259 replies to this topic

[TWoP Tennison]

Henry begs Emma to stay in Storybrooke, but Regina is already hatching a plan to get rid of her for good. Meanwhile, in the fairy-tale world, Snow White calls on her allies...

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[Jonah5]

Whoever wrote the dialogue for the episode should be fired. What a difference between the crackling chemistry between Regina and Jefferson in his "hovel" a few episodes back compared to the stilted, lame conversation in the vault.

Also, has Regina known all along that Emma was the one who could break the curse AND that killing her would do just that? Huge plot they glossed right over. And no explanation on how Jefferson is still alive? Very unsatisfying.

[dizzyd]

The curse will be broken if Emma dies. Just great, does she have to be a martyr in the end so everyone else can have their happy ending? I don't think I'll be happy about it or being told already how its supposed to end.

Now didn't Mary Margaret go all scolding mom on Emma.

So I thought Emma was able to make a hat that was able to transport Jefferson back to fairyland. Back then, I never understood why he'd want to leave Storybrooke when his daughter was here, even if they weren't together. But it looks like he's still around.

The Snow and fairy attack on the castle was quite cheesy.

So I wonder what will wake Henry from the poisoned apple.

Not a bad episode, not spectacular either.

[2MuchTV]

Knew where it was going long before it got there, but still a good episode.

Emma, you dumb bitch. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid.

[cordy1001]

Quibbles aside, I enjoyed some of the exposition. I kind of feel like they just upped the stakes a bit. although I wonder if it was edited strangely, since the flow felt weird (and that epic battle was less than epic)

[stopeslite]

Well, that was satisfying. When she took the turnover, I thought "If Emma eats this, I'm done with this show. If Henry somehow gets to it first, I love this show." Then during the Regina/Gold scene I was pretty sure it would be Henry, but I was a bit surprised that he did it on purpose rather than just walking in and saying "I'm hungry" and taking a big old bite.

[Tzigone]

Henry is awesome! Hero material - so much caring about everyone else. He was totally on-track all the way. Everyone else, not so much. August is giving up. Archie's giving bad advice. There are things worse than war, and being cursed for eternity is one of them.

However, Henry's solution to the problem was a bit extreme. I'm not sure if there was another way. But if this doesn't get Emma to believe, I'm throwing something at the tv. Seriously, though, did he choose to give his life? In my opinion, no, despite the parallels with the Snow story. Did he choose to risk his life? I'd say absolutely, but I suppose it could be argued that his faith in Emma saving him was absolute.

I think we can say, without question, that the seven dwarves were not slaves of the fairies at this time. Now what did Grumpy do that he was owed that big a favor? I mean, is it still about Nova? Because that would be the Blue Fairy, not all the fairies. Unless she calls in her posse to pay back her favors? Or maybe it's about saving that fairy dust...

[Chicken Wing]

So Regina has known all along (presumably all along) that Emma is The Savior. Emma can break the curse by being alive and walking around. Emma can break the curse by dying. Wow, Rumple really wants that curse broken, doesn't he? Not a whole lot of room there.

The sound of a hundred fairies rushing to attack reminded me way too much of bees and I had a mental panic attack.

My brain likes to quibble over silly, non-issue issues, and it decided to get comically squicked out at Regina making an apple turnover from a technically 28-year-old apple that was already bitten into.

[jessied112]

I actually suspected that Henry would eat the turnover on purpose to get Emma to believe when I first saw the promo, so I wasn't surprised. In fact, I figured that Henry would be the person to get Emma to believe from the very beginning. But still, poor kid. Has to resort to being in a coma in order to break the curse.

It was a good episode. Nothing like the last two episodes, but it was still solid. It just goes to show how much I love James but still don't like David all that much.

Mary Margaret scolding Emma was fantastic. Her motherly instincts were showing.

Gold was just epic, although I'm not clear on why he wants to break the curse so badly. I'm guessing it's because of his son.

I really liked the fairy tale aspect, although the fight was rather short and could have been more epic.

[oldandnewfirm]

Loved Mary Margaret calling Emma out. I'm 100% on Emma's side with the whole custody thing, but she did pick a piss-poor way of trying to save Henry. I'll be glad when they can dispense with the illusion of law and settle things with good ol' fashion magic.

Henry was right: the purpose of this episode was to back Emma into a corner so that now she'll have no choice but to fight back. With Henry gone she's got nothing left to lose, and she's going to go straight for Regina's throat. Love it!

Gold was just epic, although I'm not clear on why he wants to break the curse so badly. I'm guessing it's because of his son.

That's what I figure. It would explain why he hasn't found him yet: he can't interact with the outside world until the curse is broken. Now that we know Regina has fine-tuned control over the town's residents and the curse's effect on them, I'm willing to bet that Gold wouldn't have been able to find a kid for her without Regina's permission to contact the outside.

Edited by oldandnewfirm, May 6, 2012 @ 8:12 PM.

[djsunyc]

Emma's kiss has to awake Henry...and that will probably be what makes her "believe"...

Lana Parilla really is knocking this role out of the park. Some Emmy worthy performances this season. The look on her face sizing up Charming was great.

How did the hatter get back?

[mustbekarma]

Henry is awesome! Hero material - so much caring about everyone else. He was totally on-track all the way. Everyone else, not so much...
However, Henry's solution to the problem was a bit extreme. I'm not sure if there was another way. But if this doesn't get Emma to believe, I'm throwing something at the tv. Seriously, though, did he choose to give his life? In my opinion, no, despite the parallels with the Snow story. Did he choose to risk his life? I'd say absolutely, but I suppose it could be argued that his faith in Emma saving him was absolute.

Henry would believe that the poison apple's effects would be broken by true love's kiss. He also knows from the storybook that Snow appeared dead to everyone. I agree with you; Henry so believes Emma will save him.

Even knowing that, Henry is still an awesome little badass. He's got some of his grandma in him.

Do I even need to speculate that it won't be Regina's kiss that will save Henry?

[Blue Plastic]

Aw, Henry takes after his grandmother! Squee! Well, if that doesn't make Emma believe, I don't know what will.

This show does better with its Storybrooke scenes most of the time. I have liked some of the Fairy Land scenes over the course of the season, but I have a hard time taking scenes like Snow White's siege of the castle seriously. I'm not sure what it needs to make it better, but it's just too goofy looking. The fairies coming en masse were also kind of cringe-inducing. But scenes with Regina and Gold in Storybrooke or Emma and Henry with the apple tart are IMO awesomely done.

So we get exposition on why Regina hasn't done something to Emma sooner. Hmm. August was very resigned to his fate. I kinda hope he dies 'cause I hate him. However, I do wonder...if he turns back to wood, he will just be dead? He won't be a talking puppet or anything? Still not buying that there's enough magic to turn him back to wood because he's been bad. Humph whatever.

PS - Did it ever occur to Regina that Emma might have decided to chow down on that tart while driving? Then she would have lost consciousness, had a wreck, and possibly died. Curse broken. Regina was kind of a dumbass.

Edited by Blue Plastic, May 6, 2012 @ 8:23 PM.

[Nightmare Logic]

I thought "If Emma eats this, I'm done with this show. If Henry somehow gets to it first, I love this show."

I always like the running theme that magic has its price and the price this time was Henry. I kinda knew that he was going to be the one to eat the cursed pie but still, nice way to get Emma to see the truth.

Also loved Mary Margaret calling Emma out but I also loved Emma's reasoning. She never wanted any of this. She never wanted to be anyone's hero and now she seems to everyone's only hope.

The war scene the Enchanted Forest was really well done and I enjoyed it.

I kinda like the reasoning why Regina can't just shoot Emma. It will end the curse. Simple. She doesn't want to end the curse so she just can't outright kill the woman standing in her way.

Edited by Nightmare Logic, May 6, 2012 @ 8:20 PM.

[stopeslite]

Seriously, though, did he choose to give his life? In my opinion, no, despite the parallels with the Snow story.

I think the answer is still no, because of the parallels with Snow. She wasn't killed, just put into a very deep (um, apparently nonbreathing) coma. I assume the same thing will happen to him, since it's a sleeping curse. And I would bet that it isn't a kiss from Emma that will save him, it's only breaking the spell itself that will save him. The question is whether Regina now loves him enough to let that happen.

ETA: It is a little funny that the first thing Henry does that makes me like him is putting himself into a coma.

Edited by stopeslite, May 6, 2012 @ 8:19 PM.

[bluvelvet]

Okay, so all this time I thought Regina had NO clue who Emma was but it turns out that she knows. How and when did she find out and how come us viewers didn't see her reaction to that tidbit. *peeved*

As for Emma, her blindness has now potentially caused her Henry, he made the ultimate sacrifice so that she would believe and if she doesn't after this then she is a right idiot. Unfortunately I can see her thinking that Regina was just trying to poison her. Interesting that Henry was able to see August turning to wood but Emma cannot. I wonder if he will end up dying before this is all resolved.

Glad to see Jefferson back, sexy as ever but if I were him I wouldn't trust Regina as far as I could throw her, her part of the deal I am positive has some strings. Also I thought he couldn't leave his house until recently so how did Regina know to leave her note away from his house. Plot hole, unless she knew he was now up and about.

Loved seeing the fairytale characters ban together to rescue James as tragic as that was and Prince Charming is just so heroic and Snow is still badass.

Edited by bluvelvet, May 6, 2012 @ 8:54 PM.

[kcblue86]

Henry!
You know between this and Psych, I'm getting really sick of watching characters named Henry collapse.

I'm glad they finally made it clear that Regina knew all along who Emma was, but the way they just casually brought up that Emma's death would break the curse bugged me. So if Emma died a natural death would that break the curse or only Regina killing her? I guess Regina's plan was that Emma would be cursed too and never reach her 28th birthday because time wouldn't move.

[Tzigone]

This episode really was a lot of set-up for next week. I mean, it was okay, but really, not that good as a stand-alone. Thought I did like Snow's friends rallying for her.

Regina was absolutely stupid to offer Gold "anything" he wanted. She really should know better. Alas, as neither a Gold, nor Regina fan, the scene did little for me. Especially since I'm dying for someone to get the better of Gold. But I can't root for Regina so far, because the only thing she has she can use is Belle, and Belle doesn't deserve to be used. But I would like her to beat him in villain battle occasionally. And then for the good guys to kick both their asses in the end (and intermittently until then). It's a bit one-note if the same people beat the same people over and over and over again.

I'm not sure how I felt about Mary Margaret scolding Emma like that. Definitely more like Snow than timid little Mary Margaret. I agree with most of what she said, and yet somehow the scene felt a little "off" to me.

Jefferson's storyline did not engage me all that much. And they didn't explain exactly what happened last time. I did note that Regina basically tried the same damn tactic regarding his hovel. She just doesn't learn that well. However, Regina sacrificing her ring, Daniel's ring, that was nice moment.

Which brings me to - if Snow didn't know about Daniel until the apple scene, then was life-ruining did she think she'd done back during "Snow Falls"?

Okay, so all this time I thought Regina had NO clue who Emma was but it turns out that she knows. How and when did she find out and how come us viewers didn't see her reaction to that tidbit. *peeved*

Well, I thought she knew since her conversation with Gold in the second episode, so that didn't really shock me.

I think the answer is still no, because of the parallels with Snow. She wasn't killed, just put into a very deep (um, apparently nonbreathing) coma.

I was really more referencing how the other characters thought she'd given her life for love. How both she and Charming were certainly willing to do so. That's what I meant. Of course, Henry knows how that really turned out, so you have a point.

Edited by Tzigone, May 6, 2012 @ 8:26 PM.

[xqueenfrostine]

I found the episode to be good TV in that I enjoyed watching it, but the whole script felt incredibly flawed whenever I stopped to think about what was going on during commercial breaks. We got so much new information but the presentation of it felt so rushed and awkward. I know they're in a hurry to wrap things up before the finale, but surely there was an earlier episode they could have cut to give them more time to flesh some of this stuff out.

Also, has Regina known all along that Emma was the one who could break the curse AND that killing her would do just that? Huge plot they glossed right over. And no explanation on how Jefferson is still alive? Very unsatisfying.

Yeah. This part of the episode is what troubled me the most. I don't mind that Regina knows, and I can even fanwank HOW she knows (surely she could have made the connection between Emma's arrival and her unraveling control over Storybrooke), but it annoyed me that the fact that Regina does know was revealed to us like it wasn't a huge deal. And yes, Jefferson. WTF? If he's still in Storybrooke, what was the ending of Hat Trick about?

And Emma, Emma, Emma. I'm actually pretty forgiving of her denial and naivete in general as I think she acts the way a real person would behave in such an unbelievable situation. I have no problem at all with the fact that she doesn't believe in the curse, as I don't think she's been shown anything to lead a sane person to believe the things Henry and August have been telling her. Especially not since Jefferson apparently disappeared in a normal fashion and not by magic I would find her acceptance of the curse to be thoroughly unbelievable.

But eating the apple turnover? Really Emma? She should have taken the turnover with a smile and then dumped the thing straight into the trash when she got home. Even if she doesn't believe that Regina is a witch with a history of taking care of her enemies by apple, she does believe that Regina is a woman so ruthless as to try to frame a person for murder. You don't eat food prepared by those kinds of people. Even if you think you left things on a good note. Why take the risk when you don't have to?

[oldandnewfirm]

Okay, so all this time I thought Regina had NO clue who Emma was but it turns out that she knows. How and when did she find out and how come us viewers didn't see her reaction to that tidbit. *peeved*

Knowing what we know now, it's reasonable to believe that she has, in fact, known exactly who Emma was ever since the pilot. (She has a conversation with Gold that suggests she knows who Emma is, but she wants his confirmation) The more interesting question for me is how she knows about the rules and conditions of the curse-- were they imparted to her when it was enacted? It seems reasonable, given that we now know she has some level of control over it.

[marysue22]

Kid who plays Henry was just so so bad during the last scene when he was trying to convince Emma not to leave. No wonder he isn't on Mad Men anymore. The show runners also need to dial down "badass" Emma just a bit, it's becoming grating.

[cordy1001]

Okay, so all this time I thought Regina had NO clue who Emma was but it turns out that she knows. How and when did she find out and how come us viewers didn't see her reaction to that tidbit. *peeved*

I thought when Gold told her "she's who you think she is" was the answer and how she figured out who she was. I know that there has to be more to the "if she dies" thing because it seems as there are all these loopholes.

[mustbekarma]

I think Gold was really smart that Emma's death would automatically break the curse. Regina's go to solution to any problem is murder. Putting that fail-safe into the curse was a fabulous move on his part.

[Dani-Ellie]

When Regina told Jefferson that she wanted to get an apple, I literally squeed out loud. This show has made me revert to flailing fangirl mode.

I love it.

Mary Margaret going all Mom Voice on Emma made me sad but also made me smile. I really like that part of her was trying to set Emma straight but another part of her was hurt, too.

As soon as Gold reminded Regina that all magic came with a price, I figured Henry would be the one to eat the apple, but like stopeslite I expected it to be an accidental thing. Not once did I figure he'd eat it on purpose. He's such a little badass.

[kariyaki]

I wish we'd had more confirmation before now that Regina knew Emma could break the curse. I also wish we knew how Jefferson suddenly reappeared. And I wish that siege on the castle had been staged better. Guess they were saving the rest of the season's budget for the finale. Or they blew on the Pinocchio raft scene in the previous episode.

Loved Mary Margaret going all Mommy on Emma.

And I loved Regina putting a stop to the impending mirror-sex between Snow White and Charming all, "I don't want to clean tongue-marks off the mirror." I laughed out loud at that.

[xqueenfrostine]

I think Gold was really smart that Emma's death would automatically break the curse. Regina's go to solution to any problem is murder. Putting that fail-safe into the curse was a fabulous move on his part.

Was it? I was thoroughly confused by this part. If killing Emma breaks the curse and Gold wants the curse broken why is Emma still alive? Even if something in the curse makes it so that Gold can't kill Emma himself in order to break the curse, he essentially warned Regina off of doing so when he reminded her (or informed her of? I couldn't tell from the scene) of what the consequences of killing her might be.

[Digital Am]

I missed the scene where Mary Margaret scolded Emma; was it because she (Emma) tried to kidnap Henry?

I think Gold's investment in the Curse being broken is not just for Baefire, but also for Belle (especially since I think that secret may come out next week)...

I can't wait until next week!

[oldandnewfirm]

Was it? I was thoroughly confused by this part. If killing Emma breaks the curse and Gold wants the curse broken why is Emma still alive? Even if something in the curse makes it so that Gold can't kill Emma himself in order to break the curse, he essentially warned Regina off of doing so when he reminded her (or informed her of? I couldn't tell from the scene) of what the consequences of killing her might be.

To steal a quote from Snow Crash, it could be that killing Emma to break the curse would be like lulling someone to sleep by severing their spinal column. While the end result is the same, I imagine that there's a benefit to Emma breaking it as the savior versus it being broken by her death.

[Tzigone]

I missed the scene where Mary Margaret scolded Emma; was it because she (Emma) tried to kidnap Henry?

Partially. It started because Emma left without saying goodbye. And Emma said she couldn't have people counting on her (though she said "as sheriff" instead of "as savior"). And Mary Margaret said how Emma said they were like family, and what about Henry? Emma said she took Henry. And Mary Marget was all "but you run away from responsibility - maybe not the best attitude for Mom?"

I think Gold's investment in the Curse being broken is not just for Baefire, but also for Belle (especially since I think that secret may come out next week)...

That'd be retcon city for me. The he reacted to Moe, he doesn't know that Belle is alive and where she is. He'd never have let it stand, and he also wouldn't have had that attitude towards Moe, since he'd have known the Queen was lying. Unless you think he discovered later.

I think whatever Gold's investment is in his preferred outcome, he doesn't give a damn how many innocent people are hurt, so long at they aren't his people.

[Tricksterson]

The attack on the castle (and the wrong castle at that) reminded me ofThis scene with the fairies as the Hawkmen in all it's cheesy goodness.
Loved Mary Margeret and Emma being all Mom and Teenage Daughter.
Wish they'd explained Jefferson still being around and given more foreshadowing in previous episodes on why Regina didn't kill Emma and on her knowing Emma was thee Savior.

Edited by Tricksterson, May 7, 2012 @ 7:33 AM.