words since I did end up watching the rest of the season (come on, I had to find out if Rumpel ever discovered that Belle was still alive!). ;)

While I haven't been a fan of everything they've done with the series (you can read my previous thoughts HERE and HERE), I have to say that the scenes with Rumpelstiltskin and Belle in the episode "Skin Deep" were some of my favorite moments of television...ever! (Which is why I kept my footer picture of these two on my blog, at least for now.) ;)  Part of it was my love of all things Beauty and the Beast (and it was so fun noticing all of the Disney Beauty and the Beast references!), part of it was the originality of the storyline, and part of it was just the amazing acting of Robert Carlyle and Emilie de Ravin.  When I mentioned the subtlety of facial expression in my first Media Musings post, I was totally thinking of these two.  I just have to share a clip that illustrates this point.  Watch Rumpelstiltskin's face in THIS CLIP.  It makes me tear up every time I watch it.  Notice especially the way he quickly jerks his head when Belle re-enters the dungeon, and the way his eyebrows twitch just slightly when she says, "You're going to regret it...forever" (although you pretty much have to go full screen to catch it).  And of course, the slow, miserable way he slides his eyes closed at the end, as if he realizes his mistake, even though he's not brave enough to admit it.  Pure genius.  It's the little details like this that make a performance stand out.  Belle's got some beautiful acting in this scene as well. [Side note here:  there's a link to a blog listed under the video that does have some swearing...I would have used a different user's clip, but this was the best quality one I could find.  Just wanted to forewarn all of you!]

Why do I like this episode (minus the annoying Mary Margaret and David parts), and in particular this scene?  (Besides my obvious admiration for the acting, of course!)  Well, aside from my love for Beauty and the Beast, there are two other things I really love.  First, this episode is the first time that we see a softer, more vulnerable side of Rumpelstiltskin after his transformation.  I've already discussed some thoughts on Rumpy and redemption in my previous post (the first "HERE" above), so I won't go into that again.  Suffice it to say that you see him in a different light after watching "Skin Deep", and it gives a bit of hope for his future...if he can just manage to make the right decisions.

I also really admire Belle's character.  Here's a girl who sacrifices her freedom and happiness to save her kingdom, even though she doesn't know what will become of her.  We learn from her later that she "always wanted to be brave", and she figured "do the brave thing, and bravery would follow."  This, by the way, is a very interesting contrast to Rumpelstiltskin, who is constantly acting in response to his own cowardice and his obsessive desire for power (something which Belle recognizes in the scene you just watched...if you clicked the link, that is). ;)  Granted, almost everything he does has the motive of SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER! finding his son Baelfire again, but his cowardice and power-hungry nature definitely shine through. END OF SPOILER

Belle is mature enough to see past Rumpelstiltskin's shallow, wickedly cheerful facade to his loneliness and vulnerability.  She even unexpectedly starts to fall in love with him, and is willing to try to break his curse through true love's kiss.  But when he turns on her and accuses her of working with the Evil Queen (and then locks her in the dungeon and smashes a bunch of his stuff), :} things don't work out exactly as she'd hoped.  She tries to convince him of her sincerity, but to no avail.

Then, in the scene I linked to above, Belle is asked to leave.  She is obviously hurt by Rumpel's apparent indifference, but wisely sees the real reasons for his reaction.  She stands up to him and, although she still loves him, is strong enough to leave him behind.  And we see in later scenes that she definitely made a lasting impression on Rumpelstiltskin (who knew a chipped cup could become such a priceless heirloom?).

WARNING:  IN THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH I WILL DISCUSS THE SEASON FINALE.  IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, I WOULD SUGGEST SKIPPING THE NEXT THREE PARAGRAPHS TO AVOID MAJOR SPOILERS! ;)  So of course, after such a sad ending to Belle and Rumpy's story, I was hoping against hope that Belle would show up (un-incarcerated, of course!) in Storybrooke.  I was super excited when I heard that Belle would be reappearing in the Season Finale. :D  I have to say, as soon as Jefferson drugged the nurse at the desk and started heading for Belle's cell, I literally started jumping up and down, because I knew what was coming.  And finally, the moment came that I'd been waiting for...the moment when Mr. Gold realized that Belle was still alive.  The look on his face?  Priceless.  I was blinking back tears at their reunion.  And later, I loved the part where Belle said, "Rumpelstiltskin...wait."  The way she said it, the slow turn he did, their hug...it was all so beautifully acted!  Having their theme playing in the background made it even sweeter.  Of course, then Mr. Gold had to go and ruin things by being Mr. Power Hungry.  Sigh.  I can just see the wheels in Belle's head turning:  "Oh yeah, this was what the problem was with this relationship!  Now I remember!" ;)  Let's just say that unless Rumpel starts making some major changes, I don't see much hope for a healthy, happy relationship between these two.

I will probably start out watching Season 2, just because I really want to know what happens to these two characters (especially now that it's been announced that Belle has been changed to one of the lead characters next season!), but I may have to stop watching if the content goes beyond what my conscience can bear.

My aunt thinks I need to prepare myself for the fact that Rumpelstiltskin will never change, that he'll stay bad.  I'm still holding out hope that somehow, he'll find that flicker of goodness that he's still got buried down deep, or at least, like the Phantom, perform one redeeming act of goodness before he dies or something. :} (Hey, there is usually a death or near-death scene in all Beauty and the Beast stories, and we all know how Rumpelstiltskin's original story ended!)  The episode with August ("The Return") gave us an idea of what Rumpel was planning once he found his son again, and it was a good thing!  Way to go, August. :(  Hopefully you didn't ruin that!  Now Mr. Gold will never want to open up again!
END OF SPOILERS!!!!

There are other scenes and instances throughout the series that give examples of love, the importance of family, and other positive messages.  I'll just touch on one more.

I have to say that, while I'm not a big fan of Snow and Charming's Storybrooke characters, I did enjoy most of their fairy tale scenes.  One of my favorite Prince Charming parts is in this scene HERE.  (Warning:  Charming gets hit with an arrow in the shoulder and Snow White gets punched in the face by a guard in this clip, just so you're forewarned.  Oh, and there's some kissing, too.) ;)

I love this scene for its portrayal of sacrificial love.  In this episode, Snow White has taken a potion that has made her forget Prince Charming (aka James) because he is being forced to marry someone else.  As a result, the void in her heart has been filled with a determined vengeance to kill the Evil Queen.  She gets a bow and arrow from Rumpelstiltskin that is guaranteed to find its target.  The downside to the deal (that Snow doesn't know about in her enchanted, dark state) is that the person who shoots the arrow will become like whatever they shoot, meaning that Snow White will become as evil as the Queen.

Throughout the episode, Charming tries to convince Snow that this isn't the way to solve things, but she won't listen (especially since she can't even remember who he is).  He even tries kissing her, since he's been told that true love's kiss will break her spell.  Snow responds by knocking him out and tying him up.  So, in a last-ditch effort to save her from herself (after Jiminy Cricket frees him), James jumps in front of the arrow so that it hits him instead of the Queen.

Granted, the whole concept is a bit dark (which is pretty typical of this series), but James' sacrificial love in this scene reminds me of Christ's love for us.  He died so that we could be free from darkness and sin, taking the punishment that should have been ours.  And He did it "while we were yet sinners" (Rom. 5:8).  One of the things that is the most touching about this scene for me is the fact that James is doing all of this for Snow when she doesn't even remember him or care that he's alive.  How many of us would be willing to do such a thing for someone that didn't even care?  Yet that is exactly what Christ did for us on the cross.

It's just a shame that Mary Margaret and David's love in Storybrooke doesn't illustrate the same beautiful message. :(

Okay, I've gone on long enough!  Time for the summary.

Positives:  Excellent acting and writing (for the most part...aside from most of  David and Mary Margaret's Storybrooke scenes...although I guess that's more the morality behind the writing, not the writing itself or the acting!); examples of self sacrifice, bravery, loyalty, love, and the importance of family and people in one's life; bad or impatient choices are shown to have bad consequences ("All magic comes with a price, Dearie!"); the overlying message is hope, and that good will triumph over evil

Negatives:  Sex before marriage is implied and excused (in the modern part of the TV series); an extra-marital affair is portrayed as something acceptable because the characters have "true love" (and are actually married to each other, even though they don't remember it); some swearing; examples of selfishness, hatred, and self-seeking motives, often portrayed in dark or violent ways (most of these show the folly of doing things this way, but still might be a bit much for some); murders are often witnessed, and while not usually done realistically are still hard to watch (for example, the Queen removing characters' hearts in a non-bloody, magical fashion or one man losing his head-literally-and living through the experience); on that note, one character ends up unknowingly causing the demise of her love interest due to a full moon and the wrong information in an absolutely heartrending scene; lots of magic (kind of necessary for this type of a story, but I know it's offensive to some), some Disney-ish, some a bit Harry Potteresque (I'm assuming...I've never seen any of the HP movies); several revealing outfits, especially as worn by the Evil Queen; many scenes would be too scary or dark for younger viewers.

Would I Recommend It?  I'd have to say that this is not a series I would be able to fully recommend.    Sadly, good acting and a few really great scenes do not erase all of the other problems.  And as much as I love the Rumpelstiltskin and Belle story, I realize that Rumpel is not the type of guy a girl should look for if she wants a healthy, loving relationship. ;)  As I mentioned in my other post, this sort of story line works great for books and movies, but it's not so great in real life.  He's definitely more of an Erik than a Mr. Knightley, let's just put it that way. ;)

I appreciate the fact that they haven't put as much content into this show as they could have (no explicit scenes and fairly low-key swearing).  Honestly, compared to much of the mainstream media out there, this show would be considered pretty clean.  However, I still wish it was cleaner and not as dark, especially since it could have been a great family show with the fairy tale aspect.  It really has some great things going for it!  It's so fun to see all of the fairy tale characters we know and love as living, breathing people.  The writers have also done a spectacular job of intertwining all of these well-known tales together.  The Disney references sprinkled throughout the show are an extra bonus for me.  I also appreciate that the overall theme of OUAT is hope, and the fact that good will eventually prevail, even when things seem at their darkest.  As a believer, I can find many spiritual parallels to that message.  But I can't excuse the dark themes that pervade much of the series, the rationale that true love is more important than marital commitment, and the attitude that sex before marriage is normal and expected.  So this one has to be an unfortunate no in general.  I think that many parts of the show would be appropriate for adults or older teens with parental involvement, but I would definitely not recommend this series for children.

Plugged In's reviews on TV shows are not nearly as detailed, but I did go ahead and put a link to their Once Upon a Time review HERE, just in case you'd like to check it out.

And just one last fun little thing I recently discovered.  Did you know that Cogsworth and Lumiere made a cameo appearance in "Once Upon a Time"?

Check out the picture below...you'll have to click on it so that you can see it clearly.  If you look on little side table behind Rumpelstiltskin (to the right of the picture), you'll see a candelabra and a mantle clock sitting next to each other...

...just like Cogsworth and Lumiere did in the Disney movie (when Maurice first came to the castle).  The order is backwards, but it's a fun little sneaky tribute to the Disney Beast's trusty sidekicks.  There are all sorts of fun little surprises like this hidden throughout the series.

Okay, I'm done with this post now...really...I promise. ;)

I hoped you enjoyed this series of posts.  I certainly did. ;)  I've found that typing everything out helps me work through my thoughts on things I've seen...without driving my hubby crazy!  (It took me about 2 days to work through "Skin Deep"...and Hubby just wasn't interested in listening to random thoughts and factoids about Once Upon a Time for that long.) ;)

As always, comments are welcome.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this series, too. :)

P.S.  By the way, thanks for 140 followers!!!  Eep! :D

Sharing a Dream

Hey guys!  Just a quick post today, since I'm supposed to be cleaning my house for Little Gal's party tomorrow instead of blogging! :}  Blogging is way more fun, though. ;)

As you've probably noticed, I changed my blog header.  I know Jenna and her blossoms weren't up there for long.  Don't worry, her header may make another appearance sometime soon.  Until then, you can enjoy it here:

(As always, you can click on the picture to make it bigger.)

Okay, on to the present.  For about 2 years now, I've had a story slowly taking shape in my mind and on paper. It's a story that I'd really like to finish, whether I end up publishing it professionally, trying the self-publishing route, or just making it available for my family and friends.  I've talked about it a little bit here and there.  

The release of the "Once Upon a Time" TV series has been exciting and frustrating at the same time.  On the one hand, it means there's definitely a market for the type of story that I'm writing.  On the other hand, there are a few story concepts that the writers of "Once Upon a Time" came up with that have some similarities to mine, which makes my job a bit more difficult! 

[Side note here:  Since we're on the subject of "Once Upon a Time", I just wanted to mention that I don't really feel comfortable recommending it.  I will always love the "Skin Deep" episode, featuring Belle and Rumpelstiltskin as Belle and the Beast, but the series has gotten progressively darker with each week.  It appears that it will be continuing in that direction.  So, while I have enjoyed some parts of the series, I don't feel that I can recommend it in good conscience any more.  Okay, that's all.  Moving on!]

The other day, I was feeling a bit discouraged.  My stories (there will be 3 books) are still so far from completion.  There are apparently two TV shows in production that are based on "Beauty and the Beast" (which is the main story my first book focuses on).  And every week, little details here and there on "Once Upon a Time" make my story idea less and less unique.  

Then, yesterday, I buckled down and did some writing.  I did some research on the location I've chosen for the setting (it's a real location), and once again, I was reminded of how real these characters are to me.  I've known my 2 main characters for over 10 years, and I want so badly to share their story with everyone.  

Most importantly, the Lord really seemed to be directing me to write these.  I would love to offer fairy tale stories with conservative morals and an uplifting message (which is often lacking in some of the current productions).  I don't know what route I'll go, how successful they'll be, or if they'll ever see the inside of a publishing house.  I just know I have to write them.

This shouldn't affect my blogging too much (especially since I've been a bit sporadic lately), but I do plan on trying to schedule more writing time along with my blogging time.  My goal is to finish my rough draft of my first book and start on the rough draft of the second book by the end of this year.  I wanted to share this with all of you so that you can help keep me accountable. ;)  I'll try to update you here and there on my progress.  

To help inspire myself to keep at it, I used one of my illustrations from college in my new header.  While the story is not going to be the same as my original Beauty and the Beast story I wrote, the characters and their design are the same. I'm also including two other original illustrations in this post for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure, as the case may be). ;)  Here they are:

"The First Evening"

I'm not entirely pleased with my "Beauty" character in this one (I'm keeping the names a secret for now).  I've spent too many years sketching Disney characters, so I end up making my heroines unrealistically skinny, quite by accident!  Also, the proportions on her arms seem a bit off.  I like the rest of it, though (although "Beast's" right wrist is at rather an odd angle). :)

"The Return"

One of the best scenes in any Beauty and the Beast story.  I really love how this one turned out. :)

"The Garden"

And here's another copy of the header picture.  This is the very first illustration I did for my story, and I also used it as the cover art for my original B&B story that I gave to my family and friends.  The only issue I have with this one is that "Beast" is supposed to be a lot taller than "Beauty".  Hmm, maybe he's kneeling or something...although that would mean he was REALLY tall! :}  

I've shared these with all of you to get some feedback, but also to help motivate myself to keep pressing on.  My only request is that no one use these pictures without my prior permission.  Well, okay, I guess I have two requests.  I would also ask that you reference this blog if you use them.  These represent hours of work, and these characters are like real friends to me.  Any of you who write will understand that, I'm sure. :)  

I'm excited to see where the Lord leads with this project.  Even if my stories don't end up getting published, at least I will be able to say that I finished my project.  And if nothing else, I'll be able to provide my friends and family with another entertaining gift a few Christmases from now. ;)

Feeling Annoyed and Other Randomness

Okay, I'm almost wishing I hadn't said anything about "Once Upon a Time" after last night's episode.  I'm so fed up with the way they're ruining Mary Margaret and David Nolan in Storybrooke!  I found last night's Fairy Tale segment pretty interesting overall, although the siren scene was just creepy.  I'm glad we got to find out what happened to Abigail and that, in the Fairy Tale world at least, she and Prince Charming parted ways on good terms.

Anyway, I wanted to apologize in case any of you watched last night and were offended or surprised that I had cautiously recommended the series.  And for those of you who haven't seen it, hopefully I haven't roused your curiosity just enough to make you go watch it now.  If you do, just realize that I was very disappointed by the plot line from last night's show and would not recommend that episode in particular.  Once again, nothing overly explicit was in it, but I was frustrated by the choices and character portrayed by the...um...characters. ;)  My main interest in the show is to find out what happens to Rumpelstiltskin and Belle.

In other news, I should be able to do a bit more blogging than I thought this week since I'll be home with Middle Gal.  She's feeling pretty much back to normal, so I think my main task is going to be keeping her from climbing, running, jumping, and other similar activities. ;)

Alisa, dear, good news for you!  I will have your post about meeting one's future spouse up sometime this week!  I hope you don't think I've forgotten you.  Truth be told, I'd taken some notes in one of my little writing notebooks on what I wanted to cover, and then couldn't find the notebook!  On Saturday, it was returned to me.  I'd left it at my sister-in-law's house! :}  So, don't worry...that post is on my "to do" list for this week. :)

I don't know that I really have much else to share.  Hope everyone has a great week, and I'll talk to all of you again soon! :)

More Rumpelstiltskin and Belle Collages

Okay, once I got started the other night, I couldn't stop! ;)  Here are a few more collages that I put together.  Some of them will be pretty small, but if you click on the pictures, you can see them close up. :)

What can I say?  I just love Picnik.com! ;)

Some Thoughts on "Once Upon a Time"

Hi everyone!  Thank you much for your prayers and encouraging comments regarding Middle Gal's recovery.  She's doing really well! :)
This is a post I've been working on all week, and I wanted to get it published before the next episode.  Hope you enjoy it!

Okay, I've been holding out on writing about this series because I wanted to see the direction it was going, but I admit it...I've gotten a bit hooked on "Once Upon a Time".

WARNING:  THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD!  If you haven't watched this series and don't want to know anything about it before watching, I would suggest you skip this post.  I'll try to warn you before the big spoilers, but there will inevitably be things I have to reveal as I share my thoughts.

WARNING #2:  I've been working through this stuff in my head for a while, so I'm most likely going to be very wordy, just so you know.  You've been fairly warned. ;)

I was able to hold my ground for quite a while.  I was a bit concerned with some of the content, and reluctant to get interested in a series that was written by guys whose last series lasted for EIGHT SEASONS!!!! ("Once Upon a Time" is written by the same guys who wrote "Lost", which I have not seen, by the way.)  But after last week's episode, "Skin Deep", I could feel my resolve slipping.

When I first heard that ABC was doing a TV series called "Once Upon a Time", I was cautiously excited.  I have always loved fairy tales, and I thought it had some great potential.  As I learned a little bit more about the series, I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, even as I got interested in the story line.  There were some definite similarities to my stories I'd been developing and working on.  Not that they were identical or anything, but my book would definitely have been more original if it had been published before "Once Upon a Time". :{

For those of you who are not familiar with the series, the basic premise is that every fairy tale story you've ever heard really happened.  All of the fairy tale characters we know and love really existed in their own world.  However, angry over Snow White's happy ending, the Evil Queen put a curse on the entire fairy tale world.  Now all of the fairy tale characters are stuck in Storybrooke, Maine, where the Evil Queen resides as mayor.  None of them know their true identities (except for the mayor and one other character), and only one person can break the curse:  the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, Emma Swan.  Emma was transported to our world via magical wardrobe (hmm, Narnia, anyone?) as a baby by her parents.  Of course, she has no memory of her life as a fairy tale character, which could prove a daunting obstacle.  And she's not in Storybrooke.  Thankfully, her son, Henry, whom she gave up for adoption as an infant, finds her and takes her there.  He's been given a book of fairy tales by his teacher at school and has connected the dots.  Now all he has to do is convince Emma that the stories are true, and that only she can save them.  Oh, and that his adopted mom is the Evil Queen from Snow White's story.

Involved, I know.  It's hard to describe.  The idea is great, though.  I was just a little concerned with what they'd do to all of my favorite fairy tales, so I tried to go into it very cautiously.  I didn't want to get swept off my feet before I could properly evaluate everything.

There are definitely some things that they got right on this series.  The writing is great.  At the end of each week, you find yourself dying to know what happens next!  While the writing style can sometimes make it a bit difficult to remember details from past episodes, as they jump from character to character for weeks at a time, it definitely keeps you hooked!

The stories have overall been much cleaner than I expected, too:  not too much swearing, no explicit sexual content.  Also, because ABC is owned by Disney, there are a lot of clever references to the Disney versions of the fairy tales that we've all grown up with.  

The acting is phenomenal, and the casting is superb.  I haven't seen any character yet that made me think, "They just really don't look the way I imagined them."

And speaking of characters, just who have we met so far?  Snow White and her dwarfs, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Jiminy Cricket, Red Riding Hood, Belle, and many, many more.  The writers go "behind the scenes" of the fairy tales we all know so well and give us all sorts of extra information on what happened between the pages of their original stories.

I also appreciate that the characters are very layered.  Instead of the perfect sweet and kind "good guys" and the melodramatic "bad guys", you see believable human characteristics in each.  Good characters sometimes make mistakes, but try to learn from them.  With some of the "bad guys", we see the progression of their characters.  It doesn't excuse their behavior, but you can see how the choices they made and the influences they chose to follow affected their life and shaped them into the person they became.  There are some great opportunities for spiritual application here.  More on that later, though. :)  

Of course, as is to be expected, the series has its faults.  The most frustrating issue for me involves Snow White and Prince Charming.  Because of the fact that no one remembers who they are in Storybrooke, some of the characters have been separated from each other, including Snow White and Prince Charming.  It is believed, at least at this point in the series, that Prince Charming's Storybrooke counterpart, David Nolan, is married.  SPOILER!!! (At the beginning of the series, David is in a coma, and when he wakes up, he doesn't remember anything.  Right when he and Snow White's Storybrooke counterpart begin to get close, the mayor/Evil Queen conveniently shows up with David's "wife".) END OF SPOILER (SORT OF)  Yet he "feels a connection" with Mary Margaret Blanchard (known as Snow White in the fairy tale world) that he doesn't feel with his wife.  As a result, the two of them end up starting a relationship in spite of his marriage.  It is not specified how far this relationship has gone, but they are at least very emotionally involved and have shared kisses and embraces.

Now, I realize that they are truly married in the fairy tale world, and it's pretty likely that his "marriage" to this other woman is a hoax or a ploy set up by the Evil Queen to keep him and Snow White apart.  That being said, I am so tired of TV shows or movies using the whole "soul mates" thing to excuse sin.  If you're married, you need to be faithful to your spouse, both physically and emotionally.  It doesn't matter if you find your "soul mate" after you're married.  You have committed to your husband or wife and that's the relationship you need to be cultivating.  If more people had this mindset, we'd have a lot less divorces and unhappy marriages in this world.  I realize that in some situations, such as abusive scenarios, this just isn't possible.  But on the whole, in a normal marriage relationship, this is God's design.  We really don't need any more encouragement to "follow our hearts", especially when a romantic fairy tale couple is involved, which makes us feel all gushy inside and therefore justify their actions.

There are also several characters that are known to be sleeping together, and while we don't see anything explicit (yet! Hopefully it will stay that way!), this is treated as the norm, and even encouraged in some instances.  Sadly, this has become the norm for most of society, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.  There also have been at least a few innuendos (and probably more than that, as these tend to go over my head unless they're really obvious).

I don't remember how much swearing there is.  There have been at least a few instances of some swearing, and a few improper uses of God's name.

Alcoholic beverages are frequently consumed throughout the show.  There are also some low-cut and otherwise revealing outfits worn by some of the female characters, especially the Evil Queen and Red Riding Hood's Storybrooke counterpart, Ruby.

The other thing is that there are some pretty dark themes and some violent content in some of the episodes.  Because of this, I would definitely not recommend this show for kids.  It's geared much more towards adults.  Of course, when you read some of the original fairy tales, they were pretty dark and violent too.  Something that comes up quite frequently is murder, and it's usually instigated by the Evil Queen or those around her.

I should also mention that magic plays a pretty big part in this series too (duh!).  For the most part, though, it's Disney-ish magic:  wands, fairy godmothers, wishes from Genies, and other such things.  There is at least one battle between the Evil Queen and Maleficent that is rather Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter-esque, and a couple of dark scenes where the Evil Queen begins the curse.  I just wanted to mention this because I know this is a real issue for some people.  For me, as long as they're not constantly reciting incantations and making spells the entire focus, I'm not as bothered.  I mean, you can't really have fairy tales without magic...the plot lines would be completely impossible. :}

So what was it that finally got me really interested in this series?  You won't be surprised.  I watched Snow White and Cinderella's stories with interest, but I was able to remain fairly detached.  Rumpelstiltskin and Jiminy Cricket's stories were interesting, but sad, too.  The Magic Mirror, the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel...all of them were interesting, but still I was doing well.

Then, last week, they did Beauty and the Beast...and I was totally sunk.  Are you shocked? ;)  It was, in my opinion, the greatest episode yet (minus the annoying secondary plot with more on the Mary Margaret/David Nolan issue, and SPOILER!! the Storybrooke Cinderella character who got pregnant before marrying her Prince Charming! Grrr!  At least this didn't happen in the fairy tale world, but still...) END OF SPOILER  I had my doubts at first when I realized that Rumpelstiltskin was going to take the role of the Beast.  The episode was written so well, though, that it didn't take me long to love it.  The writing, the acting, and the music all melded together to make one amazing episode!  It seriously took me almost all night to wrap my head around all the little nods and references to Beauty and the Beast, but with twists of their own.  SPOILER ALERT!!  Sadly, this version did not have a happy ending, but there's still a chance that the story might resolve itself later on in the series!  END OF SPOILER  I'm on pins and needles to find out what happens.  And apparently, I'm not the only one.  Just look up "Belle and Rumpelstiltskin" on YouTube, and you'll find dozens of fan videos celebrating the couple.

At first, I felt a little bad about liking the episode so much.  I mean, the more you watch of this series, the more you realize the evil that Rumpelstiltskin is capable of, and the amount of power he really holds. It made me think of a Phantom of the Opera type situation.   But at the same time, most of the things he'd done were unknown to Belle, and he truly cared for her and showed her kindness as the episode wore on...at times, at least.  So really, from her perspective, he was just a guy that was a bit creepy-looking and a little rough around the edges. [EDIT:  In reading over this, I realized I was rationalizing the scenario because I liked the episode so much. I need to be consistent here! :}  Rumpel is not exactly the greatest candidate for a future mate (okay, that's the understatement of the year), and even though Belle didn't know everything he'd done, this still was definitely more of a Phantom case.  Of course, when Rumpel SPOILER went all ballistic on her for trying to break his curse, she wisely didn't stick around (partially by choice and partially by force).  I appreciate the fact that she stood up to him and was able to see through his phony excuses, yet she was strong enough to say goodbye, even though she still loved him. END OF SPOILER]

I think that Rumpelstiltskin, more than any of the other characters, really exemplifies the possibility of redemption.  He made some horrible choices in his life.  In the beginning, rather than facing his problems, he chose to do something wrong to give him the power he'd always dreamed of.  He justified his decision by thinking of all the good he could do, but instead, his power corrupted him and turned him into something evil. [Side note here:  While I pitied his beginning, I did not have much empathy for Rumpelstiltskin at all before this episode!  He gave me the shivers!]

When Belle came into his life, he slowly started to remember his humanity.  She brought back feelings that I'm sure he thought he no longer had.  This episode showed a different side to him, a vulnerable man who had the capacity to love, if only he would let go of his bitterness and desire for power.  We were also shown in this episode that he made another decision that he came to bitterly regret...a decision that still haunted him, even in Storybrooke.  

I think there's hope for Rumpel yet.  In all the episodes about the Evil Queen, we've seen her make bad decision after bad decision.  While she seems to have some feelings beneath that icy exterior, she is ruthless and never fails to crush all who get in her way.  She is manipulative, power-hungry, and will stop at nothing to pursue her own interests.

Rumpel has similarly made some horrible choices and done some horrible things.  Yet there is still a shred of goodness that is fighting to get out.  SPOILER!!  He still cherishes his memories of Belle, so much so that his most prized possession is a chipped teacup (you'll have to watch the episode to find out why!). END OF SPOILER  Don't get me wrong.  Rumpelstiltskin (and his Storybrooke double, Mr. Gold) is far from a nice guy!  He's got a long way to go...but there's still hope. :) 

I think this is such a wonderful picture of us regular, non-fairy tale humans. ;)  In our lives, we are daily presented with choices, and every choice we make affects our future path.  The friends we make, the influences we follow, the books we read, the movies we watch, and the goals we set all determine who we become.  We can choose to do what is right, or do what "feels good" and works best for us.  And any of us who have been on this earth for a considerable period of time know that the more we keep giving into our selfish nature and to the evil influences around us, the easier it is to continue down that road.

But, praise be to God, we do not have to redeem ourselves.  In fact, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.  It is only by accepting Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross that we can be saved.  And His death covers every sin that ever has been or ever will be committed.  It may be difficult to choose what is right after years and years of doing what is wrong, but it is never impossible.  No one is a lost cause.  And I think that Rumpelstiltskin may possibly end up being an illustration of that.  The problem is, he's going to have to make the right decision first...and that could be a pretty tough choice.

 Even as followers of Christ, we are not immune to the pull of sin and the world.  It is a daily struggle to yield to Christ and His will for our lives.  Thankfully, when we fall, we need only to confess our sins to our Savior, and we can start fresh again.  I think that's why, especially as I get older and become more acquainted with my struggles and failings, I tend to appreciate less-than-perfect heroes and heroines.  I've come to love characters who can be used for good in spite of their flaws, who learn from their mistakes and move on.  

I would like end with a word of caution to my younger, unmarried sisters in Christ.  It is so easy to get caught up in a story like this and not think about the tragedy of giving our hearts to someone who does not share our faith.  I think that as women, we have a natural desire to "save" someone when we see their potential.  Think of all of the stories that pull at our heartstrings, like "Beauty and the Beast", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Jane Eyre", and more, where the main character is a tortured soul with a capacity for goodness.  May I just encourage you to keep these sorts of relationships for your stories and stay away from them in real life?  You will avoid so much heartache if you do.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with befriending and witnessing to someone who needs to know about the love of Christ.  But dating or courting someone with the soul purpose of converting them almost never works, and once your heart is involved, it's harder and harder to let go.  How sad to share your life with someone who may not ever be able to relate to what is most important in your life!

Okay, getting down from my soapbox now. ;)  I just know that it's easy to get caught up in the romance and excitement of stories like these without thinking about the dangers of seeking that sort of a relationship in real life.

For those of you who are now interested in watching "Once Upon a Time", I have to say that I cannot fully recommend this show, especially for my younger audience, and I can't guarantee that it won't get worse (most shows do!), so proceed at your own discretion.  I think, though, for my older readers and lovers of fairy tales, this show has some potential, aside from the issues I've mentioned.  More than anything, this show inspires me to keep writing my own fairy tale series I've been working on! :)  

I'll leave you with a couple of collages I did of my favorite couple, just for fun. :)

I almost cried when I watched this scene!! (Sorry the picture is so small...you can click on it to make it bigger.  I've also added it to the bottom of my blog.) :)