~ Review: Granny, What Big Eyes I Have ~

Once upon a time…

Red Riding Hood is in love with Peter, who has come to visit Red by her bedroom window. They talk about running away together when Granny calls for her. Red asks Peter to let her go, but Peter insists on having a kiss for the price. Finally a nice, good deal. Simple and easy.  A group of villagers have come to Granny’s as they are on their way to kill a wolf that has been terrorizing their village. Red wants to go as well but Granny won’t let her. Granny tells the villagers to let the wolf be as there are only 2 more nights before he stops hunting. Red hopes that they will kill the wolf, but Granny knows it’s because Red wants to be with Peter. Red defends Peter, but Granny dismisses it and they begin to lock down their home. Then Granny sends Red off to bed while she guards the door with an arrow machine.  Haha! Nobody gets passed Granny!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The next morning, Red goes into the barn to check on the chickens, when she notices someone hiding in the corner. Snow quickly comes out and tries to apologies for hiding out in the barn and stealing the eggs. Snow sounds so sweet and really innocent here. Red says its fine and introduces herself. Snow is about to say her name, but instead says Frosty. Haha! Red doesn’t believe her, but understands Snow can’t tell her name until she can trust her. Snow then says, Margaret Mary. How ironic. Snow and Red head off to the well to get some water. Snow inquires about the howling she heard last night, and Red tells her that it’s a wolf (“it’s big as a pony”) hunting for cattle. As they pull up some water Red notices it being blood red, and when she calls for Snow, she notices that Snow is looking at something else: four dead bodies, killed by the big bad wolf. I couldn’t resist. And those dead bodies freaked me out. 

Later that morning, Granny, Red, and Snow (in disguise) go to a village meeting, where the leader of last night’s hunting party vows to kill the wolf. However Granny warns them not to as she had first-hand experience with the wolf. When Granny was little, a different wolf killed her 6 older brothers and father, while she watched from her rooftop. She suddenly fell right in front of the wolf, but instead of killing her, it gave her scratched marks. She tells everyone the best thing to do is to hide and wait.

Back at Red’s cottage, Red tells Snow how she feels like she’s trapped, and Snow asks if it has something to do with someone. Red talks about her love for Peter, and Snow comments how nice the feeling must be. Just like two teenage girls having a sleepover and talking about boys. Red asks Snow if she has someone, but Snow replies no and doesn’t think that’s in her future. You never know what the future holds Snow. Red wants to run away with Peter, but Granny doesn’t let her go out alone on the count of the wolf. Snow thinks what Granny is doing is right, but not when it comes to love. Red then states that they should kill the wolf now during the daytime so they can have the advantage, but Snow doesn’t think that is a good idea. Clearly Snow hasn’t received her courage diploma yet. However Red is willingly to go with or without her and states that her grandmother can’t keep her locked up forever.

Red and Snow are now outside in the woods, trying to track the wolf with Red teaching Snow a few things about footprints. They soon come across a wolf’s footprints and they follow it until they see that the wolf’s footprints are now a human’s footprints. They continue to follow it when Snow realizes that they are near Red’s home. The footprints are shown to go all the way to Red’s bedroom window. Red and Snow realize that it’s Peter. Not really a twist. Snow urges Red to talk to Peter, as he will listen to her. Red is afraid but knows that she has no choice.

Your Lips Are Red As Blood,
You Would be Prefect For Wearing  My Cloak

On top of a hill, Red tells Peter that he is the wolf, but Peter doesn’t buy it since he doesn’t remember turning into a wolf. Red suggests that it probably makes him forget, and soon Peter feels remorse for everyone he has killed. But Red states the past doesn’t matter, they have to focus on the future. She will tie him up with chains and will stay with him through the night and the other nights after that. For better or for worse, right?

Granny comes in to check in on the girls and notices Snow is gone, except she is hiding underneath Red’s cloak. When she reveals herself to Granny, Snow tells her that everything is going to be fine. They figured out that Peter is the wolf and so Red is going to tie him up so he doesn’t hurt anyone. Granny is shocked and says, “Oh that poor!” What!?......Peter is now chained up tightly and is begging Red, who has turned into a wolf, not to kill him. But Red-wolf doesn’t listen and jumps on him. Now that is a twist!

Granny and Snow are now in the woods searching for Red and Peter. Granny knew all along that Red was a wolf, which she got from her mother, who got it from her parents. Granny is a wolf as well! Another great twist! She didn’t tell Red because she wanted to protect her and bought the red coat from a wizard to prevent from turning after she turned 13, but she doesn’t wear it. This is probably why we should listen to our elders. And that’s why Red wears a red hooded cloak.  Granny is tracking Red down by her sense of smell, although everything else wolf related has faded away. Hilary Busis, from EW, cleverly connected this to the menstrual cycle. They soon hear a howl and Granny brings out her silver-tip arrow machine, as it is the only way to stop her from hurting them. Snow becomes frighten, but Granny tells her to be quiet as they are moving downhill so they have the advantage.

What Have I Done?!

They come to the small campsite, where Red-wolf has devoured Peter. So sad! As they approach her, Snow accidentally steps on a branch which makes a sound. Red-wolf turns around and just as she is about to attack them, Granny shoots her with the arrow. Granny immediately tells Snow to cover her with the cloak, and the cloak magically transforms Red back to her human self. They soon hear the villagers shouting and Granny tells Red to run. However Red is confused and disorientated, and doesn’t understand what’s going on. As Snow tries to take her away, Red turns around and notices that Peter is missing. Snow sadly tells her that he wasn’t the wolf. Red is now terribly shocked and Granny tells her she is sorry for not telling her sooner. Red is completely distraught and Snow tries to calm her down as she takes her away. Granny is now left with the villagers, who are approaching. This was a really sad scene. I hope sometime later we get see how Red deals with her loss and new found revelation.

Reflection:

What a great episode! I think this has to be one of my favorites in the series so far. Red Riding Hood is the wolf! What a great twist. I have to admit I was afraid that the reveal would have been something like the film with Amanda Seyfried. And it was so sad when Red found out she was the wolf and killed her love without knowing it. I thought Meghan did a great job here. So I guess that means Red doesn’t have her Storybrooke Peter to be reunited with after the curse is broken.

I was pleased that Emma and David finally had some more screen time together, even if it was under tough circumstances. Ruby finally wore some real clothes and I thought she and Emma made a great team. She should have stayed with Emma longer, although I would have also freaked out if I found a human heart in a box. The last scene with Emma, Mary Margaret, and David was also a nice touch in a not-so-sad way.  I think that was the first time the three of them were together since Emma was born. Overall this was a sad, yet strong episode, and bit better than last week’s.

Favorite Quotes:

“Let me in or I’ll huff and puff and I’ll blow…” ~ Peter ~ Haha! Nice little reference to the 3 little pigs, and it could have made sense if he was the wolf.

“You dress like a drag queen at Fleet Week…. And you dress like Norman Bates when he dresses like Norman Bates's mother!” ~ Ruby and Granny ~ Just pure funny!

“I’m staying with you. I’ll stay with you all night and for all the nights to come….You do that for me?....I do anything for you” ~ Red and Peter ~ What a sweet a moment, especially after it turns out it was Red who needed to be chained up.