Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 523 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Mother Knows Best
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 3 | Aired on 2012.10.14
Downtown Storybrooke. Day. Charming and Henry walk down the street, left worse for the wear thanks to the Chintz Monster's paper-blowing tantrum. When Henry asks what's on the agenda for "Operation Scorpion," Charming asks what he means. Henry explains: "The code name for our mission to find Emma and Snow. Do you prefer Viper? That was my second choice." Charming: "Henry, we need to talk." Henry: "Yeah, Scorpion is better." I think I could watch an entire episode of these two, just being the cutest grandson and ultra-young Grandpa in the world, provided there were occasional tears, interspersed with sword fighting.
The bottom line: Charming doesn't want Henry to come with him, because restoring the hat requires magic, and magic always comes with a price. Charming asks Henry to go to school. When Henry agrees, Charming takes him at his word. While it's a rookie mistake, I can't blame Charming, really. He's not only new at grand-parenting, he never even got the chance to be a parent. Henry walks to the school bus, but once Gramps turns away, the boy bolts. If my kids are reading this, please know what Henry does is bad, very bad, also forbidden. If my kids aren't reading this: run, Henry. Run! We flash sideways to the...
Enchanted Present. Snow and Emma bicker as they make their way to the Haven's leader. Snow wants Emma to listen more closely to her instructions. Emma wonders why Snow can't just trust her; she just wants to find a way back to Henry. Snow scoffs at Emma's insistence that she could have handled the Mother of all Evil. "Cora? Don't be so sure. I've lived here, Emma. I know this world and its dangers." Emma's face is grim when she asks Snow if she followed her because she thought she'd be helpless. Snow: "No. I came through to be with you." Aww, moms are always doing stuff like that. Let's hear it for your mom!
When Haven's leader emerges from his quarters, Snow's eyes grow wide. "Lancelot?" The two embrace and he apologizes for locking the ladies away. Emma can't believe she's meeting Lancelot.
Across the way, Aurora is appalled that Lance is embracing one of the women she holds responsible for Phillip's "death." (Since we could hear the souls of those who Chintzy devoured, I'm not ready to declare Phillip completely dead.) Mulan says that since Phillip trusted Lance, they should too, but Aurora wants justice. Mulan: "Tread carefully. It's dangerous to confuse vengeance with justice." That makes me almost like Mulan, but then she adds, "Do you understand me?" She's so condescending. I hope she gets likable soon -- particularly if we're going to have to spend much more time with her. I'm pretty sure Aurora feels the same way, because she looks away from Mulan. Mulan notices too, rises to her feet, and gets in Aurora's grill. "Do you understand me?" Aurora's mouth says, "Yes," but her eyes say something less than princess-y, so I'm not going to spell it out. Once Mulan walks off, Aurora gives Snow and Emma her best stabby stabby kill kill eyes, then turning away, she draws a dagger out from under her wrap. Commercial.