I remember how I was going to watch the final episode of an older series, some months ago, and before I did so, I could not resist the temptation of reading what other reviewers had written...
However, my own response to watching that particular finale was quite a pleasant surprise, and I could say the same thing about this finale, although this is not the final episode of the whole series, just the current half season.
I suspect one reason why many people may get annoyed sometimes is because they get something they did not quite expect, something "different", and that was exactly how I felt about this two-part finale, "Operation Moongoose"
The script was straightforward, but cleverly and beautifully presented, and I imagine how the actors (especially Snow White) must have enjoyed playing all these "reverse parts", because that is, more or less, what the last half of season 4 was about: The producers wanted to play with the traditional fairy tale concept of "Heroes and Villains", and they successfully managed to do so, I must say - even if I personally feel there was a lot more to discover. And this half season finale did feel slightly brief, to be honest (that is perhaps the only thing I would be critical about concerning these two episodes). Hopefully things will develop further in the future.
Another striking thing about this episodes is the occasional hint of a subtle moral. Even if this is a fantasy series it does feel that the producers are trying to say something throughout several episodes - sometimes I would agree with their message, sometimes I would not.
We get a frank explanation to what had motivated the author to manipulate the stories of the fairy tale characters. It may seem petty at first, but I would say it is rather realistic and extremely human - we tend to take little things, small failures in our life and put them on a big screen, ultimately to let them govern a lifetime...
Snow White also made a very interesting statement when facing the author: "You became a villain, and villains take their happiness on the expense of others. But it only makes them more miserable, in the end." This almost felt like a biblical allusion, whether the writers intended it or not. Living on the expense of others is exactly what the fall of man caused, according to the Scriptures.
And, of course, "This is not just a bunch of stories - this is the truth" is what the apprentice stated about the story book "Once Upon A Time". Honestly, I do not believe the writers would make such a subtle allusion to the Bible, but it crossed my Christian mind.
I wonder if it sometimes may be a good idea to read negative reviews before watching something. Somehow, I just sat down with low to none expectation, after having read some negative reviews here, and was positively overwhelmed by all these above-mentioned things.
In other words, I was indeed very satisfied with this finale. I wonder if the next season will be just as interesting?
However, my own response to watching that particular finale was quite a pleasant surprise, and I could say the same thing about this finale, although this is not the final episode of the whole series, just the current half season.
I suspect one reason why many people may get annoyed sometimes is because they get something they did not quite expect, something "different", and that was exactly how I felt about this two-part finale, "Operation Moongoose"
The script was straightforward, but cleverly and beautifully presented, and I imagine how the actors (especially Snow White) must have enjoyed playing all these "reverse parts", because that is, more or less, what the last half of season 4 was about: The producers wanted to play with the traditional fairy tale concept of "Heroes and Villains", and they successfully managed to do so, I must say - even if I personally feel there was a lot more to discover. And this half season finale did feel slightly brief, to be honest (that is perhaps the only thing I would be critical about concerning these two episodes). Hopefully things will develop further in the future.
Another striking thing about this episodes is the occasional hint of a subtle moral. Even if this is a fantasy series it does feel that the producers are trying to say something throughout several episodes - sometimes I would agree with their message, sometimes I would not.
We get a frank explanation to what had motivated the author to manipulate the stories of the fairy tale characters. It may seem petty at first, but I would say it is rather realistic and extremely human - we tend to take little things, small failures in our life and put them on a big screen, ultimately to let them govern a lifetime...
Snow White also made a very interesting statement when facing the author: "You became a villain, and villains take their happiness on the expense of others. But it only makes them more miserable, in the end." This almost felt like a biblical allusion, whether the writers intended it or not. Living on the expense of others is exactly what the fall of man caused, according to the Scriptures.
And, of course, "This is not just a bunch of stories - this is the truth" is what the apprentice stated about the story book "Once Upon A Time". Honestly, I do not believe the writers would make such a subtle allusion to the Bible, but it crossed my Christian mind.
I wonder if it sometimes may be a good idea to read negative reviews before watching something. Somehow, I just sat down with low to none expectation, after having read some negative reviews here, and was positively overwhelmed by all these above-mentioned things.
In other words, I was indeed very satisfied with this finale. I wonder if the next season will be just as interesting?
