Chapter 1: Maddie In Chief / Briar's Study Party

Semi-Exactly what it says on the tin.

Pictured: A girl I've always called Persephone Plum, but really gets no name or character.



Maddie in Chief 

You see Blondie on her MirrorCast for the first out of maybe three instances in the visual media, talking to Apple, who has always run unopposed and has been Student Council President since, presumably, this class started at EAH.

She outlines her talking points -

Royal Dances - Though, ironically, she will not have much to do with planning True Hearts Day.

Royal Fundraisers - I like the idea that the students are being taught charity and helping others...

Royal Canned Food Drives - Because apparently, their kingdoms are just as susceptible to considering the poor to be lazy than people who are on hard times as in real life.

Before Raven can finish her thought, Maddie says that she will run against Apple White for president.

Then they pass out promotional material.

I legitimately laugh when Maddie just up and stabs Dexter with a pin.

Faculty cannot be bothered to oversee student elections, so they left it to Blondie.


She asks Apple "Why anyone would not vote for you?" - "I will preside over this school like I will my future kingdom - perfectly."

"The next question goes to Madeline Hatter - why would you run against Apple White? Are you mad?"

"Why, yes I am, and thank you for noticing."

Obviously this isn't thrilling stuff, and the Royals and Rebels in the audience start yelling at each other until Maddie proposes an idea - she and Apple are co-presidents, and work to make the school better for the next ten seconds, and the idea is never revisited in visual media again.

The idea is sound, it just loses quite a bit credibility by having Maddie run for the Rebel side. Not because she's 'mad', but because she's not going to be running any kind of kingdom as an adult. I like the fact that Apple was willing to work with Maddie and collaborate.

The closest Rebel who would be sensible enough to run would be the late- addition character of Rosabella Beauty, Briar's cousin, and the daughter of Beauty from Beauty and the Beast.

In reality, Rosabella probably wasn't created when this episode went to air, and having Briar's cousin involved would make it seem a little...tryhard ish? Shoehorned?

Actually, why not have another Royal who would eventually turn Rebel run against Apple? Place it a little later in the season, draw it out, give a viewpoint who isn't Raven to be a well-meaning opponent.

Or even a Royal who was proud of their destiny and wouldn't turn! There are characters who could, with some adjustments to the writing and characterization, have been introduced here instead of years later. It might have scuppered the main 'plotline' a bit, but it would have been more interesting than just this filler.

---

Briar's Study Party

Professor Rumplestiltskin says that he's testing everyone on thirty two chapters of Chem-myth-stry work the next day. The students are rightfully outraged, as they've only worked to chapter 2.

Later in the common room, Blondie pulls a "Wait, you guys didn't KNOW about how he sets students up to spin straw into gold by giving an insane test at the beginning of the year?"

I really wanted Apple or Dexter to be like "Uh, no, because any decent education board would put a kibosh to that right quick. Matter of fact, why don't I call my parents to put this gremlin in line?"

Briar has (conveniently) been studying on her own and offers to tutor them, until she drops off to sleep. Apple just kind of pokes her.

See, that's one thing none of the media really got right except the second book, The Unfairest of Them All; Apple and Briar are best friends, they have been since they were 'nursery rhymes'. But you'd think they stick together out of status or expectation than friendship. Hell, maybe they do and I never realized it.

The group tries to wake her up, with book slamming, teeth shining, and bear roaring.

I'm writing this in 2017 when these kids are living in the year 4052

"If only she took studying as seriously as partying," Dexter says, so I guess he doesn't know that Briar's curse prompts her to fall asleep randomly. That's why her purse is a round quilted pillow. The perks of reading the information printed on the boxes back when Mattel cared.

Raven gets the idea to play some dance music, and Briar wakes up and asks what's going on. Guess her curse is the equivalent of volatile memory in a computer - turn it off and she forgets.

They dance around while Briar shouts over a powerpoint (pixiepoint, I guess, I'm rolling with it) presentation. Everyone pasess the test because happy endings.

One thing this webisode emphasizes that, although Briar likes to party and have fun, she's a good student.

It doesn't matter much, because just about every girl is emphasized to be EXCEPTIONAL, THE BEST EVER students in this franchise. But it's nice that my second favorite character was one of the first established.

It doesn't emphasize it so much, but it does point out that Apple is kind of a nonchalant friend. She does improve and express genuine concern later, but for now it's just kind of sterile, 'let me play the role of someone who gives a damn'.