#And even when I chack facts sometimes I miss checking a few

[faithandfairies]

Okay, so, a couple of things.

I was looking at this picture the day before yesterday and the first thing I noticed was “Henry has the book.”

Now, doesn’t that seem weird to anyone? All I could think was, “Son, you’re at your mother’s wedding, why do you have the book? What is so important that you have to have the book right then, even if it is “THE book”.”

The other thing I noticed was the open seat next to Regina and Henry. One open seat. I’m assuming that there are at least two open seats, for Snow and Charming, but  the picture is taken in such a way that as Emma walks past you only see one. Which immediately makes me think that open seat is meant for Emma. Which makes no sense, but actually it couldn’t make more sense.

Here’s why. I was watching the season 3 2-episode finale yesterday and in that episode Emma is ready to take Henry and leave her family behind. She tells Hook that aside from being with Henry she doesn’t belong anywhere. To her the book is just stories and she wasn’t there for any of it.

Rewind a couple of scenes, Emma runs out of the diner. Everyone is ganging up on her because she wants to leave and you have Hook following behind her telling her family he’ll talk to her.

This is what Henry says:

“Wait, take this. It might help her remember where she belongs.” (He hands Hook the storybook. Hook exits the diner.)

Then later we have this:

Hook: “You're making a mistake.” 

Emma: “I don't want to talk to you about this.” 

Hook: “Don't listen to me, listen to your son”. (He takes the storybook from his satchel and hands it to Emma.) “He thought this might remind you of what you're leaving behind--your family.”

Emma: “Henry is my family and I am taking him where he is safe.”

In light of the Queen’s “Is your new father bothering you?” and Henry’s response of “He’s not my father!” after Hook throws Henry’s food that his mother probably bought for him in the trash, you have to wonder. Not to mention Henry’s face as Hook start to propose to Emma the second time around. The same face, coincidentally, that he pulls right before the Queen asks him about his “new father”.

Also, what is the book, really? If we’re right it’s Emma and Regina’s story, written by Henry.

I think it was @stregaomega who pointed out that “Storybrooke” without Emma and Regina’s first initials makes “Storybook”.

So does that mean that Henry having the book, not to mention that strategically taken picture showing exactly one empty chair next to Regina and Henry is another reminder of where Emma really belongs? The family she’s leaving behind? Which does not include Snow and Charming, since surprisingly they are both walking her down the aisle?

 It’s also interesting to note that Regina, Emma and Henry are all dressed in their Swan Mills Family colors. Red, white and black. Where black and white put together makes grey, the other color to the red in Henry’s scarf.

(x)

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You know something else I just thought of that doesn’t really have anything to do with this, but does? 

@anothershadeofgreen mentioned that Tiger Lily may be the true love Emma was actually taking the portal to. What I can say about that is that a lot of us have speculated that Lily Page is actually a younger version of Regina. On top of that a very important parallel to Regina is Jasmine, whose pet, Rajah, we haven’t seen on this show, but happens to be a tiger. Then we had Regina dressed in leopard print of all things and Shady pointing out Aesop’s Fable about a lion isolating a bull. It’s all just very “coincidental” on a show where nothing ever is.

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I also love how the floor in the picture reminds me of a chessboard. And I only thought of this because of Harry Potter. Ha!

There’s more.

After Emma is captured in 3x22 this exchange happens.

Snow tells David that she doesn’t have his ring and David doesn’t believe her. Hook says the following:

“You should. She’s telling the truth, mate.” (making a bow) “Prince Charles. Lovely ball the other night. The mutton was a tad overcooked, but that happens. Snow White doesn’t have your ring. But I can tell you who does. My princess. And I need your help to get her back.”

Prince Charming: “She has my ring? That’s two women who robbed me. Where is she?”

 Hook: “Well, that’s the problem. The Queen’s castle.”

The most interesting things about this moment to me are that Emma is at Regina’s “castle” and David mentions that that’s two women who robbed him. Which could be Snow, Charming’s and Hook’s opinion on Emma and Regina if Emma and Regina do get together romantically. Them being robbed of their idea of Emma’s and their happy ending. 

Not to mention the “keys to the kingdom” reference, Emma giving Regina the kings to her kingdom, in 6x10, was definitely a sexual reference.

Also, look at this picture again. Who looks happiest? I’d say it’s Snow. 

This also plays perfectly into the fact that the one threat the Evil Queen has made consistently to Snow was:

“I will destroy your happiness if it is the last thing I do.”

She says it in 1x01, Regina even says it in 6x10 and I think it’s the last thing the Evil Queen says in the past in 3x22.

She’s never said that to Emma. To Emma she’s said three things that stand out.

1. “I will destroy you.” 

2. “I can give you one” referring to Emma’s happy ending in 3x11

3. “ I want to hurt you. I want you to see how pointless you are.” (the Split Queen talking about Emma as the savior)  

(Emma: “I saved her once. I'll save her again.”

Evil Queen: “Oh, that's the tragic thing about being a savior. You have to keep saving people. But once you're off the chessboard... everything falls apart. All those happy endings turn to dust, and your entire life means... nothing. Let me show you what it feels like.”)

Now, if we put these 4 statements together and assume that they are not mutually exclusive then that tells me a couple of things. 

A. Regina wants to make Emma happy.

B. Emma and Snow’s expectations for Emma coming true are Snow’s happiness.

C. Regina making Emma happy would go against Snow’s expectations for Emma. Against what would make Snow happy. 

D. Regina wants the savior gone. As long as Emma is the savior she’ll try to make everyone else happy. And neglect her own happiness. She’ll have to do that all her life. That means she and Regina will never be together.

It’s also interesting that the Evil Queen spends all her time trying to kill Snow. Everyone is loyal to Snow while no one helps her. And then when Regina succeeds in killing Snow and Charming in the Wish Realm, it leads to the events that make Emma remember who she is. Fascinating, truly.

On top of this, 3x21/3x22 is the first time dark fairy dust makes an appearance. Snow tries to use it on Regina to turn her into a bug. Then uses it on herself to escape her own execution by Regina. Then Regina uses it on the trolls that fell for Snow’s ruse and let her go. 

Interesting, since this season we had a giant spider chasing the savior in order to kill her.

There’s also this as Emma is in the Queen’s dungeon with Marian in 3x22:

Woman: “What’s that?” 

Emma: “It’s my parents’. I guess you could call it their wedding ring.” 

(Woman: “And they entrusted you with it?” )

Emma: “Sort of.”

I was reading the transcript for 3x21/3x22 as I was writing this post because I couldn’t remember everything that had stood out to me while watching the episodes. And I accidentally read over the line I have between brackets.

And you know what this exchange makes me think of? When you do something for your parents, something that you know will make them happy even though you might not care about it either way and doing it wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) take much away from you. I’ve definitely been there. 

And what Emma says here? Superimposed on what’s happening now? Hook’s engagement ring to Emma could in her mind be seen as her parents’ ring. If we are right and she is doing this for her parents. Because she thinks that’s what will make them happy.

Then there is this. In 3x22 when Hook goes to save Emma. Well, Hook and Snow and Ruby, etc. but as always he’s taking ALL the credit. None left for anyone else. But anyway...

Hook: “What the hell are you doing? You’re depriving me of a dashing rescue.” 

Emma: “Sorry. The only one who saves me is me. Speaking of which” (slipping the ring off her finger) “I’m not gonna be around much longer unless we find where this belongs.”

(Emma was wearing her parents’ engagement/wedding ring)

This to me is fascinating. Because again, superimposing this on what is happening now it makes a lot of sense. You could see it as Emma changing ever since she’s been trying to fit society’s mold of acceptable/normal, trying to please her parents. And that with her marriage to Hook that process will be complete and whom she was before, who she really is, won’t be around anymore.

Or, using Shady’s view that the ring could symbolize Emma accepting herself fully , that would mean that once the marriage happens she’ll be fully accepting of who she is. Either way the ring symbolizes a change.

Another thing stands out to me. Marian.

This moment of Hook coming to save Emma is followed by Hook finding out that Emma saved Marian as well along with herself.

This exchange happens: Hook: (falling behind in order to speak with Emma) “Swan, you didn’t.” 

Emma: “She was to be executed in the morning. I couldn’t just leave her there to die.” 

Hook: “Actually, if she’s to die, she pretty much has to.” 

This is the first time, I believe that Emma chooses to hold on to something, or someone she wasn’t meant to. And given that Marian’s name isn’t mentioned at all during this exchange  even though they are talking about her and that Marian doesn’t even end up being Marian, I wonder if they aren’t actually talking about Emma holding on to her savior image/persona/self. A part of her that Regina doesn’t like and wants destroyed.

It also explains the the way Marian was used. How angry and hurt Regina was over Emma bringing Marian with her. How it caused a real rift between them. How Marian’s return caused so many problems in Regina’s love life.

Another thing that is interesting is that Marian returns after having been thought to be dead for 30 years. Something Robin blamed himself for. Emma came back to Storybrooke as the savior after 28 years. But it took her much longer to accept that title and the burden that came with it. 30 years perhaps?

Remember, about halfway through season 3 Emma actually says that she hates being the savior. I think she says that it means she can’t be happy. And then later, when the dust has settled near the end of season 3 she chooses to leave. I think because staying involves playing her part of savior, which she doesn’t want to do.

So is Marian’s return symbolic of Emma finally resigning to be the savior? The fact that Marian comes back to Robin and Roland and we see Roland interact with her as one of the first as Regina looks on completely hurt gets another meaning if you see Robin and Marian as two parts of the same person. Emma meeting her savior self, along with Henry. While Regina gets pushed to the side. Emma also later introduces Marian to Regina herself. And Marian’s reaction to Regina. Marian hated Regina. Regina wanted her dead and was a threat to her and everything she stood for, everything she had. We also see Marian call Regina monster in front of her own son.

It would also explain how Robin talks about Marian. As if her return is a burden he doesn’t want. 

It’s also interesting that Regina almost gets Robin anyway. But then Marian’s frozen status becomes an issue. It’s interesting that at the same time Emma is also having problems with ice/ freezing/magic.

And that when Marian leaves with Robin, Emma and Regina’s friendship flourishes. But then Marian/ Zelena and Robin return.

Zelena even goes so far as to try to wipe Regina of the earth entirely, trying to make it so Regina was never born. 

In 3x22 Robin also mentions to Regina that he would have gone to hell if it meant he could see his Marian again. 

It could have been foreshadowing of his death, or disintegration. Marian herself was turned to dust.

But it could also be foreshadowing of what Emma would be willing to do and has in order to hold on to her savior status. Going to hell to get Hook back. No matter the cost.

In season 3 people bringing back people they shouldn’t or killing people they shouldn’t is a theme that repeats itself. That just ends up having a ripple effect. Neal bringing Rumple back. Rumple killing Zelena. Emma bringing Marian back. Especially Neal and Rumple’s situation was interesting. Two people in the same body, where there is only room for one. One having to die so the other can live. Kind of also makes me think about the split queen arc. 

It’s also interesting that Emma is the one who ends up separating Neal and Rumple, using her magic. After Neal insists that is what will save the town and Emma herself, and Henry.

On top of all of this there’s another thing.

This.

(x)

In season 1 Emma always wears two necklaces. You see, when she was with Neal he once stole a swan keychain for her and she split it up into two pieces, wearing the ring and the swan on separate chains. Aside from the car it was the one thing she got to keep when she went to jail. 

But at some point she loses the swan. And it ends up in Neal’s hands. He says the necklace was supposed to represent their lives together. And this is what Belle says about it when Neal wonders how it survived the trip back to the Enchanted Forest.

“Because it was born out of true love.”

(I know something else that survived the trip to another realm because it was born out of true love.)

He gives it back to Emma once they’re back in Storybrooke right before he dies. And tells her to go find Tallahassee. But she never puts it back on. I wonder if she isn’t supposed to.

(x)

There’s even an exchange in there (3x21) between Emma and Rumple that sounds very Operation OUT-y. But, yeah.