Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 4 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Mother Knows Best
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 9 | Aired on 12.02.2012
Rumpy proposes locating the Storybrooke spot where the portal will open and using magic to destroy said portal. Regina protests -- if they do that, anyone who uses the portal will die. Rumpy says, "Exactly." He figures between the two of them, they can summon sufficient magic to complete the task. Regina worries they might be wrong. Snow and Emma could defeat Cora and get to the portal. What if they're killed? Rumpy declares that a "win-win" for Regina. Stopping Cora protects the Queen from her mother's wrath. Stopping Snow and Emma makes Regina Henry's only mother. Since magic is unpredictable in this world, Henry won't be able to blame Regina, should something bad happen. Regina: "No. I can't lie to him. I'm trying to a better mother." Rumpy points out that Regina won't be able to be a better anything if Cora crosses over, and because Regina loves Henry, the boy will be a prime target for Cora. If she wants to prove her love for Henry, destroying the portal is the way to do so. Ooh, he's so bad, and so very bad for Regina.
Enchanted Present. At Rumpy's abandoned cell, Snow tells Emma that it was at this cell where Rumpy prophesied the fact that Emma would be the savior. Emma is taken aback by the fact that Rumpy knew, which I'm just mentioning for later. Mother and daughter join Mulan and Aurora inside the cell and search for the ink. Instead, Aurora finds a scroll. On it, Emma's name is written, over and over and over again. As Emma's eyes widen in horror, the camera makes some choppy zooms in on the text. As we head into commercial, I wonder if Emma has been enchanted just by reading the text. If you've watched the episode, you know that means I'm in the right church, but the wrong pew. If you haven't watched the episode yet, please do yourself a favor and watch it before letting me spoil it for you.
Storybrooke. Gold's Shop. When Regina enters the back room, she finds Henry reading the Once Upon A Time book to his sleeping Gramps. After Henry reads the passage in which Charming saves Snow with a kiss, Regina smiles. "I think this time, it will happen the other way around." Henry: "You think so?" Regina: "I do, which is why I need you to stay here and watch David for a while. [...] Mr. Gold and I need to prepare for Emma and Mary Margaret's return. Coming through the portal won't be easy. We need to make sure everything is in place."
Henry is pleasantly surprised that Regina is going to help -- because he doesn't realize she is lying through her teeth. It makes me sad when she replies, "I promised you I was going to do better -- to be better. So yes, I'm going to do everything in my power to see that they come home safely." Henry smiles. "Wow. You really have changed." Regina's heart is warmed by Henry's approval. He doesn't seem to notice the guilt that flickers across her face.