OUAT: What is This Feeling?

Things are moving fast here in the second half of the third season! Hope you are keeping up!

So Emma dives in to try and figure out what exactly is going on. But the people of Storybrooke are no help. They remember saying goodbye to Emma and Henry as they crossed the town line and then they were waking up in their beds back in Storybrooke. Really, the only way they know time passed is because Mary Margaret looks like she’s going to give birth any minute now. Hook doesn’t have any more answers, just that he received a note and the vial of memory potion by bird one day. He figured Snow White sent it to him and David agrees it does sound like his wife. But of course she can’t remember if she did send the message or not. Emma decides to start with the last person who cursed Storybrooke: Regina.


In the Enchanted Forest, Ruby is there! And not photoshopped in like last week! Meghan Ory is really there! She finds it weird to be working with the Evil Queen rather than against her. But she is a bit concerned as Regina still looks depressed. Snow goes to talk to her stepmother, asking if she’s thinking about Henry. Regina says she’s always thinking about Henry. But she’s also thinking about her underground tunnels, which lead into the palace. They may also run under the force field. Charming thinks they could get an army in there. Regina shoots that down, saying an army would be noticeable. But she could sneak in, lower the force field and then Charming can march in his army. Aww, a plan’s coming together, guys!

Their scheming is interrupted by the screech of a flying monkey. People duck for cover as Snow arms herself with her bow and arrow. Roland, though, is in the path of the flying monkey and Robin can’t get to him. Regina though does, pushing the boy out of the way. Robin scoops Roland up as Regina turns the flying monkey into a stuff one. She gives it to the boy and Robin thanks her.

(He's eternally grateful. And maybe in love) 

Everyone wonders what that creature was, but Regina knows the answer. It was a flying monkey from Oz. Snow seems surprised that Oz exists. Regina confirms it does and that they must be dealing with a Wicked Witch. Grumpy asks which one and Snow doesn’t know why it makes a difference. He explains that it depends if they need a house or a bucket of water. So they’re familiar with “The Wizard of Oz.”

Which gave me a new headcanon: “The Wizard of Oz” was the only movie shown in the movie theater at Storybrooke. And Regina would go every so often and smirk whenever Dorothy said “There’s no place like home” because no one remembered home.

In Storybrooke, Megan Ory is there too! (And I’ve heard Intelligence isn’t doing as well as CBS hoped. Maybe Ruby will make a fulltime return next season?) She gives Henry some breakfast, including hot chocolate with cinnamon. Henry asks how she knows how he likes his hot chocolate, but Ruby covers by saying he just looked like a cinnamon kid. Henry buys this but more awkward ensues when the grandparents he doesn’t remember having come in. Emma introduces them as old friends and Henry wonders where they met his mother. Mary Margaret says she met Emma in prison. Henry seems impressed and asks her what she was in for. “Banditry?” she offers. Henry buys it.

("Banditry?" Also, David's decided to take a nap)

This happy moment is broken by the sound of a shattering mug. Everyone turns to find a stunned Regina standing there, staring at Henry. He’s like, “Hi, Strange Lady. What’s up?” Emma introduces Regina as the Mayor and then pulls her away to the back of Granny’s. Emma tells her that Henry doesn’t have his memories and thinks they are in Storybrooke on a case. She asks if Regina’s behind the curse. Regina’s like “If I did, don’t you think I’d save my memories and restore Henry’s?” Emma’s like “Good point.” She then offers to introduce Regina to Henry, but Regina’s a bit hesitant. She decides to forego it for now.

Meanwhile, there’s more than one mystery to solve in Storybrooke. Besides a year’s worth of missing memories, people have been disappearing around town. So David, Emma and Hook go off to investigate things while Mary Margaret takes care of Henry. Which means they sit in the booth at Granny’s while Mary Margaret reads a baby care book. It only makes her worry. But a new stranger is there to calm her down! Her name is Zelena and she tells Mary Margaret she was just a random side character in the Enchanted Forest, caught in the second curse. And she’s a midwife! Quelle coincidence! (And actually brilliant—I was reading the other day that a lot of women accused of being witches had been midwives). She assures Mary Margaret that half the stuff in the book isn’t as bad as it sounds so Mary Margaret decides to let her be her midwife. We’ll blame her lack of caution on pregnancy brain.

(The face of the witch? No, according to Mary Margaret!) 

Out in the woods, our trio encounters Robin Hood and his Merry Men. So I guess it’s not too unusual to discover characters who weren’t part of the original curse. Still, Mary Margaret should be more carful. Anyway, Little John starts chasing after a wild turkey as his friends watch in amusement. The turkey leads him toward the town line. Uh oh—is Little John about to lose his memories? No, he’s about to be attacked by a flying monkey! He gets carried off as Robin and his men jump in to rescue their friend. They get him away, but he’s been bitten. Everyone decides Little John needs to go to the hospital.

Look, everyone, it’s Whale! Hi, Whale! The good doctor does his best to try and fix Little John, but the man starts convulsing. Before anyone can do anything, he sprouts a CGI tail, which starts whipping people left and right. Whale takes cover, Hook and Charming go down and Robin gets hit but is still confused. When next we see Little John, he is a full-fledged flying monkey. He shrieks and flies off into the night, through a closed window. Charming’s like “What was that?” And in honor of Star Trek, Whale responds with “Don’t look at me. I’m a doctor, not a vet.”

(I think their faces say it all)

In the Enchanted Forest, Regina goes to sneak into her old castle when she realizes she’s not alone. Robin’s come to help, much to her chagrin. But he says he owes her for saving Roland, so she lets him come. Just as long as he doesn’t get in the way. They make their way through the tunnel, exchanging stories and dodging her booby traps. Regina talks about Henry while Robin talks about Maid Marian, who is deceased. He says it was partially his fault. Aww, look at them bond.  Time for another squee!

They arrive at the crypt Regina built for her mother and Regina is surprised to find the door is open. She said she sealed it using a blood spell so only she could open it. Do I need to remind her that Cora wasn’t dead? That she got OUT of the crypt? Well, I guess she could use the front door. But still. Anyway, Robin asks who the crypt was for and Regina responds it was for her mother. Robin wisely doesn’t ask any more questions.

Emma calls a town meeting. Everyone is pretty much in panic mode. After all, they can’t remember a year (maybe the Tocalfane invaded and British Prime Minister Saxon took over the world and it became a dystopian society—that’s for you, Whovians) and people are being turned into flying monkeys! But they have an idea who is responsible—Regina! She defends herself but even Emma has her doubts. So Regina’s like “Screw you all!” and poofs out in a purple cloud. Everyone is convinced she’s guilty and Zelena sits there, smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

(Regina, out!) 

After the meeting, Regina meets up with Emma at her office. The whole scene at the town meeting? A ruse to lure the real culprit into a false sense of security. It also gives Regina time to try and replicate the memory potion so she could regain her memories. Maybe then they’ll get some answers. Except it doesn’t work. Emma, though, decides to pretend it did. Regina asks how that’s supposed to happen.

Cue Grumpy running into Granny’s yelling about how Regina’s made the memory potion and is going to remember everything. People panic and Zelena slips out, unnoticed. dun dun DUN!

Now inside the Royal Palace, Regina pulls out her chemistry set and starts brewing herself a potion. Robin’s a bit confused but Regina’s frozen him so he can’t stop her. She explains that it hurts too much and so she’s not going to deal with it. Robin’s even more confused. She reveals it’s a sleeping potion that she’s going to use on herself once she lowers the forcefield. Robin pleads with her not to do that, that she may yet see Henry again. She doesn’t listen and leaves him there.

Regina easily lowers the force field and then gets to meet the Wicked Witch! She is quite put off that the Witch has raided her closet. And the Witch, Zelena, says that she had to alter the dress a bit but it now looks better on her. I sense a cat fight brewing. They exchange a few barbs before Zelena drops a bombshell: She’s Regina’s sister, Cora’s other daughter! Seems she was given up by Cora long before she used to magic to get into the royal family, so she’s only Regina’s half-sister. Theories on Zelena’s father abound! And Regina believes her very easily. Anyway, Zelena hates her sister because she got to live the life of royalty with Cora. Regina’s like, sit down and I’ll explain what it meant to live with Cora. But Zelena’s not having it. She hops her broom and leaves the castle to Regina, vowing vengeance. Regina’s probably wondering if she was ever that crazy.

(Surrender, Regina!)

Back in Storybrooke, Regina and Emma’s plan works. Someone breaks into Regina’s office. Cagney and Lacey try to catch the villain in the act, but the person disappears before they can. And they leave a mess behind. Emma’s all bummed out but Regina is able to detect the magical residue. She knows who their villain is.

Regina returns to Robin absolutely giddy. He’s a bit concerned. But she’s no longer going to put herself under a sleeping curse. She releases Robin as she explains she has someone to destroy. Robin’s not sure that’s much better.

(Little does he know she's his true love!) 

Emma and Regina regroup at the Charmings with Hook. Regina reveals their villain is the Wicked Witch. Emma is surprised she’s real too. Like mother, like daughter. Now they just have to figure out who she is in Storybrooke and stop her.

We end with Zelena walking into a storm cellar and approaching a cage. And who is in the cage? Monkey!Walsh? Monkey!Little John? Nope! It’s Even Crazier!Rumple. Back from the dead.

dun dun DUN!

Things are getting interesting. A lot of people speculated that the Witch was Regina’s sister and they were right. Can’t wait to see the rest!

Also, I've discovered screencaps! I think they add something to the recaps, don't you? 

(Screencaps from here)