User Reviews

Despite really liking 'Once Upon a Time' on the whole for most of its run, with some disappointments aside but the show was good it managed to reach brilliant when at its best, it became hit and miss in Season 6. Sadly, the seventh and final season was even more of a disappointment (apart from a brief improvement period in the first half of it) and felt like a different show compared to how things first began.

Thank goodness that the season and show finale "Leaving Storybrooke" was far more satisfying than this and a worthy way to end, because this penultimate episode (that felt like the first of two parts) is a good example of what made the season as disappointing as it was. Not a complete waste of time but a huge disappointment after a surprisingly very good previous episode "Is This Henry Mills", after a step in the right direction it's like that step never happened judging from how many of the same flaws are present.

"Homecoming" is one of Season 7's biggest offenders in being over-stuffed, rushed and muddled. It tries to cram in too many events and too many characters in too short a time, in order to solve this the episode should have had a longer length or been in two parts. As a result of having too short a length, too much going on and barely any time to eplore any of its elements, the episode feels underdeveloped and also quite convoluted from having too many loose ends left untied. The dialogue has a few moments of wit and emotion, but can be melodramatic in the latter stages particularly.

Of the many characters here, the show's generally most interesting characters are far more interesting in other episodes. Meanwhile less compelling characters still leave me indifferent. Most of the events here have little tension or emotion, delivered in a perfunctory manner and gives off the feeling that the show had long run out of ideas and recycling old ideas, something that was apparent in Season 6 and amplified in Season 7. The effects are less than wondrous while not terrible and while the acting is competent it is generally not particularly inspired.

It is not all bad though, after this review makes it sound like a complete waste of time. "Homecoming" is beautifully and atmospherically shot, with some charming locations. The music fits tonally and in placement and doesn't feel over the top.

Lana Parrilla and particularly Robert Carlyle, the latter being the best thing about "Homecoming", are powerful in their roles. Hardly surprising as they were always high points.

Summing up, lacklustre and underwhelming. 4/10

For what it is Once Upon A Time is very likeable but this opener to the series finale is extraordinarily rushed. It has a randomness and perfunctory approach which is jarring to say the least. Scenes seem to last five seconds and the cast, with the exception of Robert Carlyle, appear to have been contracted by the minute. It has always relied far too much on rather badly done green screen but this episode, at times, goes out of its way to look like it was shot in a garage to the extent it seems deliberately to be mocking itself. Either the money ran out or there is a cunning twist next week to explain this low rent episode. The final season never worked because the new actors just didn't appeal with the older Henry being a prime example. The show deserves a happy ending and I hope it gets it but if this episode is a harbinger of things to come I'm not hopeful.