Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B- | 49 USERS: D+ YOU GRADE IT (Re)Born In The U.S.A.
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 17 | Aired on 03.17.2013
Woods. Henry finally makes it out to the magical wishing well. He takes the dynamite out of his backpack and lays it on the edge of the well. The writers continue to squander my time. Commercial.
Gregor Mendel calls Regina because of course he'd have her number of speed dial. The Contrivance Fairy curtseys and says, "You're welcome." Greg explains who he is, and tells Regina that Henry was all alone in the woods. He ran off and seemed a little upset. Already in her car, Regina takes off. We flash back to...
1983. With Regina riding shotgun, Graham drives off after the Flynns. He tries to force the SUV off the road and nearly causes an accident in downtown Storybrooke. When Graham turns down a side road, Kurt foolishly assumes they've lost Graham, but our cute, crafty, roofied Sheriff heads them off on the road out of Storybrooke and blocks it with his cruiser. Now, if I was driving a big SUV like that, I think I'd try to drive around Graham and not worry if I clipped the cruiser, but I probably watch a lot more fantasy TV than Kurt does, and I realize Graham can't leave town.
Kurt turns to Owen and tells him, "All right, listen to me. Run into the woods. Get as far away from here as you can, and call your uncle." On what -- a tree phone? Owen, who doesn't want to leave without his dad, clutches the leather lanyard Kurt gave him, so Kurt points to it and says, "There's a reason I gave you that; because as long as you have it, I'll always be with you. You can do this, so do it. Run. Go! Go! Run!" As Graham grabs Kurt out of the car, Owen takes off. Kurt yells to Regina, "You might have this whole town wrapped around my finger, but not my son. You can't force him to stay with you. Noticing Graham pushing Kurt up against the SUV, Owen stops and yells, "Dad!" Kurt shouts at him to run.
With her hands held out near her sides, Regina approaches Owen and says, "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you." Owen asks why she's doing this. Regina says, "I just want you to stay with me." When she leans down and places her hands on the boy's shoulders, he cringes, but Regina is too delusional to notice. "You said you liked it here. You want to stay here, don't you?" Owen's voice cracks as he answers, "Not like this." Regina says, "I'm sorry. I just wanted us to be happy." When she releases her grip on the boy, he runs over the town line and down the road.
Inside the back of the Sheriff's cruiser, Kurt whispers, "Run, Owen." Cut to Regina all ready to cry for herself, yet again, as she watches the boy flee. No, it makes no sense to me either, that they didn't let the father go. Let's just assume she's got him locked in a hospital basement cell. We flash forward to the...