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 fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail everytime 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.
For me, Season 6 did start off very well, the first three episodes were very good to great. Did find a good deal to like about "Strange Cases" while having some serious misgivings, but other than "I'll Be Your Mirror" the rest of the first half of the sixth season disappointed. There was a real sense that the show had run out of ideas and was losing magic with a lot of predictability, repetition and recycling old ideas without putting enough of a fresh spin on it. The mid-season finale is the second best episode post-"Strange Cases" (after "I'll Be Your Mirror"), and was a decent episode without being a great one.
There are quite a lot of good things. Have nothing to complain about regarding the production values, it's beautifully shot and the production and costume design are both handsome and atmospheric without being drab or garish. The music is used cleverly and fits well, with the right amount of the haunting and the ethereal.
"Wish You Were Here" does a much better job at story advancing than most of the previous episodes, with things getting a move on and the odd answer. Especially a big reveal that was a shock to me and quite clever, though one can understand anybody who doesn't invest in it properly due to it concerning a character one hasn't got to know really. The characterisation is better here, some progression rather than going backwards and going round in circles. Love Regina and the Evil Queen's roles, two of my favourite characters on 'Once Upon a Time' and they have the right amount of angst, menace and camp without either going over-the-top. The writing has its camp and soapy moments, but is actually better than the writing in most of the post-"Strange Cases" episodes.
Am not a fan of the Gold and Belle relationship generally, find Belle a bland character and the relationship rather stale now but there is effort here to put some freshness, which was appreciated. Emma didn't frustrate or bore me as much as she has in some first-half-of-Season-6 episodes. The acting is fine, with it being very much Lana Parrilla's show and she plays both her roles to the hilt.
For all those good things, "Wish You Were Here" had its drawbacks. It is very predictable and the feeling of the show running out of ideas hasn't shaken off here, not many new ones. Didn't find myself completely grabbed by Emma's storyline, which needed more story clarity and a tighter pace.
Most of the previous Season 6 episodes suffered from being over-stuffed and rushed, it's not quite as bad in "Wish You Were Here" but still present. There is a good deal going on in a short space of time, meaning some jumping and sprawling around. None of it is hard to follow, far from it, but the episode did feel rushed in places. Was not really impressed by the abrupt ending or Robin Hood's pointless plot device role.
Overall, decent though there are far better mid-season finales on 'Once Upon a Time'. 6/10 Bethany Cox