IN FAIRTALE LAND

Charming escapes from the clutches of the evil queen with a little help from the huntsman.  It was fantastic to see hotty pants Graham alive and well even if it was only for a brief moment.

The huntsman paid for his transgressions with a nice beating by the queen.

James runs into Rumple in the woods and we all know that nothing good can come from it.  He offers him his mother's ring, enchanted to find Snow in return James must plant a locket type egg in the belly of a beast.

Um....okay? 

He gives him the egg which contains the bottle of true love he manufactured and sends him to see Maleficent.  Now I must admit something here.  I love Maleficent.  In typical James fashion, he is confused and asks to see her beast.  She quickly turns into a dragon and as wrong as it seems I sort of hoped she'd eat him.

I mean I am not a team Charming/James/David fan.  He's just so whinny. 

Anyway, of course he is successful and when he returns to Rumple he is given not only the ring but also his stately robes.  He finds Snow in her glass coffin and when he leans down and kisses her...well you all know the story.

Once awake, Snow decides that the must take back the kingdom together.

IN STORYBROOK

The real action took place in Storybrook.  After Henry collapsed from the poisonous apple tart, he is rushed to the hospital.  Regina is not far behind.

Emma picks up the fairytale book and flashes through all the stories in her mind.  OH yeah!  She believes.  When Regina shows up she shouts at her, "It's all true, isn't it.  I was leaving town.  Why would you do this."

Surprisingly Regina admits it but when Emma asks her to fix Henry, Regina is heartbroken because she cannot.  "Magic is unpredictable here."

They go to Gold who offers little help but tells them that he planted a safeguard inside the belly of a beast.  Regina takes Emma to see Maleficent who she has imprisoned underground somewhere.  Emma is given her father's sword and told to kill the beast and return with the egg.

Surprisingly, she is successful.

But Gold tricks her into handing over the egg and Regina is disappointed by her naivety.  The duo takes off after him just as the are both paged by the hospital.  Something is wrong with Henry.

In the meantime, poor August turns completely to wood and Jefferson becomes even more angry with Regina for not keeping up her end of the bargain.  He decides to take matters into his own hands by breaking into the crazy farm and letting Belle out.  He tells her to seek out Mr. Gold and to tell him that Regina was keeping her prisoner.

She does but he is not as elated as I thought he would be. 

Emma and Regina get to the hospital only to find out that HENRY IS DEAD.

Seriously?

When Emma leans down to tell him goodbye she kisses his forehead and he awakens.  True loves kiss.

But not only does he awaken so does everyone in Storybrook.  David has been planning on leaving.  He is packing but once awakened by the kiss he seeks out Snow and they share a tender moment before the purple smoke comes back.

Regina flees the hospital and heads home, certain that her lynch mob will be following.

Gold takes Belle to the wishing well and he proceeds to drop the true love potion inside.  It starts to release the purple smoke almost immediately.  Belle asks, "What are you doing?"

"The magic is coming," he replies, "and magic is power."

We flash to the smoke encompassing Snow and Charming and we see Regina smiling at her window.  She seems to know that her lynch mob will no longer be approaching.

Emma says to Henry, "What is that?"

He replies, "It can't be good."

This week we final learn just why Regina hates Snow and quite frankly, it's a little justified.

IN STORYBROOK:

It opens with Regina fiddling with a simple ring and we flashback a week and hear how she and Gold came up with a devious plan to get rid of Kathryn.

Back in the present, David whines a lot about Mary Margaret, Regina spends what too much time mocking MM and I continue to be amazed by the fact that Emma gets paid to be a Sheriff.

Sydney brings Emma flowers because he has nothing else to offer. Gold sets up a pretrial interview with the DA who happens to be King George or Charles Widmore depending on the show.

August tells Emma that when he gets writer's block he starts at the beginning and retraces his steps. She heads back to the dig where Ruby unearthed Kathryn's heart. She finds a piece of a shovel. She and August break into Regina's house and located the broken shovel. Like any good sheriff, she returns the next day with a warrant.

The shovel has been replaced.

She accuses August of being a traitor, but finds out Sydney is the traitor. She located a bug in the flowers he brought her.

Mary Margaret apologizes to Regina saying that she is sorry for whatever she has done to her. Apology not accepted.

In a major turn of events, just as MM was headed to court Kathryn is found alive in the alley.

IN FAIRYTALE land....

Regina is actually likeable and somewhat friendly and nice. Her mother on the other hand is pure evil. Regina is in love with Daniel, the stable boy. She is afraid to tell her mother.

I can't say I blame her as she is a wicked sorceress with a very bad temper.

Maxine from Wizards of Waverly Place comes barreling through her land on a runaway horse. Regina saves her.

Because she saves her, the king proposes. We learn that Maxine is really Snow White, the motherless daughter of King Leopold (whom I just love). Regina's mother accepts on her behalf and Regina is devastated. After all her true love, the stable boy, has not yet been capture by the dread pirate Roberts.

Regina rushes off to tell Daniel they must flee. Snow witness this and is very upset. Regina consoles her and tells her some ridiculously Disney-like crap about true love and how love is the most powerful magic of all and it creates happiness.

Honestly, I gagged a little.

Snow promises she will never tell anyone that Regina loves Daniel, but her cuteness is no match for Regina's evil mother, who gets the truth out of Snow after just one commercial break.

Regina's mother pulls Daniel's heart from his chest while Regina looks on. She tells her that love is weakness and that power endures.

Snow is surprised to learn that Regina is now marrying her father. She tells Snow that Daniel ran off and that she is surprised to realize she does, indeed, love King Leopold. Snow is happy. Snow tells her that she knew her mother would understand about how love works and Regina realizes the child did not keep her promise.

She has been dreaming of making her pay ever since.

We are on hiatus until April 22nd but return with a little more info on Rumple and the mysterious, yet oh so sexy, August.

Last night's episode wasn't as fantastic as last week's Red-handed, but it was still impressive.  First, I have to say that Ginnifer Goodwin is an excellent actress and it is great to see her on a show that is showcasing her talents.

While I love her as the porcelain perfect Snow, I liked her even more in tonight's episode when she was fighting with her dark side.

IN STORYBROOK

Mary Margaret is arrested and booked and placed is the only jail cell in the county.  I'm surprised they didn't make her wear an orange jumpsuit and pick up trash.

Evidence is piling up against her.  I mean there's the whole dead woman's heart in her jewelry box and then Emma tries to prove her innocence and unearths a large murder weapon conveniently stowed away in a heating duct. 

Of course, it doesn't help that Regina is sitting in on the questioning.  How about the part when Regina tries to get a confession out of her by saying "Losing someone I loved changed me." and "A broken heart can make people do unspeakable things."

The recurring theme of the episode appears to be that Evil isn't born it is made.  That line was said in both Storybrook and Fairytale land.  Do you agree?

David continues to try to be Mary Margaret's savior.  This time he decides that he will go to Dr. Hopper and be hypnotized into remembering what he can't remember.  When this works too well and he sees flashes of his former life he mixes up those memories and thinks that just maybe MM did kill Kathryn.  Oh David.  You are an idiot.  Are you really going to ask her?

Yep.  He is.  And she is pissed.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gold offers his legal services because as we've all come to realize all scummy character's have law degrees.  MM tells him she can't pay him and he says that's okay, "I'm invested in your future."

Later, MM finds one of those skeleton keys that open all doors and decides to flee.  This is after Henry finds those same keys in his mom's house and tells Emma that Regina used them to set up MM. 

In a totally out of place scene, August, our mysterious stranger tells Henry that he believes all the answers are in the book  He tells Henry that some people need proof but that other's can rely on faith.

My favorite scene is when David goes to Regina and says "With all due respect, I don't think you know much about evil." To which Regina replies, "Evil doesn't always look evil."

IN FAIRYTALE LAND

James continues to look for Snow who has taken the potion given to her by Rumpelstiltskin and has morphed into a rather bitchy kind of person.  I loved when she tried to take the bluebird out.  Priceless.

The dwarfs stage and intervention of sorts and tell her that they are tired of her cooking and cleaning and killing all the bugs.  She has changed.  She is EVIL.

Jiminy Cricket tries to intercede on her behalf imploring that she find a conscience that she stop taking her anger out on his cousins and her poor dwarf friends.  Snow concedes and agrees to take her anger our on the queen. 

She tosses on a cloak and heads out to kill the queen.

Grumpy, who you think would be down with this kinds of plan, follows her and pleads with her to stop.  Knock it off. 

He tells her that he will take her to Rumple and that perhaps they can return her to her old state.

Rumple is not all that impressed with Snow until he learns that she is not interested in remembering what he has helped her to forget.  She is only interested in getting his help in killing the queen.

He is eager to help.  He provides her with a bow and arrow that will not miss and tells her where to take the shot from.  It cost her nothing because he is vested in her future.

James learns of this plan and confronts Rumple.  Rumple tells him that for the price of his cloak he will tell James where Snow is but that she is truly evil.  "How can she remember you when she has lost sight of who she really is?" Rumple tells him nothing can stop it save one thing...true love.

ugh...so Disney.

James leave without his cloak and finds Snow.  She doesn't know him.  He kisses her and she slaps him.  Loved that.  She is not in love with him so the spell is not broken.  They argue more and then she decides she has had enough.  It is time to kill the queen.  She fires but James dives in front of the arrow.

Intrigued she asks why he would do that and he says he would rather die than let her heart fill with darkness.  So she kisses him.  And the spell is broken.

They are free to skip and dance and frolic in the forest  

James is captured by King Midas's men and Snow left to return to the dwarfs.  Again...so close yet so far away.  The episode ends with Rumple plucking a hair off of Charming's cloak and placing it in a bottle with Snow's hair.  The hairs love each other and apparently we are left to believe that Rumple has bottled love.

Would you consider taking a love potion?

Next week:  The mad hatter.  Love me some Alice and Wonderland!

After a week off, Once Upon A Time returned last night with a Beauty and the Beast episode. I was excited to see Emilie DeRaven (Claire, from LOST) joining the ABC cast.

In Storybrook

Belle's dad, the florist, gets his truck reposessed by Rumple. Just a few days before Valentine's Day. He is not happy about this.

David and Snow share a brief encounter at the diner. He is reading Withering Heights. (I think) Red suggests that she, Ashley (Cinderella) and Snow go out for Valentine's day. Skip the men.

Rumples house gets broken into. Emma responds but Gold doesn't seem too excited to see her. He tells her that he is a difficult man to love. Indeed.

She recovers most of his stolen goods within a few days, but he is missing something precious and determined to find it. We see him at the drug store buying duct tape and rope. David is buying two Valentines...ouch.

We watch as Rumple takes Belle's dad to a cabin in the words and basically beats him with a cane. Yelling you took her! You shunned her! You need to give her back! Emma intervenes. She arrests Rumple.

The Evil Queen comes to the jail and asks for 30 minutes alone with Rumple. Emma abides. She takes Henry for ice cream.

Regina wants Mr. Gold to tell her his name. And then she will give him what he seeks. After much prying he replies "Rumplestiltskin". Ouch. So he does remember. What does she give him...a chipped tea cup.

Meanwhile, in a rather cute moment, Sean proposes to Ashley. In a rather awkward moment, David gives MaryMargaret the wrong card. Sorry...Prince Charming that's a deal breaker.

In the final scene, we see Regina visit Belle in a mental hospital. Belle is looking rough, humgging herself in the corner. She is very much alive.


In fairytale land...

The story is significantly darker. With her kingdom falling to war, Rumple is their last hope, Belle's father offers riches but Rumple asks for Belle. She doesn't love Gaston, whom she is pledged too. She goes with Rumple.

"No one decides my fate but me," said Belle

Rumple takes her to his castle and locks her up. After awhile, he lets her out. She begins to enjoy his company. He begins to tell her a little bit about his son and his wife. she chips one of his tea cups but he doesn't seem to mind. Gaston comes looking for her but Rumple turns him into a rose.

After a little bit of time, Belle begins to grow fond of Rumple. He releases her. She runs into the EQ. She tells her that all curses can be broken by true loves kiss. Um...kind of cheesey.

Belle returns to the castle. She kisses Rumple who begins to change. But he decides that she is tricking him. He doesn't want to lose his power.

He tells her to leave. She flees.

Rumple smashes many things but leaves the chipped glass.

Later he is visited by the EQ who tells him that Belle's father shunned her. That after her fiance went missing, she couldnt be trusted. He locked her in a tower and she jumped to her death.

Rumple appears crushed.

After the EQ leaves Rumple displays his chipped glass prominately in the main hall. As if to indicate that he is broken and always will be.

Next week. Prince Charming, Snow and a creepy mermaid!

This week we learn that our poor Prince Charming has yet another name. 

Seriously?

In Fairytale Land

It appears that our dashing prince is unstopable.  He galantly defeats an evil ugly brute and is rewarded by King Midas.  His father (Charles Widmore from LOST) is beaming with pride when Midas turns Charming's sword to gold and promises even more once he defeats the dragon.

Thankfully Midas back at the castle by the time the evil-ugly brute, whose death has been greatly exaggerated, RUNS CHARMING THROUGH WITH AN EVIL-UGLY SPEAR.

I did not see that coming.


Enter Rumple.

Dude...this guy is everywhere and Robert Carlyle continues to impress me with his acting skills.

He tells King "Widmore" that dead is dead ( a great LOST reference).  Then he reveals that James has a twin brother.  Turns out Rumple's fetish for fetching babies isn't just reserved for maid servants named Cinderella.  He works for royalty, too.

This is when we flash to our sweet Shepard boy (his name is not revealed, but one can hope that it is David)

Turns out ma and paw were trying to save the farm.  Ever notice how expensive it is to run a farm?  Apparently, it is sooo expensive that Ma is willing to give up one of her baby boys to keep the farm a float for a short while.  Um...seems a little far fetched.  I mean, if you're gonna give up one of the twins at least get enough money to be set for life.

But alas, Ma didn't think that far ahead and now Paw is dead and she is trying to marry Charming off to some chick with a big set of .... dowries.

Until Rumple entices him with a proposition.  You slay the dragon.  Your family lives comfortably.  Personally, I'd get that in writing.  It didn't work out very well last time.

Charming agrees.  First mistake.  Then the cute farm boy actually succeeds in slaying the worst CG dragon I have ever seen.  Made me miss the black smoke from LOST.

Midas is overjoyed with his new mantle piece and King "Widmore" is anxious to be reward.  Of course there is always a catch.

This one has a name.  Abigail.



Abigal announces that "He'll do" and I begin to wonder why she is so dislikable in fairytale land while I don't mind her much in Storybrook.

Charming shares a Lifetime moment with his ma (who he is apparently harboring no resentment at all towards...curious) and then heads off into the sunset with his new bitch bride.  Off to meet Snow.

I thought it was a nice touch that in this episode, Charming had no scar on his chin.

Meanwhile back in Storybrook.


Mary Margaret is mopping about  Charming.  Turns out David is home and Kathryn is tired of him giving her googly eyes.

David leaves his own welcome home party to chase after Mary and remind her that he feels so much more for her than he does Kathryn.

He pulls out the all time worst married guy line of all time saying that she doesn't mean anything to him and that he is drawn to her.  "She needs someone to feel about her the way I feel about you."  Seriously?

As much as I want him to choose already I'm having a little trouble feeling bad for him.  He has all the cards.

Mary wrestles with her feelings and talks to Emma about it who pours her a drink and says, "If you think something you want to do is wrong, it usually is."

Seems like there is a lot of random drinking and newspaper reading in this episode. Go ahead...watch it again.  You know you wanna.

David decides to leave Kathryn and we all cheer.  He asks Snow to meet him at the Toll Bridge.  To which, Emma encourages her to go.  She throws caution to the wind and goes.

Like the village idiot, David asks for directions from Regina.  Okay...this is too much.  Does he really think that she is going to tell him how to get to the bridge.

Regina leads him to Rumple.  Why?  No one knows.

David walks into Gold's shop and fiddles with the glass mobile that used to grace Emma's crib.  He hollers out to see if anyone is there.  He walks past those creepy dolls from last weeks episode.  "Charming," Gold says.  Clever.

David does not get the reference.  Gold give him directions to the bridge but as David turns to leave he is entranced by a windmill.  We think he remembers his life with Snow.  His farm.  His Ma.  But no.  He has remembered his fake life with Kathryn.

He goes to the bridge but not to confess his dying love, but to tell Mary that he is returning to Kathryn.  Wrong choice.

Mary is upset and alone.  A bad combination.





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