With only one episode left, Emerald City has set up an interesting power struggle between three parties who have yet to convince viewers why they deserve to rule the world of Oz. One of my biggest complaints about the show is it hasn’t really given us someone to root for. Yes, there are a few characters that a pretty cool but there is no one we are truly invested in and would like to see sitting on the throne at the end. The previous episode tried to draw a line between hero and villain but ended up creating more confusion and undesirable characters.
If I had to choose one person to root for it would be Tip. Her ascend from a helpless child to a powerful witch makes it an easy choice. Last week we learned Tip was actually the princess of Oz, and with the help of West, she drank the powers of East and became a powerful force. This week, West convinced Tip to take the throne back from the Wizard with her help. Together, they traveled to the Prison of Abject and freed the other witches to prepare to challenge the Wizard and Glinda. Although I’m not convinced the finale will feature an “epic”battle for the throne, I’m glad Tip and West are still major players in the story. If there is a reason to hope for a second season it’s because of these two.
This week also saw an interesting twist in the story of Jack and Lady Ev. As promised, Ev produced the bullets and guns for the Wizard but when he came to get them, Ev left the Wizard out to dry and refused to give him the weapons. Obviously enraged, the Wizard and his army invaded the castle and took Lady Ev hostage. Determined to save the day, Jack tried to shoot the Wizard but instead hit Lady Ev square in the head. Jack then took her to Jane which is when we found out that Lady Ev was really a robot that Jane had made to please her father. I know this scene was supposed to be an intense battle for power with a dramatic twist but I couldn’t help but be amused. The whole thing felt more like a cheesy action movie than a pivotal moment in the show and I couldn’t help but laugh at the reveal of Lady Ev’s true identity. It just doesn’t feel like a detail a serious show would even consider.
Similarly, the lost story of Dorothy continues to be the show’s weakest link (I’ve mentioned before how much I hate Dorothy, right?). I’m still perplexed by how terrible a main character Dorothy is. After she escaped the hands of Glinda, she returned to Lucas/Roan only find out he wanted to kill her. Although I would normally be ok with offing a show’s worst character, the motivation behind it seemed petty and forced. Because Lucas can’t deal with the love triangle, he thought the best thing would be if Dorothy was dead. Seriously? Fortunately, she was able to stab Lucas and tie him up to a cross like she found him before he could kill her. This was a small victory for Dorothy that I was ok with.
With only one episode left, it will be interesting to see how Emerald City closes its first (and probably only) season. Next week we should see an entertaining battle between the Wizard, Tip, and Glinda for the right to sit on the throne of Oz. However, I still wouldn’t be surprised if the season ends as a total dud. After a good start, Emerald City has been on a run of stale and cheesy episodes. The show looks good but the story has been less than entertaining. But then again, my expectations for the NBC show weren’t very high so I shouldn’t be too surprised, right?
Score: 6/10
