“I don’t know how to love very well.”
Regina began her road to redemption in Sunday’s episode and showcased what OUAT does best: complex character development. Sunday’s episode was a fast-paced emotional thrill ride, showing how great the acting and the writing on this show really is. Guys, this episode might have been even better than the premiere, so let’s get into it.
Storybrooke
We weren’t treated right away to what was happening to Emma and Snow in the fairytale land, but we did get a lot of what was going on in the strangest little town in Maine. Everyone in the town was searching for their loved ones, and more importantly, coming to grips with having two lives stuck in their minds. In the midst of this confusion and turmoil, we learn, through one of the seven dwarves, what happens when you step outside of Storybrooke. Their cursed selves become their only selves, as the fairytale land memories are lost. Leaving becomes a tempting offer for the townsfolk who aren’t coping well with their dual lives. Prince Charming (David) himself stops them though, delivering an passionate speech declaring, “David and the Prince, I am both. Just like you. The town is both. We are both.”
Separate from this storyline came some of the best moments of the episode, as Regina took a turn from Evil Queen to a redemption arc. With the help of Mr. Gold and a book of magic that belonged to her mother, she got her magic back. Her first order of business was to take her son home. Henry begrudgingly went in order to protect the townspeople, but the kid was not a happy camper. Regina tried to tempt him by telling him she would teach him all sorts of magic, but he was not impressed and told her “I don’t want to be you.” You go Henry! In a flashback, Regina remembered her own terrible mother and realized she didn’t want to be her just as much as Henry didn’t want to be Regina. So in a fine acting moment from Lana Parilla, she let Henry leave with David and promised to redeem herself in his eyes. Perfection.
Oh and our favorite wooden man isn’t so wooden anymore! Or anywhere to be seen. August (a.ka. Pinocchio) is awake, and missing, as Geppetto tries to find his estranged son.
The Fairytale Land that Was
The Fairytale Land flashbacks this week were all about Regina and her mother, Cora, who was not exactly mother of the year. We learned that Rumplestiltskin taught Cora her magic, and therefore made her the power-obsessed crazy lady she became. Regina calls upon Rumple for some magical help in gained her freedom and ends up using magic for the first time as she pushes her mother into a magical abyss of a mirror. What scares Regina the most is how much she loved using magic. Rumple then offers to teach her his ways, which she quite obviously accepted.
Fairy Tale Land of the Present
We didn’t get an update with what was happening with Emma and Snow until the last five minutes, but it was worth the wait. Mulan and Princess Aurora took the mother and daughter as their prisoners to Mulan’s village of “survivors.” Snow tries to escape but is knocked out by Mulan in the process. Her and Emma are then thrown into a prison cell where they meet another prisoner: Cora.
Questions for Next Week
Will Snow recognize Cora once she wakes up?
Where did August go?
Is it really possible for Regina to redeem herself after all she has done?
Alexa Hoyle can be reached at [email protected].
