OUAT: High Adventure

Last time on “Once:” The Evil Queen and Mr. Hyde teamed up, making an enemy of Rumpelstiltskin, who cut his hair following Belle’s rejection. Fearing for Belle and his unborn child, he trapped her on the Jolly Roger and insisted it was for her own good.

Suuuure.

Meanwhile, Hyde and the Evil Queen crashed Jekyll and Frankenstein’s lab to destroy the serum that could defeat them. They thought they had saved some but Rumple forced Regina to use it on his dagger. He then tried to defeat Hyde but it turns out it was a harmless potion. Hyde used the dagger to control Rumple.

We also learned more about Jekyll and Hyde. Jekyll wanted to separate the “evil” parts from his patients, to help them with their maladies. His friend Mary tried to get him into the Academy of Sciences but her father rejected Jekyll. So Rumple helped him with his potion and thus Hyde was born.

So was a strange love triangle. For Jekyll loved Mary but she only saw him as a friend. But she did love Hyde, who reciprocated. When Jekyll learned of this, he grew angry and ended up backing a frightened Mary out of a window, where she fell to her death. He changed into Hyde and fled. Rumple found him and angry that Hyde still felt love, banished him to the Land of Untold Stories.

Why did Rumple care? Because he had hoped to use the serum to remove the weakness inside him—AKA his emotions and ability to feel love. Yet now Jekyll and Hyde want revenge against him, with Jekyll going after Belle. She fights him off and Hook finishes him, which also kills Hyde. Regina is horrified to learn she’ll have to die to kill the Evil Queen.

Belle, meanwhile, was rightfully pissed at Rumple and she insisted they were through. Rumple insisted she would need to come back to him one day to keep her and their son safe. It was just plain wrong.

I’m so sorry, Rumbelle fans. You all deserve so much better.

Oh! And Snow got a new TA who is really Princess Jasmine.

We open in Agrabah. Or rather, the capital of Agrabah. But let’s just call it Agrabah, okay? Anyway, we zoom through a bazaar as guards gather up several people accused of stealing. Aladdin slinks through the crowd, stealing as Jafar delivers a speech about how bad things have gotten. He then uses his magic to turn the thieves into rats. You know, street rats. Everyone gasps in horror.

(Agrabah)

Aladdin goes off to a secluded area, looking over his take. Someone calls him bold and he says that he’s just a baker who is late. He tries to go past the woman but she stops him, saying she knows he’s a thief and she’s there to hire him. She calls him by name and he asks her for hers. She undoes her head wrap and he recognizes her as Princess Jasmine. He asks why she’s out there and not in the palace but she says she can’t stay there with Jafar controlling her father and running the country. She can’t stand to see her people suffering and she asks him to help her defeat Jafar.

(She looks amazing as Jasmine)

Aladdin refuses, saying that Jafar has magic and he is just a thief. Jasmine pleads with him and then tells him to check his pocket. He pulls out a golden scarab, which Jasmine says is one of the most precious relics in Agrabah. He refuses to accept it as payment but she tells him that’s not what it is. Jasmine then shouts that someone has stolen the scarab and he shushes her, agreeing to help her. She says they need to find something called the Diamond in the Rough. Aladdin sighs in resignation as he spots a red bird overhead. It flies off.

We next see it soaring over trees as Emma follows it, Archie and Pongo in tow. He protests that this isn’t going to help her and that they should go back to his office to get to the root of her problem. Emma says the bird led her to the oracle once before and that oracle has some answers. Her hands is still shaking and so it’s clear talking isn’t helping. She insists it’s time to act.

(Field Trip!)

She and Archie spot the Oracle sitting against a tree. When Emma gives her a little shake, though, she falls over—dead. Archie rushes over to help her but Emma hears something. She spots someone running from the scene and she pursues. When the person trips over a log I’m going to believe the Merry Men once set up to protect their camp because otherwise it would be awfully convenient, Emma catches her. Yes, her, for it’s Shirin!

Snow watches as Emma and David interrogates her assistant. They ask Shirin for her real name and she hesitates, explaining that she’s had to keep it safe for years because Hyde could use it against people in the Land of Untold Stories. David informs her that Hyde is dead and she is surprised. She then reveals that she is Princess Jasmine of Agrabah and is adamant that she had nothing to do with the oracle’s death.

(She protests her innocence)

Emma says she believes Jasmine, explaining her superpower. Jasmine explains the Oracle was a friend helping her find a friend of hers. “Aladdin?” Emma offers. Jasmine perks up and asks if Emma’s seen Aladdin. She explains she only saw the movie and then has to explain that away. Jasmine says Aladdin is the only one who can help her as he is the Savior. That catches David’s and Emma’s attention and they sit up, staring at Jasmine.

Archie goes to his office and is startled to find the Evil Queen waiting for him. She wants to know what Emma has been telling him in her sessions and he reminds her of doctor-patient confidentiality. The Evil Queen reveals she knows Emma’s hand shakes because of visions she’s having but the Oracle refused to tell her what the visions were about. Archie realizes she killed the Oracle. The Evil Queen is like “Duh.” She asks Archie to work with her but he refuses. So she transforms herself to look like him and he’s like “Oh crap.”

(Archie Squared)

Zelena puts down Peanut and is surprised to find Archie tied up in her kitchen. She is annoyed the Evil Queen has left him for her to babysit and refuses to untie him.

("The things I do for screen time")

Fake!Archie rushes out of his office and finds Emma packing for a search party. He says they need to talk and she’s confused, asking if they scheduled an appointment. Fake!Archie says no but he thinks she needs more time to unlock her vision. Emma says that there’s another savior out there and he’s alive. This intrigues Fake!Archie. Emma continues, saying that since he’s alive it means that not all Saviors die and maybe her vision won’t come true. Then she can tell her family about it. She drives away, unaware that she just gave this information to the wrong person.

(Poor, unsuspecting Emma)

In the desert, Aladdin and Jasmine bicker. He wants to know more about the Diamond in the Rough and she says all the stories say it’s in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin is surprised to learn they are chasing after stories. She says she was a bored princess in a palace full of books and she did her research. He’s still incredulous and she says she’s doing something to help people while Aladdin is trying to figure out how to make a profit. But he lays into her, saying that people have been suffering for a long time and that she’s only getting involved because it affects her. She tries to defend herself, saying she’s getting involved and wants to help while he’s being selfish. Aladdin produces an apple and says that he was selfish, he bought her an apple to. He then slides it over to her and they’ve reached a truce.

Over a hill, they come to the Cave of Wonders. It’s an actual building, not a sand tiger that talks. Aladdin asks Jasmine what to do next and she’s like “You’re the thief.” He nods and decides to take a page from one of her book. Thinking of Ali Baba, Aladdin tries “Open Sesame.” At first, it doesn’t work but then the doors open. He tells Jasmine to go first.

(The movie version was better)

Emma enters the Loft and finds everyone gathered there. They explain that they hit a dead end trying to find Aladdin since everything he owns he stole, rendering a locator spell moot. Emma asks if they are giving up and of course they’re not. Fake!Archie enters and tells Emma that she’s running out of time, that she can’t keep hiding her secret. Emma’s like “Doctor-patient confidentiality” but Hook’ like “Archie’s a friend, let’s trust him.”

Dude.

At Fake!Archie’s prodding, Emma reveals that she’s been having visions along with her shaking hand. And in the vision, she dies. She says that Hyde told her that all Saviors die but if Aladdin is alive, then it’s not true. Emma can ask him how he survived and she can do the same. However, her family is upset she hid the vision from them and they bombard her with questions as Fake!Archie leaves, transforming into a gleeful Evil Queen on the stairs.

(She's extremely giddy)

Upstairs, Regina wonders why she isn’t there. Emma says she fights the hood as everyone gathers on the street…but Regina. Regina assumes she’s dead until she realizes that Emma suspects she’s under the hood. Emma tries to wave it off, saying it’s a vision not some manifestation of her subconscious but not surprisingly, this doesn’t appease Regina. She decides to help come up with a way to find Aladdin and asks Emma to meet her at the vault in an hour. Emma agrees. Once Regina leaves, Jasmine asks if Aladdin could be dead. Emma has no answer.

In the Cave of Wonders, Jasmine and Aladdin spot a beautiful diamond. She goes to reach for it but he stops her, saying that it’s rigged to explode or something. It’s all very Indiana Jones. He finds a gold monkey to match the weight on the sword and they pick up the diamond. It then dissolves in Aladdin’s hands and the cave starts to crumble around them. Aladdin protects Jasmine, throwing up his hand as a white burst of magic explodes from it, stopping the destruction.

(Aladdin's WTF? face)

Aladdin is surprised but Jasmine isn’t. She tells Aladdin that he is really the Diamond in the Rough, the weapon that will help her defeat Jafar. She tells him that he is the Savior of Agrabah.
Henry tries to comfort Jasmine as she cries upstairs and it’s as awkward as you would think. She feels guilty because all Saviors die and she’s the one who set him on the path. Henry understands, saying he did the same to his mother. But he chooses to believe that Hyde might be wrong and that Aladdin is alive. Jasmine gives him a soft smile.

(Henry's growing up)

Downstairs, Snow talks with Emma, who apologizes for not talking to her. Snow says she forgives her as does David. She just wonders about Hook. Emma is trying to build something with him and Snow knows she and David don’t keep secrets from each other. (Ha!) Anyway, David says Leroy called to report that Archie was not there for his appointment. Emma says that he left with plenty of time and it finally dawns on them that that wasn’t Archie, but the Evil Queen.

Good work, guys.

The real Archie is bouncing Peanut while Zelena has tea. The Evil Queen poofs in and says she’s had the best day, thanking Zelena for watching Archie. Zelena says she could’ve turned him over to Regina and the Evil Queen points out that she didn’t. She then invites Zelena out for some pampering, threatens Archie into watching Peanut and then they leave.

(Well, I guess he's better than nothing)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears run the nail salon in town. Go figure. Anyway, Zelena and the Evil Queen gossip about Rumple while they get manicures. Zelena asks if EQ ever hooked up with him and she deflects, turning the question back to the witch. Zelena says she didn’t but she did try back when she was wicked. The Evil Queen tells her those days don’t have to be over, that the others only tolerate her but the Evil Queen chooses her because she’s wicked.

(Sisterly bonding)

Zelena says she’s trying for Peanut but the Evil Queen says she did the same with Henry, pretending to be something she wasn’t and hiding her true self from him out of fear he’d reject her. When Zelena reminds her that he did, the Evil Queen says it’s because she hid it. If she had been open, he might’ve been more understanding and accepting. Zelena should be wicked around Peanut and maybe her daughter will be just as wicked as her.
Okay, we need Robin back. STAT. He needs to save his precious baby girl.
Emma enters the vault and says that Regina left pretty quickly earlier. She counters that she’s trying to save Emma’s life and Emma accepts it. Regina asks how Henry is before asking how Emma is. Emma tells her that she’s anxious and wants to get this solved. She asks what Regina is brewing and is told it’s a different light magic. Regina says the only thing they know Aladdin didn’t steal was his magic, so she made something that will connect Emma’s magic with Aladdin’s so she can find him. Emma looks less than thrilled to drink from a smoking cup.

("Relax, it's not poison")

Back in the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin is still upset that Jasmine didn’t tell him about the magic. She asks if he would’ve believed her and he says no. He says he needs to be alone and Jasmine agrees. She gives him the scarab, though, saying it was a gift to her family from the people of Agrabah for freeing them from the darkness. She says it’s to remind him that even if he doesn’t believe in him, she does. Jasmine then leaves.

Jafar, though, poofs himself in. He asks Aladdin how it feels to have magic and he responds pretty good, since he can now defeat Jafar. Jafar asks what will happen after that. Aladdin replies that he imagines everyone will live happily ever after. Laughing, Jafar shows Aladdin his red bird and says it’s an oracle. The bird’s eyes glow red as Aladdin is hit by images of water and a skeleton, causing him pain. Jafar says it’s his future and that the fate of all Saviors is death.

(Iago just got creepy)

But Jafar has a solution. He holds up a pair of golden shears, saying they belonged to the Fates themselves. He explains they can cut him from his magic and he’ll no longer be the Savior. So while he’ll no longer have power, he’ll be able to live a long life funded by all the gold in the Cave of Wonders. Jafar says he could even make himself prince if he wanted and tells Aladdin to think about it.

(This is kinda convenient)

Jasmine storms into the palace and goes up to her father. The Sultan is like “Look at my new toy” and is playing with a toy palace. 

(What's his age again?)

She says they need to go because war is coming. The Sultan is like “Everything’s fine” and she says it’s not, that Jafar has him under a spell. Jafar comes up and says he does have full control of the Sultan. She can’t stop him and she says Aladdin will stop him. He says that Aladdin chose the gold and ran off, which leaves Jasmine as the only thing standing in his way. He uses his magic to trap her in the hourglass, sand pouring down on her.

(That is going to be everywhere)

Aladdin flies in on a magic carpet, landing in front of Jafar. He tell Aladdin he should’ve used the shears and Aladdin agrees. But he’s still the Savior and he’s going to stop Jafar. He frees Jasmine and breaks Jafar’s staff, freeing the Sultan. Jafar says he’s a person who’s never had to pay any consequences for his actions and he’ll come to regret this day. Jafar is then sent far away.

Aladdin goes to check on Jasmine, who says Jafar said he took the gold and ran. Aladdin admits he almost did but decided to come back because of her. Jasmine leans forward to kiss him when the Sultan interrupts, very confused. Aladdin introduces himself as a friend of Jasmine’s and that he’s there to return something to her. He gives her the scarab back but she presses it into his hand, telling him to keep it as a reminder that he has someone who always believes in him—her.

(Aww, a hand hold!)

Everyone goes for a hike in the woods. Emma stops, saying she can feel that Aladdin is close. After a convulsion, she tells them to follow her…to the Crypt Keeper's lair. Regina says they are under the cemetery in a forgotten crypt. Jasmine freaks out, wondering why Emma’s magic brought them there. Hook suggests they wait outside but Jasmine refers to go. She grabs a flashlight to explore more.

(You know--for kids!)

Jasmine looks over one skeleton, growing upset. She says that Emma was right and that Aladdin was there. Regina asks if she’s sure and Jasmine holds up the scarab. She grows upset and Regina comforts her as the implications sink in for Emma. Henry tries to talk to her but she asks to be left alone. Regina helps Jasmine out while Hook lingers a bit. He gives Emma a longing look before respecting her wishes.

Emma sits on the floor, watching her hand shake as her vision keeps flashing on the screen. Henry joins her, apologizing. He says it’s all his fault because he dragged her to Storybrooke and forced her to be the Savior. Emma assures him he didn’t force her to do anything. She says he gave her a family and made her a mother. If she could go back, she’d do it all over again. Henry says it’s not fair that she might die and she says that endings usually suck. She tells him they need to enjoy the middle and their journey. They hug.

(Aww)

They hear a sound and Emma jumps in to protect him, shaky hands not withstanding. Aladdin emerges from the shadow and says he knows how bad those are, as a Savior himself. Emma realizes who he is and says that he’s alive.

(Hi, Aladdin!)

Aladdin and Jasmine walk through the bazaar. He asks her how the Sultan is and she says he’s back to his old self. He’s also insisting that Aladdin have his pick of the royal treasury but Aladdin turns it down. She teases him and then asks if there is anything he wants. His eyes make it clear he wants her but he says that he just wants to be the Savior and save people. She says that there’s been a Jafar spotting in a far province. Aladdin knows he has to go and asks her to go with him, saying he could show her a whole new world. They lean close, almost kissing. 

(Kiss, kiss, kiss!)

She then pulls back and says she can’t. She has a kingdom that needs her help and she can’t be selfish. Jasmine assures him that when Jafar is defeated, she’ll be waiting for him. So he says he’ll see her and walks away.

As he strolls along, a bag magical appears on his shoulder. He opens the satchel and pulls out the golden shears. There is a note with them and Jafar says he’ll thank him one day.

Aladdin holds out the shears to Emma and she realizes he used them. He said he did and Agrabah fell. So he escaped to the Enchanted Forest and got swept up in the first curse. Henry is amazed that he has been in Storybrooke the entire time. Aladdin said it was easy to go unnoticed since the local sheriffs were always busy with other things to notice a two-bit thief like him. He says that the sheriffs are good ones, though.

Henry asks about Jasmine but Aladdin says he can’t face her, knowing that she believed he could be more than a street rat when it turned out he really was just one. Emma says that she was a street rat too but she found people who believed in her and found a greater strength. She says he shouldn’t have born the Savior thing alone and asks about him and Jasmine. He says they never were a couple because duty always got in the way.

Jasmine sits forlornly on a bench by the lake, staring at the scarab. Aladdin says hello to her and she looks up, shocked. She staggers toward him before hugging him. Jasmine is thrilled he’s alive and he asks what the do now. She says they need to go back to Agrabah, that she was trying to find him because it’s in danger and needs the Savior. His smile droops and he says, “Yeah, about that…”

(His face says it all)

Zelena and the Evil Queen return to a harried Archie. Zelena takes Peanut from him and says she needed the spa day to get back to basics. Archie wonders if that means she’s going to torture him or worse. She says that’s too evil for her tastes. After all, she’s wicked and she’s going to show that to her daughter. She changes Archie back into Jiminy Cricket, keeping him in a cage over Peanut’s crib.
Robin, where are you?

Regina studies the shears and asks why magic is so literal. Snow and David arrive, saying they have no clue where Archie is. Emma tells them about the shears and then says that Aladdin’s mistake was not telling the people who believed in him the truth. She isn’t going to make that mistake. She’s also not going to use them. She’s the Savior and she’ll take the consequences because she knows she has a family who believes her. David and Snow echo that and Henry supports her. Hook then leans in and says he supports her decision too. She gives him the shears, apologizing for not trusting him. She says those can be used against her so she wants him to get rid of them. She trusts him with that and he looks conflicted about it.

(Family meeting)

We cut to the docks at night, where Emma waits in the fog. Hook rows up and gets out, assuring her that the assures are deep at the bottom of the ocean. She thanks him and apologizes for not trusting him. He notes a storm is coming in and she suggests going home to a nice fire and rum. Naturally, he’s not turning that down. But first he wants to check on the Jolly Roger. She asks if he wants Chinese or pizza and he tells her whatever her heart desires. That’s all he wants for her. She kisses him before leaving.

Hook turns around and pulls the shearers out of his coat pocket. It seems he decided not to send them to Davy Jones’ locker after all.

So we go from Emma hiding a secret to Hook hiding one.

I’m not sure how I feel about Once’s version of Aladdin. I love Karen David as Jasmine. I think she’s well cast and the show is using her much better than Season 2 of Galavant. I’m just…I’m just not sure about Aladdin and him being a Savior as well.

Next time: We go 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as Hook and Henry encounter Captain Nemo. 

Screen caps from here.