Chapter 13: In Which Henry Helps The Fast Food Industry

The Grammys ("Grammies?") is playing in the background as I write this review. Justin Timberlake is singing...I'm not really quite sure what Justin Timberlake has put out lately, but then again, I'm not exactly musically knowledgeable. Maybe I just don't listen to the right radio stations. All I want is to go back to alternating between Vanessa Carlton's "White House" and Pink's duet with the lead singer of Fun!, as I've been doing all day. Literally, I've been listening to these two songs all day. My family probably hates me. I'm sure they breathed a sigh of relief when I went to watch ABC's "Once Upon a Time". Tonight's episode is the thirteenth episode of the second season, called "Tiny." I hope you enjoy my review/recap!

What Happened:

The Fairytale World (Past):

• About seven or eight giants are all sitting down for dinner. Everyone is making verbal jabs against Anton, the littlest giant, who the others have nicknamed "Tiny." Through the conversation, we learn that Tiny is quite interested in human culture, despite the fact that the humans are not exactly beloved by giants. Tiny's eldest brother Harlow explains that Tiny needs to focus on planting and raising those multi-dimensional beans we saw in an earlier episode. 
• Charming's twin brother James is making out with someone. They're about to do the nasty when King George walks in. James is totally unfazed by this reversal of a typical childhood trauma, but George explains that we're watching an ABC show with a significant portion of its target audience under the age of fourteen, so we can't have sex scenes. 
• Across town, Tiny is sadly looking into a tavern window; he has come down the beanstalk, curious about the human world. Prince James and the woman he definitely did NOT "have a dalliance with" are there looking suave and adventurous. They offer Tiny a magic mushroom that will shrink him down for a few hours. He accepts, and the woman reveals her name to be Jacqueline..."JACK" for short. 

• Once in the bar, Tiny explains how he's not exactly in love with his family lately. Jack and James totally seduce him verbally and non-sexually, it feels like they're about to whip out a cigarette and force him to deal with peer pressure any second. 
• James goes off for a bathroom break, while Jack explains that James' kingdom is in major debt. Tiny offers to go and get some treasure for his new "friends."
• Later, Harlow walks in on Tiny stealing some treasure in the Giants' Castle. James and Jack walk in, too, but they're looking for the magic beans that the Giants grow...and they're willing to fight to take them. 
• It all ends quite badly. All of the giants except Tiny are killed, and Tiny is forced to burn all of the beans to keep them away from the humans. Jack is killed by Harlow, and James escapes with some treasure. Tiny receives a tiny bean seed that he may use in the future to regrow the beans, and is left alone. 

Storybrooke/Our World:

• Everyone is getting ready for a road trip at the Charming House!

• Of course, Emma was totally rude and didn't inform Rumpelstiltskin that she was taking Henry. Now he has to buy an extra plane ticket and everything. Emma retaliates to Rumpel's "ugh" look with an equally large one at his shawl, which protects him from the town boundary. 
• They leave, and Regina shows up looking for Henry. He, unfortunately, is not here, given that he just left. Snow and David give a really inadequate apology. 

"We feel moderately guilty about possibly implying that you may have done bodily harm to our therapist who never charges  for his sessions."

• The Charming couple goes and talks to Hook, thinking that he might know something about where Cora could be. He shows her the Invi-Ship and a cage that contains Tiny, who is...well, tiny. Or at least human size. The littlest giant is released, but sees David and thinks that he is his brother James, so he punches him out and flees. 
• Ruby visits a sedated Belle in the hospital. It's extremely sad, because Belle doesn't remember magic, or her best friend...oh, and Ruby talks to Greg, but no one cares about him. 

The Audience to Greg:

We're crying because we're not over our Ruby/Belle friendship feels. 

• David realizes that Tiny is mistaking him for his brother. At the same time, Henry asks Rumpelstiltskin a lot of annoying questions as they get ready to go through airport security. Rumpelstiltskin briefly goes through the security line without his scarf/shawl, which- because it is the magical talisman that helps him keep his fairytale identity- gives him a mini-headache/freakout. 
• Regina has a quick conversation with Hook in which she finds out that the Charmings found the ship, and refers to Cora needing "her things." Hook also makes yet another bondage joke. (We get it, Hook, you're a kinky guy. Stop making scenes uncomfortable.) The two also discuss how the giant will be an excellent distraction...
• After being given a size-increasing mushroom, Tiny wreaks havoc in town. David explains that he is not, in fact, James, but his twin brother, while Snow explains that they are, in fact, Emma's parents, but "she's kind of out of time!" (Best line of the episode!!!) 
• Tiny doesn't care about their lame excuses, so he goes after them. He smashes into a pipeline and shrinks back down, landing on a precarious pipe. He toys with the idea of letting himself die, which is rather dark for a Disney-sponsored show, but David and co. manage to rescue the giant. 
• Anton/Tiny is inducted into part of the main cast when he goes to Granny's diner. He worries about being a misfit, and Grumpy delivers what is certainly the most ironic line of the episode: "We got all kinds in Storybrooke!"

Y'know, except for black people, Asian people, Hispanic people, gay people, other sexual minorities...

• Tiny is given a field to plant his last bean in, which the dwarves promise to guard, since everyone is concerned that Cora wanted Tiny to plant the beans for some nefarious ulterior motive. 
• Belle is unnerved to find yet another creepy older  man visiting her in her hospital room, but this time it's Greg Mendel, who says that he saw the ball of fire in Rumpelstiltskin's hand, too...
• Snow and Charming discuss how fun it was to go on an adventure together again, and worry a little over Emma. Snow reaffirms her desire to stay in Storybrooke, since it's the first place that their family has been able to be together. 
• Rumpelstiltskin slams his fist against a toilet-paper dispenser in a bathroom. He tries to heal it, but there is no magic outside of Storybrooke, which really freaks him out. Our trio gets on the plane, and Henry snacks on a cinnamon bun. 

What I Thought:

   I'm not in love with Tiny, but it's not exactly Tiny's fault. As one of my friends commented to me, this is basically a rehash of "The Little Mermaid," only with giants instead of merpeople. I feel bad using this as a critique point, because so many stories have similar elements. It's in the nature of stories to use certain tropes, cliches, and conflicts, simply because these are the plot elements that appeal to us as human beings. It doesn't make the writers unoriginal nor lazy, and it usually doesn't turn the audience/reader off, because we don't so much care about the skeleton of the story as we do the muscle and skin and hair and make-up. There are plenty of versions of "The Little Mermaid" that don't involve a teenage half-fish obsessed with 18th-century architecture. Anyone who watches "Game of Thrones" knows about Arya Stark, a young girl far more interested in the culture and activities of men in her society over those traditionally associated with women. Fans of "Doctor Who" see women voyage away from a world they view as mundane into other galaxies, leaving their families behind. I'm sure you can think of similar examples. The main point is that there are many stories like this, with a young person interested in the world beyond their own who ventures forth and finds trouble, and I just didn't like this version.
   Tiny didn't have enough unique layers to make him stand out in my mind as interesting. Another one of my friends and I discussed this episode earlier today, when we talked about how- other than his obsession with and subsequent hatred of humans- we don't really know who Anton is as a person. It's entirely possible that in future episodes we'll get to know him better, though; after all, if I had been writing these during Season 1, I might have said the same thing about Snow and Charming. They've gotten a ton of development since then that shows us they're not their cliches, and they have a lot backing them up in terms of emotion and motivation. If the writers choose to give some more attention to certain minor characters like Tiny, the problems I've noted might pleasantly fade away.
   This episode, we were treated to a few nice moments with some minor characters. I'm digging the subplot involving Belle and Greg; hopefully these two launch some fun detective mission to learn about the not-so-silent elephant in the, er...town square.

I hope they ask Regina what she knows about fireballs. 

   I also like the consistency when it comes to Ruby and her animosity towards outsiders. If the world at large were to learn about Storybrooke, she would be one of the citizens who could stand to lose the most, and I like that the show is remembering that. I also hope we get more arguments between Snow and David; I've liked seeing the realistic portrayal of their relationship lately. 

   Oh, before I forget-- I have to tear into Grumpy's "We've got all kinds in Storybrooke" line, because it's a bit absurd and indicative of a larger problem within the show: diversity! Lancelot, our only black character, is presumably dead, and Mulan, our only Asian character, is having off-screen adventures in Fairytale Land! Also, where are some LGBTQI characters? I realize that this isn't a very sexual show, but most characters have had romances of one sort or another, and I don't see why we couldn't have "The Prince and the Frog" or "The Swan Princess" and, er... "and another Princess!" I know Disney backs this show, and it's not known for leading the equality bandwagon, but this show is on ABC, for Regina's sake! The same network as "Modern Family" and "Grey's Anatomy," two shows lauded for their portrayal of same-sex relationships! Let's give LeRoy's line some justification with racially diverse and LGBTQI characters !!!! 

My Score:

7/10. 

Tiny's personality is a bit too small at the moment. Give us more Ruby!

My Questions:

• Will Henry ever pass the fifth grade at the rate he's been skipping? 
• How long would Rumpelstiltskin have to be parted with his scarf (what is this "shawl" nonsense) to lose his Fairytale memories for good?
• Is Neal really Baelfire? 
• Just how good is Cora gonna look with her hair down?

Next Week:

Henry escapes in Times Square, Mr. Gold goes shopping for a new cane, and Emma totally meets her ex-boyfriend! But shhh- the writers don't want us to know yet!

(Disclaimer: As always, I've used a lot of gifs, cultural references, memes, and photos. If you or someone you know owns/made one of the gifs/photos/etc., comment below and let me know- I'll take it down, if that's what you wish. I don't claim ownership of any of them, I just browse Tumblr and other sites for ones that fit my blog. Also, I own none of the media I reference. "Once Upon a Time" belongs to ABC, the Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling and whoever made the movies, "The Little Mermaid" to Disney, "The Road to El Dorado" belongs to Dreamworks, "Family Guy" to Fox and Seth Macfarlene... etc., etc...I own nothing. This blog is for entertainment purposes only! Also, this show is written, acted, made and produced by people far more successful than me thus far in my life. I love it, and I only critique because I care! I also know far less about the world than I pretentiously seem to!)

Chapter 11: In Which Belle Becomes an Epic Detective

Hey, readers! I'm so sorry about the wait! Thank you so much for patiently waiting. I had a ton of homework this weekend, and grades are more important than "Once Upon a Time," so...

Your Likely Reaction to the Above Statement:

My Response:

I'm kind of like Hermione before people forgot that she was "The Annoying One" in the group. Anyways, now that we've established my well-known zealotry regarding my academic studies, on to the recap and review of this week's episode of ABC's fabulous "Once Upon a Time," 2x11: "The Outsider!"

What Happened

Fairytale Land (Past) :

• Last season, after Belle ditched Rumpelstiltskin's tower because he had intimacy issues and was unwilling to try the latest form of acne treatment, she gave Grumpy (known at the time as Dreamy, before said dreams were tragically crushed) some romantic advice. This takes place the day afterwards, when Belle is being adorkable in the same medieval tavern/pub/social scene, reading a book in a corner and planning out the next great Fairytale Landian Novel. 
• Grumpy/Dreamy shows up and encourages her to go on an adventure (the purpose of which is to hunt down a demon called a Yaoguai, which has been terrorizing the nearby towns) with some sketchy-looking guys in the corner who've decided it's a good idea to bring back the Tri-Cornered hat. 

I hear it's all the rage in Europe.

• Belle then gets the experience that any poor soul who has ever tried to read a book in a public place during their adolescence has been forced to undergo when one of her fellow adventurers asks her what she's reading. 

Traveling Companion:

Belle:

• The traveling companion continues to be obnoxious. Belle gets her smart-hat on and tells the dude (who just can't take "leave me the chocolate fudgicle alone" for an answer) that the Yaoguai lives near lakes. The jerk kicks Belle off the cart that he and his pals were riding, but Belle picks herself up and earns a "You go, girl," from the audience when she reveals that the Yaoguai actually like to hang out near mountains, not lakes. 
• At the mountain, Belle finds the Yaoguai, which looks like a magical fiery lion, but it attacks her! Just when our intrepid investigator is about to be irreversibly ingested, Mulan shows up and saves her. She's quite and reasonably irked with Belle, given that she'd apparently been tracking the Yaoguai for weeks. I guess she and Shang got divorced...?
• Later, Belle is being bullied in town by the same Traveling Companion as before. Mulan saves her again, reminding us viewers that the female characters on this show are not only the coolest and most epic but by far the most competent. 
• The two women team up, Mulan deciding to cut Belle some slack since Belle can decipher a book that has information about the Yaoguai within. When they arrive near the Yaoguai, Mulan's leg wound flares up (she got it from the bullies apparently, I missed that part when I was staring forlornly at the fridge trying to decide between blueberries or coffee ice cream) and Belle is left to go and beat the Yaoguai alone. 

Yaogaui:

• Belle invents irrigation and drenches the Yaogaui, which then turns back into its true self: Prince Philip! He'd been cursed by Maleficent, but now he's free! Belle introduces him to his one true love new best friend Mulan. Since she's having an excellent night, she bids them goodnight and leaves to go and give Rumpelstiltskin a second chance!

How Belle Feels:

• Then, just in case you were feeling happy, Regina shows up and captures Belle to bring her to the tower. 

How Belle Feels Now:

How the Audience Feels:

Storybrooke:

• After Rumpelstiltskin successfully pulls off an experiment (with Smee as the unwilling guinea pig), everybody else has a funeral for Archie. It's hard to feel sad, because A) we all know he's not really dead and B) I never really liked him that much. (Neither did Gepetto's parents, come and join our club.)
• Rumpelstiltskin explains to Belle that he's created a magic potion that allows him to cross the town line without losing his memory: he just has to put the potion on his most precious object and carry it with him (in order to find his son Baelfire).  For him, this means his wife Meela's shawl. As for me...

...well, he never does quite explain how one would pour magical potion onto paper without ruining it.

• On board the ship, Hook interrogates the still-alive Archie, but doesn't get any information out of him. So, naturally, Hook skips off to the library and tries to nab Belle. He fails, due to Rumpelstiltskin's timely intervention (my, Belle's a bit of a damsel this episode). Belle and Rumpel head back to his shop, which is a wreck-- apparently Hook used Belle as a distraction so he could go and shoplift an Everlasting Gobstobber steal the magical shawl. 
• If you've seen one Rumbelle conversation, you've seen them all. Rumpelstiltskin tells Belle she doesn't understand him and his reasoning  she tells him she wants to, and it goes on for five minutes. Eventually, it's decided that Belle will stay behind while Rumpelstiltskin goes to get the supernatural shawl back. 

• Meanwhile, in a household where passive-aggressive behaviors have yet to win over conversation and the sharing of emotions and ideas, Henry is heartbroken over Archie's supposed death. To deal with the grief, he is listening to Archie's voicemail over and over again. 

• Grumpy interrupts the grief (I guess the Royal Family's place is just sort of the hangout for everybody) by expressing an interest in returning to the Fairytale Land. Snow instantly rejects this, because Downton Abbey Season 3 has just started airing in America and the Fairytale Land lacks even the public channels. Grumpy, Ruby, and the rest of the dwarves point out that humans may very well start wandering into Storybrooke accidentally, and that while human fairytale characters such as Snow and David might be accepted with open arms, your everyday citizen is likely going to be far less tolerant of someone who can turn into a wolf or is born out of an egg fully grown as an adult. 
• We are then whisked away from what would have been a wonderfully interesting debate to see Belle discovering the invisible ship, she's just that good.

(Oh, and Rumpelstiltskin turns Smee into a rat. Apart from all the Pettigrew jokes we now get to make, nobody cares.)

• Belle frees Archie and sends him off to go get help while she investigates the ship, leading to the Horror Movie part of the episode, in which Hook shows up, alludes to Rumpelstiltskin murdering Meela (to which Belle responds with a "meh"), and begins chasing our heroine around the ship. 
• Rumpelstiltskin appears and fights Hook, then begins beating him up. Belle manages to talk him down, but only after Rumpel  reveals some very vengeful and homicidal tendencies still floating around in that magical noggin of his.

Rumpelstiltskin's Not-So-Diplomatic Solution to the Hook Problem:

Banishment. It's where it's at. 

• While all of this exciting detective/horror/soap opera drama is happening down at the docks, more was occurring back in the town. Snow tries to get David to see that they can buy a house in Storybrooke and live a peaceful life watching Maggie Smith be Maggie Smith in British costume dramas. David is not secure enough in his masculinity to watch anything with prominent romantic storylines, so he insists they go back and fight to take back the kingdom...again (from Cora this time.) 
• Snow is a human being who is already ten times more epic than David and knows it. Much as she'd like to go on a reunion tour with the Disney Princess Brigade, she explains to David that she is tired of fighting. It is then that Snow utters perhaps the most realistic and amazing line of the season: "Maybe we want different things." (More on that in the review).
• Archie goes and lets Emma and Henry know that he's alive, which proves that Regina didn't kill him. Henry's all "Ermahgerd I totes knew it," while I'm just like:

• That night, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin drive into the woods together. Much as the Rumbelle shippers would love it, they do NOT proceed to do what most couples might do in a car in the middle of the woods on a Sunday night (okay, it's probably not Sunday in Storybrooke, but it can be like a Friday for them, because Belle basically owns the library and Rumpelstiltskin basically owns the town, so if they want to not go in the next day, they can not go in the next day. Jefferson can live without his copy of Fifty Shades of Grey for one more day). 
• Just as Rumpelstiltskin crosses the town line and is about to depart on his journey to find Baelfire, Hook pops up and shoots Belle, who isn't fatally wounded- yay! On the other hand, she fell over the boundary, so she's lost her memory- nay! 
• Then a car hits Hook and saves the not-so-happy couple before crashing into the side of the road.

What I Thought:

   Oh, Rumbelle. How I loved thee when you first appeared. It was a fun twist on a classic fairy tale, taking someone who was a beast in a far less cuddly way than his mainstream Disney counterpart and pairing him off with someone who had to believe that people can change not just their manners and their habits, but their cores, their very beings. The couple takes the forefront in this episode again, and unfortunately, it's to the episode's overall detriment.
   When you boil away all of the details, this plot boils down to one we've seen at least twice before (2x04, and Belle's premiere episode in Season 1): Rumpelstiltskin is less than perfect. Belle believes in him and he lets her down. Rumpelstiltskin implies he'll try harder next time, and Belle forgives him. Quite honestly, I'm sick of it. Relationships involve forgiveness, it's true, but they also involve effort, and I feel like that's something Rumpelstiltskin is just refusing to give. This is very much a one-sided relationship, in which Rumpelstiltskin gets to use Belle as an emotional crutch while he continues to use magic, torture others, and seek vengeance despite Belle's politely-worded wishes. What is Belle receiving emotionally? Rumpelstiltskin is very clearly showing that he doesn't want to try and change for Belle, not when there are more important things on the line like making up for past mistakes and inadequacies.
   He says he wants his son, and we're led to believe that he is trying to find Baelfire out of love, but let's take a step back and look at the big picture. Baelfire was transported to our world decades ago. He's likely found himself a new life and put his past behind him. Rumpelstiltskin seeking out his son will reopen plenty of old wounds, especially considering that Rumpelstiltskin was not willing to give up his magic to be happy with his son. But Rumpelstiltskin doesn't seem to care; he wants to find Baelfire because it will satisfy his emotional needs, his desire to make up for abandoning Baelfire years ago. Rumpelstiltskin isn't willing to give anything up in a relationship, romantic or fatherly, and I can't keep routing for him and Belle to succeed as a couple. She deserves someone who is willing to do as much for her as she keeps doing for Rumpelstiltskin, time and time again.
   Now, don't get me wrong: I still like Rumpelstiltskin as a character on a redemption arc, I just don't want to see Belle be dragged down with him. There were two other parts of this episode that I adored, along the lines of the "maturity" chain of thought that I wrote about last week. The first was Snow and David's realization that they have two very different plans for their future. Most marital difficulties are threats from within, not armies and sorceresses from without, so it will be intriguing to see how Snow and David handle their varying opinions in future episodes, especially considering that we've seen them deal with far more physical threats than emotional difficulties. Additionally, Ruby and the dwarves' point was a cynical but valid point about human nature: fear of the unknown is a huge motivational factor for many forms of intolerance.

My Score:

5/10. 

Small subplots weren't enough to redeem the main storyline starring Rumbelle's star-crossed love relationship. 

My Questions:

-Are the seeds of some kind of schism being planted in Storybrooke (perhaps David, Ruby, and the dwarves returning to Storybrooke while Snow, Emma, and Rumpelstiltskin remain in our world?)

-How permanent will Belle's amnesia be? Archie's faked death was resolved rather quickly, but other subplots like August's disappearance and Neal's postcard have been patiently put on a shelf by the writers. Will Belle's newest problem be resolved quickly, or is this her new status quo?

-Is Archie getting Pongo back now, or has Emma already filled out the forms? 

Next Week:

Who is the strange man with such poor driving skills? Also, a mother-daughter reunion and Frankenstein freakiness!

 

(Disclaimer: As always, I've used a lot of gifs, cultural references, memes, and photos. If you or someone you know owns/made one of the gifs/photos/etc., comment below and let me know- I'll take it down, if that's what you wish. I don't claim ownership of any of them, I just browse Tumblr and other sites for ones that fit my blog. Also, I own none of the media I reference. "Once Upon a Time" belongs to ABC, Fifty Shades of Grey belongs to E.L. James and her publisher,"The Big Bang Theory" belongs to CBS, "GLEE" belongs to Fox, "The Road to El Dorado" to Dreamworks, the Harry Potter series to J.K. Rowling, "Sherlock" to the BBC and Moffat, etc., etc...I own nothing. This blog is for entertainment purposes only!)

Chapter 10: In Which Charming Brings Back Fur Coats

Well, here we are, folks. We've officially survived the Mayan Apocalypse, the holidays, and the fiscal cliff-- and if you're reading this blog, you've also survived an excruciatingly-long wait for new episodes of ABC's "Once Upon a Time," so pat yourselves on the back.

Tonight, your trial has ended. The sun has come out, a new day has dawned, the Dark Age is dead, Harry Potter's dumped Cho Chang, we're getting a new Star Wars movie, I'm no longer a minor, we had a white Christmas, there are ten billion flavors of Five Gum, and the dog days...well, you get the drift. 

Life is good. Now that that's been established, let's get down to the thick of things-- namely, my recap and review that you awesome peeps kindly read for some reason every week. I love you all! 

What Happened

Storybrooke:

• Hook and Cora are newly-arrived party-crashers in Storybrooke, getting off Hook's big-as-all-getup pirate ship. Cora uses a bit of magic to turn it invisible and advises Hook that he'll need to proceed carefully if he's to take on Rumpelstiltskin in a world that now has magic. (Oh, and they turn some poor dude into a fish. Bullying in Storybrooke is dangerous.)
• The next morning, Emma and Henry walk in on Snow and David. 

Emma:

Henry:

David and Snow:

• Naturally, they flee to make tacos, which is what everyone does when this happens in their life.
• Later, they bring said tacos to a party at Granny's. Regina shows up and is totally awkward and is super-relatable because it's basically how I acted at the parties I've been to in my high school career, which I can count on one hand. Grumpy is a jerk to Regina, but Emma convinces everybody to give Regina a chance. 
• Regina feels awkward and doesn't have the amazing people who seem to find me at parties and make me feel welcome, resulting in her leaving early. Emma tries to get her to stay, and the conversation takes a turn for the worse when Emma mentions that Dr. Archie Hopper told her Regina was trying to change for the better. It's clearly a clear violation of doctor-patient confidentiality, and Regina is understandably furious. She snaps at Emma when the latter denies her the chance to let Henry sleepover, calling Emma out on thinking she could be a mother after "five minutes," when Regina's been doing it for ten years. 

Me:

"You go, Regina."

• Regina apologizes (boo) and Emma accepts it. The next day, Regina goes and yells at Archie, understandably. Ruby is jogging nearby, and somehow accomplishes the remarkable feat of asking them if they have a problem (I say it's remarkable because as part of my New Year's resolution, I have taken up jogging, and I cannot say a word after two minutes of jogging, I'm gasping so hard for breath). Regina tells her to depart with a sassy comment that I cannot do justice to here. Just go watch the episode, it's marvelous. 
• Later, Cora disguises herself as Regina and goes to Archie's apartment, where she kills him! 
• The next morning, Emma and Henry are having breakfast at Granny's, because Emma can't cook anything except tacos and although Henry was tolerant for the first five weeks, it's just not going to happen again. 
• Henry the truant goes to school while Emma and Ruby investigate Archie's office and find his body. They arrest Regina, and it's basically an episode of Law and Order: Storybrooke. David is Stabler and Emma is his Olivia, reigning in his Javert-ian tendencies. 
• After Regina denies doing anything in the interrogation, Emma argues with David and Snow over whether or not Regina has changed, referencing her past as a criminal and how much she changed. Emma essentially points out that, even if Regina hasn't changed, she never would've left so much evidence pointing to her. 
• Emma believes Regina has been framed. They go and talk to Gold, convinced that he did it. He denies it and Belle has no idea that Archie's dead. Where have you been, Belle? 
• Gold gets Archie's dog Pongo and uses a dreamcatcher to help Emma do some magic, in which she accesses Pongo's memories and sees that "Regina"/Cora really did kill Archie. 

Emma:

"I totally stuck up for that----"

• At Regina's house, a fight ensues and Regina uses magic, angry when Emma tells her she'll never see Henry again. Everyone gets super-judgmental and it makes me super-sad for Regina, who poofs away . (Oh. And Regina utters the phrase "I assume you're here to apologize," which I'm expecting to see in at least three Swan Queen videos by the end of the week. AMV-ers, you have your task. Get to it.)
• At the bus stop, Emma is nervous about telling Henry that Archie is dead and Regina apparently killed him. We get a really touching scene where Emma and David and Snow all realize that none of them know how to be parents, but it's okay because really...who does? They'll figure it out. Emma then tells Henry about what happened while Regina watches on from afar, heartbroken as she sees the son she so wanted to prove herself to hear a lie that will break his heart.
• At the docks, it turns out that Cora did kill someone and disguised the body as Archie's, but she doesn't know whose it was. She actually kidnapped Archie, who is now being held on Hook's ship with the intent to torture him for information about Rumpelstiltskin's emotional weaknesses (along with those of everyone else in the town...)

Fairytale Land (Past):

• Snow and Charming capture Regina after defeating King George the Unspecified Numeral. 

How the Capture Goes Down:

Regina:

Snow and Charming:

• (By the way, Charming is wearing a very fashionable fur coat. I hope he brings that back in Storybrooke, the plaid is getting boring.)
• At a counsel meeting, it's essentially decided that they should execute Regina. Snow has a problem with killing, which seems odd considering how much killing there likely was in the war that just ended against King George, but I guess we're just ignoring that. 
• After her dad tells her to show regret in an attempt to get some slack from the royals, Regina flat out ignores him and goes all Disney villain on Snow before she can be executed. Charming's all "Oh my God, Snow, you can't just stop an execution!" but Snow ignores him and chats with Rumpelstiltskin about what's to be done with Regina. Snow truly believes that Regina's good side is still somewhere within her. 
• Rumpelstiltskin comes up with a test to see if Regina has any good in her. Long and cumbersome test short, Regina fails and tries to kill Snow when she lets her go, resulting in her banishment. 
• On the day of The Royal Wedding (the one that didn't involve somebody named Middleton), Rumpelstiltskin points out that while a spell he placed on Charming and Snow to protect them from Regina works in the Fairytale Land, it doesn't work outside of it...setting the stage for her to use the curse. 

What I Thought

   The thing that struck me the most this week wasn't the theme of change, which was deep and intriguing, but I'm sure you all got that yourselves. What I enjoyed this week was the more mature vibe the show had. For a lot of this season, I've missed some of the grittier, more intense themes and aspects of the show's first season. Remember when David was cheating on his Storybrooke-wife Abigail, but it was confusing and divisive among viewers because he was technically married to Snow White? How about when Mary Margaret was suspected of killing David's wife? Even Regina's murder of her own father was incredibly dark. The show continuously showed that fairytales could be scary and their characters could be complex and realistic, and while that hasn't been lacking this season, it hadn't been as strong. 

   The edge was back tonight, for the most part. It started with the bedroom walk-in scene, which was a nice acknowledgment of more adult relationships that didn't get too uncomfortable for younger viewers. The momentum carried on with the murder and the debate over execution and rehabilitation, though a bit was lost when Archie was revealed to be alive (just a bit-- remember, Cora said she had killed someone, and didn't even care who it was!) I think the gritty, grown-up pieces of this episode were things I had been missing, though I didn't quite realize it until tonight. 

    This is a show that tries to appeal to multiple age demographics, and is starting to remember it again. Besides this bright point, other great moments included Emma trying to understand Regina's attempt to change herself, along with the conversation between David, Emma and Snow about parenthood. Two things bothered me this week: the fact that Archie isn't really dead (I was hoping the stakes would be raised a bit by showing us that main characters can die and actually stay dead, but so far the show keeps offering ways out: Abigail and Archie both turned out not to have actually been murdered, while Prince Charming looks like he's not gone for good, based on the ending of the winter finale) and the dialogue in the Fairytale Land. It's very stiff and stilted at times, like the writers can't decide whether they're going for classic fantasy tongues or something more...modernized, like the Percy Jackson series, where mythological creatures have updated themselves to the modern world. The soldier who gave the report to Regina in the opening scene was particularly distracting. 

My Score:

6/10.

The episode dragged a little bit in the middle, but had a lot of good character moments and a fantastic return to some of its more adult themes. 

My Questions:

• Who was the person that Cora actually killed: Random Citizen #17, or somebody we care about more? 
• Now that Regina's an outlaw, will she be forced to try and flee Storybrooke (or live in the woods and frolic with a resurrected Graham?)
• Will everyone believe that Regina killed Archie? I feel like Gold might suspect something's up...

Next Week:

Grumpy wants to return to the Fairytale Land, and Rumpelstiltskin plays a deadly game of hopscotch.

(Disclaimer: As always, I've used a lot of gifs, cultural references, memes, and photos. If you or someone you know owns/made one of the gifs/photos/etc., comment below and let me know- I'll take it down, if that's what you wish. I don't claim ownership of any of them, I just browse Tumblr and other sites for ones that fit my blog. Also, I own none of the media I reference. "Once Upon a Time" belongs to ABC, Percy Jackson belongs to Rick Riordan,"The Big Bang Theory" belongs to CBS, "GLEE" belongs to Fox, etc., etc...I own nothing. Entertainment purposes only!)

Chapter 8: In Which Mulan Ditches These Losers Because She's Really Much Smarter Than Them

Hola, my children! It's been a while, what with the two-week hiatus. Apparently that's just a practice for what may be a longer one, given that there's a Winter Finale coming up next week (but the show will reemerge sometime in January.) A lot happened this week, and now that we know there's a mid-season finale coming up next week, it makes a lot more sense...so let's get cracking! This is my recap/review of ABC's "Once Upon a Time," Episode 2x08: "Into the Deep."

*A note: several of this week's events crisscrossed between Storybrooke and The Fairytale Land. I'll be covering them from each side's perspective, in no particular order. 

What Happened:

The Fairytale Land

• We open with Hook finally getting down from that beanstalk. Cora's waiting for him at the bottom, and she's none too happy that Hook ditched her for the Disney Princess Brigade. He tries to get back on her good side, but she'll have none of it: she's off to get the compass back, and will most definitely NOT be taking Hook with her to Storybrooke.
• Cora, who's been runnin' 'round, leaving scars, collecting herself a jar of hearts, goes to said cabinet of cardio organs and uses them to raise up a horde of angry zombies. Take notes, this'll come back to bite the DPB in the butt later. 
• Aurora informs Emma, Snow, and Mulan of her dream, and the Netherworld room she found herself within. Emma decides they can use this to communicate with Henry. 

Basically the level of familiarity they have with their chosen method of communication.

• That night, Aurora meets Henry in the Red Room, within the Netherworld that only people who have been under (and awakened from!) a Sleeping Curse can go to. She informs him that his mother and grandmother are alright, but need Rumpel's help to try and defeat Cora.
• The DPB keeps trekking along the next day, following the compass to the portal to Storybrooke, but Mulan notices that Aurora has a burn- apparently the Red Room can actually hurt people within it, if they let the flames touch them.She's reluctant to let her friend Aurora go back there, given that she swore to her crush/BFF/comrade/whatevs Philip that Aurora would be safe. Aurora, however, basically tells Mulan she feels useless and needs to do something to contribute. 

"Mulan...you, Snow and Emma have done, like, the ENTIRE project. I need to at least do a little bit so that I don't feel totally guilty when we all get an A+..."

• The next time Aurora goes to sleep, she sees Henry. But he's, like, TOTALLY unhelpful, because he times his directions whenever the fire bursts up. So whatever he's trying to say, Aurora doesn't hear. Unfortunately, Mulan chooses this exact moment to wake Aurora up because...
• The camp is under attack by zombies!!!!

• Yep, Cora's zombies are back with a vengeance. Snow and Emma manage to fight most of them off, but because Snow was too busy caught in her Katniss roleplaying to pay attention, Mulan managed to sneak Aurora out of camp.
• Unfortunately, Mulan got caught up fighting more zombies, so Aurora was kidnapped. She's kind of the group's Daphne...
• Cora goes and torments Aurora in her cell, way across the Fairytale Land. Aurora is actually surprisingly snarky back at Cora. Cora throws a curve ball at Aurora when she tells her that Philips Dementor-sucked-- I mean, "wraith"-sucked soul is actually just in another dimension, so she could hypothetically get it back. Luckily, Aurora calls her out her crap.

Cora gets told. 

• Back across the forest, Mulan is arguing with Emma and Snow. They've been given what amounts to a magical ransom note from Cora: give her the compass by sundown if they want to get Aurora back. Snow and Emma decide that, since Snow was once under a Sleeping Curse, she could go to the Red Room in the Netherworld, too. Mulan doesn't like the idea of playing for time...but she agrees. For now.
• In the Netherworld, Snow finds Charming, who has apparently been put under a Sleeping Curse willingly, all in order to find and communicate with Snow. He informs Snow that to stun and restrain Cora, they will need a special bottle of ink, which lies in Rumpelstiltskin's cell back in Snow and Charming's old castle. The two try to kiss to wake David up from the spell, but it doesn't work, because they're not in their physical bodies.
• Snow emerges from her sleep, horrified to learn her husband will be in a deep sleep until she gets back home. Emma's got worse news: Mulan has run off with the compass, determined to give it back to Cora in order to save Aurora.

Mulan's Grand Plan

"Um yeah I'm off to rescue Aurora and we're just gonna go and hang out away from all of your drama, and make lots of sundials and patent them, and with the money we make, we're gonna BUY the portal back to Storybrooke."

•  Luckily for the group, Aurora has been freed by Captain Hook, who told Aurora he was freeing her to spite Cora. 
• Aurora and the group are reunited before Mulan can give Cora the compass, but little does the Disney Princess Brigade know that Hook carved out Aurora's heart and gave it to Cora. Now, Cora is spying on the DPB, controlling Aurora even as the group makes their way to get the MacGuffin-colored Ink...

Storybrooke

• Henry wakes up from his sleep and informs Regina and David that he saw Aurora; the two are okay, but they need to know how to defeat Regina's mother, Cora.
• Regina goes to Granny's Diner, where she interrupts THE most uncomfortable-looking date in the history of uncomfortable-looking dates. It doesn't help that everyone in the diner clearly hates Rumpelstiltskin. Lord, this must be uncomfortable for Belle. 

I know I feel awkward when my (nonexistent) date starts telling me how magical condiments are.

• Regina gets Rumpelstiltskin to come help with the Henry situation. In the convincing conversation, there's some interesting dialogue that seems to indicate that Rumpel was the one who taught Cora her magic, and that they had a violent falling-out. Rumpel is spurred to action by Regina pointing out that if Cora does get to Storybrooke, she could hurt Belle. 
• Regina and Rumpel, watched by David, send Henry back into the Netherworld, explaining that the fiery room is accessible only to those who have awakened from a Sleeping Curse. Meanwhile, Henry awakens there and talks to Aurora, trying to let her know Rumpel's idea for getting rid of Cora: she can be stunned in a similar way that Rumpelstiltskin was by Snow and David, which allowed him to be imprisoned long, long ago. It will take the bottle of ink that the two used (remember the Cinderella episode way back when? They put it in a quill to trap Rumpelstiltskin...). The inkbottle is in Rumpel's old jail cell. Yeah, it'll be a lot of work. But nothing good ever came with a little bit of work. I think. So they tell me. 
• Unfortunately, the flames are too high and Henry cannot make himself heard to Aurora. She gets sucked out of the Netherworld by Mulan awakening her. Henry, in turn, wakes up to find himself severely burnt. ("Ouch, Netherworld! That hurt! Netherworld burned me!")

• Rumpelstiltskin heals him, then David demands to be put under a Sleeping Curse, since he and Regina are totally united by their desire to keep Henry safe.  Regina makes up the curse, and she and Henry get a really nice bonding moment over their mutual love of chemistry. 
• David undergoes the curse and arrives in the Netherworld. However, since it's his first time under such a curse, he has to make his way through a dark dimension of mirrors before he's able to find the fiery room.
• He does so in all of two minutes, and then finds Snow. Within the fiery room, he informs her of what she needs to do. They try to kiss in order to wake him up, but it doesn't work: a tearful Snow realizes that David will be asleep until she can get back to him. 
• A sad Henry looks over his beloved grandfather while Regina and Rumpelstiltskin share a knowing glance. (Because they know they're gonna have to lug David over to the extremely short-staffed hospital for the duration of the spell...and neither one of them is feeling particularly energetic.)

What I Thought:

   This episode made a lot more sense once I found out that next week was the Winter Finale. I kept feeling that there was a lot of back-and-forth, and wondering what it was all about. Now it's clear: we're being set up for next week's episode. That was the ultimate purpose of this episode. 

    Despite the fact that it was a set-up episode, the writers still put in some really nice character moments. Aurora and Mulan both got some much needed development; after all, they really hadn't done all that much since the season premiere. We now see how important promises are to Mulan, which is quite beautiful , if you think about it: whether she loved Philip romantically, or as a best friend (at this point, I think either is possible), she still misses him. The only bit of him that she still has is the promise she made to him- the promise to keep Aurora safe. It made sense that she was willing to die for Aurora, because keeping her promise to Philip is her most important goal at the moment.

    Aurora, too, had some interesting and surprising developments. I was glad to see that she wasn't all whine-- the girl's got some snark to her. You could tell how much she wanted to ask Cora about the potential way to get Philip back, but she resisted the urge and kicked Cora. You go, Aurora! 

Oh, Aurora. Now we know what your role in the group is: Witty Dialogue Specialist.

    Now, let's talk about Regina and Hook briefly, my two favorites of the season (and the whole show, let's be honest). I'm so, so glad the writers have kept their storylines ongoing this season. Regina is still trying to reconnect with Henry, and it looks like it's really paying off. All of her resistance, her self-control, her abstinence from using magic...it's all paying off. Henry is finally able to trust her a bit. I cannot express enough how much I adored the conversation between those two. Henry was tentative, and rightfully so, but...it's really a sign of how much Regina is trying to change, that she didn't push the conversation to mean more than it did. A year ago, she would've forced him to come home. Now, she's realized that the ball is in Henry's court and it's going to stay there. When he is ready to trust her again and let her back into his life for good, he'll do it. (Unfortunately, if the preview for next week is any indication, that might not be for awhile...) 

    Hook's connection to Emma also kept going. We know he's betrayed Cora for Emma, and now he's betraying the Disney Princess Brigade for Cora. It's not unreasonable to expect that he may switch sides again, and that's what I love about him. Any wildcard character is a good deal of fun. We know that Hook wants revenge, and you might think that it's merely a matter of whoever can help him get to Rumpelstiltskin faster. I don't think that's the case, though. I think he's feeling emotions for Emma that he hasn't felt for anyone since Mila, and that scares him. It'll be interesting to see if he will come to Emma's side again, and if so, what his motivations for doing so will be: revenge, or love? 

My Score:

8/10

I wasn't in love with this episode at first, but the fact that it's a set-up episode combined with some fun continuing character arcs made for an enjoyable installment.

My Questions:

• Lord, there are a lot. Let's see...Is Neil gonna show up next episode? I've got a feeling he'll pop up in the last five minutes, just to make things more complicated in January.
• Will anyone get back to Storybrooke next episode, or is this the status quo for the rest of the Season? 
• How many episodes are there gonna be, anyway? I know initially the word on the electronic street was that there'd be twenty-two again, which would mean we're barely a third through the second season...but now it looks unclear, if they're already giving us a mid-season finale. They never said "mid-season," though, just "winter," so I suppose that's the question...
• Rumpelstiltskin mentioned mermaids. This summer, there was word Ariel might show up this season. Is this a hint?

(Disclaimer: As always, I've used a lot of gifs, cultural references, memes, and photos. If you or someone you know owns/made one of the gifs/photos/etc., comment below and let me know- I'll take it down, if that's what you wish. I don't claim ownership of any of them, I just browse Tumblr and other sites for ones that fit my blog. Also, I own none of the media I reference. "Once Upon a Time" belongs to ABC, "The Walking Dead" belongs to AMC, "Glee" belongs to Fox, "Downton Abbey" is the BBC's, etc., etc...I own nothing.)

Chapter 7: In Which We All Mourn a Childhood Friend

Well, my dear readers...it's happened. In tonight's episode of ABC's "Once Upon a Time" (2x07: "Child of the Moon), I have finally cracked and cried.

Okay, technically, this is a lie, I've cried before because of this show. But I cried again during this one, and you should all know why.

Gus the Mouse...is dead. 

He was ambitious...

He was feisty...

But most of all, he was a friend to Cinderella when she needed him. Goodbye, "Gus-Gus." 

You will not be forgotten. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cry more.

...

Okay, now that I'm back, let's get to that review/recap thing I do, despite the emotional turmoil it causes within my soul. 

What Happened:

Fairytale Land (the Past)

• Okay, remember that episode way back in Season 1 in which we learned Red Riding Hood is actually a werewolf and she totally ate her boyfriend and the town came after her? Well, now you know. This happens right after that. 
• Snow and Red are on the run, totally being badass fugitives. After quickly disposing of Some Queen's Soldier-Dude Who Had the Nerve to Think He Could Beat Up Snow White, the two girls decide they should split up, for Snow's safety, since Red is gonna turn into a werewolf any second now. (It's worth remembering that Snow is totally against this idea and is being an amazing friend, while Red is insisting she has to go for Snow's safety. I already have so many friendship feels it's not even funny.)
• Red wakes up in the morning (insert "OMG I hope none of those pix wound up on Twitter"-joke here) and finds that this guy named Quinn has stolen her magic red coat that is supposed to prevent her from becoming a werewolf. Quinn tells Red that she's not the only werewolf out there- he's one, too, and he has a bunch of werewolf friends, and they should totally all go hang out sometime, like right now.

If you immediately thought of her...you're not the only one.

• Within the werewolves' crib is Red's mother. Turns out she has one. Weird.
• Mama Red (I think she has a name, but to make her sound cooler and equally B.A. as Red, we shall call her Crimson) teaches Red to control her wolf side. There's some bonding, everyone is reminded of Twilight, yaddah-yaddah-yaddah. 
• Crimson and Red are suddenly confronted by Snow, who's still on the run and is totally forgiving of Red for ditching her, despite how I would've reacted.

"Gee, thanks for totally ditching me to go sit at the Cool Kids' Table, Red."

• Suddenly Regina's soldiers burst in and kill Quinn. Crimson is naturally mad, and wants to kill Snow. In an ensuing scuffle, Red protects her friend but accidentally kills Crimson. She's understandably saddened, but Snow is comforting. They bury Crimson and then we get an incredibly sweet and meaningful moment in which Red tells Snow that she's the first person who truly accepted her for who she is: Red's Granny wanted her to shun her wolf characteristics, while Crimson felt the same way about Red's human side. Snow is the first one to let her be both. 

These are happy tears, guys. That's all. 

Storybrooke

• The dwarves dig up some fairy dust and are quite happy, because it means they can make Jefferson's Hat work again, thus opening up a portal to Emma and Snow in the Fairytale Land. They go and celebrate at Granny's, and a good time is had by all.

I really wish all parties consisted solely of jumping on trampolines while attempting to eat cake.

• King George/Spencer suddenly crashes the party. They don't show it, but you just know everyone gave him a dirty look when he came in. I bet he asked Ruby for coffee with sugar and cream, and she only gave him coffee with sugar. I bet that made him feel bad. 

"No creamer for you, King George! Take THAT!"

• Okay, so long story short, Spencer/KG tells David he's got a plan to get back at him. David's all,

• Ruby gets asked out by Gus/Billy, who was a mouse in the Fairytale World that helped out and was friends with Cinderella. He's a tow-truck driver here with a crush on Ruby, who rejects his offer because it's the full moon.
• As the party's dying down, David goes and sees Ruby prepping up for a night in a storage center to prevent herself from harming anyone in wolf form. She hasn't changed into a wolf since the curse began, and she doesn't know if she'll be able to control it. Plus, she totally lost the cloak that prevented her from changing into wolf form. (You had ONE job, Ruby. ONE job.)
• In the morning, Ruby gets found by David and Granny lying in the woods with no memory of what happened: she escaped the freezer. Go figure. 
• Meanwhile, Henry awakes from a dream of the fiery Red Room from last week, with Regina there to comfort him. She finds that his hand has been burnt and takes him to Mr. Gold, who in turn explains that victims of Sleeping Curses like Henry gain access to a dream realm- the same dream realm where their souls went during their cursed times. He gives Henry a necklace that will allow him to "control his actions" in the dream realm. 
• Ruby, David and Granny find Gus' dead body. Ruby lets David lock her in the jail, convinced that she killed poor Gus. Meanwhile, Spencer/KG riles up the townfolk against her, and they all get torches (seriously? Torches? They're SO 18th-century, people.)
• For her own safety, Ruby goes into Belle's library while Granny and David go off to solve the mystery, convinced Ruby didn't do it. Belle declares her friendship for Ruby and tells her that she believes Ruby is a good person, and it's all really sweet...
• ...until Ruby locks Belle in the library so she will be safe. 
• David and Granny find Ruby's cloak in Spencer's car. They realize he killed Gus and framed Ruby. David goes and finds Wolf Ruby, whom he talks down and puts the cloak on to save her. 

"We did it!!!!!! Hooraaaaaay!!!!"

• Unfortunately, Spencer used this as an opportunity to destroy Jefferson's tophat. 

The Audience:

"You did not just."

(Yes, I'm well aware I've used this gif before. But it is perfection incarnate, and fit the situation.)

The Fairytale Land (Now)

• Aurora has a dream of the Red Room in which she meets Henry, who explains who he is after putting out the fires. Aurora relays this information to an ecstatic Snow and Emma. 

What I Thought:

   Well, they did it again. Another awesome episode has been delivered to us, so be grateful, my children. This episode addressed a much-needed plot point (how does Red's werewolf status work in our world?) while giving us some really interesting metaphors and sweet life moments. 

    Friendship was a big theme in this episode. I cannot say how much I loved seeing David's devotion to helping Ruby (and Snow's, as well, but we're discussing his actions first.) For a show that has "True Love" as one of its main themes, we've certainly gotten to see a lot of truly touching friendships (the first season featured a lot of Mary Margaret and Emma being friends, but whereas David seems to be embracing both of his identities, for whatever reason Snow seems to have cast off her Storybrooke persona and wrapped herself in her motherly love for Emma.) Friend relationships are very similar to romantic relationships in some ways; they involve two people who deeply care for one another, and will help each other at a cost to themselves simply because of that platonic affection. 

    We got to see that with David and Ruby this week. He knew, he must've known, that helping Ruby could put his leadership position on shaky ground. Ruby, by her very biology, is not going to be a very popular person in Storybrooke now that the curse is broken. People know who she is, what she can do, and what she has done (eating her boyfriend, Peter). They are afraid of her, and they're not necessarily wrong. But that doesn't matter to David. He cares about his friend, a companion he had back in the Fairytale Land. He was willing to go out on a limb and protect her, despite everything, and that's beautiful. That is so very, very beautiful to me: one person risking how they're viewed, how they are treated by society, for a friend. 

    Snow White also showed a beautiful hand of friendship to Red in their past, accepting her despite the physical danger to herself. Red's speech about Snow accepting both sides of her nearly made me cry, because that's beautiful, too. Friends should accept friends for who they are. Red didn't quite know who she was- somewhere between she-wolf and woman, but not exactly what that meant. Snow basically told her that she would be there to help her figure it all out.

    Who hasn't had a friend in a dark place, or a friend who didn't know who they are? Who hasn't experienced either of those situations themselves at one point or another? This episode spoke to everyone who has ever been in such a place, and everyone who's ever helped someone there. It reminded me a lot of teenagers, to be honest: many call it the most turbulent period of a person's life, when they're trying to figure out exactly who they are. Like Red, we all hope that somebody will be there for us; like Snow and David, we should all let anyone we know in this position that we're there for them. This episode was for anyone who's ever cried all night, and the friend who's stayed up texting them. It's for anyone who's stuck up for a friend being bullied or picked on or going through a rough patch. "Child of the Moon" was, plain and simple, for friends and friendship. 

My Score:

10/10

A beautiful message and answers to some larger questions in the overall narrative made for a fantastic episode. I loved it.

My Questions:

• Okay, so Henry and Aurora can communicate in the Red Room...but Aurora definitely said, "There was a little boy there this time." Does that mean that the "he" Aurora mentioned is a different person, and if so, who could he be?
• Is Peter in Storybrooke? I don't know if he's still alive or not, I remember Regina implied that she only brought two dead people with her...
• Did you cry about Gus? Because I did. Significantly.

Next Week:

Cora beats Dr. Whale at his own game. Can you say "Zombies?"

(As always, I used a lot of gifs, pictures, and cultural references. Most of the gifs and pictures are from Tumblr, and if not that then other websites. I don't own any of them, nor any of the other shows, movies, etc. that I make reference to. This blog is purely for entertainment purposes. I own nothing. If   you own/know who owns one of the gifs/pictures I put up, and would like me to remove it, just let me know in the comments and I will do so.)