OUAT: Wake Up Call

Last time on “Once:” Hook made it from Agrabah to a little village by the sea, finding Blackbeard there. He played him for a magic bean so Hook could get back to Emma, betting the Jolly Roger. He lost because Blackbeard cheated but Hook had an ace up his sleeve (not literally, though). Since he didn’t have the Roger, Blackbeard had to give him the bean so they could get it.


In Storybrooke, Regina worked to try to undo the sleeping curse but was having no luck. Henry offered to help her but they were sidetracked when he went into a trance, writing some strange things down. They had to go to Isaac to get help and he agreed to do it provided Regina freed him so he could get out of town. He said that Henry’s author powers were taking over and they were going to get worse.


Meanwhile, Emma agreed to help Gideon stop the Black Fairy if he brought back Hook. He took her to the Sorcerer’s mansion so that they could open a portal but instead of a pirate, a giant spider came through. It chased after them and they ran, trying to find a place to hide. However, the spider soon found them and Gideon betrayed Emma, leaving her to the spider so that he could drain her powers and open the portal so the Black Fairy could enter that dimension.


We got a glimpse of Gideon’s childhood with the Black Fairy. He stole back the book Belle left for him, reading from it to his friend Roger until the Black Fairy caught them. She decided to show Gideon he wasn’t a hero by giving him the option of saving Roger when she tortured him. But Gideon was a scared child and so he hid instead.


Gideon grew up and the Black Fairy tested him again. He was reunited with Roger, who told him of a Savior who could defeat the Black Fairy and her nefarious plans. The two of them tried to summon the Savior but the Black Fairy interrupted them, disappointed that Gideon failed. She turned Roger into a bug and then squashed him before taking Gideon’s heart, controlling him.


Emma almost died but Rumple saved her, helping her defeat the spider. Snow and Belle joined them as Emma told Rumple that his son was no good, that she couldn’t save him. He told her that she was making a mistake and Emma reminded him that she didn’t start this. Snow and Emma left as Belle wondered if Gideon was really a lost cause. Rumple believed he wasn’t especially as he was far away from the Black Fairy’s influence.


Except he wasn’t as even Emma’s brief brush with death was enough to open a bit enough hole for the Black Fairy to come through. She’s in Storybrooke and she has plans.


Hook and Blackbeard ended up in Neverland and the Lost Boys were not happy to see them. They chased the two pirates to a beach, where Blackbeard knocked out Hook and stole the only rowboat. Hook came to in time to see his frenemy row away without him. With the Lost Boys closing in, he ran off again.


Regina gave in to Isaac’s demands, though not completely. He was allowed to leave Storybrooke but in a minivan rather than a sports car and sans tickets to Hamilton. (Which apparently was a thing because the writers no doubt forgot their own timeline and the fact the show is still currently in 2015 at best). Before he left, Isaac told her and Henry that his powers were acting up because they were nearing the end of the book and the final battle was near. He warned them to leave the town too.


Can things get any worse?


Let’s find out!


Hook is still running from the Lost Boys as the episode opens. He takes a tumble down a hill that allows the Boys to surround him. Realizing he was cornered, he offered to tell them where he had hidden his treasures and rum but they just want him to suffer for what happened to Pan. Hook sighs and pulls his sword, ready to fight them. He tells them that he has someone waiting for him and so they need to make this quick.

(Hook is reunited with his first love, Floor)

OUAT: There's Always a Giant Spider

Last time on “Once:” Hook was desperate to find his way back to Storybrooke after Gideon sent the Nautilus into another realm. However, they needed kraken blood. Their quest for it brought Hook back to Jasmine and Aladdin, who were still searching for Agrabah. Jasmine finally confessed that Jafar took Agrabah so they hope finding him will help all of them.

When the Nautilus started to sink, Jasmine wished them to where Jafar was. They landed by a Tiki shack that turned out to be owned by Ariel, who had an adventure with Jasmine years ago!

The Sultan tried to marry off Jasmine in order to secure a neighboring kingdom’s army to help fight Jafar. Jafar, though, showed up and turned one prince into a fancy walking stick. He then revealed that Aladdin was a broken hero and that Jasmine’s only chance to save her people was to marry him. Jasmine refused but he gave her to sundown to either accept his offer or defeat him. Otherwise, Agrabah would be destroyed.

While wandering through Agrabah, Jasmine encountered a merchant who chased after a street rat. Hoping it was Aladdin, she gave chase and saved Ariel when the merchant roughed her up. Ariel revealed she was there to find Prince Eric and Jasmine wanted to make a deal with him to use his navy. In the middle of the desert. Just go with it.

Jasmine introduced Ariel to the flying carpet and Ariel discovered she had a fear of heights as they fly out to a caravan outside the city. They found Eric…but it was really Jafar in disguise. Time had run out so Jasmine had to choose—her city or marriage to him. Tick tock. Ariel tried to convince Jasmine to use some magic she took from Jafar against him but she decided to marry him instead. She gave him a ring containing the prized jewel of the kingdom. Jafar revealed he just wanted the ring because it contained magic that protected Agrabah. With it, he made the city disappear.

Ariel revealed she had a lamp and they realized that Jafar became a genie. They planned to use their wishes to make him do what they wanted but once Jasmine freed him, he broke the curse. He put Aladdin, Ariel and Hook under a sleeping spell and taunted Jasmine. She got him to reveal that Agrabah was in her ring, though, before she got the upper hand and turned him into a fancy walking stick. Jasmine and Aladdin released Agrabah using True Love’s Kiss and Ariel let Hook use her shellphone in order to contract Emma.

Emma, meanwhile, was doing her best to avoid feeling anything about Hook leaving. So Regina of all people had to plot to do so by tricking Emma to having a girls’ night out at Storybrooke’s newest bar. Drunk!Snow stole the show while Aesop got Emma to finally talk about her feelings. She had a good cry, had some alcohol and then went home to put Hook’s things in storage. She received his call and learned the truth.

Aesop showed up and revealed that he was really Gideon in disguise. He said that since he now had Emma’s tears, he could make sure Hook could never return home to Storybrooke. In order to save Hook, Emma needed to help him destroy the Black Fairy. Reluctantly, she agreed.

We open with a shot of the Black Fairy flying through some clouds. She carries a sleeping baby in a carrier and it’s pretty obvious that it’s baby Gideon. She soars through some mines as people look at her in fear and surprise. When she lands, a young woman asks if the baby is another child to work in the mines. The Black Fairy says the baby is different and calls him precious. The young woman, who kinda looks like Drew Barrymore in Ever After, says she’ll take care of him like he was her own. The Black Fairy isn’t pleased and tells her to take care of him like he was her (the Black Fairy’s) own. Drew Barrymore lookalike takes out a book and we see Belle’s message to Gideon. The Black Fairy takes it and tells the baby that he won’t need the book before calling him Gideon, in case we had any doubts by now.

(Aww. He's adorable)

OUAT: A Million Miles Away

Last time on “Once:” The Evil Queen and Regina had their final showdown. Queenie recruited Robin to help her with her plan, having him dig up the golden shearers and then using her as bait to lure Regina to her office. Regina went and Queenie used the shears to separate each other for good. They battled in the mayor’s office until Regina got the upper hand. Before she could crush Queenie’s heart, she was reminded of an episode from her past.

After failing once again to capture Snow White, Regina came face to face with Tinkerbell. The former fairy told Regina that she was scared to love and that’s why she hadn’t gone to find the Man with the Lion Tattoo. Regina laid into her and then spared her life as some sort act of mercy to impress the villagers, to turn them from supporting Snow White.

Her father, though, was paying attention. Wanting to find happiness for Regina, he told her that he knew of a way for her to get revenge on Snow White. He brought her to a grove enchanted by Cupid before admitting he really wanted to help her find the person she loved the most. Regina, though, created a potion that made the arrow find the person she hated the most instead. That person?

Herself.

So Regina decided to end the cycle of self-hatred and embraced Queenie’s darkness. Pressing their hearts together, she took on some of it while giving Queenie some of her light. She put the hearts back in their respective chests, giving Queenie a new lease on life. Queenie apologized and gave up on vengeance, realizing she needed a some place where she could start over. Regina recruited Henry, who sent her to the wish realm. Queenie reunited with Robin and the two shared a drink.

Outlaw Queen lives on.

Elsewhere, Emma showed off her engagement to everyone and gushed over being engaged. Snow wanted to plan the wedding but Emma said she and Hook were waiting until they defeated Gideon and the threat of Emma dying wasn’t hanging over them. Meanwhile, Hook was agonizing over not telling Emma about killing her grandfather and got some excellent advice from Captain Nemo.

He didn’t take it.

Instead, he put his memories into a dreamcatcher and tried to burn it. Emma caught him and was more upset that he didn’t talk to her about it than the fact he killed her grandfather. She told him she thought he was ready for marriage, ready to rely on her but she guessed he wasn’t. Emma gave him back the ring. Heartbroken, Hook asked to join Nemo on his next voyage so he could become the man Emma deserved. Nemo welcomed him aboard.

Before they could shove off, Snow told Hook about Regina redeeming Queenie and told him that sometimes even villains can be redeemed through love. It struck a chord with Hook, who told Nemo he was going to stay and try to repair things with Emma. Nemo wished him luck as the Nautilus began to dive. Gideon revealed he was sending the vessel—and Hook—far away because he needed Emma to be alone for his plan. He magicked himself out and watched from the shore as Hook disappeared beneath the water.

Meanwhile, Emma went home and realized that Hook had left her. She turned off her porch light and went to nurse her broken heart.

Emma watches her father pace the loft as he tries to process the fact that Hook killed his father. She apologizes for having to tell him this way and he asks why Hook didn’t have the guts to tell him himself. Emma tells David about her fight with Hook and says that Leroy spotted him boarding the Nautilus. She says he watched it go out to sea, taking Hook with it. David hugs her, comforting his brokenhearted daughter.

OUAT: Regina Embraces Herself

Last time on “Once:” Rumple captured Gideon and promised to help him, not wanting to see him turn to darkness. They discovered that the sword could only be reforged using the magic of the one who made it—the Blue Fairy. Gideon caught his fairy godmother but Rumple drained her magic, saving his son from the darkness. He kept the Blue Fairy in a catatonic state, hoping to restore her magic once he and Belle save Gideon.

In flashbacks, we met Beowulf, from one of the first Anglo-Saxon epics. He led an army against the ogres but were soundly defeated. Beowulf was about to be killed when Rumple showed up, using his powers as the Dark One to destroy all the ogres and end the First Ogres’ War. He was hailed as a hero by all—especially Bae—but Beowulf warned he was really a monster.

As villagers gave Bae a hard time due to his father, they came to ask Rumple for his help. They told of a monster called Grendel terrorizing nearby villages and that it killed all the warriors they sent to fight it. So they hoped Rumple would be able to do so. He and Bae set out to find him and Rumple admitted to feeling tempted to use his magic. He entrusted his dagger to Bae and promised to prove to everyone he wasn’t a monster.

Father and son discovered Grendel was really Beowulf. He was going to pin everything on Rumple, turning the villagers against him and letting Beowulf to be a hero again. Rumple tried to reason with him, tried to bring him to the village to prove he was the real Grendel, but Beowulf kept taunting him. Finally, Bae grew so angry, he ordered his father to kill the man and he did.

The darkness started to claim Bae so Rumple made him forget about what happened. Bae then believed his father had given in and ran away, repulsed by the monster he thought Rumple had become.

Meanwhile, Robin made an alliance with Zelena to break out of Storybrooke. They tried to use magic he stole from Regina to break the protection spell on the town line but it didn’t work. Regina caught them and she had it out with Robin. She then agreed to help him get out of dodge, as it were, and he thanked her. Later, she and Zelena had a conversation where she took responsibility for her actions as the Evil Queen. They then discovered Snake!Queen had escaped. The snake found Robin, bit him and turned back into Queenie. She immediately began flirting with him and he seemed intrigued.

Hook spent his day drinking at Granny’s, telling Archie that he was debating telling Emma he killed her grandfather or not. He said he wasn’t the man she deserved but Archie disagreed. Finally, Hook went home to discover Emma had found the ring. She told him yes but he still asked…without revealing his big secret.

Uh oh.

We open in the Enchanted Forest. Two children run into a cabin and then the black guards surround it. The Queen’s carriage pulls up and she asks where Snow White is. One guard tells her that Snow was spotted going into the cabin early that morning and there’s been no movement since. She orders him to gather the villagers so they can see what happens to their princess. Her father pleads with her, saying that killing Snow won’t endear the people to her. She doesn’t want that—she wants Snow’s heart.

Regina enters the cabin and approaches the bed where she thinks Snow is sleeping. She sticks her hand in…and comes out with a handful of straw. Regina storms out, killing a guard as she declares that Snow isn’t there. She tells the gathered villagers that they shouldn’t protect Snow because she doesn’t care for them or love them. But Regina does care and love them.

A familiar voice says that she’s lying. Everyone turns to find Tinkerbell emerging from the woods. Welcome back, Rose. Congrats on the success of iZombie! You rock as Liv! Anyway, she says that Regina doesn’t know anything about love and says she knows it because she was there when Regina threw away her chance at love. Regina asks if she should be living in a tulip somewhere. Tink ignores the dig and tells her that she’s there because it started with her. Because she showed her a future full of love with the Man with the Lion Tattoo. Tink tells Regina that he’s still out there and she should be with him. Regina replies that nobody and nothing dictates her future—especially pixie dust. Tink tells her that pixie dust only shows possibilities and it’s up to us to act on them.

So no, Regina wasn’t obligated to be with Robin. She chose to be.

Anyway, Tink’s not done. She says Regina doesn’t go after love because she feels she doesn’t deserve it. That hits a bit too close to home for Regina and she snaps at Tink. She then tells the villagers she’s going to spare Tink to prove that the pixie is wrong, that she is able to love and that she loves her people. She tells Tink to appreciate her gift.

(It's the Captain of our Ship! Hi, Tink!)

The Fate of Once Upon a Time

There’s a lot of talk about whether or not Once Upon a Time will get a seventh season and if it does, it would most certainly be different and probably not have the full cast.

Most of this started a month or so ago. Channing Dungey, the current head of ABC programming, spoke about ideas Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis were talking about for the upcoming season, including rebooting the show. She said they were still thinking about it but confirmed that the storyline that began on October 23, 2011 will be coming to a close this May. There was also talk that not everyone in the current cast would be returning, which was further fueled when Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan) went on a podcast and confirmed that her contract was up at the end of the season. She was in the middle of negotiations, though, she noted. A few weeks later, Robert Carlyle (Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold) noted he was still not sure what his status for Season 7 was and that he too was in contract negotiations while he was doing press for T2 (the Trainspotting sequel).

As we are now in the back 11 episodes of season 6, speculation is now running rampant. It grows more likely that if we get a season 7, it will be revamped and not everyone currently in the cast will be returning. Most rumors seem to agree that there are negotiations with Colin O’Donohue (Captain Hook) and Lana Parrilla (Regina/the Evil Queen). Morrison and Carlyle are also rumored to be in consideration for season 7. Rumors also say that Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White) and Josh Dallas (David Nolan/Prince Charming) aren’t going to return. There are also rumors that Jared Gilmore (Henry Mills) also won’t be asked back. Nothing has been said of Emilie de Ravin (Belle) or Rebecca Mader (Zelena/The Wicked Witch of the West).

There are two potential new cast members for season 7. First is Andrew J. West, who has been cast as a character who the casting call said is a cynical recluse who still has a spark of hope waiting for the right to person to rekindle it. Second is Alison Rodriguez, who has been cast as a young ten-year-old who is precocious and mischievous, who has had a tough life so far. Right now, they are confirmed for the season finale but if the show is picked up for another season, they are slotted to join the main cast. Naturally, there has been lots of speculation about them just like there was when Hank Harris (Dr. Jekyll) and Sam Witwer (Mr. Hyde) were cast for the season 5 finale. But this does seem to be setting up something similar to the pilot, when ten-years-old Henry found a cynical and jaded Emma.

What do I think? I think Season 7 is pretty certain and I’m growing more and more convinced the reboot is inevitable. However, I’m not thrilled with the prospect. I can understand why the writers are doing it—they probably want a fresh canvas to tell new stories, go in new directions, jumpstart their creative juices. The executives at ABC are probably hoping a new start will stop the hemorrhaging ratings and hopefully bring in new audiences (as well as bring some back).  However, I fear it might backfire on them. When I talk to people who love Once Upon a Time, most of them focus on the characters, not the storyline. So losing a good portion of the cast and rebooting the characters of the remaining ones can alienate the remaining audience.

My personal opinion is that Once Upon a Time should get a Season 7 but it should be a proper final season. There are quite a few stories that need a proper ending. More importantly, though, is that Emma was brought to Storybrooke to return the happy endings. So give us those happy endings. Give us closure. (Which is a bitter word for me right now, given that they spoke of “closure” for Outlaw Queen with the current Robin Hood arc and it’s anything but). (I still hope Regina’s happy ending features Robin Hood. I feel like I’m just asking for disappointment). Don’t introduce new people. Bring back old, familiar faces. Ruby. Archie. Granny. The Dwarves. Marco. Really wrap them up. Give them their happy endings.

So what do you think? I’m resurrecting my poll after like three years, so please vote. 

OUAT: Beowulf? Really?

Last time on “Once:” David was haunted by the ghost of his father, so he dragged Hook on a quest to discover what happened to the man. It involved a murder board, stealing ingredients from Emma, creating a potion and getting information from August that led to King George.

Meanwhile, Hook agreed to accompany David because he was worried for his friend and he wanted him to see him as more than a pirate. Especially since he bought a ring for Emma! Archie nearly lost it when he saw the ring and he encouraged Hook to ask David how he felt about Hook.

Anyway, in the Enchanted Forest, Robert and Ruth had no money for medicines for their ailing twin boys. So Rumple made them a deal—money for medicine for one while taking the other to live as a prince with King George. He made Robert flip a coin to choose which child to take—James being the winner.

Years later, the guilt over his decision drove Robert to drink. While he drowned his sorrows, King George entered the tavern to announced Prince James had been abducted. He offered a reward to anyone who brought the boy back. Robert, though, decided to go after James to bring him home to David and Ruth, so they could be a family again. Little David made his father promise to come home and stop drinking. He even gave him his lucky coin.

Rumple agreed to help Robert, directing him to Pleasure Island. There, Robert encountered Pinocchio, who helped him find James. The young prince said he ran away because he didn’t want to kill people. Robert said he would take him home instead and tried to leave with the boy. But King George found them and took James back. He then ordered Robert killed.

David felt more at peace after learning about his father’s fate. He thanked Hook, who then asked for his blessing to marry Emma. David gave it and all was well.

However, when August delivered the pages of his story he had taken back in Season 1, Hook got a nasty shock. It turned out that while King George had ordered Robert’s death, Hook had really killed Robert while robbing the king of his gold.

Uh oh.

We open in the middle of a battle. One young soldier gets overwhelmed by everything going on and tries to run for it. Another soldier stops him. The young one says that the ogres will kill them all and that they should just flee for their lives. The older one reminds him that they are the only things standing between the ogres and their homes. He pulls out a sword and says it’s been enchanted with light magic, guaranteeing its bearer victory in battle. He asks if the young soldier wants to stand and fight or be known as a coward. The young soldier agrees to fight and then calls the other soldier Beowulf.

Yep, that Beowulf.

OUAT: There's Something Rotten in Denmark

Well, Storybrooke, but if the writers are citing Hamlet, then so am I!

Last time on “Once:” Belle and Rumple reeled from the revelation that the hooded figure fated to kill Emma was their son, now all grown up after being kidnapped by the Black Fairy. He explained he needed to kill the Savior in order to free the realms from the Black Fairy and Rumple tried to help him while Belle pleaded with the heroes to give her a chance to get through to her son. David and Hook agreed, though they were determined to keep Emma safe.

Speaking of Emma, she was still trapped in the wish realm. Regina was shocked to see Robin Hood alive and well, though he robbed them. Prince Henry was also determined to capture her and make her pay for killing his grandparents. Emma believed she knew a way for them to go home.

That way? Pinocchio, all grown up and one of Princess Emma’s good friends. She asked him if he still had the wardrobe but he said his father destroyed it. But he believed he could make another one to send Emma and Regina home. Well, Emma at least as Regina decided to go off to see if Robin’s life was better without her.

She found him in the tavern and he told her that he had a great life. She believed he was happy without her and went to leave. They were then captured by the Sheriff of Nottingham and Regina learned that Robin was not an honorable thief but a common one stealing for himself. Marian died before they could marry, so he was all alone and without love. After Rumple freed them but then locked them up again, Robin admitted that he wasn’t happy. He asked her about the other Robin and she told him about his other self—including the fact he died. Still, Robin believed his other self had a good life.

He then broke them out so Regina could find Emma.

Speaking of Emma, she and Pinocchio found another enchanted tree to turn into the wardrobe. Captain Hook, though, showed up to “rescue” Princess Emma. Emma was shocked to find he was older and heavier as well as drunk. He was easily taken care of with a wave of her hand but in the process, Pinocchio’s chisel was broken. He believed he couldn’t make the wardrobe and stormed off, apologizing to Emma for letting her down.

Emma tried herself but when she found a wooden swan, she realized what she had to do. She showed it to Pinocchio, who tells her an alternate interpretation of the Ugly Ducking that she once heard as a child. Emma gave Pinocchio a pep talk and he managed to make the wardrobe. Regina showed up with Robin, who gave her a feather off his lucky arrow. She confessed she believed part of her Robin ended up living on in him and Emma convinced her to bring Robin with them. He agreed and they all headed back to Storybrooke.

In Storybrooke, Emma came face-to-face with Gideon. They fought and it seemed he got the upperhand when he got the sword from her. But despite her tremors, Emma was able to use her magic on him and shattered the sword. Rumple pleaded with her not to hurt his son, allowing Gideon to get away. Emma and Regina were reunited with their family and they prepared to save Emma while Gideon threw a teenage temper tantrum in the clock tower as his parents fretted at the well.

And thus started the second half of Season Six. Let’s continue!

It’s a dark and stormy night. A man enters a cabin and we hear two babies crying. His frantic wife asks him if he was able to get the medicine and he says he couldn’t, that he failed James and David. Yes, the woman is a younger Ruth and the man is David’s father, Robert. They don’t know what they will do.

(Babies!)

Enter Rumpelstiltskin, who throws down money to buy the medicine the boys need. However, there’s a catch. He tells them the story of King George, who has a lot of riches but no sons, and of Robert, who has no riches but two sons. Ruth pulls a knife and tells Rumple that he won’t take one of her sons, but Robert says it’s for the best. They can assure both their boys a good life that way, especially once Rumple tells them that neither would survive the winter otherwise. Rumple gives Robert a coin to flip—heads he takes David, tails he takes James. Robert tosses it and it ends up tails. Rumple takes James as his parents say their goodbyes, promising that they will always love him. Rumple warns them that they’ll never see him again and they can’t speak of this to anyone.

And then he’s gone with James, leaving David crying all alone in his crib.

When Calls the Heart

Or—why haven’t I discovered this sooner?

I mean, I remember seeing the commercials on Hallmark Channel and I remember there was a movie special that preceded it. And I knew it had something to do with history. Which usually meant I would be all over it (see: Timeless). Yet for some reason, I wasn’t. Maybe because it’s on Hallmark, so it’s easy to forget when it’s on. Just like with the Good Witch series. I’ve enjoyed all the movies and wanted to catch the TV show…I just never remembered it was on.

So what changed?

Netflix!

Yes, I’ve had Netflix for a while now. But it recommended “When Calls the Heart” for me, so I decided to give it a chance. (It also recommended “The Good Witch” series, so I’m sure I’ll finally be able to catch up on that as well).

OUAT: Let's Escape

Last time on “Once:” After an encounter with Queenie at Robin’s grave, Emma learned that the sword she found could hurt Queenie without hurting Regina. It sent Queenie spinning too and Rumple vowing to get revenge on her for what she did to Belle just added to her less-than-stellar night.

So Queenie got revenge. She stole Aladdin’s lamp and used him to send Emma to a world where she never became the Savior. Tensions rose amongst the family before Regina went to confront her other half. She realized that she and Queenie were the same, so she was Aladdin’s mistress as well. She wished herself to the dream world and he granted it.

With Regina gone as well, David decided to take matters into his own hands. He confronted Queenie and got the lamp, controlling Aladdin. He wished for Queenie to get exactly what she deserved but nothing happened. Queenie gloated that she got what she wanted—his family was falling apart. She tried to kill him but Hook and Jasmine intervened.

Later, the hooded figure emerged from Granny’s and turned her into a snake.

Meanwhile, Rumple and Belle had a talk and were horrified to learn that Blue had been attacked. She revealed that the Black Fairy had taken their son and they panicked, wondering what she was doing to him.

In the Wish Realm, Princess Emma celebrated her birthday with her loving parents and the entire court. The Enchanted Forest was prosperous and peaceful, thanks to Snow and Charming banishing the Evil Queen years ago. However, Princess Emma had been having strange dreams and found a sword under her bed. Snow waved it off and Henry figured it was for his knighting ceremony. It seemed even this wish realm, Neal was around…and died. Emma decided to put everything out of her mind and focus on Henry’s big day.

Regina arrived in the Wish Realm and freaked out the dwarves when they thought the Evil Queen returned. She then came across Emma in the woods, surprised at how docile she was as Snow and Charming threatened Regina. Regina poofed back to her castle where she found Rumpelstiltskin. He gave her some advice before making a deal with her for his freedom. As he went to find her a magic bean, she went to remind Emma that she was the Savior.

Henry was knighted and Regina burst in, much like she did at the Snowing wedding. She demanded that Emma find a hero who could fight her before kidnapping the Charmings. Emma then showed up at the Winter Palace, surrendering the kingdom to Regina. Frustrated, Regina crushed Snowing’s hearts in an attempt to get through to Emma. Nothing worked until Henry promised to avenge his grandparents, almost killing a docile Regina. Emma used her magic to stop him, jolted from her wish realm.

In Storybrooke, Rumple and Belle learned the figure under the hood—the one destined to kill Emma—was their son, all grown up.

In the Wish Realm, Rumple came through with a magic bean. Regina and Emma threw it down and a portal opened. But they are then waylaid by Robin Hood—very much alive and very much trying to rob them. Regina was shocked to see her soulmate again and as Emma tried to get her to leave, she refused to move. The portal closed, leaving them trapped.

We open in Minneapolis in 1990. Little Emma sits around a fire in an alley. She tears pages out of a book and throws them in, trying to stay warm in the harsh weather.

A male voice tells her not to tear out the story of “The Ugly Duckling.” She says she’s trying to stay warm and he asks her what she’s doing out there. Little Emma replies that she ran away from a lousy group home. She goes to rip the story again but he tells her again not to. We then see a dark-haired teenage boy who tells her that fairy tales are about transformations and belief. He says the duckling believed he was a swan so much, he became one. Emma points out that that’s not what the story is about—the duckling was always a swan. (She’s right). But he says he likes his interpretation between because it means we can become whoever we believe we are. He asks her if this what she believes is her destiny and says that she’ll find her home one day.

We next see little Emma sipping hot chocolate (with cinnamon!) at Child Services. A woman asks her how long she’s been on the streets and Emma replies a few nights. She’s then asked her name and she gives it as “Emma Swan.” Thus we now know where Emma got her last name.

(I thought it had been established that it was the name of the foster family who originally adopted her but gave her up when they had a child of their own. Or was that fanon I mistook for canon?)

(Look at baby Emma!)

The Last Five Years: A Movie Musical

Let’s rewind to 2004. I was a high school senior who was already very obsessed with Broadway musicals. And the biggest one that year was, of course, Wicked. One of the male stars of the musical was Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero). A classmate of mine had a huge crush on him and she told me about his other work, including “The Last Five Years.” When I went to college, I discovered a great music store in the nearby mall who had a great Broadway selection. I found “The Last Five Years” and I bought it.

And I loved it.

So I was excited to hear there was a movie version coming out. Okay, I’ll be honest—I’m always excited to hear about a new movie musical.

However, I never found someone to go see it with nor the time to go on my own. So I had to wait for it to come on Netflix, which it has.

SPOILER GODDESS!

Hello, 2017!

It's a New Year! So I want to wish all my readers a happy and healthy one! May all your favorite characters survive the season, may your couples be relatively angst-free and may all your favorite shows make it to the next season.

Cheers!

OUAT: Come Back

Last time on “Once:” Gold sent a message to Belle by aging a fairy. She realized he was going to use the dust on her to accelerate her pregnancy and force her to give birth so he could cut their son from his fate. Because, you know, the accelerated pregnancy plot worked so well last season with Zelena.

Emma and Hook promised to help Belle. After talking with her son in the dream world, she showed them a book that had squid ink. Hook and Emma used it to freeze Gold and they tried to get the shearers. But Emma was knocked back by her vision. While Hook was helping her, Gold got free and went to find Belle.

Belle pleaded with Gold not to use the dust on her and then stood her ground, telling him that if he used it, he would lose her forever. She asked him if he was willing to chance that. He left without dosing her with the dust.

Later, though, Belle has some tea and soon finds her pregnancy accelerated until she is in labor. Emma and Hook take her to the fairies, who put up a forcefield that manages to keep Gold away from her until she gives birth. In the dream world, her son told Belle that she knew what she had to do to keep him safe and Belle gave the boy, named Gideon, to Blue for safekeeping. She made Blue his fairy godmother and Blue took Gideon far away. Belle told Gold she would never forgive him and he vowed to find their son.

In flashbacks, Rumpelstiltskin stole a baby and had Belle take care of him. He revealed he was going to use the baby for something and that it was no doubt dangerous. Belle worked to figure out what it was, falling into Rumple’s trap when she deciphered an incantation to summon the Black Fairy for him. He took the incantation, took the baby and locked her up so she couldn’t stop him. Blue rescued her and revealed that the Black Fairy used to protect children but now she kidnaps and tortures them. She sent Belle to stop Rumple.

Rumple summoned the Black Fairy and stunned her with squid ink. He revealed that she was his mother but she abandoned him. She said she had to make choices for power and then flew off when the ink wore off. Belle rescued the baby and returned him to his parents.

In other news, Jasmine decided to use the Genie lamp but there was no genie. Aladdin put on the shackles and became the new genie of the lamp in order to help her. Queenie was sent to kill Zelena but Regina intervened. She and Rumple then fought, leading Queenie to be the one to dose Belle. So now she’s on Rumple’s hit list.

Uh oh.

It’s late at night but Hook, Emma and Regina walk toward the vault. Hooks asks if she has something that can destroy the sword and Regina replies they don’t want to destroy the sword. They want to analyze it. He doesn’t understand since it’s supposed to kill Emma. Emma reminds him that the person wielding it is supposed to kill her. So if they can figure out anything from the sword, they want to do that first. Then they can worry about destroying things, Regina tells him.

(Excuse me while my Outlaw Queen heart explodes)

OUAT: Bye, Bye Baby

Last time on “Once:” Snow and David adjusted to life under the new sleeping curse. They took turns under it and it seemed Baby Neal didn’t get any sleep with his parents doing split shifts. It eventually took its toll on them and they grew weary of living apart while still sharing the same space.

Belle teamed up with Zelena in order to protect her unborn son, asking her to send her to another realm to get away from her husband. Zelena was willing but needed the Apprentice’s wand to do so. So they asked Aladdin to get it for them. He agreed.

Emma and Regina tried to trap Queenie in the land behind the mirror but she flipped the script and captured them instead. Hook caught onto it early but Queenie knocked him out and continued masquerading as Regina around Henry.

Henry was already nervous because Snow was throwing a dance at school and Violet had been distant lately. It didn’t help that he realized Queenie was masquerading as his mom and he had to go help her at the same time. Violet helped him escape as he went to the vault. Queenie met him there, revealing Emma and Regina were trapped with the Dragon. She turned him into a real dragon and told Henry he had to crush the Dragon’s heart to save him. He broke the mirror instead and a shot of flames helped free Regina and Emma. Hook showed up to help and Queenie left, defeated for now.

Aladdin got the wand for Zelena and stole the genie’s lamp to see if he and Jasmine could get help from it to save Agrabah.

Zelena almost sent Belle away but Gold interfered, putting a tracking device on his wife and insisting it was out of love. Zelena scoffed at that and when he tried to choke her, Gold suffered a heart attack. It seemed that thanks to what she did for him in New York back in Season 4, if he tried to kill her, he’ll die. He left, angrier than before.

So when Queenie showed up to commiserate with him, he asked her to kill Zelena.

One of the sisters runs through a basement of some sort before she is stopped by Gold. She tells him that the Mother Superior will stop him but he insists none of them can stop him now. With a flick of his hand, he ties her to a pole.

Queenie shows up, asking him what his deal is with the fairies. He doesn’t really answer, instead asking her what she’s doing there. She says she thought they were a team and he reminds her if that was so, she would’ve killed Zelena already. Queenie doesn’t think he really expects her to kill her flesh and blood but he does. He says it’s the only thing standing between them and a fresh start together. Queenie still looks torn and asks about Belle. He says he realizes she’ll never accept him for who he really is and that it’s over between them.

He then turns back to the fairy and says he’s going to use her to send a message. Gold tosses some dust on her and she ages before our eyes. Queenie pretends to be shocked while Gold just stands there and smugs.

(Sr. Granny)

Christmas Cookies

Successful business woman has lost the Christmas spirit when she is sent to make a deal with the owner of a wildly popular cookie factory known for their Christmas goodies. And of course, the owner is cute and single. Whatever will happen?

I told you. These things are formulaic. But with the right characters and actors, it can still seem fresh.

Does this one? Let’s find out!

Upstate…somewhere…is a little town called Cookie Jar. It is home to Aunt Sally’s Christmas Cookies, a little factory that makes delicious cookies and treats only at Christmas. People flock to the town, which lives for Christmas, and enjoy the cookies.

Meanwhile, Hannah (Jill Wagner) had lost that Christmas feeling. She’s not a complete Scrooge but she’s just not into the holiday. Especially when her boyfriend Gavin (Jim Thorburn) keeps pushing for her to attend his law firm’s Christmas Eve party. She says it was stuffy the year before and just not something she’s interested in. He asks her to consider going for his sake and she promises to think about it.

The next day, Hannah meets up with her sister Kelly (Chelsey Reist) for lunch…I guess. They don’t really do much eating. Kelly pushes her sister about whether or not Gavin proposed but Hannah doesn’t seem keen to the idea. They then notice a story on the news that involves Hannah’s company, Whole Foods. Rumor is that the company is going to buy Aunt Sally’s and Kelly remembers their trips to Cookie Jar as children. She says Hannah should run that account but Hannah says she can’t just go and demand it from her boss. She then heads back to work after promising Kelly to help make Christmas cookies.

OUAT: Through the Looking Glass

Last time on “Once:” The Evil Queen threatened to destroy Storybrooke with water from the River of Lost Souls if Snow and David didn’t give her their shared heart so she could finally crush it. Blue discovered a magical sapling that could stop the Queen, so Regina and the Charmings went to locate it.

Meanwhile, Regina sent Zelena to discover the Queenie and Gold making out. She then told Belle about it and the golden shearers, so Belle rightly laid into her estranged husband. It put Zelena on Gold’s bad side.

In the Enchanted Forest, David had the cutest dog ever. He was a sheep dog who was an excellent tracker and name Wilby. Nothing happened to him except for the fact he was never seen again. Boo.
David was going to sell his farm when he met up with a guy called the Woodcutter. Woodcutter knocked David out to use Wilby to sniff out Snow, who was trying to flee. David tried to save her from the Woodcutter’s rolling shed and the two managed to take down the Woodcutter. She then gave David her money to save his farm and decided to become a bandit. When they touched, they created the magical sapling.

In Storybrooke, they found the sapling but Queenie destroyed it. Realizing the sapling was theirs, they surrendered to her with the belief that they always find their way back to each other. Queenie took their hearts but decided not to crush them. Instead, she returned them and Snow immediately fell under a sleeping curse. Queenie sent her away but David found her easily. He kissed her but once she awoke, he fell under the curse. Regina revealed that Queenie cursed their hearts, so that when one was awake, the other would be asleep.

Poor Snowing.

(Kind of a sweet gig right now for Josh Dallas)

A Wish for Christmas

This week we look at one of this year’s new offerings. Once again, it stars Lacey Chabert, who is easily turning into Hallmark’s darling. I’m not complaining though because Gretchen Weiners deserves all the work.

So grab a cup of hot chocolate, don your gay apparel and beware of SPOILERS!

Sara (Lacey Chabert) works at a marketing firm as a junior web designer. When we meet her, she is bringing coffee in for some coworkers and is ignored by everyone around her as she holds open the door and then is pushed away from the elevator. She is forced to wait for the next one but is able to meet up with her friend Molly (Andrea Brooks, who was Charlotte in Once Upon a Time’s second episode this season). Molly asks Sara if she can help her with a project and though Sara protests that she has a lot of work, Molly gets her to agree.

One of their coworkers, Brian (Eduard Witzke) joins them and thanks Sara for bringing in coffee. As the elevator opens again, their boss Peter (Paul Greene) enters. He is on his phone and talks about Christmas not happening. The other three pretend not to listen in but all three fail. Peter gets off the phone and asks Brian to work Christmas. Brian agrees and then Paul asks Sara about the present she’s holding. She says it’s for the Secret Santa at the office party later before blathering on about how much she loves Christmas. It gets awkward fast and everyone looks happy to get off when the doors open.

OUAT: How I Met Your Mother Before I Met Your Mother

Last time on “Once:” The Evil Queen decided to turn Henry against Hook, playing on her son’s teenage annoyance with the pirate’s attempts at bonding with him. She revealed that he didn’t get rid of the shearers like Emma asked and he confronted Hook at the harbor. At that point, a submarine appeared and sailors took the two hostage. Onboard, Hook revealed it was the Nautilus and he had a connection to its captain.

Of course, it wasn’t good.

Captain Nemo once abducted Hook and offered him a chance to change his life, to join his crew and finally have a family. Hook resisted but was dragged by Nemo onto a mission to retrieve a treasure chest. Inside was a key to what Nemo called “the Mysterious Island,” a place where they could make a home and no one would ever die again. Hook was tempted until he recognized a knife that belonged to Nemo’s first mate. It turned out he was Hook’s long lost brother, Liam II, who Hook had left an orphan when he killed their father. And Liam II wanted revenge. Nemo tried to stop him and Liam II accidentally stabbed him, vowing more revenge on Hook when he bailed.

So now Liam II wanted to kill Hook but Henry was able to save him. Together, they got rid of the golden shearers and then took Liam II to the hospital. Turned out Captain Nemo wasn’t dead and the hospital staff was able to save him. He was reunited with Liam II and things looked up for the Jones brothers. Things were better between Henry and Hook and Emma forgave Hook for not destroying the shearers.

Meanwhile, Emma spent time with Aladdin and convinced him to stop running. So he went to Jasmine and asked her to tell him about Agrabah. She told him that it just disappeared while she was on a diplomatic mission.

Belle also had her first ultrasound and a heart-to-heart with Snow about how she was going to handle Rumple’s role in their child’s life going forward. She decided to drop off a picture of the ultrasound, thankfully not going inside. She was spared watching Rumple and the Evil Queen making out after she got him the shearers so he could potentially use them on his son.

Father of the year, right there.

It is night in Storybrooke and all is quiet in the loft. Snow and Charming are sound asleep and Snow rolls closer to her husband as a shadow passes over her. She then opens her eyes to find she is a forest. Sitting up, she looks around until she spots the Queen. Queenie approaches, saying a sleeping Snow was always her favorite Snow.

(Some quality face time)

A Boyfriend for Christmas

Our Christmas celebration continues with another Hallmark gem. Santa makes a promise and, though it takes some time, he keeps it. But will romance really blossom or is it doomed?

All I want for Christmas is SPOILERS!

Timeless: The Alamo, 1836

Last time on “Timeless:” Concerned that Flynn and Anthony stole the core of a nuclear bomb, the team tracked them down to a warehouse. However, they jumped before Wyatt and his fellow soldiers could capture them. Everyone is concerned to learn Flynn went to Nazi Germany, afraid he would sell them the nuclear bomb before the Americans developed theirs.

After killing a Nazi soldier who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, our heroes spotted a rocket and feared it would be nuclear powered. They hoped to find help at a place that may have been a place for Allied spies to meet. It appeared to be a dead end until Sean Maguire ordered them outside. He revealed himself to be Ian Fleming and Wyatt totally fanboyed out as they accepted his help. Ian helped them figure out where the bomb might be and agreed to help them look over the bomb, all the while flirting with Lucy. Despite being a Bond fan, Wyatt seemed to draw the line at his idol flirting with her.

The bomb did not have nuclear capabilities but they found Flynn working with the Nazis. Wyatt tried to shoot him but Lucy and Rufus stopped him because Werner von Braun, the father of the American rocket program, could get caught in the crossfire. They explained his importance to Wyatt and Lucy told Ian that there are orders to bring Werner to the Allies. He was not thrilled due to the Blitz but agreed to sneak them into a party where they could snatch Werner.

Wyatt talked Lucy through a panic attack, where they got more personal with each other. He assured her that she was just facing the hump and he knew she would get over it. At the party, she also got to know Ian a bit better and he continued to flirt with her—much to Wyatt’s annoyance.

While trying to get to Werner, Lucy and Ian were intercepted by Flynn and the Nazis. They took the two in as spies while Flynn tried to Werner to the Soviets. Wyatt and Rufus set off the bomb as a distraction before going to save Lucy. Together with Ian and Werner, they escaped the Nazis.

After seeing Werner delivered to the Allies and saying goodbye to Ian, the heroes returned to the present to learn they were now characters in a Bond book and movie that didn’t exist before. Lucy gave Agent Christopher demands in exchange for her to continue working and Rufus refused to keep recording the missions. But Rittenhouse scared him right good.

We open on March 5, 1836. A man writes a stirring letter, full of patriotic ideals and yet begging for support. He signs it William Barret Travis and says he is at the Alamo. The cold open ends with him standing on the fort’s wall, looking out at Santa Anna’s forces.

Once Upon a Holiday

This one is a bit of a twist on the “A Princess for Christmas” formula. The woman is already a princess and the man is a regular American. So it’s already a step up then some of the others, but is that all it has going for it? Let’s find out.

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in SPOILERS!