OUAT: I’m Almost There

Last time on “Once:” We said goodbye to Belle in an emotional episode. First, though, the Hyperion Heights plot.

It was Halloween and Ivy was forced to take Lucy trick or treating since Victoria didn’t want Jacinda near the girl after the community garden revolt. Lucy wanted to go see a haunted house but Ivy was too focused on herself to really care. So Lucy snuck off, leaving a panicked Ivy behind.

Meanwhile, Roni encouraged Henry to try to find love again and to ask Jacinda out. He went to her job to do that but Ivy burst in looking for Lucy. He offered to help look for her so Jacinda didn’t lose her job and she thanked him. After hours of looking, Ivy had a heart-to-heart with Henry where he encouraged her to take a chance and push back against her mother. They then realized where Lucy was and went to get her.

Ivy reunited mother and daughter, saying they could go trick or treating for the remaining hour and that she would handle her mother. Henry chickened out when he had his opening to ask Jacinda out and left, heading to Roni’s. Ivy met up with them and they shared some Halloween drinks.

Weaver visited Tilly to see if she had any information but all she had was riddles about masks and puzzles. She then accosted Victoria in her car and so Victoria ordered Weaver to not only make sure Tilly took his pills but was locked up. He was reluctant to lose his best informant but Victoria essentially blackmailed him into doing it.

Tilly, though, insisted that the pills made her small and foggy, that it was Victoria’s way of keeping her from remembering. From putting all the puzzle pieces together. She forced Weaver into coming with her so she could remind him who he really was as he wanted to get dirt on Victoria to essentially blackmail her right back. Tilly brought him to a storage container filled with a lot of things, including Chip. When Weaver tried to leave, she took his gun and insisted that he needed to remember who he was. She called him Rumpelstiltskin…and then shot him.

He came to in the hospital with Rogers by his side. Rogers assured Weaver that Tilly was back on her medication and Weaver ordered him to put that it was a masked robber who shot him in the report. Rogers agreed and went out to comfort a distressed Tilly, playing a game of chess with her.

Now, we leave Hyperion Heights for a moment to head back to Storybrooke, where Belle and Rumple were celebrating Gideon’s first birthday. All was quiet in the little hamlet but Belle was focused on getting everything ready in case a disaster struck. Rumple assured her that everything was fine and then gave her a book, saying it was a scrapbook for their adventures. After years of giving up her dreams for him, he was going to make sure she got to live them.

Rumple, Belle and Gideon left Storybrooke and went on a grand adventure throughout the realms. Rumple wanted to rid himself of the dagger so he could live a mortal life with Belle, but his plan didn’t work. So she promised that they would find a way and they returned to his manor. Adult Gideon went off to school while Belle found a prophecy that told them to go to a place where time stands still. Rumple knew where it was and took her there, where they had to wait for the sun to set.

Since it would take a long time for the sun to set, they built a little house and decorated it. They spent their days there, happy. Belle, though, grew older and older until she collapsed one day. She revealed that the prophecy meant that she needed to die and that he needed to believe in that their love would transcend death. Then he would find the guardian, the person destined to take the dagger and the darkness from him. They shared one more sweet moment and then Belle died.

Rumple and Gideon buried her. Gideon asked his father to let him take the dagger but Rumple was determined to find the Guardian. He took a portal, running into Alice just as Henry passed by on his motorcycle. And that was how Alice ended up in Rumple’s employ. But is she the guardian?

Back to Hyperion Heights to wrap up…Victoria visited Weaver to express her displeasure that he let Tilly go. He told her that Tilly wasn’t a threat and then said that she had no idea who she was messing with. He wasn’t going to be bullied by her and dropped a dearie, indicating that he was awake and knew who he really was. Victoria left and it’s unknown if she understood that. All that’s known is that she should watch her back.

Well, I think it’s safe to say things are going to get very interesting…

Victoria goes to visit the witch, bringing her some tea. She says she wants to apologize but the witch says that she’s finding it more difficult to break Lucy’s belief. Victoria concedes that and the witch tells her that Victoria sees belief as something easily removed but likens it to a weed. She tells her she needs to destroy its roots. Victoria then offers her some tea but the witch snaps that she wants her special tea, which Victoria offers to give her once she tells her what she wants to know—which one of Lucy’s roots does she start with?

(Someone needs a hair cut)

Meanwhile, Lucy grows anxious. Her grandmother hasn’t shown up and she’s going to be late for ballet. Ivy could care less…until Sabine shows up. She wonders why Sabine is there and she hands Lucy a bag. Lucy opens it and is excited to see some of Sabine’s beignets inside. Sabine says that making them wasn’t the same without Lucy.

Victoria gets off the elevator and Ivy asks her where she’s been. Victoria snaps that Ivy is her assistant and then gives her a list of things needed from an herbalist. Ivy asks if she’s doing a cleanse without her but Victoria just dismisses her. She then turns and addresses Sabine, saying that she’s raising rent by 8%. Sabine notes that she and Jacinda can’t afford that and Victoria says that given how prices are increasing in Hyperion Heights, Sabine is getting a discount. Lucy protests that it’s not fair but Sabine insists that she can fight her own battles. She tells Victoria that she is trying to push them out but they will push back. Victoria doesn’t look fazed at all.

(Sabine is going to show Victoria that she can't keep them down)

After the title screen, we head off to the Enchanted Forest. Robin Givens welcomes everyone gathered to her palace and notes that Tiana is her daughter, so she’s Eudora! She invites everyone to look around and that they’ll begin the auction shortly. Tiana moans about the fact that they need to sell their things and how embarrassing it is to have everyone picking through their lives. Drizella, dressed in an outfit swiped from the Evil Queen’s wardrobe, rubs it in. She then notes that there really isn’t anything of value there until she picks up a medal. Tiana snatches it back, saying it wasn’t supposed to be out there. She explains it was given to her father for his heroism in the war. Drizella says it’s too bad he’s dead and can’t save Tiana or her mother.

(With the outfit and sass, this is one of the moments where it becomes obvious the writers really missed the mark in not making Adelaide Kane a surprise daughter of Regina/Evil Queen).

Tiana tells her mother this isn’t right and Eudora says they have no choice. The royal family raised the taxes and they may have to sell the castle to pay them. Eudora says that they need a prince, that the kingdom has sorely been lacking in heroes lately. Tiana decides to go find a prince who can help them.

(Aww, look at mother and daughter)

At Roni’s, Henry and Rogers go through the evidence in his missing girl case…which isn’t a lot. Rogers says it’s gone very cold since it’s ten years old but he’s determined to solve it. Roni assures him her storage room has a strong lock, she has a trusty bat and a winning personality so everything will be safe. Rogers picks up a book and says it contains Eloise’s art and poems. He says he likes to thumb through it when he needs some comfort. Roni tells him to get a hobby and he leaves with a roll of his eyes.

(Weirdest book club ever)

Henry offers to bring the box inside but Roni stops him. She asks him why he was drinking with Ivy the other night and he said it was nothing, just two people drinking together. She reminds him that Ivy is Victoria’s minion and he says that she wants to stand up to her mother. Roni warns her, telling him to be careful.

Sabine visits Jacinda at Mr. Cluck’s. She says she has some great news and then tells Jacinda that Victoria raised their rent. Jacinda notes that she missed pronounced “terrible” again. Sabine, though, says that she has an idea to help them not only pay their rent but earn enough money to be free of Victoria Belfrey for good. Jacinda is intrigued.

They head to the kitchen where Sabine shows off the ingredients she’s bought. She says that they all know her beignets are amazing and once everyone else does, their money problems will disappear. Jacinda asks how she afforded all the ingredients and Sabina admits she dipped into their rent jar. When pressed about how much, she confesses she used it all.

(Busted)

Rogers heads to the precinct, stopping to look at one of Eloise’s pictures. It’s a window in what appears to be a stone tower. He can’t admire it too long because he hears a commotion coming from inside the precinct. Rogers rushes inside and punches a burly dude beating on the desk officer. He explains that the guy was picked up at Pleasure Island Cabaret and was drunk. Rogers says alcohol makes some people jackasses. (Get it?) The drunk is handcuffed and Rogers notices a strange tattoo on his arm—a wheel with some weird markings on it. He opens Eloise’s journal and realizes she drew the same design—is burly dude associated with her kidnapping?

(A sign or just a hipster tattoo?)

Jacinda is not sure that Mr. Cluck’s is the right place for Sabine’s plot but Sabine points out that Louie is out of town. So Jacinda insists that she can’t take such a risk because she needs to get Lucy back. Sabine says that Lucy is the reason they need to take this risk—that they are family and so they need to fight like hell for each other. Jacinda takes a deep breath and agrees to help her friend. Sabine is happy and says they will get the bitch off their backs soon enough.

(Jacinda believes this crazy scheme might just work)

In the Enchanted Forest, a cloaked Tiana approaches a camp full of peasants. She approaches one woman who recognizes her. Tiana tries to claim she isn’t who the woman thinks she is but the people circle her. They plead with her to help him and she grows frightened until the people are called off. A well dressed man welcomes her and tips his hat as he introduces himself as Dr. Facilier. He tells her to come with him.

(DAMN!)

Tiana enters Facilier’s tent and he says that she’s looking for a prince. She asks him how he knew that and he says that he has friends on the other side. When he asks them something, they tell him things. He dumps out of a bowl of different colored bones and starts telling Tiana’s story—a princess who grow up surrounded by wealth thanks to her loving father. But then he died and the king started to drain away the riches of those in the kingdom. So Tiana is looking for a prince who will be the strong leader the people need. Tiana says she can’t pay him and he says her smile will be payment enough. He then tells her that she will meet the prince she seeks that night when she follows the sign of the red crow.

(Come on, props department. You can do better)

Ivy enters her mother’s office, complaining about all the places she had to go to get everything on Victoria’s list. She says she’s behind on her emails and that she smells like she just got back from Burning Man. Victoria doesn’t care, though, and tells Ivy to stop whining. She says that being her daughter doesn’t grant Ivy job security and she would gladly trade her in for a real assistant. She tells Ivy to start earning her job title as she gets on the elevator, letting the doors close on Ivy.

Storming back to her desk, Ivy watches the security footage. She sees her mother open a secret compartment and use her thumb print to access a secret floor. Intrigued, she calls Henry and leaves a voicemail saying that if he still wants dirt on her mother, she knows where to start.

(Time for revenge!)

Henry goes to Roni’s and says that Ivy has some dirt on her mother for him. Roni warns him to stay away from Ivy and to continue to pursue Jacinda, saying he’s genuine but Ivy isn’t. He says that she isn’t his mother (ha!) and then heads off, saying he needs to use the bathroom—unless she wants to hold his hand for that. While he’s gone, he gets a text from Ivy asking him to meet her in the Belfrey Development lobby. Roni responds and then deletes the conversation so Henry is none the wiser.

(Oh, Roni)

Meanwhile, Sabine is hard at work making her beignets. She puts them in white paper bags and delivers them to the front, where Jacinda is serving a long line of customers. She asks where everyone is coming from and Sabine says she advertised online as a pop up, one day only thing. She says her mother always said the way to attract a crowd was to have a crowd. Lucy then enters and says she saw it on her ballet teacher’s phone. She also lied to her grandmother so she could come visit and pulls out a stamp of a firefly. She stamps a bag and says that she remembered how Sabine says she used to wish on fireflies. Sabine says she loves it and asks Lucy to stamp it on all the bags as their logo.

(Aww)

Jacinda pulls Sabine aside and says that her idea is working. She says they could set up stands at the local farmer’s market but Sabine wants them to have their own food truck. She says they could park it outside festivals and other places to build their customer base and make more money. For the first time in what appears to be a long time, both women believe they might actually win.

Tiana thinks she’s been had as she’s never heard of a red crow. But she spots some crows overhead and they take off. She follows them into a nearby village, where they lead her to a pub. It’s called the Crimson Crow and she figures that’s where she will meet her prince, so she heads inside.

As she walks around, she thinks it’s a dead end. She turns to head out but a man in a top hat stops her, mentioning her family’s auction and then asking for her earrings. She hesitates but a man pulls a sword, demanding the man bow to her. Mr. Top Hat is like “She’s hardly a princess” and Sir Sword is like “She is still a lady.” He also threatens to cut off Mr. Top Hat’s legs, so he bows to Tiana and then runs off.

(Here he comes to save the day!)

Sir Sword introduces himself as Prince Marius but then says Tiana can call him something I couldn’t catch (maybe Robert?). She thanks him and they flirt a bit. He offers to help her and asks her out to dinner. Tiana happily accepts.

Victoria tries one of the beignets. I’m not sure who she sent to get it but given Lucy’s gift of a flower a couple episodes ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if she got the beignet for her grandmother. Victoria seems to enjoy it before calling someone named Ralph. She says she has a job for him and asks if he knows the place selling beignets. She then orders him to wreck it.

It’s a Wreck-It Ralph reference!

Rogers interrogates the man from earlier, showing him Eloise’s book and asking if he had anything to do with her kidnapping. The man says that he was locked up when she was kidnapped and that he got the tattoo because someone told him the rune protected from bad things. Rogers decides he’s not getting any answers so he starts to leave. The man asks what’s going to happen to him and Rogers says there won’t be any charges pressed against him so he’ll be out in ten minutes. The man then warns Rogers that the drawing is of a powerful rune and if Eloise drew it, he wouldn’t want to know what evil she was dealing with.

(He looks so sincere)

Jacinda thanks Sabine for pushing her to take a risk. Sabine says that they are on fire and Jacinda sniffs the air, hoping her friend didn’t mean that literally. They rush to the kitchen to find it on fire and when it’s clear they can’t fight it, Jacinda tells Sabine they need to get out. Sabine grabs a metal cash box and pulls the fire alarm on her way out, after taking the classic pause to watch her dreams go up in flames route.

(Burn, baby, burn)

Tiana and Marius stand on the balcony of her palace and he praises the view, thanking her for sharing it with him. He says he’s enjoyed their evening together. She thanks him and they head inside. He spots her father’s medal and she explains it contains the Firefly Ruby. She tells Marius that her father started as a cook in the army but ended up facing the enemy when they stormed his camp. It earned him his medal and Eudora’s love, which Tiana says turned him into a king. Prince Marius studies it before putting it back, bidding Tiana a goodnight. He asks to see her again the next night and she agrees, giddy.

She turns and realizes her father’s medal is gone. Realizing Marius stole it, she stops him and then presses him against the wall. She takes the medal back and asks why he stole it. He says that Facilier made him and she wonders why a prince is mixed up with him. Marius admits he isn’t a prince and deceived her on Facilier’s orders, saying that it was the only way to get his true love back so he can break the curse on them with True Love’s kiss. Tiana throws him out, saying she never wants to see him again.

(Don't mess with Tiana)

Tiana broods on the balcony as fireflies light up the night sky. Her mother tries to give her a glass of lemonade but Tiana rejects it. She says she’s been so focused on her fine things, she didn’t realize how bad it was for everyone else until she saw all the beggars. Eudora says that she shielded Tiana from how bad things had gotten for the kingdom and then says that she did her a disservice when she sent her to find a prince. She says they don’t need a prince because everything they need is in Tiana, who is her father’s true legacy—not the medal. Eudora knows that Tiana will figure out what to do if she just listens to her heart.

(In Tiana we trust)

Firefighters remove furniture and other items from Mr. Cluck’s burnt out store as Sabine watches across the street. Lucy hugs her and says she was worried. Sabine says she was glad Lucy wasn’t there. Jacinda then rips into Sabine for letting her hope they could have something better and instead doing something foolish that could cost her everything. Lucy tries to get her mother to back off but Jacinda refuses. So Sabine hands Jacinda the box and says that there’s rent for two months in there. She says it should be enough time for Jacinda to find a new job and a new roommate. Lucy tries to stop Sabine but Jacinda holds her as Sabine walks off.

(Ouch, Jacinda)

During this rant, Jacinda calls herself a “realist” but she’s not. She’s a pessimist and I’m not sure the writers realize the difference. Jacinda only sees the bad—the restaurant burned down, even though it probably had nothing to do with them because they weren’t in the kitchen and it seemed they were working the deep fryers, which didn’t appear to be where the fire started. She seems to be ignoring the fact that Sabine’s plan did work—they had customers and they earned enough for two months of rent payments. A realist would’ve realized that there was something to this plan, that it wasn’t just some pie-in-the-sky dream. And it doesn’t paint Jacinda in a good light that this setback that really isn’t a setback would be enough for her to end a friendship over. It just seems the show isn’t trying to paint Jacinda in a good light, which is strange since she should be the heroine. It might’ve been justified if they lost the money in having to pay Louie or something, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Jacinda just rips into Sabine when things seem to be okay.

Ivy puts on some lipstick but Roni tells her not to waste her time because Henry’s not coming. She’s running interference because she doesn’t want to see him hurt in Ivy’s quest to take something else from her sister. Ivy reminds Roni that Jacinda is her stepsister and that based on conversations with Henry, she wouldn’t be taking anything. Roni pushes back and Ivy insists that she’s risking a lot by defying her mother—she could end up cleaning her mother’s toilets for real. So Roni asks her what she has and Ivy says she’ll show her, brandishing a keycard and heading toward the elevator.

(Roni still has some reservations)

Roni and Ivy take the elevator to the secret room. They walk through it but there is no sign of the Witch. Ivy does find the tea set and repeats her complaint about having to go all over the city to find the ingredients. Regina notes it wasn’t a tea party of one and asks who else was up there. Ivy says her mother is always alone when she comes up here. She sighs, saying it was a waste of time but something catches Roni’s eye. She approaches a secret hiding place and opens it, finding a picture inside. It startles her and she is knocked speechless as Ivy watches her.

(Is it blackmail worthy material?)

Lucy pleads with Sabine not to leave but Sabine says she has to go. She says she’ll crash on her mother’s couch and that she has to grow up, realizing that some times you have to let go of your dreams and accept that the bad guys win. Lucy tries to tell her that she’s doing what her grandmother wants and that Sabine isn’t growing up but running away. Sabine though seems set on leaving and moving on from her dream.

(Serious talk time)

There is just so much dissonance. Yes, the restaurant caught on fire but it doesn’t seem like Sabine or Jacinda have to pay for any damages—as I said. Before the fire, they were doing a good business and everyone seemed to love her beignets. It’s not like the health inspector shut them down or Victoria spread a rumor that there was something awful in the beignets. Then I could see why she would want to give up her dream. This makes no sense as it is—she proved her dream could work. She could say she needs to chase it but doesn’t think she can do it in Hyperion Heights. That would make more sense than this. I get that the writers are having Victoria try to destroy Lucy’s belief but they are doing a poor job.

Tiana returns to Facilier’s tent, where he is making a voodoo doll. She gives him the medal, telling him he can have it. He asks what she wants in return and she says she wants the woman he took. Facilier laughs, pointing to a nearby frog and marveling that she’s giving up the medal for a simple frog. He says that the medal has some magic—transforming a cook into a prince and now a sheltered princess into a woman willing to give up something valuable for someone she never met. Tiana says that the medal didn’t do that—it was inside her all along. She just needed to find it. The medal is not magic.

Facilier laughs, taking the ruby out of the setting. He says that he’s been trapped between this world and another, less pleasant, world for a long time and the ruby is his freedom from that existence. He holds it and it shines before the tent starts to shake and the screen turns weird. It snaps back to normal and Facilier laughs, saying he’s going to keep the jewel and the frog. Tiana pulls her sword but he sticks the voodoo doll, causing a pain in her leg. Facilier declares that he is back and looks overjoyed. Despite her pain, Tiana manages to overturn his table. It causes the pain to stop and she pulls her sword again as she picks up the frog. She says she’s leaving with the frog and that she doesn’t want to deal with him every again. Facilier laughs and uses the jewel to disappear.

(Tiana triumphant)

Jacinda runs up to Sabine as she leaves, saying Lucy called her and talked some sense into her. She apologizes for going off on Sabine and that it was uncalled for (it was). Jacinda says that Sabine is always there when the world punches her down to help her back up and she forgot that sometimes, Sabine needs that too. It seems Jacinda realized that you know what, their scheme actually worked so she decided to take a risk—she bought them a food truck. Rogers helped her out by introducing her to the good deals at the impound lot. Sabine is surprised she spent all the rent money on it but Jacinda is excited for their next adventure. The two hug, reconciled.

(All's well that ends well)

Tiana finds Marius in the bayou and he asks if she’s come to arrest him. She apologizes and says that she didn’t need to find a hero, she needed to be a hero. Tiana then gives him his love. She explains that the king is going to have a ball to find his son a bride soon so the gates to the palace will be open. She hopes to get in and get things rolling against the king. Marius says that it sounds like she has a plan and she invites him to join her—along with his ladylove, once he kisses her.

Marius looks awkward and then says that he may have mislead Tiana about his ladylove earlier. He takes the frog out of the cage and places it in Tiana’s hand. He thanks her and says they won’t forget her before kissing the frog. Then he turns into a frog—meaning he was cursed, not his ladylove—and they hop off. Tiana says they are welcome and smiles at their reunion.

(A prince and his princess)

Sabine enters the police station and gives Rogers a bag of her beignets, saying they’re for him and his buddies. She thanks him for his help in getting the food truck and he warns her that they got it in a drug bust, so she probably wants to give it a very thorough cleaning. Rogers than says that the fire was deliberate but the cameras were destroyed. However, he says they both know who was behind it. Sabine takes one of her beignets and says that the person had help since she wouldn’t want to get her clothes dirty. Rogers is glad they are on the same page.

(Meeting of the minds)

Across the street, the man arrested earlier makes a call. He tells whoever picks up that they have a problem—someone is looking for the missing girl. He then walks away.

They’ve taken Instagram and just renamed it. And on this Not!Instagram, Sabine has posted a picture of her and Jacinda hanging out on their new food truck. The camera pulls back to reveal Victoria is looking at it and Ivy comes in, saying it looks like her mother had a bad day and asking if there was anything she could do. Victoria says that she always hoped that she would have a daughter who she could lean on one day but makes it pretty clear that she doesn’t consider Ivy that. She repeats that Ivy is a disappointment and she wishes her daughter could see all the ways she is destined to fail. She tells Ivy to think about that and fix her makeup before leaving.

Ouch.

(This is a gorgeous shot)

Henry meets up with Roni at her place, asking why she wanted to see him. She confesses to answering the text he got from Ivy and meeting her instead. Before he can say anything, she says she knows it was wrong but that she wanted to know if they could trust Ivy. He asks what she concluded and Roni says she’s not sure but there’s a bigger issue. She shows him the picture she found, which is of Regina and little Henry from like Season 1, taken in Storybrooke. She says it’s her but she doesn’t know where it was taken and she insists she never owned clothes like that before (oh, Roni, if you only knew!) nor does she know who the kid is. Henry says he does and reveals it’s him. They stare at each in disbelief.

(Look at baby Jared)

Ivy heads back up to the secret room and she looks around when the Witch appears behind her. She lets out a cry and knocks over the tea set, breaking the cup. Ivy snaps at the Witch as she cleans up and the Witch says Ivy was the one who asked her to hide. Ivy says she just wanted the Witch to hide from Roni and the Witch asks if she trusts Ivy. Ivy thinks she trusts her as much as her mother does and the Witch praises her for making Victoria think she’s actually in charge. Ivy says she’s clever and the Witch agrees. Ivy says that the Witch will keep demanding her tea and keeping up the charade. The Witch promises to do that and once again praises Ivy, which she laps up. But Ivy has one demand—to be called Drizella.

Yep, she ‘s awake!

Well, that was an interesting take on The Princess and the Frog—the princess saved the cursed frogs, who were really frogs. The lesson to be learned by Tiana was pretty obvious—she didn’t need a prince, she could be a hero on her own—but Mekia Cox made the journey enjoyable. And Robin Givens was great as Eudora!

I’ve already said everything about how weak the Hyperion Heights plot featuring Sabine and Jacinda, so let’s move on…

We’re seeing some movement on Rogers’ missing girl case. Who was the man on the phone with? Is Eloise alive?

And it looks like Drizella may be the puppet master. Why would she cast the curse and make her mother think she’s really in charge? Why would she then allow herself to be subjected to all that cruelty? What is she cooking up with the Witch? Hmm…

Next time: Roni and Henry try to figure out what the picture means.