This week we got treated to a new character that ventures outside of fairytales and into the literary realm. We also got some Lana Parrilla perfection, as per usual. It was just a great episode that I wasn’t expecting to love this much! Let’s get into it!
Storybrooke
We start the episode with Regina in therapy as she tries to kick the habit of using magic for everything. Maybe Storybrooke should start a rehab center for that because it seems like a common addiction. Anyway, during her therapy session, Dr. Whale barges in demanding Regina send him back to the fairytale world after learning from David that the whole world was not destroyed. Regina says she can’t do it, something that seems obvious by the fact that she herself is still in Storybrooke.
Regina leaves her therapy session and appears to see Daniel, her departed true love, just chilling in the rain. Obviously startled by this, she runs to her crypt real quick to see if his preserved corpse is where she left it – right next to her magical artifacts and ripped out hearts. Oh, Regina, you’re such a hoarder. He’s gone and we learn Whale brought him back – but he’s a monster (is this starting to sound familiar?).
Undead Daniel ends up at the stables looking for Regina but finds Henry instead – and basically tries to kill him thinking its Cora a.k.a the crazy lady who tore his heart out. Regina and David come just in time to save him and an incredibly emotional Regina refrains from using magic to stop him and tries to talk him down. She does this to no avail though and he attempts to kill her twice before she finally must stop him and say goodbye forever. I cried like a baby, guys.
The Fairytale Land that Was
We see Regina learning magic with Rumple this week as she does her best to resist her dark side. She reveals she really wants to learn magic to bring Daniel back and The Mad Hatter leads her to her best shot at that: Dr. Whale a.k.a his other persona of… DR. FRANKENSTEIN. (Weird coincidence that this episode coincided with “Frankenstorm” right?) He tries to bring Daniel back for her but ends up failing. By the end of the episode a distraught Regina has a new sleek wardrobe and the makings of her evil queen persona.
We also flash to Dr. Frankenstein in his lab bringing someone to life after acquiring a magical heart. This is probably going to be relevant later, huh?
The Fairytale Land of Today
Emma, Snow, Aurora, and Mulan return to their camp to find everyone there killed by Cora – except their new visitor, Captain Hook. After some manipulation and a threat to let the ogres have him, he finally reveals to them his scheme with Cora: to infiltrate their group to help her get to Storybrooke. Hook agrees to help the women, though, and leads them to a magical compass that Cora is seeking. The only problem is that it’s up a giant beanstalk and guarded by a giant. The major strength of this show: making fairytale situations seem plausible and not hokey.
Questions for next week
Anyone else notice The Mad Hatter’s allusions that he just came from Oz? I’d be all to excites for a Wizard of Oz themed episode…
Is Hook really going to help them or this is all still part of Cora’s plan?
Who is Dr. Whale’s brother?
Alexa Hoyle can be reached at [email protected]
