Other Side of the Mirror: A Once Upon a Time fan podcast

This is our instant reaction to Rocky Road, the third episode of season 4 of Once Upon a Time. This episode was surprisingly enjoyable for us and we found ourselves liking Elsa more. The Snow Queen was an instant like, and also up for discussion was..

Likes

1. Comedic tone of the show

2. Relationship between Regina and Henry

3. Elizabeth Mitchell as Snow Queen was mesmerizing

4. Elsa and Kristoff -- all the Arendelle scenes - SVEN!

5. Side characters and Mary Margaret

6. Bri really liked scenes with Hook and Elsa

7. David and Emma

Dislikes

1. An evil character with a relationship to Rumple! Shocker!

2. No lines for Belle again!

3. Rumple and Belle's relationship and storyline are dead

4. It's disappointing that Marian isn't a three-dimensional character. She's a plot device.

5. The show's weird ideas/theories about true love - don't really add up and keep changing = you can fall out of love with your true love. Or is it she wasn't his true love to begin with? Because that's a retcon.

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.

This is our full discussion of White Out, the second episode of season 4 of Once Upon a Time. We talk a little bit about the sudden media interest in Frozen on OUAT, analyze that deleted scene between Regina and Snow and manage to cover a few other things such as:

This Week in Sudden Onset Media Coverage of OUAT: Slate.com weighs in with lots of thoughts on Frozen's takeover of OUAT.

This Week in Sudden Onset Media Coverage of OUAT II: Slate.com thinks Regina and Emma routinely argue with each other and then cry with each other.

This Week in Henry: Jared Gilmore gets a storyline.

This Week in Storybrooke Town Politics: The deleted scene invalidated the three-person election of Snow as Mayor.

This Week in Storybrooke Town Mayoral Succession: Snow becomes Mayor by original Storybrook Town Rule "You break it, you buy it."

This Week in the Queen's Conscripts: We draft Frostopher to perform as an expert witness on our next book club episode.

This Week in Listener Feedback: Multiple views on Hook and Emma, thoughts on Frozen and Neverland, theories on David's father and more!

Time Stamps:

Discussion of Slate story on OUAT 00:00 to 03:50

Episode discussion 3:55 to 43:00

Feedback 43:17

Show Notes:

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/10/frozen_characters_on_once_upon_a_time_how_disney_is_making_the_most_of_elsa.html

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.

Having repeatedly uttered the phrase "Bo Peep Warlord," we are now officially on Humpty Dumpty Watch! And we are also counting down our likes and dislikes for Once Upon a Time's episode, White Out, which include:

Likes

1. Josh Dallas and his bad wig did a nice job in Enchanted Forest and looked mighty fine in Storybrooke.

2. Henry's storyline with Regina and Emma was the most (only?) memorable thing from the episode.

3. Anna is just so good and the actress is achieving a lot by making the role her own.

4. Someone finally asked Emma why she has powers.

5. Snow White finally knows why Regina turned evil: the dwarves.

Dislikes

1. Barely Any Regina! *Tantrum*

2. Why didn't they call Regina to melt the ice? She literally throws fireballs!

3. The Enchanted Forest is the Smallest Small Town Ever.

4. How are you feeling about the ratio of Frozen to non-Frozen?

5. Dear Hook: She's just not that into you.

A big thank you to those who rated us on iTunes!

NOTES

Our show title is an homage to the great pioneer of internet cat fandom, I Can Has Cheeseburger.

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.

There were things to like about the season 4 premier, A Tale of Two Sisters, particularly the dynamite scenes with Regina and Emma. We don't spend much time discussing Frozen. And we are unconvinced that Emma has feelings for Hook. Also up for discussion:

This Week in the Best Fairy Tale on the Show: Regina and Emma.

This Week in Bad Regina: We admonish Regina for keeping Sydney

This Week in We Have to Talk About Henry: His moms are kissing men with no hands and stuff.

This Week in Reindeer Lore: Alex is writing fan fiction about Sven joining Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

This Week in Fun with Fonts: Comic Sans, Courier New and Wing Dings.

This week in Alex & Bri: Apparently there can be no podcast without Care Bears or Xena.

This Week in Feedback: Fantastic ideas by Aleana, Leslie, Hannah, Shary and Nonnie.

Show Notes

Bri referenced the book Into the Wild, by Sarah Beth Durst.

The intro music is the one and only Madonna.

A big thank you to those who rated us on iTunes!

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.

This is our instant reaction to A Tale of Two Sisters, the Season 4 premier of Once Upon a Time. Bri was not exactly into this episode or the Frozen storyline and for once, Alex was urging patience while the story develops. This episode involved magical entrails, the Michelin Man and the computer game Myst. We discussed our likes, dislikes and casting thoughts, including:

Likes

Regina's quest to rewrite the storybook!

We were right about the resolution of Marian, Robin and Regina!

Sidney returns!

Regina and Emma are Regina and Emma!

Rumple's speech at the grave!

Dislikes

The glacial pace and how Frozen dominated the core characters.....

Trolls.... grumble grumble...

Rumple is Rumple.....

The introduction of another mystery person....

Belle squatting in the mansion that just happened to come over in the curse...

Casting

Anna - Yay!

Elsa - Maybe!

Kristoff - Nay!

That said we think it's important to give them all a chance as this is only the beginning.

This is our summary of the last two episodes of Once Upon a Time's third season, Snow Drifts and There's No Place Like Home. There wasn't a whole lot of new material or development during the two hour block, so we have included your feedback on the entire season including the following:

We discuss the positive points of the finale beginning with an email from Aleana. We share two perspectives on Hook courtesy of Lisa and Denise and give our opinion on some of the issues with Hook that have divided the fandom.

We hear from Eric who has some great ideas on how the show should create their next villian.

We hear from Raissa with some killer points on the history of Beauty and the Beast, why the ship should have been a super couple, and why Rumple is now a Macguffin.

Erin shares her opinion of replacing Wicked with Frozen.

We give an anonymous commenter our best pitch on why they should watch season 4.

We answer the following questions from Tumblr:

Here's some questions for your Season 3 Recap:

(1) What was your favorite episode of Season 3 and why? What was your least favorite episode of Season 3 and why?

(2) If you could change anything about Season 3, what would it be?

(3) A lot of people, including myself, view "Going Home" as the show's series finale - the ending of the show we fell in love with. Do you also feel this way?

(4) Season 3 was filled with so many missed opportunities, especially 3B. What do you think was the worst missed opportunity/the missed opportunity that you think had the most potential?

(5) Seeing as how there are so many new characters being added to Season 4 - if you could kill off/get rid of any current OUAT character (excluding those yet to be introduced), who would it be?

Thank you much for the great feedback and questions, it really was the only way we possibly could have recapped the 2 hour finale!

As part of our Season 4 Premier Red Carpet Super Spectacular, we are giving away some Once Upon a Time related prizes! We love our listeners and you make it worth podcasting this crazy show. Please read the show notes for more information!

This is our full recap of Kansas, which features Once Upon a Time's take on Oz.

This Week in Awkward Moments: Dr. Whale delivers Snow White's baby.

This Week in Geography: We discovered that Oz is right on the Cyclone Line.

This Week in Pratfalls: Hook has a date with a pig trough.

This Week in Whaaatttt? Alex confuses Bri with a reference to rocks, chalk and jayhawks.

This Week in Off-Screen Action That Should've Been On Screen: Regina gives Belle the dagger to make amends for all the evil she did to Belle. Regina decides Belle is the only person who can be trusted with the power of the dagger. Also Belle decides she still trusts Rumple. That's about 8 episodes full of character development and story for Belle that took place in 20 seconds.

Show Notes

Today's giveaway is tied to our most recent podcast, Crop Circles in the Sand: Full Recap of Kansas. So it's quiz time! The first person to answer all four questions will win an E.L.F. The Fairest of them All Beauty Book Palette aka a Snow White makeup kit! Runners-up get an Other Side of the Mirror pin!

1. Which six television shows (other than OUAT) do we mention or refer to in this episode? Hint: 2 are reality/candid shows and the other 4 are not.

2. Alex called certain behavior “stupid.” What more polite term did Bri come up with to refer to the same conduct? Hint: It's two words.

3. What did we call “Adam and Eddie's idea of Oz?” according to Bri and Alex. Hint: we brought it up during the first five minutes of the episode.

4. What character in literature did we compare Zelena to? Hint: It may not be human.

Our next giveaway is scheduled for Thursday, so be sure to check our website or twitter for more details!

The 80s references are abundant in this full recap of A Curious Thing. We riff on everything from the movie Inner Space to the Bangles to Don Johnson's Lookin' for a Heartbeat. All that and some thoughts about the future of this podcast!

This Week in Us Magazine, there's only one Fairytale in the Enchanted Forest... and it just happens to be Snow White!

This Week in They-Didn't-Really-Explain-That, the writers remember Regina has no heart and as a result is not supposed to feel – so they improvise some lines!We'll tell you if they make sense!

This Week in Characters Alex Doesn't Even Remember, Philip and Aurora turn into monkeys!

This Week in Harry Potter, Zelena rides up on a badass Nimbus 3000 and Snow discovers the Room of Requirement!

This Week in Convenience, Glinda is right where they need her to be!

This Week in Emotional Powerhouse Acting, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parilla and Jared Gilmore make beautiful music, again.

Notes:

We don't know if this is one of the best things or worst things to happen in music history. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1sNImbI2Zw

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.

This is our full recap of Bleeding Through, which was the last episode we recorded before viewing the Season 3 finale. We spend the majority of the podcast analyzing the major character moments for Regina and Snow. Along the way we tried to reckon with the way the show characterizes Cora vs Leopold and Jonathan and wonder if a pattern has emerged. See show notes.

This Week at the Crossroads, Cora Mills sells her soul to the Devil.

This Week at Ye Olde Royal Gazebo, the Gazebo becomes the temporary way station for Prince Jonathan, Prince Leopold and the Devil, who are approximately the same person.

This Week in Waitressing, Cora "can bring home the mozzarella sticks, fry them up in a pan, start her own fire and never let you forget you're a man......"

This Week at Rumple's Little Shop of Horrors, Belle is a total rock star and tells Regina to stuff it.

This Week in Amazing Character Developments, Regina and Snow have arrive at a new understanding of each other and their history.

This Week in Fails, Leopold fails to convince Bri and Alex that he is the Prince of Purity.

This Week in Convenient Plot Points, Zelena knows the exact coordinates of Regina's heart; Regina can put a spell on her heart so Zelena can't control it (but can't conceal the heart or change it into something else.)

Show Notes:

There are two etchings in Regina's study in this episode which directly relate to the themes of the episode. The first, Pygmalion is Enamored with a Statue He Had Made involves Pygmalion. Pygmalion was a sculptor who thought girls were icky. So he sculpted a statue of Venus and fell in love with it. She turned into a real woman and loved him back. He molded her completely to be an obedient, silent woman.

Semele is Consumed by Jupiter's Thunder involves Semele and Jupiter aka Zeus. The married god Zeus seduced commoner Semele and got her pregnant. Before she could give birth to their son Dionysus, Zeus' wife Hera turned her to ash. But then Zeus reconstituted Dionysus in his thigh and later Dionysus grows up and reconstitutes Semele.

Both of these stories resonate for this episode, but beyond that, amplify some concerning issues that come up on OUAT.

If we were creating a study guide for this episode, we would ask students the following:

Is there a particular reason why the revelations about Leopold, Cora and Ava cause the women to reevaluate their knowledge and understanding of their mothers and themselves and even Zelena, but does not cause them to reconsider Leopold?

Does the show actually repudiate the attitudes of Prince Jonathan and Prince Leopold or does it reinforce them?

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.

Today we're reacting to the special 2 hour finale of Once Upon a Time, the episodes Snow Drifts and There's No Place Like Home. We are also proud to announce a new venture, What the Fangirl, which is a media and pop culture podcast and website that we want you all to contribute to. Go to www.WhatTheFangirl.Com for more information.

These episodes gave us a lot to digest, but these are some of the things we talked about:

Likes:

· Jennifer Morrison was the MVP.

· Finally a flashback's to Emma's past!

· Neal scenes surprised us and were well done.

· Snow and Charming's moments in SB and Enchanted Forest.

· The show's strength is pitching high concepts, beginnings and endings.

· Regina called out Emma on moving to NYC.

Dislikes:

· Unhappy Regina once again drives the story.

· Didn't Robin know Regina was responsible for Marian's death? What's the deal?

· We missed Henry playing a crucial role in the finale, so subbing Hook for Henry didn't work for us.

· Blood vials and white magic portals and fairy godmothers, oh my!

· Hook and the Blurred Lines

· Regina vs Emma??? Please spare us this storyline.

· We had both good and bad to say about Rumbelle

· There was no Zelena and the Oz plot disappeared!

Show Notes:

We have questions for you about the season:

• How did the stuff with Hook strike you?
• Were you disappointed with Oz?
• In what way did the show shift its emotional orientation? Or did it?
• Where are we going from here - both literally and otherwise?
• Will you #keepwatching?

Calling on fanfic authors - would you like to be on a panel discussion about writing Emma Swan? Contact us!

Visit www.WhatTheFangirl.com with all of your ideas!

Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE