‘Once Upon a Time’ season 4, episode 18 review: Cruella de Vil’s life-or-death drama; Emma’s prophecy

Tonight’s “Once Upon a Time” episode was entitled “Sympathy for de Vil,” and let us just say that there is quite a reason for that. Was she a true hero, or a villain? This episode threw us through a few loops before making us realize that she is one of the most terrible people we’ve had a chance to meet over the course of the series.

The reason we enjoyed this story so is for one simple reason; while many of the other villains have a clear motivation for acting the way they do, such as revenge or a desire to be loved and accepted, Cruella is pure evil. She was locked away by her mother because she couldn’t find it in her to turn her daughter over to the police, even though she killed and killed. The Author Isaac came to visit her home, and was eventually tricked by her story, thinking that her mother was a monster when it was instead the exact opposite.

As a result of all of this, the Author gave her the power of magic, and she used it in order to kill her mother. Painful stuff, and she only wanted to destroy the Author in the present just because of everything that happened so many years ago.

This episode was really rather sensational. The entire story of the Author’s kidnapping was fascinating to watch in the present, especially with the biggest twist being that Cruella was ultimately defenseless, and all she could do was posture and convince others to do her bidding. Right when it was determined, though, that she could not kill anyone (a tool created by the Author), we then saw Emma do the unthinkable: Take her life, believing that she was about to kill Henry.

The Author has written that Emma will turn dark. Now, it’s a step closer to happening. Episode Grade: A-.

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