Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 643 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT The Unstable Girl
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 2012.04.01
Alone with her parents, Regina complains that her mother is always criticizing her. Mommy Meanest insists she's not criticizing just helping. Regina starts to walk off. Cora snaps, "Don't you walk away from me," and then uses her magic (and surely evil) powers to suspend Regina in mid-air. Daddy Henry sneers and looks as if he's going to grab Cora, but then he seems to remember his wife is a witch. Cora sort of flies Regina over to her. Regina complains that she hates when her mother uses magic. Cora laughs. She doesn't like insolence. She'll stop using magic when Regina starts being obedient. Regina asks why she can't just be herself. Cora says, "Because you can be so much more." Confession: I truly enjoyed watching this episode, but writing it up, it's making me angry. Yes, mothers are evil, controlling witches who rear their daughters to also be evil, controlling witches. Wait, isn't that a John Mayer song? Bleeeeech. I have to get past this feeling, because I know the show isn't saying all mothers (or women) are like this. Snow White's mother was probably a lovely woman. Snow herself is, and will be a great mother, once she realizes she is one. This is just hitting me the wrong way, today.
When Regina cries that she'll be good, Cora releases her. Regina runs off to the stables where she finds Daniel. She apologizes for snapping at him. He flirts that she'll have to find a way to make it up to him, and they kiss.
Storybrooke. David finds Emma downtown and asks how Mary Margaret is. Emma is cold to him, and makes it clear she knows he doubted Mary's innocence. He blames this horrible and confusing situation for putting his giant foot in his mouth, but he wants Mary to know he believes in her. He'd like to visit her, but Emma says Mary's not up for that. She doesn't need encouragement from him; she needs a miracle.
Regina enters the Sheriff's Station. The evil oozes off of her, slithers through the cell bars and startles Mary awake. Regina taunts that only the guilty sleep in prison. My inner-pedant shouts out that Mary isn't in prison. She's in a jail cell. Mary tries her best to ignore Regina's barbs but Regina isn't done. She tells Mary she should confess to the murder and spare everyone the mess and expense of a trial. Mary insists she didn't kill Kathryn and asks why no one believes her. Regina recites the list of evidence against Mary, and says that confession or not, Mary will soon be leaving Storybrooke. Regina has a deeper understanding of what that means, and revels in it. Mary asks what she ever did to make Regina hate her so. We return to the...