Once Upon a Time (TV Series) A Land Without Magic (2012) User Reviews

An emotional and epic way to end the first season

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 10/10 · 31 May 2016]

A Land Without Magic is not only another classic episode, but it's a solid ending to the first season. There's not a single problem that I do have with this episode because this episode really satisfied me.

The acting continue to be solid. Jennifer Morrison and Lana Parrilla both give their emotional performances as they are both worried that Henry might die if they don't find the cure to heal Henry of the death sleep. Also, Robert Carlyle continues to steal the scene as Rumpelstiltskin and never ceases to amaze me every time he appears on screen.

The writing is really good with every moment that doesn't feel too sappy or mawkish, the pacing, again, is great and doesn't rush or feel too slow. The directing and editing is really neat, but the best part is the action sequence where Emma fights the dragon while Prince Charming fights the same creature in the Enchanted Forest filled with suspense and tension and the ending where Henry is healed and it did leave me teary-eyed. It teaches us that True Love's Kiss conquers all. Also, it leaves a cliffhanger for the events that would happen in the 2nd season and it interested me.

So, overall, A Land Without Magic is another classic episode and succeeds in every way possible. Can't wait to review the next season. :)

The magic hasn't gone

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 7 January 2018]

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.

"A Land Without Magic" couldn't have been a more perfect end to a, to me, solid season. The magic certainly has not gone, in fact it is stronger than anything seen before in the season and is perhaps the season's best episode. Yes even better than "That Still Small Voice" and "An Apple Red as Blood". It has everything, tension, charm, emotion and urgency, there are new revelations made that surprise and don't frustrate, questions answered and character development advanced and improved upon. Emma here is the most developed and likeable here than she has been all season.

As to be expected, "A Land Without Magic" is a very handsomely mounted episode, with settings and costumes that are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully and there were some make-up that suited the characters perfectly and pretty good effects work. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.

It also contains some of the season's most engaging writing, with a little humour but also more pathos, heart and drama. The story is absorbing with the very dramatic events having real urgency and there is excitement and suspense in the action, making one excited for the next season.

Lana Parrilla is the acting standout. Robert Carlyle is close behind and Jennifer Morrison gives by far her best performance of all the episodes from Season 1.

Overall, a magical season finale. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Magic Finally

[danajs24 · 8/10 · 19 August 2016]

Yeah! Gold saving the day and being one step ahead of everyone. I knew he had it in him. Also didn't have to listen to Henry for an entire episode squeaking out warnings, which was a definite plus. Hodor has more interesting things to say than he does. Sebastian Stan hanging around is a plus, I enjoy his acting but can't tell if it's good or not. The dragon CGI wasn't half bad, I expected it to be horrible. Maleficent being beaten by Regina in any way bugs me a bit however, as I definitely would rank her as a much better, more evil, and more powerful villain. She can willingly turn into a dragon for crying out loud. Also, I haven't figured out who the doctor is in the show. I can't even guess at who he could be. It'd be quite silly if he was a nobody in the other world, but then again there seems to be all kinds of people who are nobodies.

All Magic Comes With a Price

[sini-200 · 10/10 · 19 March 2023]

'A Land Without Magic' is a great finale and conclusive for a very addictive, keeping you interested and original series! I was absolutely hooked from first episode with this show, being so creative yet surprising at the same time. The characters are well done and interesting. The plot, yes there are some issues, is overall very good. I can see what they did with some of the soapy opera plots (Kathryn/Mary Margaret/David) but then again, Ouat is kind of soap opera at the same time. There are a lot more soap opera dramas in the future seasons lol. It's just it felt pointless to have that love triangle, but oh well.

I could go on and on what I love about the lead characters but I'll just name a few. All the characters have developed but. What I love the most is the parallels between Emma Swan, and how just in one season her character has grown A LOT. She was a lonely woman who didn't have a real purpose in life. Then, Henry found her and brought her to her family, and home. It took her long time to accept her destiny as Savior, and well who would accept such destiny so fast? It took her seasons to fully accept it. The moment when she touches the book and realizes Henry's stories are true is simply brilliant. I love Jennifer and her performance as Emma, the tiniest facial expressions are just amazing! And the scene where she fights Maleficent is legendary! (Also notice: how Emma is wearing exactly the same red leather jacket as in pilot. Nice touch!)

I can see where the writers were going with this finale, bringing magic back to Storybrooke - and what they clearly had plans for future. The future seasons storyline was getting clearer in last episodes as they probably found out to be renewed. Yet season one for me personally is very nostalgic: you get to know and love all Storybrooke characters, learn their flashback and stories (Sadly you won't be seeing some of them much, just brief cameos) and it introduced me to what is one of the best shows.

Season one is a strong start for the future seasons. I love how we already saw brief moments of magic in Storybrooke. I have rewatched this show many times and still surprises me every time. I will keep rewatching this show! Simply best!

Season One Finale of Once Upon a Time

[tbmforclasstsar · 5/10 · 16 May 2012]

'Tis the season—for finales, that is; the much-anticipated episodes that, ideally, leave us with enough juicy loose threads that'll make us crave more; the ultimate culmination of all the hours and months we've invested in our particular shows (which, when you really think about it, is probably more than you're comfortable admitting).

In the past two weeks, I've watched a handful of season finales—New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, and, of course, Once Upon a Time—and in doing so, one right after the other, I happened to pick up on what appeared to be a rather common theme:

A lot has to happen in a short amount of time.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing; after all, even before we're capable of defining it with appropriate terminology, we're conscious of the fact that plot, or at the very least action, is the driving force of any story. If nothing happens, we've nothing to be interested in.

And the season one finale of OUAT, in its entire almost-hour, never seems to lose sight of that sentiment. The moment that's been twenty-two episodes in the making finally occurs; the characters newly recall their fairytale pasts, and the curse plaguing Storybrooke is finally broken—and it all ends thanks to, of course, true love's kiss.

On the surface, the episode does everything it needs to do. It's filled with action and drama, recalls previous episodes and even characters (the Huntsman!), prompts new questions from seemingly old answers, and it reaches its long-awaited climax.

But it does so at a cost.

To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/once- upon-a-time-1-22-a-land-without-magic/