#Once Upon a Time reactions

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Season 3

Spoilers for future seasons are noted in parentheses.

General thoughts:

~ I don’t like the pattern that the show developed of focusing on a new world and “big bad” antagonist each half-season. I generally prefer when most of the action takes place in Storybrooke, attention is given to the various townsfolk, and the different plotlines overlap.

~ Despite this, the introduction of Neverland for a while makes sense thematically. Peter Pan is full of children alternately rejecting and longing for parents. Neverland serves as metaphorical underworld, a place for the characters to wrestle with their demons and face themselves, and each other, for who they really are.

Episode 3x01 “The Heart of the Truest Believer”

~ This is an episode with no flashbacks, a rare thing in this show. It makes sense given how many different parties there are to juggle at the same time.

~ This episode starts with Emma saying “I can’t be a mother,” and ends with her saying “I’m a mother.” It’s like an encapsulation of her whole character arc in the show!

~ Henry is an interesting contrast against Greg and Tamara. He’s usually framed as the optimistic believer, but here, they are the ones showing blind faith while he asks logical questions.

~ “We don’t ask questions. We just believe in our cause.” So basically, Greg and Tamara are part of a cult.

~ Who are the “countless other people” Emma says they’ve lost since the curse was broken? Is she thinking of the refugees Cora killed? Does Emma know about Johanna and the others Cora killed or transformed in Storybrooke?

~ “The minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute I know they won’t.” That’s an interesting take on optimism and pessimism. Sounds sort of like self-fulfilling prophecy, or the idea that “your focus determines your reality,” as Qui-Gon Jinn says in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Basically, your attitude shapes the world.

~ What are the rules for when/where Gold needs his cane? He needed it in Storybrooke even after bringing magic there, but he leaves it behind and seems to walk fine in Neverland.

~ Greg and Tamara unknowingly working for the Lost Boys doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering how much they supposedly relied on science to counteract magic. I would have preferred for them to be part of an actual network of people opposed to magic.

~ Tamara yells at Henry to run. Did she care about him on some level, despite killing his father?

~ Why does Henry immediately think he can trust the kid that pulled him out of the way? How does he know he isn’t also one of the Lost Boys?

~ Hook encouraging Emma, giving her Neal’s sword, and drinking to Neal’s memory is so sweet. He may deny being sentimental, but he does feel deeply, and he is sensitive to others’ (or at least Emma’s) feelings.

~ Hook’s answer about how long Baelfire was with him is suitably ambiguous, since this show likes to play with time, sometimes glossing over long periods, sometimes inserting stories within stories.

~ Everyone is so out of sync, each following their own ideas for defense against the mermaids. I feel bad for Hook trying to keep his ship steady while his new crewmates just add to the chaos!

~ How would catching mermaids in a net help? They shouldn’t want them on board!

~ Mulan and Neal’s scene feels like it’s more about her than about him. We already know what he did and why he did it, since he explained it two episodes earlier.

~ Those slow-motion shots when the waves crash on the ship are pretty cool!

~ How does Neal know about Rumplestiltskin’s castle? They never lived there when they were together. Did he learn about it from Henry’s book?

~ For someone who hated magic, Neal seems quite adept at detecting it and figuring out ways to use it.

~ Emma and Hook working together at the helm!

~ (Spoiler:) All the talk about outrunning a storm comes to a head in the lyrics of “A Happy Beginning”!

~ The weather-emotion symbolism may be heavy-handed, but honestly, the fights that break out make sense for who the characters are. Snow vs. Regina, David vs. Hook—they all have bad history, and in a crisis, stress can unleash bottled-up emotions.

~ Getting to fly must be such a dream come true for Henry!

~ Emma finally takes a leap of faith, signifying a turning point in her story. And although she says she blames her parents, and the recurring theme in Neverland is that she feels like an orphan, she trusts her parents to save her.

~ Hook is so quick-thinking and pragmatic, and willing to cooperate with the guy he was just fighting, when Emma is in danger.

~ Rumple is self-parodying now!

~ Neal and Rumple both come across items that had to do with both themselves and their fathers.

~ The interior of Rumple’s cabinet looks like it’s decorated with roses!

~ Hook raises his brow at Emma when she says they’ve been at each other’s throats; thankfully, she owns up to her part right away.

~ As they follow the heroes, Hook gives Regina a look as if to say “Oh, what the hell?” or “I’m game.”

~ “It’s so much easier to get people to hate something than to believe.” True words, even though they’re from Pan.

~ What happened to the freaking mermaid?! I’m going to assume that after the storm calmed they turned her back to flesh and set her free.

~ That last scene, with the Lost Boys coming out and surrounding Henry, is pretty terrifying cliffhanger. It lets us imagine the worst, but the following episodes make it seem like they haven’t done much to harm or frighten Henry.

~ This might be one of the best episodes of the show!

Episode 3x02 “Lost Girl”

~ It’s really cool to see so many characters—Emma, Snow, David, Regina, and Hook—share so many scenes. It’s a balancing act for the writing and directing, and it gives the actors plenty of opportunities for their characters to play off each other, in both old and new ways.

~ Emma may have declared herself the leader, but she backs up Hook as their guide, showing great trust in him. This is impressive considering how mistrustful she has been toward him and how untrustworthy he has been toward everyone.

~ Snow’s insistence that “It is never too late” doesn’t really make sense in this kind of context. They could quite plausibly reach Henry after he’s been hurt or killed. But Snow seems to take it back at the end, when she says they found Emma too late.

~ I had forgotten/not realized that Snow’s identity is questioned as much as Emma’s, Hook’s, and Gold’s in this part of the series. In the flashback storyline, she is told not to deny who she is, just like Emma in the present struggles with admitting who she is. While she cannot hear the children’s cries—probably because she knew her parents loved her, and she was practically grown when her father died—she did lose her parents and her home, so she is a type of lost girl.

~ Leaving the campsite to investigate the eerie children’s cries alone is not a smart move.

~ David says “Just name your price” way too easily, as if he doesn’t know how great the price of Rumplestiltskin’s deals can be. He should know better by now.

~ Hook and Regina both call Emma by her first name, something they rarely do. It makes sense that it would be when she’s wrestling with her identity, though I’m not sure it was intentional.

~ Emma’s voice is so flat and emotionless when she admits that she is the Savior. (Spoiler: Her proclamation at the end of season 6 is a huge contrast to this!)

~ Did Hook already know about Emma being the Savior, or did he follow up her admission with questions about what that means?

~ As much as I love Belle, the vision of her that Gold sees in Neverland is really weird. Did they just want to find a way to include Emilie de Ravin, keeping her part of the regular cast? Or was it so Gold would have a character to play off of as he wrestles with his demons? In a way, she is still serving as an angel/devil on his shoulder.

~ Hook mentions “what [he] did to Rufio”! Interesting way to allude to Hook. Since the Lost Boys are framed as villains in this version, it may not have played out the same way.

~ The moments where Pan and Regina simply call off their forces and leave their enemies alive doesn’t make sense. They have no reason to retreat. What was even the point of the battle with the Lost Boys?

~ The show never really delves into matters of governance and what makes someone a rightful ruler/leader. It is presumed that Snow and Charming were rightful because they were noble, heroic people.

~ I wondered why Snow was suddenly wearing an ostentatious necklace. It’s cruel of Rumplestiltskin to take that knowing it was her mother’s. Only, how did she have it at that point, after being driven out of her palace and living on the run for so long?

~ Hook actually hasn’t brought out the rum often up to now. The first time was to wash Emma’s cut, and the second time was to toast Neal. This is only the third time he offers it, but the first time Emma comments on it as a recurring thing.

~ Emma and Hook’s moments are natural and understated, and that’s great. They’re getting used to each other as teammates, and at the end he confirms that he wants to know her better. That last shot of Emma seems to be Hook’s point of view watching her walk away.

~ Appearance vs. reality is actually a theme throughout the episode. Hook warns that Pan looks like a boy but is really a demon. Snow thinks she has found Excalibur when it’s an ordinary sword. Gold has a vision of Belle. Emma and Snow’s identities are both questioned, along with David’s identity as shepherd/prince.

~ I hate the fake adventure/false confidence trope.

~ I like seeing David and the dwarves having tension. They may have helped Snow pursue him, but they really don’t know him, and it makes sense for them to be skeptical of him given how much Snow has put herself at risk because of him.

~ Despite what he has said about honesty being important in their relationship, David deceives Snow in both the past and present timelines of this episode.

Episode 3x03 “Quite a Common Fairy”

~ “You think you’re the diner at the feast, tasing the offerings: a little love, a little darkness. What you don’t realize is you are the feast, and the darkness has tasted you.” That’s an interesting metaphor!

~ Rumplestiltskin is the one who tells Regina that her rage is all she has.

~ Tinker Bell was the first person to give Regina a second chance!

~ Hook says David won’t see summer. Does that mean it’s springtime at this point (assuming Hook is referring to Land Without Magic time)?

~ Robin Hood and Neal also talk about second chances!

~ What did Tinker Bell mean for Regina to do? Have an affair, which could be considered treason for a royal consort? Forsake her responsibilities as queen, wife and stepmother?

~ Why is the Shadow still looking for believers at this point, after Henry has already been found? Does Pan still want to recruit Lost Boys anyway?

~ I want to see a whole series (or at least an arc) about Hook’s various adventures in Neverland, as it’s repeatedly hinted that he has quite a history with Tinker Bell, Pan, and the Lost Boys.

~ “Come with us to our camp,” as if they have one set up already?

~ It’s quite harsh of Tink to say that Regina ruined Robin’s life by not seeking him out. He ended up falling in love with Marian and having a child with her; that was pretty good. (Season spoiler: The way she really ruined his life was when she had Marian put to death.)

~ Why does Pan trust Tink? What is their relationship like? How did she even end up in Neverland?

~ Robin’s lion tattoo is probably a tribute to Richard the Lionheart!

Episode 3x04 “Nasty Habits”

~ Why does Rumple make and put on war paint? It’s true that he uses masks, but what is the practical purpose of making and wearing it?

~ Hook was probably the one who taught Baelfire/Neal to tie an overhand knot!

~ Baelfire was an artist, like Milah! He’s shown sketching as a boy, and the walls of his cave are covered with drawings. He drew the Darling family, their house, and the second star to the right; and he made a new version of Hook’s labels for port and starboard!

~ Baelfire in this episode acts more like Neal as we’ve seen him in adulthood.

~ Rumplestiltskin accurately predicts Belle leaving him someday

~ Regina smiles when he hears what happened to Greg

~ Hook acknowledges that Neal was Emma’s “partner in crime”

~ This may be Rumple and Neal’s first real father-son adventure. It seems a little too easy for them to get the squid ink after Rumple made it sound so impossible to get last season.

~ It seems a bit dissonant to see evidence of multiple points of Neal’s life that all had to do with Neverland

~ Charming insisting “I’m plenty hot”!

~ Hook throwing Charming’s own life philosophy back in his face is so ironic and interesting! But then Hook follows it up with “hope and reality are often worlds apart.”

~ Hook tries to be self-sufficient, lighting the torch on his own, and he looks so annoyed when David steps in to do it for him.

~ Part of Pan’s pipe tune sounds like “Hedwig’s Theme”

~ Strong Lord of the Flies and The Crucible vibes from the Lost Boys’ dancing

~ I’m impressed that Emma is the one to figure out how the star map works. Maybe she really does have a bit of pirate in her!

~ “This is a real family reunion.” The dramatic irony is that all four generations of men are in the same place, yet they don’t reveal it!

~ The irony that generational wisdom was passed from Pan to Neal and then to Emma, about never breaking in unless you have an escape plan.

~ Why can Henry now hear the music? What changed for him? Did his supposedly dreaming about Neal make him suddenly feel unloved?

Episode 3x05 “Good Form”

~ The teaser scene is a good way to show Henry getting more comfortable with the Lost Boys, but it doesn’t have much to do with Hook, and this episode is really focused on him.

~ Flashback Killian looks so incredibly happy when he sets out on his mission with his brother.

~ Snow watches Emma to see how she reacts to Hook’s flirting!

~ How many times does Hook call David “mate” in all? Seems a little too much.

~ Even Captain Liam Jones whoops in delight when the ship flies!

~ Killian used to tie his hair with a huge blue hairbow!

~ Killian expresses the hope that they’ll “never have to bury another sailor at sea,” but ends up adding to that number. Kind of like Frankenstein trying to reverse death and instead causing more of it.

~ Even Pan knows that Hook is good at surviving!

~ The cliff, rope and possibility of the person at the top killing the one climbing up give big Princess Bride vibes. When Hook says “You were supposed to wait,” I really expected David to reply “I hate waiting”!

~ It’s fitting that Regina’s chosen method of communicating with Henry is to use mirrors!

~ Henry using his sword to draw a home!

~ Why does Henry drop and break the mirror?! Keep that magical item, kid!

~ Charming’s triumphant musical motif when he’s healed!

~ Emma, Regina and Snow each pulling out their different weapons when they think an enemy is approaching is both funny and really cool!

~ Hook’s reaction after Emma kisses him = he is stunned! I agree with whoever posted the theory that that was the moment he realized he was actually falling for her.

~ The cut from his old crew cheering “Captain Jones” to Hook drinking alone is a striking contrast. He no longer has a crew following his lead, but he has true friends and allies and is willing to follow their lead.

~ Hook really is layered, in the sense that his actual motives are hard to figure out. At the end, there’s still ambiguity about how much of his good actions were because of his ideals of honor and how much were in an effort to win Emma’s favor.

~ Hook’s frequent tangling with poison is actually in keeping with Peter Pan, where he tries to poison a cake for the Lost Boys and Peter’s medicine.

Episode 3x06 “Ariel”

~ Did Snow lose consciousness when she jumped into the water, or was she resigned to drowning?

~ If Snow’s past experience with mermaids consisted of Ariel, she should have been more sympathetic to the ones that attacked Hook’s ship!

~ Regina trying to teach Emma about magic feels like a sudden development, and isn’t explored for the rest of the episode. There’s been no discussion of Emma’s abilities since coming to Neverland.

~ Hook, Snow, and David’s conversation about the nature of secrets turns out to be setup for what they have to do later!

~ It makes sense for Snow to blurt out the truth: she gave away Regina’s secret as a child, and lying is pretty against her nature. It would probably be even harder to attempt to lie to her daughter, who is already a pretty mistrustful person.

~ Flashback Snow affirms Ariel’s believe in love at first sight, but she herself denounced that as a reality when she met Charming.

~ Rumple got rid of his war paint

~ Why do Pan and Rumple say that Pan can only die if Rumple also dies? How does that work?

~ Pan foreshadows Rumple and Belle having a child! But how does he know what she looks like? And Peter Pan, boy of eternal youth, talking about a woman’s fertility, while eating eggs, is just weird.

~ So above-the-knee skirts are acceptable formalwear in Eric’s kingdom? Is that just so Ariel can show off the fact that she has legs? And is that a tail on Snow’s dress? Where did they even get these fancy outfits—did they steal, or use Ariel’s shipwreck treasures to buy or barter?

~ Did Snow give Ariel some dance lessons before they crashed the ball?

~ The dancing and talking scene is so awkward, as everyone else is watching while they discuss such personal matters.

~ There’s some irony in Regina being the one to save Rumple from an imposter, when she herself impersonates someone else in this episode.

~ “Happy endings always start with hope.” That’s Snow White’s philosophy in its simplest form.

~ “I can’t ask him to give up his dream for someone he just met.” Isn’t Eric asking her to leave behind her life for him?

~ Snow’s attitude about being open to love is fleshed out more in her conversation with Ariel than with Emma: “Even if you get hurt, you’ll know you tried.”

~ Making Regina the Ursula stand-in is weird. Lana Parilla does a fine job imitating the animated villain’s way of speaking and moving, but story-wise, it’s just weird.

~ The confrontation between Regina and Snow on the dock doesn’t make sense. Regina turning Snow into a mermaid in order to kill her more easily … just doesn’t make sense when she’s sitting on a dock. Snow could have jumped into the water and caused Regina to lose her trail.

~ I have to admit, though: Ariel using the fork as a weapon is great!

~ Hook only has a few scenes in this episode, but he shows so much emotion and character in those moments focused on him! He is so uncomfortable, yet resigned, about sharing his feelings about Emma with the group. Then, he looks so concerned and sad watching Neal hug Emma, while Snow is happy, and David is probably trying to decide whether he likes Neal or Hook better as a potential match for his daughter. And when he overhears Neal and Emma, you can see in his face and the cinematography that this is when he really starts to view him as a rival.

~ I want to know what happened when Neal crossed the rock bridge and faced Hook, Snow, and David. He’s barely interacted with Emma’s parents, but they know how much Emma and Henry care about him; and it his first face-to-face meeting with Hook since he was a kid. (Hook was unconscious when Neal saw him in New York, and Hook had just tried to kill his father, so it wasn’t much of a reunion.) How did they greet each other?

Episode 3x07 “Dark Hollow”

~ This is another episode that doesn’t use flashbacks, except at the very beginning to fill in a gap.

~ There are scattered references to believing in this episode, without much of a consistent theme: Mother Superior encourages Belle to believe in herself; Snow tells Charming he didn’t believe in their love; and Regina questions Gold’s belief in Belle.

~ The Darling brothers’ car has a teddy bear keychain hanging from the rearview mirror!

~ Hook and David are both feeling so awkward, as Hook has become a third wheel/part of a love triangle and David is being shunned by his wife.

~ The dwarves make a good point! Trouble seems to follow Snow and Charming like a magnet.

~ The Hook and Neal scene is so awkwardly written. Why does Hook throw it out there? And “dalliance,” while suitably old-fashioned, sounds like it could mean so much more than just a kiss. Did he really not realize Neal didn’t know? Or did he want to make Neal jealous?

~ “You came to Neverland on a pirate ship through a portal, but you draw the line at a magic coconut?” “Fair enough.” Indeed!

~ Ariel says “Look at this stuff!”

~ Considering that the show’s main theme is hope, it’s odd that they don’t talk about that aspect of the myth of Pandora when they introduce her box as a magical item.

~ It makes sense that after the secrets were shared in the previous episode, their repercussions need to be worked out in this one.

~ Neal’s reaction to Hook keeping and passing on his cutlass is the same as Emma’s: “I didn’t know you were sentimental.” He totally is, he just doesn’t want to admit it!

~ Emma and Hook’s scene is excellent! Honesty looks good on him, and gratitude looks good on her. He shows faith in her abilities. As serious as he is, he shows his arrogance in his certainty that he’ll win her heart, and he shows his lightheartedness at the end.

~ Ariel closes the door on their way out of Gold’s shop, but it seems to be open when they pass by it.

~ Snow’s declaration to David has so much emotion—anger as well as love, which is an unusual combination.

~ Snow and Charming’s theme sounds so sad when they hug.

~ Why does Hook ask about how to ignite the candle? Does he not have some method of starting fires, like flint, or his hook?

~ Ariel asks “Who is she?” as if the men’s sister must be someone known to them.

~ It’s sad that Baelfire sacrificed himself to prevent the Darling family from being torn apart, only for that to happen anyway. Wendy went back to look for him, and John and Michael must have spent some time there since they're still young men.

~ I still wish Greg and Tamara’s network had actually been dedicated to destroying magic. Then John and Michael’s involvement would have made a lot more sense.

~ Looks like Pan could have let Wendy live in relative comfort in that treehouse furnished like her old nursery, but instead he keeps her in a cage just because.

~ “It wasn’t the lighter we were fighting over.” Actually, they were, since Emma was the one who lit the candle!

~ Emma’s reprimand of the two men makes sense. Just a few days earlier, Neal was engaged to someone else, and then she thought he was dead; and Hook alternated between enemy and fair-weather ally. They have had no time to think or talk about what their relationships will be like when the crisis is over. Emma is nowhere near ready to “choose” either of them.

~ How does Tinker Bell knowing Baelfire/Neal fit in with her storyline with Regina? He was there a century or two before the curse was cast, but Tinker Bell only lost her wings about a decade or two before it was cast. Did she live in or visit Neverland even before losing her wings?

~ How long did Regina and Gold wait for Ariel on the beach? Her journeys and her adventure in Storybrooke must have taken her hours, possibly a whole day and/or night.

Episode 3x08 “Think Lovely Thoughts”

~ They did a good job casting an adult who looks like Pan and a child who looks like Rumple/Gold!

~ Why does Rumple have a Scottish accent when his father has an English accent?

~ Rumple’s father teaching him about the power of names!

~ Emma is the one who says “Family means being together!”

~ So when Baelfire got a bean to take him and his father to another land to be a family, history was repeating itself!

~ So apparently Hook told Emma about his brother at some point offscreen. I would have loved to see that conversation.

~ Rumple/Gold calling someone a coward is such a pot-calling-kettle-black move!

~ Emma’s reaction to Rumple/Gold agreeing to something just because Neal asks is great

~ David throwing Hook a knife and saying, “Here, in case your good looks fail you” is quick but hilarious!

~ Neal saying his father abandoned him, in front of his father, hits so much harder when you know Rumple’s father did the same to him!

~ If the Shadow predates Peter Pan, what is its origin?

~ Skull Rock is such an obvious Underworld—not only is it full of skulls and an hourglass, traditional symbols of death, but they also have to cross water in a boat to get to it, like Charon!

~ That musical buildup as Rumple/Gold enters Skull Rock is different from the score’s usual style, and it sounds epic!

~ Pan and Rumple are actually the same type of person: they consider themselves weak as they are (which may cause self-fulfilling prophecy), so they gather magic to make themselves feel powerful.

~ Pan shedding the responsibility of fatherhood is actually in keeping with J. M. Barrie’s story, where he wants to stop play-acting as the Lost Boys’ father.

~ Pan’s formerly Scottish accent comes out when he says “just as we planned”!

~ Why aren’t the spinsters who raised Rumple given names? Why are they never mentioned? They gave him a decent home and taught him a trade; they were the closest thing he had to family until he married Milah.

~ It is strange and unsettling to have a place of death set in a place of eternal youth.

~ “Any rule can be broken” = Pan’s life motto, and possibly a big influence on Rumple

~ This is when Regina and Emma really face the consequences of lying to Henry in the past

Episode 3x09 “Save Henry”

~ Why does Regina’s preservation spell have a time limit? For Daniel it endured for years.

~ Emma finding her identity as a mother in Neverland and becoming a mother-figure to the Lost Boys is so much like Wendy in Peter Pan!

~ It is so sweet to see Regina and Henry’s first meeting!

~ Hook pulling Felix down when he stands up to Emma says so much!

~ What story was Regina going to tell Henry on her first try? She is cut off after “there was …”

~ Dr. Whale confirms that Henry always had a strong heart!

~ I’m surprised Regina would let Snow White, the person she hates most, hold Henry, the one she loves most!

~ The hospital seems to be bustling with pediatric patients. Were they there during the whole curse?

~ Gold supposedly didn’t remember his old identity until he heard Emma’s name; but he really does act as if he knows what he did when Regina confronts him.

~ When the baby isn’t crying and the camera shows a good view of his face, he really does look like kid Henry!

~ Although Regina’s motherly love shines through in this episode, she shows that she still lacks remorse for her past wrongdoings. In her view, they were worthwhile because they led to her adopting Henry.

~ It seems a bit too easy for Regina to take Henry’s heart back from Pan.

~ Do the mothers just leave Pan on the ground? Why don’t Emma and/or Regina try to kill him, or capture him in Pandora’s box then?

~ Hook calls Henry the guest of honor! And gives him the captain’s quarters! That’s their first direct interaction, instead of just watching each other interact with the others, and it’s wonderful!

~ I’m extremely surprised that they would leave Henry alone. Even if there was really nothing to fear, I would expect at least one of his three parents to want to sit up with him.

~ What made Neal change his attitude toward Rumple/Gold? Was it learning that Pan was his father and had abandoned him as a child?

~ What does Rumple/Gold mean when he says “Blood magic works both ways”? Did Regina’s protection spell involve blood magic?

~ Gold telling Regina that she raised her son well is such unexpected praise from her teacher!

~ Who is the “bo’sun” that Hook calls out to? David? Neal?

~ David revisits Emma’s speech at the start of the season, and expresses, without explicitly saying it, just how proud he is of her becoming a leader and uniter of people.

~ Tinker Bell is absent this whole episode until her scene with Wendy on the Jolly Roger. Their interaction is sweet, but it raises a lot of questions: Did Wendy and her brothers ever interact with Hook and/or Tink during her time in Neverland?

~ (Season spoiler:) Neal is so sweet telling Henry that he has a dad, and always will; but it’s hard to swallow that if you know who Henry really is and what happens to Neal.

~ Jared Gilmore does such a good job of playing Pan, it’s scary!

~ Seeing the beginning of Regina’s relationship with Henry makes their interactions in the next two episodes even more heart-wrenching!

Episode 3x10 “The New Neverland”

~ Ariel and Belle look like they coordinated their outfits to be reverse colors.

~ Eric chopping fish as a nod to “Le Poisson” is funny, but how does he feel about Ariel being a mermaid?

~ Snow and Ariel reunited! I’m glad they showed that, even though there was no dialogue.

~ I was wondering where Wendy got that bathrobe/dressing gown; a while later I realized, it is the same one Baelfire wore when the Shadow abducted him and Hook rescued him! Either Hook must have kept it on his ship all those years, or Baelfire must have left it in his cave and got it back during this trip. Either way, one of them must have offered it to Wendy during the journey back!

~ What happened to all the Lost Boys that came to Storybrooke? Where did they stay that night? Did Emma and the others keep their promise to find them homes? Did some of them go to England with the Darlings? Or do they become vagrants in the Enchanted Forest after the next curse?

~ Good on Snow for giving Regina credit in front of everyone. She didn’t do that after returning from the Enchanted Forest.

~ David does the same thing in this episode’s past and present storylines: encourages the women he loves not to lose the joy of the present moment due to fear of the future.

~ Hook looks so sad and wistful watching Emma with Henry. He may act nonchalant with Neal, but he is really sad about the decision he is making.

~ Hook deciding to back off and let Emma and Neal have a chance, for Henry’s sake, is significant because it’s the opposite of what he did when he and Milah fell in love. He didn’t care about taking her away from her child and his father. Hook is trying to do right by Henry, as he did not do for Baelfire.

~ Earlier in the season, Emma said she couldn’t think about herself and the men who love her because they needed to focus on saving Henry; but even now that Henry is safe, she says she can’t think about herself because of what he just went through.

~ Why was Medusa living in the Enchanted Forest, rather than Greece or some equivalent? Are there other gorgons, as David refers to her, in their land?

~ Did they make a reference to The Lightning Thief when David talks about sending Medusa’s head in a box?

~ David saying he knew what he was getting himself into, after the way he fell in love with Snow on an adventure, is pretty sweet, and reassuring!

~ Neal sitting by himself is made more awkward by the fact that he’s behind Emma’s parents and across from his father and almost-stepmother.

~ David and Emma finally have a good father-daughter moment, full of parental wisdom and free of crisis or tragedy!

~ How can the Blue Fairy be (seemingly) killed so easily? Does she have no defensive magic?

~ David mentions Frederick! That’s a nice callback to a minor character.

~ If Pan and Henry switched bodies, they should be speaking with each other’s accents, not their own. Henry, at least, wouldn’t be speaking with a different accent; Pan would try to imitate his.

~ Snow and David talk about having a child in both the past and the present! The flashback carries such a poignant message, and is relatable to any parent or potential parent who has worried about raising a child in a world with so much suffering. And Snow is right about how they’ll always have someone or something threatening them.

~ Neal, Hook, and Tink could be their own trio! They’re all Neverland veterans, and apparently they all knew each other long ago.

~ Emma’s conversation with Snow and David is a nice contrast against their conversation at the start of the season. She is more patient and respectful toward them, and even affirms that they are good parents, even though she disagrees with them.

~ What Emma says about being the Savior sums up her attitude across the series. At this point, she more or less accepts her identity as the Savior and the responsibility that comes with that role; but in the second half of this season, after she has a taste life without that responsibility, she keeps trying to run away from it.

Episode 3x11 “Going Home”

~ The structure of this episode works differently than any other thus far: instead of one storyline told through flashbacks, it’s more like a series of vignette flashbacks. This spreads the focus across the whole cast of characters: the Charmings, Hook and Tink, Henry, Rumple and Belle, and finally Emma. It feels fitting for a mid-series finale.

~ Peter Pan calling something “child’s play” is a strange choice of words.

~ If Pan is telling the truth about never loving Rumple, then his appeal to him at Skull Rock was all a lie.

~ (Spoiler:) Tinker Bell talks about the Black Fairy, who apparently was exiled by the Blue Fairy.

~ Tinker Bell’s storyline really doesn’t line up with everyone else’s. Flashback Hook speaks as though they just learned about the dagger from Baelfire, but Tink says she lost her wings a long time ago, which would place the scene sometime after Regina became queen, only a few years or a decade or so before the Dark Curse was cast.

~ It’s interesting to see a battle in a church. For one thing, the shadow tries to get through stained glass windows. For another, the name Killian means “church,” and this is one of his more heroic moments!

~ David is the one who pulls Hook back to safety!

~ This might have been Neal’s first direct (onscreen) interaction with the Blue Fairy since she gave him that bean when he was a child. But they were in the same scene when August became Pinocchio again. Did she recognize him then?

~ Possible inconsistency: In Episode 2x19 Hook said Cora gave him the cuff, but now Pan says he made it.

~ How and when did Gold get the cuff from Greg and Tamara before they went to Neverland? By the time they all found out the truth about them, he was too distraught by the news of Neal’s death. And the cuff disappeared from Regina when the Blue Fairy healed her.

~ (Spoiler Alert:) Knowing that the Black Fairy is Rumple’s mother makes his use of her wand to defeat his father more ironic.

~ “Your happy ending may not be what you expect, but that is what will make it so special.” That is so true of real life!

~ So, since Ruby is inexplicably absent (I’m guessing the actress didn’t want to keep coming back), they have Granny use her wolf senses instead?

~ I don’t like the device of simply freezing everyone. It feels like a weak excuse so they can see the important interaction but not be able to intervene. And it takes away the actors’ ability to react openly. But you can see Belle reacting slightly to Rumple, realizing what is about to happen.

~ It seriously seemed like Rumple was going to cut off his own hand, which would have ben both an echo of his self-harm during the Ogre Wars and his amputation of Hook’s hand.

~ Rumple talks about wanting to give Baelfire/Neal a chance at happiness, but that was never really his priority. He wanted to find him so he could apologize and try to start over.

~ I was wondering where Rumple’s dagger and shadow were! Nice way to bring that back. Although I still don’t understand why Pan’s death required Rumple’s death.

~ This may be reading too much into a running gag, but Grumpy announcing “It’s here” whenever a curse approaches kind of makes sense for his character: his pessimistic personality has him watching for any approaching danger or impending doom.

~ Hook jokes about preparing their souls for death, and how his will take some time (spoiler: ironic knowing about the Underworld arc)!

~ When Regina is explaining the curse to Emma, there are two brief cuts to Hook, where you can see him reacting to the news that he has to be separated from Emma and possibly never see her again.

~ Couldn’t Hook and Neal also have escaped the new curse, since they weren’t victims of the first one? Did they decide to return to their realm just so they wouldn’t lose their memories? Or did they not want to force Emma to choose between them in that moment?

~ Emma’s second chance with Henry is such a “be careful what you wish for” moment. She is getting the kind of life she spoke about in the previous episode and the start of this one, a life free from the responsibility of being the Savior; but the price is being away from the rest of her family and friends, and that devastates her.

~ The shot of the smoke overclouding the storybook!

~ It looks like Emma and Henry had to leave behind everything—even the belongings she has always held onto, like her baby blanket.

~ Emma and Henry seem pretty well-to-do in their new lives. Does she have more money now?

~ From the end of this episode through the rest of the season, Hook now serves as the prophet, just as Henry was in Season 1, calling Emma back to her true identity and relationship with her family and kingdom.

Episode 3x12 “New York City Serenade”

~ This episode has so many callbacks to the pilot episode that then diverge from how that one went: opening shots of a rider in a hurry, only for it to be a non-emergency; Emma meeting a man in a restaurant, only for it to be a steady boyfriend rather than a stranger.

~ Why is David back in his bloodstained shirt from the day the first curse was cast, while the others have new outfits?

~ The curse was also a “be careful what you wish for” moment for Snow and David, since they had been talking about returning to the Enchanted Forest, yet when they return Snow is so dejected when she says, “We’re back.”

~ “Emma Swan always gets her man.” We’ll see if that holds true!

~ Since Hook and Emma didn’t meet until after she broke the first curse, it’s interesting to see him interact with her as an unbeliever. He’s in the same situation as Henry, Jefferson and August in Season 1. His words sound very much like The Matrix.

~ It can’t have been very long since Snow and Aurora last saw each other, maybe two months or so. How did Aurora and Philip defeat the ogres and “take back the kingdom” so quickly?

~ The dialogue is a little clunky in an effort to impart information about the time skip, like Emma’s reason for moving to New York and her first date with Walsh.

~ Adding characters like Tamara and Walsh, to who try to ensnare the heroes with romance, may seem like mere soap opera drama, but it actually is in keeping with fairy tales involving a true spouse and a false spouse. Some examples are Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, or Una and Duessa in The Faerie Queene. For a biblical example, it’s like the metaphor of Israel forsaking their relationship with God to pursue love with pagan gods/nations, who end up causing harm and destruction. It takes a prophet to remind them of their past relationship and call them back to it.

~ David and Snow are so disappointed that Hook is leaving! Despite their rocky start, after their week together in Neverland, they really saw him as a friend.

~ (Spoiler:) Hook is so emphatic about the Jolly Roger being his home and his need to find it! That speaks volumes to his actions during the time skip and what is revealed in the season finale.

~ Neal may have suffered the greatest loss out of any of them: he lost his father, lover, and son all in the same day.

~ Henry is so sweet, but his attitude is almost the opposite of how he was in Season 1. Instead of insisting that something is wrong in his life, he chides Emma for always looking for something wrong.

~ Emma’s dilemma in this episode is a relatable one: whether to stay where she is, in her comfortable life, or leave it for something that is more difficult but also more true and satisfying.

~ Hook has seen Emma take a literal leap of faith, at the start of this season, so it makes sense that he would be hopeful about her doing it again.

~ Emma chaining Hook by the wrist and him calling “Swan!” is just like during their beanstalk adventure!

~ Belle persists in hoping that Rumple can come back!

~ Regina refers to “our castle” so soon after David and Snow talked about whether it was hers or theirs!

~ Who are the mounted knights riding with the others?

~ Hook’s expression when she says he hasn’t changed = she is wrong, and has no idea how much! I think in that moment, he considers telling her about what he did to find her, but then decides against it.

~ “There was nothing for me in the Enchanted Forest. Why would I stay?” The implication of his words, with such a long, serious gaze, is clear: he had nothing without Emma.

~ It’s no wonder Hook pours another for himself: he has to sit and wait while Emma talks to the man she now loves.

~ Emma asks Henry to give Hook a hand! Pun intended?

~ Emma taking her red jacket makes sense, because it is pretty much the only thing she still owns that she had during her time in Storybrooke.

~ The part when Emma sees Mary Margaret is so well directed and shot! And that maternity outfit is so cute!

Episode 3x13 “Witch Hunt”

~ That may be the longest teaser yet: three separate scenes before the title card!

~ In the season 2 finale, it was revealed that Blue Fairy/Mother Superior had figured out how to make a remembering potion, using a hair from Pinocchio’s head. Why could she not do that for Henry to restore his memories? Did it only work for victims of the curse with double lives? At this point, Henry practically has the same situation, with fake memories of a normal life.

~ David smiles proudly when Mary Margaret says—not untruthfully—that she committed banditry!

~ So, this curse made Regina the mayor again?

~ Regina using magic to lift rocks = Star Wars tribute!

~ Who was in on the fact that Emma and Regina’s fight was fake? Did Leroy/Grumpy, Belle, Archie and the others know?

~ Is throwing her drinking glass at the mirror just Regina’s usual way of dealing with anger?

~ It’s funny that Regina is the one who thinks to make Leroy/Grumpy the town crier!

~ This episode kind of plays with how (over)dramatic the characters can be. Emma, Regina, and Leroy/Grumpy all play up their usual roles in order to deceive the townsfolk.

~ I wish we saw more of David, Hook, and Robin working together. As the romantic interests of the show’s three main characters, they’re probably the three most famous, heroic, and romantic male characters in this show!

~ I also wish we saw more of the Merry Men as a group. And why is Mulan not with them? I know she comes back later, so her absence is probably explained away, but just how brief was her stay with them?

~ So, do flying monkey bites work the same way as werewolf and vampire bites? If you’re bitten you become one?

~ “She couldn’t be prouder of you.” Regina is talking about herself, not Emma!

~ In an odd way, Regina and Henry are going through what Emma and her parents have been going through: they’re physically together, but emotionally distant, because at least one party does not know/remember their previous relationship.

~ The way Regina talks about the Wicked Witch and Hook refers to Emma as the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming makes me wonder how aware all the Enchanted Forest characters are of the fact that they are considered fictional characters in the Land Without Magic.

~ Rumple/Gold is back where he was at the start of the series, insane and locked in a cage.

~ How long was Zelena in the castle? What was she waiting around for? She had no way of knowing Regina would return from the Land Without Magic.

Episode 3x14 “The Tower”

~ It feels fitting to have an episode focused on David/Charming’s feelings about fatherhood. Mary Margaret/Snow is generally a more central character than him, so she has had more screen time with Emma, and her feelings about motherhood were explored when she and Emma were stranded in the Enchanted Forest together. Also, one of David’s primary characteristics is his “fearless bravery,” so it is very humanizing to see him wrestle with his emotions as he faces a future he cannot control.

~ In the dream sequence, Emma says “You found me,” just like Snow and Charming always say to each other, but it feels totally different.

~ Did Charming pick up Hook’s drinking habit?!

~ How did Robin actually help Regina break into the castle? He hardly did anything, just accompanied her.

~ “Speak of the handsome devil” sounds more fitting for Rumple or Hook, or even Zelena, Regina or Cora. Even what Zelena then says, that she’s there to make their lives “as easy as possible,” sounds like a devil’s temptation.

~ It is strange for them to hire someone they barely know, when they know someone in the town is the Wicked Witch.

~ Did Zelena actually know Johanna, or was that just a lie to get her in Snow’s good graces?

~ I love Emma and Hook’s music motif!

~ It feels weird to have a classic fairy tale play out post-curse, for a character who is aware of the Land Without Magic.

~ The Wicked Witch owns a bicycle!

~ The whole conflict centered around fear is reminiscent of Frozen—and David actually shouts “Let it go” to Rapunzel!

~ Charming saying they should build a nursery at the end of the episode shows so much growth from when he saw it in his dream! It’s an act of faith that their child will be alright and that they’ll be together.

~ Regina seems pleased when they find out Rumplestiltskin is alive!

Episode 3x15 “Quiet Minds”

~ It sounds as though Hook and Neal had a chance to talk in the Enchanted Forest, and that Neal expressed his ideas, even before Hook’s departure and Neal’s conversation with Snow and Charming. I wonder if Hook asked Neal to go with him to find the Jolly Roger?!

~ So, Rumple/Gold can run now? What happened to his limp?

~ It’s nice to see Snow and Emma finally interact directly with Belle, and actually look supportive of her relationship with Gold.

~ The fact that Emma can communicate a request to Hook just with a look, and that he understands and grants it, says a lot about how much they understand each other. It is a pretty big request, for him to help Belle and Rumple/Gold given his history with them. (Spoiler: His apology to Belle is so flippant here, I’m glad to know he gives a better, sincere one later on.)

~ It’s nice to see Neal and Belle finally spend some time together. They never really got a proper introduction, since she was suffering from amnesia and false memories when he arrived in Storybrooke.

~ It is ironic that Baelfire/Neal, who was so determined to rid his father of the darkness and magic, is now willing to use darkness and magic. This episode shows him doing some of the same things his father did, going to extreme lengths for his son’s sake.

~ Belle says Neal and Emma had “true love.”

~ Emma saying “We’re not in Manhattan anymore” = a twist on the line from The Wizard of Oz?

~ The idea of Leroy/Grumpy (and presumably the other dwarves) taking Henry fishing is cute!

~ That book looks beautiful, not “befitting the Dark One.”

~ This is the first episode since Season One that goes into the lore of the Dark One. Why are Belle and Neal not curious about how Lumiere knows so much about it?

~ Is Regina’s blue scarf significant? It’s such a bold color, which is rare for her.

~ Why is Robin near the farmhouse? Was he tracking the Wicked Witch on his own, or did the heroes give him an update?

~ Neal wanting Henry to know who he is may seem presumptuous, but kind of makes sense, because Neal knows what it’s like to think your father abandoned you. He wouldn’t want Henry to feel the way he felt.

~ Emma asking Hook to stay with Neal is kind of a big deal! They never resolved their complicated triangle of relationships.

~ I love Hook and Neal’s conversation! They’re finally seeing each other as friends again.

~ Belle and Neal talking about having the courage to die for one’s family … such sad foreshadowing!

~ David is the first one to get Emma to admit that she hopes she and Henry can go back to their lives in New York.

~ Why is it that Gold can hear multiple voices, but not Neal?

~ Regina has challenged the label of “Evil Queen," but here she says “The name served me well.”

~ I generally like Robin Hood, but he is way too quick to act all romantic with Regina. At that point, he barely knows her, and if he truly knows her reputation, how can he say the stories were exaggerated?

~ This is the first time Belle comments on what Rumple did by making the Dark Curse. She refers to it as a “mistake,” because it “condemned countless people to misery.” But it did reunite him with his son, so it kind of makes sense that Neal would have the same recklessness seeking a way back to his own son.

~ Emma and Neal laughing over their similarly failed love affairs is pretty funny. It’s the first time we’ve seen them really relax around each other since they reunited at this stage in their lives.

~ “I just want you to be happy, even if it isn’t with me.” For all his immaturity at times, Neal really does love Emma and want what’s best for her, regardless of whether he is part of that.

~ “You can’t hang on to both.” That is Rumple/Gold’s conflict in a nutshell, torn between his love of power and his love of his son.

~ Rumple/Gold actually taught his son something good, the power of sacrifice. But since that cost him his life, Gold probably regretted imparting that lesson. (Spoiler: Maybe that contributed to his character regression?)

~ The characters learning Zelena’s identity as the Wicked Witch would have been more impactful if it were also when it was revealed to the audience.

~ Cutting from Gold mourning his son to Robin Hood playing with his son is really effective!

~ That whole montage is almost as emotional as the actual death scene, and helps to show how the cast really is like an extended family. Regina now realizes she has a chance at new love, both romantic and maternal. Snow and Charming comfort Belle and Hook, who they’re not exactly related to but both had connections with Rumple/Gold and Neal.

Episode 3x16 “It’s Not Easy Being Green”

~ This episode’s title is way too silly in contrast with the serious opening. Neal’s burial is so beautifully solemn, as everyone who had a connection to him helps to bury him. The only thing I don’t like is the presence of random extras; why not just have some of the dwarves or other recognizable friends there instead?

~ The cut between the first shovelful and Rumple’s underground cage is so effective!

~ Emma and Hook’s conversation is one of their best. It starts out with their usual quips, but it then becomes quite serious, talking about vengeance and grief, and then offering and accepting great help and great responsibility. It’s not at all flirtatious, and not a word is said about Emma’s feelings or relationships with either Hook or Neal. It’s more like Emma and Hook have reached the point of trusting each other and being comfortable enough to confide, advise, and help each other.

~ What did Tinker Bell do after returning to the Enchanted Forest, and what does she do after being pulled back to Storybrooke? Did the Blue Fairy reinstate her, or whatever was needed for her to serve as a fairy again? Does she live with the nuns now?

~ This is the second time a character in this show has said “prophesized,” when I think the correct verb is actually “prophesied.”

~ I think the revelation about Zelena’s relationship to Cora and Regina would have been more impactful if it took place in this episode, rather than at the start of this half-season. When they meet in the Enchanted Forest, Regina does not have much of an emotional reaction, and the audience does not relate to the characters’ reactions in the moment because it’s been known for a while.

~ They’ve mostly stuck to the Hollywood version of The Wizard of Oz (which is annoying to a book nerd like me), but they take the silver color of the shoes from the book.

~ How did Rumplestiltskin not know about Zelena? He has the gift of foresight, and he knew that Cora’s daughter would be the one to cast his Dark Curse.

~ Why would Rumple tell Zelena about the Curse he plans to cast? He never seems to have told Regina. In fact, Regina traded it to Maleficent for the Sleeping Curse, as shown in the pilot episode.

~ “I don’t think that a sleeping curse would be good for the baby.” No kidding!!

~ What is with all the creepy closeups of Zelena, and of Rumple/Gold when they interact?

~ Why would Robin be so bold as to ask to read Regina’s letter, which she clearly is upset about? They barely know each other, why would he expect her to confide in him?

~ It’s so good to finally see Hook and Henry interact! Up until this half of the season, they had barely even spoken to each other.

~ It is way past sundown when Zelena goes to the town square for the showdown.

~ Zelena being in the clock tower seems like a nod to Wicked!

~ Why does Zelena bother with flying on a broomstick when she can just teleport?

~ Regina seems to be branching out in her wardrobe by adding vivid, bright-colored accessories. In the last episode it was a deep blue scarf. In this one it’s red gloves. Is this a sign that she is growing out of her Evil Queen persona?

Episode 3x17 “The Jolly Roger”

~ They totally stole the idea of a fake army in a road robbery from BBC’s Robin Hood!

~ This is the first time we’ve seen Hook in armor!

~ “This is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it.” Sounds like something a Jedi or martial arts master would say to their pupil. But Emma’s reply, “Not a problem,” gives a kind of false impression: she is only willing to improve and embrace her magical skills as a means to an end, not as a way of life.

~ The light reflecting off the water shines around Hook, making it look like he’s surrounded by light! Coincidence? Possibly, but still quite symbolic!

~ Hook saying “my reasons” when Emma and Henry are framed by him and Mr. Smee = they are both of his reasons!

~ Hook gets so serious and heated when he hears news of the Jolly Roger. He really does care passionately about his ship. But Smee is also onto something: what Hook says about the ship is also how he feels about Emma being gone from him.

~ Hook and Henry’s little exchange about cheating says a lot about what Hook is wrestling with in this episode! He could get away with nobody knowing about how he betrayed Ariel, but he chooses to come clean.

~ Blackbeard hardly has any beard to speak of!

~ Hook actually says he’ll “never give up the Jolly Roger without a fight”! If only he knew.

~ The shadows on the sail while they’re fighting are a clear reference to Disney’s Peter Pan!

~ If Hook and his ship were outside of the curse when it was cast, how did his spyglass end up in Gold’s shop?

~ Why would Eric being underwater necessarily mean he was dead? Isn’t it possible that he could have found a way to be underwater, just as she found a way to be on land?

~ The way Zelena wants Hook to remove Emma’s powers is really twisted in itself: it would be a kiss of betrayal.

~ Why did Zelena send Walsh to seduce Emma eight months before the curse was cast? Did she already anticipate Emma being a threat to her?

~ Emma actually expects/hopes that Hook will join her family for dinner! But now that she does, he pulls away, literally and figuratively, not wanting to hurt her.

~ Regina and Snow actually sit side by side for dinner! Henry may not realize how momentous this is, but it’s probably the first time he has all these family members with him enjoying a meal together!

~ Hook using the spyglass he retrieved earlier is a small but fitting setup/payoff. He is so wistful watching Emma with her family, seeing her so genuinely happy—he probably has never seen her so happy up close.

Episode 3x18 “Bleeding Through”

~ Regina makes the same move that Charming did in the first episode, throwing her knife the same way he threw his sword, only for their enemy to vanish!

~ It’s a mark of how much Regina has changed that her first question upon arriving is whether anyone was hurt.

~ Regina and Emma both wear vivid blue in this episode! But Regina covers hers with her black coat. Later, Regina has a white shirt on, opening to reveal a black top underneath. Is that symbolic, like she’s becoming light on the outside but still has darkness within?

~ I had forgotten about Zelena and Rumple’s scenes in this episode—I must have blocked them out, because I hate how sickening their dynamic is.

~ I’m a bit surprised that the Charmings all went along so easily with Regina’s plan to summon Cora’s spirit, and Regina’s confidence that they would go along with it, to the point that she didn’t tell them beforehand.

~ Did Hook really interrupt the ritual by bumping the table, or was that a joke?

~ When Regina tells Emma “Make sure you are [ready,]” Hook and Snow stare at her for a moment, like they can’t believe Regina is encouraging Emma, or they see that as a sign of how serious things are.

~ As they leave, Hook starts to reach out as though to put his hand on Emma’s back, but then he pulls his hand back.

~ This might be the first time Regina and Snow have been alone since right after Cora’s death, when Snow asked Regina to kill her.

~ Cora and Leopold starting a fire together is pretty symbolic.

~ Some interesting information about Snow’s parents is revealed in this episode, such as the fact that they were engaged since infancy. That may explain why Snow had such strong relationships with each of them, but we never see them onscreen together during her lifetime. Also, Leopold says he’ll have to have an heir “immediately,” but apparently, as in the original fairy tale, it took them many years to finally have a child, since Snow is years younger than Zelena and Regina.

~ Emma is surprisingly excited about progressing with her magic. It’s kind of sad that Hook is finally seeing her in a good mood, at a time when he is weighed down with worry.

~ What is Hook reading at Granny’s? Are he and Emma just hanging out there because they’re both staying at the inn?

~ How in the world did Leopold swing a proposal to Cora while his betrothed, Princess Eva, was visiting him? How did she and her family react? Why was she still there afterwards?

~ As selfish as Cora was, she must have felt more love for Zelena than she did for Regina, because she still had her heart when the first was born, but not when the second was born. I wonder if part of the reason she was so awful to Regina was because she reminded her of the daughter she gave up.

~ Snow and Regina are both literally and metaphorically cleaning up the mess left by their parents!

~ The last scene with Regina and Robin is so beautiful! While I think their arc in Storybrooke could have been written better, they do have great onscreen chemistry.

Episode 3x19 “A Curious Thing”

~ If Snow was about a month pregnant in the teaser scene, and then eight months went by, she really was full term when the curse was cast! I’m guessing that time was frozen in Storybrooke until this episode, when the curse was broken.

~ Why is Regina so contemptuous and contentious with Robin? What happened during those eight months?

~ There is a ceramic swan decoration in the hotel room behind Emma!

~ Regina’s bright red dress is beautiful—and considering it’s Emma’s usual color, and matches Mary Margaret’s coat, it seems to cement her as one of the good guys!

~ For such a formidable fighter, Hook seems to get abducted and/or tied/chained up quite often and easily!

~ Hook is aware of what a telephone is!

~ Gold abducting Hook could have been a really impactful closing scene for the previous episode or opening scene for this one. It must have been full of emotion and suspense for Hook, and extremely mixed feelings for Gold since they have such a bad history but also a mutual enemy in Zelena.

~ One interpretation of the spinning wheel in “Sleeping Beauty” is that it represents the cycle of life and time. Rumple alludes to this symbolism while using his own spinning wheel!

~ Was Leroy supposed to be supervising Henry? It’s strange that Emma is so comfortable leaving him behind with no magical protection, knowing that Zelena and Gold are at large.

~ Hook is like both a protective parent and a co-conspirator with Henry. I love it!

~ The way they talk about Snow and Charming’s child, it sounds like, even though he isn’t a Savior, he might have light magic of his own by virtue of being another product of true love.

~ Did Snow and Charming tell all their friends/followers that they were going to cast the curse, or did they make that decision on their own, without warning anyone? Even if they had a good and noble reason for doing it, not consulting the people it would impact is pretty messed up. They uprooted countless people who had already been uprooted before.

~ How many flying monkeys were there? And how can the heroes kill/destroy them so easily, knowing that some of them could be their transformed friends?

~ What happened to Mr. Smee? Did he continue running and leave Henry behind? That seems in line with what we’ve seen of his character.

~ The way the camera focuses on Regina as Snow and Charming say their goodbyes … what is she thinking/feeling? She probably still wishes she had a love like that, and may envy them theirs, but also has difficulty with the fact that they are sacrificing it.

~ Biologically, it would have made more sense for Regina to duplicate Snow’s heart rather than split it in half.

~ How is Neal able to communicate with birds? I thought that was just Snow’s talent? It does harken back to the bird that delivered August’s postcard to Neal in Season 2.

~ I really hope they figured out it was Neal who sent the message and memory potion!

~ The weather in this episode seems to fluctuate from moderate to winter/snow to moderate again.

~ This episode both begins and ends with a rose!

~ What is the “curious thing” of the title?

Episode 3x20 “Kansas”

~ Dr. Whale/Frankenstein, the man Mary Margaret/Snow dated and had a one-night stand with, being the one to deliver her baby is kind of messed up. I can’t see how Whale, Snow, or David are comfortable with that.

~ Glinda telling Zelena what she cannot do reminds me of Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked, and how Elphaba sings about refusing to accept limits that others set for her. Zelena is actually similar to her in that she refuses to give up.

~ Now that they know about Hook being cursed by Zelena, they should realize that him accompanying Emma is bad strategy.

~ What Glinda tells Zelena about innocence being reclaimed ends up being true of Regina in this very episode, and is also applicable to Hook and other redeemed villains in this show.

~ If Emma performed CPR on Hook under any other circumstances, he would be sure to say something cheeky when revived; but here, he gives no thought to their relationship, he is only alarmed and concerned about the consequences of her saving him.

~ The lights flickering as Mary Margaret gives birth strengthens my theory that the baby has its own magic.

~ It’s cool to see so many characters forming lines of defense to protect the royal family, but disappointing to see how easily Zelena blows past them all—even Regina, who out of all of them should have been able to hold her own.

~ Regina wearing red is a visual contrast against Zelena’s green, as they are opposite colors.

~ The writers seem to be trying to set up Zelena and Dorothy as analogues of Regina and Snow White: an older sorceress who feels threatened by a younger woman. Or maybe that is just the nature of those fairy tale archetypes.

~ Why doesn’t Dorothy talk about her desire to return home when she is with the witch sisters? Does she ever have her hero(ine)’s journey with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion?

~ “If you believe you are evil, then that is what you will become.” Glinda is right about self-fulfilling prophecy, but it could also work for other people believing that someone is evil and then causing them to become just that.

~ Dorothy’s final scene begins with a closeup of her shoes, so the change to the slippers is more visually impactful.

~ I wish there was a longer focus on the lineup of heroes arriving: Robin Hood, Regina, David, Emma and Hook with their respective weapons drawn.

~ Zelena’s defeat seems to come too easily, considering it’s had a half-season of buildup. And in the end, as with the Neverland arc, it comes down to Regina alone, rather than a team effort with the wonderful ensemble cast.

~ “He can handle anything, just like his big sister.” So sweet, and followed by Emma having a protective hand on the baby’s head while David holds him!

~ Regina actually sounds like Snow when she talks to Zelena about second chances. It’s so interesting that they make the callback to her season 1 line “Evil isn’t born, it’s made,” now with the addition of “and so is good.”

~ The music in this episode is wonderful, the way it weaves in character motifs and emotional beats in each scene.

~ Hook looks so stunned and dismayed when Emma reveals that she still intends to leave, though he keeps his own emotions in check as she enjoys a happy moment with her family. His brief, wistful smile as he watches their reunion/first meeting is heartbreaking.

~ I can understand Rumple/Gold wanting revenge on Zelena and falling back into his old ways, given that she killed his son and enslaved and abused him. But Rumple/Gold pretending to give the dagger back to Belle doesn’t make sense. Why not just keep the real one, since she was willing to let him have it? It’s really contrived for him to pretend to give it up and lie about not having it.

~ The fact that Gold chooses that moment of deceit to propose to Belle is pretty messed up, because it means they are starting their marriage on a foundation of a lie.

~ Gold’s overall regression, starting now and continuing into the next season, makes Belle seem naïve for having faith in him when he is deceiving her; it’s kind of insulting to her intelligence.

~ In terms of theme and character focus, this episode feels a lot more like a wrap-up of many season-long or half-season-long arcs, rather than a self-contained episode.

Episode 3x21 “Snow Drifts”

~ The connection between the flashback and the present day is that Emma finally has the family she always wanted, but now is leaving them.

~ I wonder if Emma thinks that her parents don’t need her anymore now that they have another baby.

~ Robin and Regina’s scene may seem like fanservice, but it is FULL of foreshadowing.

~ Robin’s words, “Maybe things happen when they’re supposed to. Maybe it’s all about timing” is so in tune with both the show as a whole and this episode in particular!

~ The mention of Rumplestiltskin’s vault is also setup/foreshadowing within this two-part season finale.

~ It feels like there should be a scene setting up where Hook is at this point, since all the other characters had scenes like that.

~ It looks like Granny’s chalk drawing of the stork has the Charming family’s coat of arms on the baby blanket!

~ From what Leroy says, it sounds as though Aurora had her baby just a day after Snow had hers! I wonder if the two kids grow up sharing birthday parties.

~ Henry giving the storybook to Hook is a significant gesture. Both of them, at some point, tracked Emma down in order to bring her to Storybrooke so she could save her family. Handing the book off to Hook is like Henry passing on the role of reminding Emma who she is and where she belongs. This is a great show of trust and acceptance on Henry’s part.

~ Hook says that Emma defeated Pan and Zelena, but it was really Regina and Gold who did.

~ Hook telling Emma “Hold on” and Emma saying “I can’t” pretty much sums up their dynamic in this half-season!

~ When I first saw these episodes, I had never seen Back to the Future, so I didn’t get that the whole finale was based on that story. But the fact that they are self-aware about it, with Emma mentioning Marty McFly, and the way it impacts Emma’s character arc and relationships makes this seem excusable.

~ Emma’s reaction is so happy when she recognizes her parents and realizes this is the moment they meet.

~ Hook attacking his former self is not only amusing, it also has some psychological symbolism. It’s like putting to death his former self, who he now knows was not worthy of Emma.

~ Emma’s choice of the alias Leia is not only a laugh. It’s fitting in two ways: they are both characters associated with hope, they both have interactions with close family members without knowing they are related, and they both fall in love with thieving scoundrels who have a change of heart after meeting them.

~ Where and when did Hook learn how to waltz? Did his mother teach him as a child? Did the royal navy have balls? Did his pirate crew infiltrate such events in order to rob the guests? Did they have music nights on his ship? Did he ever waltz with Milah or other women he met?

~ Hook is clearly pleased to be in such a romantic setting with Emma!

~ I’m curious how the politics and hospitality customs work between neighboring kingdoms. Apparently Midas has to show deference to Regina, even to the point of letting her arrest a guest in his home.

Episode 3x22 “There’s No Place Like Home”

~ I really like that they brought Neal back for the finale, and that his words to Emma frame her arc in these episodes. Even though he is gone, she still feels his influence, and it leads her home.

~ Where did Emma get that new outfit? Regina might have taken away her ballgown, but she wouldn’t provide her with such a nice dress and cloak, with a matching headband to top it off.

~ Even if Regina went to the trouble of feeding her condemned prisoners, there is no way there would be metal wires on the spoons that apparently serve no practical purpose.

~ It’s hard to tell how much of the footage of Snow and Charming is from the first season and how much was reshot! It must have been a directorial and editorial challenge to hide Ginnifer Goodwin’s pregnancy while filming her as young Snow White; the camera focuses on her face to hide the shape of her body, and they probably used a double for the shots of her running, climbing, etc.

~ Hook and David’s heart-to-heart is simultaneously so earnest and so amusing! Does David remember that conversation in the future?

~ It looks like Hook is crying they see Snow White burned at the stake. They may not have had many direct interactions, and not many of those may have been positive, but he really does care about her.

~ Hook shares how he relived his brother’s death after losing him, but he probably experienced that with Milah too. Both of them died in his arms, and he probably blamed himself for both of their deaths.

~ Since Emma says “It’s so nice to meet you” after learning her brother’s name, I think she may not have actually touched or talked to him until that moment. She probably did not want to get attached to him when she was planning to return to New York.

~ I suspect that seeing her parents fall in love was part of what helped Emma accept and act on her feelings for Hook.

~ The fact that “home” is the big theme of this half-season, and particularly this finale, makes Hook’s revelation about the Jolly Roger even more impactful, both to Emma and the audience. He gave up the closest thing he had to a home, in the hope of helping her find her home and having a place in it.

~ Gold and Belle’s wedding seems like it may not have taken place the same night as the coronation, but the way it is visually and thematically interwoven with the other three couples is really beautiful.

~ This season finale feels as though it was written so that it could be the series finale if the show had to wrap, but then they got the green light for more episodes and wrote in cliffhangers to lead into new conflict in the following season. If it weren’t for Gold’s deception and the arrival of Marian and Elsa, this would have been a perfect spot to end the show, with the four romantic couples together and happy, and all the children happy with their parents (or potential stepparents in the case of Regina for Roland and Hook for Henry).

I plan to explore a lot more about this season in my character study fanfics!

[warningsine]

No, love is strength.

[colinoeyebrows]

A random Dark!Hook reaction gif for @cocohook38

[moonlit-dreamers]

Get kissed idiot

once again for @sootybunny once upon a dream au. they gave me the sacred knowledge of how theyd react to being kissed so i had to do it :)

REBLOGS APPRECIATED

[kwistowee]

For anyone who may find this useful. ♥️

FULL (non-crack) GIFSET HERE

[mccallhero]

favourite ouat scenes: 1/?

[konako]

Saw your recent piece with Red. Now this lives in my head rent free.

Love your art!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍🤩👀✨🎉❤💖💥💝❤🤩🤤😭

AAAAAAAAAAAA! Ohhhhh I LOVE THIS!! So much!! Thank you for sending that my way!!!

Oh, the woman beneath the clothes. What that big baggy plaid shirt is hiding... Forced to wear it, or just a sneaky little pleasure of hers? That blush on her cheeks, like she's afraid to get caught, but is having a great time keeping that secret. Hmmmm The wonderful surprise her partner is in for, when they undress her, piece by piece, to see what awaits them. Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful sight!

Love that linework and coloring! And I love that that is an actual outfit Ruby has worn, and, in this light, we can see how much of a raging wlw she was, all along. (Now, with decent lingerie! ;D Courtesy of her cursed!self) What a treat!!! Thank you so much <3

[whoruntheworld-lesbians]

I feel like the ouat universe is so messed up age gaps barely even matter in relationships except dear god don't you dare ship adult henry with any of the townspeople

[amelia-mariee]

Pro tip: tired of rewatching your favorite show all alone? find a reaction channel that’s actually good, it’s like watching it with someone, plus you have the fun of “ooo I can’t wait until they get to this episode”, PLUS you don’t have to be worried about annoying them with all your comments because they can’t hear you OR maybe they have as many little comments as you

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Season 6

Overall thoughts: This season finally feels like a return to the style and tone of the first two seasons, with the present-day action taking place in Storybrooke, and multiple storylines with multiple antagonists playing out. Those are the seasons I like best!

Episode 6x01 “The Savior”

~ The teaser sets up the conflict for the whole season: can a Savior get a happy ending?

~ “There’s nothing more dangerous than an untold story, and the people who don’t want them told.” What a great line!

~ Where did all of Zelena’s baby supplies come from? Did Robin Hood own any?

~ Regina and Zelena are so endearingly awkward interacting as new housemates!

~ The camera freezes on a cross-shaped headstone when Regina says “Heroism comes first”! Was that an intentional symbol?

~ “When it comes to fixing our biggest problems, there are no shortcuts.”

~ When characters visit the asylum/prison part of the hospital, it usually feels like an homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Emma’s visit to Hyde is the first time it feels like an homage to Silence of the Lambs!

~ Rumple/Gold has already faced the challenge of making Belle fall in love with him again, back in Season 2 when she lost her memory. Having him do so again in the dream world feels unnecessary.

~ The Oracle basically quotes Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back! I’m surprised Emma doesn’t call this out.

~ It’s amazing to see Regina acknowledge that she was a horrible stepmother to Snow, and for Snow to realize that Regina was the one who made her learn about hope!

~ Regina’s monologue and the montage at the end are soooo lovely! I much prefer her new attitude, that one’s life is made up of many stories, over her Season 4 obsession with an Author controlling her life.

~ When Belle passes by the pawnshop, the camera looks out over a candelabra like Lumiere!

Episode 6x02 “A Bitter Draught”

~ The Count of Monte Cristo seems like the kind of story that should be in a Hook-focused episode, since it deals so much with revenge and piracy.

~ I love Hook and Belle’s scene, his apology for trying to kill her in the past, and his acknowledgement that he still has work to do in the area of forgiving himself. That baggage did not go away when he decided to return from the Underworld. And Hook’s music motif sounds so sad and pensive during that scene!

~ Regina swordfighting … is not something I ever expected to see, but okay, cool.

~ Why the heck does Rumplestiltskin suddenly act like he wants Regina? They might be past the teacher-student phase of their relationship, but it’s still incredibly uncomfortable!

Episode 6x03 “The Other Shoe”

~ Looks like Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter is now in Storybrooke! I guess it would make sense for her to have sought refuge in the Land of Untold Stories.

~ Emma watching Hook interact with Alexandra is soooo sweet!

~ I like that this episode revisits the backstory of a character who had a one-off episode so early in the show.

~ It seems strange for Ella to say “There’s no such thing as magic.” Did she not live in the Enchanted Forest, or at least a neighboring kingdom?

~ Dopey getting his master’s degree! And Grumpy/Leroy’s attitude toward Emma!

~ It might have been better setup to show Ashley’s reaction to seeing Lorinda’s name on the list of newcomers.

~ Mary Margaret was already shown returning to her teaching job in the middle of Season 4, presumably after she took some maternity leave. Her time away in Camelot and the Underworld only amounted to a couple months, at most. Why is her return to teaching such a big deal now?

~ Hook and Henry practicing swordfighting is great, and shows that Hook has now joined Henry’s father and maternal grandfather in the role of mentoring him!

~ They brought back Gus/Billy! It’s nice to see Ella having a friend with her in her home and at the ball.

~ I like that they show how Ella and Snow met! That helps explain how they recognize each other at Ella and Thomas’ engagement/wedding ball.

~ It almost seems odd that OUAT hasn’t depicted the Cinderella ball before, earlier in its run.

~ Cutting from the glass slipper to the glass chess set—both possessions/gifts of Rumplestiltskin—is great!

~ David’s desperation seems a bit out of nowhere after he appeared so optimistic in his scene with Mary Margaret.

~ Hook really let Belle settle in and put her own mark on her cabin, which was previously his own!

~ Looks like Snow was as responsible for Ella’s happy ending as Emma was for Ashley’s!

~ Dr. Jekyll meeting Dr. Frankenstein is hilarious! As is the fact that Snow thinks getting them to teach is “part of getting this town back to normal”!

~ Snow and David’s final scene is so sweet, and their conversation about Neal is full of truth! Childrearing may not be “epic,” but it really is the most important work.

~ They really contrived a way to get Robert Carlyle to read poetry in his full Scottish accent!

~ How can the Evil Queen simply free Hyde? Did Regina not take any precautions against this after finding out she had visited him?

~ I like the theme of this episode, about seeking happiness even when the future is not a guarantee, and the fact that the storyline ends in reconciliation for Ella and her sister and their respective loves.

Episode 6x04 “Strange Case”

~ In situations where you feel powerless, cutting your hair can feel like a way of reclaiming control. So, it makes sense for Gold to take that action, even if it seems random.

~ Interesting to see Gold fixing a watch, and his shop full of clocks, considering the show’s name and theme!

~ Rumplestiltskin basically plays the same role in Jekyll’s story as he did in Frankenstein’s.

~ Gold sinks to new levels of abuse in this episode, imprisoning Belle in the name of protecting her.

~ It’s pretty significant that Gold is comfortable with Belle being with Hook on his ship, considering their history with Milah.

~ Leroy and David have a great, supportive little exchange.

~ Grumpy/Leroy has never articulated the dwarves’ job(s) as “protectors” before. I thought he was going to say that what they do best is work—they seem to gravitate toward physical labor, whether in the mines or in the magic bean fields.

~ “It’s the queen!” Nice little callback to the pilot episode!

~ It looks like Snow is now teaching middle or high school level, whereas during the curse she was teaching elementary school.

~ Now I’m wondering whether Storybrooke’s schools bother with actual certification or accreditation. Does Snow really know how to teach?

~ What is with Belle’s outfit? It looks like a nightgown, or hospital gown, or something for the beach or a maternity shoot.

~ Interesting that Hook is the one to save Belle, and Gold sees it!

~ The fact that Gold’s attempt to protect Belle ended up putting her in danger is so emblematic of their now-toxic relationship.

~ Considering how they set up the new arc with Regina and the Evil Queen, I wasn’t expecting Jekyll and Hyde’s story to end so quickly!

~ I like the framing of Regina and Emma’s profiles against the ocean.

~ David’s angst and mixed feelings about Hook and Emma’s relationship aren’t really resolved by the end of the episode.

~ I knew Shireen was Jasmine!

~ The credits list Tom Sawyer as a character! Where was he?

Episode 6x05 “Street Rats”

~ What is with the use of captions for time and location? They were hardly ever used before the previous season.

~ Aladdin’s accent sounds like that of someone from the lower class in some part of England.

~ I like Jasmine’s clothes very much, but she’s wearing way too much jewelry for someone in disguise or on a mission in the desert.

~ What did the Evil Queen mean about her and Archie being a good team? The fact that she forced him to do unethical things during the curse?

~ Jasmine and Aladdin’s argument scene is great! And he does the apple trick like in the movie!

~ The Evil Queen is like Satan, or Eris, sowing discord among Emma’s family, and either creating or exposing a lack of trust.

~ The heroes should remember that A) people have kidnapped and impersonated Archie before, and B) he would never betray a patient’s confidentiality.

~ They pay homage to two movies with a single prop!

~ Why would any villain with half a brain discuss their plans and motives in a public place, with other people right in front of them?

~ On the other hand, it’s interesting to see Zelena and any version of Regina talk about their children.

~ Why don’t the heroes rush to find Archie after realizing he’s missing?

~ Regina being the one to comfort someone who’s grieving is new!

~ There isn’t nearly enough spotlight on Hook in this episode, as he learns that Emma’s life may end because of her role as the Savior. But that shot of him looking back at her before leaving her in the crypt is beautiful and speaks volumes!

~ Emma and Henry’s scene is wonderful, and her turnaround makes sense. She wouldn’t change her attitude after hearing a “hope speech” from her parents, but she would do so in order to comfort and encourage her son.

~ Hook manages to turn a banal question like “Pizza or Chinese” into a profound moment: “Your heart’s desire, Swan. That’s all I want.”

~ I had thought that Hook was past keeping secrets, especially from Emma; but it makes sense that he would keep one with the intention of having a way to help/save Emma.

Episode 6x06 “Dark Waters”

~ I spent the whole episode confused about when the flashbacks take place. The opening caption says “At the time of the Dark Curse,” but Hook was frozen in time with Cora for the 28 years of the first Dark Curse being in effect. Did Hook leave Cora at some point(s) and resume traveling on the Jolly Roger after time started moving again, before Emma and Snow arrived in the Enchanted Forest? That’s the only explanation that would make sense of Liam II aging yet Hook still being on his quest for vengeance.

~ Hook wants so earnestly to be a good parental figure to Henry, making him a healthy breakfast and offering to play video games with him!

~ Henry is still ambivalent about Hook: one moment Henry sounds defensive against Hook, probably because he is still attached to his father; the next moment, he’s defensive of Hook when the Evil Queen taunts him.

~ If Belle is one trimester through her pregnancy, that suggests that the baby was conceived during her honeymoon in Season 4, not during her brief reconciliation with Gold in Season 5.

~ It’s interesting that Liam II followed in his brothers’ footsteps with a career at sea, only in an entirely different way.

~ Hook and Henry’s interactions and bonding are so good!

~ I’m glad that Liam II and Nemo reunited, but I wish there had been a little more time given for Liam’s reconciliation with Hook. A lifetime of suffering would not be forgiven that quickly.

~ Of course Emma would have done the same; she practically did the same with Excalibur!

~ Gold is quite bold to refer to Henry as Hook’s son in front of the Evil Queen!

Episode 6x07 “Heartless”

~ The fact that the Evil Queen can just waltz into the Charmings’ apartment and magic one of them away …

~ How did Snow meet the Blue Fairy prior to knowing the dwarves? And how did Snow not realize that the one she thought she met as a child was really an impostor, Cora? In Season 1 it is implied that the fairies joined Snow White’s fight because Blue owed Grumpy a favor after he let go of Nova.

~ The Blue Fairy throwing axes!?

~ Wilby and Longbourne sound like nods to Jane Austen!

~ The Evil Queen quoting that Dylan Thomas poem is unexpected but fitting!

~ It is a bit odd to see Hook be the one to give a pep talk/hope speech, but he makes a good point about Emma’s relationship to her parents. The time travel adventure gave her a unique role in bringing her parents together. In a way, she is as responsible for their relationship as it is responsible for her existence.

~ I tend not to like when the writers have characters meet only to forget about it later; but in this case it feels forgivable because they do figure out that it was each other!

~ Why would Gabriel leave Snow unattended in the prison wagon?

~ Belle makes a good point about the difference between being “pure evil” and being too weak to be good.

~ The Evil Queen really reconstructed the glass coffin just so Snow and David could play out that scene?

Episode 6x08 “I’ll Be Your Mirror”

~ It’s amazing to see Regina upset about Snow and David’s sleeping curse, when she was the one who originally put Snow under one!

~ That split-screen montage is so bittersweet, and unusually artistic cinematography for this show!

~ I wish we got to see Hook helping Henry figure out what to wear to the dance! That glimpse of Hook holding up a tie for him is such a tease.

~ The Evil Queen tying a tie around Henry’s neck while deceiving him is so symbolic!

~ When did Belle meet Jasmine and Aladdin?

~ How can Gold quote Cora saying “Love is weakness”? I thought his character couldn’t regress any more, but I was wrong.

~ Is the Dragon’s daughter Mulan?!

~ The Evil Queen really seems to have forgotten how Cora ruined her life, if she is now trying to shape Henry into a king.

~ Even though it’s part of a sinister, almost seductive conversation, I like that they finally addressed the fact that Henry is a prince, and that being royalty is about more than just birth.

~ It’s nice to see an episode focused on Henry, and on his relationship with his mothers! Their maternal love triangle was the main source of conflict in the first two seasons, and it’s wonderful to both revisit his childhood with Regina and see how much they have all grown. Emma and Regina talk about Henry like the coparents they have become.

~ Where was Hook this whole time? Did the Evil Queen knock him out only temporarily, so he was able to arrive just in time to restrain her?

~ Was Sidney once Aladdin’s genie?!

Episode 6x09 “Changelings”

~ From the beginning, the show has always played with the fact that Rumplestiltskin takes children through unfair deals, but never explained why. Is this episode supposed to answer that question?

~ Rumplestiltskin has a tapestry of the Visitation in his castle! How appropriate, since it’s a story about two pregnant women!

~ The Evil Queen finally has an outfit that I like! She looks more like a warrior now!

~ I never realized until now that a genie’s tie to his lamp, which enslaves him while giving him his power, is just like the Dark One’s tie to the dagger!

~ As can be the case in real life, the thing that keeps Gold from being loved and forgiven is the fact that he believes he can’t be loved or forgiven.

~ This must be the first time Emma actually assists a mother in labor and delivery! It’s beautiful to see, though a little odd to think that Emma’s own childbirth experience was with the newborn’s nephew.

~ Who knew it was possible to simultaneously feel so much hatred and sympathy for a character?

~ So is Belle still living on the Jolly Roger? Or do the fairies let her stay in the convent to recover from the birth?

Episode 6x10 “Wish You Were Here”

~ Regina really should have thought of a better version of her wish! For instance, instead of sending just herself, she could have sent Henry or someone else Emma and the others would have trusted.

~ How can Regina be so certain that the reality she is in is not real? How does she know the doppelgangers aren’t connected to their counterparts in Storybrooke?

~ It was way too easy for David to get hold of the lamp! And the Evil Queen could have just magicked it into her hand.

~ “We’ve been portalled!”

~ Princess Emma’s characterization really doesn’t make sense, even for an alternate reality. If her parents were brave heroes, and she was raising her son to be a knight, she would at least try to follow and set good examples of heroism. Surrendering the key to the kingdom in front of her parents makes no sense; they would have taught her the value of sacrifice and the importance of fighting for their people.

~ If the Dark Curse was not cast, how in all the realms did Emma meet Baelfire/Neal and have Henry with him at such a young age?

Episode 6x11 “Tougher Than the Rest”

~ They did a great job of casting a teenage August! He both looks and sounds like him.

~ Nottingham does the same thing as Gabriel, leaving the prisoners in transit just so they have an opportunity to escape.

~ Regina doesn't mention to Robin the fact that his other version had a son. That makes a huge difference in his identity!

~ Didn’t Emma and Regina learn from their experience with Marian/Zelena that you shouldn’t bring people across time and realities in order to save them?

~ Lana Parilla’s acting in a single shot, when she goes from grieving Robin to rejoicing at his arrival, is great!

~ How is it so easy for Emma to knock Gideon back with her magic and destroy the sword?

~ It looks like there is a carving of a swan on the shelf in Marco and August’s garage!

Episode 6x12 “Murder Most Foul”

~ This is one of the biggest episodes about David and his family, but also manages to move forward plot and character development for Hook and his relationship with Emma.

~ As twins, David and James probably both had trauma from being separated from each other as infants.

~ Emma is still wearing the same clothes she wore when Gideon was born!

~ I wonder how long Hook thought about proposing to Emma, how long he had that ring, and what made him decide to take that step at that point. I’m guessing her defeat of Gideon was a big part of it, as he had been afraid that she would die.

~ Did Hook actually buy the ring, as Archie assumes? How could he afford it? Does he have any savings or income at this point?

~ Regina has a piano in her home! Does she play, or Henry?

~ Why couldn’t Regina heal Robin’s slight wound?

~ What David asks Hook to do really is awful: betray the trust of the woman he loves in order to make a good impression with her father and maintain the friendship they have.

~ Is that the Golden Fleece in Rumplestiltskin’s castle?

~ So Pinocchio existed when David was only six years old?! But he was still a little boy when Emma was born. Does that mean he lived as a wooden puppet for a couple decades before he became real?

~ David handcuffs Hook just like Emma has on so many occasions! Pretty crummy way to treat the guy who just did so much to help him.

~ David never addresses the fact that he sent his brother into the River of Lost Souls, which is supposed to be even worse than death.

~ Why would David challenge George (or anyone) to a duel with knives rather than swords?

~ David’s monologue is fantastic, and some of the best acting we’ve seen from Josh Dallas in this show!

~ For Hook, of all people, to talk someone down from exacting revenge is amazing!

~ David is terrified by the idea that even his best effort might not be good enough. David’s fear is actually one that he shares with Emma and Hook: that he won’t be enough to protect the people he loves.

~ The big question is, why does Robert’s ghost appear to David at that time? And why didn’t David find him, or at least his tombstone, in the Underworld? It’s as ambiguous as Hamlet’s father’s ghost in the play from which this episode seems to draw its inspiration.

~ The blessing scene is so excellent! The only weird thing is David calling Hook old-fashioned, when in the past Hook called David old-fashioned about his expectations for Emma’s relationships.

~ It seems like a stretch for Hook to recognize someone he killed on a dark rainy night decades earlier. It might have been easier to believe that he could recognize a trinket like the lucky coin; but he does not recognize it the whole time he and David are handling it.

~ I would have expected the episode to end with Hook looking at the pages, but having it end with him closing the engagement ring box is even more ominous!

Episode 6x13 “Ill-Boding Patterns”

~ It’s cool to see Beowulf appear in OUAT!

~ It’s so strange to see Gold discourage someone from giving in to their inner darkness. He practically drove Cora, Regina, and Zelena into it, and a vision of him urged Emma to embrace her magic as the Dark One.

~ Since when does Regina wear hats that match her outfits? Is she picking up aspects of Zelena’s style?

~ Regina being willing to let Robin go in order to find his happiness is huge character development from the woman who enslaved Graham and tried to kidnap Owen for the sake of her own happiness.

~ I can’t believe they gave Baelfire a storyline about “going dark”! I don’t like it when they use memory-altering magic to create a storyline only to erase a character’s arc; but it says a lot about Rumple that he was willing to let Baelfire blame him rather than himself.

~ It feels odd for Emma to be absent for most of an episode, only appearing in one scene where she is ignorant of the full truth of the situation.

~ Even when split from Regina, the Evil Queen is proud of her town!

Episode 6x14 “Page 23”

~ I bet Henry asked for details about Hook’s proposal because he wants to get ideas for his own in the future!

~ I’m glad to see Nemo still acting as a friend and mentor to Hook, but their scene basically plays out the same way as Hook’s scene with Archie in the previous episode.

~ Why does Henry Senior ask “what are you doing” when Regina hardly moved?

~ The scene with Emma and Hook was inevitable, but I’m surprised it took place in the middle of the episode rather than at the end. Why did Emma come home at that point, after learning that Regina was going to face the Evil Queen? Was she coming to get Hook so he could be part of the action?

~ I like how the conflict between Emma and Hook is more complicated than just her being mad about what he did to her grandfather. She’s upset about the fact that he kept it a secret, not necessarily because it was dishonest, but because it shows his doubt about the strength of their relationship.

~ “Destinations never matter” is a pretty strong absolute statement, and contradicts Nemo's previous goal to find a permanent home.

~ I knew the arrow was going to lead Regina to face herself! But why did it not lead to her magic mirror? That would have been a fantastic tie-in with the themes and symbols of the original Snow White story.

~ Regina literally fighting herself, and then embracing herself, is amazing!!!

~ I LOVE Snow and Hook’s scene! They hardly ever interact with each other, and I don’t think they’ve ever had a scene with just the two of them. It makes sense that she would be the one to renew his hope that he can be forgiven and deserving of love.

~ It feels odd for Nemo to appear, and even mention Liam, without Liam himself showing up, when Hook is wrestling with so much guilt about his past. Liam would have stirred up all kinds of feelings about guilt and atonement.

Episode 6x15 “A Wondrous Place”

~ Wouldn’t “Let’s go fishing” be more fitting than “Let’s go hunting”? Or is kraken not a fish?

~ Hook almost acts parental with Jasmine and Aladdin, telling them to “Get on board before you get yourselves killed” and encouraging her to face her fear.

~ I would expect Henry to do more than sit around with his headphones in and ask “Are you okay?” when his mom is going through a heartbreak.

~ When and why did Emma stop wearing Hook’s ring pendant? Did she give it back to him when they both returned to Storybrooke?

~ Snow refers to her son as a toddler, but he can’t be more than a few months old, maybe a year at most!

~ I like that Hook and Liam II have a goodbye hug, but I wish they had more scenes together! Despite sparing him in their fight, Liam has not really been shown forgiving Hook or accepting him as his brother.

~ Jasmine mentions Scheherazade!!! About time a female storyteller got some credit!

~ How does Ariel’s flashback storyline fit in with her present-day story in Season 3? Did she not tell Eric about her mermaid identity when they reunited in Storybrooke?

~ While I wish Aladdin had been a more active character this season, it is cool to see Jasmine be the one to defeat Jafar!

Episode 6x16 “Mother’s Little Helper”

~ I can’t see Emma allowing Gideon into her home when Henry is there.

~ The Black Fairy is way too giggly. They speak of how evil she is, but she acts like a school bully.

~ Wait, so the Dragon did make it out of the mirror?

~ The way Hook says “civilized” reminds me of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but betting a ship in a game of cards seems like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian!

~ Would Blackbeard really carry something as powerful and valuable as a magic bean in his hat?

~ Captain Hook running from Lost Boys seems a bit undignified.

~ How ironic Gold saves Emma’s life in the very same manor where he tried to kill her!

~ How can Emma tell a parent that their child cannot be saved?!

~ If the heroes left behind the Lost Boys who remained loyal to Pan, why did they take Felix with them when they left Neverland?

~ Having Gideon be controlled by the Black Fairy via his heart may preserve his innocence, but also undermines all his motivation in the last few episodes. Whose idea was it for him to impersonate Aesop?

~ The Black Fairy’s dress at the end of the episode looks like spiderwebs! I guess spiders are kind of her motif, like the Other Mother in Coraline.

Episode 6x17 “Awake”

~ “Who said this was a rescue?” had me laughing out loud!

~ Emma and Snow wear similar shirts in this episode, black with white collars!

~ What caused the pixie flower to grow at that point, ten years after the curse was cast? Did some evil arrive that caused it to appear?

~ The idea that people woke up from the curse before Emma broke it really undermines the significance of her role.

~ Did David have fake memories when he first woke up from his coma? Did he understand the technology of this world?

~ Who is that police officer/security guard? Shouldn’t it be Graham as the sheriff?

~ David’s confidence that Hook is fighting for Emma is beautiful!

~ Hook references the Tiger Lily at Skull Rock incident from the book Peter Pan!

~ How could there be so many Lost Boys left behind on Neverland? There weren’t nearly that many in season 3!

~ “Why is it never past their bloody bedtime?” Hook must have had more than his share of hearing the Lost Boys’ parties!

~ The pig and the conch seem like allusions to Lord of the Flies, which is also about boys stranded on an island!

~ Emma shows great character growth in that she understands and forgives her parents giving up the chance to raise her in order to let her save the rest of their community.

~ I had to look up Geppetto/Marco’s toast, “Cent’Anni.” It is a traditional Italian toast meaning “May You Live 100 Years.” That is so beautiful in the context of Snow and Charming’s sleeping curse!

~ The distribution of the sleeping curse in a chalice seems like a strange inversion of the Eucharist (aka Communion or the Lord’s Supper). They are aware of Snow and Charming’s sacrifice for them, and they choose to sacrifice for them in return. It also reminds me of Paradise Lost, when Adam learns that Eve has eaten the forbidden fruit, and chooses to eat it in order to share in her curse rather than be separated from her.

Episode 6x18 “Where Bluebirds Fly”

~ This may be the first Zelena-focused episode that I remotely like!

~ Honestly, Snow and David should understand why Emma and Hook would want some privacy. Both couples just reunited after being separated for a while, and the sleeping curse was going on even longer than Hook’s disappearance!

~ Does Regina just regularly go to Gold and/or Belle to stock up on potion ingredients?

~ Emma and Hook are so sappy and shameless at this point! And their bemused expressions as David and Snow argue over them are hilarious!

~ Hook is a good man to put up with his future in-laws’ bickering over his wedding; but he could have been a little more assertive about what he and Emma want rather than what Snow wants.

~ “If this is about Hook, that ship has sailed, and there’s a pirate on it, deal with it!”

~ David’s monologue is wonderful, but Snow’s reaction, expressing doubt about the outcome of the Final Battle, seems out-of-character for her.

~ Baby Robin’s care is a throughline of this episode, but who is taking care of baby Neal while his parents plan his sister’s wedding?

~ Emma saying Robin is “one of us” in the presence of only Regina and Zelena made me wonder if Robin might be a magic wielder like them!

~ I am surprised that they actually had Zelena give up her magic. When Emma tried to do that in Season 4, it was portrayed as a terrible thing, indicative of self-loathing. And magic has had such a huge impact on Zelena’s life and identity, for her to give it up is a huge personal sacrifice. I’m not sure we’ve seen her reach the point of being able to do something like that unless it was for her child’s direct benefit.

~ I like that Belle has a subtle arc in this episode, with her role as a babysitter having some relevance at the end.

Episode 6x19 “The Black Fairy”

~ I never thought we would see grown-up Peter Pan again!

~ The candles flicker out for a moment when Rumple is born, just like how the electric lights flickered when Henry and Neal were born!

~ The baby really does look like Rumple and Pan!

~ If Tiger Lily was Rumple’s fairy godmother, that raises a lot of questions about her relationships with Pan and Hook in Neverland. Did she recognize Pan as Rumple's de-aged father? Did she know about Hook’s quest for revenge on the person she was supposed to safeguard? Did she try to sabotage Hook, in order to protect her charge?

~ It's funny and interesting to hear Regina and Zelena talk about living without magic. But how are electric lights more barbaric than candles or whatever means they used in their respective lands?

~ Regina really got Zelena a monkey key chain!

~ Gold should know that Hook would be outraged at him for putting Emma into a magic sleep of any kind!

~ Is “Dreams are a maze” an unsubtle reference to Inception?

~ Gold says it's a "luxury" to "always do the right thing." That sounds like John Paul II's definition of freedom!

~ Zelena says "boody hell" now!

~ Regina asking Zelena to look after Henry is amazing, but the timing of it in the middle of their comical driving lesson feels awkward. And shouldn’t Emma also be part of the conversation about who would raise Henry if his parents died? And wouldn't Henry have some reservations about starting a new life with the woman who killed his father?

~ "Do this for me, so that no mother will ever be ripped from her child." Was that a veiled threat? Or did Fiona really want to prevent the separation that she eventually caused for so many?

~ It’s interesting to see Emma (attempt to) bond with Gold, of all people, over the experience of being an orphan.

~ Granny’s being the heart of Storybrooke … makes sense on some level, but could have benefited from more setup or acknowledgement of it as such.

~ “Jukebox?” “Jukebox.”

~ Finally, someone introduces the idea of passwords to confirm identity! They have fallen prey to too many magical impostures.

~ I find it a bit hard to believe that Regina never killed a fairy during her reign of terror.

~ Regina is wearing light colors when she faces off against the Black Fairy!

~ While it’s a bit of a stretch to believe that a fairy can be bested with a car crash, Zelena coming in to save Regina that way was both awesome and hilarious!

~ I don’t like the idea that the Dark Curse was created by the Black Fairy rather than Rumplestiltskin. Was he playing into her hand by finding someone to cast it, just as Regina played into his hand by casting it? That kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation isn’t needed since it was already there.

~ So after turning Granny’s upside-down, the heroes just have a relaxing dinner there? And they don’t even stand up when Gold informs them that he killed his own mother to protect them? They don’t seem very appreciative!

~ When and why did they decide to hold the wedding so soon? They just talked about postponing it! Most people wait at least a few months, and all that planning and arranging that had Mary Margaret so excited takes time!

~ Belle should recognize that Gold is singing the same tune he always has, saying that everything he does is to protect his family.

~ Hook asking Henry to be his best man is such a great moment! They started out mainly caring about each other because of their connections to Emma and Neal, but they’ve developed a real friendship and respect for each other.

~ What happened to the Blue Fairy?! Did the Black Fairy really torture her to get the information on the wand? Did Gold really restore her to the other fairies?

Episode 6x20 “The Song in Your Heart”

~ The title sequence is similar to the wedding episode of Steven Universe, with an orchestra tuning their instruments!

~ This whole episode is wonderful! The hilarity of seeing the characters break into song, and be self-aware about it, helps offset the heaviness of the present-day plot, where Emma’s wedding day and her entire future are both at stake. But the theme of music also serves a purpose for the plot, and gives Emma an epiphany about her life, her inner strength, and her relationship with her parents. Music lovers know that there is something powerful, almost sacred, about it, and having that explored in the context of OUAT is really interesting.

~ The musical numbers do an impressive job walking the line between parody and earnestness. They represent each of the characters well, and are just plain fun to watch.

~ Hook is the only one who wholeheartedly embraces the singing without questioning it or finding it strange.

~ I can’t tell if Zelena is self-aware about her song or if it is one of those musical numbers that just represents her interior thoughts.

~ Zelena’s actions in the flashbacks don’t really make sense.

~ How can Emma run away when her fiancé, parents, and friends are frozen in the Black Fairy’s custody? Why does the Black Fairy let her go instead of threatening to kill them then and there?

~ Emma tries to do the same thing Henry did in season 3, giving up her heart to one of Rumplestiltskin’s parents.

~ Emma seems like the last person to embrace singing, as she’s always been the most resistant to magic, emotion, and vulnerability. So it’s really significant that the climax of her journey involves her finding power through a song.

~ Emma’s song is the first in the episode that doesn’t feel like it’s half playing for laughs: the music is powerful, and the lyrics are completely serious and show Emma’s growth as a character. She has not only forgiven her parents, she has come to believe that they were right to give her up, because she needed to fulfill her role as the Savior.

~ “A Happy Beginning” is just perfect. The characters understand that there are still challenges ahead they need to face, yet they enjoy the moment, look to the future with hope, and commit to stand with each other through whatever comes.

~ Archie and Marco are both at the wedding, but August is nowhere to be seen! He must have been present off-camera, because there is no way he would miss Emma’s wedding.

~ I thought I heard several subtle references to songs from other musicals, including “Let It Go” from Frozen, and “On My Own” and “A Heart Full of Love” from Les Misérables

Episode 6x21 “The Final Battle Part 1”

~ Is that David’s sword, the one Emma used to slay Maleficent? Is that why they included those clips in the recap?

~ Why is Henry always exempt from the Dark Curse(s)? Did Fiona choose to keep him in Storybrooke so she could use him as leverage over Emma? Letting him retain his memories and the storybook seems like too much of a risk.

~ There seem to be way more asylum patients, and a much better facility for them, in this curse’s version of Storybrooke.

~ Emma taking her medicine gives big Matrix vibes.

~ When Hook wakes up, the first thing he does is look at his hand to see if his wedding ring is still there!

~ How is the Charmings’ old castle standing? Wasn’t it destroyed in the first curse? Didn’t Emma and Snow see it in ruins when they went there in Season 2?

~ Having Hook face the beanstalk again is a great way to get the characters to reflect on the beginning of his relationship with Emma. His speech to David is full of emotion and accurately summarizes what made his and Emma’s relationship so compelling, both similar and different from other love stories in fairy tales.

~ Henry acknowledges that Hook is Emma’s true love!

~ Even when she doesn’t believe him, Emma still loves and appreciates Henry so much.

~ Finally, they addressed the fact that Wish Snow and Charming were killed!

~ So Wish Robin, who was a selfish scoundrel, still met Friar Tuck at some point? Why do they never show this friar?!

~ Henry’s smile is so proud when Fiona talks about how hard it is to get Emma to stop believing.

~ Hook and David have a nice moment in the giants’ castle, but the context feels contrived. And that “obstacle course” isn’t all that difficult for Hook to overcome.

~ Is that dragon supposed to be Maleficent?

Episode 6x22 “The Final Battle Part 2”

~ Hook calling Snow “Mummy” is funny, but it feels a bit immature and regressive after he’s come so far in his relationship with Emma’s parents.

~ There is absolutely no need for Snow to say “It’s important.” Hook knows how bloody important it is!

~ I wish Hook and David’s climb ended up making an actual difference in the plot.

~ Unlike when Emma first tried to leave Storybrooke, nothing impedes her when she drives away this time. Fate does not intervene with a wolf or some other distraction or obstacle.

~ It looks like Henry can draw, just like his father and paternal grandmother!

~ Having Snow and Charming reverse roles and play out the true love’s kiss awakening was not necessary. They already did that back in season 2, and they revisited the sleeping curse imagery throughout this season. There is no uncertainty about the strength and authenticity of their love, so it does not carry any real suspense.

~ Is that the mirror from Beauty and the Beast?

~ What was that shot of Emma barging into the mayor’s office with the sword for? Did she intend to use it against Fiona?

~ How can light snuff out light? It doesn’t make sense.

~ Gold kills Fiona way too easily. How can she be defeated by her own wand? Does it work like the Dark One dagger, being the only thing that can destroy its owner? And why is Fiona’s death the event that breaks the curse, rather than Emma coming to believe?

~ Why did the writers have Belle reunite with Gold only for her to be left behind while he has his final temptation? Why not just have them reunite after?

~ Where did Emma get the beanie? Did she pause to put it on while running from Gideon with the sword?

~ Hook saying they should kill Gideon makes no sense. He was there when Gideon was born; Gideon is Belle's son and Baelfire/Neal's brother; and they know that he’s not in control of himself. Hook knows what that is like from his own experience of someone controlling his heart.

~ David calling Gideon an SOB is actually insulting Belle!

~ Emma’s declaration of who and what she is reminds me of a line from Peter Pan declaring his identity to Captain Hook: “I’m youth, I’m joy.”

~ The climax and resolution happen way too quickly.

~ I think Hook should have been the one to kiss and awaken Emma. Yes, Henry doing it is a nice parallel to her waking him in Season 1, but their relationship had been solid and unquestioned for years, and he had already served a heroic role in the finale by getting Emma to believe. In contrast, Hook had just married Emma a day earlier, after many ups and downs in their relationship, and he had failed to break curses by kissing her on two previous occasions (in season 3 and season 5). Plus, his whole adventure in the previous episode yielded no real effect on the plot. Having him be the one to say “I love you” and kiss Emma to restore her to life would have been more fulfilling for both the plot and the characters’ relationship. Plus, if he thought she was gone for good, it could have been a really emotional growing moment for Hook, seeing his love sacrifice herself for him and everyone else, and respecting that in spite of losing her. Then the kiss would have been completely based on how he felt, not on any pragmatic hope as in the previous cases.

~ Gideon turning into a baby again feels like the kind of false solution Gold proposed to his other son. He offered to make Neal a teenage boy again so they could have a do-over. Does turning into a baby again erase all of Gideon’s memories, the experiences that shaped him? (I can hardly call it character development since his character was not really well written.)

~ Was that Tinker Bell? Did she return to Neverland after all?

~ I’m glad that David is the one taking care of Neal now, instead of him being left with a babysitter while both his parents work!

~ Violet is waiting for Henry at the bus stop! But it’s such a fleeting glimpse it’s easy to miss.

~ Emma making Hook her deputy is excellent! He has come such a long way in his life, from indentured servant to navy man to pirate to law enforcement.

~ The dwarves making new signage for Regina’s door is sweet, but giving her the title of queen again seems weird. Snow and David are the real leaders of Storybrooke, and there are other princes and princesses there too. If they want to have an official leader, they really ought to be elected.

~ Having Gold and Belle dance to the music from “Beauty and the Beast” is sweet, but they’ve done it before, and their reconciliation doesn’t really feel earned after how much he put her through. How does she know if she can trust him now? Does he still have the Dark One dagger?

~ The only thing that seems missing from the montage is a shot of the Jolly Roger. Hook may not live there anymore, but I’m sure it would still be a part of his new family’s life.

~ That last shot of everyone sitting on one side of a long table is just like Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”! After all the jokes and sarcastic comments about family dinners in this show (“Maybe one day they’ll invite you to dinner,” “It’s a good thing we didn’t have Thanksgiving in our land,” etc.) it’s amazing to see them all come together for a meal—even those who have killed each other's loved ones and/or tried to kill each other.

~ Honestly, that last scene of Lucy knocking on Henry’s door would not have been a terrible place to end the series. Then, if the writers wanted, they could have told Lucy’s story in a separate spin-off.

[u5an5]

Of things obtained: Once Upon a Witchlight Ep. 15 | Four Weddings and a Funreal

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! Fair warning, this post contains SPOILERS. If you don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING !

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Gricko

Languages: Common, Goblin, Gigant, Druidic

In possession from beginning:

Primal totems (gorilla, basilisk-esque creature; ep.1)

Alarm whistle (ep.1)

Glue dropper bottle (ep.3)

Eyedrops bottle (ep.3)

Peanut butter jar (ep.10)

6 banañas (ep.12)

Items acquired:

Bag of 603 gold pieces (couldn't find it; ep.1)

Cloak of Displacement (ep.1)

Sycamore seed 4 (ep.2; +1d4 for ability check until dawn)

Games Prize 6 - Magic Face Paint (Disguise Self 1h; ep.6)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (gained due Fey Pact) 2/8 (ep.7)

Games Prize 4 - Witchlight wine (ep.7)

Games Prize 7 - Cuddly toy spider (ep. 8)

Games Prize 8 - Glove puppet wizard (Illusion 3/3; ep.8)

Games Prize 2 - Wooden wand (Prestidigitation 8/8; ep.8)

Blue ribbon "I dropped a beat on the Carnival street" (ep.8)

5x fridge magnets (ep.12)

Rocky Talkie (ep.14)

Mouse Harness (description below)

Clothes:

Comically too big cloth butterfly wings (ep.2, blue-red; replaced)

Really small Tentacle Chad T-shirt (ep.3)

Pixie wings (ep.10)

Drag Costume (ep.14; changed to)

Wedding Outfit: Black pinstriped tuxedo with a grey leopard print bowtie (without shoes) with a petunia in the chest pocket

Pacts/contracts:

No ticket - after giving away his ticket to Gideon, due to The Rule of Reciprocity, his most prized possession (Hootsie) was taken away from him by Sowpig (ep.5)

Fey Pact 4 - You can no longer talk about your favorite thing; Interpreted as you don't remember (Hootsie). Once the Witchlight Monarch is crowned, all pacts made fade then, and only then. (ep.7)

Marriage - He has to get married to Bixie after asking her to marry him (albeit under fey magic influence). It's binding and technically could be replaced by another pact but it can't be removed. (ep.10) Due to his bethroted signing Kremy's contract it got transfered onto Gideon

Fear: Groblin (2D beings in general; ep.12)

Hootsie (kidnapped by Sowpig; ep.5)

Status: ???

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Gideon

In possession from beginning:

Engineered manacles (ep.5)

Cigar (ep.10)

Really tiny notebook (ep.11)

Really tiny spectacle (ep.11)

Items acquired:

3 letters from Mr. Roslov (ep.1)

Sycamore seed 5 (ep.2; +1d8 for ability check until next dawn)

x5 Magical Invisibility Cupcakes (ep.3)

162 gold pieces (ep.7)

Games Prize 2 - Wooden wand (Prestidigitation 8/8; ep.6)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (gained due Fey Pact) 3/8 (ep.7)

Games Prize 7 - Cuddly toy spider (ep.7)

Letter from Mrs Witch & Light (ep.8)

Games Prize 7 - Cuddly toy spider x2 (ep.8)

Games Prize 3 - Pixie dust (ep.8)

Games Prize 2 - Wooden wand (Prestidigitation 8/8; ep.6)

Blue ribbon (ep.8)

Forlarrens Remorse [dagger] (description below)

Clothes:

Comically too small cloth butterfly wings (ep.2, red with orange rinds; replaced)

Baby pink Cake Chad T-shirt at least five sizes too small (ep.3)

Flower crown (ep.7)

Comically small red cape over shoulder (ep.8?)

Pixie wings (ep.10)

Drag Costume (ep.14; changed to)

Wedding Outfit: Black pinstriped tuxedo with ombre (white-yellow-orange-red) accents with a fireblossom in the chest pocket

Pacts/contracts:

Fey Pact 2 - Was given a flower crown. You must wear this flower crown, but you have to water it every hour and you can't take it off. Once the Witchlight Monarch is crowned, all pacts made fade then, and only then. (ep.7)

Marriage - He has to get married to Taxie after asking her to marry him in exchange for ticket for Frost. It's binding and technically could be replaced by another pact but it can't be removed. Additionaly, Frost, as show of gratefulness, will do at least one nice thing for him each day and fulfill one biger favour once every two weeks. (ep.14) Due to him and all bethroted signing Kremy's contract he became a sole husband to all three Bixie, Zaxie and Taxie and due some additional fine print he had to marry Kremy too

Clown kill manslaughter count:

Chuckles the Clown - after being punched in body laughed himself to death (supposedly he was already dead by this time due crippling alcoholism; before the campaign)

Klutzy the Clown - got hit by Gideon throwing Impossibal at incredible speeds directly into his face. The actual supposed cause of death was deadly allergy to unspecified ingredient/s in this processed not-meat sludge (ep.6)

Bumbo the Clown - Tripped and fallen directly onto Gideon's sword hand puppet, completely running him through. Was allergic to felt, he hit the ground and he died. (ep.9)

Thaco the Clown - Was deadly allergic to peanuts and ate an unlabeled peanut butter pie that Gideon chose for his wedding. It took over 1 hour for anyone to notice

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Kremy

Languages: Common, Draconic

In possession from beginning:

Tophat

Skull Cane

2 gold pieces (ep.1)

at least 2 handkerchiefs (ep.3)

Compact mirror (ep.4)

Frying pan (ep.4)

Knife (ep.4)

Bacon grease (ep.8)

Cigarettes (ep.10)

Items acquired:

Satchel with Carnival map and Three Rules of Feywild (ep.2)

Sycamore seed 1 (trait "I am easily amused" until dawn; ep.2)

Games Prize 3 - packet of pixie dust

Stuffed Almiraj plushie from Gideon (Minor Illusion 3/day)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (gained due Fey Pact) 2/8

45 gold pieces

Games Prize 4 5 - A replica unicorn horn filled with candy (ep.7)

Games Prize 5 - A replica unicorn horn filled with candy (ep.8)

Bright orange ribbon "consolation prize" from Torbek (ep.8)

Pinecone Pug plushie x2? (ep.12)

Pinecone Pug backpack (ep.12)

Gricko's teeth (ep.12)

Frost's fingernails (ep.12)

x3 Toffie (ep.13)

Fist sized cup made from snail shell (ep.14)

Great Fiddle (description below)

Clothes:

Regular clothes (left by costume chest)

Cloth butterfly wings (ep.2, purple; replaced)

A replica unicorn horn formerly filled with candy strapped to his forehead (ep.7)

Pixie wings (ep.10)

Drag Costume (ep.14; changed to)

Wedding Outfit: Regural outfit with a black dhalia in your chest pocket

Pacts/contracts:

Due possessing unspecified knowledge he didn't pay for when he "abandoned his station" has to deliver 100,000 gold pieces to Mr. Garou by the end of the month (in next 19 days) as recompensation. If he's no longer able to do so by dying, the rest of the Krew is obligated to pay it (ep.1)

Fey Pact 8: You must declare your love for unicorns at every opportunity. Once the Witchlight Monarch is crowned, all pacts made fade then, and only then (ep.2)

Fey Pact 1: You cannot tell a lie knowingly. Once the Witchlight Monarch is crowned, all pacts made fade then, and only then. (ep.8)

Marriage - He has to get married to Zaxie after asking her to marry him (albeit under fey magic influence). It's binding and technically could be replaced by another pact but it can't be removed. (ep.13) Due making his contract with his bethroted he was able to transfer it onto Gideon and also marry him himself.

Fear: Remy Garou and his debt to him [1:35:00 - 1:36:42] (ep.12)

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Frost

Languages: Common, Celestial, Elvish

In possession from beginning:

Backpack (ep.2)

Glue (totally not related to horses; ep.3)

Tambourine (ep.3)

Water skin (ep.3)

Small dagger (ep.4)

Peanut butter jar (ep.10)

Peanut M&M's (ep.11)

Ball of yarn (ep.11)

Buttons (ep.13)

Items acquired:

Letter to Zybilna by Madrik Roslov (ep.1)

Bag of Beans (ep.1)

Sycamore seed 7 (ep.2; it turns into:)

1 gold piece

Dandelion (ep.2; reward for catching Red's interest; blown away while making a wish)

Morning Frost license plate (ep.12)

Games Prize 3 - Pack of pixie dust (ep.12)

Sky blue T-shirt three sizes too small with "Bird Chad" on it (ep.12)

1 ticket to Witchlight Carnival (gained due Pixie Pact) 8/8 (ep.14)

Teapot & pack of Scatterleaf tea (ep.14)

Killmoulis Spectacles (description below)

Wand of the Pact Breaker 3/3 (description below)

Clothes:

Cloth butterfly wings (ep.2; jade with yellow eyes - replaced)

Pixie wings (ep.10)

Drag Costume (ep.14; changed to)

Wedding Outfit: Black pinstriped tuxedo with a green tie with bits of ivy and baby's breath in chest pocket.

Pacts/contracts:

Pixie Ticket Pact: In exchange for Gideon marring Taxie to get him his ticket, he will do at least one nice thing for Gideon each day and one bigger favour once every two weeks; not as much pact as bros wanting to be fair (ep.14)

Fear: Being alone, being the last one standing and going insane, being left out [1:29:38 - 1:31:10] (ep.12)

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Krew (The Party)

In possession from beginning:

2 gold pieces (ep.1)

Items acquired:

5 gold pieces (ep.2; for street-performing)

Pacts/contracts:

With Madrik Roslov: In exchange for checking if Zybilna is alright, and if true, giving her the letter he wrote, Party will get what is left from his possessions once he passes away (ep.1)

With Diana Cloppington: In exchange for riddle concerning Prismeer, with knowledge and information she was able to store about current state of it in it, Party promises to, at least, attempt to help her return to human and be reunited with Sir Cloppington; Not really Fey Pact but on their rules (ep.2)

With Mrs Witch & Light #1: In exchange for keeping Torbek occupied and bringing him to them in the next hour they will let Frost, who was having a conversation with Mr. Light during this time, free; not as much pact as a hostage situation. (ep.9; completed)

With Mrs Witch & Light #2: In exchange for catching Kenku before crowning of Witchlight Monarch they'll be granted some answers to the questions they have about Carnival and Zybilna; not promise but proposal (ep.9)

With Palasha & Candlefoot: In exchange for bringing Candelfoots voice back they pledged alliagnce with Krew and promised to come and help them if they ever need them; not as much pact as keeping true to Second Rule (ep.13)

Altered states:

Twist of Fate curses:

(Gideon) 78 68 100? - You cannot stop sneazing, yawning or burping [01:11:05 -

(Kremy) 70 33 - You are in love with Gideon (I know) [01:12:24 -

-You're haunted by a ghost of the last person you've killed (Francois the Bullywug) [01:37:56 -

(Gricko) 95 - Your ears become gigantic [01:12:57 -

-You believe that you are the leader of a great kingdom. You've been ruling for 10 years and you're afraid it will fall to ruin (King Shmebulock) [01:35:27 -

(Frost) 5 - You become a spring eladrin [01:13:35 -

-You believe you're worlds greatest bard [01:36:30 -

Twist of Dread curses (by DM):

Would you kindly...

Pixie chariots bets (ep.5):

(Frost) - 1 gold piece on Red

(Gricko) - 40 electrum pieces/20 gold pieces on Blue

(Gideon & Kremy) - ?? on Red

Red wins. The Party gets ?? (they didn't got to collect the prize yet)

Snail race:

King Shmebulock on Snail nr 2 (blue) won ?? (they haven't gotten to it yet)

Drag show:

(Kremy) as Stilleta Silhouette did lypsync to 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

(Gideon) as Phoe-Phoe Nix did lipsync/singing to Ring of Fire by Jonny Cash

(Gricko) as Trollina singing original rendition of If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher

(Frost) as Twinkerbell singing in-universe original song "Claws Fur Robe Heels" that's rewrite of Nails Hair Hips Heals by Todrick Hall

the money was NOT summed up next sesion

Gifts from Mr Witch and Mr Light

(Frost) - Killmoulis Spectacles

Wonderous item, rare As with most encounters with the Killmoulis, they bring things both helpful and harmful - in the case of spectacles, it can be considered harmful to other fae. These wooden glasses help the wearer find lost objects. They allow a person to roll with advantage on Wisdom perception checks made to find something hidden. A side effect of this is that the wearer can also see invisible fae creatures

(Gideon) - Forlarrens Remorse [dagger]

very rare A plain looking dagger, Forlarrens Remorse holds a dark history. The Forlarrens are creatures caught between good and evil, and this dagger reflects their curse. When the user gets a nat20, the dagger burns causing 1d12 fire damage in addition to the crit. Any time you got the killing blow, for 1 hour you are under the effect of a Bless spell (Bless spell - Whenever a target makes an attack roll or a saving throw before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw)

(Gricko) - Mouse Harness

Wonderous item, rare This tiny harness coud easily fit upon a common field mouse. If harnessed, the mouse grows to a Large size and gains the statistics of a fully trained riding horse, complete with full-size riding gear. This effect lasts for 8 hours, after which the mouse shrinks back down to its normal size

(Kremy) - Great Fiddle

Wonderous item, uncommon This tiny fiddle is made of unusual materials more akin to an insects carapace than wood. The Fiddle strings buzz and hum at the slightest touch, reminiscent of a cricket. This is a plesant tune that allows Charisma performance rolls made with advantage. There's also a special tune that is softer to the ear and cannot be heard conciously. If this special tune is played one turn prior to a Charisma persuasion check, it may be rolled with advantage. If this tune is played one turn after a creature is cast at with one of the following spells, the duration is doubled: Animal Friendship, Calm Emotions, Calm Person, Dominate Person, Friends, Hypnotic Pattern, Mass Suggestion, Suggestion This special tune can be used once and rquires a short rest before it can be used again.

(All) - Wand of the Pact Breaker (given to Frost)

A wand made of dark yew wood that is twisted and gnarled and very very old and it curls around a glistening opalescent gem at the very tip of it. When you look inside of it, you can see the futtering of what looks like a swarm of colorfull butterflies. Requires attunement of entire party for 24 hours. The only thing you've ever seen that can break a fae pact. It has 3 charges and cannot be recharged. Once the final charge has been used, the wand will cease to exist.

To-do list:

Get the 100,00 gold pieces by the end of the month (ep.1)

Find out why Madrik Roslovs patron, Zybilna, stopped answering his calls for 15 years so he can die in peace, knowing her fate (ep.1)

Get to the Witchlight Carnival before it ends and find the only available entrance to Prismeer, Zybilnas domain (ep.1)

Try to become Witchlight Monarch (ep.1)

Find out who was the man that cut off Lexi Pott's wings, why he did that and what happened with them (ep.1)

Find a way to reunite Diana Cloppington with her with her horse, Sir Cloppington and return them to their previous forms (ep.2)

Win Cake Eating contest (ep.3; completed)

Find a way to return Candlefoots voice (ep.4; completed)

Find some clothes for Torbek (ep.6; completed)

Keep Torbek occupied for an hour when Carnival Hands find manacles for him and take him away for his punishment (ep.8; completed)

Catch the Kenku and bring her to Mr Witch & Mr Light for her punishment in exchange for some answers (ep.9)

Get ahold of Mr Witch's Pocketwatch or Mr Light's Weathervane and keep it hostage to get the true answers to what they seek (ep.9)

.

Time

3rd day of Campaign, less than 1 hour till Coronation - the Coronation time

9th of the month (19 days until The Debt deadline)

Happiness Meter

+4 (MAX) - Candlefoot and Palasha are finally reunited (ep.14)

Random Info

Man whose name Lexi Pott's was unable to say was going to "wake her" and she was very scared for Party meeting him. When they mentioned name Zybilna, she said they "already were too deep" (ep.1)

After Lexi Pott died, Party was surrounded by Fairy Ring made up from mushrooms (ep.1)

Tasha and Iggwilv The Witch Queen are the same person (ep.4)

Kenku that has been terrorising the Carnival is a Warlock and her patron is Zybilna (ep.5)

Chuckles said Gideon will join clowns in Hell and become Eighth Clown Lord of Crazy Eights (ep.7)

Torbek's poem is based on Immortality by Clare Harner (ep.8)

Burly the bugbear has a twin, Hurly, that went missing (ep.9)

Mr Witch and Mr Light got into pact for them to be able to run the Witchlight Carnival in exchange for things it wants (people breaking rules) to Hourglass Coven (ep.11)

The original owner of Witchlight Carnival was an archfey (ep.11)

Fey Pacts leave magical aura around those which they bind that are visible to fae (ep.11)

Total money: no more than 817 gold pieces (idk how much Kremy and Gideon bet)

.

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[vasfasan]

Killian:

Emma after mouth-to-mouthing the life back into him a second ago:

[soulless-angel25]

Whumperless Whump Event: Day 23 Prompt- Well, that doesn't taste right: Accidentally poisoned / Allergic reaction / “My tongue feels like bees, is that normal?” @seth-whumps

Fandom: Once Upon A Time Characters: Emma Swan, Mary Margaret Blanchard

[Warning: Allergic Reaction. Emma is allergic to shrimp]

AO3 Link!

Emma sat down at the table, honestly it was really too much for Mary Margaret to have offered up her home for Emma to stay in. And offering her food was far more then she'd expected, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

And so she raised the dish to her mouth and took a bite, it was some sort of meat combo with sauce and seasoning and it tasted heavenly. Emma made sure to say so.

The comment made Mary Margaret light up, "Thank you, Emma. It's a recipe I learned a while back, it's got beef, bits of bacon, some shrimp, a homemade sauce- honestly that's the most time consuming part of making it!"

Emma's hand froze as it was halfway up to her mouth for her next bite, Mary Margaret frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

"Did you say this has shrimp in it?"

"Yes, I did. Why?"

The fork dropped from Emma's hand as she hurriedly grabbed her stuff and made her way to the door, "I'm allergic to shrimp! Gotta go to the hospital."

In an instant she was going down the stairs with Mary Margaret following after, insisting that she should drive Emma because she'd caused this and driving while she was experiencing an allergic reaction didn't seem smart. Reluctantly Emma let her help, and while they were in the car to the hospital Emma's skin started to itch and hives popped up across her skin.

Emma's mind had started to go sort of fuzzy by this point and Mary Margaret stepped on the gas, ignoring any speed limits.

By the time that they had reached the hospital Emma was feeling warmer then she should, and her face was looking more red than anything.

[juniperhillpatient]

God today has been such a good day

[kosherkept]

it's at least a little bit funny to watch so many leftists tear each other apart because none of them are ever good enough for each other. like, i used to watch this one woman's youtube videos, but stopped a while back because she suddenly "educated herself" on palestine and, out of "empathy" for palestinians, isolated all of her jewish watchers with the hateful things she spread and shared... but now she's apparently partnered with an israeli company and her comment sections are full of people saying how disappointed they are in her for contributing to the occupation. like girl don't worry she's one of y'all! you don't need to virtue signal to death if you've already gotten the point across

[thereideffects]