Once Upon a Time

The four women finally arrive at Snow White and Prince Charming’s castle, which has seen better days. Emma and Mary Margaret enter the nursery, where baby Emma was sent out of this world and into ours, and they find the magic wardrobe that Geppetto once carved out of the last magical tree in The Enchanted Forest. Suddenly Lancelot appears, saying he followed after he heard about the ogre attack and that he was eager to help Emma get back to Henry. The only problem is, Emma never told Lancelot about Henry. Mary Margaret draws her sword and Cora reveals herself. She had killed the real Lancelot long ago and had been posing as him to control the others. She attacks Mary Margaret and Emma, making it clear that she wants the wardrobe for her own means of reaching Storybrooke and getting a reckoning with her daughter, Regina. To save Mary Margaret and prevent Cora from using the wardrobe, Emma lights it on fire. Mulan and Aurora join the fight and it’s enough to scare Cora off for now. Mulan realizes they don’t have a leader, and she nominates Mary Margaret. But as the four women depart, with the magic wardrobe burned to ash, Cora reappears and scoops some of the ashes into a vial. She’s clearly not done with them.

In Storybrooke, Henry is eager to help find his mom and Mary Margaret, but David (Prince Charming) wants him to stay safe and go to school. Henry’s a bit like his mom, so instead he tracks down Jefferson (aka “The Mad Hatter”). He asks Jefferson some questions and gives him some very good advice about reconnecting with his daughter. Then Henry breaks into Regina’s (The Evil Queen) office and steals her keys. He uses them to open her secret vault. He’s about to uncover some VERY poisonous vipers when David appears to save him. David realizes he needs to spend some time connecting with his grandson. He buys them some wooden swords and promises to show him some moves. After all, he is the grandson of Prince Charming. And as the two practice their swordplay, District Attorney Spencer (King George) looks on menacingly. It seems that old grudge may have traveled to Storybrooke as well.

A bulletin board crowded with pleas of reconnection from the newly-aware populace, where a hand puts up a drawn picture of a young Pinocchio; the boy in the alpine hat. The text reads “Searching For Pinocchio,” and “Call Marco.” We see it’s Marco, akaGeppetto, and behind him a bustling din of townsfolk. Through this melee, we hear Ruby, aka Red Riding Hood, as she addresses the restless group. Ruby directs the group to a table for those trying to find missing family members, as well as a sign-up sheet for those seeking counseling from Dr. Hopper, aka Jiminy Cricket. Off this, Mother Superior, aka The Blue Fairy, comes up to Ruby and tells her this is getting out of hand, and that people are panicking. Ruby tries to reassure Mother Superior by telling her that everyone needs to stay calm: she’s sure that their Prince is working on something right now. From her optimism, we go to –

Regina’s house, where a knock at the door is answered by our Evil Queen, Regina. When she opens it, David, aka Prince Charming barges in carrying Jefferson’s charred hat . “Tell me about this,” he demands. But Regina changes the subject, telling him she’s surprised that he doesn’t have armed guards around-the-clock. David reminds her he doesn’t need them because if she steps outside there’s a line a mile long for her head. She asks who would be brazen enough to come after her. David tells her to take her chances, then. He tells Regina he thinks if her power had really returned the town would be charcoal by now. Her silence at this accusation confirms David’s suspicion, and he adds that the only reason she’s still alive is because Henry wishes it. “Now. This,” he says, shoving the hat remains toward her. She tells him it’s the hat that pulled his loved ones away, but maintains she’s forgotten where she got it from. She tells him that she thinks he ought to be spending less time worrying about this hat and more time worrying about her son. David persists, telling Regina that he needs his family, and that there has to be a way to follow them. Regina scoffs at this: “Follow them where? Into a sucking airless void?” Things digress, with Regina confirming he’d be charcoal if she had her powers. David makes light of her frustration, adding she’s getting everything she deserves. Regina warns him against baiting her further. She may not have her magic or her son, but when she gets one, she’ll get the other. And, she warns, he won’t want to be around on that day. David, still finding it in him to be freshly shocked by Regina even after everything she’s done, tells her that if she has to use magic to get her son back then she doesn’t really have him. As David leaves her to ponder that and continue his search, we travel to—

Fairy Tale Land. Where a young Regina rides hell-for-leather away from the castle. As she urges her horse onward, nearby tree branches suddenly come alive and pluck her off of her horse. As she hovers helplessly in the air we hear from behind her: “I thought we were done with this nonsense.” Regina, knowing who it is, says “Hello, Mother.” Indeed it is Cora, and she’s none too happy with her fleeing daughter. Regina asks her what evil she’s conjured, and Cora corrects her; it’s a simple protection spell. With that, Cora leans into her spell book and blows, sending the words on the page floating up to the branches, and freeing Regina from the clutches of the tree branches. Regina, realizes she can’t leave.  Her mother says yes, except for those times when she, as the Queen, leaves with the King.  Regina implores her mother that she doesn’t want to marry King Leopold. When her mother tells her it’s because she’s afraid of the power, Regina tells her she doesn’t want power, she wants to be free. Cora tells her that power is freedom, and that she’s going to show her just that.  Cora puts her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, and as we are left with this chilling promise, we leap to –

Storybrooke, outside the Town Hall. David strides purposefully, seeing Henry, going over to him and asking if he’s seen Mother Superior. Henry tells him no, but adds that everyone is looking for David. On cue, Ruby, Archie and Marco all accost David with urgent requests, while Dr. Whale wants to know if the nuns are going to be dating now. David spots Mother Superior, and heads straight for her, urgently asking if there could be a tree on this side; like the way they sent Emma through, so that he could follow Emma and Mary Margaret. Mother Superior informs David that it’s possible, but without fairy dust to guide them, it’s hopeless. David is deflated at this, but Henry jumps in, telling him that he’ll find a way to get to them. He’s read the Story Book, and knows that things always look darkest before there’s good news. And then, as Henry’s optimism threatens to sink in, we hear Leroy shout “Terrible news!” as he and the rest of the dwarfs rush up. Leroy tells Sneezy to tell everyone who he is, and a confused Sneezy tells everyone he’s Tom Clark, he owns the Dark Star pharmacy. Leroy lays it out for everyone… If you cross the town line you lose your memory all over again. Everyone is horrified by this revelation, and in an overlapping jumble all ask David what they’re going to do. Over the panicked din, David: “People! Everyone!” After they quiet down for their Prince, David tells them to all meet back there in two hours. He’ll tell them his plan to fix everything then, but until then they need to stay calm.  Ruby catches up to David as he walks off, asking him what his plan is, and David tells her that he’s got two hours to figure that out. Off his determination, we go to –

Regina’s house. Where the Evil Queen sits before an unlit candle, trying to use her magic to light its wick. No luck. She tosses the candle aside in anger, then makes a decision to leave her house. Outside, as she heads to her car, Archie comes up to her, offering her help. She rejects this, and when Archie tells her that it might do her good to talk with him, that maybe she will find out who she really is. She coldly tells him she knows who she is, then climbs into her car. From here we travel to…

Fairy Tale Land, in Leopold’s castle, where Regina sits with a young Snow White, braiding and adorning her hair with flowers. Snow admires her new look, then notices nearby… a necklace. She lifts it out of Regina’s jewelry box, and puts it on. She asks Regina where she got the necklace, and Regina tells her it was from Daniel. Young Snow turns to her, concerned, and realizes it’s the same Daniel, Regina’s love, who left. But Regina corrects her. He didn’t leave. He was killed. He was killed because Snow couldn’t keep her promise. As a horrified Young Snow takes this in we notice Daniel’s necklace creeping up her neck, until… it goes taut. Young Snow’s fingers jump to her throat as her eyes go wide. Regina is choking Snow White to death! Regina tells the dying Snow that her mother corrupts weak souls, and as Young Snow’s life ebbs away we suddenly CUT BACK to moments before, when Young Snow put on the necklace. Behind her, we can see in the combination of rage and horror on Regina’s face that we’ve just watched her fantasy of destroying Snow; a fantasy that she will one day try to accomplish for real. Off of this shock, cut to –

The Castle Courtyard, where Regina walks along with her father, Henry. Regina is desperate because she knows her mother is turning Regina into her, and she wants her father to help her find a way out. She doesn’t want to marry the King, and feels like a prisoner. Her father asks if it’s possible this is cold feet, which Regina rejects. She’s angry all the time now, Cora is making her crazy. Henry tells her Cora loves her and wants to give her everything she never had herself. But Regina wants her own life, not her mother’s. Regina asks Henry how Cora got like this, and Henry, looking around to make sure no one hears, tells Regina that there was a man – well, like a man, who Cora knew before she even met Henry. He brought magic to her and gave her the book of spells. Regina wants this person’s name, but Henry doesn’t know it. It dawns on Regina that the book of spells that Cora uses must actually belong to that man.

Then back to Storybrooke, where Regina storms into Mr. Gold’s Shop, tearing through the inventory and pulling books off of the shelves. Gold comes in to find Regina tearing up his wares and serenely tells her the library is beneath the clock tower. She closed it back when she still had power. “I need the book. I need to get my son back.” Gold plays at not knowing which book Regina is seeking, then verbally jabs her at not only needing the spell book, but also acknowledges how she’s turning into her mother. Regina fights through, saying she doesn’t have time to work her way back, she needs a shortcut. Gold refuses, tells her to leave, but… she doesn’t. Regina and Gold realize that his ‘pleases’ no longer have any effect on her. His catch-all must have been reversed when The Curse was broken. Taking this in, Gold tells her that jump-starting her magic is not in his best interests. Regina retorts that neither is everyone in the town knowing that The Enchanted Forest still exists. She knows he’s up to something. She peers into a nearby chest, and Gold slams the lid shut, proving her point. Gold lifts an arm and the spell book magically materializes in his hand. Offering an eager Regina the book, Gold tells her to be careful, these are straight-up spells, rough on the system. But Regina doesn’t care; she’s getting her son back.  As she storms out of the shop, Gold stops her, telling her that even though he once told Regina she didn’t look like her, now he sees it. From this ominous development we fly to –

The castle. Deepest night. Inside her chamber, Cora, in bed, sleeps peacefully. Reveal Regina standing over her. What is she doing? Regina reaches under Cora’s pillow and pulls out… her spell book! She sneaks off with the book back to her room, where she tries to decipher the tome. Discovering a name on one of the pages, she makes an attempt… “Rumple… Rumple-Shtiltskin?” Immediately, from nearby: “That’s not how you say it, dearie.” A shocked Regina turns to see Rumplestiltskin, reclining leisurely on her couch nearby. He tells her she didn’t say his name correctly, but then, she didn’t have to say anything. A shocked Regina approaches Rumple, asking him “What are you?” He takes small umbrage at the “what” (such a rude question).  He’s not a what. Regina apologizes, admitting she doesn’t really know what she’s doing. He tells her that much is clear. With a flourish and a bow, he introduces himself to Regina. She begins to respond in kind, but Rumple tells her he already knows who she is. Regina quickly realizes he knows who she is because of her mother, adding that people have told her that she looked like Cora when she was younger. Rumple, studying her, tells her that he doesn’t see it. And that’s not how he knows her. Regina, “Then how?” He tells her he knew her long ago, but he knew this day would come. And he’d been waiting for her. And he’s so happy that now they’re finally where they belong. Regina asks where that would be. Rumple: “Together.” And off that chilling thought and these two meeting at last, jump to—

Storybrooke, where Regina, sits on a bench, looking over the spell book she just procured from Gold. Clearly torn. Off her uncertainty, we go to –

David, our Prince, in close-up as he makes a speech, starting with “People of Storybrooke. I know we’re trapped again and things look bleak…” He hesitates, and his hands go to his forehead. We quickly realize that David isn’t talking to the residents of Storybrooke, he’s talking to a mirror in Emma and Mary Margaret’s apartment. Rehearsing, but not to his satisfaction. Henry jumps in, telling him to keep going; he was on to something. But David is too frustrated, telling Henry that he did the fighting, Snow did the talking. David pulls out Jefferson’s tattered hat from his satchel. Henry asks to see it, telling David he thinks he knows what it is. Henry goes to his Story Book, flipping through to a drawing of a wild-looking Jefferson and his hat. Henry tells David the hat is the Mad Hatter’s hat. David, eager to find this man, asks Henry who the Mad Hatter is in Storybrooke? Henry’s not sure, thinks maybe the man will check in at the crisis center after the thing. David, distracted, “What thing?” Henry means the big speech where David was going to tell everyone his plan. David, grabbing his coat, tells Henry he’ll be back for that, then quickly leaves. Henry implores him as he goes to let him help, but David is already gone, heading to-

Mr. Gold’s shop, where Gold packs a series of maps into his tote bag; New York, Massachusetts. He’s clearly planning a trip, when David barges in. Gold makes light that he wasted his money on a ‘Closed’ sign, and turns to see a determined David, who agrees. Gold, surprised to see him, tells him he’s sorry about his wife and daughter, but portal jumping is a bit outside of his purview. Gold asks David about what’s going on outside, and David lets him know about the problem with the town line. Gold, curious, asks for more detail, but David tells him he’s looking for magic. He needs to find someone in the same way Gold helped him find Snow earlier. Gold understands, asks if David has anything of the person’s. David says yes, but demurs when Gold asks him to see it. Sensing the impasse, Gold offers David a potion. Pouring it on the object should lead him right to who he’s looking for. David asks his price. Gold says he wants peace. Non-interference from Charming. David agrees, under the condition that Gold do the same for him. The deal is struck. But as David leaves, Gold inquires what seems to be happening on the border? David tells him that once you cross the town border you lose all memory of your former self. As David says, “It looks like we’re stuck here.” Gold reacts coolly, but after David leaves, Gold smashes his cane into nearby glass cases, shattering them. He braces himself against one of the fallen cases, as stricken as we’ve seen the Dark One, excepting the moment he drove away Belle. From his anguish…

Travel to Fairy Tale Land, in Regina’s quarters, where we rejoin the young Regina in her conversation with Rumple. He tells Regina that he’s known her since she was a child. He and her family have quite a bit of history, both in the past and in the future. Regina asks him if he can help her. He tells her possibly, then guesses she seeks the death of an enemy, or a friend? She tells him no, she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He’s taken aback, telling her it’s hard to believe she’s from the same family as Cora. Rumple strokes her cheeks intimately, acknowledging her gentleness but also her innate power. She turns away, admitting she doesn’t know how. He tells her to let him show her the way, then points her toward a tall, shrouded object which has magically appeared behind her. Rumple answers the confused Regina by telling her that it’s magic, and that magic will set her free. But Regina rejects that. It’s what her mom did, and she doesn’t want to end up like her. Rumple assures her she doesn’t have to. He tells her the object is a portal between worlds, in this case a specific and annoying little world. Rumple tells her that her mother could be gone for good, she just needs a little push. The question he asks is, “Can you do it?” As Regina contemplates this –

We shoot back to Storybrooke, in the same courtyard where Regina has been considering her spell book.  She opens the book, then blows the words off of the page, only to inhale them again. A shock of energy crosses her eyes, and the evil apples on the tree behind her go from Black to red. As she rises with dark determination…

We find David, standing on Main Street, as he pours Gold’s potion onto Jefferson’s hat. He waits a moment. Nothing. Until… the hat suddenly flies into the air, propelled by an unseen force. The hat leads David to an overturned car, where a cry of help is heard. David tosses debris away from the door of the car, throwing it open to reveal… Jefferson. He’s been trapped inside since the Wraith attack, and is grateful for rescue. David makes sure he’s okay, but then tells him they need to talk.

Meanwhile, back in the Town Hall, the townspeople, including Whale, Granny, Ruby, the dwarfs and Henry all await David’s arrival. Ruby tells them not to worry, David will be there soon. And as she says so, the doors fly open. Expecting their hero, everyone turns to see Regina, entering the hall as much the Evil Queen as we’ve seen her in Storybrooke. Sensing danger, Archie tries to reason with Regina, but she uses magic to toss him aside, and does the same for Leroy as he charges. Granny fires a crossbow-bolt which Regina catches, and returns to the crowd as a menacing flame-ball. Ruby, leaping forward into the danger, stands fast and asks Regina what she wants. But it’s Henry who answers. “Me. She wants me.” Henry comes forward, telling Regina he’ll go with her, just leave them alone. Regina, satisfied, leads Henry out of the room, magically shutting the doors behind her. From this shocking development, we cross town to—

The outdoor seating at Granny’s, where David interrogates Jefferson about the ruined hat. David throws the hat on the table and asks Jefferson if he can get him through. Jefferson says no. David asks if he can get Emma and Mary Margaret back, and he says no to that, as well. David, frustrated: “Can you get it to work?” Jefferson just laughs at David’s lack of understanding. David tells Jefferson he saw the tea set in his car, and thinks he has a daughter, too. From one father to another, he needs help. Jefferson tells David that Emma and Mary Margaret are in the Enchanted Forest. This shocks David, who thought it no longer existed. Jefferson assures him it does, but tells him it doesn’t matter, because they can no longer go there. David, upping the ante, tells Jefferson that he’s the Sheriff, so unless Jefferson wants to end up in jail, he better figure out a way. But this doesn’t seem to impress Jefferson, who tells them they’re both doomed to powerlessness. Jefferson suddenly flips the table over and makes a run for it, with David giving chase until he runs straight into Ruby. David tells her to get out of his way, until Ruby shocks him into awareness by telling him that Regina has her powers back and has taken Henry. What’s worse, because David was a no-show at his meeting, the people of the town are terrified, and are planning on taking the extreme action of leaving town; sacrificing their true identities to escape Regina. David, still fighting for his family, tells her that he’ll deal with this once he captures Jefferson. He needs to get his wife and daughter back.  Ruby, in his face, asks “Back to what? This town is about to come apart.” She tells him he has to do something. From David, clearly torn at this impossible dilemma, we travel to—

Regina’s house, where the front door opens and a chipper Regina leads Henry inside, telling him she doesn’t want him to think that things are just going to go back to the way they used to be. But Henry is already plowing up the stairs to his room, where he digs under his bed to produce a mound of blankets. He attaches one blanket to a nearby radiator, and throws the other out the window. It’s a sheet-rope! Henry hops out of his window and starts down his make-shift escape apparatus, when… the branches of a nearby tree come to life and snatch Henry up, holding him in place just as Cora once did to Regina.  Regina, at his window, tells an angry Henry, “Don’t fight it, honey. You’ll get a splinter.”

Moments later, with Henry back in his room, sitting across from Regina, Henry asks her how long he’s in prison? Till he grows up? She tells him she rescued him because she loves him. But Henry’s not buying it. How can he be in prison because she loves him? It’s not fair. She retorts that the place she came from was far less fair than this. Henry won’t have it. He accuses her of sending away Emma and Mary Margaret, which Regina says was an accident. But what about how Regina made everybody think Henry was making up the stories about Fairy Tale Land? She made him feel like he was crazy. Regina is eager to make amends, telling him that’ll all change now, and that he can know all the secrets. He can live in a house with magic. To illustrate, with a puff into her palm, Regina makes a delicious cupcake materialize out of thin air. And, she promises him, she can teach him. She tells him that he can have his friends over and show off his magic. He tells her that his friends won’t want to come over, they’ll be too afraid. Regina, her eyes flashing a familiar anger, tells him he can make them not be afraid. Then, more gently, “You can make them love you.” Henry tells her he doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want to be her. And as he exits the room, leaving an uncertain Regina to pensively consider, we jump to—

Fairy Tale Land, in Regina’s chamber in Leopold’s castle. A younger Regina, dressed in a beautiful, shimmering wedding gown. Staring off of her balcony, Regina is pulled back into reality by her mother, who asks, “What’s this?” Regina turns to face her mother and this large, wrapped object in the room. Regina tells Cora she’s not sure, it was a gift. With a sweep of her hand, Cora removes the covering, and is disappointed for her daughter that it’s not a portrait, but rather an impersonal looking glass. Cora cruelly wonders aloud if the people really love Regina. Regina, hurt, says she’s doing her best. Cora apologizes, putting her arm around Regina and leading her to the glass to admire her beauty, and with her whole life ahead of her. “It’s going to be better than you can imagine.” Then, in a hushed tone, Cora tells her daughter that Leopold is not a strong man, and the kingdom will be hers. Cora encourages her to start planning for her future rule now, by signaling to those around her where the real power will soon lie. Regina, turning away, asks if that’s what Regina would do, and her mother confirms this. Regina tells Cora she has just one qualm: she doesn’t want to be her. As Regina lunges at her mother, Cora, scoffing, freezes her in a magic aura. Cora tells her it won’t be that easy to get rid of her. She’s her mother, and she knows best. Just then, Regina sees Rumplestiltskin appear in the mirror behind Cora, motioning gleefully for Regina to push her mother into the mirror. Regina, uncertain, but then… her rage growing, she lunges forward and pushes Cora into the mirror, which has now become a liquid portal. A shocked Cora flies into its maw, catching herself on the frame for just a moment before she’s sucked through, disappearing before the mirror shatters. And off a shocked Regina, realizing what she’s just done, we travel to…

…The road leading out of Storybrooke, emblazoned with Grumpy’s spray-painted line. David’s pick-up hurtles down the road in front of other cars heading for the edge of town, and then power-slides into a position blocking passage. He and Ruby quickly get out and confront a line of cars filled with townspeople who are all ready to give in. David climbs into the bed of his truck, standing before the crowd. David tells them to listen. David tells the people what they’ll lose if they cross the line, namely the ones they love and themselves. He understands why they want to leave the bad memories, but those memories are a part of them. David acknowledges the shortcomings he has shown. He wouldn’t give up Charming just to be him, but he wouldn’t make the other trade either. He owns his weakness and his strength, just as they must. Be both. He challenges them to make this town whole again: to open the school, Granny’s, everything. And he will defend them against Regina. He promises that she won’t harm them while he’s alive. And not as long as they all come together as they did before, and shall do again. There’s a moment where people take in David’s words, and then… they agree, nodding and heading to their cars to begin the hard work of facing their lives and rebuilding. From a triumph that could only be brought about by both Charming and David together, we fly to –

Fairy Tale Land, where Regina rides her horse down a path, with Leopold’s castle disappearing behind her, until she hears “Leaving are we?” She looks up to see none other than Rumplestiltskin standing in the middle of the road. She dismounts her horse as she replies that leaving was always the idea. Regina gives Rumple back his spell book. She doesn’t want it. As Regina turns to leave, Rumple puts a question to her: “How did it feel?” She tells him she loved her mother, but he brushes this aside; not what he asked at all. How did it feel to use magic? Regina tells him it doesn’t matter, she’ll never do it again. But why? She turns to him, stricken, and admits to him, and to herself, “Because I loved it.” Rumple responds to this with glee. She has such potential, and he could teach her how to unlock it if she’d only let him. “Through magic?” “Through many things,” he replies.  Regina asks him what he gets out of it, and Rumple tells her ominously that one day she’ll do something for him. He offers the book once more, asking her to let him guide her. Regina accepts, but half-asks, half-tells Rumple that she won’t become like her mother. Rumple tells her that’s entirely up to her. And off of Regina holding the spell book, considering, we find—

A mirror image, only this one in Storybrooke, where Regina sits at her dinner table contemplating that same spell book. Just then, David bursts in, sword in hand, demanding to see Henry. Regina approaches him, gets close, until finally, she calls out: “Henry! Come down.” Regina tells a stunned and suspicious David that he won’t need his sword. He slowly lowers his weapon as Henry comes down the stairs. Regina comes to meet Henry on the stairs, and takes a painful moment before telling him he’s going to go home with David. Henry is skeptical, but Regina tells him she means it, and moreover that she was wrong to bring him there. She admits to him that she doesn’t know how to love very well. It’s been so long since she’s felt real love, but she remembers that if you hold onto someone too hard, it doesn’t make them love you. She’s sorry she lied and made him feel like he was wrong, and now she only wants him to be there because he wants to be there, not because she forced him or because of magic. Regina, tears in her eyes, tells Henry she wants to redeem herself. After sending Henry up to go get his things, David tells Regina to prove it. He wants her to answer one question; does the Enchanted Forest still exist? She takes a moment, then admits it does, but that she has no idea how to get back there. Seeing the look in David’s eyes she says she can tell she just launched him into another heroic quest. But, she implores, please make sure he also takes care of her son. David agrees. Moments later, Regina watches, heartbroken, as David leads Henry away.

Meanwhile, downtown Storybrooke is coming back to life. Stores are opening, and the dwarfs are already busy at work. Leroy leads his five brethren out of the hardware store, all of them carrying new pickaxes. They run into a confused Mr. Clark/Sneezy on the street. He asks them what they need the axes for, and Leroy puts an arm on his shoulder and tells him not to worry. He’s lost something but they’re going to help him get it back by finding fairy dust. Luckily, that’s what they do best. And with an iconic, “Come on, boys, it’s off to work we go,” Leroy leads his dwarfs off in search of the fairy dust.

In Granny’s Diner, a despondent looking Marco sits at a booth until David and Henry enter, and Henry whispers in his ear. Marco’s face lights up, and we see him next entering August’s room, but there’s no sign of his boy there, except for his alpine hat. Fly to the town line, where Gold stands, contemplating. And then to Regina in her house, about to burn her spell book in the fireplace, until… she stops short, instead just putting the book away in a cabinet and locking it. Back in the diner, David tells Henry The Enchanted Forest is still out there. When Henry questions if Mary Margaret and Emma might have died on the way, David assures him they didn’t. He can feel it. This reassures Henry.

And far from all this, we join Emma and Mary Margaret, very much alive, and very much being pulled along unceremoniously behind a horse, their hands tied, as they try and make their way over the difficult terrain. They’re prisoners of Mulan and Aurora. Looking up, we see that they’re approaching an island encampment, Mary Margaret asks what this place is. Mulan tells her, simply: “Our home.” Inside the camp, Emma and Mary Margaret are taken aback at the nearly medieval living standards of these refugees. When Mulan defends her people, Mary Margaret attacks, knocking Mulan away and telling Emma to make a run for it. They both do, but Mulan coolly picks up a bolo weapon, spins it, and hurls it at Mary Margaret, who takes a strong hit and goes down. Emma rushes to her side, and as Mulan comes up to them, she instructs the other guards to take them to the pit. Soon after, when Emma tends to a still-unconscious Mary Margaret in the dark and foreboding beneath-ground prison they call the pit, she hears a voice asking her if she needs help. Emma, still unable to see who’s speaking, asks who she is.  “A friend,” comes the reply. And then the stranger steps forward and we see who it is… Cora!  And as we realize that things for our heroes may have just gone from bad to very freaking bad, we CUT TO BLACK.

Summary by Brian L. Ridings

Back to Storybrooke to find our characters just where we left them at the end of the season, enveloped in a thick purple smoke manifested by the one and only Mr. Gold. And through this thick haze we find Mary Margaret and David, holding each other tightly. Mary Margaret asks David the question that’s on all of our minds… “What’s happening?” David, resolved to find out, grabs her hand and as the smoke dissipates, leads her to other residents who are overcome with sudden recognition. Memories have been returned to Storybrooke. David and Mary Margaret approach Ruby and Granny. Ruby asks “Snow?” As Mary Margaret nods. They hug, their shared history making itself clear. As this emotional moment takes place we hear “Your highness?”

David turns to see Leroy (aka Grumpy), and his six brethren. The dwarfs are reunited, and bow to Mary Margaret and David, their Prince and Princess. But before any of these incredible revelations can settle in, Mary Margaret knows what she needs to do: find her daughter. But we turn to find Emma has already joined the growing throng, and is finally, tearfully reunited with her mother and father. An accompanying Henry can’t hold back a “Told you so.” As they all share hugs that have been decades in the making, Henry turns to David. “Grandpa?” David says yes, he supposes so, putting an affectionate hand on Henry’s shoulder. But the confusion and questions start to ramp up. The dwarfs and other townspeople all want to know what the smoke was, who did this to them, and why, if the curse is broken, haven’t they returned to Fairy Tale Land? Just then, Mother Superior(aka The Blue Fairy) steps in and tells everyone that magic has returned to Storybrooke, although things are more complicated now, especially without a supply of Fairy Dust. But Leroy brushes this aside, saying it’s clear who did this: the Evil Queen Regina. Emma disagrees, realizing… “It wasn’t the Queen.”

Cut to her prime suspect, Mr. Gold as he stands with Belle at the well that was the epicenter of the now dissipated purple smoke. Gold is grateful to see Belle again; he thought she was dead all this time. She tells him that Regina kidnapped her and kept her captive these last twenty-eight years. Gold is infuriated, fire burning in his eyes, and tells her he will not let this stand. But Belle says that they need to put it behind them now. She makes Gold promise that he won’t give in to his hate and kill Regina for what she did. She tells him she’ll be with him if he can just let this vengeance go, and not seek harm to Regina. Gold gives his promise. But even as they share a kiss and then embrace, we can tell Gold’s uneasy with this agreement.

Meanwhile, a determined Emma leads Mary Margaret and David towards Gold and hopefully some answers. As she plows ahead, Mary Margaret sees a chance to try and connect with her daughter. She wants to know everything that she missed. But Emma resists, telling her mother and father that, while she’s spent her whole life waiting to meet them, she just needs a little bit of time. Archie, fully aware now of being Jiminy Cricket, and of his status as conscience for the town, approaches our heroes and tells them that he tried to talk the enraged residents out of going after Regina, but he couldn’t stop them. Just then, Emma, Mary Margaret and David see a large mob of townspeople, led by Dr. Whale. Henry pleads that they stop them from hurting Regina because “she’s still my mom.” Moved by this, Emma makes a chilling point: since magic has returned to Storybrooke, the Queen may have her powers back. If so, this angry mob might be heading straight to their doom. And as Emma, Mary Margaret and David prepare to do what they can to avoid slaughter, we leave Storybrooke, taking us back to…

Aurora’s castle, where we find Prince Phillip and Aurora together, but our mysterious warrior seems deeply distracted by something. As the warrior moves toward the door, it bursts open, shooting the warrior across the room by a terrifying shadowy demon called the Wraith. Phillip pulls his sword to fight off the creature, as the warrior regroups to join the fight. But this is a creature of enormous power, and the best Phillip and the warrior can do is knock a talisman off of the creature, which causes it to give up its pursuit. For now.

We return to Storybrooke, joining Gold and Belle as they enter his pawn shop. Gold tells Belle he intends to find a pretty dress from among his stock for Belle to wear. She agrees, but as Gold goes into his back room we find he’s not looking for clothes at all, instead he retrieves a talisman that’s identical to the one we just saw in Prince Phillips’s possession. As the shock of this sinks in…

We join the Dr. Whale led mob outside of Regina’s house, with Whale pounding on her door and telling her to open up or they’ll force their way in. Regina answers the door calmly, seemingly unconcerned, even as Dr. Whale threatens to make her suffer. But Regina’s patience wears thin, and she summons her magic to attack the mob, and… nothing happens? Regina is as shocked as everyone else when her magic fizzles. Just as Whale is about to take advantage of her weakness, Emma, Mary Margaret, David and Henry break through the crowd. Emma confronts the mob, asking them if they’re really prepared to be as bad as Regina and make themselves into murderers. Whale offers resistance, but Mary Margaret and David finally make him back down.

SLAM. The door to the jail cell in the Sheriff’s Station closes, sealing Regina inside. Regina tells them that Gold is Rumplestiltskin, and that he’ll do anything to get revenge on her. Emma decides to get Henry out of harm’s way by leaving him with Ruby. As soon as Regina is left alone in her cell, however, she is visited by none other than Gold. He reveals to Regina that he knows she’s kept his love imprisoned, and even though he’s made a promise to Belle that he wouldn’t kill her, he assures her a fate worse than death. And with that, Gold’s arm lunges through the bars of the cell and grabs Regina’s arm. Then, with his gloved hand, he presses the talisman to Regina’s palm. Off of Regina’s shock, Gold assures her that she’s about to meet up with the one thing no one can escape: their destiny. A gloating Gold dangles the talisman in front of Regina and…

Flash to Fairy Tale Land, where Phillip holds the identical talisman. He and Aurora survey the devastation when the warrior removes the helmet to reveal a beautiful Asian woman who says her name is Mulan. Mulan explains to Aurora that the Wraith comes after those who are marked and will not give up until it eats their souls, damning them for all eternity. What Aurora doesn’t know, and Mulan might, is that Phillip is concealing a glowing mark on his hand. The Wraith is coming for him, and it’s only a matter of time before it finds him. But being the brave hero he is, he tells Aurora everything is going to be fine.

Back in Storybrooke, Gold comes home to see Belle sleeping peacefully, and then goes out to the woods, where he reveals he’s carrying The Dark One’s dagger; the familiar and terrifying Kris blade edged-weapon with Rumplestiltskin magically written along the blade. Gold sets the talisman on the ground and then stabs the dagger down into the earth near it, exclaiming “The Dark One summons thee!” In the jail cell, Regina’s hand suddenly glows like Phillip’s. That’s right, she’s been marked. Back in the woods, Gold watches as the Wraith emerges from the talisman, then takes off into the night. Gold smiles, pleased.

Later, outside of Granny’s, Emma has a tender moment with Henry before sending him off with Ruby to watch after him. David and Mary Margaret look on proudly, and he notices that Mary Margaret is eager to have Emma to open up to them. But he tells her not to rush things, and she agrees… only to immediately succumb to her worry a minute later, blurting out to Emma that they need to talk. Mary Margaret tries to force a heart to heart, but Emma resists, reminding her and David that no matter how good their reasons for giving her up, while she was free from the Queen’s curse, she still grew up all alone; a curse in and of itself. Emma asks her heartbroken parents, “Which curse is worse?”

Back in Fairy Take Land, as the sun sets into an imposing forest, Mulan encourages Phillip and Aurora to temporarily stop their journey and camp for the night, saying that keeping still is their best chance when the Wraith is loose at night. They agree, but Aurora can’t sleep. Her excitement to be awake and with Phillip is too much for that. She comforts herself knowing they’ll be together forever now. And Phillip, ever the stoic hero, continues to shield Aurora from his curse, assuring her they will always be together. He kisses her deeply and tells her he’s going to get some wood for a fire. Then a woeful Phillip leaves the tent and Aurora, not knowing if he’ll see her again.

We return to Storybrooke, where Emma, Mary Margaret and David arrive at Gold’s to interrogate him. Emma accuses Gold of trying to sabotage the town, but Gold surprises her by stating that he kept all of the promises he made her. Namely, Henry survived, the curse was lifted and she was reunited with her family. Although everyone is taken aback by this potent argument, Emma persists, wanting to know what the purple smoke was. Gold tells her that it was magic returning to Storybrooke, but when Emma asks why? Gold replies “Not telling.” Just then, a shudder moves through the room. The wind stirs, and outside streetlights start to explode and fall over. When Emma asks Gold what it is, he tells her it’s his gift to them. Something that will take care of Regina once and for all. The Wraith is here. David and Mary Margaret decide they need to leave to confront the Wraith in any way they can, and as Emma follows them out Gold reminds her she still owes him a favor. After they leave, Belle comes out from the back room, having heard it all. She confronts Gold, revealing her despair that despite his clever way of holding to his promise without actually killing Regina himself, she now knows he hasn’t changed at all. Before Gold can stop her, she’s gone.

Back to Fairy Tale Land, at the campsite, a distant roar of the Wraith causes Aurora and Mulan to realize that Phillip hasn’t returned yet to the campsite. Aurora questions Mulan, who treats her brusquely as she prepares a campfire. A frightened Aurora presses Mulan, who finally admits what she knows: Phillip has been marked by the Wraith. Aurora is shocked, but Mulan is already in motion, she’s going after him. Aurora tells Mulan she wants to come, too, but Mulan tells her she’ll only slow her down. Mulan then takes off into the forest, leaving a seemingly terrified Aurora alone in the camp.

Back at the Sheriff’s Station, we find Regina still locked in her cell. The lights suddenly pop out. Sensing trouble approaching Regina rises, but before she can even react she is face to face with the Wraith in all its horror. It easily wrenches open the door of Regina’s cell and starts to suck out her soul, until… “HEY!” In a sudden appearance, David picks up a chair and courageously charges the Wraith. But the Wraith’s power is too great, and it flings David across the room, then sends a desk careening towards him, which he barely dodges. As Regina is again attacked, she tells her would-be rescuers that light is The Wraith’s only weakness. Mary Margaret and Emma seize the moment, taking up a lighter and aerosol can, and WHOOOSH!, send a massive flame at the Wraith, causing it to suddenly flee the jail. In the aftermath, Regina explains to David, Emma and Mary Margaret what the Wraith was, adding that they didn’t kill it, they only scared it off. Although all of them are torn about whether to make Regina’s fate their concern, Regina reminds them that Gold is behind this, and that once she’s gone he’ll make their lives worse than she ever could. Regina suggests to the torn trio of heroes that they send the Wraith somewhere it can’t hurt anyone. Emma, Mary Margaret and David take this in, dubious but also hopeful.

In Regina’s office, Emma talks to Regina while Mary Margaret and David look for material to make torches. Regina produces Jefferson’s Hat Box, but Regina denies knowing Jefferson, lying to Emma. Emma reveals to Regina that Henry made her promise to protect Regina, which Regina is quietly moved by. As Mary Margaret and David bring their brooms to the office, Mary Margaret concedes to David that he was right; she shouldn’t have tried to push things with Emma. But she can’t let go of having missed everything in Emma’s life. David reminds her that the important thing is they’re together now. Rejoining Emma and Regina in Regina’s office, Regina explains that the hat will create a portal that will send the Wraith to Fairy Tale Land. Mary Margaret is confused, having assumed their land was gone. Regina says it is, which is why it’s the perfect place to send the Wraith. It can’t hurt anyone in a void. Emma: “Awesome. So do it.” As Regina tries, the group notices the now familiar signs of the Wraith’s approach. Lights popping, wind gusting, and then the sounds of the damned crying out in agony. Suddenly the council chamber is in chaos. The Wraith attack is underway. Emma and Regina make a dash for the hat, with Regina grabbing it, and placing it on the floor as… NOTHING HAPPENS.

Meanwhile, we rejoin Mulan in the darkened forest, searching for Phillip. She hears a noise, pulls out her sword only to see… Aurora, atop a horse, a bit smug at having caught up with Mulan, and demanding to accompany the warrior. Mulan slams Aurora, telling her that she has no idea what Phillip has given up to rescue her; it’s a sacrifice of which Aurora has no conception, Mulan’s passionate tirade clues Aurora in to something. “You love him.” Mulan denies this, protesting that they are merely warriors who have fought by each other’s side, but Aurora is unconvinced. Mulan dismisses the Princess and tells her that she, Mulan, is the best chance Phillip has. Neither woman can seem to accept the perspective of the other, but when Aurora tells Mulan that she’s willing to do whatever it takes to help Phillip, Mulan sees the resolve of the Princess. A nearby roar lets them know that the Wraith is nearby. They depart towards the noise together.

Emma and Regina share a desperate moment as the Wraith lunges across the room at them. But David is ready with a torch, which he waves at the Wraith, only to have it wave its cloak at David, extinguishing the flame, and leaving them in DARKNESS. This is bad. Mary Margaret notices a bottle of whiskey on a nearby bar. She pours the bottle around the room, then calling out to David, who, getting her idea, pulls out his Zippo lighter, flicks it, and WHOOOSH! The alcohol ignites, and a wall of flame rises up. With this momentary reprieve, Regina struggles to make Jefferson’s hat work. And with the fire in the room and David’s swinging torch keeping the Wraith at bay, we go to—

Another torch being swung, this one by Prince Phillip in a clearing in the forest. Phillip, defiant: “Come on, you bastard!” Phillip hears a noise, suspects the Wraith, but instead it’s Mulan and Aurora running up. Phillip tells them to stay back, but they protest, wanting to help him fight. Phillip tells them it’s futile, and that he’s already decided that he’ll need to sacrifice himself. But Mulan tells him there is a way. To Aurora’s shock, she offers to use the talisman to mark herself and take Phillip’s place. Mulan had told her before that love means sacrifice, and now she’s proving it. But Phillip won’t let Mulan take his place, even as the Wraith appears. He tells Aurora and Mulan that they have to keep each other safe. And before they can protest further, Phillip drops his torch and surrenders himself to the Wraith. Aurora and Mulan cry out as Phillip’s soul is sucked from his body. He falls to the ground, limp. The Wraith, sated, shoots back INTO THE TALISMAN. The necklace lies on the ground. As Aurora and Mulan take in this horror…

ROOOOAARR!!! In the council chamber, the Wraith pushes against the wall of flames. Regina frantically tries to make Jefferson’s hat work as Mary Margaret, David and Emma watch on. Regina “It’s not working!” Regina seems to be failing until… Emma puts a supportive hand on her. The hat starts to spin! Did Regina figure it out, or was it Emma’s help? We won’t find out now. Wind rushes in through a cracked window, blowing out the torches, and the Wraith charges at Regina. At the last moment, Emma pushes Regina out of the way, causing the Wraith to miss her and get SUCKED into the open portal, screaming in agony as it disappears into the void. Just as this unlikely victory starts to set in, though, a talon-like beam of energy shoots out of the portal and GRABS EMMA, pulling her into the vortex. Mary Margaret cries out to Emma in horror, then without thinking charges the portal as she yells “I’m not losing her again” and jumps in after her. David: “Neither am I.” He leaps at the portal, but… he’s too late. It shuts. David slams onto the floor next to the charred remains of the hat. He’s aghast as he realizes that his daughter and the love of his life have been sucked into an infinite void.

In Fairy Tale Land, back at the courtyard of Aurora’s castle, Mulan and Aurora have placed Phillip’s body on the dais where Aurora once slept. Aurora confesses her grief to Mulan as she looks around the ruined castle that was going to be her and Phillip’s home. Mulan asks Aurora how she came to be cursed here by the sleeping spell, and Aurora reminds her that she’s not the only one who knows about sacrifice. Mulan, moved by this, gives Aurora the talisman as a keepsake of Phillip, and Aurora thanks her for it.

Jump back to the council chamber, where David’s anger at Regina is building. He demands to know where Emma and Mary Margaret are. Regina says she they could be anywhere. Or nowhere. He asks if they’re dead, and Regina says she doesn’t know. David, furious, “I should’ve killed you myself.” Regina taunts him, and as David moves toward her, she magically flings him against the wall, and branches from the wallpaper come to life, choking David. Oh yeah, this is definitely our Evil Queen, and she’s showing her power for the first time in Storybrooke. She approaches David and tells him he’s no hero, he’s just the son of a shepherd. As she prepares to kill him… “Mom?” Regina turns to see HENRY, who has just come in with Ruby to witness his adoptive mother killing his grandfather. Seeing the fear and sadness on Henry’s face, Regina quickly softens, with the branches retreating from David’s throat. Henry asks Regina where his mom is, and when Regina tells him they’re gone, disappeared through a portal; it’s too much for Henry. He tells her she really is the Evil Queen. Regina tries to reach him, but Henry tells her that the only way to prove to him that she really loves him is to get Emma and Mary Margaret back. Until then, he doesn’t want to see her. When Regina asks where he’ll go, David speaks up, and says Henry can stay with him. David takes Henry’s hand and leads him out of the destroyed council chamber, while Regina watches, devastated.

In the back room of his shop, we find Gold sitting at an antique spinning wheel, spinning straw. But it’s not turning to gold. Magic is indeed harder in this world. Gold stops his spinning when Belle startles him. She tells him that she’s been out walking, and that this is a strange land. Gold questions her; he thought she didn’t want to see him. And she didn’t, but she was worried about him. Gold tells her that the Wraith is gone, but Regina lives. “So you didn’t get what you wanted?” Gold is conflicted. He didn’t, and yet… Belle is here. Gold: “That remains to be seen.” And as that hangs there, Belle notices her chipped teacup. She’s surprised Gold kept it, but he tells her it’s one of his most prized possessions. Belle smiles, touched, but this gives Gold pause.  Very unexpectedly, he tells her she has to go. Despite what she hopes he’s still a monster. But that, Belle tells him, is exactly why she has to stay. From a touched Mr. Gold, we go to—

Mary Margaret’s apartment. David leads Henry inside, and both of them suddenly feel even more alone. David, determined to fight through the despair, tells Henry not to worry: Emma and Mary Margaret are still alive. When Henry asks how he knows, David tells him “I have faith.” Henry seems unsure until David adds that he will find them. He will always find them. Now this is our Prince Charming.

Back at the courtyard of Aurora’s castle, Aurora gazes at her lost love until Mulan tells her they need to leave. It’s not safe. Aurora is confused, aren’t they safe now that the Wraith is gone? Mulan tells her there are other dangers. She needs to tell Aurora the truth. About everything. Aurora, stunned, listens as Mulan tells her much has changed since she fell asleep.  Something even worse happened. She asks Aurora if she’s familiar with the Evil Queen Regina. Aurora is. Mulan tells her that Regina placed a terrible curse on the land, one that ripped everyone away to a different world. Mulan says that, this corner of the land was untouched, though they were frozen for 28 years, until time recently started again. Mulan knows something must have weakened the curse’s power. Mulan describes how, after time started, she was able to resume her search with Phillip, but even having accomplished their goal of finding her, the land is ravaged, with dangers more fearsome than Aurora can imagine. Those that have survived found a safe haven, one they must travel to now. But before they can start moving, they hear a RUSTLING coming from nearby, then the rubble shifts beneath them. Mulan draws her sword, telling Aurora to stay back, then kicks aside the rubble. Her eyes widen. Aurora: “What is it? What do you see?” Mulan, eyes still fixed, tells her “That’s what brought the Wraith here. That’s what killed our Prince.” And then we see what Mulan is looking at: an unconscious EMMA and MARY MARGARET. As our brains melt, we get it. Guess what folks? That was not a flashback. We’re in present day Fairy Tale Land. The Wraith was the same one that terrorized Storybrooke! And Emma and Mary Margaret? Are now trapped in Fairy Tale Land with two very, very pissed off princesses. Welcome to Season Two.