Last week's episode left us with an exciting, though obvious, game changer--the clock moved. Time is no longer frozen in Storybrooke, which presents a whole new set of problems for Mayor Regina Mills, AKA the Evil Queen. She has sent all of Fairy Tale Land to little town Storybrooke, Maine to destroy their happy endings which will be her victory at long last. How that is appealing, I don't know; practically babysitting an entire kingdom's worth of amnesic citizens for 28 years (or in Regina's thinking--presumably forever), making sure they never leave the quaint city limits would not be on my top ten of happily-ever-afters. However, her babysitting gig is about to get cut short. Emma's in town, and her presence is now upsetting the apple cart, so to speak.
First on Emma's to-do list is get to the bottom of why Henry is unhappy. If her entire goal of giving him away was to make sure he had his best chance, she wants to reassure herself that she accomplished even that. But with Regina, Henry's adoptive mother, throwing around evil threats left and right, Emma's not so sure she wants to leave Storybrooke just yet. So, she talks to Henry's therapist, Archie Hopper. If you couldn't guess by that name alone, then his occupation might just give him away--Jiminy Cricket, anyone?
Anyways, while therapy sessions and notes are top-secret confidential, that doesn't stop Archie from handing over Henry's files to a stranger, not to mention a person not even legally responsible to said patient. Nevertheless, Emma takes the file. She only wants to understand her son, or at the very least, simply reassure herself that this might just be a phase and he really is fine. Yet, she only gets to page two before the sheriff has come to arrest her--for stealing Henry's file. She goes, but not before planting the idea of a set-up in the sheriff's mind.
First on Emma's to-do list is get to the bottom of why Henry is unhappy. If her entire goal of giving him away was to make sure he had his best chance, she wants to reassure herself that she accomplished even that. But with Regina, Henry's adoptive mother, throwing around evil threats left and right, Emma's not so sure she wants to leave Storybrooke just yet. So, she talks to Henry's therapist, Archie Hopper. If you couldn't guess by that name alone, then his occupation might just give him away--Jiminy Cricket, anyone?
Anyways, while therapy sessions and notes are top-secret confidential, that doesn't stop Archie from handing over Henry's files to a stranger, not to mention a person not even legally responsible to said patient. Nevertheless, Emma takes the file. She only wants to understand her son, or at the very least, simply reassure herself that this might just be a phase and he really is fine. Yet, she only gets to page two before the sheriff has come to arrest her--for stealing Henry's file. She goes, but not before planting the idea of a set-up in the sheriff's mind.
While jail seems to be Emma's go-to in this town, her mother, er, Miss Blanchard comes to the rescue and bails her out. Rather than leaving well enough alone, Emma's not the type of person to sit back and take it. Armed with a chainsaw, she sets out for Regina's single tree apple orchard. No, she's not going to cut the entire tree down, just enough get Regina's dander up. And with a sneer, the apples fall. It's game on and Regina's move. What will she do? Have her arrested again? Give her a poisoned apple? No. Too cliche. How about a nice chat?
So, without ever exchanging numbers, Regina makes a personal call to Emma's cell and invites her over for tea, er, apple cider, and a nice talk. A truce. And Emma falls for it.
Regina corners Emma into exclaiming that Henry's theories are crazy, and unbeknownst to Emma, Henry overhears. Of course, that was Regina's plan all along. Now Henry will be on her side again, Emma will leave, and life will resume as normal--or as constant as before. But Emma is not so hard-hearted as to leave town and not at least try to make things right with her son. So she finds Henry, explains that everything he heard was for their plan, Operation Cobra, to throw the Evil Queen off their trail. And she is not leaving. Not yet, anyways.
So, without ever exchanging numbers, Regina makes a personal call to Emma's cell and invites her over for tea, er, apple cider, and a nice talk. A truce. And Emma falls for it.
Regina corners Emma into exclaiming that Henry's theories are crazy, and unbeknownst to Emma, Henry overhears. Of course, that was Regina's plan all along. Now Henry will be on her side again, Emma will leave, and life will resume as normal--or as constant as before. But Emma is not so hard-hearted as to leave town and not at least try to make things right with her son. So she finds Henry, explains that everything he heard was for their plan, Operation Cobra, to throw the Evil Queen off their trail. And she is not leaving. Not yet, anyways.
Back in Fairy Tale Land, the Evil Queen is preparing to enact the curse. That's right, we're back in time. She's made her threat to the entire kingdom and now she has to make good on it. So she visits an old fiend, er, friend, Maleficent. You know, the evil witch for Sleeping Beauty's story. She wants to get the curse back, the one that will destroy everyone's happiness, the one that will ensure her victory at last. But Maleficent tries to talk her out of it. It's not use. It will not only destroy their happiness but Regina's as well. Regina doesn't care. This is about exacting revenge on Snow White. Nothing else matters.
So she forcibly takes the curse and sets off to do her dirty deed. But it doesn't work. Enraged, she visits Rumplestiltskin. He makes a deal: wealth, freedom, and the Evil Queen at his beck and call if he so chooses to utter the magic word in exchange for the missing link to the curse. According to Rumplestiltskin, Regina must sacrifice the heart of the thing she loves most. But who could she love more than her prized steed? Alas, there is but one left--her father.
With a half-hearted apology and a tear, Regina rips out his heart to add it to the other ingredients of the curse, and viola! , black smoke rises to engulf the kingdom! Can you say, happily ever after?
So she forcibly takes the curse and sets off to do her dirty deed. But it doesn't work. Enraged, she visits Rumplestiltskin. He makes a deal: wealth, freedom, and the Evil Queen at his beck and call if he so chooses to utter the magic word in exchange for the missing link to the curse. According to Rumplestiltskin, Regina must sacrifice the heart of the thing she loves most. But who could she love more than her prized steed? Alas, there is but one left--her father.
With a half-hearted apology and a tear, Regina rips out his heart to add it to the other ingredients of the curse, and viola! , black smoke rises to engulf the kingdom! Can you say, happily ever after?
Burning Questions:
1) How did Regina become the Evil Queen?
2) When did Rumplestiltskin give the Evil Queen the dark curse? Why did she vow never to use it?
3) Will we see Sleeping Beauty?
4) When did she trade Maleficent for the sleeping curse? Why did Maleficent want the dark curse?
5) If Henry got the book only a month before, how did he make the connections so fast?
6) Is there an ending to the Fairy Tale Book? or is Emma's birth the end?
7) What was Storybrooke like before Emma came?
8) What happens if Regina's tree is completely destroyed? Does it hold any type of power?
9) Emma has a tattoo on her left wrist. What is it?
10) When will we hear Emma's back story? Still relevant?
11) Why did Regina want a son? Or was is Rumplestiltskin's/Mr. Gold's idea?
12) Does Regina really love Henry? Can she?
Let me hear your thoughts. Comment below!
~ Taryn
1) How did Regina become the Evil Queen?
2) When did Rumplestiltskin give the Evil Queen the dark curse? Why did she vow never to use it?
3) Will we see Sleeping Beauty?
4) When did she trade Maleficent for the sleeping curse? Why did Maleficent want the dark curse?
5) If Henry got the book only a month before, how did he make the connections so fast?
6) Is there an ending to the Fairy Tale Book? or is Emma's birth the end?
7) What was Storybrooke like before Emma came?
8) What happens if Regina's tree is completely destroyed? Does it hold any type of power?
9) Emma has a tattoo on her left wrist. What is it?
10) When will we hear Emma's back story? Still relevant?
11) Why did Regina want a son? Or was is Rumplestiltskin's/Mr. Gold's idea?
12) Does Regina really love Henry? Can she?
Let me hear your thoughts. Comment below!
~ Taryn