One Down, Two To Go

How I Met Your Mother, S08E02

Barney, pressured by a coworker, decided to draw up a prenup and have Quinn sign it.  However, his ridiculous terms for their future marriage not only had Quinn questioning their relationship in general, but also the ones of the previously happy couples of Ted and Victoria, Lily and Marshall, and Robin and Nick.

This episode was very much a girls versus boys story where both sides thought the other was being unreasonable when they were both pretty much at fault.  It wasn't much of a surprise that it turned out this way since all the couples (minus Lily and Marshall who have just been together too long not to have something to squabble about) are pretty much doomed.  I was expecting that Robin and Nick would be the first doomed couple to fall because they had the least amount of time together, but it ended up being Barney and Quinn.  That wasn't too unreasonable since the prenup spinning out of control was a wonderful sign that they weren't meant to be.  I'm just glad their breakup didn't end up having to do with Robin.  And I'm just glad that we don't have to see Barney sinking any deeper into a relationship that he isn't entirely into.

Besides, finally seeing one of the 3 stupid couples fall, I was glad to see that Thomas Lennon was back on the show as Klaus.  I've liked him since I watched Reno 911!, and he's just a man of multiple comedic talents.  Particularly, as we saw in the episode, he is really good at just making people feel awkward in a funny way.  The best example was when he was walking around naked with nothing to censor himself but a bowl of popcorn.  It's crazy that Ted, wanting to show off that he can be generous (what a moron), offered to let Klaus stay and then instantly regretted it.  However, at least Klaus will be able to speed up the clock before the Victora and Ted breakup time bomb goes off.  So I'll be happy to see more of him for as long as it takes for the end of those two to happen.

I suppose I did like this episode because it showed that things were going to get moving a little bit, as far as not stringing along these frivolous relationships on until the end of the season.  It would be nice if one of the other couples fell as well (since October was the month of breakups), and we could finally get to see how Barney and Robin got back together.  Hopefully after this big run around with failed relationships, that story is going to be interesting enough to really get me invested in this show again.

The Wraith

Once Upon A Time, S02E01

Although Emma, Snow, and Charming took a small group of friends to stop the rest of the town from killing Queen Regina, Rumpelstiltskin marked the Queen as a target for a wraith.  Emma and the others tried to honor Henry's wishes to keep her alive.  In the other world, Prince Phillip woke up Princess Aurora, but he was marked by a wraith and had to keep it from harming his princess and her friend Mulan.

It was nice to see everyone embracing each other after a whole season of being in the dark about their identities, but it didn't last for long because the town soon stormed Regina's "castle."  As much as Mayor Bitch was annoying, I wasn't ready to see her go for some reason, so I was glad that Henry respected her right to life.  I didn't think the town mob would be so easily swayed by Charming and Snow, but I guess that those people are used to listening to them (as if they were the supreme rulers of the other world).  My favorite part of that scene was when Regina coolly opened her door as if it were another day and asked "Can I help you?"  That, plus the time when she made a motion to subdue them with her failing magic, was pretty funny.

Rump was pretty funny, too, in this episode, getting to both confront the Queen about locking away Belle for all those years and setting off a wraith upon her despite telling Belle that he wouldn't kill her.  It's just funny that he explained that he hadn't lied to her because technically if the Queen died, the wraith would have done it, not him.  He's so bad.  But the best scene he had was when Emma and her parents came to complain about double-crossing them and question what the purple haze was.  I just loved when Emma, still angry that Rump had put Henry in danger threatened Rump:

Maybe I don't need answers.  Maybe I just need to punch you in the face.

That was quite a good line from Emma.  Of course, Rump tried to play himself off as a hero since he still made everything happen that she wanted:  Henry was saved, the curse was broken, and her parents were found.  Points for Rump for being able to spin the truth like that.  He is a master.  No surprise, though, that Belle heard his conversation and couldn't take him acting like the scum of the earth.  He was lucky that she came back in the end to save him from becoming a full-blown monster again (not sure if Rump can really change his ways).

In the other world, we were introduced to Prince Phillip, Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Mulan.  Mulan threw me for a loop because that was the last person I'd expect to pop up.  She just seemed so random, but whatever.  I couldn't understand why we were watching their story, nor why a wraith suddenly popped up to attack them until practically the end.  Apparently some parts of the magic world hadn't been destroyed by the curse and were frozen in time until Emma had broken it.  I don't care much for the death of Phillip (as his role was short-lived), but I wonder what Mulan and Aurora will do with Snow and Emma.  That part left me quite interested for the next episode.

I'm concerned about what Regina will do with her powers back--she already tried to kill Charming.  The thing I most wonder about is who was the man at the beginning of the episode.  I thought he was Phillip, but that can't be.  I just hope he's not someone stupid.

I waited for this premiere and I wasn't much disappointed!  Things are moving a little slower than I'd like, but I think they are off to a good start.  It'll be interesting to see Emma adapt to a magic world, and it'll be interesting to see how Charming and Henry get along together.  With Regina's magic back and Rump with his own, which of them will cause the most trouble in town while Emma and Snow are gone?  Can't wait for next week!