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In the Enchanted Past, Regina enlists Hook to travel to Wonderland, steal Cora's heart and kill her. Since Cora is now the very Queen of Hearts, herself, that is a feat easier said than done. Cora grabs hold of Hook's heart, forces him to confess everything he knows about life back in L'enchantement, including the not small detail that Regina intends to cast the Dark Curse, and then returns with him.
Cora and Hook trick Regina into thinking Hook killed Cora. After mourning her mother for a moment, Regina returns to her evil plans, leaving Cora free to cast a barrier spell that will protect part of the realm from the Dark Curse. She explains to Hook that he will remain in stasis for 28 years, until the savior breaks the spell -- at which time they can begin their quest to travel to Regina's strange new world without magic and exact their revenge.
Enchanted Present. Team Princess travels to Rumpy's cell, where they find a strange scroll that contains only one word, written over, and over, and over again: Emma. They do find the bottle of squid ink, but alas, it is empty. Before anyone catches on, Aurora triggers the cell doors, trapping Team Princess (herself included) inside. Hook and Cora appear, reveal what they've done to Aurora, steal the compass, and set off on their Storybrooke quest.
Seeing her name on Rumpy's scroll drives home the fact that Rumpy engineered his own capture as well as the Dark Curse; Emma is devastated. She is certain she is no savior, only another one of Rumpy's dupes. While studying the scroll, Snow remembers Cora's grimoire and that magic dwelt in its very pages. Playing a hunch, she blows on the scroll. Because it was written in the coveted squid ink, magic pours off the parchment and opens the cell. As Teams Princess sets off to reclaim the compass, Aurora demands that her comrades tie her up and leave her behind. With her heart still in Cora's possession she knows she would only do them more harm than good.
Team Princess finds Cora and Hook at Lake Nostos, where the witch has magically drilled down to the source of the restorative waters, and used the wardrobe ashes to open a portal. During the battle, Mulan retrieves Aurora's heart. Snow and Emma tell her to return it to its rightful owner. Mulan leaves her sword with Snow -- explaining it can repel Cora's magic.
The sword doesn't do a bad job, but it's Emma who is truly repellent... er, in a good princess-y way. After knocking out Hook and grabbing the compass, she takes on Cora. When the witch reaches her hand into Emma's chest, she is unable to rip out her heart. Emma realizes there's a power within her and is able to magically throw off Cora. Snow and Emma waste no time in grabbing the compass and jumping into the portal. They're on their way back to...
Storybrooke. When Charming doesn't wake from the Sleeping Curse, Regina and Rumpy fear he might not have even been able to find Snow. Although Regina is reluctant at first, Rumpy convinces her that they must destroy the Storybrooke end of the portal to ensure that Cora will be unable to enter their new world.
When the dwarfs and Red discover that all the magical diamonds have disappeared from the mine, they know Rumpy and Regina must be at fault. They find Henry who, along with Red, ventures out to the wishing well. Regina explains to her disappointed son that they have to destroy the portal, in order to keep him safe from Cora. Henry reminds Regina that Good always defeats Evil, so Snow and Emma will surely best Cora. He pleads with Regina to stop the spell she and Rumpy have cast on the portal -- the spell which will kill anyone who tries to enter Storybrooke via that well.
Finally convinced, Regina grabs hold of the well and absorbs all of the magic. When she slumps to the ground, it seems it has all been for naught, but then Emma and Snow climb up out of the well. Hooray!
After a touching reunion, everyone rushes to Gold's shop, so that Snow can wake Charming with true love's kiss. She does so, which kicks off another touching reunion. Henry is grateful to Regina for her help, and hugs her, but is glad enough to leave her and head out to supper with Emma, the Charmings, Red, the Dwarfs, and anyone else who isn't Regina. Once he's alone with his pawn, Rumpy wastes no time in rubbing salt in Regina's wound.
Meanwhile, back in L'enchantement, Hook has possession of the giant's now blighted magic bean, but since Lake Nostros has reappeared, it won't remain blighted for long. Good may always defeat Evil, but Evil is nothing if not resilient.
As the Charmings make their way down the streets of Storybrooke, a ship appears on the horizon. Hook and Cora have reached Storybrooke. Let the games begin... you know, after more than a month's hiatus.
"Queen of Hearts" may already be one of my favorite episodes. I know I'm sort of an easy sell, because I've been pining for the family to be reunited, but there's so much more to it. I'm glad to see that Regina enchanted Hook's hook, which is how he was able to rip out Aurora's heart, and she limited the enchantment, too, so we won't have him ripping out hearts willy nilly. I love both that Emma is powerful in her own right and that she is profoundly touched by the fact that she is powerful, and that she's the product of true love. Regina's desire to redeem herself in Henry's eyes gives her character so much depth, as does her pain at watching her boy leave with his biological family. Her Majesty's road to redemption with be nothing if not rocky, particularly with Mommy Dearest coming to town.
I'll be back with the whole story, in the full recap. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where good always conquers evil, if TWoP Tennison has anything to say about it, and she has everything to say about it.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Wow. I just want to turn this recap into one big love letter to Once Upon A Time, and perhaps I shall. Because of how TWoP deadlines fall, because of my silly home life, and because of the wonky way in which my brain works, I'm always jumping back and forth between my two shows (OUAT and The Vampire Diaries).
I write recaplets right after an episode airs, but I need a couple of days to rewatch repeatedly, take notes, and let my thoughts stew, before I start the full recap. There are some benefits to this method. For example, this season, when OUAT was moving too slowly for me (especially where the Charming family reunion is concerned), TVD's breakneck pace satisfied my need for instant gratification. When TVD moved too quickly -- when it shorthanded development or plotting -- OUAT was there for me, painstakingly planting seeds and deliberately developing its upcoming revelations, with tender loving care.
I was about 3/4s of the way through with this week's OUAT recap, when I sat down to watch TVD last night. Today, I'm so glad I have OUAT to return to, because my palate is in serious need of cleansing, after the misogyny-fest that was last night's TVD.
People like to talk about the sexism (and other problems) inherent in fairy tales. I know it's there and am not trying to minimize it. The thing is, I try hard not to judge stories of the past (or people, for that matter -- I'm looking at you, Thomas Jefferson) ONLY by present day standards. Like for instance, I believe that, regardless of when it took (or still takes) place, slavery is evil. That's a no-brainer, I know. That said, I don't think someone like Jefferson can only be defined in light of his participation in that evil institution. He took part in it willingly, even though he had moral problems with it. He let it corrupt him. The thing is, we're all corrupt to some degree or another. Think back to when you were four years old -- or whatever age at which you were still your best self. Don't you do things now that four year old you would have been appalled at? I sure do. I try not to, but I'm fallible. I'm full of conflicting desires and principles. I get lazy, selfish, greedy, or filled with self-pity. I am often not the woman four-year-old me would have considered my best self.
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.
The problem is, Belle loves Rumpy, and she knows she volunteered to accompany him to his estate. Hook wants Belle to reveal the magical weapon with the power to kill the Dark One. Belle interrupts and offers to talk to Rumpy, since he's "not a monster." Hook pretends that Maurice's life is his motivation, but regardless, Belle doesn't know what weapon would kill Rumpy, and even if she did, she wouldn't tell Hook. With that, Hook whacks Belle across her face and knocks her out. Gazing down at her unconscious form, he says, "So pretty, yet so useless." He raises his arm and slashes his hook down toward Belle but is stopped by Regina, who magics away his hook.
Regina declares Belle, "...Not useless. She's a valuable chess piece." Yes, this is all yucky, and I took OUAT to task for it in my initial draft, but guess what? Hook and Regina are villains, so when they do something bad, we don't have to think it's good, even though they're both so pretty. Speaking of which, how about Regina's gown, huh? I love how the crystal work spills down her otherwise open back. Don't look at her hair. Don't look at her hair. Don't look at her A Flock of Seagulls hair. This is a love letter, remember. Just look at her gown, and revel in how beautiful these two baddies are.
Regina schools Hook on his manners. She knows full well who he is and why he came there from Neverland, as well as all about the crocodile he wishes to skin. Regina is impressed (or feigns being impressed) with the fact that Hook is the first person to have made it all the way past her defenses and into the tower. While Belle can't help him kill Rumpy, Regina claims she can. Don't look at her hair. Stop that. Love is blind, I tell ya. Blind.
Down in her chambers, Regina pours Hook a drink and tells her about her plans to enact the Dark Curse. You don't need the exposition on that, by now. She explains that the new realm created by the curse will strip the Dark One of all his powers. It is there where Hook will be able to kill Rumpy, sans magical weapons.
Hook is intrigued and asks what he has to do. Regina just needs him to assassinate the one person she doesn't want following her to her new realm. Hook asks who it is. Regina: "My mother." A geyser springs up in the middle of the title card
.Storybrooke. Present. Gold's Shop. Regina exposits about the still-sleeping Charming. "He won't wake up until Mary Margaret comes back." Rumpy thinks her "until" is optimistic, considering Snow and Emma are up against Cora -- the Mother of All Evil. Since Charming isn't awake, they have no way of knowing if he was able to tell Snow about the magical squid ink. You guys should really read the recaps. It'll simple up your lives. Ever the coward leaning on his crutch, Rumpy insists they must take precautions, because it could well be Cora who will reach the portal first and enter Storybrooke. Regina agrees that neither of them wants that. Even 28 years haven't dimmed the horror that is Cora.
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.
Rumpy leads Regina down to the mine in which Grumpy recently discovered the magical fairy-dust producing diamonds. He takes out the magic wand he swiped when he killed Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Raising it, he uses it to suck all the magic from the diamonds. The wand now glows purple, which is magic's signature color, at least in Storybrooke. We flash back to the...
Enchanted Past. Knifingham Palace. Stop looking at Regina's hair! Regina enchants Hook's hook. It will enable him to rip one heart, so Hook had better make sure he rips out Cora's heart and does it right. When he wonders what Cora did to deserve this end, Regina barks that it is her business. He must set out on his journey, immediately.
Regina strolls to a chaise in her chamber and pulls off the covers to reveal Claude, the guard Hook killed. Since she banished Cora to a far off world, Hook will need a portal to get to her. Taking out Jefferson's hat, Regina explains the rules of magical hat induced portal travel. If one goes in, only one can come back. In this case, if two enter (Hook and Dead Claude), two can return (Hook and Dead Cora). Hook's destination is Wonderland. All you fans who have been speculating for ages that Cora is the Queen of Hearts from Jefferson's "Hat Trick" episode are getting a standing ovation from me, right now. (Hey, this isn't an exclusive love letter.) Regina throws the hat to the floor. As it spins, we are transported to...
Wonderland. Hook is presented to the still-masked Queen of Hearts, who, through her speaking horn, asks why he's come to Wonderland. Hook lies with the truth and says he's searching for Cora. At that, Cora drops her mask, forgets about her speaking horn, and rises from her throne. "In this land, she goes by Your Majesty." She orders her court to give leave them, then asks the pirate his name. After telling her, he presents her with a necklace, and claims he comes bearing gifts, but it's just a ruse to get within striking distance. Cora asks about the portal hat. Since Hook arrived with a dead man, she wonders with whom he'll return.
Hook all but cackles as he answers, "You," and then strikes at Cora's chest. While he digs his hook in deep, when he pulls it out, it is still heart-free. Cora laughs at him. As the Queen of Hearts, she's wise enough not to keep her own heart in such a predictable location. She then thrusts her hand into Hook's chest and demands who sent him there to kill her.
Cora seems startled and saddened to learn her own daughter wants her dead. I'm not going to waste any time feeling sorry for her, unless and until she chooses to walk the road of redemption. While still holding Hook's heart (inside his chest) she tells him to confess everything he knows and do exactly what she wants. "When you hold a heart, you control it. You have the power." That's quite profound commentary on love, if you think about it. It ties in nicely with Elena and Damon's current predicament on TVD, but ptooey. I wasn't going to think about that, today. Let's flash forward to the...
Enchanted Present. Rumpy's Cell. The camera pans from poor heart-free Aurora (who is eying the compass), to Emma, who is still puzzling over the scroll. Snow explains that because her daughter was the key to breaking the curse, Rumpy was obsessed with Emma. They're interrupted when Mulan finds the jar of squid ink -- that is, the jar which is now empty of squid ink. While the rest of Team Princess mutters over it, Aurora throws a big rock at a device outside the cell, and the cell door slams shut.
When Emma yells, "Aurora, what are you doing?" Cora appears and answers, "Helping me." Hook stands back as Cora strides to the cell and magics the compass out of Emma's hand. She just laughs at Emma for struggling to free herself from a cell that once successfully held the Dark One. When Team Princess asks Aurora how she could do this, Cora shows them Aurora's heart and says the princess was only doing as told.
Emma: "You took her heart?" Hook says, "Actually, I did. It was a gift." Cora squeezes the heart a little, which drives Aurora nearly to her knees. As Cora prepares to sweep majestically out of the room, Emma asks Hook to wait. "Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me." Hook: "Perhaps you should have considered that before you abandoned me on that beanstalk." Emma: "You would have done the same." Hook gets as close to her as the bars will allow. "Actually, no." As Emma draws a quick breath, Hook removes a necklace from his pocket and asks Emma if she knows what it is. Grabbing at it, she says it's the blighted bean that the giant kept. Hook snatches it out of her reach. "Uh uh uh. Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquests. This is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol of something that was once magical -- full of hope and possibility." Is he flirting with her, even as he rubs her current failure in her face? Hook: "Now look at it. Dried up. Dead. Useless. Much like you. Time for making deals is done -- just as I'm done with you." Wow, he's as nasty as he is pretty.
Storybrooke. Present. Mines. Red must be acting Sheriff in David's absence, because Grumpy summons her to the mine and shows her that all their newly found magical diamonds are gone. We cut to...
Gold's Shop. Henry is reading to Grandpa Charming when Red and the dwarfs rush in. She tells the kid all the magic has been drained from the mines. The dwarfs know Gold and Regina must be to blame. I'm not sure how Henry makes this leap in logic, but this is the kid who figured out the curse from a fairy tale book, so I'm deciding logical leaps are his superpower. So there. "If they're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, then that means my mom lied to me." When Red tells Henry he's sorry, Henry says, "We need to find her. We need to stop them. We need to help Emma and Mary Margaret." So say we all, kid.
Emma smashes at the cell bars until Snow reminds her that since they were enchanted to contain Rumpy, Team Princess doesn't have a prayer of busting out. Because she missed out on Snow and Emma's self-recrimination game last week, Aurora wants to play catch up and blames herself for everything. Mulan pooh-poohs her. Clearly, it's her fault for failing to protect Aurora. Emma won't have these two singing her song and says it's all her fault. "I'm the savior and I'm not doing much saving, am I?"
Arms folded, Snow approaches her daughter. Taking a seat to Emma, she spouts that Charming Family trademark optimism. They'll win this fight. Good always defeats Evil. Emma: "You sound like Henry." Snow: "I guess optimism runs in the family." Emma: "I think it skipped a generation." Snow says Emma should know better than anyone (about good versus evil) because she broke the curse. Emma: "What have I done since then? I got us stranded over here, burned down the wardrobe, let Cora get the ash and now the compass. The only reason I ever broke the curse is because it was exactly what Gold wanted me to do. I had nothing to do with it. [...] He told you I was the savior. It was his plan. Once I fulfilled that role, maybe that's all I was ever meant to do." When she can see that Snow isn't convinced, Emma continues: "Everything I've ever done -- he had it all mapped out before I was even born. I'm not powerful. I'm not a savior." Unrolling the scroll, Emma adds, "I'm a name on a piece of paper. I'm a pawn. That's exactly why we are in here, and Cora's on her way to Storybrooke." Poor little noodle. I guess her life to date has given her precious little reason to be optimistic. Yes August and Neal, I'm looking at you!
As Cora leads Hook to Lake Nostos, the Mother of All Evil plays Hook's Exposition Fairy Godmother and tells him about the waters restorative properties. They'll use it to awaken the enchanted ash, open a portal and cross worlds.
Looking at the desiccated lake bed, Hook cracks, "I may be a simple pirate, but I know one thing. Lakes have water." At that, Cora raises a hand and swirls her fingers in the air. In the center of the lake bed, the dust rises into a cyclone. A sinkhole appears. A geyser of water pours out of its center. Cora: "After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?" We flash back in time to...
Wonderland. After telling Cora all he knows, Hook begs her to have some honor and kill him. Cora cackles about honor, and how Regina should have come herself, but then releases her hold on Hook's heart. As he falls to the ground, Cora returns to her throne. When he's surprised at her mercy, Cora corrects him. "Not mercy, Hook. You're going to help me. Regina knows my methods better than anyone. If I was controlling you, she'd know. This has to be your choice. [...] My dear, I'm the only one who can give you what you want." When Regina casts the Dark Curse that drags everyone to a new land without magic, Hook won't remember who he is, so he won't remember Rumpy, or his great desire to kill him. "If you do what I say, I'll make sure that you not only kill him, but that you remember every single moment." Hook asks what Cora will have him do. Cora: "Get me close to my daughter. Then I'll rip her heart out." And you thought you and your mother had some issues. Yikes.
Hook presents Regina with Cora's "body." After she thanks him, Regina orders Hook to leave them, so she can take a moment to say goodbye. Regina leans over the open casket. "I'm sorry, Mother. Without you, I never would have become the person I am now, but I had no choice. I had to do this. After you killed Daniel, you told me something I've never forgotten. Love is weakness. Well Mother, you are my weakness, because I love you." Regina's eyes fill with tears. "That's why I couldn't risk taking you to the new land with me. Your grip on my heart is just too strong. For what I need to do, I can't have any weakness." Sniffling, Regina lays a long-stemmed red rose on her mother's bosom. Smiling through her tears, she whispers, "Goodbye, Mother." She leaves the crypt and closes the doors behind her. Cora's hand clutches the rose.
Hook emerges from his hiding spot, and taking Cora's hand to help her up, he asks why she didn't kill Regina. Cora tells him there's been a change in plans. "My daughter's curse is coming. We have to protect ourselves."
We cut to the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest. Cora and Hook watch as the smoke monster that is the curse billows over the tree line. Cora plants her staff in the ground. Magic ripples out from it and up into the air where it forms an invisible protective dome. I wish I could make one of those in my house, after I've cleaned a room, because my family likes nothing better than cluttering up that which I've just cleaned. I may have lost it on them last night because of all the things that were dumped in my kitchen, but don't believe the nasty rumors.
As the curse approaches, it is blocked by the dome and streams up above and beyond it to the rest of the forest, which is why not all of the lands were affected. Nice job, Show. Nice job. Hook asks if it wouldn't have been better to reconcile before the curse destroyed all the lands (at least those not under the barrier spell). Cora shakes her head. "Regina doesn't need me, not now, not when she thinks she's about to win. But I still have a place in her heart, and the curse won't last forever. It will end. In 28 years there will be a savior, and she'll break it." When Hook is alarmed at how long the curse will last, Cora tells him he won't even notice, as he'll be frozen in time, like all who remain in the protected corner of the land. It's once the curse ends that their quest will resume. "When it does, Regina will have truly lost everything, and that's when she'll need me. That's when we'll go to this new land. You'll get your revenge. And me? I'll help her pick up the pieces." So, do you all think Cora is frozen for 28 years, too? From what she says to Hook, it doesn't sound like it, which makes me wonder what she did for 28 years and why she didn't hunt down the compass and the wardrobe ash, during that time.
Storybrooke. Present. Regina and Rumpy arrive at the wishing well that sits atop the Storybrooke entry to Lake Nostos. I start 'shipping them almost immediately and have a hard time caring about their exposition about the portal and the well. Again, Regina worries that it might be Mary Margaret and Emma who will try to return. Rumpy has had less exposure to the Charming family, so he's not tainted with thoughts of faith, and says, "I highly doubt it." We flash sideways to the...
Enchanted Present. As Snow stares at the scroll, she declares they are going to get out of there. Emma doubts staring at the scroll will do it, but that's exactly what will do it, which -- yay! I mean, I knew as soon as I saw the scroll that it was magical writing, written with magical squid ink. I just thought it was going to enchant Emma if she looked at it too long, or read it aloud.
Snow explains that, when she was little, she used to sneak in and watch Cora practice magic. The spells were embedded in her grimoire. When Emma still doesn't get it, Snow decides showing is more efficient than telling. She holds the scroll before the cell bars and blows on it. The words rise up off the scroll and float toward the bars. Emma gets it and states the obvious for us, but hey, were I to be transported to fairy tale land, I'm pretty sure I'd have to keep stating the obvious, just to make sure I was still awake.
With the cell bars no longer trapping them, Team Princess sets off to hunt down Cora. Well, 3/4s of the team does. Aurora knows that with her heart under Cora's control, she's too big of a risk to the team. She tells Mulan to tie her up. Mulan swears she'll get Aurora's heart back for her and then ties her up. Aurora wishes Snow good luck. Snow thanks her and returns the sentiment. Ginny Goodwin just is Snow White, now. Isn't she? Even with her cute little pixie cut and modern clothes, I cannot picture anyone else in the role. I keep thinking about watching Snow White and the Huntsman, but I don't know if I'll even be able to give KStew's performance the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, Chris Hemsworth is in it, so maybe I'll tough it out. Oh, the things I do for my craft.
Lake Nostos. Cora hands Hook the bottle of enchanted ash and asks him to do the honors. With his trademark flourish, Hook sprinkles the ash into the water, then tosses in the bottle for good measure. The portal begins to form. Cora crows that they'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. "I really look forward to seeing my daughter." We flash sideways to...
Storybrooke Wishing Well. Looking down into the well, Rumpy tells Regina it is time to cast the spell. They step back a few paces and Rumpy holds the wand aloft. Regina really does nothing, so I'm not sure if Rumpy needed her involved in any of this, at least not for any reason that didn't involve covering his arse. The wand glows. Thunder rumbles. The sky darkens. Green lightning cracks down into the well. Regina and Rumpy watch as it crackles with green energy. Buffy fans will feel me, when I say I can't help but wonder if that's Dawn Summers. Rumpy: "Doesn't matter who comes through now. No one can survive this." The wind whips through Regina's hair and takes us to commercial.
Lake Nostos. Present. Cora takes out the well, reminds Hook she promised she'd get him to Rumpy, and then tells him to hold onto the compass and not let go, unless he wants to end up somewhere other than Storybrooke. The dastardly duo clutches the compass until the Fairest Of Them All shoots an arrow, which knocks it right from their grubby little hands. The compass sinks into the sand. From the other side of the water, Emma shouts that the portal will take her and Snow home, instead.
Snow tells Emma and Mulan to find the compass, while she takes care of Cora. Cora tells Hook to find the compass while she takes care of Team Princess. I tell my kids to find the compass, while I get some popcorn. When Cora throws a fireball their way, Mulan is able to deflect it with her sword. Also, armed with a sword, Emma charges at Hook. I've seen a lot of people criticize her fencing skills, but since this is possibly her second ever sword fight, let's cut her some slack. If she was an instant expert, that would feel like cheating. I can't excuse Hook's skills here, except to offer that if you are an expert and some newbie comes clunking and hacking at you (and kicking you), maybe it's a little hard to employ your usual grace. It's like playing Chess with a 3-year-old, or to be fair, with me. You never know what we'll do ! As Snow watches the two fight, she readies her bow and arrow.
When Hook disarms Emma, she lunges at him, instead. What she's lacking in grace, she more than makes up with gumption. Hook easily flips Emma to the ground. When she reaches for her fallen blade, he drags her by her foot. Snow fires an arrow at him but narrowly misses. She's about to shoot again, when she notices Mulan in a bit of a sticky situation with Cora.
Taking aim at the Mother of All Evil, Snow lets an arrow fly. Cora disappears in a puff of purple smoke. The sack carrying Aurora's heart falls down toward the portal. Hook stretches out his hook and bends over backwards (pretty much literally) to save it. As Emma takes the opportunity to rise and retrieve her sword, Hook turns to Mulan and tosses her the sack. "I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart, unless it's over me." I'd be a lot more approving of this gesture if (a) he hadn't bitch-slapped Belle and tried to kill her, and (b) if I didn't consider him quick enough on his feet to figure out that with Cora nowhere to be seen, he needs to give Team Princess a reason to spare his life.
When Mulan hesitates, Snow yells at her to return to Aurora. Mulan knows they need the compass, but Snow insists that Aurora needs her heart. Handing her sword to Snow, Mulan tells her to take it. It deflects Cora's magic. We cut to Emma and Hook for a little banter and some more awkward fencing. When he knocks Emma to the ground, Cora reappears and whistles to get Snow's attention.
Leaning over Emma, Hook hooks his hook (yeah, I know) around the blade of Emma's sword, and oh so suggestively slides it downward. "Normally, I prefer to do other more pleasant activities with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. A bit of advice: when I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it." Oh my word, I'm going to pass out from the entendre. Yeah, no, there's nothing double about it. All the while, Emma is surreptitiously feeling the sand in search of the compass. Hook suggests she might want to quit. Emma grabs the compass. "Why would I do that, when I'm winning." She throws him off and rises to her feet. Although they again start to fight with their swords, Emma uses a weapon with which she's more adept: her fist. With compass still firmly in hand, she gives him a powerful right hook and knocks him out. Once he's down, she turns to Snow and yells, "Now let's go home!" And no, I don't know the difference between a right hook and a right cross, nor so I care. Remember? I am so not your action recapper, and this episode is chock full of action. I'm hanging on by a thread here, people.
Storybrooke Wishing Well. The green energy is still crackling away when Red and Henry arrive. He knows Regina isn't helping Snow and Emma. Regina turns to him and says, "I'm helping you, Henry." Red looks at the well, rushing toward it says, "You're going to kill them." Rumpy magically throws her back.
Henry looks from an unconscious Red to Regina, who explains they can't let Cora come through the portal. He has no idea what she'll do to them. Henry assures Regina and Rumpy that Snow and Emma will win and come through. Good always defeats Evil. Man, I love the Charmings. He turns to Regina and adds, "You should know that more than anyone." Oh, nice guilt trip, Henry. One day, you're going to make a terrifically effective parent.
Regina's response to Henry evokes the sentiment, if not words, of her eulogy to her not-dead mother. Cora will destroy everything she loves. That means she will destroy Henry. Regina can't let that happen. We flash sideways to...
Lake Nostos. As Cora and Snow circle each other, Emma goes rushing at Cora with her sword raised. Cora again disappears in a cloud of purple smoke. Snow and Emma rush to the lake, but the smoke appears there and from it, Cora rematerializes and throws them back. Emma lands near a skeleton. When Snow gets back on her feet first, Cora marches at her. Emma struggles to get up, but Cora magically thrusts her back down.
When Cora reaches Snow, Snow asks why she wants to go to Storybrooke. Cora says her daughter needs her. "And now I'm going to give her the one things she's always wanted: your heart. Goodbye, Snow." At that, Emma jumps up and throws herself between her mother and Regina's. Cora's heart winds up in Emma's chest, instead. As Snow screams Emma's name, Cora mocks her accidental target. "Oh, you foolish girl. Don't you know -- love is weakness." It's when she tries to pull out Emma's heart, though, that the real magic happens. Cora's hand is stuck. She tugs and tugs and tugs some more.
Emma's eyes flood with the sweet, bright light of epiphany. She narrows them, and with a voice soft and calm says, "No. It's strength." She stands up straight as she starts to glow. The power flowing through our savior throws the Mother of All Evil to the ground. Snow rushes to Emma and places her hand over her daughter's still intact chest. Stunned, Emma looks nearly frozen as she says, "What was that?" With tears streaming down her cheeks, Snow caresses Emma's face. "That is a great subject for discussion, when we get home." Good decision, Snow. The women run to the water's edge, grab hold of the compass and each other's hand, and jump into the portal. We flash sideways to...
Storybrooke Wishing Well. Regina has to restrain Henry who is trying to get to the well. He pleads with Regina to stop the spell. "You're going to kill them. Please. No." Commercial.
After the break, Henry continues to plead his case. When he gets to the well, Regina drags him back and asks what he's doing. He knows Emma and Mary Margaret will make it through. "You said you wanted to change. You'd better. This is how. Want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me."
As Regina listens, a tear rolls down her cheek. Releasing her grip on her son, she straightens up and heads to the well. Rumpy tries to call her back, but she ignores him, stretches her hands above the well and draws off all the energy. As it courses through her she is overcome by it and knocked to the ground. Once the crackling has ceased, Henry looks at the now still well and yells, "No." Regina pushes herself off the ground and says, "Sorry, Henry. I'm sorry."
As the trio stares silently at the well, one hand reaches up out of it, then the . Emma pulls herself up into view. Henry says, "Mom?" Snow appears from the well, . Emma yells her son's name and rushes to him. They hug and it's not long before Snow embraces them both. Gold appears touched by the reunion, but not enough to refrain from giving Regina the stink eye as he takes his leave.
As Regina rises to her feet, Snow looks from her to Gold and then asks what happened. Henry says, "She saved you. She saved both of you." Regaining consciousness, Red runs toward the scene and asks if they're okay. She and Snow hug like the dear old friends they are. Snow only indulges for a moment though, before saying, "Where's my husband? I need to find him!"
Red and Snow rush off. Emma, who is still hugging Henry, approaches Regina. "Um, your mom. She's uh -- she's a piece of work, you know." Regina nods. "Indeed I do." Summoning whatever generosity of spirit she didn't kill over the years, she smiles at Emma. "Welcome back." Still breathless, Emma returns the smile as holds onto Henry, as she whispers, "Thanks."
Gold's shop. Snow rushes in. She finds the dwarfs watching over Charming as he sleeps. Sitting on his bed, she leans over and kisses him. True love -- indeed the most powerful magic of all -- emanates from them. Charming wakes. Looking up at Snow he says, "You. You did it." Holding his face in her hands, Snow asks, "Did you ever doubt I would?" Charming says, "No," and kisses her again as he rises to a sitting position. Someone needs to tell these two to get a room, or at least move to a dark corner of the shop where their daughter, grandson, BFF, six dwarfs, and mortal enemy aren't looking on. When their lips part, Charming adds, "...'though the burning red room did give me pause." Oh, Show. That's so like you, and I adore you for it.
Emma finds Rumpy in the public area of the shop and tells him they need to talk. When he says apologies are in order, Emma says that's not necessary. She understands why he wanted to keep Cora out of Storybrooke. Gold says to remind him not to bet against her in the future. Emma: "It's not really a bet when the game is rigged, is it?" She tells him about finding the scroll covered in her name. He says he just wanted "it" (the memory of her name, I figure) to stick. Emma says that since the ink was there the whole time, he could have gotten out. Rumpy assures her he was right here he wanted to be. She needed to find it, so all this could occur.
Emma knows he's blowing a little bit of smoke up her ass so she says, "You created the curse, Gold. You made me the savior, so everything I've ever done is exactly what you wanted me to do." Rumpy smiles before setting her straight. "I created the curse, dearie, but I didn't make you. I merely took advantage of what you are -- the product of true love. That's why you're powerful. And everything you've done, you've done yourself."
Emma backs up a little. Eyes wide, she says, "So you don't know?" When Rumpy asks what she's talking about, Emma tells him that Cora tried to rip out her heart. "But she couldn't. She was blasted back by something inside me. By...by..." Rumpy finishes for her. "...By magic. Whatever that was, I didn't do that. You did." Aww. Yay, Emma! We flash sideways to...
Rumpy's Cell. When Mulan takes Aurora's heart out of the sack, Aurora looks at her with eyes wide. I think I've mentioned "wide eyes" about 75 times in this recap. Sorry about that. Aurora then says, "Have you ever done this, before?" I'll let you decide what to do about the subtext that's rapidly becoming text. Mulan looks Aurora in the eye. "No." Without hesitating too long, She thrusts her hand through Aurora's chest and restores the girl's heart. Like I said, it's your call. Aurora gasps and smiles. When she catches her breath, she thanks Mulan, who asks what they should do now.
Aurora smiles. "Cora told me something. When a wraith consumes a soul, it's not trapped there forever. It can be reunited with its body." When Mulan asks if she thinks they can save Phillip, Aurora says, "We can try." Rising to her feet, Mulan holds out her hand to Aurora. "Then let's try."
Back on the shores of Lake Nostos, Hook awakens to find Cora, who tells him, "We've failed." Hook echoes her earlier taunt, saying how little faith she still has in him after all this time, then holds up the petrified bean, which Cora points out is useless. Hook reminds her that they're standing at the edge of regenerative waters. "Perhaps it's time to do some gardening." We flash sideways to...
Storybrooke. Gold's Shop. Henry goes to Regina and says, "I was right. You really have changed." He hugs and thanks her. Regina holds on tight. Charming and Snow stop making out long enough to acknowledge Emma's presence. When Charming says they have some catching up to do, Red says they can do over dinner at Granny's and it's on the house. Emma: "As long as it's not chimera, I'm in." Heh. She then calls out to Henry, "Hey kid. You hungry?" Letting go of Regina, Henry says, "Yeah." As his hand slips through hers, Regina watches her boy go to his biological mother's side. He turns back to her and says, "See you later," even as Emma embraces him. Everyone who isn't Regina heads off to the reunion supper.
Finding her alone, Rumpy tells Regina, "Congratulations. You've just reunited mother and son. Maybe one day, they'll even invite you to dinner." As Regina's eyes well with tears, we cut to the streets of Storybrooke. As the Charmings and their most faithful companions make their way down the street, the camera pans from them to the clock tower, and then out to the horizon. Through the mist, a pirate ship appears. On deck are Cora and Hook. Collapsing his spyglass, Hook says, "There it is." Cora adds, "Storybrooke," because I guess she was afraid we'd think she was going to Sunnydale.
"Queen of Hearts" may already be one of my favorite episodes. I know I'm sort of an easy sell, because I've been pining for the family to be reunited, but there's so much more to it. I'm glad to see that Regina enchanted Hook's hook, which is how he was able to rip out Aurora's heart, and she limited the enchantment, too, so we won't have him ripping out hearts willy nilly. I love both that Emma is powerful in her own right and that she is profoundly touched by the fact that she is powerful, and that she's the product of true love. Regina's desire to redeem herself in Henry's eyes gives her character so much depth, as does her pain at watching her boy leave with his biological family. Her Majesty's road to redemption will be nothing if not rocky, particularly with Mommy Dearest coming to town. Yes, I just plagiarized myself. Happy Holidays!
I'll be back in January, with coverage of the second half of season 2. I hope you have a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and whatever else you may celebrate or enjoy. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, and be good to each other.