Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 4 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT The Unstable Girl
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 04.01.2012
Mary proclaims she is innocent. She clings to the cell bars and gets her face as close to her tormentor as she can. Tears stream down her cheeks as Mary cries that she doesn't know what this is about, or what she ever did to Regina, but whatever it is, she's truly sorry. Regina says the apology is not accepted. Sobbing, Mary begs Regina not to do this to her. She doesn't deserve it. She did not kill Kathryn. Regina reaches her hand into the cell and wipes away Mary's tears and says, "Oh, I know." Mary recoils. Regina grabs her by the cheeks and says, "But you do deserve this." She swoops out of the jail room, leaving a frightened and baffled Mary, to stare after her and try to make sense out of nothing at all.
Enchanted Forest, Barn, Night. Just as Regina and Daniel are about to make their escape, Cora appears and magically throws them across the barn, enters the space and the doors magically close behind her. When Regina tries to explain, Cora berates her for thinking she could sneak out of Cora's house without her noticing. Regina asks her mother to listen. She wants to be with Daniel. Cora says Regina doesn't know what she wants.
Cora: I didn't make the sacrifices I did in life, to get you to the cusp of greatness, so that you could end up the wife of stable boy.
Regina: It's my life!
Cora: Oh hoo hoo. You foolish girl. It's mine. After what I had to do -- the deals I had to make to get us out of poverty, to get us this life, and you just want to toss it away?
Daniel tells Regina to be strong. She in turn tells Cora that her magic can't keep them apart because she loves Daniel. Daniel tells Cora that he loves Regina. Cora replies that she loves Regina, too. Regina says were that true Cora wouldn't be trying to keep them apart. Cora says that if Regina loved her she wouldn't try to run away. Regina insists they're going but Cora holds up her hand. Magic wafts off it as she says they're not. Regina asks if the plan is to keep them there forever because that's what she'll have to do. Pretending to relent, Cora asks if this is Regina's decision -- and if it will make her happy. Regina says it already has. Cora nods and wonders who she is to stop them. Regina hugs her mother than thanks her.
Cora smiles at Daniel and approaches him. She lays a hand on his shoulder and says if they're going to have a life together she needs to impart an important lesson. To be a parent you always have to do what's best for your children. Daniel thanks Cora and tells her that's what she's doing now. Cora agrees, and then plunges her hand into his chest. She rips out his heart. Regina screams. The heart is crystalline, as was my poor departed Graham's. It glows in Cora's hand. Regina screams out, "Mother!" and runs to Daniel. As she holds her dying lover in her arms, her mother crushes his heart to dust. Weeping, Regina asks her mother why she's done this. Cora tells Regina, "This is your happy ending." She tells Regina that she knows best. Love is weakness. It feels real at the start, but it's an illusion that fades and leaves you with nothing. But power -- true power endures and you don't have to rely on anyone to get what you want. "I've saved you, my love." Regina turns on her mother and tells her she's ruined everything. "I loved him. I loved him." Cora shouts, "Enough." She orders Regina to clean herself up and wipe away her tears, because now she's going to be queen.