Loved It? Hated It? What did you think of "The Stranger?"

[Rac80]

to defend a dad

[...]My biggest problem in this episode was Geppetto. I was worried that this whole thing would make him selfish and in my opinion, it did just that. What a jerk to make it so that Emma would go into a new world without one of her parents. Sure, the story would be much different and it would have been too easy for Emma to believe if say, Snow had gone with her, but dang, Geppetto came off like a real Jerky McJerkster.

[...] I read that some folks spotted the Oceanic logo on the plane that Pinocchio saw. It was hard for me to see, but I don't doubt it since Eddy Kitsis said at PayleyFest to look up in the sky for a LOST shout-out. I did think it looked like Jack Shephard seeing the Ajira plane fly above him in "The End", so I noticed the LOST-y-ness of it, even if I couldn't make out the Ocenaic logo.

Overall, I really liked this one.

I have absolutely NO problem with what Geppetto did-- would I do the same to save my beloved child-- you bet! any good parent would. In all honesty there is nothing I would refuse to do, no line I would refuse to cross to save my daughter. poor baby emma, but when push comes to shove I so would have done the same. Geppetto believed Pinocchio would help Emma; but that is a lot to put on a child. still...a parent's love knows no bounds.


the plane thing got me-- I grew up in Maine-- you never see a plane that close flying overhead in the woods. it's not like they were outside Bangor or Portland (only airports large enough for a plane that size) so the scene was stupid to me. Know that I know it was supposed to be a shout-out to Lost I can accept it...but hear me people....you don't see planes that big flying that low over 99% of the state of maine.

[savingpeoplething]

Know that I know it was supposed to be a shout-out to Lost I can accept it...but hear me people....you don't see planes that big flying that low over 99% of the state of maine.

It wasn't just a LOST shout-out. Showing the plane was also a way to immediately show us that Pinocchio was in our world in a modern-day-ish time (which would have been 1983, according to the story).

[skye4376]

great episode. answered a lot of questions. and i can absolutely understand what gepetto did, i would have done it too. and if you think about it, if he hadn't sent pinocchio in the enchanted tree, then pinocchio would wind up in his puppet form hanging from a wall in mr. gold's antique shop.

[Saber]

I gave it a solid 9…it was very good.
When you look at it, it was a handful of people that escalated the curse into the power that it has over everyone. Rump for maybe wanting to go to the world with no magic to see his son and be with him again. Geppetto only thinking of saving his child and not everyone else’s child in fairytale land.
Pinocchio giving into his selfish ways and seeing nothing else... not even his promise.
!Oh boy…Pinocchio you gots som splaning to do!


Raissa said:

My theory is that Bae is Henry's father. If that's correct, the man who wanted to save his father by escaping magic fathered a child with the damaged cynic savior who was exiled from magic to save her parents among others. Their child, Henry, is the pure of heart composite of the entire dynamic, destined to close the loop.

I agree with this theory and I'm thinking the same way.

[Degobunny]

I have absolutely NO problem with what Geppetto did-- would I do the same to save my beloved child-- you bet! any good parent would. In all honesty there is nothing I would refuse to do, no line I would refuse to cross to save my daughter. poor baby emma, but when push comes to shove I sould have done the same. Geppetto believed Pinocchio would help Emma; but that is a lot to put on a child. still...a parent's love knows no bounds.


the plane thing got me-- I grew up in Maine-- you never see a plane that close flying overhead in the woods. it's not like they were outside Bangor or Portland (only airports large enough for a plane that size) so the scene was stupid to me. Know that I know it was supposed to be a shout-out to Lost I can accept it...but hear me people....you don't see planes that big flying that low over 99% of the state of maine.

Umm...were they in Maine? i-95 runs all the way done the east coast. Maybe i heard something wrong but I thought Emma and Pinocchio came through somewhere along the New Jersey turnpike.

i will agree with you about Geppetto he is not the bad guy here. He wanted to save his son from dying a horrible death via the curse. ssaying Geppetto is a bad guy is like saying Walter Bishop is a villain for saving Peter his son from another universe..

[Resistance84]

Another solid showing (a 9 for me).

I just hope something happens before the season ends, that leaves Emma no choice but to believe.

And I loved Mary Margaret's verbal slap to Regina's face.

[jpfort1957]

I gave it a 9.

I really would have expected that Gold would be streching August out on a rack...........instead of being pals after last week's episode!!! I guess old Rumple is getting soft in this world.

[Raissa]

I really would have expected that Gold would be streching August out on a rack...

He knows August is dying/changing, so he doesn't need to do anything more to him. Plus, once the curse unravels and August isn't dying anymore, Gold knows he'll have bigger fish to fry than the formerly wooden whale bait. Like he told Emma, he picks his battles.

[jpfort1957]

^ I'm sure Gold would like to know how August knew about the knife............the information had to come from Bae.

[Rac80]

I gave it a solid 9…it was very good.
When you look at it, it was a handful of people that escalated the curse into the power that it has over everyone. Rump for maybe wanting to go to the world with no magic to see his son and be with him again. Geppetto only thinking of saving his child and not everyone else’s child in fairytale land.
Pinocchio giving into his selfish ways and seeing nothing else... not even his promise.
!Oh boy…Pinocchio you gots som splaning to do!


Raissa said:

My theory is that Bae is Henry's father. If that's correct, the man who wanted to save his father by escaping magic fathered a child with the damaged cynic savior who was exiled from magic to save her parents among others. Their child, Henry, is the pure of heart composite of the entire dynamic, destined to close the loop.

I agree with this theory and I'm thinking the same way.

Yep i agree with the both of you...bae and emma...how will she like having gold for a father-in-law?

Umm...were they in Maine? i-95 runs all the way done the east coast. Maybe i heard something wrong but I thought Emma and Pinocchio came through somewhere along the New Jersey turnpike.

i will agree with you about Geppetto he is not the bad guy here. He wanted to save his son from dying a horrible death via the curse. ssaying Geppetto is a bad guy is like saying Walter Bishop is a villain for saving Peter his son from another universe..

I had forgotten where emma was found...i erroneously assumed it was in maine. Have an excuse to rewatch the pilot yet again!

^ I'm sure Gold would like to know how August knew about the knife............the information had to come from Bae.

ditto....bae must still have the knife correct?

[BAMAGIRL]

I really like this episode. There were some really great scenes, especially between August/Emma and August/Gepetto.

Three people have told Emma about the curse.....Henry, Jefferson, and now August. Girlfriend is in some serious denial. Even though she doesn't believe, she should be suspecting that something really strange is going on in that town.

[ebatcl]

Loved this episode !!!
It was really good that August's fairy tale identity was revealed so soon, esp when the last episode seemed like PTB would take us for a ride where he was concerned.

Loved the Geppetto/Pinocchio and young August/baby Emma scenes - so beautiful and yet very sad.
The August/Geppetto scene (forgot his Storybrook name) in real world was nicely done too.
I actually liked August a lot in this episode, 'cause he's really not one of my favorite characters.

As for Emma, I find it exasperating that she won't believe about fairy tale land, yet I completely understand why she won't.
Guess I got mixed feeling about it.

Anyways, gave the episode a 9.
Would have given it a 10, but the David/Regina scene pissed me off.

[Clois/is/hot]

Good episode. Gave it a 9. Loved all Pingust scenes. The ending with August/Gepetto was sweet and heartbreaking.

----- Added 3 Minutes later -----

ditto....bae must still have the knife correct?

I'm pretty sure Rumple still has the knife. It looks like he took it with him after his encounter with August. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfJoU...eature=related

[jpfort1957]

Would have given it a 10, but the David/Regina scene pissed me off.

But it was great to see Regina frustrated enough to smash the mirror!!!! She has a thing for pet shelter boys.

[Raissa]

She has a thing for pet shelter boys.

Good catch. I hadn't made that connection between the two.