#2x09 the queen of hearts

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 2 Rewatch Drabbles--2x09 The Queen of Hearts

Summary:  A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my   rewatch of season 2 of Once Upon a Time as an attempt to finally jump   start the muse again.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a   “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.    Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an   emphasis on the very beginnings of Captain Swan’s epic love story, as   soon as a certain dashing pirate makes his appearance.  

Word Count: 1262

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (17.5) (18) (19) (20) (21-22) (22)

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Note: I know, I know.  This installment is more than twice the word count I limited myself to in these drabbles (making this clearly not a drabble), but I couldn’t end it with that first scene.  I just couldn’t!  We needed a little hope and inspiration after all!

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Dried up. Dead. Useless. Much like you.

Emma slumped down the rocky wall of Rumplestiltskin’s cell and settled on the ground, dropping her head as the utter futility of their situation washed over her.

For several minutes after Cora and Hook had left the cave, her anger had fueled her, giving her the strength to use her sword to bang away at the bars of their prison, to use brute force to try to get them the hell out of here.

If nothing else, it had been a good outlet for her aggression.

The absolute son of a bitch!

He’d betrayed her, betrayed them all, stolen the heart out of a princess’s chest for the sole purpose of manipulating them.  Who did that?

You betrayed him first, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered.

It was that voice that made the fight go out of her entirely.  Maybe if she hadn’t betrayed him, he would have continued to help them.  Maybe it would be Cora in this cell instead of them. He’d already shown himself to be endlessly resourceful.  Who’s to say she hadn’t picked the wrong side?

Not that she had any illusions that he was anything more than an absolute blood-thirsty mercenary, who would stoop to absolutely anything to get what he wanted.  No, she was right to not trust him.

Where she messed up was in trusting herself.

Dried up. Dead. Useless. Much like you.

He was right; she was useless.  What good had she ever been?  Yeah, she was the “savior”, but this cell, the scroll Rumple had written, proved it wasn’t anything special about her.  She was the savior because Rumple had made her the savior.  Now that she’d broken the curse she was indeed useless.

And even a man she’d just met could see it.  The two of them understood each other, after all.

Dried up. Dead. Useless. Much like you.

The thing is…he hadn’t meant it; not really.  Her superpower had not only flipped on at that phrase but sounded as loud as a five-alarm fire warning.  He’d been lashing out, trying to hurt her.

Because of how badly you hurt him.

The guilt bumped the hopelessness out of the way to take center stage.

He may have been lying his (smoking hot) ass off when he compared her to the bean, but his insistence that he wouldn’t have left her at the top of the beanstalk?  Yeah, that had been entirely sincere.  He’d trusted her, believed in her, put his life on the line for her, and she’d betrayed him.

Because I knew he’d screw me over the first chance he got!

Her superpower flared to life again.  That was a load of crap and she knew it.  She’d betrayed him, because she sensed she could trust him.  She sensed he could become something to her, something big and important and all encompassing, and she couldn’t go there again.  

And because of her fear, they were in the mess they were in now.

Mary Margaret continued talking about hope and optimism, insisting they would find a way out and get home, but truth be told, Emma was beginning to wonder if they’d all be better off if they just left her here.

She was, after all, dried up, dead and useless.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey!”

Killian’s heart leapt at the sound of her voice, the relief overwhelming.

He was under no illusions that he was anything more than a villain.  He’d done what he had to do to preserve his chance at revenge, aye, but he’d done so at a price that turned his stomach.

He’d never forget the squelching sound that accompanied his removal of Aurora’s heart.  He’d killed before, of course.  Killed, injured, maimed, manipulated, all of it.

But he’d never ripped out a heart.

The bile rose in his throat just thinking of it, visions of Milah swimming before his eyes.  What had he become in his quest to avenge her?

Still, as uncomfortable as ripping out Aurora’s heart had been, it had been nothing to the look in Swan’s eyes when he’d compared her to the dried-out bean. It was such a stupid and preposterous lie that he was surprised he’d been able to deliver it with a straight face.

She was anything but useless.  She was extraordinary.  He could see that even through the pain of her betrayal.

How could he truly blame her for her actions?  Was she not protecting herself just as he was? She was desperate to get back to her son after all.

The guilt deepened at that.  Killian had already separated one boy from his mother, and the guilt of that had eaten away at both Milah and him every day of their lives together.  What manner of man was he to break up another family?

It had been enough that he had almost almost changed his mind, almost defied Cora.

But that would have been suicide.  And a suicide from which nothing useful could have come.

Given that, he’d tamped down his guilt and left with Cora, hoping beyond hope that Swan would find some way home, that her resourcefulness would get her out of that blasted cave.

And so, when the princess brigade had shown up on the scene, shooting the compass from Cora’s hand and rushing them like a troop of avenging angels, his most predominant emotion was relief.

Cora ordered him to get the compass, and he’d turned to comply, coming face to face with Emma Swan bearing down on him with her sword outstretched.

A blind man could have seen her lack of skill with the weapon.  He could have ended their “duel” before it even began, but he had no desire to defeat her, even less to do her bodily harm. His mind went to the bean he possessed.  Perhaps there was a way for the both of them to achieve their objectives.  Perhaps he could let her obtain her prize—could prove to her that he was wrong, so very bloody wrong, in the way he compared her to the bean.

Perhaps he could remind her just how special she was while at the same time retaining his ability to exact his revenge on his sworn enemy.

So, he’d toyed with her, remaining on the defensive (although he couldn’t resist a bit of blatant innuendo once he’d flipped her to her back.  The opportunity to see the surprise—and maybe even a bit of desire—in her eyes, too delicious to pass up).

In the end, back in possession of the compass, she’d dealt him a blow that knocked all sense from him.  He’d come to minutes later—just in time to watch in horror as Cora’s hand shot forward, plunging into Swan’s chest.  He’d been frozen in place, the shock and revulsion so pervasive he couldn’t move; couldn’t speak, couldn’t even cry out.

But then it had happened.  A burst of magic shot forth from Swan, blasting Cora back with such force that she was rendered unconscious.

He was right; she truly was remarkable.  Just like this bean that would soon be restored to its former glory, Emma Swan was back.

Far from dried up, dead and useless, Emma Swan was the best of them all.

                                                                                      Next Chapter-->

[goodwhump-temp]

John Sheppard Whump - SG: Atlantis

1x01 Rising - Almost shot out of the sky, angry, scared/confused 1x02 Hide and Seek - Tazed, choked 1x04 38 Minutes - (Wraith bug attached to him) knocked unconscious/jolted, intense pain from multiple attempts to remove it, heart stops 1x08 Underground - Kidnapped by Chief O'brien (🤓) 1x10 The Storm - Alone, worries for friends 1x12 Defiant One - Stuck with McKay + nerd, shot, runs into forcefield (knocked down forcefully) 1x13 Hot Zone - Sacrifices self, caught in explosion 1x14 Sanctuary - Held psychologically captive, angry 1x19 The Siege pt. 2 - Shocked unconscious, almost killed by wraith, passes out, sacrificing himself ---------------------------------------------

2x01 The Siege - Fails to save a friend, guilted 2x02 the intruder - Piloting ship taken over by wraith virus, guilt/depressed about Ford 2x03 Runner - Shot/captured by Ronon, shot in the hand, increased guilt about Ford 2x05 Condemned - Jumper shot down, captured, hurts his knee (by being dumb) 2x08 Conversion - Infected with wraith retro-virus, slowly turns into a bug, shot by Ronon 2x09 Aurora - "Captured," shocked by force field multiple times 2x10 The Lost Boys - Kidnapped/stunned unconscious, threatened by the Lost Boys, poisoned, knocked down by an aggressive-drugged Ronon, guilted, Kidnapped/stunned unconscious AGAIN, weak/sore, taken by the Wraith and painfully 'willed'/torture 2x11 The Hive - Stunned unconscious, painfully willed by the queen, guilted 2x12 Epiphany - Stuck in a place where time moves faster/ages quicker/alone (6 months), evolves into bearded John, seriously injured by monster (unconscious + seriously bleeding) multiple times 2x16 Long Goodbye - Possessed by a bitter old man, shot in the shoulder, shocked unconscious and captured, painful convulsions, weak 2x17 Coup D'etat - Genii trap, collapses, captured/tied up ---------------------------------------------

3x01 No Mans Land - Captured, tired 3x03 Irresistible - The only one who isn't in love with Lucius, shot unconscious (sleeping so peacefully wtf), imprisoned 3x04 Sateda - Tranquillized unconscious, captured (+ nice talk with Tayla :)) 3x05 Progeny - Fingers in the brain torture 3x06 Real World - Angst for Weir 3x07 Common Ground - Captured by Kolya, life sucked out of him, exhausted 3x09 Phantoms - Trapped on a planet, Afghanistan PTSD, guilt about the death of another friend, apologizes a million times for literally shooting everybody 3x12 Echoes - Ears bleeding, tortured/hospitalized with equally deaf McKay 3x13 Irresponsible - Western duel against Kolya (gigachad) 3x16 Ark - Almost sucked out into space, collapses from lack O2, sacrifices himself, crashes the ship, exhausted 3x17 Sunday - Beat up by Ronon during training 3x18 Submersion - Freaked out, painfully controlled/willed by wraith lady, exhausted/sore 3x19 Vengeance - Gets in a banter fight with Michael face to face, gets smacked around by a huge bug ---------------------------------------------

4x01 Adrift pt.2 - Emotional about Weir 4x04 Doppleganger - Infected and knocked down by crystal, exhausted, in everybody's nightmares (effects relationships), really beaten up/thrown by himself, dangerously high heart rate 4x05 Travelers - Captured, beaten, threatened, shocked unconscious 4x06 Tabula Rasa - Infected, loss of memory/clueless, shocked unconscious & tied up, exhausted 4x10 This Mortal Coil - Bleeding, Ronon caused injury, captured, acts dead 4x11 Be All My Sins Remember'd - Shocked unconscious, captured 4x12 Spoils of War - Shocked unconscious, painfully willed by Wraith queen (another nice talk with Teyla) 4x15 Outcast - Dad died, emotional, choked unconscious, weak 4x20 The Last Man - Trapped in the future, walking through a rough sandstorm, collapse, weak, trapped in a building collapse ---------------------------------------------

5x01 Search and Rescue - Trapped under rubble, chunk of concrete stabbed in the abdomen, denies surgery, in pain the whole episode 5x02 Seed - Injected with experimental drug with high risk, convulsing, in serious pain, flatlines, crashes into the city, stabbed in the stomach by tentacles 5x03 Broken Ties - Punched unconscious by Ronon, captured, 5x05 Ghost in the Machine - Thrown across the room and wall, weak 5x06 The Shrine - Emotional about McKay 5x08 The Queen - Captured 5x10 First Contact - Stargate explosion 5x11 The Lost Tribe - Caught in Stargate explosion, weak, glass shards in the back 5x13 Inquisition - Knocked out 5x14 The Prodigal - Hanging off a building, badly beaten up by Michael 5x15 Remnants - Abducted, knocked unconscious, beaten, arm chopped off 5x19 Vegas - Dies (Alternate reality)

[self-spaghettification]

tdp overarching themes (redemption etc)

What will happen when Ezran/Harrow’s narrative of love and Aaravos/Viren’s narrative strength meet, who wins?

Will it be possible for Ezran to win the dark mages over to let go of pain and end the cycle of violence? Or is death the only way to protect the world and his loved ones? Will Ezran have to learn to become stronger himself?

is it even possible to kill a startouch elf? oor to convince him to maybe not, like, conquer xadia?

i don’t have these answers but i diiiid compile a bunch of relevant shit

I kind of went through Harrow’s letter to Callum and added related quotes or moments that seemed relevant to the overarching themes discussed and how they stand on opposing sides

orange is harrow’s letter, read in 1x06

red is ezran’s speech, given in 4x03

these are the main voices but there’s also

pink is ibis in 4x03

black is zubeia in 4x04

purple is various aaravos quotes

pink is various viren quotes

both from 2x09, 3x05, 3x07, and 4x04

green is soren, janai, amaya and rayla briefly (4x03 & 4x08 & tdp trailer respectively)

“Soon you will both face a lie. The great lie of history.

“His name was Aaravos, and yes, he was a star. One of the great ones, respected and loved by all. Until we uncovered a long hidden treachery.”

Advisors and scholars will tell you that history is a narrative of strength.

“Search your heart. There’s something that you want very badly. But something or someone stands in your way.”

They will recount stories of the rise and fall of nations and empires. They will be stories of armies, battles and decisive victories.

“And this bright future will require us to conquer Xadia?”

But this isn't true strength. It's merely power.

“I can destroy them all! I have all the power I need!”

“If you want to say something to the Dragon Queen, you should say it to her face. her real face, that can bite you in two!”

“It hurts! I feel pain about this and I am angry!”

I now believe true strength is found in vulnerability...in forgiveness, in love.

“We all want peace and we all want love. But violence tests us!

In a twisted way it converts us to their cause.”

“You tried to win them over with loyalty and friendship but they ignored you. those who fail tests of love are simple creatures who deserve to be motivated by fear.”

“Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside. You want to hate. You want to hurt someone else. so what do we do?”

So, what is the plan? To fulfill your wishes, of course. Is your wish to rule Xadia? I wish for humanity to flourish. And it cannot flourish with a knife forever at its throat.

There is a beautiful upside down truth, which is that….

These moments of purest strength appear as weakness to those who don't know better.

“These are the champions you’ve gathered to try to stop me? They’re nothing but pathetic children!”

“How can we stop this cycle?”

Violence.

Loss.

Pain.

For a long time, I didn't know better.

“In the name of love, you may perform acts so unforgivable that you may never forgive yourself.”

Violence,

“You must take down the Dragon Queen and capture the baby dragon. Then you will have the attention of all the world, and the power to do what you want.”

“Bring terror to Del Bar, to Neolandia, to Evenere, and to Duren!”

Loss,

As I write this, the sun is setting while Moonshadow assassins prepare to end my life. A few months ago, I took my revenge on Xadia. Tonight, it is their turn.

“I am going to destroy it, before it can be used to do any more harm!”

Pain,

“Every great crisis the world faced seemed the work of some ingenious and powerful leader, but in each case, it was secretly Aaravos, whispering in their ear.”

“Aaravos. A startouch elf responsible for more pain, death, and suffering than anyone else in history.”

“I am not a killer.

But if you seek to return that staff to its true owner, you pose a greater danger to this world than I can allow.”

You must die.”

stop! i just want to yell stop. but that’s not enough. it won’t work.”

“I do not mean to be cruel. But we must be ready to sacrifice. Even the things we love.”

“Well played. She will be a valuable asset.”“She is not an asset. She is my daughter.”

I ask you and your brother to reject history as a narrative of strength and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love.

“I think about a positive vision. a faith we can all share, that we might build a future together in hope. a future where we can be safe with each other. but… it’s not that easy. or simple.”

“Everything I do, and everything I ask of you, is for the future of humanity.”

“The whining child king, in over his head and he knows it.”

because people are still hurting and they are still angry. we can’t ignore that, or pretend it will go away.

“Oh, my time is inevitable.”

somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. we have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again.

“You cannot have your cake and eat it too.”

We have to give today’s children a chance to inherit a future filled with peace.

“I've tried to be selfless as a king, but as a father, I have a selfish wish. And that is for you and Ezran to be...free. Reject the chains of history. Do not let the past define your future, as I did. Free yourself from the past. Learn from it, understand it, then let it go. Create a brighter future from your own hearts and imagination.”

Destiny is a book you write yourself.

To give them that, we have to hold pain and love in our hearts at the same time.

“There is an aching pain mixed with love that you feel in these moments.”

“Just have two cakes.”

“This is called A Song of Love and Loss.”

I'm proud of you. And I love you unconditionally.

“If the fallen star is a danger the whole world will face, this is a chance to solve our problems together.”

“How do you kill a startouch elf?”

idk man. what if aaravos doesn’t have to die? what if it’s not too late for him to be redeemed? this is kind of a guilty pleasure hope of mine but still. the dragon prince is a story of letting go of generational trauma and past pain, of letting go of pain and differences, most importantly, of letting go of a narrative of strength, of a strong katolis, a strong lux aurea, a strong empire over xadia, and believing in a story of love and hope. if there’s anything that could drastically change things its the guy with a lot of power and a lot of ambition and pain ready to cause a whole cycle of pain all over again. if there’s anything that would drastically change things it would be changing his heart. and if theres anyone who can change it, it’s the kid who feels the most for him.

[imminent-danger-came]

gripping your shoulders teary eyed. Very specific MK vibes to Stay Soft by Mitski. You stay soft geg beaten do you see my vision

Open up your heart Like the gates of hell You stay soft, get beaten Only natural to harden up You stay soft, get eaten Only natural to harden up

Okay so like, you know how MK tries to get antagonists to work with him when he thinks it's in his/his friends best interest. Like with Red Son (ROTSQ), and Macaque (3x04 & 3x13), and he tries to get Spider Queen on his side (2x09). You know how he also works with Azure, and then in 4x13 he totally loses his shit about Azure's betrayal. Do you see my vision

[raayllum]

The Light Doesn’t Actually Matter :: An Aaravos Adjacent S4 Meta

Gonna keep this short as I’m sleepy but I still wanted to talk about the less obvious subset of the show, specifically Aaravos’, light and darkness motif that’s been running through lowkey since S1 and now overtly in S4. Which is to say, as the title indicates, Why The Light Is Futile, or Why Aaravos Will Win No Matter what.

Almost befittingly because we’re already discussing a duality of light and dark, there are two sides as to what the Light represents and why it’s futile, in this way:

The Light has negative associations too

The Light cannot wholly prevail over Aaravos because we know he has to get out

So first things first, let’s talk about the light / white’s negative associations in dark magic (quick run down with minimal screencaps because again, I’m sleepy)

Dark mage’s hair turning white from use, shown most overtly with Claudia. While her black hair and largely black outfit highlights her association with dark magic (black eyes), it also represents her remaining ‘humanity’ with the white of her hair symbolizing her continued corruption. White for dark mages is nothing good

We see this reflected with Viren’s white eye (from little bug pal) and his black Dark magic eye when he’s in corruption form in S3, his white robe he now wears, etc.

A chess board having both black and white squares, with Aaravos as the clear chessmaster (regardless of what side everyone or anyone is on)

“We’ll let the Light decide her Fate” test for Amaya and Viren in S3 as a reflection of Khessa’s cruelty and a signifier of passing being whether you are “pure of heart” or not

Aaravos’ control giving Callum black and eventually white eyes

Aaravos’ glowing chrysalis cocoon and Viren’s glowing butterflies, Sir Sparklepuff’s white hair, etc.

Callum’s cube glowing from the moon opal on the Bridge of Darkness in 4x07 being what alerts the creatures to their presence, and indeed the design of the creatures themselves with an angler fish like light lure

Flaming hearts of cinder and glowing heart of the Magma Titan that led to everything in the first place

Callum’s 4x04 intro in which he is very much Aaravos’ pawn tethering the cube to that control explicitly, most evidently in a bright burst of light

Dawn is almost never being a good thing in TDP, bringing with it: the threat of Thunder and death of Sarai / the queens of Duren in 2x06; the fading Moon runes that cause Callum, Rayla, and Zym to nearly perish in lava in 2x09; Callum being possessed at dawn in 4x04 in the first place

Aaravos’ name itself meaning between “light and dark” and him being compared to Lucifer (morning star, “shining one / light bearer”) and Prometheus (foresight and fire bringer)

If you are interested in more examples / associations I’ll refer you to this post, but hopefully I’ve gotten the gist across already. Okay, so we’ve established, hopefully, that Aaravos has a handle over both the Light and the Dark, black and white. This makes sense, as S4 is largely about rejecting an “either or” way of thinking for one that embraces “and”. It’s not pain or love in your heart, it must be both; Janai doesn’t have to choose between her life with Amaya and her life as queen, she can have “two cakes”; Rayla returning is good and bad, making Callum happy and mad. 

But the show also doesn’t throw out Positive associations with light entirely out the window, either. This is best shown perhaps in how S4 picks up the thread of Rayla primarily being positioned as light (truth or transformation) to Callum’s general / emotional positions. This is most directly shown when she enters in 4x02 seconds after Callum says, “In darkness, gaze upon a fallen star” and I think the screencap of this particular moment says it all, really.

However, the show doesn’t leave it at that. Rayla is also there, conversing with Callum in 4x07 after he requests for her to kill him, stating, “What if I’m on a path of darkness?” Rayla tells him directly, then, he still has agency to find another way: “Then take a different path, dummy.” It throws this screencap into fuller context I think, with Rayla in the light ad the mirror in the darkness very much presenting two paths.

Their reunion scene just reaffirms this as Callum walks to the mirror in order to be able to not look at her, even while Rayla trails after him. And again, her advice causes him to try to at least throw the cube away in the lava in 4x07, even if he is fully unable to let go. 

But like we said, the Light doesn’t actually matter. It cannot steer him fully home. It cannot keep Aaravos from being freed. Even choosing the light - letting Rayla walk him back from the darkness - will ultimately lead to choosing Aaravos, however unintentionally, which is also why I think the Key is in her big fancy return shot. 

If the mirror represents the outright possession, rejecting that eventually will be easy enough. However, the cube is more complicated, and so are its associations, but it’s ultimately like Aaravos says: black or white, light or dark, control or freedom, whichever path you choose, they all lead to the same place:

Because we know they have to; we know that this story has already been written:

Elarion, dying husk, did wilt and whimper in the dark, 'till the last star Reached from afar His touch: a blaze, a gift, a spark. Elarion, searing white, Embraced the great one's night-black flame. And when she bowed, Her faith avowed, He whispered, "Aaravos", his name. Elarion, black-eyed child, her twisted roots spread deep and far, The humans' might sparked by the light of Aaravos, her midnight star

[notebook91286]

Under Skin by KillerQueen86

Author's Notes: With the rewatch I got the to write about these two again and that led to this little thing (I already have more in the works), it's just a little thing that popped into my head and I had to write it because it tormented me.

Story to be placed after episode 2x09 Queen of Heart.

English is not my language, so sorry if there are any translation errors.

I hope you like it, I look forward to your reviews.

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters are not owned by me (otherwise it would have been an HBO product), all rights belong to their rightful owners, mine is just for fun.

They had eaten their fill, Granny had brought out her lasagna, Emma had really enjoyed it, and she had missed all of that, she had missed her little boy who after eating two portions of lasagna had collapsed in her arms, David arrived to rescue of her and had taken Henry in his arms, so they decided to go home, MaryMargaret had agreed with Ruby and Granny for the following evening and celebrate properly.

She really didn't care, she had silently followed Mary Margaret next to David holding Henry, could she really get used to all of that? She'd only stayed in Storybrooke for Henry, her didn't care about anyone else, or so she believed, spending time with her mother (yes, she still had to get used to all of that) had helped her deal with the burden that had accompanied her whole life: the abandonment of his parents.

The four reached the loft, apparently David had settled there with Henry after their disappearance, the man himself without saying anything took the boy upstairs, what had been Emma's room, perhaps now her had to consider the chance to find a home of his own. Henry needed his own space, and David and Mary Margaret needed their own space and time to recover, but that her could deal with later.

“I think I will collapse as soon as I touch my comfortable bed” the brunette said catching her attention, the two looked at each other and smiled, she too had definitely missed her bed and the comforts of Storybrooke.

"I'll give myself a quick wash so I'll leave the bathroom all for you" she said disappearing where the bathroom was, at the same time David went down the stairs, smiled at her and felt a little uncomfortable, they hadn't spent much time together, or for at least since he had gotten back his memories and the knowledge that she was his daughter.

“So how did you fare in our old world,” he said quietly leaning against the kitchen counter in front of her, giving her the peninsula space where she chooses to sit, secretly appreciating that David kept some form of distance.

“Terrifying” she admitted with a small smile, she saw him smile in amusement, her watch him carefully as he told her some old world stuff, and she realized how different he was from David Nolan, James or Charming as his mother liked to call him, he was a self-confident man, a leader.

Keep reading: A03 (eng)

EFP (ita)

[warningsine]

Any 2x09 predictions?

The thing is, I come up with new theories every day and some of them are contradictory.

Anyway, "Yellowjackets" is not "Game of Thrones."

From the core 6: Taissa, Van, Shauna and Misty are safe.

Cypress said we'll hate Taissa after the finale, so there's no chance she'll die.

Shauna and Misty are not going anywhere. Lynskey is the backbone of the show and Ricci keeps things fun. Misty is a cockroach (and has Walter), Shauna is a stabber (and has Jeff). They're safe for the time being. If anything, I could see them killing someone, not dying.

Tai would never let Van die. If Van dies, it'll be from cancer.

I don't think Lottie is dying either. I used to think she'd sacrifice herself, but not anymore. (If anything, it'd be more likely to send her back to Switzerland than killing her off.) The cult will fall apart though. There'll be no compound scenes in season 3.

Nat on the other hand...

She's living on borrowed time (she did draw the Queen of Hearts in the wilderness). If they kill one of the 6 (what with Lottie Lady Macbething in early season 2) off, that'll be Natalie. Unfortunately.

That'd also explain Ricci's "something happens that completely flips Misty." What'd be worse than that for Misty at this point? Not being able to save Natalie like in 1996.

Alternatively, if it's too soon to kill one of the 6 off, Natalie will lose Lisa. That "if you feel like you need to hurt Natalie, you can do it" is going to bite us in the ass.

Who would kill Lisa? Maybe Misty repeating the thing with Javi for Natalie's sake? Likely.

There are fans that want Walter to die instead of Lisa, but unless they can't keep Wood for a third season (budget) then he won't get sacrificed or die. He'll be there to help Misty.

I've seen people worried about Callie's life, but I think it's more likely she'll get darker and do something to protect her mom. The murder family will eventually go to shit, 'cause that blood splatter on the family photo ain't a good sign.

A cop may bite the dust. Kevyn will be there and talking to Walter and Jeff. Walter will ask Jeff's help in order to get rid of a body so maybe he could kill and frame him for Adam's murder?

[alivegirlmari]

van shuffling the cards, unintentionally dictating the order of hunter vs hunted. van in front of the antlers when she picks her own card. van overseeing the others pull javi's body from the lake, van declaring the wilderness has chosen. van as the storyteller. van who the wilderness won't let die. van in search of a purpose. van, a true believer. misty holding the cards. misty as lottie's nurse, misty as her mouthpiece. misty telling lottie she started this. that nyt article saying there's a teen lottiemisty 2x09 scene framed to look like the pietà. misty, not a true believer, but actively, violently participating and enjoying it nonetheless. the pilot telling you antler queen leaves first, followed by her right-hand man, then misty. nobody else even moves until those three do. the s1 finale showing you three people engaged in a ritual again: lottie at the center, van to her right. what's better? what's worse? what's easier to live with? to commit atrocities with your whole heart in it, believing them necessary, or to commit them with flimsy belief, instead craving the power and protection your new position allows? HUGE week for the one person (me) who cares about vanlottiemisty's ascension <3

[wicked-storybrooke]

[xcxglosss]

so um. storytelling. first of all rip adult natalie :(((((((((((((((((((( also misty. i fucking hate u now. you idiot. nat trying to protect lisa until the end.....biggest heart of all time. walter you are so fucking annoying i think misty should get to kill him next season. javi telling nat to not be afraid :(((((((((((((((((((( teen nat saying that this was always where they were going to end up :((((((((((((((( van....tunnel vision to the absolute max. she’s a goalie. you stop the ball any way you can, and then you’re glad it didn’t go in. I really REALLY did not have Nat as the antler queen soooo uh the writers finally pulled off something interesting. WHERE did misty get that phenobarbital shot. and WHY was she just carrying it around!!!!!!!! also. misty wanted to be the antler queen sooooooooo badly did you guys see her face. so ben has just. fucked off now huh. like quite honestly yeah i can see where he was coming from but also. now i hope he rots in that cave. Shaunaaaaaa what were you going to write!!!!!! Van telling that fairytale oh I do hope we get to hear the rest of it. Hi guys wake up new Yellowjackets ship just dropped (VanNat). ok I’m gonna have to make a whole other post about the new group dynamics post 2x09. please follow if you want more of this

[askstorybrookehq]

2x09 - Queen of Hearts.

Since our group is a canon based roleplay, all characters will be answering questions according to the latest developments that occur in the episode.

Players, please send at least 3 questions to each other based on the new episode we are starting.

You can still answer past questions based on events that have already happened leading up to this point.

Lurkers and future applicants, feel free to look at our follow list and send some questions if you would like to! Happy Once day!

[magnificentbeth]

Update: Just finished watching season 2.

Here are my thoughts in no particular order:

I'm invested in the show and the characters. Who are all likeable for the most part.

Judd Ryder has my whole ass heart. I want a Judd in my life! He has officially ruined all other men 😭😭

Grace is a freaking queen! Love love love Judd x Grace. I think 2x09 might be my favorite episode yet.

Rafael Silva is hot af. And a fantastic actor! I have a feeling there will be a lot more of Carlos in season 3 and 4.

I love TK. I love his character arc. I adore his relationship with Carlos. I cannot wait to see more of them together. #new otp woohoo

Wtf happened to Owen in season 2??? Is he going to be this insufferable for the rest of the episodes? 😫😫

I love Carlos and I really hope I get to see more of him

Michelle was a bit meh for me as a character so I'm not really missing her much and Captain Vega seems like a great addition to the 126 fam.

Paul is such an interesting character and we got little glimpses of what his life was like before joining the 126. I hope we get a fully fleshed out Paul begins episode later on cause I'd really love to see it.

Marjan is a freaking badass and I'd love to see more of her. I really wish they'd explore how she and even Mateo decided to be firefighters.

Have I mentioned Tarlos?! And how I'm absolutely obsessed! with their relationship. Good job show. You gave me another otp to obsess over.

Those are my thoughts for now. Can't wait to binge season 3 and 4 and get all caught up!!

Decided to start watching 911 lone star.

Will start following show related blogs after I finish watching all the episodes.

So this blog may or may not change from just a malec blog.

[dinneratgrannys]

ONCE UPON A TIME 2.09, Queen of Hearts

[onceuponarewatch]

ONCE UPON A REWATCH | S2EP09: QUEEN OF HEARTS

In which the Narrators Three discuss OOC Hook and Unwarranted Casual Misogyny (Killian Jones Would Never!), Emma Swan’s Sailor Moon Moment, Regina Saves The Day, We Cry About Sleeping-Warrior, Belle Can’t Catch a Break, and Snowing Fills our Hearts with Joy.

Listen to Once Upon a Rewatch: Spotify | Apple Music | Anchor.Fm | Stitcher | Google Podcast | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker |

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

So, I’m rewatching Once Upon a Time, and I get to 2x09, The Queen of Hearts. And I noticed something I think is pretty funny for the first time. Idk if someone has pointed this out before, but here we go.

When Hook and Cora leave the Princess Squad in Rumplestiltskin's cell, there is no iconic 50 lb leather coat in sight. He hasn’t had it this entire arc (except in 2x04 flashbacks). (Sorry if you can't tell by the screenshot. I tried. But he isn’t wearing it, trust me.)

However, when Hook and Cora arrive at Lake Nostos, we see him clearly wearing the coat. We know they were planning on using the portal to Storybrooke immediately (i.e. not sailing the Jolly Roger through, as she's nowhere in sight. That, and Lake Nostos is landlocked). They leave the cell, head straight there, open the portal, and hop in. Simple enough, right?

This always made me wonder how the Princess Squad catch up to them fairly quickly, before they go through the opened portal, despite being trapped and looking for a way out for what seems like quite a while after the two left. Theoretically, Hook and Cora should’ve been long gone. I mean, it didn’t take that long for Cora to magic up some water. Or for Hook to add the ashes and thus open the portal. I doubt they stood there talking for however long it took Snow to figure out the squid ink was on the paper and for the Squad to make their way to Nostos.

So here's my headcanon: On the way to Lake Nostos, Hook and Cora made a pit stop at the Jolly Roger to retrieve his coat (because he's dramatic and wanted to be ready for Storybrooke, and the coat adds to the dramatic effect, I guess). This took them out of their way long enough for them to reach the lake only a couple minutes before Snow and Emma (and Mulan).

It’s kinda stupid, but it’s the only explanation I have. And I think it’s hilarious XD

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 2x09 “Queen of Hearts” Review

Reviews 1x01 1x02 1x03 1x04 1x05 1x06 1x07 1x08 1x09 1x10 1x11 1x12 1x13 1x14 1x15 1x16 1x17 1x18 1x19 1x20 1x21 1x22 2x01 2x02 2x03 2x04 2x05 2x06 2x07 2x08

What a spectacular episode! It has it all. What happened to Cora after young Regina pushed her through the mirror. How she and Hook formed an alliance. How the safe haven came to be. Sword fighting between Emma and Hook. True Love’s Kiss (again) between Mary Margaret and David. And the big one, Emma apparently has magic! Hold on, because this one is going to be long.

Summary: Emma and crew are trapped in Rumplestiltskin’s cell by Cora and Hook. Hook is sent by the Evil Queen to kill the Queen of Hearts. In Storybrooke, Gold and Regina set a plan in motion to prevent Cora from coming through the portal, but could end up killing Emma and Mary Margaret instead.

Opening: Geyser of water

Character Observations:

Emma: So last episode she was feeling extremely guilty over Henry being in the Burning Red Room and not believing him. This episode (which is just later the same day), Emma is feeling as though her Saviorhood has been thrust upon her and that she’s not really as special as she thought she was. Good thing that gets dispelled later on. Emma and crew are in Rumplestiltskin’s cell looking for the squid ink he said he left there. First they find a scroll with Emma’s name written on it in any space available. They think he’d gone crazy. Emma is a little unnerved by this course of events. She wants to know what it means. Mary Margaret says Rumplestiltskin was obsessed with her since she could break the curse. They can’t find the squid ink anywhere. Emma thinks maybe something got lost in translation in the Netherworld, but then Mulan finds and empty ink pot. Emma’s upset because that was their way back home, and then Aurora makes a great throw with the ink pot and closes the cell doors on them. Cora comes and immediately gets the compass from them. Emma immediately tries to get it back through the bars, but can’t get it. Cora reveals that she has Aurora’s heart, but looks almost heartbroken when Hook reveals that he actually took it. Emma tries to appeal to Hook with the fact that she needs to get to her son, but he’s done with being nice to her after she left him on the beanstalk. She claims he would’ve done the same, but he says she’s wrong and Emma looks properly chastised. Poor Emma, she looks like a kid that just got caught doing something bad by the teacher. Then Hook rubs it in even more when he shows her the dried up bean the giant had kept (that Emma, once again, tries to grab through the cell bars), and how it had once been full of life, and now it’s shriveled and useless, just like Emma. She looks like she’s really thinking about her life choices right in this instance. Emma is not trying to hack through the bars of the cell with a sword, which is going just as well as expected. The women lament about whose fault it is that they’re in this predicament, but Emma feels it’s all her fault because she the Savior and she’s not doing much in the way of saving. Mary Margaret tells Emma that good always triumphs over evil and Emma tells her she sounds like Henry. Mary Margaret says optimism runs in their family but Emma thinks it must have skipped a generation because she is anything but optimistic. Emma goes on and on about how she’s not special, that Gold planned everything and used her as a pawn, and she’s just a name on a piece of paper. Emma quips that the paper isn’t going to magically open the cell door for them, but that helps Mary Margaret remember that you can blow spells, which she does, and the bars disappear. Emma realizes it was written in squid ink and seriously, this is the happiest I’ve ever seen Emma in this series. She’s absolutely elated that they’re able to get out.  Emma, Mary Margaret, and Mulan, despite the time delay of getting out, manage to get to Lake Nostos right as Cora and Hook are about to jump into the portal. Mary Margaret shoots the compass out of their hands and Emma goes to look for it. Emma goes and sword fights with Hook. He looks like he’s got her beat, but then the satchel with Aurora’s heart almost goes in the portal and he saves it, giving Emma a chance to get her sword back (because Hook is much better at sword fighting than she is). But Emma ends up on her back with Hook right on top of her making sexual innuendos, and oh, guess what she just happened to land on? The compass. Which she then uses to knock Hook out. She then runs at Cora (seriously, Emma), who poufs away. Mary Margaret tries to get herself and Emma to the portal but Cora comes back and throws them back. Cora then attempts to take Mary Margaret’s heart, but Emma is not losing her mother so soon, so she gets in the way and Cora plunges her hand into her chest. Cora tells her love is weakness, but then Cora can’t get Emma’s heart out of her chest. Emma realizes love is strength and magic surges through her and knocks Cora out. And, of course, Emma is freaking the eff out because being the Savior is one thing, but having magic is another thing altogether. And with that, Emma and Mary Margaret jump into the portal and finally get home. Regina, Gold, and Henry happen to be at the well where they come out and Henry tells Emma that Regina saved them on their way home. After Mary Margaret wakes up David, Emma goes to confront Gold. She knows he could have gotten out of his cell whenever he wanted since the squid ink was there. She says because he created the curse, everything she’s done has been what he’s wanted her to do. He tells her he just took advantage of what she was, a product of true love. She’s powerful because of that, not anything he did. And he confirms that she has magic. Emma is not sure how to feel about that. She, Henry, Mary Margaret, David, and Ruby go to get dinner, as a family.

Cora: In the past we discover Cora has become the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland. Hook goes to take her heart thanks to a spell from the Evil Queen, but Cora doesn’t keep her heart in her chest. Well, if she didn’t have her heart when Regina was young, that would explain a lot. Cora then retaliates by plunging her hand into Hook’s chest and squeezing his heart. She looks devastated when Hook tells her it was her daughter who wanted her dead (well, what does she expect after murdering her fiance and then expecting her to marry someone else right off the bat and then getting banished to Wonderland?). Still holding Hook’s heart, she says he’ll tell her everything because when he you hold someone’s heart you control them. Hook wants Cora to get it over with and kill him but she rants about Regina and how she should have come to kill her herself. She doesn’t kill him because she wants his help. She explains that she can get him his revenge and how the curse will wipe his memories and he won’t know who he is, let alone who Rumplestiltskin is. She wants him to bring her back under the guise of having killed her so she can Regina’s heart out. Well, that escalated quickly. Cora is in an ornate coffin and the Evil Queen wants to say goodbye to her. The Evil Queen actually reveals that she still loves her mother and that’s why she wanted her killed. Once she leaves, Hook questions why the Evil Queen is still alive and Cora actually has feelings towards her daughter and decides that she will bide her time and wait until the curse ends and Regina has nothing and no one and then she’ll swoop in because she’ll need her mother. But first they need to protect themselves. Cora makes the barrier that protects that little corner of land from the curse and tells Hook they will be frozen there for 28 years, and then he can have his revenge.

In the present, due to having Aurora’s heart, Cora and Hook are waiting for Emma and crew when they go to Rumplestiltskin’s cell. She thanks Aurora for helping her, magics the compass to herself, and then shows them that she has Aurora’s heart. Cora and Hook leave to go open the portal after Emma makes one last plea to Hook. They go to Lake Nostos, since the waters will restore what once was lost. Hook says there’s no water. Cora’s response is to magically dig into the earth and find the water underneath, creating a geyser of water. Cora asks Hook how he can doubt her after everything they’ve been through. The geyser calms down enough for Cora to let Hook throw the ashes into it and it creates a portal. They’re about to jump in when an arrow whizzes by and knocks the compass out of their hands. Cora starts shooting fireballs and Mulan lobs them back. Cora throws the satchel with Aurora’s heart and poufs away. Mulan catches it on her sword and almost loses it in the portal, but Hook catches it. Mulan gives Mary Margaret her sword to go give Aurora back her heart and Cora comes back. She and Mary Margaret circle each other, but Emma comes in with her sword to try and get Cora, who poufs away before she can get to her. Cora knocks Emma and Mary Margaret to the ground when they make a run for the portal. Cora goes for Mary Margaret and tells her she’s going to finally get for her daughter what she’s always wanted. Her heart. But as she goes to grab it, Emma knocks Mary Margaret out of her way and Cora ends up in Emma’s chest. Cora is delighted at what she perceives as Emma’s stupidity for loving her mother. She tells her love is weakness but then can’t get Emma’s heart out of her chest. Cora is thoroughly confused. Emma realizes love is strength and somehow pushes her away with magic. Cora tells Hook they failed after Emma and Mary Margaret go through the portal. Hook tells her not to doubt him and shows her the bean. Cora thinks it’s useless since it’s petrified. Has she already forgotten what the waters of Lake Nostos can do? Cora and Hook are then seen on the Jolly Roger that has appeared on the outskirts of Storybrooke’s harbor. Very excited to see what kind of trouble they get into.

Evil Queen/Regina: The Evil Queen catches Hook in Belle’s cell. She steals his hook before he can kill her. She tells him she’s a valuable chess piece. She’s also impressed that Hook managed to get through her guards and into Belle’s cell. But she does not like his attitude. She tells him she knows all about his vendetta against Rumplestiltskin and that he’s been in Neverland and that she can help him if he helps her. They have a drink and she tells him about the curse that is coming. She entices him by telling him the new land they’re going to is a land without magic and Rumplestiltskin will be powerless, making it that much easier for Hook to kill him. The Evil Queen is practically seducing him while talking to him. It’s a little unnerving. Hook wants to know what he has to do for her. She wants him to kill her mother. She enchants his hook so he can pull out her heart. He wonders what she did to have such ire from the Evil Queen, but that’s her business. She just wants him to kill her and bring her body back. And then, one of the best parts of this episode happens when the Evil Queen reveals that Claude, a dead body, will be going with Hook. Hook has no clue who Claude is and the Evil Queen reminds him that he just killed him in the cell block. This whole scene and delivery are hilarious. Hook is understandably confused as to why he’s bringing a dead body with him. She then explains the rules of the hat and that he will be going to Wonderland.The next time we see the Evil Queen, Hook has brought back Cora’s ‘body’, and she is mourning for her mother (in one of the most atrocious outfits I’ve seen on her so far, like what is even happening with this outfit?). The Evil Queen is visibly upset, considering she just hired someone to assassinate her mother. But she really wanted her dead because of Cora telling her love is weakness, and she still loves her mother, so she can’t bring Cora with her in the curse because it will make her weak. And what she doesn’t realize is that ends up saving her life. She just knows that she is in control and she finally feels like she has won.

Now Regina, on the other hand, feels like her life is falling apart. Which is why she so willingly goes along with Gold to ‘prevent’ Cora from getting through the portal. She’s actually very optimistic at the beginning of the episode, believing that Mary Margaret and Emma will make it home. Gold starts questioning (manipulating) what she believes. She knows David gave the message to them, but because he’s not awake, Gold says they don’t know if he did or not. Also, the constant threat of Cora coming through terrifies Regina. She’s still that scared little girl when it comes to her mother. She doesn’t realize she is so much more powerful than Cora is now, and Gold doesn’t help her in believing that either. He tells her that if they ‘accidentally’ kill Emma and Mary Margaret with the portal barrier, then Regina would be the only parent in Henry’s life. Regina is truly trying to turn over a new leaf. She tells Gold she can’t lie to Henry. Gold basically double dares Regina to help him because Cora would be a threat to everyone, including Henry, if she comes through. Regina is still very conflicted. She goes to Henry and tells him that she and Gold need to prepare for the portal (guess she made that decision pretty easily then), and Henry couldn’t be prouder of how much his mother has changed. She and Gold go to the mines where Gold steals all the fairy dust diamonds. Gold takes Regina to the Wishing Well, since it supposedly returns lost things. The water at the bottom is bubbling, indicating that there is, indeed, a portal opening up and someone will be coming through. Gold is still insistent that Cora will be coming through, and Regina is still holding out hope that it will be Emma and Mary Margaret. Gold creates the portal barrier. Henry and Ruby run up and Henry accuses Regina of not helping Emma and Mary Margaret. She tries to explain how she is protecting him and the town from Cora, but Henry is hysterical now because he also believes that Emma and Mary Margaret will be coming through the portal. He gives the good always defeats evil line and points it at Regina. She’s not having it thought. She knows Cora would destroy everything she loves and she can’t let that happen to Henry. He tries to run for the well, but Regina holds him back. Henry eventually uses Regina wanting to change and that she needs to have faith in him to guilt her into removing the barrier. Regina takes the barrier into herself and manages to do it without killing herself somehow. They think they’re too late, but Emma and Mary Margaret make it out. Regina’s feelings are very conflicted here. She’s happy that she did what she did to make Henry happy, but now his ‘real’ mom is back (and Henry calls them both mom, and she looks so hurt when he calls Emma mom). Henry tells them that Regina saved them. Emma tries to talk to Regina about Cora, but can’t say much more than she’s a piece of work. Regina welcomes her back with a mix of jealousy and honesty. They all go over to watch Mary Margaret wake up David. Regina is feeling completely out of place. Henry gives her a hug and tells her she really has changed. You can tell that she’s completely overwhelmed with Henry hugging her, yet really happy at the same time. Emma asks Henry to come to dinner with everyone at Granny’s, but does not invite Regina, who is heartbroken to be left behind, and Gold rubs it in that they didn’t invite her along. She is now definitely at her lowest point and Cora coming can only make things worse for Regina.

Mary Margaret: She is full of hope, even when it looks like there is none. She exposits to Emma how she hasn’t been to Rumplestiltskin’s cell since before Emma was born and that her being the Savior was prophesied. They others wonder if someone else was in the cell with Rumplestiltskin but Mary Margaret explains that he was by himself, even visitors were forbidden as he was too dangerous. Emma wonders what it means, but Mary Margaret is convinced that Rumplestiltskin was obsessed with Emma since she was the key to breaking the curse. Mary Margaret starts getting a little desperate when they can’t find the squid ink that David told her about. Emma suggests something was lost in the translation but Mary Margaret is determined to find it. They end up finding an empty bottle of ink and then Aurora traps them in the cell. When Cora tells them that Aurora helped her, Mary Margaret feels very betrayed, considering she’s been like a mother to her and helping her through the nightmares. But then they realize that Cora has Aurora’s heart. After Cora and Hook leave, Mary Margaret has given up hope. She tells Emma, in a very annoyed voice, that trying to get out is impossible because it was enchanted to keep Rumplestiltskin in (seriously, she has that tone that mom’s have after their child has done something eleventy-billion times and still continues to do it). But once Emma starts blaming herself for them being trapped in the cell, Mary Margaret’s tone changes and she’s all gung-ho about good always defeating evil. She still seems to believe that Emma is the Savior, despite Emma believing she’s just a pawn in Rumplestiltskin’s game. Mary Margaret once again tells Emma they will get out of there. Emma isn’t hopeful because all they’re doing is staring at the scroll with her name written on it, but that strikes a memory in Mary Margaret about how Cora used to do spells. She blew them off the page. So she does so with Emma’s name scroll and it breaks down the cell for them to get out. Emma is amazed. Mary Margaret basically tell her she told her so, and they run off to get to Cora and Hook before they can use the portal. They make is just in time as Mary Margaret shoots the compass out of their hands with an arrow right as they were going to  jump into the portal. Emma immediately starts sword fighting Hook and Mulan deflects Cora’s fireballs with her sword, while Mary Margaret shoots arrows to help them out. Mary Margaret tells Mulan to go back to Aurora once they have her heart. Mulan gives Mary Margaret her sword to help defeat Cora. Emma tries to get Cora but she poufs away and Mary Margaret and Emma try to get into the portal at that point, but Cora knocks them away. Cora confronts Mary Margaret who asks why she wants to go to Storybrooke so bad. Cora tells her Regina needs her and she’s going to give her the one thing she’s always wanted, her heart. Cora attempts to take Mary Margaret’s heart but Emma pushes her out of the way. After Emma somehow defeats her with magic, Mary Margaret quickly soothes her by telling her they’ll figure it out in Storybrooke and they make the leap home. Immediately, when they get to Storybrooke, Red comes and takes her to David. Mary Margaret rushes to Gold’s shop and True Love Kisses David awake, in the exact scene they had when he kissed her awake in the Pilot. He even says the Burning Red Room gave him pause. They all go off to Granny’s for dinner. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Mary Margaret in actual mother mode now that they’re back in Storybrooke and not fighting for their lives.

Gold: I’m honestly not sure if he is truly afraid of Cora coming through that portal, or he just finds life easier without Emma and Mary Margaret around or both. Gold has stated he’s more powerful than Cora, so why is he so afraid of her coming through the portal? Especially since Regina seems to be turning over a new leaf and could easily help him defeat her. Either way, he manipulates Regina into helping him set up the portal barrier (or at least tagging along because she doesn’t seem to do much but stand there). He actually looks shocked when it appears that Emma and Mary Margaret aren’t going to make through the portal, but then has no emotion when Emma and Mary Margaret make it back through. He literally just walks off and doesn’t say a word, just shoots Regina a look that apparently she was right. Emma confronts him after David wakes up. He actually goes to apologize for the portal barrier, but she understands having met Cora. She’s upset about him orchestrating the whole Savior thing. Plus he could have gotten out of his cell whenever he wanted. He tells her he was exactly where he wanted to be. Gold tells her that he didn’t create her or make her the Savior, he merely took advantage of who she was, the product of true love. He tells her that’s what makes her powerful and everything she’s done has all been her. Emma realizes he doesn’t know what happened between her and Cora. He confirms that it’s magic and that he had nothing to do with that. Everyone leaves for dinner leaving Gold and Regina. He congratulates her on reuniting Henry and Emma and quips that maybe they’ll even invite her to dinner one day.

Aurora/Mulan: When it’s discovered that Cora has Aurora’s heart she instantly feels guilty. Mulan feels guilty for not protecting her from her heart being taken. Aurora insists on being tied up and left behind when they go after Cora and Hook. Mulan eventually returns with Aurora’s heart and puts it back in her chest. Aurora tells Mulan what Cora told her about the wraiths and souls and they decide to go figure out how to put Phillip’s soul back in his body.

Henry: He has so much faith in Regina in seeing how much she’s changed. It means so much to Regina for him to trust her and love her like he does. It’s his faith that finally gets Regina to practically kill herself to stop the portal barrier. And while he does thank her and tell her how much she’s changed, again, it’s not enough to invite her to come to dinner with Emma, Mary Margaret, David, the dwarfs, and Ruby. I get that he’s 11 and doesn’t necessarily understand how Regina is feeling, but he’s finally forging a real relationship with his adoptive mother that isn’t manipulative. Wouldn’t the fact that she just saved them from being killed warrant an invitation to dinner?

Questions:

Why does Belle look like Storybrooke Belle and not Enchanted Forest Belle in her cell? Is the Evil Queen really letting her do her makeup and hair everyday?

How does the Evil Queen know all the details about Hook’s vendetta against Rumplestiltskin? Did Rumplestiltskin tell her?

Where does Cora keep her heart if not in her chest and how long has she not had her heart with her?

How does the Evil Queen not suspect that Cora isn’t dead? Did Cora enact some kind of glamour spell? She’s breathing and she has a heartbeat. How did the Evil Queen not check for these?

Is Henry, Sr. already dead at this point? Has the Evil Queen already taken his heart to get ready for the curse? Because otherwise, a) I’d think he’d also be mourning Cora as she was his wife, and b) the love is weakness concerning Cora wouldn’t make sense because until the Evil Queen was told she needed to take the heart of the thing she loves most, Henry, Sr., was going to go over in the curse as well. But in the episode The Thing You Love Most, it seemed as though she cast the curse almost immediately after she killed him.

Where did Rumplestiltskin hide a pot of ink on him when he was captured? Wouldn’t they have taken everything from him? And would they really have let him have a pen and parchment in his cell? Or were those on him as well?

I thought the dwarves were going to harvest the diamonds for fairy dust the day after they found them? Did David tell them not to bother once the hat was burned?

How did Hook get the bean from the Giant? Did he kill the giant to get it?

Why does Henry assume that Gold and Regina taking all the magic is for something bad when she had just told him they had to prepare things for Emma and Mary Margaret coming through the portal?

Exactly what was Regina needed for with the portal barrier? Gold used the fairy wand to get the magic diamonds, and then used it to bring the barrier down to the well. Regina just stood there and watched. Was she his scapegoat in case things went wrong?

How did Mary Margaret, Emma, and Mulan know to go to Lake Nostos? Did Mary Margaret track Cora and Hook there? 

Are the writers really expecting me to believe that Emma, who has no formal sword fighting training and has only picked up a sword once before, can beat Hook, who has, who knows how many years of sword fighting under his belt?

How convenient that Regina and Gold just happened to be trying to stop the portal at the same time Emma and Mary Margaret make it through. 

Isn’t Phillip technically dead without his soul? Wouldn’t his body be decomposing? Or is getting your soul ripped out equivalent to a sleeping curse when it comes to body preservation?

Who is steering the Jolly Roger? Hook is nowhere near the wheel.

Observations:

There are hash marks in Belle’s cell. I counted them. There are 193 groups of five. That’s 965 days. So assuming that Belle made all the marks and there weren’t there from a previous occupant, Belle has been the Evil Queen’s prisoner for roughly two and a half years (based on our calendars).

The wand Gold uses to take the diamonds from the mine belonged to Cinderella’s fairy godmother that he killed in The Price of Gold.

Hook was able to take Aurora’s heart because of the spell the Evil Queen put on it.

Cora doesn’t keep her heart in her chest.

Now we know how Gold woke up when he learned Emma’s name when she first came to town, he had it ingrained in his memory.

Mulan’s sword can deflect Cora’s magic.

You don’t need magic to put a heart back in someone’s chest.

I’m not sure how long it takes to get to your destination once jumping through a portal, or what the time to time correspondence is between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, but it took an awfully long time for Emma and Mary Margaret to get through the portal.

Rumplestiltskin wanted to be caught and in the cell because he needed to know Emma’s name and tell Snow and Charming about her being the Savior, since he’d already put the True Love’s Kiss contingent in place by putting some of it on the curse scroll.

It’s 5:10 in the evening when they pass the clock tower on the way to Granny’s.

Cora is holding the rose (dried) that Regina placed in her coffin when she and Hook arrive in Storybrooke.

Great episode! This was the season 2 fall arc ender before they took a month break. It will be interesting to see how Cora and Hook being in Storybrooke will change dynamics. I’m also looking forward to Mary Margaret and David figuring out how to be Emma’s parents and Emma being Henry’s mom now that they’re all back together. Remember, the curse was only lifted about a week and a half ago in their timeline, even if it was 9 weeks of episodes for us.

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