Legendary: Season 1 Episode 2 “Once Upon A Time” – Recap/ Review with Spoilers

With introductions over the competition begins and considering how people get chopped, you may call bull****!

With introductions over the competition begins and considering how people get chopped, you may call bull****!

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Director(s)	Rik Reinholdtsen
Writer(s)	N/A
Aired (HBO Max)	5/27/2020
Introduced This Episode
Herself	Chise
Herself	Makayla
Herself	Eyricka
Himself	Christian
Himself	Jamari
Herself	Wilma

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

The Rapunzel Effect

For the first competition of the Once Upon a Time ball, it is all about hair. Which for some was a battle they weren’t prepped for as some find their wigs flying off. Leading to them not even waiting for a judge to chop them since they already embarrassed themselves.

Leaving two houses, Ninja and Lanvin members, Chise and Makayla to battle it out and Chise getting the win.

Mirror Mirror/ Three Fab Mice

Throughout the episode, you should take note House Lanvin always makes it to the final. Now, yes, their house mother, Eyricka, somehow loses the battle for face to Saint Laurent’s Christian, but when it comes to Three Fab Mice, a runway competition, her house wins.

However, not without some controversy. You see, the way this show works, you don’t need majority rule for a house to be chopped. You either get tens across the board, or one person can cut you, and it’s over. This, as you can imagine, is frustrating. Especially since Law is about fashion and theme, Leiomy often about the synchronization of a house and as for Jameela and Megan Thee Stallion? Don’t ask me about what they’re looking for or their credentials. They’re just there to have a good time.

But, getting to the point, an issue grows as Law questions why some aren’t following the theme and whether houses who did could be brought back. This leads to some back and forth with Leiomy and then Dashaun ending all the bickering and making it clear – a chop is a chop. There will be no returning to the category.

The Final Chop

Leading to the question of who gets chopped this episode? Well, thanks to an impassioned speech from Jamari of House Belmain, House West gets chopped.

Low Point

How One Person Saying Cut Means The House Is Out

One person shouldn’t have all that power. It allows for petty cuts over minor things, and I’d say doesn’t lead to the best making it to the end but more so whoever can exist in the middle. A prime example is House West being on theme, doing one of the best looks, yet Law, for reasons we don’t hear, chops them. Which is so frustrating since, later on, Law is talking about bringing people back to the floor because the final two weren’t on theme.

It really pushes you to feel that, beyond Deshaun explaining the category, the judges needed to hear the rules and know what mattered. Though what would have really been good is rather than tens across the board or chopping a house, just work a number system as they do at actual balls!

How Much The Camera Was Moved In The Final Competition

I don’t know much about cinematography, but I do know we didn’t need all those reaction shots, and they could have given us a better view of the moves Jamari and Wilma were doing. Granted, I get the idea was to create a hyped up tone since a house was about to fall. But, aren’t fans supposed to get invested in the houses, and what could happen? Surely you can keep things high energy without taking away from someone’s performance.