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.


The Nautilus churns through the water when a portal opens up. It pulls the submarine in and everything goes nuts inside it. We get multiple shots of gages going crazy and things sparking around the bridge. Crewmen keep falling down as they try to get the ship under control and Nemo braces himself, wondering what the hell is going on.

Hook bursts in and asks if everyone is alright. He and Liam II help Nemo up and the captain explains that usually they secure everything before portaling but Gideon didn’t give them much of a chance. Hook says they need to go back to Storybrooke because he can’t leave Emma alone with Gideon plotting something. Nemo says they can’t because they portal using kraken’s blood and Gideon used their last batch. Hook refuses to take no for an answer, no matter how much Liam II tries to reason with him. He can’t let Emma think he’s left her and he’s going to hunt down a kraken if need be. Nemo says he usually runs from those beasts but Hook is a determined man.

(Hook just wants to go home, damn it)

Meanwhile, Jasmine and Aladdin are back. They walk along the lake by Snow's old castle, trying to find their way home. Aladdin wants her to admit that something went wrong and that they may never find Agrabah. She nearly eviscerates him for that and for when he suggests they go home. Jasmine reminds him that she has no home. He says he meant Storybrooke and tells her that it has some great people…like him. They share a moment before Jasmine runs away, distraught. Aladdin pursues her and asks how many times she’s almost going to kiss him. She protests, saying he thinks highly of himself. They have some words and Jasmine tries to get away from him. A ring falls and lands on the ground.

Jasmine picks it up and asks where it came from. Aladdin replies that it came from her pocket but she says it couldn’t have. She then says that it was the price of the wish. It didn’t bring her back to Agrabah. Instead, it brought her a reminder of how she failed her country.

(You can always get it resized. We all outgrow rings, Jasmine)

The Sultan talks with a table full of princes, showing off the ring Jasmine found right before the flashback. He says the ring is Agrabah’s most prized crown jewel and that whoever marries his daughter will get it as a dowry. One prince says it’s beautiful and Jasmine asks if he’s talking about her or the ring. She then says they can all go home because she’s not marrying any of them. The Sultan pulls her aside and says that he knows she wants to marry for love. She protests that everyone should want that. He continues that they need help fighting Jafar. She says they need a hero, then, and she found one. Aladdin.

Jafar, though, announces that Aladdin is a hero no more for he fought too many battles and is now broken. He tells the Sultan and Jasmine that the spoiled princes gathered there won’t replace them. One prince, Akmed, takes exception to being insulted and asks who Jafar is. Sultan. Dude. How can you expect these guys to help you with Jafar if they can’t even recognize him? Jafar says he’s just a bastard child from lower Agrabah who has always wanted to know what it’s like to be a prince. He throws some red dust on Akmed and the prince is turned into a wooden stick with his head carved as the handle. The others gasp as Jafar laughs, picking it up.

(Jafar loves being evil)

He turns to the Sultan and Jasmine, saying it’s wise for the Sultan to marry Jasmine off. But those princes won’t help them. The only way for them to protect Agrabah is for Jasmine to marry him. She tells him that will never happen and he says that it’s her choice. But he warns her that it will lead to the ruin of Agrabah. He gives her to sundown to change her mind.

Aladdin rows a boat, making a quip about being uncomfortable on water since he’s from the desert. Jasmine, though, wants him to go out further. She says she’ll wish for his freedom and then toss the lamp where it can’t hurt anyone again. However, the water is choppy and a mist is rolling in. Aladdin doesn’t want to go any further, reminding her they have to be able to get back to shore and they can’t swim. She turns to lay into him again but he spots a tentacle rising behind her. He tells her to duck but she thinks he’s talking about the bird. Aladdin grabs her before the tentacle can grab her. They each take an oar and beat the creature with them. Jasmine tries to remember what it’s called but Aladdin says it doesn’t matter. They just need to beat it off.

It’s chased off by the arrival of the Nautilus, which rises from the water. Hook opens the hatch and looks down at Jasmine and Aladdin. They are relieved to see him and thank him. He tells them to get in the submarine.

("Get in, losers, we're going shopping.")

Back in Storybrooke, Emma and David keep themselves busy by going through the files in the sheriff’s station. She says she can’t believe nothing was digitized and he reminds her that all those records were created by Dark Curse magic. And they also landed in our world in 1983. Digitizing was still a far off dream. David recognizes it as busy work but is more than happy to help Emma if it keeps her mind off Hook.

Regina comes in and says that she has a remedy. Emma takes a look at the scroll in Regina’s hands and says she doesn’t need magic. She just needs to keep busy. Regina reveals that the scroll is actually a discount promotion at the newest bar in town—Aesop’s Tables. (Get it?) She thinks a ladies’ night out is just what Emma needs. It also means they’ll need Snow and Emma reminds her that her mother is home under a sleeping curse. Regina says Snow can be awake for it and David protests that he just woke up. She gives him a look and he sighs, saying Snow can be awake for ladies’ night. He heads out.

(Let's go get drunk)

Emma, though, insists that she can’t go out. She says she needs to go on patrol and reminds Regina that she should be trying to break the sleeping curse on the Charmings. Regina says she’s working on it but that she needs a break. She believes they all need a break. Emma doesn’t think she needs one and Regina says that she’s hiding from the pain because she’s…well…Emma. She tells Emma she can’t run from this. Emma counters that Hook was the one who ran and so she’s just going to move on. Regina just sighs as Emma delves into a stack of files.

Nemo orders Liam II to take two crewmen to deal with damaged parts. Hook rages against Jasmine and Aladdin, blaming them for letting the kraken get away. Dude. How would they know you needed that kraken? How would they know you were there? You’re upset, yes, but don’t take it out on them. Hook is focused on getting home and asks to use one of their wishes. Aladdin doesn’t advise that, saying that wishes never turn out the way you want. As proof, he points out that he and Jasmine are in the Enchanted Forest rather than Agrabah.

Hook asks if they knew who took their land and Jasmine replies that it was Jafar. This surprises Aladdin, who thought she didn’t know. She apologizes for lying. When asked why she didn’t wish to find Jafar, she confesses that she was scared. She says he took everything from her so she asks for forgiveness for not wanting to face him. Besides, she doubt they can find him.

Hook, though, has an idea. He says that Jafar has revenge in his heart and the Nautilus has something that can help them find him. He pulls out Nemo’s harpoon and says it seeks out those with vengeance in his heart. They are surprised he wants to help them but Hook figures Jafar has the power to send him home. So they find Jafar and they can all go home. Jasmine agrees and thinks Agrabah finally has its hero.

Insert eye roll here.

(Time to use this prop again!)

Back home, Emma packs up Hook’s things in his sea chest. She comes to the ring he gave her when she was the Dark One, the one to remind her that she had him to come home to. Emma leans back on the couch as Henry watches her. He asks if she’s okay and she lies that she’s fine. She puts the ring in the chest and asks Henry to put it out in the shed when he gets a chance. He agrees as Emma gets a call. She says she has to go.

(Henry is concerned)

She pulls up to Aesop’s Tables and hurries into the bar. Emma turns to the bartender and says she got a call about a fight. She asks if the Vikings playing pool were responsible. The bartender says there’s no fight and he didn’t call her. He asks if she’s at the right bar.

Regina replies that she is and revealed she made the call to get Emma down there. She tells Emma to have a drink and Snow holds out her beer, saying it’s artisanal. She believes that means it’s strong. Emma asks how many drinks her mother has had and Regina replies that it’s Snow’s first. Snow says she has a baby and a sleeping curse at home, so she needs this night out. “Misery met company,” Regina quips before pushing Emma to the bar, telling her to order a drink and they can talk about that no-good pirate.

Spoiler alert: Drunk!Snow is about to steal the entire episode.

Hook stares out the window of the Nautilus. Jasmine asks if staring at the sea helps and he says he didn’t know she was there. She says she didn’t want to disturb him since she recognized the look in his eyes—he misses home. Hook admits that he always thought he’d live on the sea but he finds that he now considers Storybrooke home. And he wants to go back to it. He says to be separated from someone he cares about and unable to let her know how he truly feels…is the worse, Jasmine finishes. She then tells him to forget she said anything.

But Hook can’t. He asks what’s going on between her and Aladdin, wondering if she thinks he isn’t good enough for a princess. Jasmine admits it’s the other way around—she doesn’t feel good enough for him. She says a princess’ duty is to her people and she failed them. She’s made too many mistakes and doesn’t deserve someone like Aladdin. Hook tells her that he once thought the same way but then he realized that hiding behind the guilt was the coward’s answer. She says she is a coward then and that she probably always has been.

(Girl is guilty)

In Agrabah, Jasmine wanders through the marketplace. People try to give her things but she politely turns them down. One vendor yells about a thief and chases after a figure in a hooded cape. Jasmine wonders if it’s Aladdin and gives chase as well, hoping it is her street rat.

The caped person dives into the little alcove where Jasmine first met Aladdin. Except it’s a woman, who apologizes as she holds out a fork. Or as she calls it—a dinglehopper. Yes, it’s Ariel. The merchant takes the fork but still demands payment. He pulls on her necklace, turning her legs back into a fin. He’s horrified and asks what type of monster she is. Jasmine says she’s not the monster and tosses coins at the man. She orders him to hand over the necklace and to go away. He does so.

Jasmine then hands the necklace back to Ariel, apologizing. She asks if the necklace gives the woman her legs, which is answered once Ariel puts it on and her legs are restored. Ariel explains it also gives her her voice before saying it’s a long story. They exchange names. Ariel thanks Jasmine, saying that she didn’t have to intercede. Jasmine says she hates to see anyone, especially guests, treated so poorly in her city. Ariel then heads off, saying she has a prince to find.

(Hi, Ariel!)

Intrigued by this mention of a prince, Jasmine presses her to find out more. Ariel gives her a condensed version of her love story with Eric. She says he’s here in Agrabah for reasons and Ariel wants to find him. Jasmine asks if he has an army and Ariel says he has a navy. That will do, despite Agrabah being in the desert, and Jasmine says she has a way to find Eric. She asks Ariel if she’s scared of heights and Ariel is unsure.

They take off on Jasmine’s flying carpet and Ariel says she is afraid of heights. She asks why the rug is flying and Jasmine says it’s a carpet and it’s magical. Ariel just wants her to set it down but Jasmine explains that from the air, they’ll be able to spot Prince Eric. She finds several caravans outside of the city and gives Ariel a telescope, asking her to locate Eric’s banners. Ariel does so with ease and they head toward the camp to reunite Ariel and Eric.

(Ariel and Jasmine fly high)

Aladdin finds Hook looking over some maps and asks if he’s seen Jasmine. Hook says she was around but not anymore. He tries to get rid of Aladdin but the genie hovers, wondering if Jasmine talked to Hook about him. Hook tells them that they have horrible communication for two people who love each other and Aladdin’s like “She loves me?” Hook, though, is more focused on trying to navigate their way to the island where Jafar might be as it is surrounded by a dangerous reef so he pretty much tells Aladdin to buzz off.

The submarine shakes and Aladdin wonders what happened. Hook doesn’t know and he’s pretty sure they shouldn’t be near the reef yet. Nemo comes in and says the kraken did more damage than they thought. Something exploded and now they are taking on water. Hook’s like “Okay, so we abandon ship” and Liam II’s like “Escape route’s already under water.” Hook tries to come up with some way off the ship but there appears to be none. Nemo tells him to spend his final moments in prayer and contemplation rather than conflict.

Jasmine says they have another option and picks up the lamp. Aladdin asks if she wants to chance it and she says they have no choice. She wishes him to take them to the island before telling Nemo that he might die at sea one day but it won’t be today. Aladdin then grants the wish, poofing them out of there.

Emma refuses to open up to Regina and Snow. Regina is surprised there is someone more tight-lipped than her. Drunk!Snow, though, notices the Vikings leaving. She calls out that they are trying to leave without paying and Regina exasperatedly asks if she will ever stop tattling. Emma and Regina rush in to break up a pending fight as Snow continues to confront the Vikings, grabbing one’s knives. She throws one at a dart board and it lands on the bull’s eye. Snow challenges them—winner pays both tabs. They agree as Emma and Regina look on. Regina asks if Emma’s going to do something about it and Emma says no. She says that while Regina wants her to open up, Emma just wants a distraction. Watching her drunken mother challenge Vikings at darts seems to be a good one for her.

On a beach at night, Jasmine marvels at the fact that her wish worked. Aladdin, though, wonders what the price was. Nemo says something about not going down with his ship and having to go find his crew so they could salvage the Nautilus. Are they safe too? Or did they drown? Guys? Hello? Anyway, Liam II and Hook regret their lack of time together before parting ways. As Nemo and Liam II head down the beach, Jafar tells Jasmine and Aladdin that they need to find Jafar.

Nemo’s harpoon leads them to a shack in the middle of the woods. Hook wonders why Jafar is in a rundown tiki bar and then asks Jasmine if she wants to go first. She’s happy to let him do the honors and they head inside.

(There better be singing birds in there!)

When they go inside, Hook is confused by all the junk inside. Jasmine wonders why someone would need so many corkscrews and Hook says that it’s a tragedy when a cork is stuck. She then finds a small bottle of red sand and recognizes it, saying it’s Jafar’s. Hook figures that means they found his hideaway and he warns them to watch out for booby traps. Aladdin asks if he means the one swinging toward them. He tries to stop it with his magic but Hook and Jasmine jump out of the way. It’s a yellow ball tied to a rope. When Jasmine sees the forks stuck in the ball, she smiles and says she knows who lives there.

Ariel then enters the cabin and Jasmine calls out to her. She is surprised to see Jasmine and Hook is surprised to see her. Aladdin is just confused and feeling a bit left out. Ariel explains that she and Jasmine go way back and she also knows Hook for reasons. Aladdin then introduces him and compliments her booby trap. She apologizes, saying that Eric is off with some friends so she can’t be too careful. Jasmine says she knew it was Ariel the moment she saw the forks. Ariel asks what brings them to her cabin and Jasmine says she needs her help again.

Jasmine sets the magic carpet in the middle of the caravan camp. Ariel says that was something she would never do again and thanks Jasmine. She then hesitates to go to Prince Eric’s tent. Jasmine asks what’s wrong and Ariel has second doubts. She says she and Eric shared some dances at a ball. How could he remember her? Jasmine, though, says their story is worthy of Scheherazade and is certain Eric remembers her. After all, she’s a mermaid in the desert because of him. Bolstered, Ariel heads toward the tent.

Ariel enters and calls out Eric’s name. He responds eagerly and says he’s glad she came. She says she almost didn’t because she was scared. She then tells him she’s a mermaid and says she hopes he can except her how she is…around water.  He says that of course he accepts her and goes in to kiss her. As he does so, he tells her that she’s not like the other girls and that he loves her kind. Preferably poached with lemon and capers. Ariel draws back, confused, and Jasmine’s guard goes up.

Eric transforms into Jafar and Jasmine tells Ariel to get away from him. She says he’s not Eric and he’s not a hero. Jafar taunts her, saying that no one is coming to her aid. Her only option now is to marry him since she wasted so much time chasing after a hero. Jafar says he’ll give her the last remaining minutes until sundown to watch her hopes dwindle more.

(Boo!)

Back in the Not Very Enchanted Tiki Room, Ariel says that the only Agrabah relic she has is a genie’s lamp. Hook uses the harpoon to prove that Jafar is in there. Aladdin says that if Jafar is a genie now, he is controlled by whoever frees him. That gives them an advantage. Hook agrees and says they can promise him his freedom once he returns Agrabah and sends Hook home. Jasmine agrees and takes the lamp, shocked she’s about to face Jafar willingly. She says she feels better having three heroes with her and Aladdin says he sees four. I see three and a half.

Jasmine uncorks the bottle and frees Jafar. When he sees who released him, he flicks his wrist and his cuffs fall off. Ariel realizes that he broke the genie’s curse and he says he did. But he was really trapped so he thanks them for freeing him. He then puts Hook, Aladdin and Ariel under a sleeping curse and says that he and Jasmine are alone. He wonders if it will go as badly for this time as it did the last time.

Outside the tent, Jasmine and Ariel talk. Jasmine wonders if there is a soldier or a really strong peasant with the heart of a hero nearby. She despairs as the minutes tick by. Ariel tells her to fight back and reveals she nicked a jar of red sand from the tent. She says that since Jafar had it, she figures it’s magical. Jasmine says that she saw what it can do and that it’s awful. Ariel says she needs to be a little awful to defeat Jafar and tells her to be strong.

Jafar tells Jasmine her time is up. Ariel starts to stand up to him but he makes her disappear. The three men sitting with Jasmine and Ariel don’t even blink. Jafar assures Jasmine that he sent her friend back to her watery home. He then gazes out at Agrabah, wondering if he’s about to destroy it. Jasmine agrees to marry him and she hands him the ring. He takes it, marveling that he’s gotten a crown jewel of Agrabah willingly. He then tells Jasmine to remember this day as the day she failed her people.

This confuses Jasmine, who reiterates that she agrees to marry him. He calls her vain and says that he never wanted to marry her or rule Agrabah. Well, you could’ve fooled me. That’s all you seemed obsessed with in the first place. He says that Agrabah is protected by a spell controlled by the jewel in the ring. Now that he has it, he can make Agrabah disappear because the people were mean to him. He ridicules Jasmine, saying a good ruler would’ve known he was bluffing and not given him the ring. As she watches, he uses his staff to make Agrabah disappear.

Okay, this kinda creates a plot hole. I get that Jafar was being an asshole and making Jasmine think it’s all her fault when it was clear that no one told her about the ring. Nor do I think the Sultan knew because then why would he be willing to give it away to some prince with an army? How would he then know the prince wouldn’t turn around and use it to harm Agrabah? Or depose the Sultan and Jasmine? Also, if the ring protected Agrabah and he knew about it, then Jafar should have been nothing more than a nuisance. So did someone in the royal bloodline just forget to tell his descendants “Hey, the ring protects Agrabah. Keep it secret, keep it safe?”

Anyway, back in the Singing Bird-less Tiki Room, Jasmine tells Jafar that there’s nothing else he can do to her since he took everything from her. He agrees that she has a point and says he has a score to settle with the people who trapped him. Jafar bids her farewell and tells her to bring better champions next time. Someone other than a fish out of water and a former savior. He doesn’t even touch Hook. Jafar then asks Jasmine if she really loved Aladdin and says he wishes she could’ve seen him as he did—battle broken and weepy.

Jasmine insists that Aladdin is a hero and so is Ariel. (Since she says “they all are” I assume she includes Hook there too). And she says that they think she’s hero so she stands up to Jafar, demanding to know where Agrabah is. He agrees to tell her just because he’s going to enjoy telling her. He says that the answer is at her fingertips and she realizes he means the ring. She looks into the stone and sees Agrabah inside as she realizes the wish did work. Jafar says that the city is just as she left, albeit much, much smaller. He continues to taunt her about failing at her duties to her people and that she doesn’t deserve Aladdin’s love nor the people trapped in her ring. He then asks for it.

She says she deserves more than he thinks and she won’t let him take anything else from her. Jasmine throws the jar at his feet but nothing happens. He laughs and insults her, advancing toward her. That’s when she tosses the dust she put in her hand at him, revealing it was a clever ruse and he fell for it. Aladdin, Hook and Ariel come to and ask where Jafar is. She picks up the walking stick and turns it, revealing Jafar’s carved head. Jasmine declares that she will get her city back.

(That's just creepy)

Back at the bar, it looks like the Vikings and drunk!Snow are now best friends after she’s bested them. She’s wearing one of their helmets and is playing pool with them as well as Regina. Emma heads back to the bar and looks over the menu, reading off the names. All of them are named after Aesop’s Fables. The bartender assures her that they are mixed locally whenever possible. She asks if he’s really Aesop and he says he is. He came to Storybrooke from the Land of Untold Stories, where he went when he was unable to write his own story without writing about talking animals. 

(Say hi to Aesop)

Emma asks him about his story and he says it’s about an artist who loved his wife but she decided she didn’t love him anymore. Emma understands heartbreak and says that when Hook said he was a survivor, it meant he would stick with her through thick and thin. She now sees he survived by running when things got difficult. Aesop hands her a napkin and she wipes her tears as Snow and Regina come up to comfort her. She says she needed this and needs to move on.

This just continues this show’s rather damaging portrayal of the grieving process. I’m not sure why the writers are so insistent that everyone needs to MOVE ON so quickly other than the fact that they always deal with very short time lines and don’t give themselves enough time to really delve into this. It started with Regina having to MOVE ON from Robin despite him being dead only a couple a weeks. Now Emma has to MOVE ON from Hook when he left her THE DAY BEFORE. People are allowed more time to grieve, to work through everything and then decide to move on. You don’t have to move on immediately. THAT’S NOT HEALTHY SHOW!

Hook sits outside the Not-So Enchanted Tiki Room and Jasmine apologizes that she couldn’t get him home to Storybrooke. He’s okay with that and asks if she found Agrabah. She tells him it’s in her ring and Aladdin grabs it, saying he can see his hovel. Hook asks if she’s going to use her last wish to free her city. Jasmine says that she would rather free Aladdin. She tells him that he shouldn’t have become a genie for her and he replies that he would do anything for her. She thanks him.

Jasmine then says that all her life, she was told to put duty over love. She believed that and did her best to live by those words. However, when Jafar told her the same thing, she realized she didn’t want to do it anymore. She wants to choose love and she says there is a great power that can release her city. Jasmine kisses Aladdin and the burst of colored light proves it is True Love’s Kiss. The ring begins to glow and soon they are transported to Agrabah, everyone standing on the balcony of Jasmine’s palace as the city reappears before them. Ariel admires Jasmine’s ring and she asks if she can keep since the city has been freed. Jasmine laughs and Aladdin realizes he’s no longer a genie, leading to a celebration.

The answer to Ariel was still no, right? I imagine that ring is still protecting Agrabah.

Down in the bazaar, Hook places the Jafar walking stick amongst several others. I would advise burning that…just to be on the safe side, guys. Anyway, he asks if Ariel is trapped there but she says she just needs to jump into the Gulf of Agrabah and she can quickly swim home. She hopes he can find someone in Agrabah who can get him back to Storybrooke. Hook hopes so too. He wants to warn Emma about Gideon. She nearly facepalms and pulls out a tiny shell, saying if there’s anything that can pick up it’s magical signal in Storybrooke, he can use it to talk to Emma. Hook recalls his own shell phone and smiles at her, grateful.

Emma returns home and says she’s going to have to pick up her car tomorrow. I guess she, Snow and Regina got a cab or something. Anyway, she finds Henry lying on the couch watching something on his phone with his headphones in. She also finds the chest still in the middle of the floor and moans that she told him to put it away. He pulls out an ear bud and asks what. She says never mind and he goes back to his phone. Emma lifts the chest and heads outside to put it in the shed.

As she goes down her front steps, she hears a sound coming from the chest. She puts it down and digs through Hook’s things. Finding his shell phone, she picks it up and realizes Hook is speaking to her through it. She clutches it as Hook speaks. Back in Agrabah, Hook tells her that he was coming home to her but Gideon sent him away. He warns her that Gideon has something planned. He then tells her that he loves and that he’s doing his best to get back to her. Emma is on the verge of happy tears and she whispers that she loves Hook too.

(Look at how happy she is)

Aesop tells her that Hook won’t be able to hear, though. Not while he holds the tears of the Savior. He brandishes the napkin and tells her that it’s powerful magic. She should really be more careful. Emma’s guard goes up and she realizes he’s not really Aesop. He transforms into Gideon, who reveals that Hook can never return to Storybrooke while he holds onto Emma’s tears. If she wants her pirate back, she needs to help him. She’s not thrilled with the prospect but agrees in order to help Hook. Gideon tells her she needs to do something he never could:

Kill the Black Fairy.

(Personal boundaries, dude. Respect them)

Okay, issues about how the show depicts the grieving process, this episode was…eh? I mean, Drunk!Snow was epic and I kinda wish the entire episode was just a bottle episode where everything happened at the bar. I think it would’ve been epic and let at least Ginnifer and Jennifer shine. (Lana always shines but I feel like there was less Regina to let her rest after Episode 14 and I agree that she needed a rest after such an intense episode where she was pretty much doing most of the work).

Karen David was the episode’s true MVP. She delivered an emotional and strong performance in an episode that was kinda full of holes. Namely everything I mentioned about the ring—why did Jasmine and apparently the Sultan not know how powerful it was? If the Sultan did, why didn’t he just consider Jafar merely nuisance, knowing the city was safe? While it was nice to see Ariel (and Joanna Garcia-Swisher) again, she wasn’t really necessary to the plot.

Now we begin the quest to get Hook back to Emma. Yay.

Next time: Emma works with Gideon while Hook tries to get home. 

Screen caps from here.