Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 6 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Feed Your Head
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 17 | Aired on 03.25.2012
She hands him a parchment. When he looks at it, he asks what business she could possibly have there. Regina says something of hers was taken and found its way there. Jefferson hands her back the parchment and tells her to find someone else to help. Regina is far too calm, when she accepts his refusal, so you know she's faking. "I see. Hard living has strengthened your resolve. Well, I'm sorry I couldn't convince you, but I understand. There's nothing more important than family." She leaves with a chuckle and a smile. That can't be good. Once she's gone, Jefferson appears disturbed, so he's probably worrying again about the creature that cursed him to wear that wig.Storybrooke. Emma drives Jefferson up to an impressive mansion. When she notices him hobbling up the steps, she jumps out of the car and helps him in. He offers her tea, and although she declines because she has to get back to her search, she accepts the cup anyhow, as he pulls out a hand-drawn map of the area. He's an amateur cartographer. Emma raises the teacup to her lips. I yell at her not to drink it. She doesn't listen. She's too interested in Jefferson's map. He says it might help her track down her dog, and what? Is it a map of favorite canine peeing posts? When Jefferson asks Emma her dog's name, she lies that it's Spot. I think the tea is already affecting her speech. As she's saying that Route 6 runs the boundary of the forest, her speech slurs and she starts to lose her balance. Jefferson catches her. Emma says she's dizzy, so he places her on the couch. As she's struggling to maintain consciousness, Emma notices he's no longer limping. Jefferson smiles. "Oh, that. I guess you caught me." The teacup falls from Emma's hand to Jefferson's white shag carpet. Emma lets her head fall back on the couch. "Who are you?" Jefferson smiles us into commercial.
Enchanted Forest Village, Day. Grace leads Jefferson to a toy cart in the center of the marketplace. She immediately falls in love with a beautiful stuffed white rabbit and declares it a perfect guest for their tea parties. The woman running the cart is Regina, of course, magically disguised as very old gypsy woman, one who apparently uses the same dentist as Rumpelstiltskin.
Sidebar of Liberal Guilt: I don't know if I'm supposed to use the word gypsy. I don't want to refer to Regina's get-up as Romani, because it is such a stereotypical disguise, complete with head scarf, enormous earrings, and a vaguely Dracula-ish accent. It's hard to be politically correct in fairy tale land without losing the magic of the story. So, gentle readers, when I write about dwarfs, gypsies or witches, please know I don't mean real people with dwarfism, Romani or Travelers of any ethnicity, or pagans, etc. This show is going to be full of these stock characters. There's no way around it. I don't want to disclaimer myself to death and suck out all the charm -- although I think I just did, so let's get back to the story.