OUAT: Facade

 Last time on “Once”: We revisited Cinderella and learned more about Ashley and her stepsisters. Well, mostly her stepsister Clorinda. Clorinda was awful to pretty much everybody, but especially Ella. She was even the one to dub her “Cinderella” after burning a dress that once belonged to Ella’s mother. It led Ella to discover a key to the Land of Untold Stories but she chose not to use it to escape her sad life.

At the ball, she met Snow and danced with the prince. But her stepmother taunted her, making her misinterpret a moment between Thomas and Clorinda. Heartbroken, Ella fled the ball and was ready to go to the Land of Untold Stories when Clorinda stopped her. She told Ella the prince loved her and Clorinda loved his footman, Jacob. She was running off with him. Knowing her stepmother, Ella gave Clorinda the key to use.

Lady Tremaine continued to use her mind tricks and manipulation on Ella, getting her to reveal where Clorinda went before breaking Ella’s shoe. But Thomas and Snow tracked her down. He knew it was her and proposed. She accepted before going to stop her stepmother but it was not to be. Lady Tremaine used the key, dragging Clorinda into the Land of Untold Stories in order to keep her from marrying Jacob.

In Storybrooke, Ashley asked to see the list of refugees in order to see if she could help. Later, Thomas reported her missing to Emma and explained she found Clorinda’s name on the list. He believed she was going after her stepsister. Emma, Hook and Henry tracked her down and she explained she was trying to right a wrong. She ran off as the Evil Queen came out to taunt Emma for her trembling hand and failing magic. She then sent the trio to the town line.

Ashley found Clorinda at a farm and it seemed she was going to get her revenge on Ashley for ruining her life. Lady Tremaine too, until she revealed Jacob owned the farm. Clorinda turned on her mother, who tried to shoot Jacob. Ashley took the bullet as Emma, Hook and Henry showed up. With Henry’s encouragement, she was able to heal Ashley.

As Emma decided to keep living and not worry so much about her visions, she asked Hook to move in and he agreed. Snow and Charming decided to find out what normal in post-curse Storybrooke is, with Snow deciding to go back to teaching. Regina worked with Jekyll to find a way to destroy their other halves while Rumple tried to connect with Belle.

dun dun dun!

Rumple works on a watch in his shop but grows frustrated. He stares at the scissors in his hand before disappearing behind the curtain. When he emerges, he has short hair! Yes, Rumple decided to give himself a makeover.

(Robert Carlyle was filming Trainspotting 2 over the summer so the show decided to accommodate his new do).

(He looks so dejected)

The Evil Queen approves, saying it brings out his eyes. Rumple tells her that he’s closed and asks her to leave. She refuses and Hyde says he’s looking for a cameo necklace. Rumple says he has it and asks Hyde what he’s going to give him for it. Laughing, Hyde tells him nothing. So Rumple tries to choke him but Hyde just starts laughing again. The Evil Queen does as well before saying that like how Regina couldn’t kill her, Rumple won’t be able to kill Hyde. So he should just give it up now.

Rumple lets him up and Hyde retrieves his cameo necklace. He says he won’t give Rumple anything because that’s not in their deal. Hyde reminds him that he let the residents of the Land of Untold Stories come to Storybrooke so all their stories could finally play out. And he’s not going to be happy about it. Rumple is confused and reminds the Evil Queen that she promised not to hurt Belle. The Evil Queen agrees, stressing that she promised not to hurt her. Hyde, though, made no such problem. A very insistent violin plays as the Evil Queen and Mr. Hyde leave, a flustered Rumple just standing there.

(Mr. Hyde is a wild card)

David serves pancakes to Emma, who is a little overwhelmed. He says he’s just a father making breakfast for his daughter. She says that’s one thing but he’s made enough to feed an army. Emma asks if it’s about Hook and he denies it. At Snow’s prodding, he relents and agrees that it’s about Hook. He’s afraid they won’t see Emma as much as they have and she assures him that it won’t happen.

(Family breakfast!)

Henry comes down in his school uniform and asks Snow if she’s ready for their first day. She is. But then Regina and Jekyll come in, revealing that Hyde’s escaped. Jekyll says he was working in the lab and when he went back to his room at Granny’s, it was trashed and he found a cameo necklace that belonged to someone he care d about. Snow and Henry get sent to school while Emma says they need to find a way to stop the Evil Queen and Hyde.

Jekyll stands in a lab as a woman in a fancy Victorian dress enters. He thanks her for her help and calls her Mary. She wishes him luck as her father enters. Mary greets him and says that there is something Henry (Jekyll) wants to show him. Jekyll explains that he’s trying to create a serum that would separate a person from their dark parts, from their baser selves. Mary’s father, Dr. Lydgate, is skeptical and wonders if that would make things worse. She points out that things can’t get worse for Jekyll’s patients. He explains he can make breakthroughs with the support of the Academy and Dr. Lydgate pretty much laughs and says he’ll never sit at the popular table. He’s just a nerd. Dr. Lydgate tells Mary to come along and she gives Jekyll an apologetic look as they leave.

(Hello, Mary)

Jekyll grows upset and throws something before going to look out the window. Rumple then shows up because this situation isn’t bad enough already. He’s intrigued by Jekyll’s serum and Jekyll says that he’s having some problems with it. Rumple uses some magic to finish it, saying that sometimes science needs it. He encourages Jekyll to use it to get Mary and Jekyll takes a swig, starting the painful transformation process.

(Jekyll had to learn the hard way that YOU DO NOT TRUST RUMPLE)

Hook is only taking one trunk to Emma’s and Belle jokes that they won’t be fighting over closet space. He gives her a shell and says it’s enchanted with mermaid magic. It’s connected to a shell he wears around his neck. All she has to do is call him and he’ll come help her with whatever she needs.

Yes. Hook has a shell phone.

Rumple then climbs aboard and explains that Hyde is after her. Belle is like “How did you piss him off?” and he doesn’t answer. Instead, he insists that he needs to protect her and their son. So he casts a barrier spell around the ship that will keep Hyde out and trap Belle aboard. He leaves as she keeps hitting a barrier, yelling at him the entire time. Rumple insists she’ll thank him.

(Belle is sure her husband has lost his damn mind)

At school, everyone hurries to find their classroom. Snow and Henry walk until Violet walks out of a classroom. Looks like she’s still around, if not really appearing this season. She gives Henry a kiss on the cheek and he wishes his grandmother luck before heading into the classroom with Violet.

Someone bumps into Snow and apologizes. Hey everyone, it’s Princess Isabella from Galavant! Did she end up in the Land of Untold Stories now that the show was cancelled? Oh, no. Her name is Shirin and she’s there to be Snow’s teacher’s assistance. She also knows who Snow is and asks how a princess came to be a teacher. Snow tells her about being a teacher during the first curse when she didn’t know she was a princess and that she loved it. So she’s teaching again. Snow and Shirin head down to their classroom, apparently on their way to becoming fast friends.

(I still wish this was an OUAT/Galavant crossover)

At the makeshift lab, Emma tells the others that Rumple has trapped Belle aboard the Jolly Roger and that Hyde is after her. Jekyll makes a comment about Belle no longer being under a sleeping curse and Regina makes a quip about how Belle always seems to be entrapped by something. They wonder why Hyde wants her before coming up with a plan. Regina agrees to talk to Rumple while Emma and David decide to go look for Hyde. Jekyll stays behind to keep working while Leroy and Doc agree to stay with him. He asks Leroy to get him a mutton sandwich with extra pickles and Leroy is like “Do I look like a delivery boy?” Jekyll explains it helps him think so Leroy agrees but warns Jekyll to tread lightly or he’ll see Leroy’s dark side.

(Poor Leroy)

Hyde makes his first appearance after a pep talk from Rumple, who reminds him that he’s a different man from Jekyll. Hyde approaches Lydgate and Mary looks ready to climb him. Lydgate reveals that he’s a friend of Jekyll’s and Lydgate asks Mary to get them drinks. He then asks if Hyde is there to scare him into letting Jekyll into the Academy and Hyde’s like “No. I’m here to blackmail you into letting Jekyll into the Academy.” He notes that Jekyll has mentioned Lydgate’s relationship with his pretty young lab assistant and wonders what Mrs. Lydgate and Mary would say about it as Mary returns with their drinks. Dr. Lydgate looks absolutely terrified.

(Hyde makes his grand entrance)

Leroy delivers the sandwich to Jekyll and asks if he can now do what dwarves do best—being the kingdom’s protectors. He says they are the first line of defense against chaos. The Evil Queen enters, announcing that chaos has arrived. Hyde is right behind her, glad to see Jekyll got his gift. He says it’s time for him to show how much of a monster Jekyll created him to be.

('Hi, peasants. Miss me?")

As Shirin passes out the assignment, Snow goes on about Newton’s third law of physics. She then invites someone to come up to the board to solve for “x” but no one wants to do it. After seasons of staring down everything else, Snow is unnerved by a classroom of bored teenagers.

Can’t say I blame her.

Regina enters Rumple’s shop and compliments his new haircut with almost the same words as the Evil Queen. He asks her if she’s doing some shopping now that she’s gotten rid of her evil half and Regina knows that he’s seen the Evil Queen. He confirms it and says he wasn’t buying what she was offering. Regina then tells him that Jekyll is trying to create serum to destroy Hyde but he needs Rumple’s help.

(She looks so vulnerable)

Jekyll sleeps off his bender as Rumple wakes him. Rumple pretty much needles him into taking the serum again to become Mr. Hyde so he can have the courage to tell Mary how he feels. Jekyll’s like “You named my alter ego? Great, now we have to keep it.” He then asks what Rumple wants with him and he wants the serum to separate his weaker half from him. So he needs to make sure it really works and it wasn’t just a fluke.

(He's way too giddy about this)

Regina and Rumple enter the lab to find it in shambles. Jekyll says he got a visit from Hyde and Rumple tells Regina her better half got a jump on her. When Jekyll leashes out at him, he reminds him that Hyde is just everything that had once been inside Jekyll. But Jekyll reveals she saved some of the serum, which Regina takes. When Rumple asks her to turn it over, she hesitates and insists he do his thing from over there. He agrees…and then takes Jekyll’s heart. He says he knows Regina won’t let innocent blood be shed and she realizes now that he’s working with her other half. The crack about the Evil Queen being the “better” half didn’t give it away? He says that the Queen has promised not to hurt Belle and her unborn son so he needs to protect them from Hyde. With no other choice, Regina pours the serum over his dagger and Rumple leaves her with Jekyll’s heart.

(Careful with that!)

Snow goes through the assignments she gave her class and moans that her students have forgotten everything she taught them. Well, to be fair, it’s been forever since school was in session. I highly doubt you assigned that much homework. Anyway, she wonders why her old methods aren’t working. Shirin says it’s because she’s not Mary Margaret before. She tells the story of her town—name being withheld by her for now—and says it feel into trouble because their princess failed to recognize her own strengths and abilities. Shirin tells Snow to embrace the fact that she’s Snow and use her strengths.

On board the Jolly Roger, Hook stays with Belle. He offers to share some rum with her but she reminds him that she’s pregnant. Jekyll boards and informs them that Emma is off chasing Hyde. Hook goes off to help her and Jekyll offers to stay with Belle. She apologizes for whatever Rumple did and he accepts. He says he understands how it feels to love someone. She asks who it was and he replies that her name was Mary but Hyde ruined everything.

(Time to stare off in the distance)

It’s an incredibly foggy night and Mary emerges through the mists. What’s a proper Victorian girl like her doing out alone? Isn’t Jack the Ripper still running about? Anyway, Hyde steps out of the shadows and apologizes for startling her. She’s happy to see him and asks how long he’s known Jekyll since he’s never mentioned him to her. Hyde says that it feels like forever. He then tells Mary that he’s there because Jekyll likes her and he wants to see how she feels about him. Mary says that while she likes Jekyll as a friend, she could never love him. She says his work is all about trying to suppress emotions and passion. Mary wants someone who gives into them, someone like Hyde. She notes that he entered the party and seemed to eschew all societal norms, not confined by them. She asks him how he does it and he says it was just who he was. They have a moment before they kiss.

(Oooh)

David shares the secret to his pancakes (nutmeg) with Emma as they walk through the woods. He says she can use it if she wants to make Hook breakfast. She asks if he’s really okay with Hook moving in and he says that while he didn’t much like Hook when they first met, he knows the pirate loves Emma and makes her happy. That’s all he wants.

Emma stops, saying she senses they aren’t alone. Hyde emerges from the trees. They try to stop him with Jekyll’s device from the premiere but he takes David down easily. As Emma tends to her father, Rumple emerges and impales Hyde with his dagger. He asks Hyde if this was how he saw his story going and Hyde replied it was before pulling out the dagger. He tells Rumple that Jekyll is predictable, pulling out a vial to reveal he had switched the serums. He destroys it and then uses the dagger to order Rumple to take him to Belle.

(Rumple should be more careful with that)

Snow and Shirin bring the class outside where Snow shows them their assignments. She pins them to a tree, talking about Newton’s third law again. This time she impales their assignments with an arrow. She certainly has the students’ attention now and they crowd around her for a chance to impale their homework.

(Everyone has wished to do this)

They stand on the deck and Rumple tells Hyde not to hurt him. Hyde says he has no intention of hurting Belle. For there is one more twist in his story and he warns Rumple that he’s not the monster.
Jekyll wakes up in bed and realizes that Mary is sleeping next to him. She’s startled to see him and asks where Hyde is. He’s horrified that Hyde took her home and says that he was only supposed to tell Mary that Jekyll loved her. Mary says that she doesn’t love Jekyll and then demands to know where Hyde is. Jekyll reveals that he is Hyde and she realizes that the serum worked. He’s incensed that she prefers Mary and they struggle. Mary ends up being pushed out of a window and falls to her death. Horrified at what he’s done as a crowd gathers, he downs the serum and becomes Hyde as Lydgate storms the room. Hyde pushes past him and hurries away.

(The look on many people's face after a bender)

Belle serves Jekyll tea and apologizes for what happened with Mary. He thanks her and says that all she had to do was resist Hyde. She was his, after all. That startles Belle and when she presses, Jekyll explains that they had known each other a long time. She doesn’t buy it, though, and when she goes to get sugar, she tries to use Hook’s shellphone instead. Jekyll catches her and smashes the shell. She impales him with a piece and races away. Jekyll is injured but is able to pursue.

Belle reaches the deck but is still trapped on the ship. She pleads with Rumple to take down the protection spell but he can’t. He turns to Hyde and insists that Belle has nothing to do with it. He wonders what Hyde’s purpose for this is and Hyde replies that he’s showing Rumple the true villain as Jekyll emerges, trying to attack Belle. Hook shows up then, fighting Jekyll with his sword before impaling him on a harpoon.

(Hook to the rescue)

As Jekyll gasps on the harpoon, Hyde turns to use the dagger on Rumple. But he then collapses to his knees, struggling for breath. As Jekyll dies, so does Hyde. Regina arrives on the docks, saying that it looks like the serum works. Rumple tells her it wasn’t the serum. He tells her that it appears the only way to get rid of the double is to also kill the original. This shakes Regina as she realizes that she’ll have to die to stop the Evil Queen.

(Poor Regina)

David lays Jekyll and Hyde next to each other as Emma goes to talk to Regina. She confirms that she might have to die to get rid of the Evil Queen. Regina is also focused on another thing—they had been convinced that Jekyll was the good guy, yet there had been evil inside him. She thinks it grows back and not that, you know, Jekyll could’ve been evil all along and that Hyde was actually just all his emotions but still good. Whatever. Regina makes Emma recall the promise she had her (Regina) make in Camelot and now makes Emma promise the same—if Regina becomes a danger, she trusts Emma to do the right thing and stop her. Emma agrees, though much like Regina in Camelot, you know she hopes it doesn’t come to that.

(Swan Queen friendship, yo)

Rumple approaches a rightfully pissed off Belle. She compliments his hair before laying into him. Belle wants to know what went on with him and Jekyll and Hyde, why he would align with them—especially Hyde—and put them through all of this.

Hyde returns to Jekyll’s lab and Rumple greets him. He’s giddy over the murder he thinks Hyde committed but Hyde reveals it was Jekyll. Rumple doesn’t believe him…until Hyde insists he would never hurt Mary. The Dark One realizes he loved her and he flips out, saying that his experiment was a failure and all his work was for nothing. He says he should kill Hyde but decides to force him to leave with his “weaker” half forever. Hyde asks why the serum was so important to him and Rumple tells him his reasons are his own.

(Now I just want to give Hyde a hug)

He tells her that he did it because of her. That he went to Jekyll in order to not fall in love with her, fearing that would make him weak. But it failed and so he sent Hyde to the Land of Untold Stories. He’s also glad it didn’t work because he wouldn’t give up his love for her or their unborn son now.
Belle lets him have it again. She says that trapping her on board the ship only put her in more danger and that he really isn’t protecting her. Belle also tells him that cutting his hair just changes his appearance, not who he really is. She says that she doesn’t need him and he pretty much threatens that she will need him one day and she’ll come back to him. It’s all really creepy and I feel bad for you Rumbelle fans. I really do.

(Death of a ship?)

Shirin says good night to Snow, who gives her one of the apples on her desk. She explains that it’s tradition in that world but one she doesn’t partake in for obvious reasons. Shirin thanks her and heads to leave. Snow stops her and asks if the princess in her story ever saved her country. Pausing, Shirin answers that she left for the Land of Untold Stories but she doesn’t think the princess did succeed.

That night, Shirin runs through the woods. The Oracle emerges and asks her what took so long. Shirin explains she had to wait for the cover of night. They agree that Aladdin is there and they will work to find him together.

(Princess Jasmine?)

Well, that was a twist I was not expecting! Jekyll was really the bad guy and Hyde the good one. That maybe we need our more passionate side, the one that doesn’t give a shit (sorry) about what the world thinks, the one that isn’t scared. And maybe evil isn’t something that can just be taken out. That we all have the potential, so Regina has it without the Evil Queen. She needs to embrace it and then embrace the Queen.

Because that better be where this storyline is heading and not Regina’s death. If you thought I was bad after Robin died, you definitely don’t want to see me if they kill off Regina.

It won’t be pretty.

Next time: A whole new world…except not really because we dealt with Agrabah in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. 

Screen caps from here.