Poor Unfortunate Soul
- Episode aired Mar 22, 2015
- TV-PG
- 44m
Hook tries to make a deal with Ursula as flashbacks show their complicated past, while Regina struggles to maintain her cover with Gold, Cruella and Maleficent.Hook tries to make a deal with Ursula as flashbacks show their complicated past, while Regina struggles to maintain her cover with Gold, Cruella and Maleficent.Hook tries to make a deal with Ursula as flashbacks show their complicated past, while Regina struggles to maintain her cover with Gold, Cruella and Maleficent.
- Henry Mills
- (as Jared S. Gilmore)
- Maleficent
- (as Kristin Bauer van Straten)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe song young Ursula sings in the bar is Fathoms Below, the opening song from The Little Mermaid (1989).
- Quotes
Emma Swan: Hook, what's wrong? You gave Ursula everything she wanted.
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: But I almost didn't, love. I was so desperate to figure out what the Crocodile was up to, I almost became the man I used to be. You have no idea how easy it is to fall back into the darkness.
Emma Swan: Whatever mistakes you made with Ursula, you fixed.
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: Aye. But it's a stark reminder of something.
Emma Swan: What?
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: With all this talk of authors and the book, we've never discussed one fact: I was a villain.
Emma Swan: But you're not anymore.
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: Neither is Regina, but she still lost her happy ending. If we're to believe the rules of the book, then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine.
Emma Swan: Wait. If you're afraid of losing your happy ending, that means you found it. What is it?
Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones: Don't you know, Emma? It's you.
- Crazy creditsThe opening sequence shows Ursula.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Nostalgia Critic Real Thoughts: Congo (2015)
Season 4 had a lot to live up after Season 3 being as impressive as it was. At this early stage of the season, one can see a lot of promise, some may argue that it is capitalising on 'Frozen's' success but there is much more to the season than that. This promise was apparent from the get go, with a great season opener in "A Tale of Two Sisters". As far as the previous Season 4 episodes go, they were all decent to brilliant with the only small dip being "Family Business" and the best being the "Smash the Mirror" two parter.
"Poor Unfortunate Soul" for me is another great episode from Season 4, one of its best, most emotional and most interesting, and of the show. Not quite one of the very best 'Once Upon a Time' episodes, but almost.
Loved the back-story for Ursula, which gave her a softer and more human side where one can see why she came to be the way she became. The 'The Little Mermaid' touches makes one nostalgic and didn't come over as cheap (the nod to "Part of Your World" brought a lump to my throat). Maybe there was too much of a tie in to Ariel, but can't think of any other nit-picks.
Credit is due for the character and plot progression as well as some shocking revelations that one doesn't expect at all. The using of elements from one character's past to another is handled very well. It's not just Ursula that's interesting. The villains' subplot had tension and showed them as quite ruthlessly dangerous, while Hook is perhaps at his most dastardly yet and Regina shows that she is much more than a standard villain that one can understandably initially perceive her as.
All the acting is strong. Merrin Dungrey and Tiffany Boone give intensity and poignancy to Ursula, while Ernie Hudson is a suitably stern and kindly Poseidon. Robert Carlyle relishes his scenes, Lana Parrilla continues to make Regina a fascinating complex character and Colin O'Donoghue has roguish charm and a dastardly air.
Furthermore, "Poor Unfortunate Soul" is a very handsomely mounted episode visually, the settings and costumes are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie cutter. It is photographed beautifully too. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable theme tune.
Writing has the right balance of humour, pathos, mystery and intrigue, or corn or cheesiness here. This aspect has come on such a long way since when 'Once Upon a Time' first started, much more complexity and nuance.
Overall, another great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 7, 2018