It's Tuesday morning, so let's discuss: Once Upon A Time: Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
Overall, this episode was a little meh for me. Maybe it's because it's coming off the heels of 7:15 which I so highly enjoyed. I don't know. I think I'm going to break this down into what I liked, what I didn't, and what I'm still wondering.
The Good
I thought the writers did a nice job exploring the idea of freedom versus captivity of our own choosing and captivity forced upon us through the story of Sidney/Genie/Mirror. It's a good theme to draw out as we consider all of the residents of Storybrooke being held captive under the Regina's curse.
Interesting that Regina's name is the same in Storybrooke and in the Enchanted Forest. It makes sense, of course, because it is her curse. (Or is it?)
Inserting Queen Regina's father into the Enchanted Forest story was a tender touch.
I know it's trivial, but oh my GOODNESS, do I ever love the wallpaper in Mayor Regina's office. I have to hand it to the set designers - the visuals on this show are always so appealing and just perfect for the stories being told.
Having King Leopold die from a snake bite (and not the awesome Commodore 64 kind of Snake Byte either!) was a nice touch - to be bitten in the end by the wish he had made. If we've learned anything from Rumpelstiltskin, it's that magic always, always comes with a price, and that includes magical wishes.
The Bad:
Where to begin?
It really, really bothers me that either the writers have forgotten about Emma's supposed sixth sense about whether or not a person is lying OR it was never something they took as seriously as they allowed it to play out in the opening episodes. I know some viewers are saying, "Oh, that's just something adults tell children to get them to tell the truth," but I think that's a cop out. It was something they strongly emphasized about Emma's character from the start. Why, then, is she so easily played by Sidney?
Regina tearing down Henry's castle. She is the WORST of the worst. Even Kyle was pissed off by that move, and he has not been one to have a strong emotional reaction to anything on this show so far.
The way Regina turned the $50,000 disappearance around on Emma in the city council meeting rang false to me, too. Okay, so maybe she moved the funds for a playground, but wouldn't that still require council approval? ALSO, her modern-y playground creation looked supah dangerous (much moreso than the wooden one) and also very, very boring. I hated that whole plot thread.
The Questions
What DO all of those keys on the key ring in Regina's office go to? It can't be her heart crypt can it? It seems like those opened magically. Or am I not remembering correctly?
Dear Show, please tell us Mystery Motorcycle Writer Man's name. He's mysterious. We get it. He needs a name.
Is the thing that Queen Regina hates Snow for the fact that she always reminded Leopold of her dead mother, his one true love? I sure hope not because that is L-A-M-E. I'm hoping that the betrayal Queen Regina has alluded to in previous episodes is something much bigger than that.
Did you feel sympathy for Queen Regina in this episode at all?
Other thoughts on Fruit of the Poisonous Tree?
(As always, for a real recap, head to Television Without Pity.)






















