This week’s episode of Once Upon a Time was an episode that involves twists, betrayals, and a more revealing look into the past of the Evil Queen. The episode starts when Henry arrives at his favorite spot, the castle playground only to find it destroyed. Emma arrives shortly afterward as Henry frantically checks to see if his fairy tale book is still safely hidden. He lets Emma know that he has been particularly careful to hide the book knowing that keeping it in the usual places would put the book in danger of being found by Regina. Ironically Regina comes by just as he returns the book to its hiding place and she states that playground isn't safe.
Emma later goes to Granny's and talks with Mary Margaret about Regina's criticism of her choices concerning Henry. Mary Margaret gets a text that calls her away and Sidney the former editor for the town paper talks with her suggesting that he has proof that will prove that Regina is up to no good. Emma is skeptical and turns down his offer but still takes his business card.
Meanwhile David and Mary Margaret continue their secret affair having a romantic meal in the woods. Snow voices her concerns about making their affair public and David promises to do so at a later date.
Henry and Emma later meet again at the Castle to find it being demolished by a construction crew on Regina's orders. To make matters worse the fairy tale book that is the key to understanding how to break the curse is now missing. Emma confronts Regina angrily and calls Sidney to say that she will join forces with him to bring down Regina.
The pair later meets at a secluded storm tunnel where Sidney tells Emma he has information suggesting that the Mayor took out town funds without notifying the town for an unknown purpose. Emma states that she wants to do everything by the book and the two agree to take steps to find the truth.
The pair looks for records in the town hall of records about the funds and realizes that the files are mysteriously missing. At Emma's suggestion they confront Regina who states that the files were likely lost in the fire that almost killed the Mayor during the sheriff's election. The pair leaves in seeming defeat but not without Emma bugging the mayor. The bug helps them discover that Regina is making a clandestine cash deal in the woods that might be a payoff. Sidney and Emma follow the mayor, but the brakes are mysteriously cut. They miss the payoff but find Mr. Gold who remains very closemouthed about what was sold.
It seems that they reached a dead end but Sidney urges her to do what it takes to find out the truth even though Emma warns that illegally obtaining evidence would make anything they find inadmissible. They break into Regina's office and copy files that seemingly show that she is building an elaborate house with the town funds and barely escape getting caught by Regina.
The big showdown happens at a Town meeting when they accuse Regina. Unfortunately things go south as Regina reveals that the money was to go to building a new playground to replace the Castle. Emma experiences a crushing defeat and now because of her actions is forced by Regina to not see Henry for the time being.
Sidney later commiserates with Emma at Granny's and promises she now has an ally in her fight against the mayor. This is where the show ends with a big twist as we realize that the whole affair was an elaborate ruse between Sidney and Regina so that Sidney could let her know every move that Emma makes.
Fairy Tale World
Like always the Fairy Tale world reveals more about relationships between the inhabitants of Storybrooke by telling Sidney's backstory as the Evil Queen's magic mirror. We find out that the Magic Mirror was originally a genie who was freed by Snow White's father. Showing even greater generosity he gives his final two wishes to the genie. However like all magic this will have serious consequences.
The King asks the genie what he will do with his freedom and the genie expresses his desire to find true love. The king then takes the Genie home with him and introduces him to Snow White and the Queen in whom he expresses serious interest. Could this be the love that the Evil Queen claims Snow White made her lose?
The scene changes to the King's birthday celebration where the King declares Snow White to be the image of his departed first wife and truly the fairest in the land. Regina watches on looking isolated and later heads to the royal garden. The Queen is met in the garden by the Genie who hears her sorrows about her less than loving marriage and gives her the gift of a mirror and declares her to be the fairest of them all.
Later on the Genie is summoned by the King who tells him that he has found evidence that Queen is unfaithful in her affections. He asks the Genie to find out that the man is that gave her the mirror. The Queen is later imprisoned and her father Henry, who we know she later sacrifices to activate the curse, tells the Genie of her plight and asks him to deliver her a gift that may free her. He gets permission to see her and discovers it is pair of poisonous vipers and that Queen seeks to kill herself. He stops her promising to find a solution.
The Genie's solution is to kill the King with the very viper and the King dies stating that he should have kept his last wish. The Genie returns to the Queen only to find out that the guards have linked him with the murder and that he must flee. He quickly realizes that the Queen used him and that she never loved him; So much for him being the possible lover that starts her vengeance. Refusing to leave her he tries to use his wish to make love him by wishing to stay with her forever. Funny enough he warned the king when they first met that magic can't be used to cause love and that it always has consequences. The result of his impulsive wish is to be trapped once again this time in the very mirror he gave her.
End of the Show Surprise
I have let this part out of the main Storybrooke portion because of what it means for future episodes. Things seemed to be pretty bleak but it looks like breaking of the curse will not be stopped so easily by Regina's machinations and it looks like the mysterious stranger will play an important role.
First off during the show the Stranger talks with Henry again as he tries to record the stories from memory. Henry being the bright kid knows something is up and keeps mum about any questions concerning the book.
The real twist is at the end when lo and behold, Henry's missing Fairy Tale book is revealed to be in the possession of the stranger. If spoilers are correct we now have a strong indication that he will be the one that will make Emma aware of the reality of the curse.
Other interesting tidbits
While Emma is tricked we see that she finds some interesting clues even though she hasn't realized it yet. The really big one is that she finds the set of Regina's keys that open up the heart boxes in Regina's hidden chamber below the town. Will Emma soon start connecting the dots? Only future episodes can tell us what happens.
Tega Jessa - I am a freelance writer who focuses on sciences, politics, and sci fi television and have written on them for three years.
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