This week’s Once Upon a Time was a giant tearfest, guys. If you didn’t cry, then you aren’t human. But on a side note, doesn’t this show sometimes feel like a crazy fever dream? In the best possible way of course! So many story lines, so little time, let’s get into it…
Storybrooke
Nothing too crazy happened in Storybrooke this week, it mostly centered on Henry trying to reunite with Emma and Snow. David took matters into his own hands though, trying to keep Henry out of trouble. But anyone who’s ever met this kid would know he does not take no for an answer. After an almost fatal attempt to find magic in his mother’s hidden crypt, David finally lets him be involved for his own safety.
And we see Jefferson (The Mad Hatter) finally reunite with his daughter. It was a long awaited and beautiful scene that made Jefferson seem a little less crazy.
The Fairytale Land That Was
In this episode’s flashbacks, we see more into Charming and Snow’s life on the run. King George is on the hunt for Charming after he dumped his daughter, but the leader of his army, Lancelot, scoops up Snow instead. King George is a true jerk and decides to curse Snow that she can’t have children. A little anticlimactic considering we know about Emma, but still, not cool King George.
Lancelot feels bad that King George just unfertilized Snow, so he wants to help her find Charming. She does eventually find him, but when she does, it’s immediately after his mother has been shot in the chest with an arrow. They venture to a lake with magical properties to try and save her, but all that’s left is a sip – which Charming’s mother tricks Snow into drinking to restore her fertility. Before Charming’s mother dies though, they create an impromptu ceremony and Lancelot marries the two for the ailing woman to see. Cue the tears.
Faitytale Land of Today
In the present day Fairytale land, we pan back to Emma and Snow in their prison with Cora, who Snow immediately recognizes, telling Emma this lady basically makes Regina look like a kitten. Emma and Snow are soon after lifted out of the prison to meet the leader of all these refugees – and it turns out, it’s Lancelot, an old friend of Snow’s. With their freedom guaranteed, Snow wants to take Emma back to where she was born to see if the portal they sent her through when she was a baby still works. They were aided by Mulan and vengeful Princess Aurora. Aurora tries a quick assassination attempt on Snow, but Emma, naturally, shoots her gun in the air to save Snow. That then alerted an Ogre, who Snow promptly shoots in the eye. Just a typical Sunday night in fairytale land.
They finally make their way to Snow and Charming’s old castle, and things get real sad, real fast as they ventured to the nursery where Emma never got to grow up. Their lovely moment is interrupted by Cora, who apparently retained all her powers and is itching to get to Storybrooke. Emma then burns down the portal with some gun powder and a stick (yeah, I don’t know, just go with it) to keep Cora from getting to Henry. So much parent-child love in this scene, even more so after Cora books it out of there and Snow tells Emma she better get used to being put first for once in her life. And cue EVEN MORE tears. This episode is just an emotional rollercoaster.
Also cue Cora stealing some of the ashes from the burnt portal. Guessing that’s not a good sign.
Questions for next week
What’s Mr. Gold up to?
Where is August?!
What exactly did Cora want with those ashes?
Alexa Hoyle can be reached at [email protected].
