Once Upon a Time Review: Poor Unfortunate Soul (Season 4 Episode 15)

For a show that tends to have more plot holes than swiss cheese, Once Upon a Time delivered a seriously strong episode this week, and it’s all due to the supporting cast.

One of the major pitfalls of this otherwise amazing fairy tale adventure is that it’s got a huge cast, with barely enough time to use half of them. Think back to all the characters you haven’t seen in weeks and months, and maybe years. Archie, Ruby, Aurora, Philip, Mulan, the dwarves, Cinderella, Granny. Hell, even Belle and Henry barely get much face time.

Our main ensemble (Snow, Charming, Regina, Emma, and Rumple) usually steals the show a little too often, leaving these other side characters without much to do.

So in “Poor Unfortunate Soul,” it’s nice change of pace to see the main cast pushed to the background while the others get their time to shine.

Hook and Ursula were definitely my favorite subplot of the night. The flashbacks to mini-Ursula were surprisingly enjoyable, and they gave us the Little Mermaid tale we’d be reaching for since Ariel first came on the scene. A human loving mermaid, with a stolen voice? Come on, don’t tell me they expected us to miss that.

Hook’s past-self is just a tad too sympathetic – wasn’t this back when he was evil? – but the message still rings true. Underneath it all, Killian is a good guy capable of terrible things. And one of those terrible things he did to Ursula.

Ursula: “Never go up against a woman with eight hands. Especially when you only have one!”

I’m still unclear if this Ursula is the same mud-monster sea witch that attacked Regina from her mirror last year, but more on that to come later, I guess.

Another sidelined minor character who gets to show his face in this episode is August, aka Pinocchio. I know pretty much the entire world adores Hook and Emma’s relationship, but I had to smile a little at August and Emma’s reunion. Those two are damn adorable.

Let’s just try not to focus on the creepy part where sometimes he’s a 7-year-old boy.

Elsewhere, Regina struggles to maintain her cover as a double-agent, but Ursula’s conveniently timed defection lets her save a little face. Her strange dreams about Robin seem to be hinting that he’ll turn up again soon, but I’m more interested in this mission to find the author.

Whoever he or she is, Regina is closer than anyone to finding the author, being able to play both sides for information. Now that she has the location of the door from August, and Killian has the secret about Emma’s part in it all, you have to wonder if Regina will sacrifice the savior for her happy ending?

She’s tried before…

Finally, you have to wonder a little bit where the ‘Dark Emma’ plot is heading. Snow and Charming still seem to be as worried as ever about Emma turning evil, and Ursula certainly seems to think it’s coming, but I’m not so sure. Outside of a spell, I don’t see Emma choosing the path of evil on her own. She’s too good, and things are going too well for her right now. A spell certainly makes it less compelling than if it happens on it’s own, but either way, Dark Emma seems imminent.

Other thoughts:

• Penis jokes about pirate ships? Solid.
• Regina can inhabit someone else’s body? Since when?!
• The teenager who played young Ursula is absolutely amazing,

Be sure to give “Poor Unfortunate Soul” your own rating, and sound off in comments below!

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Once Upon a Time airs on ABC at 8/7c