If you thought that the wonderful world of Oz was that little joyous place from the 1939 version with music and adorable little munchkins helping Dorothy on her way, you are wrong. "Emerald City" is something that has the makings of the childhood favorite, but at the same time, it has the mystery and intensity that you might find in "Game of Thrones"
In this new rendition of Oz, we start off in Kansas, as always. This time is different. We see that Dorothy (Adria Arjona) is a nurse, and our favorite dog Toto is a german shephard. I was a little worried about that in the beginning, but after watching the season there is no way that the original little Toto would have survived the perils of Oz.
As I said in the beginning, this version is less of a happy sing-a-long and more Games of Thrones style. It is a lot darker, and the mystery is as intense as it comes. From trying to figure out the story of Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) to the seeming swap of the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch between Mistress West (Ana Ularu) and Glinda (Joely Richardson) respectively.
I was also very appreciative of how we still had the tin man (Gerran Howell), cowardly lion, and scarecrow. All of the little easter eggs honoring other original versions (flying monkeys) were pretty fulfilling as well.
Honestly Over everyone, Mistress West and Tip are probably two of my favorite characters in this entire show. The fact that West starts out seemingly as an evil witch, yet turns the entire perspective around is remarkable. In the second half of the season, when a major secret is revealed, she goes from aggressor to advising aide.
The other thing that I think is amazing is that this show is subtly taking the issues facing the transgender community. For many they may not have the feelings until later in life, but for many they just know. It can start at an early age. The way that many people look at Tip, and the way Tip internally feels is very close to the way transgender people are dealt with in life.
They are seen as crazy or confused, and not treated as the people that they are. Tips battle throughout the season goes beyond just the physical, and I applaud NBC for taking on that issue in the way that they did.
Now with an army of little witches, the true rulers of Oz, all of our friends scattered to the wind, and the Beast forever terrorizing Oz, who knows what the hopeful season 2 holds.
At current time, it is unknown whether NBC will renew this project, but many of the fans wait with fingers crossed that we will learn more of Oz, and hopefully find out more about the Beast Forever, and finally learn the story behind Mother South.
To catch up on Emerald City, check out the full episodes on www.nbc.com
