Lost

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In the Enchanted Past, it takes Hook little time to realize the boy he's rescued from the deep, dark drink is none other than the son of his one true love -- and his mortal enemy. Not realizing the history between his parents and Hook, Baelfire spills the beans that Daddy Dark One can be killed with the kris dagger. Before learning Bae's identity, Hook was ready to trade the boy to Peter Pan's Lost Ones, but now that he knows the truth, he has other plans. He hides Bae while the Lost Ones search the Jolly Roger. Later they bond over their daddy issues, and Hook teaches Bae to sail the ship.

Bae finds a sketch of Milah among Hook's things and challenges the pirate to a duel because he thinks Hook killed Milah. Hook disabuses him of this notion and tells Bae how Rumpelstiltskin tore out Milah's heart and crushed it. At first this moment seems to create a continuity problem, because Rumpy killed Milah after Bae disappeared, but I suppose Hook could have lost his hand and his lover during Bae's six months in London. Hook tries to convince Bae to stay with him and form a new family, but Bae refuses and asks to return to London. Hook explains it's impossible. Still, Bae wants off the ship. Instead of doing the hard job of mending fences with Bae, Hook hands him over to the Lost Ones.

Storybrooke. Present. Park. Armed with her crossbow, Granny stands guard over Henry as he swings. Lurking at a distance, Mr. Gold magically unravels the swing's ropes, hoping his Undoing will smash his head on the pointy rocks nearby. Who the hell leaves rocks like that so close to a swing in a children's playground in the first place? Oh right, Storybrooke was created by the Dark Curse designed by Rumpelstiltskin and cast by the Evil Queen. Of course there are dangerous rocks right to the swings. Carry on.

Emma and her parents arrive before Gold can kill the boy. While Emma talks to Henry, Snow and Charming get the thankless job of telling Gold what happened to Neal. Gold assumes his son is dead and decides today is a great day for their world to end -- a great day to die.

Back at Snow's, the Charmings fill Regina in on everything that's happened. Meanwhile, in the tunnels, Groan, Tamara and Hook are ready to trigger the failsafe and destroy Storybrooke. When Hook realizes he'll have to die to exact his revenge on the scaly old Crocodile, he switches teams, because he's a pirate like that. Groan and Tamara trigger the failsafe by striking the diamond trigger with a dwarf's pickaxe. Hook finds the White Hats (and Regina) at Snow's hovel just after the trigger rocks the entire town with a mystical shockwave.

Being the only person with a cool head, Emma lays out the plan. Hook and Charming will go after Tamara and Groan and get a magical bean so that the Storybrookers can travel back to the Enchanted Forest, before the failsafe kills them all. Snow and Henry will round up the villagers (read the only ones they care about). Emma and Regina will head down to the mines so that Regina can try to slow down activation of the failsafe.

Meanwhile, over at Mr. Gold's, the Dwarfs are reclaiming their belongings. Using a hair from restored Pinocchio, Blue has created a potion that can restore a person's original identity. They're going to use it on Sneezy, who must drink it out of his old stein. Grumpy had Blue make a second dose of the cure for Belle.

Gold isn't inclined to dose Laceybelle at first, but he soon changes his mind. He magically restores potsherds into a familiar teacup, which I'm happy to report still retains its chip. Once Gold pours the potion into Chip, Laceybelle tosses it back like it's MacCutcheon's. Magic washes over her and she's all Belle again! Gold cries as they embrace. After they kiss. He apologizes for waking her up just to die. "But I needed you." Um, thanks?

Down in the mines, Emma realizes Regina is going to have to die to buy the Storybrookers enough time to escape. Emma insists there has to be another way out, but Regina recognizes this is all her fault. "Everyone looks at me as the Evil Queen, including my son. Let me die as Regina." Tears (of course) stream down Regina's face, as she absorbs the trigger's magic. Emma heads off to meet up with Team Charming.

During a scuffle Hook manages to get one of the beans from the Two-Headed Obstacle. Greg and Tamara escape. Charming wants to go after them, but Hook stops him and counsels the Prince to live to fight another day.

Back at Granny's Diner, Charming gives Emma Hook's wallet, which contains the bean. Henry asks where Regina is. When Emma explains that she's still delaying the failsafe, but won't survive, Henry insists they must save her. He's already lost one parent and that's one too many. After he mentions how they saved Regina from the wraith, Snow realizes they can open a portal and throw the trigger into it (sorry, other worlds). The core townies are willing to take the risk (nobody's worried about the rank and file this week) and persuade Emma to own her Charming legacy and take the hard path. Hook thinks this is lunacy, so he grabs the wallet, but Emma gets it back from him.

Emma, Henry, Snow and David head back to the mines and tell Regina about their new plan. Regina resists at first, but they're determined to save her. The only problem is that the bean isn't in the wallet, but rather in Hook's hot little hand and he's sailing out of town. Emma realizes that since she has her own magic, if she works with Regina, they might be able to deactivate the trigger. Lo and behold, it works! The failsafe is undone.

Eventually, Hook has a crisis of conscience and decides to return, but he doesn't arrive until after the Two-Headed Obstacle grabs Henry, opens a portal, and jumps into it with the boy, because he's the game changer. It makes little sense that Regina doesn't at least try to magically stop them from jumping, but I'm more than happy I didn't have to watch them fend off her magic with "science," so I'll let it go.

When Hook returns to port, Henry's two mommies and three grandparents board the Jolly Roger. Before leaving, Gold gives Belle a cloaking spell to shield the town from agents of the Home Office. Gold expects he'll never return. The boy is his undoing, but Gold must find his grandson to honor his son's memory. Belle kisses Gold goodbye, reminds him the future isn't always what it seems, and assures him Baelfire would be very proud of him.

We cut to a distant shore. Neal is lying face down in the sand, Phillip, Aurora and Mulan find him. Am I forgetting something (possibly) or have we not yet seen how Aurora and Mulan got Phillip's soul back from the Chintz Monster?

In Storybrooke, Hook and Gold strike a tentative peace so that they can devote themselves to the task at hand. Gold produces Cora's magical globe, pricks his finger and bleeds on it to locate Henry. The Two-Headed Obstacle has taken him to Neverland. Hook tosses the magic bean into the sea. As our heroes and villains sail toward the portal, Gold tells them Groan and Tamara have no idea for whom they're truly working -- someone we all should fear.

In the Enchanted Past, the Lost Ones bring Bae to Neverland. A cloaked figure reviews a sketch and says Bae is not the boy Pan is after, so he gets to live with "the rest." When the sketch is revealed, we see it's Henry!

I will be back the full recap, ASAP. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where, if Hook tries anything, we'll shoot him in the face.

Want more? The full recap starts right below!

With no time for scenes, we open at night in the Enchanted Past. Standing on the deck of the Jolly Roger, which is sailing off the shores of Neverland, Hook is looking at his sketch of Milah when Smee approaches and assures the Captain her death will be avenged. Right now, Hook is more interested in the boy they yanked from the briny deep, and wonders where he came from since his clothes aren't of this land. Smee asks, "What if the boy belongs to Him -- the ones He kidnaps from other worlds?" I hope they're from a world with better syntax. Hook wonders if they could be so lucky. Returning the boy to Him could be their key to surviving in Neverland. Oh great, like Greg...Owen...Growen... Groan's Her wasn't bad enough. Now we've got to deal with Him. Him. Him. Cue my Rupert Holmes earworm.

Hook finds Baelfire below deck, and says he's lucky to be alive. Bae turns toward his savior/captor slowly. "Lucky? I'm a prisoner of pirates in a land cursed with magic." Hook says, "Most children think they've found paradise when they lay their eyes on Neverland's magic. Why else leave home in the first place?" When Bae says he came here so a family he loves could live, Hook mocks the boy's heroism. Bae snaps at Hook for being a pirate, so Hook points out this particular pirate saved Bae from the "Curse of the Mermaids." I'm pretty sure this is the second episode in a row (and maybe third this season) to mention mermaids. Paging Ariel. Bae tells Hook a pirate killed his mother and tore apart his family, and that his cowardly father left him. This catches Hook's attention. He asks the boy his name, and manages not to keel over when he finally answers, "Baelfire." Hook hands Bae another blanket and says, "Welcome aboard, Baelfire. It's a pirate's life for you." Title card.

Storybrooke. Day. Henry swings at the park as Granny and her trusty crossbow stand guard. In the recaplet, I covered this scene in detail, so please allow me to plagiarize myself. Lurking at a distance, Mr. Gold begins to magically unravel the swing's ropes, hoping his Undoing will smash his head on the pointy rocks nearby. Who the hell leaves rocks like that so close to a swing in a children's playground in the first place? Oh right, Storybrooke was created by the Dark Curse designed by Rumpelstiltskin and cast by the Evil Queen. Of course there are dangerous rocks right to the swings. Carry on.

Emma and her parents arrive, so Gold stops before he kills the boy. While Emma talks to Henry, Snow and Charming get the thankless job of telling Gold what happened to Neal. Gold assumes his son is dead. Charming tells Gold that the Two-Headed Obstacle that is Groan and Tamara stole Regina's failsafe trigger, and asks Gold for his help. Even when Charming reminds Gold that the Two-Headed Obstacle killed his son, Gold refuses his aid. "They didn't kill my son. I did. I brought magic to this world to find Bae, and now he's dead. Magic always has a price and this is it, but I'm prepared to pay it." Snow says, "But we'll die. You'll die." Gold says, "I've made my peace with that," and limps off, leaving Snow and Charming with their fetching chins on the ground. We cut to the...

Mines. Hook follows the Two-Headed Obstacle into the mines and asks who commands them. Groan says that's neither Hook's concern nor theirs. Hook and I find it a bit odd that the Obstacle seems to neither know nor care who their employer is, but Tamara says, "Unlike you, Hook, we believe in something. We have faith in the sacredness of our cause." By then Groan has found what he's looking for -- the dwarfs' pickaxes. Hook finds that a bit empty as sacred causes go. He should only have to write about these two. Ugh.

Tamara produces the black diamond which will trigger the failsafe. The axe will activate it. Even the reprobate Hook finds it a bit off-putting that they're going to wipe out an entire town and kill everyone in it, and asks if Rumpelstiltskin will be immune to it. Tamara says, "None of your kind will be. Once this thing gets activated, nothing can shut it off." Groan adds, "This whole town will revert to the forest it was. So tell us, Hook. We're willing to die for our cause. Are you willing to die for yours?" Silly rabbits. Hook is Hook's cause. The Obstacle seems to believe him when he answers, "Absolutely." Tamara lays the diamond on a rock. Groan smashes it with the pickaxe. Well, that was... simplistic. The diamond changes from black to blue, levitates, spins, glows and gives off some sort of shockwave. Hook and the Two-Headed Obstacle, flee the mine. Out on the street, vine-like tree limbs wrap themselves around the library. In the tower, the clock face glows as blue as the activated trigger diamond. Commercial.

Snow's Hovel. Regina has just put on her kicky boots when Henry, Emma, Snow and Charming return home. Just as Regina goes to hug the boy, the earth trembles. Regina can tell the diamond has been activated. Henry worries that they'll all die, but Regina says since he was born there, he'll live. This remains the party line throughout the episode. It makes me wonder about Cinderella's baby, and about Emma and Pinocchio. Oh, I know the last two weren't born here, but they weren't cursed, either. That is, they arrived in our world before Regina cast the Dark Curse back in the Enchanted Forest, so reversing the curse shouldn't kill those two -- at least it wouldn't if I were this show's Continuity Fairy. The episode's conclusion will render my questions moot, so I have no clue why I'm sharing them with you. You're welcome.

Henry, of course, doesn't want to be left all alone, and who can blame him? Certainly not Emma, who feels her son's words too deeply. She insists that Regina find a way to fix it and won't take Regina's, "I can't," for an answer. Henry tells them to stop their bickering. "I already lost my dad. I don't want to lose anyone else. We have to work together." I wait for Jack to pop in and add, "...Or die alone," but instead, Hook enters. "From the mouths of babes. I'd say the lad has a point." Before he can utter another word, Charming sucker punches Hook in the face, and says, "That's for the last time we met." Hurrah! Don't get me wrong. I like Hook, but I have a list of people I want to see Charming pop, and Hook's name is second. I'm sure you know who tops the list. Charming pulls out his service revolver and says, "Tell us why you're here, before I use something else other than my fist." I'm going to refill my coffee cup, to give the fanfic writers a moment to jot down their plot bunnies...

There. All set, dears? Hook figures Charming's threat is redundant since they're all about to die. Emma says, "No thanks to you. Regina just told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge." Hook changed his mind, once he learned he'd have to die to get it. He suggests they stop the trigger now, and bicker later. Regina says there is not stopping it. The best she can do is delay the inevitable. Charming says that will give them the time they need to steal back the beans and get everyone back to the Enchanted Forest before the failsafe is fully triggered. Hook knows where the Two-Headed Obstacle is, but since you can't trust him as far as Henry could throw him, Charming will tag along with him on Bean Quest. "If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face." Emma will take Regina to slow down the trigger. Snow and Henry will gather everyone and get them ready to go as soon as Team White Hat gets back the beans. On her way out, Regina stops Henry. "...I'm sorry for what's happened. I tried to be the person that you wanted me to be and I failed, but I won't let you be alone. You just know that I love you." Henry says, "I love you, too," and they hug. Over the boy's shoulder, his two mommies exchange a meaningful glance. Hook says tells Charming, "The things we do for our children," and everyone is off. We flash back to the...

Jolly Roger. As the Lost Ones row a dinghy toward the ship, Smee pleads with Hook to hand Bae over to them. Hook says he can't part with the Dark One's son, who is the key to his revenge. But when he says, "I won't lose him," it sounds more like he refuses to part with Bae because he's Milah's.

A blond Lost One, whom some confused for Peter Pan, is actually Felix (played by Parker Croft). Felix and a few shrouded Lost Ones board the Jolly Roger. Hook knows they work for Him. Him. Him. Felix says, "We're looking for a boy who was seen adrift nearby -- a boy He has a particular interest in." Hook lies that there's no boy aboard his vessel and gives the Lost Ones leave to search the ship. Bae is hidden in some sort of crawl space, possibly against the ceiling of the hold. At any rate, he remains undetected, throughout the search. Felix pimps his boss's reputation. "You're new to this land, so I should warn you. Do you know what He does to people who lie to him? [...] He rips your shadow right from your body. R-r-r-r-r-rip." When the search proves fruitless, Felix bids Hook goodbye, but reminds him that if he finds a boy, the boy belongs to the mysterious Him. Once the coast is clear, Hook opens the hold's hatch to find Bae smiling at him. The boy says, "I thought pirates only cared for themselves." Hook returns the grin. "Well, you have a lot to learn, boy." Hopefully, unlike August, he'll learn none of it in Phuket. We flash forward to...

Storybrooke. Gold's shop. Gold returns to find the dwarfs have invaded his shop. He berates them for apocalyptic looting, but Grumpy points out, "It ain't looting if the stuff you find is already yours. We need Sneezy's drinking stein. We can bring his memories back. [...] Mother Superior finally figured it out." Holding up a vial filled with blue potion, he adds, "He needs to drink this out of his old stein -- something important to him." Gold speaks for the audience when he makes it clear it's a bit rich that Blue figured out how to cure Townline Amnesia on the day they're all to die. Sneezy's a bit taken aback by the word die, but Happy tries to calm him, as Grumpy continues his exposition dump. Blue needed a hair from Pinocchio's head, since he wasn't subject to the Dark Curse, and has been returned to who he's supposed to be.

Gold's smile is wry. "So, you're going to wake your friend up to tell him he's about to die." Sneezy says, "I don't want that." Grumpy says, "Shut it, Clark," and turns his attention back to Gold. "He wants know who he is and be with his family, no matter how much time he has left." Sneezy: "Not if I'm going to die." The dwarfs decide to take Sneezy back to Granny's. On the way out, he says, "Hey, guys, if I don't have a family, will I still die?" I'm low on time and was trying not to transcribe too much, but this is a fun scene, and one that makes me realize how much Season Two skimped on our beloved, familiar secondary characters. I'll say it one last time, before this season is officially over for me: The season suffered from too much concentration on Regina, which was only compounded by the fact that her arc felt like it was built on sinking sand. I'm fine with her trying to be good and failing, but her motives were never sufficient, and Cora turned her way too easily. There. I adore this show, but I hope these problems are addressed in Season Three. Now let's move forward.

Before he leaves, Grumpy walks back to the counter and hands another vial of memory potion to Gold. "I asked her to make a second dose. This is for you. [...] Belle once helped remind me of who I was. I've never forgotten. I want to return the favor. Don't let her die as Lacey." Gold is wordless as he takes the potion. As Grumpy exits, Laceybelle emerges from the back room and asks what all that was about. Gold says, "Nothing." We cut to the...

Waterfront. Charming and Hook park in front of the cannery, just as Groan is burning records and loading stuff into a trailer. There's a boom and the earth again quakes. Captain Obvious Hook notes that time's running out. Charming's less charming and more sarcastic. "Oh, is that what that means?" Personally, I think it means it's time for a word from our sponsors.

After the break, we return to the Enchanted Past. On the deck of the Jolly Roger, Bae and Hook bond, as the pirate teaches the boy to sail the ship. Using his hook, he scratches a "P" for port and an "S" for starboard into the cabinet. Hook brings the conversation around to Bae's parents and asks about his father leaving him. Hook says he knows the story well. When he was young, he and his father boarded a ship to travel the realms. "One morning, I awoke and he was gone. Turned out he was a fugitive. He fled in the middle of the night to avoid capture." Feeling a kinship with another abandoned son, Bae confesses to Hook that his father is the Dark One. He even reveals the secrets of the Dark One's kris dagger, and that it is Rumpy's one vulnerability. Hook gives Bae an empathetic shrug of the shoulders and with a nod of his head, encourages the boy to keep steering the ship. Bae's face glows with pleasure and pride as he mans the wheel. Hook's expression is soft as he considers the son of his true love. What? I have some pity, okay. We flash forward to the...

Storybrooke Cannery. Charming wonders why Hook, who has been so bent on revenge, is now bent on survival. When he asks the scoundrel what he's fighting for, Hook answers, "Myself. That's plenty of motivation. I can assure you. Eventually, they find Groan. With his weapon drawn, Charming demands that he hand over the beans. Groan drops his luggage and takes a small jar out of his pocket. Before Charming can lunge for it, Tamara shoots at him. Charming is hit in the arm. Greg drops the jar. I expect the remaining beans to open a portal when they hit the floor, but I guess the shattering glass absorbs most of the impact, given that nothing happens. Tamara takes off. Charming gives chase, while Hook remains behind to struggle with Groan. Eventually, Hook manages to grab one bean.

We cut to another section of the warehouse. When Tamara stumbles and drops her gun, Charming gains on her. He approaches, but come on, you know he's not going to shoot her. As he stands there with his weapon aimed at Tamara, Groan appears and tackles him. Tamara goes for Charming's gun, but Groan grabs her and tells her, "No. Come on. We've got what we need." Hook stops Charming just as he's about to run after the Two-Headed Obstacle. Charming tries to break free. "What are you doing? They've got the beans." Hook says, "Not all of them. I snagged one," and puts it in his pouch. Charming asks where the rest of the beans are. Hook says, "Who cares? We only need one." When Charming again tries to chase after the Obstacle, Hook stops him. "Hey, live to fight another day, mate." Charming rips his arm free of Hook's grip. "I am not your mate." The fanfic writers beg to differ. Charming rips the pouch from Hook's belt and storms off. We cut to the...

Mines. Emma says it feels like the oxygen has been sucked out of the air. Regina corrects her. "Not the oxygen, the magic." Finding the glowing, floating, now blue diamond, Regina says, "Once it stops glowing, its destruction is achieved, and then... and then we'll see the real carnage." Regina says she'll try to contain it as long as she can. Emma points out they should only need her to slow it long enough to give them all time to escape this world. Regina says, "Slowing the device is going to require all the strength I have." Emma lets this sink in. "You're not coming with us, are you? When you said goodbye to Henry, you were saying goodbye." Regina then has the moment we've been waiting for all season. Darn you, Queenie. I've got a deadline. Transcribing is slow work. Being evil, she doesn't care. "[Henry] knows I love him, doesn't he?" Emma tries to tell her there must be another way, but Regina continues. "You were right, you know. Everything that's happening -- it's my fault. I created this device. It's only fitting that it takes my life." Emma asks what she's supposed to tell Henry. Regina: "Tell him that in the end, it wasn't too late for me to do the right thing. [...] Everyone looks at me as the Evil Queen, including my son. Let me die as Regina." With that, Regina closes her eyes and concentrates. Emma starts to leave, but turns back with a, "Regina..." just as Regina starts to do whatever it is she's doing (sucking magic out of, or injecting another sort of magic in) to the diamond. Tears roll down Regina's face because that's her superpower. Emma runs us out into a commercial break.

As the magic that created Storybrooke is drained by the trigger, the forest reclaims its rightful place. Leaves obscure buildings. A vine penetrates the sign above Gold's shop. Inside, Gold pours some MacCutcheon Whisky for Laceybelle and toasts to the end of the world. Nervous, Laceybelle knocks over her drink, so she grabs a nearby cloth to mop up the spill. It's Baelfire's cloak. Gold reacts about as you'd expect, except since Laceybelle looks exactly like Belle, he doesn't beat her with a cane or anything, he just stops her and yells about how it belonged to someone very important. Then it hits him. It all hits him.

Gold opens his safe and takes out a blue satin sack. From it, he removes the broken pieces of the chipped cup and magically reassembles them. Laceybelle recognizes it from when she smashed it and asks what it is. Rumpy says it's something from their past. When she looks uneasy, he apologizes and says they shouldn't fight. He pours some of the potion into her cup and, for show, I guess, pours some into his own glass. After a proper clink, Laceybelle downs the potion, but Gold waits. Blue magic washes over Laceybelle. When it's done, she blinks. As she looks at Gold, her eyes fill with tears. Gold's face positively crumples. "Belle." She softly sobs his name and kisses him. When they break their clinch, Gold says, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to wake you up to die, but I needed you." Belle strokes his hair and says, "You lost your son. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." When she lays her head on Gold's shoulder he holds her close and says, "I've failed. I've failed." I like to imagine an Egret of Regret drops a postcard on the counter that reads: "Word."

Charming arrives at Granny's dinner, waving the pouch and proclaiming, "We have the bean!" Emma notices the bloodied tear on her father's sleeve and asks if he's hurt. Charming shakes it off as just a graze. As Snow glows at her heroic husband, Henry asks where Regina is. Emma explains that Regina will hold off the trigger as long as she can, but she won't survive. Henry says, "No." Emma tells him she promised Regina she'd get him to safety. Henry says, "But we can't do this. She's family. We don't leave family behind." Emma assures him this is what Regina wants. They have to take their way out. Henry points out they saved her from being killed by the Chintz Monster, and asks how this is any different. His mention of the wraith gives Snow an idea. "We sent it through a portal. Why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?" Emma: "Because we don't know if it's going to work." Audience: "And because what if it destroys whatever realm in which it lands?" Let's jump to a...

Sidebar. We've discussed this some on the boards. Some people think Snow and Emma are playing a little fast and loose with the fates of people in other realms, once they decide to send the trigger through a portal. I don't. Unless it's a whole lot more, it seems to me the trigger is specific to the curse. That is, it is meant to undo the effects of the Dark Curse. It is meant to undo Storybrooke -- a place created by the Dark Curse. I think if it's where it can't affect Storybrooke, then it just turns into a black diamond again. That said, I think there probably should have been a throwaway line about this, either in the diner, or better yet, from Regina, once the White Hats return to the mines.

Anyhow, Charming and Archie back up Snow and convince Emma, against her better judgment, that it's the best thing to do. The dwarfs and Granny are also present. Archie says, "Snow White and the Prince have always led us before. And we've always won. So, who's willing to let them lead us again?" The vote is unanimous. As Henry hugs Emma, Snow turns to her daughter and says, "I know we haven't had a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one. Let us do the right thing. It's not too late." Emma holds Henry tight. "I just don't want him to be alone. I don't want him to grow up the way I did." Her words hit her parents where they live, but in a metaphor for Season Two, an earthquake interrupts the emotional scene.

Emma tries the rational approach one more time. Their plan could fail, whereas they know they can use the bean now and survive. Snow says, "It's wrong. Emma, I killed her mother." Emma reminds Snow that she had to kill Cora. Snow disagrees. "I did it because it was easy. It was a mistake. There were other paths -- harder paths and I wish I had taken them. So please, Emma honey. Let's take the hard path because if we don't, we will be building a future on Regina's blood." Emma looks at her family. Henry's face wears the cares of the world. Fixing her eyes on Charming, she finally says, "Okay."

Charming tosses the pouch to Emma, but Hook grabs it. He turns his back to the group and steps away. "I can live with myself." Emma tells him to give back the bean. Hook finally turns to face her. "She wants to die for us. I say let her." Emma says she and Hook understand each other. Looking out for yourself only works until the day it doesn't. "We're doing this. It might be stupid. It might be crazy, but we're doing it. So, you can join us and be a part of something, or you can do what you do best, and be alone." Hook remarks on her passion as he hands her the pouch. As the White Hats start to head out, he leans near Emma and whispers, "Why are you really doing this?" Emma says, "Henry just lost a father today. I'm not letting him lose a mother, too." Hook asks who Henry's father is. Emma says, "Neal." Hook says, "Baelfire?" Emma whispers, "Yeah," and walks out. We flashback to the...

Enchanted Past. Jolly Roger. Smee nags Hook. He wants his captain to surrender Baelfire to Him. Him. Him. Hook hollers about how he's the captain. Those who disobey can walk the plank and pray the mermaids take pity on their souls. During all the hubbub, Bae appears out of nowhere, slashes at Hook with a sword and says, "Face me, villain." Bae found the sketch of Milah on Hook's desk, and asks how he got a picture of his mother. He fingers Hook as the pirate who killed her. Hook sets him straight. Sure he stole Milah from Rumpy and Bae, and broke up their "happy" home, but it was Daddy Dearest who ripped out her heart and crushed it to bits.

Hook blathers about his thirst for revenge, but Bae would really like to revisit the part where he was abandoned by his own mother. Hook says, "Not a single day passed when your mother didn't regret leaving you, Baelfire. We talked about going back for you when you were old enough." Whoopty fricking doo. When Hook starts blabbing about fate and forming a new family, Bae shouts him into silence. "No. Stay back. You used me. You wanted to kill my father. [...] You tore apart my family, as sure as if you ripped her heart out yourself." When Hook tries to calm the tearful son of his dead love, Bae says, "Take me back to my real family -- the Darlings." Hook stammers that he can't, since it's not possible to leave Neverland. He offers Bae the chance to remain there, under his protection. Bae says he'd rather fend for himself than stay with Hook. "I want off this ship, Pirate." As Hook stares out of the sea, we flash forward to...

Storybrooke. Mines. Regina asks Henry, Emma, Snow and Charming what they're doing there. Henry says, "You were willing to die to save us. That makes you a hero. And now we're going to be heroes." I've seen a lot of objections to this -- as if the show is now deeming Regina a bona fide hero. Take a deep breath. I know how muddled things have been with Regina, but we don't have to accept Henry as a reliable narrator any more than we have to buy Snow's self-assessment that she has the blackest heart in all the realms. In this particular episode, Regina's actions are selfless and heroic. It's also one of the first times she's shown any meaningful self-awareness or remorse.

Charming explains the plan to open a portal and throw the trigger in it. Regina says it might not work, but Snow insists they try. Wonder flickers across Regina's face. As Charming tells everyone to step aside, Emma takes a few steps and opens the pouch. When she seems frozen, Charming calls to his daughter. She turns and says, "It's empty." She takes a beat and adds, "Hook." We cut to the...

Storybrooke Harbor. Hook sails the Jolly Roger out of port. As he goes, we see the magic bean clutched in his hot little hand. I've seen criticism of Emma for not checking the pouch for the bean when they were back at the diner, but while I too wish she had, I understand why she didn't. Charming is the one who gave it to her and told her it contained the bean. Hook snatched it from her, but he never left her sight. What she didn't consider, however, is that he did turn his back to her. That must be when he stole the bean. Sure, he's one handed, but he's a pirate, and quick on his feet... when he's on them, rather than his arse, at least. Commercial.

Enchanted Past. Night. The Jolly Roger seems to be anchored off Neverland's shore. Bae looks ready to jump ship and asks to be dropped anywhere. Hook knows the boy is angry but tells him this ship can be his home and family. "Just say the word. It's not too late to start over. I can change, Bae. For you." Bae thinks his words are meaningless. "All you care about is yourself." Hook's voice is choked with tears, but he forces his bravado to the fore. "Thank you for reminding me what I'm all about -- killing your father." At that, the shrouded Lost Ones board the ship. Felix watches as two of them grab Bae, who says, "You're not letting me go." Hook wonders, "How would that help me?" Bae yells, "You hated my father so much, you didn't even realize you were just like him." Hook looks like Bae's words sting, but says nothing until the Lost Ones have taken him off the ship. Addressing Felix, he finally says, "You have the boy. He will be pleased?" Saying nothing, Felix jumps over the side. Hook and Smee go to the rail and look down at the dinghy. A Lost One puts a hood over Bae's head. Hook returns to the ship's wheel. When he sees his Port and Starboard scratchings on the cabinet, he uses his hook to scratch them out in the form of a Z. So uh, I batten the hatches and brace yourselves season for Hook and Zorro, the Gay Blade 2: Electric Boogaloo. Before we move on, let's have a...

Sidebar. So, here's the deal. Hook being Hook, I think he plays every moment ready to abandon one path for another. I think his offer to let Bae stay with him and form the family Milah would have wanted was utterly sincere. I also think he knew the Lost Ones were on their way back. In my opinion, had Bae opted to stay, Hook and his crew would have fought off the Lost Ones. Since Bae rejected him, though, I also think Hook is self-centered enough to take the expedient path -- surrender the boy and try to profit from it. What do you think? Now, let's flash forward to...

Storybrooke harbor. Hook looks from the Zeed out "P" and "S" to the bean in his hand. We cut to...

Storybrooke Center. The forest is overtaking the town at a record pace. None of the rank and file seems to have been of much concern to Team White Hat. I'm sure this is an issue of time, but that's sort of not the audience's problem, Show. If you want to sell us big damned heroes doing the big damned heroic thing and taking the "hard path," then these things matter.

Down in the mine, Regina struggles to contain the trigger and says she can't do it much longer. She looks at Snow, Henry, and Charming who are huddled together, and at Emma, who, like the cheese, stands alone. Emma returns Regina's look then approaches her family. "Mom? Dad?" She hugs the three of them and lays her head on her father's shoulder. Henry peeks out to look at Regina, whose eyes -- shocker -- are full of tears. He breaks from his bio family and goes to the woman who changed every diaper and soothed every fever. Regina says, "I love you, Henry. I only wish I was strong enough to stop all of this." As he throws himself in her arms, she adds, "I'm just not.

Emma hugs her parents once more before it hits her. Looking at the magic emanating from the diamond, her eyes grow wide. She walks over to Regina. "You may not be strong enough, but maybe we are." When Regina's eyes also grow wide, Emma doubles down. If they keep this up, their eyes are going to be rolling on the floor. Charming hustles Snow and Henry to a safer distance. Emma reaches out her hands and does whatever mojo Regina is doing. The magical beams multiply and grow even brighter. Both women quake from the power coursing through them. It grows and grows until they're both thrown off and to the ground. The diamond lands on the rock below. Its glow dims, and then it changes from blue to black. We cut...Outside. The trees and vines that were eating the town alive recede. Gold and Belle exit the shop to watch. We cut back to the...

Mine. The camera pans from Emma, to Charming and Snow. It seems they've all been knocked down and maybe even knocked out. Charming grunts as he sits up and hugs Snow. "We're alive!" They rush to Emma. Regina rises and picks up the diamond. Emma says, "We did it." Regina says, "Yes, we did." Charming smiles. "I've got to hand it to Henry. He's right about a lot of things." Emma says, "Yes he is," and then turns. "Isn't that right, kid?" Her smile fades, Henry is gone! The family searches the mine. When they find Henry's backpack, complete with torn strap Emma realizes the Two-Headed Obstacle must have taken their boy. We cut to the...

Waterfront. Groan manhandles Henry as Tamara leads them past the cannery. Since they tried to destroy Storybrooke, Henry's not inclined to buy her assurance that they're not going to hurt him. Tamara says, "That wasn't the point." Henry takes one for the entire audience when he says, "It wasn't?" Groan says, "We came here to destroy magic, Henry, but then we found something more important. Something that changed everything. You." Groan grabs the boy even more roughly and drags him into commercial.

Regina, Emma, Snow and Charming arrive at the waterfront to find the Two-Headed Obstacle absconding with their boy. When Groan spots them, he throws a magic bean into the water. Regina says, "The last bean," but do either she or Emma try to use any magic to freeze the trio in place? They do not. Sigh. I'd be okay with them failing, since they just expended a lot of energy, but I'm not okay with them (and especially Regina) not trying. Regina and the Charming family rush toward Henry shouting his name, so the Two-Headed Obstacle grabs him and jumps into the portal. As the vortex closes, Emma tries to jump, but Charming holds her back. As they argue about whether there's a way to follow, Gold and Belle arrive on the scene. Charming begs for his help, but Gold says there's no way. "I spent a lifetime trying to cross worlds to find my son. There's no way in this world, without a portal." Regina can't believe that's it. "He's gone forever? I refuse to believe that." It's then that Belle spies Hook's ship returning to port.

After the Jolly Roger docks, Emma asks Hook what the hell he's doing there. He says he's there to help, but Emma tells him he's too late. Hook wonders if that's true and hands Emma the pouch. She grumbles about him not caring for anyone but himself. Hook says he just needed reminding that he could. Having learned her lesson the hardest of ways, Emma checks the pouch until the bean falls into her gloved palm. Regina says they've wasted enough time. It's time to go. Hook says, "Go where? I thought we were saving the town." Happy to be one step ahead of the scalawag, Charming smiles. "We already did." Emma explains that the Two-Headed Obstacle took Henry through a portal. Hook offers his ship and services. Gold says he can handle tracking them and get them to where they need to go.

Gold and Belle hang back as the rest of the crew boards the ship. Belle expects she's going along, but Gold says the town is no longer safe. Charming overhears and asks what he means. Gold says, "Well, Greg and Tamara weren't working alone. Others will follow." Charming doesn't want to leave anyone in danger. Gold produces a small scroll and holds it out to Belle. "After we've gone, follow these instructions. It's a cloaking spell. It will shield the town, making it impossible for anyone to find." Belle nods and puts the scroll in her pocket. "Then how will you find your way back to me?" Realizing he's intruding on a tender moment, Charming charges up the ramp to the deck.

Once they're alone, Gold still doesn't answer Belle. She shakes her head at his silence. "You're not coming back, are you?" Gold says, "The prophecy. The boy is my undoing. But he's also my grandson. I must save him. I must do this to honor Baelfire." And you must do it to honor whatever little kid eventually tries out that swing and crashes his head against those pointy rocks. Gold waves me off and continues. "[Baelfire] is gone, and I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye." Belle blinks back the tears, closes in and lays her hands on Gold's shoulders. "I understand, but I also know that the future isn't always what it seems. I will see you again." She kisses him, and I wince because I don't like seeing them make out. I don't even know why. Carlyle's fine, but while I enjoy them as companions, seeing them as lovers makes me cringe. I should be more like Charming and Billy Joel and leave this tender moment alone. Did I already do a "Leave A Tender Moment Alone" riff in a recent OUaT recap, or was it for The Vampire Diaries? Never mind. Gold and Belle are pained at parting, but both know it's the right thing to do. When she releases him, Belle says, "Baelfire would be very proud of you." Gold nods and watches her leave. We cut to...

L'enchantement. Laying face first in the sand on that strip of beach Mulan and Aurora once led Emma and Snow down, the same strip where Hook once stood with Cora, near the haven I once (probably mistakenly) identified as Neverland -- lies Neal. That's right, grown-up, modern day Neal. Phillip, Aurora and Mulan find him there. Aurora checks Neal's pulse and pronounces him barely alive. "We have to get him help." Yes you do. You also have to tell us the story of how Aurora and Mulan retrieved Phillip's soul from the Chintz Monster. We cut back to...

Storybrooke. Gold boards the Jolly Roger and confronts Hook. "So, are you done trying to kill me?" Hook says, "I believe so." Gold says, "Excellent, then you can live." As the others draw near the tense treaty, Gold waves his hand. From a cloud of purple smoke, Cora's white, locator globe appears. Gold pricks his finger on the needle and lets his blood drip onto the globe. It swirls until it forms into land masses. Regina looks and asks, "Where is that? Where did they take Henry?" Hook answers: "Neverland." He, Gold and Regina all seem to realize what that means. I wish they'd share. We flash back to the...

Enchanted Past. Night. Neverland. Felix presents Bae to some more shrouded (I keep using that word when it's not exactly what I mean -- the have hoods on and cloths hiding most of their faces) Lost Ones and asks, "Is it the boy? The one He wants. A Lost One looks from the sketch in his hand to Bae and says, "No, it's not." Felix tells Bae it's his lucky day. "You get to live." He shoves Bae toward some other Lost Ones and says, "Put him with the rest." We flash forward to...

Storybrooke Harbor. Jolly Roger. Emma hands Hook the bean. He casts it into the water. That's a hell of a throw. The Red Sox could use you, Hook. As the portal opens, the members of Operation Moppet crew the ship like they've been doing so their whole lives. Charming asks Gold who they're up against, adding, "Who are Greg and Tamara?" Gold says, "They're merely pawns..." The fandom says, "We've been saying that for half the season." Gold adds, "...Manipulated by forces far greater than they can conceive. They have no idea who they're truly working for." Emma asks who that might be. Gold says, "Someone we all should fear." Dammit. Is it the Man In Black? We flash back to the...

Enchanted Past. A "shrouded" (what -- I'm owning my mistake) Lost One tells Felix, "That's not the boy He's looking for." He hands Felix the sketch, then adds, "You think we'll be able to find him?" Felix smiles. "Of course we will. May take time, but Peter Pan never fails." The camera pans to the sketch. It's of Henry! We flash forward to...

Storybrooke Harbor. Hook sails the Jolly Roger and our main cast right into the portal. As soon as they're down, the portal closes up and it's nothing but smooth sea. Dun dun dun!

I really loved this episode. It wasn't without its little issues, but it gave me so much hope for Season 3. I'm short on time, so I just want to do one bit of housekeeping before I leave you for the summer: In the recaplet, I mentioned that I was taken aback by some elements of the timeline, surrounding Bae's disappearance from the Enchanted Forest, and Rumpel's murder of Milah. I wasn't as clear as I should have been, and ended up confusing the issue. In my head, I had expected that Bae was gone a lot longer before Hook and Milah returned to Rumpy's neck of the woods, where she lost her life and Hook lost his hand. There's no canonical reason for that. It's just what I thought. Since Bae was only in England for six months and however many weeks, it all took me off guard, but I realized it was all possible. I'm not going to repeat my recaplet wording here because I don't want to perpetuate the confusion (which is all my fault). There's no problem between the continuity of the events in "Crocodile" and the events of "And Straight On 'Til Morning." I knew there wasn't by the time I wrote the recaplet. I just could have worded things better.

Now, I want to request something of the show: Please don't overcrowd Season 3 with a lot of characters we don't care about. I know there will be new characters and probably lots of them, since we're going to a new land. Theoretically, I'm okay with that, but in my opinion, Season 2 lost something along the way, particularly where Greg and Tamara were concerned. There was also so much focus on Regina that it muddied both her arc and Snow's character. The show still has a ton of heart, but some of it got lost (it doesn't have a black spot, it just went missing) this past year. Please get it back. Actually, I'm taking this finale as a promise that that's exactly what's going to happen, since the finale is overflowing with heart. Please give us some more focus on Emma and her journey, too. Also, please, please, please find a way to limit magic. Make some stricter rules or something? In the middle of the season, when Cora could just wave her hand and do anything, it was, in a word, ridiculous, especially since she'd just arrived in Storybrooke, and magic is supposed to work differently there. Maybe stick to spells, potions and enchanted objects, and do away with a lot of the handwaving kind of mojo? I don't know. Also? Maybe pick a moral philosophy and stick with it. Thank you for making such a beautiful story. Since I love it so, I can only imagine how those of you making it feel about it.

It's going to be a long, long summer, without our weekly dose of magic. I hope you enjoy it, and meet me right back here, come fall. To occupy your time and mind, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where, if Hook tries anything, we'll shoot him in the face.