This week’s episode finds the Charming family still trying to find their way to each other, another family reunited and we hear the real story of what happened to Lancelot. If you missed last week’s episode, ‘We are Both,’ make sure you read the recap as this week’s episode picks up where last week left off.

Fairy Tale Land:

Ruby rushes in to warn Prince Charming, Snow and the others that King George has sent an army that is being led by a new general who is called the Leviathan. The army closes in on the rebel camp and the Prince sends Snow to the cabin where his mother is to keep her safe as it is him that the King is after. Leviathan sees Snow leave and follows her. He gets ahead and clotheslines her as she is trying to get away. She challenges the masked knight who reveals that he is Lancelot, former Knight of the Round Table.

Lancelot takes Snow to King George. She refuses to tell the King where James is but he tells her that he didn’t bring her there to kill her. He tells her he wants to inflict on Charming with the same pain he was dealt as punishment for refusing his offer to become Prince of his land. It’s then she realizes that the King poisoned her drink so that she can no longer carry a child.

The King’s men take Snow back to the rebel camp but everyone is gone. She hears someone ride up and ambushes them. It’s Lancelot! He felt bad that he was a part of what happened to her and tells Snow he’s there to help. He’s come to warn her that the King knows about Charming’s cabin where he is hiding his mother and has sent men there to kill her.

Charming hears someone approaching and sends his mother inside the cabin. The King’s men surround him but as he fights them all, one manages to break free and shoots an arrow into her chest. Snow and Lancelot arrive and see that they are too late. Lancelot tells them that the arrow was poisoned and there is no antidote but Charming knows of a lake with powerful magic that might save his mother.

As they head to the lake, Charming asks how a Knight can become a mercenary but all Lancelot tells him is that it involves a woman. As Ruth lay dying, she thanks Snow for giving Charming something to believe in. She tries to give her a necklace blessed by a gypsy to predict the sex of an unborn child. It is then that Snow reveals that the King has cursed her with infertility and she cannot have children, but Ruth is undaunted. She tells her that the lake can also cure her as well and that she is certain Snow will be a wonderful mother.

As they approach the area where the lake is supposed to be at, they realize that it is gone!

Charming realizes that it is his fault that the lake is gone as he killed the siren that lived there. Lancelot says not to lose faith and there has to be water somewhere, they just need to look. He finds enough for one sip. Ruth tells Snow that she want her to drink it so that she can have a child, but Snow won’t allow her to die.  Charming comes and gives the flask with the lake water to her and she takes a drink.

The water is not working and Ruth is dying. She tells him that the lake water has lost its magic but she is happy that he has found his true love. She tells him before she dies, she wants to see him and Snow married. Lancelot performs the wedding ceremony and they share a drink from a small cup before being pronounced man and wife. As they kiss, Ruth dies and James says goodbye to his mother for the last time.

Charming buries his mother and tries to give Snow the necklace that his mother wanted to give to her. As Snow is about to tell him about the King’s deed, the necklace begins to move. She is cured! Charming promises that they will take back the kingdom as a family.

Snow questions Lancelot and figures out that Ruth only pretended to drink from the chalice and they planned so that she would drink the water. Lancelot feigns ignorance and tells her he knows nothing. He asks what sex the baby will be and Snow tells him it’s a girl.

Present Day Enchanted Forest:

Emma asks Cora if Mary Margaret will be okay and she tells her she will be fine. She tells Emma that they are on an island which the survivors consider as a haven. She admits her daughter, Regina, cast the curse that ravaged the land but assures Emma that she has nothing to fear from her. Mary Margret awakens and sees Cora. She warns Emma not to talk to her any longer as she is much worse than Regina despite what she may say. Emma tries to reason with her mother and tell her Cora may be their only hope to escape but Mary Margaret doesn’t buy it. A rope is then thrown into the pit where they are the girls are told to climb out and meet the leader.

Mary Margret and Emma meet the leader of the survivors and it’s Lancelot! They greet each other happily and Lancelot apologizes for imprisoning them. Had he known it was her, it wouldn’t have happened. Mary Margret tells Emma that they are old friends. At a distance, Mulan and Aurora watch. Aurora is not happy with the fact that Lancelot trusts the people responsible for Phillip’s death.  Mulan tells her that since Phillip trusted Lancelot, they must too. She tells Aurora that it’s dangerous to mistake vengeance for justice. Aurora reluctantly tells Mulan she understands but as Mulan walks away, she takes out her dagger in readiness.

During a meal, Emma asks Lancelot how the Enchanted Forest could still exist. He admits that he doesn’t know. While most of Enchanted Forest were under the curse, those in the region they are in were left untouched. Mary Margaret tells him they need to get back and if there were any portals still around. Lancelot tells them that leaving is dangerous as the Forest is now overcome with ogres but Mary Margaret may have one last hope. She is reluctant to speak of her plan out loud because Cora may hear but Lancelot assures her that the curse had stripped her of her evil powers. He keeps her locked up only as a precaution. Mary Margaret explains she knows where they may be another portal and Lancelot allows them to leave as long as Mulan can travel with her to protect them.

As they prepare to leave the island, Mary Margret tells Emma that they may be able to use the wardrobe that was used to send her to Storybrooke when she was a wee babe, but in order to get to it, they must head to Snow’s castle.

Night falls and as Snow gathers wood for a fire, Aurora sneaks up behind her and puts a knife to her throat. She blames Snow for Phillip’s circumstance but Snow is able wrestle her to the ground. She tells Aurora that what happened to Phillip was not her fault and she needs to find another way to channel her anger. Mulan arrives and tells Mary Margret that she will handle Aurora but Emma has arrived on the scene and fires a warning shot to protect her mother.

Mary Margaret is appalled as the noise from the gun has now alerted the ogres. Everyone begins to run and they split up. Emma and Mary Margaret head off but as they are running, Emma trips and falls. (Really? At this point I’m yelling “Give me a break” at my TV screen)

An orge approaches and as it is about to attack Emma, Mary Margaret yells at it to step away from her daughter and shoots an arrow into its eye (now that’s what I call a Mama Bear protecting her cub!) Emma finally realizes that her lack of knowledge of the fairy tale world can get them killed.

The foursome enter the castle and Emma recognizes the room from Henry’s book. Mary Margaret tells her that this is her room before they had to send her away.

Mary Margaret tells Emma that they need to bring the wardrobe back to the island to see if there is someone there who has enough magic to make it work. Just then, Lancelot arrives telling them he came as soon as he heard about the ogre attack. (News travels fast in the Enchanted Forest!) Mary Margaret notices Lancelot’s interest in the wardrobe and he tells her he’s just interested in making sure she gets back to Henry.

At that instance, Mary Margaret pulls out her sword and tells Emma to keep away as this is not really Lancelot. There was only one person who knew Henry’s name and that was Cora.

Cora appears and tells her that she had killed Lancelot a long time ago and has been posing as the Knight ever since so that the people will follow her. Mary Margaret lunges to attack Cora but she uses magic to pin her to the wall. Before Emma can move, she easily casts her aside.

Cora thanks Snow for giving her a way to get to Storybrooke as she wants to see Regina and meet her grandson Henry. While still trapped, Emma manages to set the wardrobe on fire with some gunpowder from a bullet. Regina turns around and shoots a fireball in Emma’s direction, but Mulan deflects it. Realizing she is outnumbered, Cora tells her it’s not over and disappears. Emma realizes she has set fire to the only thing that could have brought them home.

Mulan is upset she allowed Cora to trick her. They will tell the survivors that Lancelot died an honorable death and elects Mary Margaret to become the new leader. Mulan and Aurora promise to help them find a way back to Storybrooke. At that moment, Emma realizes all the sacrifices her mother made for her. Mary Margaret tells her to get used to it. As they leave, Mary Margaret sees the room as it once was and weeps of what might have been.

Once they leave, Cora appears and takes a few ashes from the burnt wardrobe. It glows with magic.

Storybrooke:

David tells Henry that he found Jefferson but he refuses to help them. Henry wants to help but David tells him no because finding his mom would involve magic and he wants to keep Henry safe. David tells him he can help by going to school. Henry reluctantly agrees and heads towards the bus, but when David isn’t looking, he runs off.

Henry finds Jefferson and asks for help but he refuses. Jefferson tells him he needs to speak to Regina and ask her to use her magic items in her vault. Henry sees the picture that Jefferson is holding and realizes his daughter is a girl at his school. He tells Jefferson that he knows his daughter but Jefferson doesn’t want to see her because he left her and is afraid she’ll hate him. Henry convinces Jefferson to see her as not knowing what happened to your parents is the worst thing possible.

Regina is packing her things to move out of the mayor’s office when she receives a call from Henry. They arrange to meet for a meal and as Regina leaves, Henry sneaks in and steals the key to her vault.

Henry heads to the mausoleum that conceals Regina’s vault. As he opens one of the coffers, two snakes emerge ready to attack but David arrives just in time to shut the lid. He tells Henry that Regina called him when he didn’t show up at the diner and had asked David to get him. She would have gone to get him herself but she didn’t think he would have left with her. Henry explains he should be in the Enchanted Forest with them and David tells him that they will now work together to find a portal.

Jefferson sees his daughter in town and calls her by her fairy tale name. She instantly recognizes him and runs into his arms happy that he has finally found her.

David hands Henry a wooden sword and tells him that it is time he learns how to use one. As they play/practice, King George watches them from in his car….

Episode Observations:

* I’m sorry, but did anyone else find Emma irritating this week? Seriously? The old running away from an ogre and falling gimmick? Pu-leez!

* I’m not really liking the fact that the once and powerful Regina is now relegated to a moping ex-mayor. Now that she is no longer the big bad, do you think the King and Cora will be the new evil force to fight?

* There were a few good moments in this episode:  the twist of Cora actually being Lancelot all this time was a good one and the ending where David is teaching Henry how to use a sword was sweet. Kudos to the writers!

* Now that Jefferson has his daughter back, will he be able to help Henry and David find a portal to the Enchanted Forest?

Next week is the episode that ABC has been touting about! The introduction to Captain Hook! I can’t hardly wait! If you missed last week’s episode, you can catch up by reading the recap for ‘We are Both.’  Until next week….