Last week on ‘Once Upon a Time’, I made in error in saying this week is the season finale. It turns out next week is the season finale, not this week. We did however, get more of a story leading to the end, finally learning August’s story, and that he was Pinocchio in Story Time. Emma chooses not to believe in the curse, so she cannot see what is happening to August in Real Time.
Story Time
The King decides that Prince Charming will be beheaded. As the blade is about to fall, The Evil Queen turns the blade to water. She trades Charming for all the riches he would have been paid if he had married Midas’ daughter. The Queen tells him that he will be used to take down his one true love, Snow White. Snow watches from a hill with the dwarves and Granny. Red appears, saying that The Queen is there. The group moves after The King, even though they know it is a trap.
The Queen goes to see Charming in his cell. He tries to convince her to take his life instead of Snows, but she doesn’t want her life. He asks what her plan is, but she laughs and closes the jail cell and walks away while holding a red apple up for him to see.
Snow takes on The Kings castle, with help from the fairies from above. When she arrives at Charming’s cell, she is disappointed to find a mirror there. They speak quickly, but before anything more is said, The Queen interrupts. She requests a parlay, with no weapons. Snow agrees, much to the disagreement of her group. They all try to fight her to stay, but she tells them she will do whatever she can to end the feud between her and The Queen.
The Queen waits for Snow at the stable where Daniel was killed. Snow appears behind her. The Queen leads Snow to the place where she ran down her runaway horse and saved her life. The grave of Daniel is there. The Queen tells Snow that Daniel died because of her. The Queen gives Snow an apple and tells her the deal is if Snow eats the apple, she will be entombed in her own body, filled with nothing but regret, but Charming will live. If Snow doesn’t eat the apple, Charming dies. As Snow eats the apple, Charming feels it in his cell. The apple rolls down in the hill and gets sucked into a black whole leading to Jefferson’s hand waiting in Storybrooke.
Red uses Snow’s scent to get to the barn. They notice she has no breath. The Queen chuckles in her tower, saying “It appears sacrifice is overrated.”
Real Time
Regina and Henry eat dinner in silence when the doorbell rings. Regina is surprised, not expecting any company. Emma is on the doorstep. She tells Regina that Henry had invited her. Regina turns around to find Henry not there. Looking back on the doorstep, the townspeople had gathered to take Regina away. Henry waits behind her with rope. They tie Regina to a tree in the center of the town. Regina tries to argue her way out of it, but as Emma swings a sword at her head, she wakes up and runs into Henry’s room to check on him, but she doesn’t realize he is not there and left his bed pillows to form the shape of his body.
The next day, Regina sees that her apple tree is dying, she goes to Mr. Gold to find out why. Mr. Gold tells her the curse could be weakening. Regina wants to get rid of Emma, but it is revealed if Emma dies the curse will be broken. Regina tries to strike a deal with Mr. Gold to fix the curse so that it stays in place, but Mr. Gold rejects her. He tells her that once people start remembering who they are, they are going to be out for Regina’s blood.
Regina leaves a white rabbit card on Paige’s bicycle at school. Emma returns to Mary’s apartment. Mary is upset for not saying goodbye to her, when she finds out she abducted Henry as well she gets more furious. She tells Emma to do whats best for Henry, but when Emma questions her what that is, she tells Emma that she is the mother and she has to make that decision.
Jefferson goes to see Regina, receiving the message from Paige’s bicycle. Regina produces the hat that left him in Wonderland. Regina wants him to go back with her to their land to get something to get rid of Emma. Jefferson only agrees if he can forget his double life. She agrees to his terms.
Henry goes to see August, who reveals to him that he is turning back into Pinocchio, dropping himself off of Operation Cobra. While Henry talks with him, Emma talks with Archie. Archie tells her that Emma has no case against Regina. He doesn’t tell her either way if Henry is better off, but does make her understand that the fighting between Emma and Regina is only hurting Henry, causing Emma to retreat back to her shell.
Regina and Jefferson go into the cell where the hearts are kept. He places the hat on the ground, but at first the hat doesn’t spin. Regina empties a box of trinkets into the hat, hoping it will absorb the magic. But it doesn’t work, so Regina put the ring that her former love had given her. With tears in her eyes, she drops the ring in the hat. The hat then begins to spin, but slowly. A portal doesn’t open, but Jefferson tells her that he can reach through and grab something from the other side. Regina guides the hat to the location of the item. He asks her what the item is. “An apple.”
Jefferson catches the apple from the other side of the portal. Regina will not fulfill the deal until Emma takes a bite of the apple. She decides to bake it into a turnover. Emma goes to see Regina about Henry, telling her that she is leaving town. Emma wants to still be apart of Henry’s life, so she would rather they would get along than not. Regina gives her the turnover for the road. She tells Emma she hopes she likes apples.
Regina goes to Mr. Gold about how she has obtained the sleeping draught from the other world. Mr. Gold reminds her that all magic comes with a price, but she tells him that he can pay it. Emma tells Henry that she is leaving. Henry tries to fight her on it, but Emma tells him that this isn’t a story. He stares at her in disbelief that she still doesn’t believe in the curse. Emma tells him that all Regina has ever done is fight for him. Henry sees the apple turnover on the counter, but he tries to tell her not to eat it. Henry tells her that he believes in her, taking a bite of the turnover. He collapses, to Emma’s disbelief.
It seems that in the week leading up to the season finale, we are really going into the story of Snow White with the poisoned apple. My prediction is that we will come full circle, to where Prince Charming comes and wakes Snow with a kiss.
As for Storybrooke, I don’t know if Emma will fully believe the curse with Henry’s falling. It would make it difficult for a second season if Emma believes right away, and this has been renewed.
What do you see happening in the season finale?
If you missed the previous episode be sure to read our ‘Once Upon A Time: The Stranger’ recap to catch up.
