Since this week I won’t be able to write any review (or at least, I don’t think so. It depends on how much work I have to do for the-always-luring exams), I’ll leave you this.
It might not be revealing for many of you – especially if you’ve actually read the books and therefore you already know all of this – but this is the Internet (democracy always wins), so for the fews who will find it somewhat interesting, here you are.
You guys know I love sports, especially wrestling, slamball, basketball and soccer.
Yesterday, the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals between Real Madrid and Bayern Münich took place.
Now, I don’t feel like writing a report, because I don’t think I’m qualified to do that.
Anyway, I do want to comment a bit and… Well, celebrate.
I’m a Madridista at heart, can’t help it =P
So, last night wasn’t the best Real-Bayern confrontation we’ve seen, at least in my opinion.
I mean, I’m happy about the outcome, and I can say I’m satisfied with how the guys handled things but… We could have done more.
Both teams were not at their best yesterday.
Of course, when it comes to injuries, Real Madrid had plenty of them; we were lucky to have Cristiano back in time, even if he couldn’t obviously stay on the field for 90 minutes.
Benzema did well.
I’m not particularly fond of him, but he was indeed the goal scorer of the night, so… Thanks for doing a good job, Karim.
Bale, on the other hand – whom I really like and respect as a person and as an athlete – didn’t shine as bright as he did in the Copa Del Rey final.
I was hoping for a last-minute goal to give the team the tranquility they need to have for the Münich face-off, but it never came.
Anyway, as I said before, the team did what they needed to do, and victory is (and hopefully will continue to be) ours.
After all, we have some of the best players in the world (Team Cristiano, here), and the best goalkeeper we could ever wish for.
Looking forward to raise the European Cup for the 10th time, guys!
Let’s do this!
¡Hala Madrid!
P.S. Tonight another great match is scheduled, Europa League semi-finals Benfica – Juventus.
I really hope we can win this, the finals will be in Turin, in our own stadium 😉
……
For those who feel confused about my comments: I’m Italian, and my favorite team has always been Juventus. However, growing up I started following La Liga and The Premier League, so I also have a Spanish and an English favorite team: Real Madrid and Manchester United.
So, yeah, my heart as a soccer fan is divided into 3 parts.
a) deeply sorry for making you wait so long for this post and skipping a week (gonna catch up with that)
b) thinking about changing the format of the reviews – no recap, just comments – as an experiment (though I don’t know IF or WHEN I’ll actually do that)
c) still confused from the ep. At this rate, I’m gonna need a timeline of the events along with a very detailed family tree for this show.
So… Let’s begin.
This week we have another close-up on Cora’s life before she became the Evil Queen’s mother and a powerful sorceress herself.
We learn why she abandoned Zelena, and how sometimes Destiny really is a funny business.
Flashbacks
Back in Fairy Tale Land, a young Cora is working in a tavern.
One day she’s approached by a man who claims to be in love with her, and not only that.
Much to her delight, he accidentally drops his handkerchief: this is not just another piece of fabric… The royal crest is sewn on it.
The guy, Jonathan, tells her he’s a Prince, and proposes to her.
He also promises that he’ll be back in a fortnight to marry her.
Cora falls for it, and spends the night with him, losing her virtue.
When he doesn’t show up at their meeting spot, two weeks later, she goes back home, still wondering what really happened.
Did I scare him with my moves?
After two months, she runs into him on the way back home, and the truth is revealed: he was just the gardner pretending to be a Prince, and wants nothing to do with her anymore.
Classy!
But… Surprise!
Guess who gets to be on the latest ep of “Teen Mom – Fairy Tale Land Edition”?
Yay, you got it right.
Johnny, however, doesn’t give a damn, and runs away.
Cora screams, and someone comes to her rescue.
Now, who is it? Choose from the following answers:
A) A Prince
B) A Prince
C) A Prince
And you got it right again.
Did you just say Prince?
Prince Leopold at your service.
If this name rings a bell, it’s because it should: King Leopold is going to have a child as pure as Snow…
Anyway, Cora doesn’t waste a second and bonds with the soon to be king; so much so, that she manages to make him ignore his long-time engagement to a certain Princess Eva (yeah, Snow’s mother, no need for subtlety at this point) – whom he’s never met before – and take the spot as the new future princess.
Heard the news, Jonathan returns – of course – and blackmails Cora.
She accepts to give him jewels and precious things in exchange of his silence.
The sad thing is, she would have actually got away with this, hadn’t it been for a certain princess who overheard the entire conversation and told everything to the the Prince.
As you may have guessed, Cora is asked to leave the castle, and Eva takes her place in the Crown Race heart of the Prince.
Cora leaving Zelena somewhere.
For the night is dark and full of terrors. Therefore I abandon you.
Cora: “To give me my best chance”
Sure.
Storybrooke
Regina’s house.
The doorbell rings, a basket of green apples awaits her at the doorstep.
Zelena has come to chit-chat about Apples’ flavor and quality with her sister/ distract her sister while Rumple steals her heart from Robin and the Merry Men.
He takes Roland as a hostage, and Robin has no other choice but to give him the heart.
Regina arrives, but it’s too late.
She goes back to Gold’s shop.
A reluctant Belle, after a heartfelt apology from Regina, decides to help her find out what on earth the Wicked Witch is trying to do with the ingredients collected so far.
Meanwhile, Regina decides to ask her mother why she couldn’t keep her legs closed why she had a child and abandoned her.
How?
By conjuring her ghost with the help of the woman who murdered her and her happy family, of course!
Plus, a pirate.
Yeah, let’s throw Hook into this, the more people, the better.
The creepy thing apparently leads nowhere, so everyone goes home except for Snow, who stays to help and have a heart-to-not-exactly-there-heart conversation with Regina.
While they’re talking, Cora’s ghost appears.
Argh!
They fight, Regina tries to protect Snow, but the ghost enters her (Snow’s) body.
When Regina manages to send her back to the other world, the rest of the Charmings + Hook (I’m gonna have to find a nickname for the them) + Belle arrive.
A weakened snow tells Cora’s story to the others, something she learned thanks to the spirit’s possession.
Now they know the truth, but they still don’t know Zelena’s true intentions.
Wrong.
Belle has actually done something useful, and she found out that what she wants to cast it’s a Time spell: Zelena wants to go back in time and kill Snow’s mother.
While all of this happened, Greenie was busy having dinner with Rumple (remember, she has the dagger) celebrating the fact that she only needed one last ingredient to cast the spell.
She explains the whole thing to Rumple, saying that she wants him to go with her. She promises he won’t lose his boy, this time.
Rumple tries to seduce her in order to steal the dagger from her, but fails.
Last scene:
Snow tells Regina that she needs to allow herself to be happy (get in line Snow, the entire world has been trying to do that for 3 seasons) and, you know what?
It works.
Like, it really does work.
Regina goes back to the woods and…
Halleluuuujaaaah!
Quick Random Thoughts
I’m so happy that it all focuses on Regina.
Well, maybe not everything, but this 3b is a clear attempt in giving her character, especially her human side, the relevance it deserves.
It’s too easy to see only the Evil Queen, and forget about the woman behind.
Of course, some deeds remain unforgivable.
But OUAT gives us the chance to walk with the characters (the good and the bad ones) through life and learn from their experiences.
We have the chance to grow with them.
The same happens with Hook.
These villains, they’re starting to be more than that.
More than just the bad guys with no chance of redeeming.
They’re starting to fight for the right reasons, in the right way.
And if we look at the good guys, they aren’t that different: they also have a dark side, even the supposedly purest of them all (Snow).
In short, there’s no black and white, no pure good or pure evil.
I was catching up a bit with The Voice U.S., and this seemed the least I could do to celebrate the fact that Mr. Chris Martin has honored us with his very-much-appreciated presence.
Now, I already knew he would be on the show as the general advisor for the brand new second round of the battles; the only thing left to do was watching said episodes, and I did it (even if only last week).
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Unfortunately, I’m like BFF with bad luck, so when you think something worse could not possibly happen, it happens… To me.
That’s why I’m so behind schedule with the reviews and the rest.
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Anyway, back to the main topic.
I’ve read that for next season the four coaches will be Blake Shelton, Pharrell, Gwen Stefani and TBA.
While Pharrell has been officially announced as Cee Lo’s replacement, Gwen seems to be just a rumor, for now.
What struck me the most though, is that we probably won’t be having People’s sexiest man alive – Mr. Adam Levine – sitting in his chair and being as fabulous as usual.
And that, my friends, is no good.
Nonono.
Ok, he can’t stay on the show forever.
Ok, Maroon 5 have a new album to produce and promote, and probably they’ll soon be on tour.
But the show just won’t be the same without him, even if it’s gonna be a one-season-only.
I mean… What about Shevine?
Apparently, our favorite bromance will have to wait to see developments.
But every cloud has a silver lining, or so they say.
For every great coach who goes, another (hopefully) great one comes in.
That’s why I’m going to pick a couple of guys who, imho, would be the perfect substitutes.
1) Chris Martin
Yeah, like you didn’t see this coming from me.
I just love the guy.
He has a sensibility and a musical intelligence that’s so rare to find in an artist, these days.
He’s got the looks, he’s got the brains, he’s got the experience, he’s got the heart.
And clearly, he also has great chemistry with the other coaches.
2) Billie Joe Armstrong
Come on, wouldn’t that be hilarious?
I love Green Day, and BJ would be a bold and smart choice.
He’s got what it takes, and his craziness would be an added value to the show.
3) Bruno Mars
The guy just has a sick talent.
Original but classy, successful but down-to-earth.
Why not?
4) Justin Timberlake
Eheh.
Need to tell you why?
The list could go on and on, but somehow I think it would be better to wait and see what happens, since we don’t know what kind of reasons lie behind the coaches’ selection.
All in all, I just want the show to be entertaining and of great quality as it is now.
Who’s gonna make it that way in the upcoming seasons, it will remain a mistery, until it’s not.
A dream is a wish your heart makes 