Love is an Open Door

Review/Recap of Once Upon a Time 4.11 "Heroes and Villains - Spoilers!

I'm coming to you live from the floor tonight. Because - THAT EPISODE!

Rise Above the Truth and the Lies

First of all - we've got to talk about Belle. I had some thoughts about her this week leading up to the episode and this needs to be talked about (by which I mean it NEEDS to be talked about).

All through this Frozen arc, Belle has been incommunicado. She had that one episode where she met Anna and that was great. But while I've been screaming my anger and frustration at Rumplestiltskin, one HUGE question remained: Where in the ever-lovin' hell was Belle in all of this??? Yes, I get it - she was probably still in the newlywed haze (realistically, it's been maybe a month since they got married. If that?) But - c'mon! Your hubby is slinking around behind your back, meddling in the worst kinds of magic, killing people, controlling Hook, plotting with the Snow Queen - do you have anything you'd like to say about that???

PLEASE DO! (gif source)

This week, kind of on a whim, I rewatched "The Crocodile." Not simply because it marks the beginning of the Hook-Rumple rivalry (though I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a factor) - but because Belle takes a stand against Rumple's shenanigans and she sticks up for herself. She calls, not only Rumple, but her father out for trying to control her life and taking decisions away from her. Belle is a not a pushover, even if there hasn't been much cause for her to show that side of her lately. All through Season 3, she was an accessory to Rumple. Well... okay - Team Storybrooke was allied against some pretty tough villains and everyone had to band together to beat them. But - I just felt like Belle was underused and the Rumbelle ship was kind of... I just didn't really get it.

Back in July during the Once panel at San Diego Comic Con, Robert Carlyle commented that Rumplestiltskin is basically a power-addict. And if you know anything about addiction it's that addicts have to hit rock-bottom if they're ever going to change. At the end of Season 3, I thought Rumple had sufficiently changed and made all kinds of progress. All the "villains" had - Regina and Hook had been on these tremendous character journeys and I loved how this was all coming together. But the key here is - is the change actually going to stick? At first, I thought Rumple's had. I mean, he promised on his son's grave - the son that Rumple moved heaven and earth to see again after he lost him - that he would be a better man, a good husband to Belle. And at the first opportunity, what does the guy do? Tosses that promise out like so much garbage. All because - like Belle said - he loves power more than anything else. He did it to Milah, he did it to Baelfire, now he's done it to Belle. And Belle finally said to hell with that - take your miserable cowardly self and get out of here. He may make puppy-dog eyes at Belle and claim that he loves her, but he'll turn around and sneer at anyone else trying to get their own happy ending (he did it to Killian, he did it to Regina - you sensing a pattern here?)

Belle had to be the one to stop Rumple. Sure, Emma could have come in with Savior magic blazing and "NOT MY BOYFRIEND YOU RAT BASTARD!" but where would that have left Rumple? Slinking back to his den of darkness, probably muttering about "meddling kids" or some such. He'd have come back with something even more sinister and Belle would still have been blissfully ignorant and I would still be screaming whyyyyy?? But because Belle learned for herself what Rumple was doing and because she was the one to put a stop to it - it means more in Rumple's character arc. And it means so much for Belle's character arc as well. She's been so inextricably linked to Rumple - understandable, you can't have Beauty without the Beast - but I feel like Once Upon a Time could give her more of her own storyline. It's obviously something that has to happen - all the True Love Couples have their own stories apart from their significant others (or, at least, we've been promised we'll get those stories). I'm eager to see what she does outside of Rumple's shadow.

So - yes - as much as it hurts and as painful as it was to watch - this was so very needed in the Rumbelle storyline. If Rumple's going to have a remote chance of ever being a better man and if this relationship is going to amount to anything, he needs to realize that if he wants Belle to love him, he's got to knock this shit off. Then again - if his definition of a "happy ending" changes to one without Belle - well, that just means that Belle's free to do her own thing. And the heroes in Storybrooke don't have to feel bad for telling Rumple to pound sand if/when he comes back.

You May Be Miserable, But So is Gold

Next in the saga of the True Love Armada - the good ship Outlaw Queen. Well... that resolved itself - and then it didn't (which I think could be the tagline for Robin and Regina, honestly). However - the conversation Rumple and Regina had about seizing your destiny and taking what you want - I think that was a key moment for Regina. Rumple was her teacher and mentor (and a rather abusive one, when you think about it). They haven't drawn those conclusions, but Rumple's opinion does have an affect on Regina - at least, it used to. But her rejection of his advice shows just how much Regina's reformation has taken hold on her. And those choices are going to pay off immeasurably in Season 4B. I mean - why send Robin Hood and Rumple out into the Big Wide World - unless Robin Hood catches wind of Rumple's shady shenanigans and Robin determines he's going to get back to Regina to warn her of what's going on? It's a working theory (like anything Outlaw Queen-related), but it's good enough to get me to March 1.

(And Regina and Emma are going to start in on Operation Mongoose in earnest - so it's not like all hope is lost. You can't say that little brOTP scene at the end wasn't great. Especially since Emma just said goodbye to Elsa and she really needs a best female friend that isn't her mother).

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

I adore Killian Jones to the moon and back. He is my sun and stars and my absolute everything. He is the reason I kept watching this show and why I am writing about it now. I ship Captain Swan like you wouldn't believe (well... maybe you would - if you've been following my recaps long enough).

It is with this in mind - and knowing that you have to recognize the bad as well as the good, even in your favorites - when I say, homeboy screwed up. Not on Rumplestiltskin-level of screwing up - but there were a few choices Killian made that would have avoided a lot of pain and heartache had he chosen differently. And in this six-week gap between 4A and 4B, I imagine that there is going to be a bit of a conversation between Killian and Emma (or several conversations). Nothing that would indicate that this relationship is going to end - oh, hell no! But something more like - this relationship is still very, very new and both of them are still figuring each other out (and themselves - especially in Emma's case. I would be very surprised if a month has transpired from the time they came back from time-traveling to what's going on now). They haven't had very much time to themselves to really work on this thing between them - sure, there's been drama and angst brought on by snow queens and magic and stupidly evil wizards. And they really need a chance to define this - hopefully without getting anymore hearts ripped out.

One thing that I have loved about Once is that - while it is about fairy tales and happy endings - the story doesn't end when the main couple kisses and that's true love and they ride off happily into the sunset and yay! that's it. These characters, while they may have fantastical origins, are still human beings who make mistakes and have to own up to them. Yes, the consequences of owning up to those mistakes are more dire than in reality - but so are the benefits. Maybe Captain Swan didn't move as far as I would have like it to this episode, but compared to last mid-season finale with the Missing Year and the not-True-Love-Kiss - I'll take Killian not dying and Emma putting his heart back over that mess any day.

(you have to admit - that scene was pretty funny)

What I anticipate in 4B for Killian - especially as it pertains to the whole "Heroes and Villains" arc is that he is going to struggle with his identity as one of the heroes. He was introduced as the villainous Captain Hook, out for vengeance and not much else. Yes, we've gotten so much more to his character and that's what I love about him - but he's also got to deal with his mistakes and his past. Much like we got in 4A with Emma's life in the foster system (which, again, a backstory that was sorely needed for her), I have a feeling we're going to more about Killian's beginnings. Clear back in Season 2, they dropped a hint that his father abandoned him as a child and that's never been mentioned since - I want to see that. Why bring it up if you're never going to do anything with it?

I don't see Killian sliding back into full-on vengeful pirate mode - but he doesn't have to go that far. We've already seen him think he can pull a fast one over the Dark One and look where that landed him. Also - remember how bright and shiny and red his heart was when Rumple first ripped it out? And now, there are patches of darkness in it again. My theory on that is that in the time he was under the Dark One's control, Killian's sense of self-loathing came back with a vengeance. And he is not going to be unaffected by that. Yes, they had that intensely powerful moment at the end of this episode, but as time goes on and Killian has a chance to really come to terms with what happened to him and what he did, he may start to pull away from Emma. She is going to have to prove to him - much like he proved to her in Season 3 - that he is worth loving in spite of his screw-ups. That's what I think 4B is going to take Captain Swan. Emma's got to keep Killian away from the darkness and self-doubt in himself - and now, she is in the perfect position to do that.

(Also - I'm sure we'll see more of that "Hook as a survivor" thing come into play. Why else end with that line?)

We'll Make The Sun Shine Bright

The Frozen arc was everything I hoped it would be and more. I wanted more exploration of Elsa's character, I got it. I wanted backstory for Anna and Elsa and their family, I got it. I wanted awesome snow magic, I got it (freaking Marshmallow!) I didn't know I wanted The Snow Queen, but I got it and I loved it. The final little scene between Elsa and Anna before the wedding was wonderful (they recreated the "Chocolate!" bit and that just made me so happy). It was so, so, SO perfect for Once Upon a Time in this season - the parallels were outstanding and the characters fit beautifully in the world and the mythos. I often forgot that the Frozen cast weren't part of the regular cast because they were so perfect. If I ever get to meet Georgina Haig or Elizabeth Lail or Scott Michael Foster at a convention or something - man, that's going to be a top priority. I harbor a tiny little hope that they'll make a future cameo appearance or something.

For now, I'm going to sit here and be sad that they're gone.

Other Things I Liked/Noticed:
- Where in the ever-loving hell is Colin O'Donoghue's Emmy?? That scene where he's playing Hook while he's under control of Rumple who is pretending to be Hook - freaking amazing. Critics more knowledgeable about acting than I can get into the nuance and detail and stuff like that. All I'm going to say is that the people who give out awards need a freaking memo that Game of Thrones (or whatever other pretentious, unimaginative crap is in vogue these days) isn't the only show that the cast can win stuff.

- The Queens of Darkness. Love them already. I'm partial to Cruella, only because she brought a dalmatian puppy (and she's already sassed Dark-One!Rumple. That takes cajones)

- Henry and Belle having a moment in the shop. Give me more of this!

- We actually got a promo for next time! It's 2 1/2 months away - but who cares? HA!



(At least it's March 1st and not March 31st).

(And Robin Hood's in the promo. See, I Told You So!)

When all is said and done, this was merely a mid-season finale. There is so much more story to tell and so much more to go through before this is over. You can't blow everything when you have another 11 episodes to go. They've given us just enough to keep us guessing and speculating until March when it looks like it's a full-blown shootout between good and evil (including the good and evil waging battles within). If it lives up to anything near as good as what the Wicked Witch and Frozen arcs have been - we are in for some pretty intense stuff. All I can say is - give it to me, precious!

The Fears That Once Controlled Me

Review/Recap of Once Upon a Time 4.10 Shattered Sight - Spoilers!

First off all - I need this version of "Let It Go" here. Yes, I know it's not as good as the Idina Menzel version, but somehow I feel like this one fits with this episode of Once Upon a Time. Especially some of the lyrics that are in the pop version that aren't in the movie -



Last summer, I wrote a blog post (before I knew what the Frozen story arc was going to be about) comparing and contrasting a lot of the Once Upon a Time "villains" and why I thought Elsa would be a perfect fit in this overall story of those past feeling coming back for their redemption. Well, now that Once's retelling of The Snow Queen is complete, I almost want to rewrite that post, but instead of focusing on Elsa, make it about Ingrid.

Before I get to that, I've got to talk about sisters (and I hope to heaven my own sisters don't read this because I'm probably going to be rather embarrassing towards all of them). Lately, Once has been hitting a lot of sensitive nerves for me. To be honest, it's probably in the same way that Frozen hit those same (yet wholly different) nerves as well. I've had some interesting experiences with this season - mostly around my youngest sister. I'm not particularly close with any of my sisters. It's just a matter of fact - we all have our different lives and interests and very few of them overlap. Except my youngest sister and I started watching Once Upon a Time totally on our own and for different reasons. It was kind of an odd - but good - moment when we both realized that we were both watching this show and we liked a lot of the same characters (we're both huge Hook fangirls). So, here was something that we both could enjoy together (even though we live in different cities - but we both know what the other is doing on Sunday nights). When Season 4 started, we made it a bit of tradition to text each other and talk about what we liked about the episode and what we thought was going to happen next time - sometimes these conversations last throughout the week (the week after "Smash the Mirror" - that discussion lasted well into Wednesday). My point is - I've been glad to have something to share with at least one of my sisters. And it's opened up our relationship to the point where we can talk about other things we like and we're kind of rediscovering that whole "sisterly bond" thing that I kind of missed out on for... reasons.

So, I guess when you've got a villain who's only a villain because she's trying to recreate a relationship with new sisters because she lost hers early on - I'm going to respond to that in a bit of an emotional way.

I have completely loved The Snow Queen arc this season (which, marketing and hype aside, that's really what this storyline has been about). I love how Ingrid's journey has been paralleled with Emma's and I love how Emma's journey has been paralleled with the movie Frozen. I love how it all came together in this episode - in a way that I probably should have seen coming, but I didn't realize that it would happen like that until Anna read her mother's final letter to her and Elsa (and, in some way, the letter was also written to Ingrid).

I'll start at the end and work my way back. I positively bawled when Ingrid heard Gerda's letter and realized that she'd made a huge mistake in using the Spell of Shattered Sight. It speaks to Ingrid's moral strength that, instead of continuing to blame her sister and milk that victim card for all it's worth, Ingrid immediately takes responsibility for her actions and works to correct what she's done. In a season where Regina is still holding onto that decades-old hurt and betrayal and Rumple is out for power and world domination, it's interesting that we have a villain who is only a villain because she is seeking for the kind of love she once had and lost. And, upon realizing she never really lost that love at all, she does a complete 180. She even points out the goodness and love that she felt for the people she met along the way - Emma, Elsa, and even Anna. If we had longer with the Frozen characters, I would guess that Ingrid would have a very similar character arc to Hook - who is another character who is motivated by love and whose actions are guided by losing and finding love over and over again.

One of my favorite lines in Frozen (Source)

I'm continually blown away by how complex these stories and characters are. This may seem like a simple show about fairy tales and magic and happy endings - and those elements are certainly important in bringing in an audience. I love how the writers use one plot to tell multiple stories - we've had the running theme of Frozen (and The Snow Queen) and from that one story, they've built upon the mythos of all the other characters in Once Upon a Time. Just to show one example (and it's the most obvious one) - Emma Swan got her traditional "Happily Ever After" at the end of Season 3. But the writers went even further to show how, even though she's found her family and true love, that's not the end of her story. Because she's found happiness before, but it's been taken away through circumstances beyond her control (and some that were somewhat within her control - as shown in the flashback to her days in the foster system). But this season - she's done running. She's done being scared. Even when she had the most reason to be afraid, she looked for a solution that would make her safe for people to be around her (she didn't know that solution was actually going to kill her, but it's been well-established that Rumple's an ass). Emma Swan is done running away. She is in Storybrooke for good - and she is going to do everything she can to protect her new home and the people she loves.

I feel like I could go on and on in circles about this episode (and, considering the number of paragraphs I've deleted and rewritten, I think I have). If I had one complaint about this episode, it's that I feel like there was a lot more story to tell. But at the same time, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I think that I enjoyed Ingrid as a character so much that I would love to have as much backstory on her as we've gotten on someone like Regina or Rumple. I'll be honest - I'm kind of feeling a little burned out on those two characters. I'm ready to follow somebody new. At least, as far as flashbacks are concerned. This season hasn't been as bad as Season 3A was with Rumple - and the Frozen characters have helped to mix it up a little bit. But how many second chances do these two get before they are past redemption. Especially Rumple (but he may be getting his comeuppance next week? I hope? Please???)

Other Things I Liked/Noticed

- There wasn't a whole lot of Captain Swan interaction in this episode (which, given where they left off last time, it makes sense). But there were a couple little lines thrown in there just to remind us - yes, Emma and Killian are very much together. Regardless of how cursed!Henry feels about it.

- I adored Killian's little goofy smile when Henry referred to him and Emma as being "together." I mean, obviously they're together - but it's probably nice for Killian to hear it from someone else.

- Along those lines - Will Scarlet is never going to get the better of Killian Jones. That's just a fact that everyone is going to have to come to terms with (but he's welcome to continue trying. It amuses me).

- Considering how scared and angst-filled everyone was last week when Shattered Sight was closing in on Storybrooke, the actual result of the curse hitting the town was pretty hilarious. No more so evident than in the sheriff's station where Snow, Charming, and Kristoff are all bickering with each other and poor Anna is trying to maintain the peace and keep Baby Baelfire safe (even though she admits that Kristoff's words are pretty hurtful, even though she knows he doesn't mean it).

- When Emma and Elsa figure out that the only way to remove the Snow Queen's ribbons is with an equal amount of hatred, Emma goes directly to Regina. It's funny in a really sad way - but it's still funny.

- Ingrid hid the memory stones in the carrot sherbet. Honestly, the humor in Once continues to be a delight to my soul.

"There is no version of this where you come out on top."

Feels like we waited so long for this season, and now this half of it is coming to an end (stupid hiatuses!) And I've got to talk about Rumplestiltskin and his plans to separate himself from the dagger and become the Head Cheese in Charge of the World. But first, I'm going to let another Disney property speechify on how this whole this is going to go down -



At this point, Rumple is in all kinds of hot water. His plans hinged upon everyone in Storybrooke being too preoccupied with Shattered Sight and the Snow Queen keeping Emma and Elsa prisoner in town. Now that Ingrid is gone and the curse is broken - how in the hell does he expect to get out of there unnoticed? I can think of three possible scenarios -

Worst Case: Rumple is successful in skipping town. He kills Killian and leaves him for dead near the town line, likely to be found at some point because Emma's going to notice that he's not where he should be. Somehow, the manner of his death is discovered and they figure out that Rumple and Belle are also missing. Emma isn't limited by the town line, so she could very well take off after the rat bastard - with all manner of righteous indignation and the fury of true love lost bearing down on Rumple's head. Savior magic trumps anything that Rumple can come up with and Emma is hell-bent on destroying the piece of shit that killed her pirate (this scenario is all kinds of unlikely because there is no way that the creators are going to kill off one of the more popular characters on the show).

Best Case: Rumple is in a mad rush to get out of town before anyone notices that he's Up To Something. Mistakes are made in haste and Killian sees an opportunity to warn Emma and the Charmings of Rumple's plans. Showdown at the Town Line at High Noon (Will Scarlet's selling tickets).

Even Better Case: Belle overhears something and FINALLY cottons on that her hubby dearest is a piece of garbage and calls him out on his crap. Rumple folds like a deck of cards because his asshattery has been discovered by the one and only person he gives a crap about and he's left with absolutely nothing.

Bonus Round: When Rumple goes to use the hat to separate himself from the dagger, it turns out he's made a severe miscalculation in what the hat is actually meant to do and everything goes "EXPLODEY!" Everyone that the hat has collected is released, very much alive and very much well (the Apprentice, the fairies, probably the Sorcerer, anyone else Eddy and Adam want to throw into the mix - Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella - just to set up Season 4B), and they all proceed to wail on Rumple's ass. That douchey little attache case gets found at the scene and Emma returns Killian's heart to him and we have a happy little cliffhanger until March (the Dark Queen triumvirate is left to plot and scheme and whatever, but that's coming up).

That's what I've got. Rumple is done. He's had it. He can talk a big game and strut around like he owns the place (which, I suppose he does), but this time he's bitten off more than he can chew. And it's probably not even going to be Emma or Regina or anyone else that brings him down. It's going to be his own ego and hubris that (to borrow an overused phrase from Season 3 that just about had me screaming for the hills last year) will be his undoing. All I can say is it's about bloody time.

And here's the promo for next week. And then we're done. And then we wait.



(even more Rumple backstory... *le sigh* All right - let's do this thing)

It's Like You've Gone Away

Review/Recap of Once Upon A Time, 4.09 "Fall" - Spoilers!

Oh, "Fall" - where do I even begin with you?

Already, I've seen... not so much accusations, but responses (I guess) that this episode was more or less filler until the Spell of Shattered Sight hits Storybrooke. And I would be inclined to agree with this assessment. But where the term "filler" is typically used as a pejorative against something unnecessary or useless - I don't think that applies here. I may have thought so once before, but that was before I realized how Once Upon a Time tells a story.

Once is a show that thrives on slow burn storytelling. Hints and clues that seemed to be throwaway lines many episodes ago come back to be key plot points and story elements in future story arcs. Nothing is wasted, everything is noted (which gives me hope because there are many things that were dropped in the Neverland arc that I dearly, dearly want to see come to fruition). And while some in the media are decrying the use of "yet another curse" (which - I think that's just Entertainment Weekly looking for click-bait headlines) - the story here is what kind of curse the Spell of Shattered Sight is. And that is why "Fall" is so very, very necessary.

Shattered Sight is about turning love into a weapon. It takes everything good in a person and flips it around to make it into everything bad. For this curse to have the most impact on the story, we needed to see how terrifying a curse like this is for the characters involved. Losing your memories and identity - been there, done that, got the stupid t-shirt (twice). Keeping your memories of the people you love, but those memories are skewed and twisted? So much so that you would likely start killing your loved ones because of it? That is scary as hell.

It makes sense to show these characters first scramble for a solution, then accept the inevitable, and finally prepare for the absolute worst. They've done it before (baby in the magic wardrobe, anyone?) What makes it interesting (even if I wanted to throw things during the course of watching it unfold) is that these solutions are constantly working at cross-purposes against each other. The obvious one is Rumple sending Killian to collect the fairies in that stupid hat. Actually - anything Rumple does works against what everyone else is trying to accomplish and that's why I'm continually pissed at him (to think at one point I thought he was working toward redemption - HA!) But then you also have the central team of the Charmings, Regina, Emma, and Elsa - except Elsa has her own agenda in finding Anna still. I'll come back to this.

One thing that I kept wondering over and over is how the timelines were going to line up - what with Elsa having come from the Dark One's vault thirty years in the past - and I'm glad this episode answered that question. Actually, the Arendelle "flashbacks" weren't actually flashbacks in the traditional sense - they were running directly parallel to what was currently happening in Storybrooke (that's a new one). I mean, when Blackbeard showed up, I thought "Okay, this is definitely in the past because he's supposed to be dead." Except... nope. Turns out Ariel actually did save the guy during the events of "The Jolly Roger." Oh - and take a wild guess at what ship Blackbeard is captaining? I just about fell out of my chair when Hans said it was The Jolly Roger! (but then he called it "an enchanted ship." What the hell does that even mean? I guess we'll find out at some point). The point is, Arendelle was just as frozen in time as Storybrooke was. Okay, I'm down with that.

(Also - the Wishing Star could only be used by someone pure of heart. Which means Ma and Pa Arendelle... well, that was obvious, wasn't it?)

(Also - again - they must have found the Wishing Star on another journey because Elsa said she found it in with her mother's things and she created Anna's necklace around it for Anna's wedding. I mean, if the Arendelles found it on the trip that they died on, it would have gone down with their ship. Don't think about that too much - you get a headache).

(Now I'm just stalling. Fine!)

So - hooray! Elsa finds Anna! Time to get her back to the Fairies Enchanted Lab where Belle and the ladies are working on a cure for the curse. Except... Killian's already been there. On Rumple's orders. With that stupid sparkly hat of death. And an extra side of self-loathing. Because goodness knows Killian Jones hasn't had enough of that in his life.

(you know, I would love there to be this completely unexpected twist that the people that were sucked into the hat aren't really dead and when Rumple goes to use the thing to separate himself from the dagger, everyone that's trapped in the hat is released and they go all super-intense-light-magic-conquers-all-darkness on his ass).

Well - the curse is coming. And we're into the "Prepare for the Worst" scenario. Which means every moment of ULTIMATE HEARTBREAK that Once Upon a Time has ever given us get multiplied by a million-plus-two. Regina locks Henry in the Mayor's office and seals it shut for Henry's safety - even though Henry is part of Rumple's deal with Ingrid to keep certain people that Rumple likes safe from Shattered Sight (I'll come back to this in a minute). Belle's safely sequestered in the pawn shop (is she in for a surprise - I'm still doubtful about her complete obliviousness to all of Rumple's shady goings-on. Maybe the whole newlywed-honeymoon-phase thing still hasn't worn off. Lucky her). Robin Hood - the only person that's never seen Regina as the Evil Queen - comes to say goodbye to Regina. The Charmings are all ready to lock down in the sheriff's station.

And Emma - aw hell... she's about to lose her family all over again. Even being entrusted with her baby brother (the first time we've seen Snow hand over Baby Baelfire to anybody) - in many ways, this is much worse than last season's mid-season separation and laser-guided amnesia. But it comes with a final vote of confidence from Snow and Charming in Emma's magic and her ability to stop the Snow Queen - something that Elsa never had from her mom and dad.

And in true Once fashion - they save the best for last (or worst, depending on how your emotional state is at this point. Mine's not doing so hot). Killian comes in - having been given a few hours reprieve from Rumple - to say goodbye to Emma one last time. He still can't tell Emma what's really going on - that no matter what happens with the Snow Queen, he's not going to survive this. Even though clear back in episode 3, he promised he'd survive anything. Even though - after he leaves - there's a look on Emma's face that says she suspects something is not quite right. Which - we'll get to (we'd better!)

Go on to "Other Things," dammit! I can't take this!

Other Things I Liked/Noticed -

- Anna: "Pirates are better than wizards." In this instance, truer words never were spoken.

- Kristoff: "It's a miracle! A really cold miracle and since we're all wet..." CAN'T WE KEEP THESE FROZEN CHARACTERS FOREVER??

- Snow: "Well, Elsa's blind faith is exactly what's screwing us!" Are we sure Shattered Sight didn't hit some people a little early?

- And... that's about it. What, you think an emotionally-wrung-out episode is going to be full of fun and giggles?

- That final shot of Snow and Charming falling under Shattered Sight and pulling away from each other? Had THAT been the last image we had before a two-week break, I think there would have been mass mutiny in the streets. As it is, we've got a week to wait and that is plenty for me.

Pointless Speculation Time!

Well, that sucked. What's next?

I have several theories. None of which you should hold me to, but I'm going to throw them out there anyway and see if anything sticks.

Part of me wonders if Killian, without his heart, has some immunity to Shattered Sight. Maybe not as complete as Emma or Elsa or Rumple - but I think he might be able to fight it off. Or that Rumple's control over him means that he's not affected. Otherwise, why would Rumple keep Killian alive to finish out one last task? Hold onto this - I'll be back for it.

Henry is the ultimate trump card this season. He's squirreled his way into a part-time job with Grampa Rumple in order to play spy for "Operation Mongoose." Rumple evidently cares enough about Henry to include him in his rather short list of people he actually gives a crap about. And, going from the quick shots of the "Next Week" promo - it looks like Killian's last errand for Rumple is to go get Henry and bring him to Rumple.

(hold on - here it is)



I think that Henry's going to realize that he's not affected by the Shattered Sight spell. And he's sitting in the Mayor's office either very scared or very bored and sets up traps just as an added precaution along with Regina's sealing spell. Or something. Either way - Killian's going to tell Henry that he's there to take Henry to Rumple, but Henry's going to twig that somehow Killian isn't under the spell either. So - Henry, being Henry, is going to want to head out to help Emma and Elsa (and Anna - 'cause she's not under the spell either). And Killian can't go back to Rumple without Henry. Thus, a loophole has been found! Team Kick Snow Queen's Ass just got two extra teammates! (yes, Rumple's going to blow a gasket when he finds out that Henry and Killian have run off - but by then, Rumple hopefully will have bigger problems to deal with).

Whether or not my theory comes true (and I'm sure I'll be proven right or wrong by the time the synopsis for the next episode comes out), one thing's for certain: Ingrid is going to be pissed when she finds out that Anna's in Storybrooke. This is far from over, my friends!

The Heart of Gold Shines

Review/Recap of Once Upon a Time 4.08, "Smash the Mirror" - Spoilers!

[A Quick Note On My Subject Line: I've been (kind of trickily) using lyrics from Frozen to head up my Once Upon a Time reviews this half-season. I couldn't really think of one to fit this episode, though (not one that I hadn't already used). But then I remembered the song the choir sings at Elsa's coronation - "Heimr Amadalr." The lyrics are Old Norse and I found the translation here (it's a great article about Norse music and chants and well-worth a read - guess HISHE got a few things wrong in their Frozen parody video). Anyway, I chose this particular lyric in honor of Emma learning to love herself and control her powers. And it has nothing to do with anyone else. And I mean absolutely NO ONE else, so get that idea out of your head right now.]

You know, if Once had more two-hour long episodes, I would watch the hell out of that. They do some pretty amazing stuff with more time to flesh out storylines. Also, some pretty painful stuff. But that comes with the territory.

First off all - Rumplestiltskin -

Now that's out of my system (for now).

One of the things I've enjoyed most about the Once meets Frozen is how seamlessly the Frozen storyline has paralleled what's been going on in Storybrooke. I've talked about how (before I knew Frozen was coming to Once) that I thought there were a lot of parallels between Queen Elsa and Emma Swan. Especially about magic and learning to love yourself and accepting the love others have for you too. And - oh man - did this episode deliver on that parallel. And I'm glad that I wasn't the only one seeing that as well.

Something that Once excels at is the ability to parallel the past with the present. Usually, the parallels happen because the fairy tale characters' stories are running alongside their modern day counterparts - but this time, it's more thematic than character-driven. Sure, Elsa's in both stories, but her role is vastly different in both scenarios. It's like they're already telling us what's going to happen in the present by showing us what happened in the past. It's quite clever and a lot of fun to watch.

Another thing - I'm glad that this season takes place after the events of the movie. I'm glad that Elsa and Anna (and Kristoff, of course) have already experienced all that growth that came from Anna's sacrifice of true love. Earlier this week, ABC put out a sneak peek of Elsa coming to see Anna in the prison cell and Elsa was all about "Aunt Ingrid said you attacked her and you're a terrible awful sister and you're going to be punished!" I called "shenanigans" on that one because - that wouldn't make a lick of sense (unless Ingrid was doing something pretty damn shady to get Elsa to believe her over her sister). But, luckily it turned out that Elsa was smarter than that and she had a plan (*insert "called it!" happy dance here* And it was a pretty ingenious plan.

Back in Storybrooke - well, let's deal with some... not exactly happy things. Actually, it makes life even more complicated, but that's what were here for. Robin and Regina have reconciled as much as they can (off-screen. On a family show) - which, while that's great for the shippers (and I count myself among the Outlaw Queen fans), man, that makes things tough in reality. Though it's interesting that Regina recruited Robin to be part of Operation: Mongoose and finding the author of the book. And boy, did that plot escalate quickly. Again - Once plays the long game with this stuff. I'm sure this will come back to be resolved in Season 4B (the eternal optimist side of me says so anyway).

Elsewhere, Emma's still missing. Henry does find her, but her magic's still going absolutely nuts and she accidentally hurts him, which leads her to go find Mr. Gold for a solution.

Excuse me -

And for those of us who've been paying attention this season and Know What's Up - the solution that Gold doesn't-suggest involves Emma being sucked into the Sorcerer's Hat Of DOOM! But yes, her magic won't be able to hurt anybody ever again! No problem.

(what a jackass)

To Emma's everlasting credit, she calls home and tells her folks that, yes, everything's going to be peachy! Getting rid of my magic, Mom and Dad! Be home in time for dinner!

(what gets me is that David and Mary Margaret actually thought this was a good idea. Man, the idiot ball is strong in Storybrooke tonight).

With Team Charming benching themselves in this round (to be fair, Henry's kind of got a good reason), it's up to Hook and Elsa - in their own individual ways - to step in and be there for Emma.

Of course, Killian knows precisely what Rumple's got going on. Because he was there the first time that lying sack of horse manure used the hat. So, he goes to Gold's shop to corner the wily old Crocodile (and yes, I jumped about ten feet in the air when Killian barged into the shop, shouting for Gold to show himself. There has never been a reason for Killian to be so pissed, but damn if it wasn't delicious to watch). Problem is, Gold isn't there. And neither is Emma. And what follows is the most heartbreaking scene in the history of heartbreak and if Colin O'Donoghue doesn't get nominated for a all the awards next year simply on the strength of his performance in this episode, there is zero justice in the world and I don't want to live on this planet anymore. That phone call where Killian confesses everything about the hat and Gold and the dagger and the blackmail - I mean, that would be enough. But there's that last line where he says he hopes Emma doesn't forgive him because that means she got the message in time to save herself. I had to think about that one - why in the world wouldn't she forgive him? But - in an episode that revolves around loving yourself and believing that you are enough - Killian Jones simply doesn't believe that he is good enough for anyone, least of all Emma Swan. Sure, he's got that cocky attitude and confident swagger - but that's all just for show. Deep down, he still thinks of himself as someone who's done awful things and been consumed with revenge and there's no coming back from that. Even now, even after all the heroic things he's done - he still believes that he is nothing more than a villain.

And here, my friends, this is why Killian is my favorite Once character. This is why I completely buy into the character twists the writers have given Captain Hook, even when I'm still a little iffy on Rumple and the Evil Queen. You want villains? Okay, villains - there you go. All kinds of motives to do bad things and get in the way of happy endings and all that schtick. Rumple just goes after more power - even after he promised on his son's grave that he would try to be a better man in honor of Neal's memory (well, that all went to shit after this episode, didn't it?) Regina - well, Regina tried to do good at the end of Season 3, but that went flying out the window at the first sign of trouble. She blames the author of some magical book and not herself for her own choices and her response to those setbacks. Killian - what does he do? Completely fesses up to his mistakes, even when he thinks it's going to cost him the one person that he cares about more than anything else, including himself.

And even after all that - Emma never got his message.

Speaking of Emma - that Snow Queen's twisted as all get out. I mean, yes, we got her tragic backstory last week. But, again, her response to trials and setbacks doesn't exactly recommend her for sympathy. If anything, I'm voting with Elsa and Anna to get that chick back in the magic urn.

Yeah - still not loving the whole idea of her making up her own family and forcing people to be part of it. I mean... really??

So, Emma makes a really crappy choice. One that the Snow Queen doesn't want her to make. And at this point, I'm torn. Rumple and Ingrid both are at odds with each other and I don't want either of them to get what they want. Who do I root for? The obvious answer is Emma - but what she thinks is going to make her happy isn't really going to solve the problem. In fact, it'll probably make things even worse. But keeping her magic - well, she can probably do a lot more with her magic than locked away in that old hat.

But we're forgetting one key player in all this. Someone who has magic and who's had it go berserk on her and who learned to control her emotions and, thus, control her magic. Someone who, long before it was officially announced she was going to be part of this story, I believed would have some wisdom and advice to impart to Emma - if only some intrepid fan fiction writer would oblige.

People - this is why Queen Elsa of Arendelle was brought on Once Upon a Time. Because she's been exactly where Emma is. Scared of herself, scared for those she loves, trying to run away (which, remember, up until last season was Emma's go-to solution for everything). Elsa did what nobody - not even Regina - could do. She showed Emma how to accept herself. And absolutely everything about herself. Her magic, yes, but also her past and her mistakes and her doubts - everything that makes Emma who she is.

Oh wait - I have a song that goes along with this. Hang on -



What's incredible about this is that Elsa is virtually a stranger to Emma. Sure, they've grown to be best friends throughout this season, but there are people who've been in Emma's corner for a lot longer. I guess it takes someone you just met to point out what your loved ones have been pointing out forever before you finally believe it (and this is not a dig at Emma. How many times has a parent or sibling or other family member said something to you and you just dismiss it as "Oh, you have to say that" and you ignore it?) But because it's Elsa saying these encouraging things to Emma and pointing out that she's been able to control her magic even without Anna around - there's something to be said for speaking from experience. It's like - Emma couldn't believe in true love before she met her parents and learned their story that she could believe in it for herself (that's what last season's finale was about). This season, Emma had to learn for herself that her magic was a good thing and it was part of her - it's not just a tool to be used in last-resort emergency situations.

And she can even make fun and pretty things with it. Like fireworks. Happy 4th of July, Storybrooke!

(okay, it's probably actually March, but you get the idea).

Other Things I Liked/Noticed -

- Robin Hood and Will Scarlet "breaking into" the library. During normal business hours. Good job, boys.

- This is me putting on my librarian hat - Why in the name of all that is good and holy is The Cat in the Hat shelved next to the car repair manuals?? Belle - what kind of cataloging system are you even using?? The Drunk-and-Passed-Out-in-the-Gutter system?

- Regina owes someone a quarter. No-effing-kidding.

- Elsa believing in Anna up until her very last moment before she's completely sucked into that urn. My heart...

- Someone on Tumblr pointed this out - when Emma takes Elsa's hand, the rainbow-light-magic-wave of True Love magic spiraled out. This is because Emma is the Product of True Love(tm) and that's what her magic is made of. I thought that was a nice touch.

It kind of feels like we're at a turning point here. And here I'm going to get into the part of the episode that had the RAGE MONSTER rearing its ugly head. Because here is yet another exhibit of Why I Hate Rumplestiltskin and Wish All Manner of Death and Destruction Upon His Head. Emma's fine - she didn't choose Door #1 and get hit with the mother of all zonks! and things are going to be okay. But Rumple's got Killian tied up in an effort to stop him from going after Emma. Killian's back to being all swagger and confidence and "yeah - eff you Dark One!" And this is where I'm back to being quite concerned for my favorite pirate captain. Because Rumple is a pain in the ass and he lives to cause grief in my life. Apparently, so does Ingrid. Because that little bit of info she whispered to Rumple last week? I knew it was going to come back and smack Killian in the head. And - behold - I hate it when I'm right.

(PS - Did anyone else twig that the last time Rumple had Killian tied up at the same time he's working to kill someone Killian loves was clear back in Season 2 when Rumple killed Milah? I could have happily gone my entire life without making that connection, but since I had it pointed out to me, I need to share the suffering. You're welcome).

Rumple rips out Killian's heart (Killian's bright and shining and pure heart, it must be said) and now, he's got himself a puppet that he can use without resorting to blackmail. And... I don't like where this is going. Because if Rumple can use Killian's heart to free himself from the dagger... Killian's either going to be trapped in the hat or dead. And since the writers would be batshit insane to kill off one of their most popular characters, I predict that Season 4B is going involve Killian being separated from Emma in some way because of that rat bastard Rumple and Emma's going to have to go on some kind of rescue mission to get him back (details not important at this stage). One thing's for sure - there is angst ahead for the good ship Captain Swan. And while I'm glad to see this because it means there's some deliciously wonderful storytelling coming for my favorites - it also means that this is going to hurt and it's going to hurt bad.

(I couldn't even fully enjoy Emma and Killian's little reunion because I knew that Rumple had Killian's heart in his pocket and I was constantly waiting for something terrible to happen because Rumple now has the means to control Killian and anything Rumple has control over is mucho no bueno).

For now - I have two weeks to stew in my rage and shouting and DAMN YOU RUMPLE! before the next episode.



(they enjoy my suffering).

***

Split the Ice Apart

Review/Recap of Once Upon a Time 4.07 "The Snow Queen" - Spoilers!

Dear Everyone in Storybrooke -

*deep breath* All right - I'm okay.

No. No, I'm really not.

Okay, so what the crap just happened? Well, the Snow Queen employed proper use of psychological scarring on Emma Swan. But that doesn't excuse that whole scene of Mary Margaret and Baby Baelfire at Disney Princess "Mommy 'n Me" being a "First Time Mom." (I mean - seriously??? Does Dairy Queen have Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty in on her evil schemes or something? GAH!!)

(I know, I know - I'm trying to be a calm and rational reviewer right now. And it's just not working! Let me try talking about flashback stuff -)

So, in the Arendelle of the past, Ingrid and her sisters, Gerda and Helga...

...discover that Ingrid has ice powers and they make a pact that they're going to conceal them because they all love their sister. But that leads to Ingrid being left out of some important things in her sisters' lives. But that doesn't matter because - ~*~sisterly love~*~. Which, I've got three sisters. I get that (more or less, I guess). Still, Ingrid wants her powers gone, even against the wishes of Helga and Gerda. Three guesses where they end up going??

Good gravy, I'm going to smack him.

All roads lead to Rumple, I guess.

So, Rumple gives the sisters the gloves (you know, the gloves) and the urn (you know, the urn) - but he also insinuated that Ingrid didn't need anything more than her sisters' love and their bond and promise to always be there for each other - symbolized by the yellow ribbons the girls wore on their wrists (and the fact that Rumple wants the ribbons is proof that the sisters' love has imbued the ribbons with some form of magic). But Ingrid still gives that up and it's all downhill from there. The Duke of Weasel Town (that's what I'm calling him because he deserves it - even though I laughed my butt off when I saw that they included him in the Arendelle flashbacks. That was just great!) tries to move in on Ingrid and she defends herself with her magic, but Helga (who Weasel Boy is supposed to be engaged to) gets in the way and she dies.

I'm going to talk about Helga's death for a while here. Because that scene more than any in this episode really got to me. Like I said, I've got three younger sisters. All when we were growing up, I often felt like I needed to look out for them and protect them because that's what big sisters do! Except there were more than a few times where they were looking out for me. And there were more than a few times when I did things that hurt them - whether on purpose or accidentally. In fact - there was one time where I broke my sister's collarbone (to be fair, we were all rough-housing and my brother jumped on us and that knocked me into my sister and we both landed kind of funny, so that's how it happened), and I felt terrible about it for days afterward. I mean, she healed up fine and everything was okay eventually, but, you know - the looks that my parents gave me when it happened and then they rushed her off to the hospital... I was left at home to stew in my own guilt and try to forget what had happened and tell myself that it was an accident (hard to do when your sister's in a brace for six weeks).

Back to Arendelle - Helga's dead and Gerda comes upon the scene to find Ingrid completely wrecked by what she's done (Weasel Town conveniently sneaks off to somewhere else - rat bastard). Instead of trying to piece together what's happened, Gerda...

...traps Ingrid in the urn and goes to Grand Pabbie to erase all evidence of Helga and Ingrid and begins her path to Parental Suckitude (even though it's presumably still some years before Elsa is born).

(Gerda, honey, after all this crap you've pulled with your sister and your daughter - there ain't no way you're coming back from this in my eyes. So, deal with it).

Okay - can I talk Storybrooke now??

All right - maybe just some of the happy things. Because there were some.

Things I Liked/Noticed -

- The good ship Outlaw Queen sails on! (HOORAY!!) Weeeeeell... it's not taking on so much water anymore. That's progress! (I hope).

- Will Scarlet, oh how I adore you! (though what happened to Anastasia, I'm kind of scared to find out).

- Henry getting ready for work - "I'm getting married." HENRY, YOU PRECIOUS NUGGET!

- Rumple may still be on my shit list, but a magic potion to make old things new was pretty good. I do enjoy his interactions with Henry. They make me... not quite as mad as I could be at Rumple. He's still on my list, though.

- I don't know if this was deliberate or what, but Hook checking himself out in the mirror. Hot stuff, baby.

- Brighton Sharbino as young Ingrid. Dead ringer for Elizabeth Mitchell. Take a bow, Once casting! (are we sure Brighton isn't her daughter or niece or something?)

Now can I talk Emma and Snow Queen and ULTIMATE HEARTBREAK??

*okay*

DAMMIT QUEENIE WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A BITCH???

Seriously, that whole time - THAT WHOLE TIME - in the sheriff's station made me want to punch somebody! (preferably the Snow Queen, but I'd have taken Rumple in a pinch) Like, how long has Emma Swan gone without people who love her and now she has everything she wanted and YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE HER RUN AWAY FROM THAT??

I really want to know what happened when Ingrid was Emma's foster mother. I'm sure it'll get brought up at some point in a future episode. But there is some nuclear grade shady crap going on there. I mean, if you want someone to be your bestest best sister-friend-thing, how is turning Emma and her current family and friends against her going to accomplish this? (or her against them - whatever).

Of course, SNOW WHITE IS NOT HELPING!! Mama Snow, dear heart - CAN YOU NOT??

So when Emma Swan Fan Club (Charming, Hook, Elsa and - honorary member for this episode - Belle) come running into Rumple's shop because Queenie has frozen the doors of the sheriff's station shut and they need magic to get in. Rumple reluctantly agrees (Belle's puppy-eyes have that effect on him) - except Hook stays behind for a moment to point out that Rumple has been very nonchalant about this whole Snow Queen business, especially considering how many villains have come to Storybrooke with the express purpose of killing the Dark One (presumably, Killian is including himself in that count). Rumple laughs it off, yet I can't shake the feeling that Rumple is getting a bit irritated about perceptive our favorite pirate captain is. Which sets up nicely for something that happens at the end of the episode and (probably) will have major repercussions for next week as well (I'm coming to that).

Back at the sheriff's station, Dairy Queen engineers a complete emotional breakdown for Emma, which makes Emma's magic go berserk and destroys en entire wall of the building just as everyone is coming back to get Emma out. Emma is still freaking out and her magic takes out a light pole, which nearly takes out Hook, who gets shoved out of the way by Charming (oh man, the metas that have been written about that), who gets hurt. Snow rushes over and says Emma's name in that surprised/shocked/disapproving voice (again - NOT HELPING!) and Emma runs off in the yellow bug (not before Hook tries to stop her, but she's too fast or he's not fast enough - regardless, it's painful).

In the midst of all this, Dairy Queen escapes and she later goes to Rumple to make a deal, which I'm sure is full of rainbows and ice cream and purple unicorns (RIGHT?!!) Which sets up this epic two-hour episode they have planned for next week. Which, I'm just gonna go ahead and make a pretty bold prediction of what it's going to entail -

Just a hunch, mind you. But I'm fairly confident in my assessment.



Emma's boys to the rescue. Which will not end well, I'm certain.

(if I'm this keyed-up after this week, what's next week going to be like?)

The Honest Goods

Review/Recap of Once Upon A Time: 4.06 "Family Business" - Spoilers!

Okay, fandom - breathe in, breathe out. We all good? All right then.

That's what "Family Business" was. A nice, cleansing breath smack dab in the middle of Season 4A. After four episodes of glorious Captain Swan happiness and then one episode of Regina pouting and Emma getting the brunt of it (*le sigh*) - it was good to have a slight shift of perspective. Still dealing with our Frozen/The Snow Queen storyline, but we get to see it from an entirely new set of eyes. And not a moment too soon.

Yes friends, after nearly a season and a half of not-much-to-do, Belle FINALLY gets her chance to shine.

(yeah, yeah - she did have that thing in "Quiet Minds," but that was overshadowed by Neal's death, so it kind of doesn't count).

When the teaser came out that Belle would be getting a flashback episode and they'd even cast someone to be her mother, I was ecstatic. I've felt that Belle's been woefully underused, despite being the Dark One's love interest. It's like the writers never knew what to do with her, even though she's one of the most popular Disney princesses (or maybe that's just me. You know in Doctor Who fandom how each fan has his/her favorite Doctor? Well, Belle was MY Disney princess. I was so mad when I couldn't be Belle for Halloween when I was in second grade. Anyway...) But I guess sitting in the library reading wouldn't make for riveting television (dammit).

So, how did Belle's first centric episode in two seasons go? Short answer: really well. Long Answer: pretty good. Though it didn't go quite the way I hoped (they're making me wait, because of course they are!)

Two Plotlines Converged In A... Sauna

The flashback story starts out during the Ogre Wars. Belle and her mother, Colette, are in the library scrambling to salvage as many books as they can before the ogres attack. Long story short - they don't. They have to hide under a table (well, I guess you have to improvise where you can), but then they're discovered. Later, Belle wakes up in her room and discovers that her mother didn't survive the attack, but her father doesn't want to tell her what happened. Belle, being the resourceful sort, finds out that there's a way for her memory to be restored and she has to go to Arendelle to meet the Rock Trolls (lately, people are going back and forth from Arendelle and the Enchanted Forest like they're going to the corner store for milk).

In Arendelle, Anna and Elsa are reunited (WHOO!) and Anna meets her heretofore unknown Aunt Ingrid (oh yay - Snow Queen Prime finally has a name! Ingrid's a lot shorter than Snow Queen Prime, anyway). Anna doesn't believe that Ingrid is really their aunt, so she goes to Grand Pabbie to find out what the deal is.

It's inevitable that Anna and Belle meet each other (at Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna - of ALL places!), so they team up and travel together. They get to the Rock Trolls without incident (mostly... maybe Kristoff should have gone with Anna). Grand Pabbie gives Belle a memory stone to boil into a tea that she can drink and regain her memories of her mother. And for Anna - well, Pabbie's got a bigger bombshell - that Ingrid is indeed Anna's mother's sister (who also gets a name - Gerda. Which was the name of the little girl in Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale, so I appreciated that nod. There still needs to be a Kai somewhere, though. Maybe that's Anna and Elsa's dad). Ingrid and Gerda had yet another sister - Helga. Nobody seems to know what happened to Helga, though (but I think we can guess - snow magic gone bad. I mean, even worse than what little Elsa accidentally did to little Anna). All memory and record of Ingrid and Helga was excised from the royal records (with the help of Grand Pabbie), so that's why Anna and Elsa don't know about their aunts.

Anna and Belle race back to Arendelle to tell Elsa what's going on - except dear auntie is on the case. Ingrid sends a storm to knock Anna off the cliff. Belle tries to save her, but only after trying to recover the memory stone that she dropped in the chaos. She loses the stone, and she also loses Anna. Anna falls to the ground and Ingrid takes her away. And Anna is still alive, though Belle feels guilty for not trying to save Anna before thinking of herself.

CSI: Storybrooke

When last we left Out Intrepid Heroes, Emma discovered that one of her foster mothers was Ingrid, but she doesn't remember it. So, the Storybrooke PD (all four of them) kicks into high gear and everybody splits off to go find the Snow Queen (with nobody wanting to go with David - poor guy). Belle decides to go back to the library to see what she can find out and Elsa volunteers to go with her (HOORAY! Elsa gets to be friends with another Disney Princess!!) (Look, I got really excited about this one, so shush). Much like David's encounter with Anna in the Enchanted Forest, Belle's meeting with Anna made quite the impression on her. Unlike David, however, Belle's experience wasn't a positive thing. And Belle, seemingly giving into her darker side, succumbs to temptation and decides she's going to use the Dark One's dagger to force Hubby Dearest to take her to the Snow Queen's lair.

(I'm sure nothing bad will come of this. Nope. Nothing at all).

Look, I've totally lost track of how many times Rumple has pulled the Switcheroo trick with Belle and the dagger - so I'm not even sure what's going on anymore. But Rumple is either genuinely under Belle's control... or he's a damn good liar (and this being Rumple - that could still go either way). But there is one thing that's for sure - I can't fault Rumple for his reaction to what Belle does. And I can't fault Belle either for the situation that she's in. Mostly, I just love seeing this side of Belle because it is so different from anything we've seen. Snow White has certainly had her moments of moral uncertainty and she's been coming back from that (there hasn't been much moral uncertainty from Princess Mayor Rainbow Lollipop lately. Like, in an entire season). But Belle - like I said earlier, the writers haven't really done a whole lot with her. So, to actually have a scene like the moment in front of the Snow Queen's mirror - where Belle's reflection is repeating all these terrible things that Belle (probably) thinks from time to time (look, we all have that negative mind chatter. Or maybe it's just me).

Rumple comes back to warn Belle that the Snow Queen is on her way and he poofs them back to the shop, but not before she tries to attack him, leaving a slight nick on his neck with the dagger. But once they're both back at the shop, Belle calms down and... sigh... this scene. Belle confesses that it's probably her fault that Anna's missing and she's trying to make it right, but in the process of doing so, she's betrayed and hurt Rumple. Oh Belle, honey - IF YOU ONLY KNEW! Except... she does know. Because mirror!Belle told her that the dagger was a fake. But that was couched in all those other terrible things mirror!Belle was saying, so she doesn't believe it. And Belle apologizes to Rumple for not trusting him and for keeping secrets. To which I say...

This is SO messed up! Given all the crap that Rumple has pulled?? And here's an opportunity for the ONLY person in Storybrooke that can effectively call him out on his stupidity - and Belle doesn't do it???

Okay, okay - Once Upon a Time likes to play the long game. I get that. But there had better be some sort of Final Reckoning coming for Rumple regarding this ridiculosity with this damn dagger. I want CONSEQUENCES, dammit!!

(on the scale of "How stable is this relationship?" Rumbelle is heading to the basement and beyond. And considering that Outlaw Queen is currently tangled up in a love triangle with a comatose human popsicle, that's pretty bad. I'll be interested to see how the writers pull this one off).

Henry Mills and the Thanksgiving Dinner of DOOM!

Going back around to last week's cliffhanger (and the character growth Emma shows in actually informing people of her past relationship with the Snow Queen - see what happens when people talk?), the mystery of What The Hell She's Up To is revealed. Ingrid's family did something to her because of her magic (three guesses what) and now she's trying to replicate her sisterly relationships by cherry-picking two people with magic and who most resemble her lost sisters. Elsa, I can understand. She's Ingrid's niece. But Emma - I just sat there going "How are they going to explain the resemblance between Emma and Helga?" (I repeat my impassioned plea from over the summer - If it turns out that Elsa is Snow White's mother's sister's cousin's former roommate or something equally as absurd, I will throw things. I don't care how many lampshading jokes you give to Hook to smooth this over - however funny that joke was - it's really getting old).

So - Ingrid's out to destroy Storybrooke by cursing everyone into hating each other, but keeping Emma and Elsa safe so they can be her new little sisters. It sounds nuts. But those are the best villain motivations, aren't they? A villain wants something - however ridiculous - and they are going to tear through any and all opposition to get that thing. And the Snow Queen is very much motivated to get her happy little family. And given who is standing against her... this will not end well. Angst is coming.

Other Things I Liked/Noticed -

- Everything Captain Swan related (who is surprised by this?). Doey eyes, quick little glances, both of them going through all of Emma's stuff from when she was with Ingrid in the foster system.

- Also - the slight reference to Killian's childhood (oh, please please please let this be a hint that we're going to see baby!Killian. I mean, we got baby!Emma last episode! I need Killian Jones' childhood - NEED IT, I tell you!!)

- Okay, I was pissed at Regina last week, but when she turns on the snark and sarcasm - I can't help but love her. I lost it at "Captain Guyliner" (Killian took it in stride, though).

- I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating here - Killian making a quip about everybody in Storybrooke being related. I am glad the show acknowledged this phenomenon, but bonus points for Hook being the one to comment about it. Just - let's not get too carried away with all this "make everyone related to each other whether they want to be or not" thing.

- Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. Just... Oaken himself. You know, Once Upon a Time makes such an effort to make all the fairy tale characters look and feel realistic - even if they are based on animated characters. But as far as Frozen is concerned, everybody looks like they walked out of the movie and into real life. I'm sure there's something in the agreement with Disney Animation about that, since Frozen is still so new, but it just works and I love it.

- Snow seeing the video of Emma as a teenager and being partially heartbroken and partially adoring about it. I sniffled, I won't lie.

So, now we know what the Snow Queen has planned (as incredibly creepy as it is - I mean... yeah... create your own family. Why not?) Everything looks like it's falling into place (more or less). What's next...



...oh. Oh dear.

...
...
...yipe.

People Don't Really Change

Review/Recap of Once Upon a Time 4.04 "The Apprentice" - Spoilers!

"Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us." - from "A Christmas Story"

I had a whole review (more or less) written up about this episode last night. But after stewing about what happened (plus rewatching it a couple of times), I've figured out more or less what I think is going on. Hint: If you think my subject line is referring to anybody but Rumplestiltskin, you are sorely mistaken and I am going to tell you why.

Head Games

If all we had to go by in interpreting what's happening were the events in present day Storybrooke, then most of the blame for everything wrong would lie solely at the feet of Killian Jones. And I admit, I was more than a little ticked off at my precious puppy pirate last week (I am miffed that Rumple took my term of endearment for Hook and turned it into a snide comment, but whatever). However, we also had a flashback to the Enchanted Forest involving Anna of Arendelle. And the key thing about this "Once Is Frozen" story arc is that while Once Upon a Time is not technically doing a straight-up Frozen sequel, they are comparing how the Frozen story parallels with what's going on in Storybrooke right now. Like I've said before, the similarities and the comparisons are so obvious, it would have been a crime not to draw those parallels this season. This go-round, Princess Anna who is the Nicest Nice to Ever Nice going to the Bane of All Our Existences to find out why her parents made the trek to Mist Haven.

In flashback, Rumple is the tried-and-true piece of trash manipulator that we have all come to know and despise. He manipulates good people into doing terrible things. He makes Anna believe that he's sent her to poison the Apprentice, but he really sent her in with the antidote to the poison he's already administered. He tries to make her think that she's succumbed to her inner darkness, which she laughs off because she says she never intended to poison the Apprentice - joke's on you Dark One! But then he brings out that damn contract she signed and tells her only way out of the contract is to kill him. So OF COURSE she's going to think about killing Rumple! And Rumple uses that to get the magic he needs to break into the Sorcerer's Vault (that's what I'm calling it) and steal the Hat Box (that's what I'm calling that too), leaving Anna to feel completely guilty and full of doubt over what she's done. And as a bonus for Rumple - he's also fed her more doubt over her parents possibly being afraid of Elsa and them wanting to find a way to remove her powers. Which, to Anna, would be tantamount to cutting off Elsa's hand. Or something (look, I was trying to work in a hand pun - given what I'm going to address next).

"Unlike me, you haven't changed one bit. Crocodile."

So if Anna of Arendelle - who doesn't have a speck of darkness in her at all and has never struggled with such - can be manipulated by Rumple into believing that she is the Worst Possible Person In All Of Our Lifetimes and Beyond, what chance does the selfish-and-sinister-but-working-on-being-reformed Captain Hook have of coming out of Rumple's convoluted head games unscathed? Even if Killian does think he's got plenty to blackmail Rumple over. Given the way Rumple switched out the real dagger with the fake one that Belle still has (more than likely) - it's highly possible that Killian still has the upper hand (nope, those hand puns aren't going away anytime soon. Not even sorry).

I already did a quick review of the actual Getting Hook's Hand Back scene when the clip was released earlier in the week. The kicker of that scene (according to me) was Killian pointing out that Rumple hasn't really changed from being the sinister Dark One, but Killian is no longer that awful, terrible pirate. And he's absolutely right - while he may not be completely free of it, Killian has proven time and again that his inner darkness is something that he wants to be rid of. Which is a huge part of the battle - it's the desire to do better. Even when you make stupid mistakes - like thinking you can blackmail the Dark One into giving you your hand back and nothing bad will come of it.

But one of Hook's defining characteristics is his cocky, arrogant attitude - which has softened in recent storylines, but it's still very much a part of who he is (and, frankly, if he ever really lost that part of his personality, he just wouldn't be as fun to watch). But it's also a facade to mask all his insecurities. I mean, why does he even want his hand back at all? Because Emma's asked him out on a date. And even though they've both been pretty open and honest with each other all through their relationship (well, so far - it's been a long time in coming) - Killian still on some level thinks that he isn't good enough for Emma. He's gone to great lengths for her - he went back to Neverland for her (which he probably swore he'd never do when he finally left that place), he saved her father from Dreamshade, he sold his ship to get back to her, he faced down the Wicked Witch, he followed her into a time portal - man, I don't know how he could possibly think that he isn't good enough for her. But - the mind is a tricky thing. And sometimes, no matter how often you prove yourself or how much other people tell you that you're good enough, there's always that little voice in your mind trying to bring all that progress crashing down.

Bella Notte

Really, the story of Hook and Emma is the story of two outsiders finding a place to belong. For all Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, she's never felt like she's anything special until recently. Hook's pretty much always lost everything he's ever cared about and he's cultivated this loner reputation (along with the fearsome pirate reputation - I guess those go together pretty well). And even though they've already been through so much, actually going out on a formal date where there's no magic or monsters or threats (they hope) and enjoying a nice quiet evening together is a pretty big deal. They both dress up - Emma adorably nervous about how she looks (and bonus points to Snow and Charming for being the incredibly embarrassing parents), Hook gets a new wardrobe (the squeals of hundreds of fangirls - myself included - echoed across the land).

Oh - and you know the best thing? Emma doesn't even notice that Killian's got his hand back! At least, not until Mama Snow prompts her to notice that he's holding out a single red rose for her with his left hand (*squish*). And she has basically the same reaction when he's comes back with the hook instead, of the hand - Emma sees Killian first, everything else comes after that. And someone pointed out last episode in the end scene where they're kissing in front of Granny's, Killian grabs Emma's arm with his hook and she doesn't even flinch. She just accepts that as part of him and moves on because she loves him, flaws (seen and unseen) and all. I'm sure we'll see this aspect of their relationship played out as time goes on, which is going to be absolutely wonderful.

So, they finally get out on the date. Hold on...

I probably will later, though.

(It's Captain Swan Date Night - how could I not?)

Okay, I just adore how Once Upon a Time has some kind of officially unofficial mandate to get a reference to every classic Disney movie in the show. Even the ones that aren't technically fairy tales. So, yeah - totally getting the Lady and the Tramp theme here. And if you don't think it's the most adorable thing ever, you have no soul (even the waiters in the restaurant were dressed like the guys from the movie!) And because I need something sweet to cry about -



(punch me in the face and bury me where I stand - I seriously cannot handle this)

This was me at approximately 6:15 pm MDT.

The date was perfect. We Captain Swan shippers are most certainly going to be going over every little moment and nuance of the date scenes in the restaurant and afterward (given the utter crapstorm that comes in later - look, just let us have this!) Even Will Scarlet running out of the restaurant and knocking a glass of wine over on Emma's dress couldn't completely ruin things. And I say this, even though Killian nearly choked the life out of the guy because his "cursed" hand made him do it (I'll scream about this in a minute).

Oh - and the doorstep scene. Don't get me started on that. Perfect from start to finish. Killian even asks Emma out on a second date (whether or not that actually gets to happen... well, that's another story). And yes, Emma most certainly needs her own place.

(ps - Snow and Charming were waiting up for Emma when she came home and there is nothing about this that isn't emotional and happy).

Good Times Never Last

But the night isn't over. Killian runs into Will again when Will's trying to break into the library. And Killian actually punches Will's lights out. The way all these moments played out - there is no way that hand wasn't cursed. Or that something wonky wasn't going on. Either way, Killian gets scared about what is happening to him and he goes back to Rumple to ask him to take back the hand. And again - we're back to playing Rumple's mind games. It's all these old grudges coming back to haunt them both - they've hated each other for so long that neither of them can (wait for it...) let it go. So, Rumple makes another deal with Killian after claiming that he switched the dagger back again (look, at some point, Belle is going to notice that something is going on. She's not stupid. Rumple, you friggin' ass), so Killian supposedly has zilch on Rumple. And just like Anna, Killian thinks he's got no choice but to accept Rumple's deal - otherwise, he might actually hurt somebody and Killian's come far enough that he doesn't want that to happen.

The next morning (and how heartbreaking is it that Killian spent the night on a bench near the docks - there could be a whole analysis on that), Rumple drags Killian off to help him scare some nice old man, who turns out to be the Sorcerer's Apprentice that Anna met up with in the Enchanted Forest flashbacks. Well, Rumple's got the Hat Box and he's got revenge to enact against the Apprentice. Turns out, the Sorcerer's hat can trap people with magic inside, which is precisely what Rumple does to the Apprentice.

And I'm sitting here going - why did you need Killian to come along on this little mission? Other than to be the intimidating dumb muscle (which pisses me off to no end, quite frankly). Then I get to thinking - and this gets brought up later - yes, Killian did threaten to tell Belle that Rumple was lying to her. He did threaten to muck up their marriage. And now that things are going really good with Emma - Rumple's got something he can hold over Killian's head if he so wishes. Emma's got magic. The hat could be a threat against her. So, unless Killian wants something bad to happen to Emma, I guess Rumple's going to continue playing his stupid games and Killian really doesn't have a way out of it. So, he has no choice but to keep playing Rumple's minion - and... oh crap - this is just like Season 2, isn't it??

Excuse me...

A Humble Request

Okay, Once Upon a Time writers - can we just have a heart to heart for a second here?  Do you remember last season when I was all annoyed and pissed off that we were revisiting Neal and Rumple angst for the umpteeth time and why couldn't we be done with this damn plotline already??? And then Season 3B happened and we got something new with Rumple and everything just felt right? And I was eternally impressed with "The Jolly Roger" episode and all the character development and awesomely cool stuff you were doing with Hook and that became my favorite episode ever??? Do you remember all that?

I know it's still early in this season and that you all thrive on the long game and I have no way of knowing where this is going. But if Season 4 Hook is just going to be Rumple's minion and running off to do Rumple's dirty work because of this stupid guilt trip and karma doesn't come back to bite Rumple in the ass big time - I think you and I are going to have some issues. I sat through all that in Season 2 with Hook going back and forth between Cora and Regina and even those two morons from "The Home Office" (whatever the hell that was supposed to be) - and he is so damn better than that!

I serve notice on you all - you've got two episodes (only because I've seen a few spoilers and those make me think this is going to happen in the next two) - Killian Jones better be spilling the beans to Emma about this whole situation so she and the Charmings can help him out of it. We did the whole "Hook keeping secrets from Emma" thing last season and that was fine for what it was, but this is a new season with new stuff and you've done really well so far. Do NOT blow it now!

Okay - I'm done. I'm good.

Other Things I Liked/Noticed

- Anyone else think it was awesomely hilarious that Rumple turned the Sorcerer's Apprentice into a mouse?

We're all thinking it. I'm just saying it.

- Anna is no pushover. I love that she got hold of the dagger and made Rumple send her back home - with the Hat Box (thank goodness). And we get the sweetest little reunion between her and Kristoff (with bonus commentary from Sven - seriously, just give the reindeer all the awards).

- Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but did this thing with Henry at the beginning bug anyone else? Why wouldn't he be okay with Emma asking Killian out on a date? I mean, I know he's all hyped up on Operation Mongoose and helping Regina find the author of the book - but... yeah... that was weird (if anyone has any insight - I'm open to suggestions).

The Dark One Lies, The Dark One Tricks

Rumple is a total and complete piece of shit. I never liked him before and this episode sealed my opinion of that rat bastard. Just so we're clear on that. If he is meant to be fully redeemed, it's going to take some big-time groveling to get to that point (at least, as far as I'm concerned). I do not for one second believe that Killian's hand was not cursed. Like I said earlier, the way those scenes were played and framed and even the music - there was definitely something weird going on. And it all comes down to Rumple planting seeds of doubt and despair in Killian's mind - though maybe it's less about planting doubts and actually feeding the doubts that are already there. It started when Killian wanted his hand back for his date with Emma and Rumple's just toying with those evident insecurities. And I want to kick Rumple for doing that at all.

However - in a huge shift from last season, this means that Emma's going to have to fight for Killian - to prove to him that he is more than good enough for her (for reference, please see all of Season 3). Personally, I kind of hoped that we'd see something like this where Emma finally admits to herself that she loves Killian and she'd do anything for him, just like he'd do anything for her. We've already seen a lot of that in these first few episodes, but their first huge test is coming. And maybe this is the start of it - where Killian feels like he has to push Emma away because he doesn't deserve her and he doesn't trust himself not to hurt her. So, it'll be up to Emma to convince Killian that she doesn't care about what he "might" do or what he "could" do. And, really, I think she's already started.

(How can you not ship these two? They just fit).

However (again) - there is a bit of a wildcard. Because Henry - sweet, innocent, awesome Henry - is going undercover in Gold's Shop. And this is merely speculation, but I wonder if Henry isn't going to find out what Rumple really did and he's going to help get Killian out of this situation. Even though Henry is all over Operation Mongoose, there was a reason that he was there for Emma when she went to ask Killian out. He is still very much on Team Emma's Happiness and Killian makes her happy (even if I still don't get that whole Henry not okay with Emma asking Killian out - again, someone explain this to me).

Basically - 

The first three episodes were all about establishing Emma and Hook's relationship - that where it was very new and exciting at first, it's also quite solid. Which is good, because they are both in for some high-end angst (and I didn't even mention anything about Emma nearly wrecking her car because of Snow Queen Prime's ice slick in the street or everyone searching Storybrooke census records for Anna). Truly, I did ask for this. I hoped that there would be an amazing Captain Swan storyline in Season 4 and so far, I'm quite pleased with it. They've managed to evoke every emotion from me that's possible in a good romantic storyline - happiness, excitement, fear, anger, sadness. And they're all very strong emotions (if you were to film me watching Once Upon a Time, you wouldn't be able to understand a single word I said. It's not so much words as high-pitched squeaking, though). This continues to be my favorite part of the story and I am here for it - no matter what happens.

STILL NOT OVER IT! (source)

(Even if I break Tumblr with my keysmashing).