OUAT: Are We Really Doing This $#!* Again?

Last time on “Once:” Roni was still reeling from discovering the picture of her and Henry from another life while Henry was worried that the pictures Ivy posted of him and her from Halloween had cooled Jacinda to him. Lucy, meanwhile, was excited to know about the picture and realized that Roni was Regina, Henry’s adoptive mother and the Evil Queen. Roni was less than thrilled to be an Evil Queen but Lucy ran off to find a way to prove it to her.

Roni revealed that she had tried to adopt and came close to having a baby boy of her own before the adoption agency decided she wasn’t mother material. Henry told her that she was like a mother to him and she pushed him to help Jacinda fix up her food truck. She decided to go help Lucy, hoping that if they play along she’ll then realize that the stories were just fairy tales and leave them alone.

Lucy had been hoping for the storybook to appear in her closet but Roni took her to see Rumple instead, asking him to see if a woman named Regina Mills ever adopted a son in Boston. He asked what he would get in return and she promised to owe him a favor. They had a deal. Rumple quickly delivered, giving Roni Regina’s adoption application. She compared the handwriting and realized it matched.

Meanwhile, Rogers got some advice from Tilly about his case. She advised him to look at the pieces he already had and he would see he had more clues than he thought. It pushed Rogers to find the man from the previous episode but he dead. Oops.

In the Enchanted Forest, Regina was feeling a bit useless since Henry seemed to be able to take care of himself and had found a kickass almost girlfriend to watch his back. So she took a walk in the woods and rescued Drizella from the Audrey II. Drizella admitted she has magic but was never allowed to learn to use it. She wanted it so she could get out of her life with her controlling mother who was forcing her to marry a prince. Regina definitely could relate so she offered to teach Drizella herself.

Rumple reappeared and told Regina about his life with Belle and his goals. She wished him luck and he warned her to be careful, saying there was probably a reason Lady Tremaine was letting Drizella learn magic. Regina thought of Cora and realized he was probably right. So she used her mirror to allow Drizella to see Lady Tremaine. They learned Lady Tremaine was preparing to take Drizella’s heart out to bring back her dead daughter, Anastasia. Regina promised to protect Drizella but drew the line at killing Lady Tremaine. So Drizella ran off.

Regina followed her and watched in horror as Drizella killed her fiance in order to darken her heart. She then told her mother that she was going to cast the Dark Curse so that Lady Tremaine was sent to a place where she would suffer. Regina promised to stop Drizella and told her that heroes always break curses. Drizella vowed to make hers unbreakable and poofed away.

Later, Regina confided in Henry that she felt foolish for telling Drizella about the Dark Curse. She also admitted that she felt useless since he didn’t need her. Henry assured her that no matter how old he got and whoever he befriended, he was always going to need his mother. She loved him and he loved her. That was that.

Back in Hyperion Heights, Drizella paid Roni a visit and gave her a drink. It contained a magical potion that woke Regina back up, restoring all her memories. She lashed out at Drizella but realized she didn’t have her magic. Drizella also reminded her about what would happen if the curse is broken—namely, everyone Regina loves would suffer. So she had to keep Henry and Jacinda from falling in love. It broke Regina’s heart, especially at the end when she’s so close to her son—who thinks he was an orphan raised in the system—and can’t tell him the truth.

Poor Regina.

We open in the Wish Realm, where Hook wanders through a marketplace. He grabs a silver pot and bangs it, waking up his drunk crew. He orders them to get the Jolly Roger ready because they were going on a trip. Smee asks him where they are going and Hook tells him that the Evil Queen is going to cast a curse that will take them from this land. And then he can get revenge on the Crocodile.


The Evil Queen tells him to put a pin on those plans. He asks why she’s not casting her curse and she reveals that Snow White and Charming have stolen her magic. Smee marvels at the fact that the Evil Queen was defeated and she tries to choke him before remembering she doesn’t have any magic. He asks how he’s supposed to get his revenge now and she says that she needs a ship to get her away from that land before Snow and Charming find her. In exchanged, she’ll give him a map to a tower in a distant land that contains magic that will destroy anybody—including his crocodile. He asks what the price is and she says that a powerful witch guards the tower so he’ll have to go it without her magic. He agrees to the exchange and takes the map from her.

(Welcome back, Your Majesty)

Rogers watches as techs process the crime scene he’s discovered. Weaver enters and tells them to head outside as he says he was surprised to learn his partner stumbled upon a crime scene without him. Rogers says that he had interrogated the man the day before and thought he had a connection to Eloise Gardiner, showing Weaver the design in her sketchbook that matches the man’s tattoo. Weaver dismisses it and then dismisses him, saying he’s going to handle it. Rogers refuses to leave, believing that Weaver is going to make it all disappear for Victoria Belfrey. Weaver warns him that he’s becoming obsessed and obsession can lead people down dark paths but Rogers vows to find Eloise Gardiner and nobody can stop him.

(He's a man on a mission)

Henry and Jacinda head into Roni’s and notice she’s more subdued. She claims to be overworked and underpaid. They then say they are celebrating and Regina panics, thinking they are getting together. But Jacinda explains that they got the electrical system working on the truck. Relieved, Regina hands them beers. Jacinda bemoans her lack of a regular source of income and says she can’t get Lucy back until she has one. So Regina offers her a job at the bar, saying business has picked up since she stood up to Victoria and she could use the help. She tells Jacinda to enjoy her beer and then grab an apron.

Jacinda and Henry head off to a table. He then hands her tickets and says that his favorite 80s cover band is playing that night. He asks her to go see them with him and she agrees. They seem happy, which Drizella notes as she reminds Regina that she needs to keep them apart or else Something Terrible will happen. Regina glares at the younger woman in response.

(If looks could kill...)

Victoria berates Lucy for all the sneaking around she’s been doing and says that Lucy was a fool to think she wouldn’t find out. Lucy shoots her down, saying she didn’t care if Victoria found it. So Victoria grounds her. Lucy replies that her parents are going to share True Love’s Kiss any day now and when they break the curse, they will be together while Victoria is just alone.

(Defiant as ever)

Victoria then heads up to the secret room and leaves some tea for the Witch, who asks if Lucy’s stopped believing yet. Victoria says she hasn’t and then notices something on the ground. She realizes it is dirt and wonders how it got there. The Witch says Victoria must’ve tracked it in and Victoria says that’s impossible because I guess she puts on new shoes everywhere she goes. She says that if the Witch thinks she has found someone who will free her, she’s sorely mistaken and then storms off.

Rogers is focused on finding Eloise Gardiner as Henry finds him behind Roni’s. He asks Rogers if it’s possible that Eloise is dead but Rogers is adamant he’s not. He says that he’s been studying her so long, he feels connected to her and so he’s sure he would know if she’s not around. So Henry offers to help him find more clues.

Hook walks through some woods at night as Smee struggles to catch up. He apologizes, saying he’s better at navigating on the water rather than land. But Hook says that they don’t have to navigate any more, pointing ahead. There stands the tower they are looking for and Hook tosses up a rope, scaling the tower to get inside.

He lands inside the tower and trips over a blonde braid, which then causes all these pots and pans to rattle. Hook figures he’s not alone and demands that the person in the tower show themselves. A young woman holding a frying pan emerges and Hook then sheathes his sword, apologizing. He explains that he was expecting an evil witch, not a pretty woman. That softens her up and she introduces herself as Rapunzel before saying that he’s not there to rescue her. He says he came to retrieve magic that will help him get revenge on someone who wronged him but he wouldn’t mind also pulling off a dashing rescue—once he’s gotten said magic, of course.

(Rapunzel and her frying pan)

Rapunzel says he can have the magic—but he has to find it. She shows him a yellow flower, explaining that the witch gets her powers from it. She says the one she has was used to trap her in the tower and she reaches out, revealing an invisible barrier keeping her in. Hook asks her where he might find it so he can trap the Dark One and she wonders why she should tell him. He promises to free her but she doesn’t know if she can trust him. He points out that there aren’t many people trying to break into her tower, so she really has no choice and she agrees.

(Uh oh. He raised the eyebrow. She's a goner)

Tilly tries to sell a gentleman a watch but packs up when Rogers and Henry shows up. Rogers says that she helped him with the Eloise Gardiner case so far and he hopes she can continue to help him. He shares her sketchbook and Tilly looks through it. She says that she never saw it before but she can tell a lot about Eloise, like that she had parents who didn’t pay attention. She believes Eloise wasn’t kidnapped but ran away. Rogers asks if she can find any leads and Tilly wonders why. Henry says it would be a shame for him to take her in for selling stolen watches and she caves, telling Rogers to meet her at the park in a few hours. He offers to bring her a sandwich and she accepts. She tells him that she hopes she can help him with Eloise because she gets the feeling Rogers needs it more than Eloise.

(Tilly is just happy to help)

Victoria goes through the security footage, trying to find the Witch’s visitor. She watches the elevator and notices that the camera cuts out just as someone is about to get on. This makes her suspicious and she heads out, finding Drizella’s desk empty. She looks through her daughter’s things and finds the shoes Drizella was wearing. Why she decided to keep them, I don’t know, but they clearly have dirt on them. Victoria has caught her daughter.

(Betrayed by her footwear)

Rumple then enters and says he has some news. He says Rogers is making headway in the Eloise Gardiner case. She asks why he hasn’t deterred him yet and Rumple says that he has an emotional connection that drives him to solve it. She tells him to get Rogers to knock it off or she’ll get rid of Rogers permanently, saying the choice is his as he glares at her.

(You know his internal monologue is just "You don't want to cross me, dearie. I will make you pay.")

Hook and Smee enter a clearing in the forest that it is apparently the witch’s garden. Smee comments that it’s not what he thought of when Hook said “garden” and Hook warns him to be careful. They need to find the flower and get out before they come face to face with something more fearsome than a garden gnome. He pushes one down as Smee asks how they find the flower. Hook says Rapunzel told him that they need to sing as music will reveal the truth (or something). So they try a sea shanty and nothing happens, except that the knocked over gnome is sentient and pissed off.

(Revenge of Travelocity Gnome)

The gnome grows larger and starts attacking Hook and Smee. They pretty much run about the garden and Smee serves as bait as he yells at Hook to find the flower so they can use its magic to defeat the giant gnome. Hook starts singing a softer ballad and the flower glows inside a flower bed. He breaks into it and reaches for the flower as the gnome tries to stop him. As he pulls it out, the gnome crumbles and turns to dust.

Crisis averted.

(Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine)

Smee thanks Hook and then comments on the song he sung. Hook says it was a lullaby. Smee asks where he learned a lullaby since he has no children—that Smee knows of. Hook’s like “I was a child too you dolt” and says his mother used to sing it to him and his brother before she died and their father abandoned them. Smee says he won’t tell anyone about it and asks if they are going back to the Jolly Roger. Hook tells him to go on but that he has something to do. Smee figures he’s going back for Rapunzel and warns him that pretty women often get him into trouble. He reminds him that the witch is still around but Hook says he’s Captain Hook. He can handle one witch.

Victoria goes to visit the Witch and asks why shoes are the bane of her existence. The Witch sasses her back, saying it’s her own incompetence. Victoria wonders why the Witch woke Drizella up but she reveals that Drizella was awake the entire time. Victoria was just too focused on Anastasia to notice her other daughter. Victoria is too disgusted to realize how much ignoring and putting down Drizella might backfire on her and wonders what that “thing” (ouch) wants. The Witch tells her that she wants Victoria to suffer. Victoria says that ivy needs to cling to something so she’s going to remove everything her “Ivy” clings to—starting with the Witch. She says the Witch will never see the light of day again.

(Kiss?)

Regina stares at the picture of her and Henry before putting it back in her pocket as a happy Jacinda pops behind the bar. Regina says it’s nice to see her so happy and Jacinda says she can finally see her life getting back on track. She even has a date and Regina says that’s what she and Henry were talking about. Jacinda nods and then says that she’s also thinking about getting Lucy back officially. Regina says that’s a great idea but warns Jacinda that social workers are all about stability. She says the one thing they hate more than single mothers working in a bar are single mothers working in a bar and just getting into a new relationship. Jacinda argues that Henry is a great guy and Regina agrees but points out that Victoria will probably paint him in another light. It gives Jacinda something to think about while Regina walks away, hating herself.

(Girl chat!)

Henry and Rogers wait on a bench in the park for Tilly. Rogers is growing impatient, asking how a girl selling watches on the street can be late. Henry asks him about what he said earlier about the connection to Eloise. He feels there is something more and Rogers admits that he was drinking the night she was taken rather than on his patrol. He feels responsible for her getting kidnapped because of that, which is why he wants to find her so bad.

They then spot Tilly, who tries to run away from them. They give chase and stop her, asking if she found out anything. She says Rogers doesn’t want to know what she found out but he pleads with her to tell him. Tilly tells him that she checked in with a few runaways from an old group home. One remembered hanging with a girl named Rain who liked to write poetry and draw. She hands Rogers a drawing made by Rain and when he opens it up, it’s of a sunset that matches a torn out page in Eloise’s book. Rogers realizes Rain must’ve been her and asks Tilly where she is. Tilly doesn’t want to say but upon pressure from Rogers, she reveals Rain died in a car accident. Since Rain wasn’t her real name, they didn’t have any way to identify her. Rogers asks to be alone and walks away as does Tilly, leaving Henry standing there with a marmalade sandwich.

(Someone is off to brood)

Night falls and Rogers sits on a bench, looking out over the water. He has Eloise’s book with him and he pulls out a bottle of alcohol. Before he could break his sobriety, he thinks otherwise and throws the bottle down. Some of the alcohol splashes on the drawing Tilly gave him. He picks it up and realizes that the color smudges. This provides an aha moment for him.

(Only you understand me vodka)

Rapunzel chills in her tower when Hook returns. She says she’s surprised to see him again and he says that he couldn’t leave someone behind. He presents the flower to her and she thanks him. He asks how it will help her break out of the tower and she says that it’s not for him to worry about. She says there is so many things she hasn’t done in a long time and starts to play with his clothing, trying to undress him. He’s feeling it but wonders if she would rather get away from the tower first. She tells him there’s plenty of time for that and they kiss as the camera pans away, insinuating they are about to get busy.

(This would be were the studio audience would go "Oooh")

Henry fills Regina in about Eloise and she feels so bad. He says that Rogers wanted to be left alone and she says it’s understandable. They then switch topics to Jacinda. Regina says she’s doing really well and Henry says that she (“Roni”) wants everyone to think she’s tough but deep down, she really cares. She agrees and then makes herself scarce when Jacinda shows up, saying she’ll give them space to bitch about Jacinda’s new boss.

Jacinda, though, insists that “Roni” is a dream—especially after Louis. She says she’s really enjoying her job and Henry is glad to hear that. He says he’s had a bad day and can’t wait for their date that night. Jacinda tells him that she picked up an extra shift to earn some more money and he understands, though is disappointed. He hopes they can spend time together the following weekend and she gives a vague, non-committal answer that leaves him confused and brokenhearted as she returns to work. Regina watches, hating herself for doing that to her son.

(Group hug Regina!)

Rumple hangs around the evidence locker and checks on his dagger. Someone bangs on the door and he hides it, going to answer the door. Rogers is on the other side and shows him the picture Tilly gave him, the one Eloise supposedly drew. He explains that he’s had Eloise’s book for a long time and once spilled coffee on it. But nothing happened—the ink was so old, it didn’t run or smudge. Unlike the drawing Tilly gave him, which means it’s a forgery. Rogers asks if Rumple put Tilly up to it—including lying about Eloise being dead. Rumple says he did in order to get Rogers to move on but Rogers knows that Victoria put him up to it. Rumple admits she did…but he went along with it for another reason entirely.

(Doesn't it look like Robert is seriously reconsidering his whole involvement in this season?)

Rogers asks him what it is and Rumple says he’s trying to protect Rogers from himself. He tells him that there are things he’s not ready to believe, things about himself that would change everything (like his real identity. Is Rogers the next to wake up?). Rogers reasons that if Rumple and Victoria wanted him to think Eloise was dead, then she’s really alive and he is going to find her. Rumple warns him that Eloise Gardiner is not who he is really looking for and that she’s not who Rogers thinks she is.

A determined Rogers storms toward Victoria’s office but Drizella blocks him. He demands to see Victoria and she says her mother isn’t there. She asks what’s going on and he tells her that her mother is involved in the Eloise Gardiner disappearance. Drizella says that her mother has done some awful things but she can’t imagine her kidnapping someone. Rogers, though, says that Drizella can and says that he knows she has a tracking system on Victoria’s car. He orders her to access it so he can track her mother.

(And the Academy Award goes to...)

Rapunzel stares out the window as the sun shines on her face. Hook wakes up and comments about how they had a great night together. She agrees and a baby cries. He’s confused and asks what that sound was. Rapunzel tells him that it’s the sound of her freedom. She walks away from the window as Hook asks where she got a baby from. She tells him the usual way and Hook is like “It’s only been a night, right? This is impossible.” Rapunzel tells him that magic was involved and she picks up a little baby swaddled in white blankets.

She then waves her hand and she transforms from Rapunzel into the witch we’ve seen locked in the tower. Yep, the writers are doing another pregnancy by means of deception plot. Because that worked so well last time. *Insert eye roll here*

(More on that later)

Hook realizes she is the witch he’s been warned about and she says that she prefers Gothel. She says she didn’t expect getting what she needed to be so enjoyable as she lays the baby back down. Hook asks about Rapunzel and she says that it is a tragic tale. Don’t worry, Rapunzel isn’t dead. Gothel had meant to imprison her in the tower but Rapunzel turned the tables on her, trapping the witch instead. She says the magic in the flower wasn’t enough to break the curse but it allowed her to have a magical overnight pregnancy so she could leave someone of her bloodline to take her place. She reaches out the window and passes through easily—the barrier is down. Gothel assures Hook that she left him a petal which will have all the magic he needs and then asks if he’s coming.

Hook, though, can’t believe she’s just going to abandon an innocent baby. She says he’s a pirate on a quest for revenge, so there must be many innocents left behind in his wake. She offers to come and help him get his revenge and then they can get hers. Hook refuses to go and she then leaves, jumping from the tower and going to wonder the world outside while Hook focuses on the sleeping baby.

(What is he going to do now?)

Rogers tracks Victoria’s car to a warehouse. He enters and lights flicker ominously as a figure approaches him. The lights turn on to reveal Victoria and she demands to know what he’s doing there. He says he knows she has Eloise Gardiner and she demands he leaves because he doesn’t have a warrant. She tells him she’ll have his badge and he throws it at her. He tells her he won’t leave without Eloise and asks for her wrist. Victoria gives it and he places a handcuff on it before cuffing her to a nearby shelf. He then starts looking around for Eloise.

(Are things getting kinky?)

He opens a door and the beam of his flashlight shines on a figure huddled under a blanket. The person underneath pleads with him to leave her alone but Rogers kneels down, saying he’s there to help. He tells her that he’s been looking for her for a long time and calls her Eloise. The blanket lowers to reveal Gothel and she asks if that’s true. He says it is and he takes her out of the room. She tries to hide her face from Victoria as they pass her and Rogers assures her that Victoria can’t hurt anymore as Victoria watches, flabbergasted. The Witch, though, is pretty smug.

(No, wait, the Academy Award really goes to...)

The Evil Queen loses to Mr. Smee and the pirates get a good laugh. She grows frustrated and asks where their captain is. Hook appears and says that there was a tiny complication. The Queen doesn’t care—just as long as he got the flower and can get her away from that place as she can feel Snow and Charming closing in on her. He tells her that she will get her escape but he won’t be taking her. Hook then turns the Jolly Roger over to Smee, who accepts it but insists the ship will always be Hook’s. The Queen asks him what’s going on and and he says he has something more important to do. Confused, she asks what can be more important than revenge.

(One confused queen)

We next see Hook rocking his baby girl as he sings the lullaby to her. He figures he should name her and says there is only one person he would ever consider naming a child after. Because, you know, at this point the show has given up giving children original names. He decides to name the girl after his mother—Alice.

Yep, Alice from Wonderland (and other places) is Wish!Hook’s daughter.

We then see Tilly surrounded by the chaos at Victoria’s warehouse. Cops and other emergency personnel surround the scene as “Eloise” is loaded onto an ambulance. Tilly approaches Rogers and apologizes for lying to him. She said that “Weaver” gave her the page and she believed it was for the best. Rogers tells her to look around and then points to “Eloise” in the ambulance, asking her if it looks like it was for the best. Tilly looks really upset and Rogers tells her that he’s not angry, just disappointed. He says he thought she was different. He then climbs into the ambulance with “Eloise” and it drives away, both parents watching their daughter—and Gothel is the only one who knows, especially judging by her smirk.

(She knows she's staring at the baby girl she left for dead and knows she is taking her father away)

Tilly leaves as Victoria is hauled out in cuffs. Drizella asks for a moment to say goodbye to her mother and they give it to her. Victoria tells her daughter that she knows she’s awake and Drizella says that her mother always had a tendency to underestimate her. She says she knew Rogers was obsessed with finding Eloise Gardiner, so she killed the man with the strange tattoo and let Rogers do the rest. Now Victoria is going to go to jail and Gothel is free. As the police put Victoria in the car, she warns her daughter that she has no idea what she’s just unleashed on the world and says she’ll regret it.

(A mother's warning)

Henry rushes into Roni’s and tells Regina and Jacinda that Rogers found Eloise Gardiner. He explains that Victoria was the one holding her and that she’s been arrested. Jacinda is surprised and then she says “Lucy!” Henry says he figures that Victoria can’t have custody in jail. Jacinda hugs him and goes off to get her daughter.

Jacinda enters Belfrey’s office and Lucy hugs her, upset. She says no one will tell her what’s going and Jacinda promises to do that once they get home. However, Drizella introduces Jacinda to the social workers who have come to take Lucy away. The social worker explains that Victoria had custody for a reason so they need to review the file before they make a determination. Drizella pretends to be outraged and insists she was advocating for Lucy to go home with Jacinda. Jacinda has concerns about Lucy going into the system but the social worker says they have no choice. She takes Lucy, who pleads with her mother. Jacinda promises to get her daughter back as the elevator doors close.

(Poor Lucy)

Okay, let’s get the worst out of the way…Yes, the writers decided to repeat the “rape by deception which ends up in pregnancy” trope despite the backlash it got in Season 4. The Peanut storyline fell flat and many fans, myself included, point to it as the reason why they decided to kill off Robin Hood. We believed that the writers had written themselves into a corner with a wildly unpopular storyline and rather would focus on other things than the serious issues the storyline had raised. Issues that needed to be addressed. So they killed off the victim and let the rapist raise her baby.

Yes, that’s still a sore spot for me and a lot of fans.

There is a lot of outcry after this episode as well. Fans are disgusted that they pulled this again and that the writers still haven’t learned their lessons. It’s all compounded by the #MeToo movement, where sexual assault is now on the forefront of pop culture. While the episode was no doubt written before the Harvey Weinstein scandal, there was no doubt still time for someone to stop and say that maybe they need to rework something and not repeat another episode where consent is placed into a dubious context.

Because the main problem is that it’s not necessary to the plot. Hook doesn’t know what the witch looks like and it doesn’t seem that the story of Rapunzel is well known (there was no mention of a damsel being kept in the tower, for example). Gothel is also not made up to be some ugly crone so all she would’ve had to do was play the victim and Hook would’ve done anything for her, even sleep with her. The deception was not necessary and served no purpose to the plot except just to be shocking. Some of the writers then tried to defend it, saying it was to show how evil Gothel was and that she’s like the siren, but they never explained why it was necessary for her to disguise herself to trick Hook or why—once again—Hook was not allowed to deal with the fact he had been deceived. All of his anger is directed at the fact that Gothel is abandoning her baby to be trapped in a tower with no one to care for her. Essentially, she’s condemning the child to death which is evil enough without adding rape to the whole ordeal.

(There really didn’t appear to be any reason for the Peanut storyline either except to be shocking as well).

I could probably rant about this for paragraphs, so let me reign myself in to discuss the rest…
I’m intrigued that they revealed Wish!Hook’s daughter so early rather than letting that mystery play out a bit longer. Of course, it then makes that end scene between Tilly and Rogers that much more heartbreaking because we now know they are really father and daughter, that the person Hook is looking for is right in front of him but Rogers is too blinded by Eloise Gardiner—AKA his rapist.
Nope, nope. Not going down that path again.

Anyway, Rose Reynolds did an amazing job this episode. And it was fun to see the Wish!Realm version of the Evil Queen. Heck, it was just fun to see the Evil Queen.

Next time: We visit Wonderland while Jacinda tries to get Lucy back.