This is the “Winter Finale” but the ads say it’ll be back in January, so it should be a fairly short break.
Last week:
Aurora is abducted by Cora’s minions and held for ransom for the magic compass.
Charming takes Henry’s place to go to the fiery dreamworld to communicate with Snow and Co. But in order to do so, he has to be cursed with a sleeping spell (which Regina supplies), and now only true love’s kiss can save him. Snow couldn’t kiss him in the dreamworld, so he is trapped until Snow can make it back to Storybrooke. However, he is able to let her know about the magical ink that is hidden in Rumple’s old cell at the castle, and that they might be able to use it do defeat Cora.
Hook–who Cora had dismissed–slips into Aurora’s cell and apparently frees her. Aurora rejoins Snow and Co. and tells them how Hook saved her (and that he has the hots for Emma). We see, however, that Hook took Aurora’s heart (I guess? We don’t actually see it happen) and has given it to Cora, who is using it to control Aurora like a puppet.
So now the lovely ladies of HEAL are off to get the ink from Rumples cell…
I’m guessing that with Charming sidelined, most of the action in tonight’s episode will take place in HEAL. Though Regina and Rumple might take the opportunity to get up to no good.
Pretty good episode–a nice “love conquers all” ending to it. It’s a good way to leave things before the break, with the good guys scoring a major victory but the bad guys regrouping for another surge.
I’m glad that we got to see why that part of HEAL wasn’t affected by Regina’s curse. And, as many suspected, Cora is indeed the Queen of Hearts that we saw in silhouette in the Wonderland episode.
I totally figured out the importance of the scroll with Emma’s name as soon as they found it. The ink! Though it still appears as though Rumple may have been orchestrating more than he lets on.
I had to :dubious: when they tied up Aurora as they left Rumple’s cell. Sure, they can’t trust her while Cora has her heart, but what if none of them had been able to make it back? She just dies of dehydration/starvation? I guess now we’ll get further adventures of Aurora and Mulan as they try to save whatshisface. The question is, when they do save him, will he have to choose between them?
All the different time jumps/flashbacks are starting to get a little confusing.
Same. When Emma looked shocked that it was the magic ink, I was all :dubious: .
The episode was too predictable: Did anybody think Regina wouldn’t shut off Rumpelstiltskin’s curse (btw, why did he need Regina with him anyhow? And btw, where did Emma learn to swordfight as good as Hook, the man who was able to take out Regina’s castle guard?) The first season was epic television, this season’s been up-and-down. But I think once Cora and Hook get to Storybrooke things will pick up again. Will be interesting to see Regina further develop as a character, she’s probably gonna have all sorts of darkside-lightside struggle next season. I thought the dude who plays Hook was better than usual this week, seems to be getting used to the role…but apparently the OUAT cast haven’t filmed any scenes in Neverland yet, and I don’t like that we have a Hook with no Pan, Tinkerbell, or Lost Boys.
Robert Carlyle is, again, just great, I loved his little snide dig at Regina at the end. Loved the bit with him in the promo for next week’s episode too. Hook: ‘Ooh, look, back on my ship where it all began…Where’s your magic now?’ Rumpelstiltskin: Whacks Hook in face with cane.
This show has done a good job of making Regina a sympathetic character. They put the seeds down last season when they showed what she went through with the stableboy. Most of the first season showed her as the ultimate evil. It’s impressive how much the tide has turned, culminating in the heartbreak when she has to watch everyone leave her alone with Gold.
I don’t remember Regina expressing surprise when she found out that Cora was still alive. And, if she loved her so much why did she send her to Wonderland?
Man, the land that they all came from must have been filled with loveless marriages. Emma has powers because she is the product of true love? One amongst all of those people? Or do people have super powers and just not realize it?
I’m glad they found a reason to keep Mulan and Aurora in the show. It will be interesting to see what implications their story has on the wider story being told.
Emma telling Gold her True Love powers didn’t seem like the best plan. Then again, he already knew, and she was able to find out more about them. So, I guess it was a good plan.
Fun episode. Good stopping point until they come back in 2013.
Yeah, can we put a moratorium on this whole idea that your parents’ true love gives you ultra-cool awesome superpowers and makes you the chosen one? Harry Potter did the same thing. It was :dubious: then, it’s :dubious: now.
Because you can love someone even thought they are totally toxic for you to be around. I think she sent her to Wonderland instead of killing her outright.
I for one am happy they are abandoning HEAL for the most part (here’s hoping the pact betwen Mulan and Aurora to go and find Phillip will not be an ongoing storyline, but simply a way to write these two characters off for awhile). I was not a big fan of the simplistic quest, and grew tired of Cora suddenly gaining a new power every week to keep thwarting our brave band. For example, the beauty of the heart extraction was IMO the control over a person manifest in the threat of instant death at any distance, an evil perversion of “giving someone your heart” as a metaphor for love. Once we discovered it could also be used to reanimate the dead or control someone at a distance, it became silly.
I think the show does much better when it shows how the HEAL characters must deal with the real world, with the fairy-tale elements (and even the magic) more as a means of illustrating their dilemma rather than as a major plot-driver. For example, we’re obviously setting up for Regina’s frustration when she gives up magic and strives to be good (like Henry wants), and her relapse back into magic to get what she wants. That could be an interesting theme–certainly more so than simply using it as a device to make her a villain again. I guess we’ll find out in January…
The ink! Though it still appears as though Rumple may have been orchestrating more than he lets on.