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.
The previous episode "Queen of Hearts", the last one before the hiatus, was a return to form for Season 2 and 'Once Upon a Time', after a three episode dip, and proved to be the season's best episode since "We Are Both". "The Cricket Game" is just as good and its freshness is almost as if the hiatus never happened.
Like "Queen of Hearts" excelled brilliantly at answering much needed questions and tying up loose ends, "The Cricket Game" is equally adept at plot advancement, introducing new ideas and expanding on characterisation while staying consistent with what we already know (an especially good job is done with Regina) and not feeling the need to introduce as many new characters.
Visually, "The Cricket Game" is a very handsomely mounted episode, 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, the corn and unintentional humour seen in the three episode dip between "The Doctor" and "Queen of Hearts" are not just toned down or minimalized, they are also not obvious. Regina/Evil Queen has the best lines that add a lot to her character. The story, in the Storybrooke and fantasy flashbacks, is compelling and paced solidly without trying to do too much.
Performances are all strong, but the episode belongs to Lana Parrilla doing a masterful job at bringing out a more conflicted Regina/Evil Queen than what was often seen before.
In summary, a more than game episode, brilliant in fact and one of the best of the second season. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The previous episode "Queen of Hearts", the last one before the hiatus, was a return to form for Season 2 and 'Once Upon a Time', after a three episode dip, and proved to be the season's best episode since "We Are Both". "The Cricket Game" is just as good and its freshness is almost as if the hiatus never happened.
Like "Queen of Hearts" excelled brilliantly at answering much needed questions and tying up loose ends, "The Cricket Game" is equally adept at plot advancement, introducing new ideas and expanding on characterisation while staying consistent with what we already know (an especially good job is done with Regina) and not feeling the need to introduce as many new characters.
Visually, "The Cricket Game" is a very handsomely mounted episode, 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, the corn and unintentional humour seen in the three episode dip between "The Doctor" and "Queen of Hearts" are not just toned down or minimalized, they are also not obvious. Regina/Evil Queen has the best lines that add a lot to her character. The story, in the Storybrooke and fantasy flashbacks, is compelling and paced solidly without trying to do too much.
Performances are all strong, but the episode belongs to Lana Parrilla doing a masterful job at bringing out a more conflicted Regina/Evil Queen than what was often seen before.
In summary, a more than game episode, brilliant in fact and one of the best of the second season. 10/10 Bethany Cox
