Fans of this show have been waiting all summer for their favorite fairy tale to come back. After the horrible cliffhanger that season two left on, it has been a long and a bitter wait. Now that the wait has ended and the show is back, all I have to say is, “what the hell just happened?”

The show is no stranger to having multiple plot lines involving each character, but this was different. Everything moved so fast, by the first commercial break two of the most mysterious characters were dead (or weren’t quite dead but then died?… I don’t know). New characters were jumping into the story mercilessly (though did like all of them so far), and we have no idea what is going on with some of our old favorites (Belle and Red? Not even a mention?). We were introduced to mermaids (though not the sweet singing redhead we’ve been promised), and we were finally told the reason Pan wanted Henry in the first place. Now the episode as a whole was very entertaining, but horribly confusing.

Writers Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz seemed to have backtracked and completely thrown away the plot from the second half of season 2 (for now at least) and moved on with the story. There were some fans that believed the plot for season 2 was going to be wildly different, but after Colin O’Donoghue (Captain Hook) broke his leg they had to go in a different direction. Now that Colin has his sea legs back the writers carried on with the plot they wanted. I like this thought and it makes sense. For one Greg and Tamara were interesting, but that’s the most I would say about them. Secondly this story would make no sense without Hook, he is going to be vital and having him injured could have forced them to move it back.

Peter Pan looks like he will be a badass new villain. He’s cunning, cruel, and has an army at his disposal. But no matter how cool Pan was he could not make up for the main lost boy, Felix. Felix was very over acted and everything he said sounded like he was reading. I don’t normally judge a TV show like this based on the acting, but Felix killed every scene he was in. He can get better, but I am worried.

It was nice to see Mulan and Aurora again, and I love the addition of Robin Hood, but the entire storyline in the Enchanted Forest was forgettable. Moving forward they have to have an antagonist for Neal, otherwise it will be pointless. As to who the villian can be, I have no idea.

Overall I enjoyed the episode, and I think anyone who has been watching the show will enjoy it as well. Saying that, this will not attract new viewers and the entire episode was convoluted. There are already too many story lines, and we haven’t even seen what’s happening in Storybrooke. The writers might have some troubles ahead.

3.5/5