The Case

And so, all things must end. After close on a year, Bigby’s efforts to bring equilibrium to Fabletown have...well, it’s not fair to say that everything is fine and dandy now, but the current crisis has been dealt with at least. Whether that’s a good thing or bad remains to be seen however. Still, the important thing is that everything has settled down, at least for now, leaving us to wonder, was it all worth it?

The Trial

Warning: Review contains spoilers. Scroll down to the appeals to avoind spoilers.

Yes, abso-fucking-lutely yes it was. Though the resolution came with a curious lack of resolution. Don’t get me wrong, everything was all wrapped up and neatly put on a shelf with a cute little bow on top. The story came to a firm climax, with many of the plot threads that you likely not only thought had been forgotten, but indeed forgot about yourself. But at the same time, it was a very hollow victory. So to speak.

Allow me to clarify however. This is not a sign of poor storytelling, not at all. The exact opposite in fact. The majority of this final episode is spent highlighting precisely how hopeless and pointless everything in Fabletown really is. If you came expecting a dramatic, intense and epic final showdown, you won’t be disappointed. Cry Wolf picks up at the very instant the previous episode left off, with Bigby reiterating his intention and growing increasingly irate at the Crooked Man’s dismissive “everything will be cool” attitude.

Within moments, mostly because you are, as always, Bigby Wolf, the Big Bad Asshole, there’s no way this could possibly be resolved without everything going tits up. See, our smug criminal mastermind was not at all prepared for someone like you. Someone right on the line between right and wrong. The truly incorruptible. Leaving him completely unprepared for a confrontation which cannot be settled with clever wordplay. Though he has his cadre of hired muscle on hand as a precaution, they inevitably reveal themselves as the liabilities they are. So when Bigby refuses to back down and turn the other cheek, everything starts to unravel. The fragile balance of self serving, bullish egos turning everything into an ugly, multi-faceted internecine battle.

Georgie, the Tweedles, the Crooked Man and his fanatical hellspawn Bloody Mary, rapidly breaking down all bonds and turning on one another like ravenous jackals. With Bigby right there in the middle of it, staying true to his original aim and refusing to compromise with anyone. Incorruptible, resolute and night fanatically single-minded. Because this is the job. This is what has to be done. And he will do it. Because someone has to.

From there we have our obligatory frenetic chase through the city streets, with Georgie and Vivian (previously presented as a minor character, but ultimately revealed to be a lynchpin of the entire thing) going one way, whilst da Gaffer and his pet sociopath head in another. This leaves you, as Bigby, with the ultimate decision of where to go first. Who is more important? The one who ordered the act, or the one who perpetrated it? The really interesting thing being, that by making one choice, you can cut out a huge chunk of the story. Reminding us, again, that choices here have real consequence. Even those that seem irrelevant.

If you do things right, and you see everything, unearth all the dirty little secrets, it’s actually shocking just how significant some of those throwaway gestures ultimately became. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, because this episode more than any other is something that should be experienced in its original, unsullied condition, but trust me when I tell you. You don’t want to go after the limo. When you’re in your ‘full blown’ (more on that in a moment) wolf form, tearing through the streets of New York and leaping off that building, don’t aim for the limo.

With all of that out of the way, then we have our epic climax. A brutal, even for this series, showdown with Mary and her army of, uhm, slivers? Being so closely tied to mirrors, you see, she can shatter herself into a seemingly inexhaustible supply of perfect copies. Leaving our boy Bigby...with distinctly the upper hand. Crazy as that sounds. See, with the ante being raised to such exorbitant levels, he finally lets go. Gives in and does what he does best. Fuck’s shit up.

We’ve seen him with his glowing eyes and elongated talons. We’ve seen him as a full blown werewolf, a mass of teeth and claws and bristling fur. Now we see him as he truly is. An immense, majestic, big bad wolf. A wolf who, literally, huffs, and puffs, and shatters that arrogant bitch into a million little pieces. No, literally. That’s what he does. Reducing each of her splinters to dust until nothing remains. So much for all that bravado huh? Things play out very differently when you’re not stabbing people in the back. Not so cocky in a straight fight are you?

But see, here’s the thing. That’s only the first twenty minutes of the episode.

The real climax comes after, with the Crooked Man. Giving you the choice to either kill him putting him out of your misery once and for all, or to take him back to Snow as you (probably) promised. Thereby to stand trial. This is where the real meat of the story, where the real drama, unfolds. With both sides, the infuriated victims, and the odious little gobshite that ruined their lives making valid points.

Case Review