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 familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time 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.
"A Land Without Magic" couldn't have been a more perfect end to a, to me, solid season. The magic certainly has not gone, in fact it is stronger than anything seen before in the season and is perhaps the season's best episode. Yes even better than "That Still Small Voice" and "An Apple Red as Blood". It has everything, tension, charm, emotion and urgency, there are new revelations made that surprise and don't frustrate, questions answered and character development advanced and improved upon. Emma here is the most developed and likeable here than she has been all season.
As to be expected, "A Land Without Magic" is a very handsomely mounted episode, with settings and costumes that are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully and there were some make-up that suited the characters perfectly and pretty good effects work. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.
It also contains some of the season's most engaging writing, with a little humour but also more pathos, heart and drama. The story is absorbing with the very dramatic events having real urgency and there is excitement and suspense in the action, making one excited for the next season.
Lana Parrilla is the acting standout. Robert Carlyle is close behind and Jennifer Morrison gives by far her best performance of all the episodes from Season 1.
Overall, a magical season finale. 10/10 Bethany Cox