***********SPOILERS**********
I must say, I really liked the episode this week! It wasn't very exciting, but it functioned much like a Greek Chorus does in all those tragedies you read in college. I am going to try a bit of a different format tonight, see if it works. You all will let me know, mmmkay?
(Need to catch up? Don't miss Synde's recap of the Season 2 premiere!)
What we find out right off the bat:
The Dwarves try to cross the city limits of Storybrooke, using Sneezy as a guinea pig. Blue lights swarm him and he loses his memory, indicating that the residents still are trapped within the city limits.
The city of Storybrooke is in total ruin from the renegade Wraith as well as the crazy purple fog.
Chaos is reining supreme in the town and Charming of course takes control.
We also see that even though he's made of wood, Pinocchio still lives.
Highlights:
This episode shows us how Young Regina is turned into the Evil Queen by her ruthless Queen Mother (QM from now on). QM tells us that power is freedom and the only way to true freedom is through being the one with the most power. Regina is appalled.
We see Young Regina fantasizing about strangling a tween Snow, because as you remember, Snow's big mouth got Regina's lover Daniel killed by QM. It's a precursor to showing the power Regina has laying unharnessed just below the surface.
Regina goes to her father in a flashback and begs him not to make her marry the the King. He tells her she must so that she will have standing in Fairytale Land, but also explains how magic completely corrupted her mother. Sense a theme yet?
Regina goes to Gold's to get a “magical book” that was her mother's. We learn that if she has the book she will be unstoppable. Gold doesn't want to give it to her and pretends he doesn't have it. He asks her to leave saying “Please,” only it doesn’t work. Regina starts to blackmail him, and poof!, the next thing we know he's handing her the book...Liar Liar!
In Fairytale Land, we see a young Regina summon Rumpelstiltskin unaware of what she's in for. He show up in his finest “Jareth the Goblin King” wardrobe full of charm and sets upon seducing her with magic.. He gives her a huge gift and then skitters away.
The Prince realizes that Jefferson(aka the Mad Hatter)'s hat is the key to getting Snow and Emma out of Fairytale Land. He goes to Gold to get a location spell. We see Gold packing a suitcase, so being the kind and gentle Prince (ahem) that he is, he drops a bomb on Gold about the city limits still being impossible to get out of. Gold is visibly shaken and sells the elixir to Charming for the price of peace. Charming agrees and leaves and Gold goes mental and destroys part of the shop. It's a great moment.
Once Regina has the book again, she opens it and takes on a spell. Man, you can just sense the power rolling off of her. Her eyes turn purple and the trees have apples again. She's back...!
Evil Queen Mother unveils Rumpelstiltskin's gift and dismisses it as some cheap mirror. She chats young Regina up about how to take control away from the King and claim FTL as her own. Regina loses it and pushes her Mother into the mirror; it shatters, taking dear old Mom with it.
The town tries to make a mass exodus out of Storybrooke, but Prince stops them with an impassioned speech about coming together and putting things right. He promises to protect them and lead them in what can only be compared to the Saint Crispin's Day speech in Henry V. I might have sniffled a bit, it was a great moment.
Meh Moments:
Regina shows up at a town council meeting full of magic and hurling dwarves. She says she won't leave without Henry. He comes willingly. The Sleeping Beauty ride at Disneyland has more intensity.
Prince tries to reason with Jefferson over rescuing Snow and Emma, but it is just a lot of male posturing; that is, until Jefferson just gets up and runs away. Really? He just runs away?? Sigh.
Henry tries to escape his room in EQ central, but Regina catches him, or rather the trees do. She gives him an impassioned talk about how magic will “make” people like you or fear you.
He doesn't buy it for a second, she used one to many “makes.”
Charming storms Regina's looking for Henry, she plays a classic manipulation of “ if you love something set it free” and tells Henry to go with Charming. It's clear she has something up her sleeve.
After they are gone, she tries to put the magic spell book in the fire, but come on, folks, we all know she isn't going to burn that. It's her goose that laid the golden egg! She puts in back in a special box.
Last Moments:
Businesses all over Storybrooke open up again, and the town looks pretty and shiny.
Gold stands at Storybrooke's city limits pondering.
Mulan and Sleeping Beauty are pulling Snow and Emma along behind their horses as prisoners. They come in to a small camp that Snow says looks like a refugee camp. They are untied and make a break for it. Snow is knocked out and Emma is shouting as they are dragged into something called “the Pit.”
Snow is unconscious, Emma is beside herself trying to revive Snow. A woman’s voice from the shadows offers help, she steps into the light...GUESS WHO???? That's right, it's Regina's dear old Mom—told you she wasn't dead!!
The Quest has begun...
So tell me what you thought of last night's shenanigans! Did you like it?
Synde Korman talks music and books on her website Tombstone Tails, along with creating a line of literary jewelry on her etsy site Cemetery Cat Designs.
When she’s not herding cats or creating art, she works as a part-time bookseller. You can find her on twitter as @psynde.
