Emerald City- Episodes 7-10

 

Episode 7 - They Came First

This is a series that likes to turn the tables frequently and take us off on a tangent so for this episode after being teased with domestic bliss as Dorothy, Lucas and Sylvie hunker down in a remote country house, we end up with the reveal that Lucas is Glinda’s defender (and lover). Its the second explanation we’ve had for his backstory so it’s no wonder he had amnesia! It’s a seriously good twist though in an episode that elsewhere has something of a shock value. The house where they are staying has a large scarecrow in the front another symbolic link to the original. The episode’s stand out moment is when the house they are in begins to turn upside down and you realise more or less anything can happen in this show!

One cast member who is making a strong acting impression is young Rebeka Ray as young Sylvie who finds the balance between strange and likeable and has quite a presence. Overall the series’ depiction of witches varies – whilst East is all weather related turmoil, the young witches shake and shimmer in a very spooky manner as the picture is given a greyed out hue. Its right out of a horror movie.

Having failed to whittle out witches amongst the children of Emerald City, the Wizard ends up having his entire high council killed even though we now only one of them was working for Glinda. It’s a highpoint for Vincent D’Onofrio who this episode pulls out a layered performance that shows us just how duplicitous the Wizard is and how he’s clung onto power for so long. His love of the theatrical is matched by apologies that sound more heartfelt than they are while in the background he is being ruthless. The fact that he reminds you of a few real life political leaders adds a truth to the character.

Elsewhere Jack and Queen Ev fall out somewhat amusingly after the former has been trying to offer sympathy for the King’s death- she leaves him in the screaming  forest where his metal parts start to rust. Incidentally we never find out what is making the forest scream as she comes back for him and their relationship starts to defrost a little thanks to a cheekily suggestive scene involving an oil can! The series could do with more lighter moments like this to balance out what is otherwise a serious narrative.

Episode 8- Lions in Winter

There are times when this series resembles a lavish period drama none more so than in this episode where we see the Wizard’s soldiers heading from Oz to Ev to pick up guns they will use against Glinda. Only the Wizard has made a tactical mistake and when he arrives finds those guns turned on him. “You’ve got to be joking” is his reaction but it seems as if he has been tactically out manoeuvred though to be fair Queen Ev did threaten to wipe him out so he shouldn’t be too surprised. Elsewhere life in Ev is dull for Jack as consort, shut out of meetings and left to wander around finding he has position but little power even when it come to trying to save the job of Jane who rebuilt him. She’s been sacked for refusing to make weapons.

I’ve no idea if the programme makers consciously altered course but since episode 7 there has been a quickened narrative, a focus on punchier story beats and a more coherent overall picture with the stories flowing to and fro around each other. A lot of the episode is set in the ice walled chambers of Glinda’s palace, the first visual image that has been found wanting. Unless you actually film in ice caverns trying to reproduce the look of ice on screen, especially with the pin sharp pictures modern tvs have, doesn’t convince. The drama itself though is interesting as Dorothy is consigned to look after a roomful of girls whose attempts at magic have drained them. Rowan meanwhile is unable to forget Dorothy or commit to returning to his old life as Glinda’s husband. It’s a pity they can’t engineer a scene where Rowan and Jack are in a tavern trauma dumping their respective dilemmas!

Tip meanwhile appears to die when she agrees to West’s suggestion that she drink the magical essence remaining of the East witch. There’s a suggestion here Tip may actually be the heir to Oz, her initial appearance as a boy a magic trick to conceal her identity. During this ritual we see flashbacks including a disturbing one of her parents being killed at the Wizard’s command by a soldier wearing a lion mask. This is his guard captain Eamonn- so he is this production's version of the lion. This backstory definitely fits in with the furtive way she was hidden earlier. She is back at the end declaring that “it worked”.

Odd points aside Emerald City is absolutely working now and feels like it has real traction. Sadly, there’s only two episodes to go…

 

Episode 9 - The Villain That’s Become

The virtues of sticking with a show are amply demonstrated by this excellent episode that had Emerald City gone on to subsequent seasons would be referred to as he shows first classic. With each plot brimming to a climax the results are packed with incident and also surprises. Crucially too for a show that has sometimes struggled to convey enough emotion there are some powerful moments here notably as Tip tries to work out who she is and later after Jack has accidentally shot the Queen. There are real shocks too, notably that the Queen is actually made of metal inside like an android but the masks she always wears are to disguise the fact she never aged.

She’s been trying to trick the Wizard but it backfires at first then after she is killed, the Wizard himself is due for execution till one of those great stone giants wanders up giving off real Talos vibes if anybody remembers Jason and the Argonauts.

Those plots that seemed a little slow earlier are working now. Dorothy has become more proactive after foiling an attempt by Rowan to kill her even though he sort of didn’t want to. She leaves him strung up like a scarecrow which of course is how she found him. Her plan is to raise the trapped witches to oust the Wizard, only West got there first and now Tip has convinced them that she really is the heir to Oz. I was thinking that this would make a terrific film focussing some of the plots more because if the whole series had been as robust as this episode, I am sure it would have won a second season. There’s some outstanding acting from everyone especially Jordan Laughran, Gina McKee, and Gerran Howell.

Episode 10 - No Place Like Home

Season finales are tricky things to get right yet this particular one is near perfect. Having drawn the plots together last episode here we see the series unleashed. These last four episodes have shown how much potential Emerald City had and it’s a pity that the earlier ones didn’t fire with the same power. Anyway there are several unexpected twists to be savoured notably Glinda’s dramatic intervention, the fact that several of the regular cast appear to meet a grisly end and the fact that the mythical Beast Forever makes a tardy arrival right at the end portrayed in shadow alone as it soars over various characters who see what we don’t. I’m guessing its some kind of vampire which would tie in with its appearance when Oz’ two moons are together. It seems to originate from the Prison of the Abject, that muddy hellhole that is visually shocking yet never properly explained. Presumably a second season would have seen the battle against this creature.

As series without an unlimited budget must a mega battle is avoided but we do see battalions of soldiers from either side while several plots converge on the battlefield. Rather than alot of fighting there is a spectacular plague of locusts heralding the arrival of Glinda and the witches. She and Dorothy have their verbal confrontation when the latter stops the plague from moving in a very arresting sequence. Tarsim Singh really pulls out all the stops here; he can really add a sense of occasion of events notably when Ozma (aka Tip) is acknowledged as Queen of Oz. Her banishment of Eamon is  also a powerful scene.

It’s a terrific episode again for Vincent D’Onofrio too as the Wizards’ demeanour and hairpiece fall away to reveal the somewhat odious man he really is. Gina McKee’s character Jane turns out to be Dorothy’s real mother and somehow they manage to shoehorn this into a scene where they are trying to get Dorothy home. As Glinda, Joely Richardson is full of polite menace. Throughout the pace is urgent yet controlled enough for everyone to have their moment.

Fortuitously in view of what happened the narrative does come to a conclusion of sorts though there is a last scene that sets up the direction of travel had there been a second season. Yet it was not to be. The series was cancelled due to falling ratings during its run- figures dropping from 4.5m to 2.9m – as well as poor reviews. It is true that the early episodes can be a little heavy going but the second half of the season is excellent.  I feel perhaps it was made too early and that it would more suit the current television landscape especially now with the Wicked film around the corner. Nonetheless this is an innovative, bold slice of Oz action that draws from the source material yet puts an inventive spin on characters we thought we knew. And nobody has to sing!

Gallery : Some more random Emerald City pix including behind the scenes, promotional etc...