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
I'm not sure how I got there, so let me make my point and move on with the show. My point is that, "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street" -- last night's episode of TVD -- was a misogyny fest. Bear with me. I know I already made that part of my point, but I failed to make it relevant to this "Queen of Hearts" episode of OUAT. It's relevant, because in OUAT, even though it is based on often-misogynistic morality tales of yore, works so hard to imbue its female characters agency and strength. It doesn't do the job perfectly, but if it did, we would wouldn't be watching a lovely fantasy drama. Instead, we'd just be subject to a Women's Studies docudrama. So thank you Eddy Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, and cast and crew, for being lovely and right, in all the ways I need, this morning. I'm so happy and in love with this show right now, that I am excising most of my complaints from this recap. It's love letter time, gentle readers. Come. Let me show you.
Previously, on Once Upon A Time, Charming willingly infects himself with the Sleeping Curse, so he can meet up with his beloved Snow in the Fiery Room of Dreams. Once there, he informs her that in order to battle Cora, she will need to get to the cell in which they once held Rumpy captive. In it, she'll find a jar of magical squid ink that will allow her to control Cora, so that she and Emma can grab Enchanted Wardrobe Dust, use it to open a portal, and let the magical compass guide their return to Storybrooke. Unable to kiss Charming (and free him from the curse) while still in the Netherworld, Snow is now more determined than before, to return to her true love and save the Prince who once saved her. Also, Hook takes Aurora's heart and gives it to Cora as an apology present. Aurora returns to Team Princess and sings Hook's praises. Cora and Hook plot to steal the compass. And now, currently on Once Upon A Time, we open in the...
Enchanted Past. A robed Hook sneaks into Knifingham Palace (or perhaps Regina saw him coming and made sure he gained access), kills the tower guards, and finds Belle locked in her cell. The wall is covered in hash marks, which must number the days she has been Regina's prisoner. Hook isn't there to kill her. He's there to rescue her and tells her (and probably lies to her) that her father is being attacked by the very same "monster" who stole Belle from her family in the first place.