Well, my dearies, we’ve been through quite a lot after these last two episodes. Not only did we learn why Snow’s birthday is also the day her mother died, but Snow also succumbed to a darkness that lives within us all (though truth be told I’m happy she did it.) Honestly this series keeps getting better and more twisted than any of us originally thought. Remember when we were all blown away that Mr. Gold was both Rumpel and the Beast? Yep, those were the good ol’ days. I think that we, as viewers, are in for a wild ride and the train has only begun to leave the station. I alone can think of several directions for the plot to go in, each more complicated than the next. While some of the plot points are predictable episodes in advance, there is a remarkable amount of information and clues spread throughout every episode. I recently began watching episodes from season one over again and it’s incredible how many details you notice that you missed the first time. If you’re unwilling to go a few months without your weekly doses of magic, I would suggest having a Once Upon A Time marathon and testing your observation skills. You might even be surprised by what you find; I know I was.
The Queen is Dead
This episode was one where I found myself scowling at the TV 90% of the time. I love the casting choice for young Snow; the little girl is a fantastic match to Goodwin’s looks. That being said, I do think this girl needs a little coaching to avoid overacting. There were a couple scenes where the lines came across as forced/fake and whenever a performance brings the audience out of the story’s escapism, it’s rarely a good thing. However, this little girl is a better actress than I ever could be. I can’t tell a joke to save my life; I always smile or laugh before I reach the punch line.
Staying on track and talking about young Snow, does anyone else here think she was 
a little brat? She was so rude to poor Johanna; I always pity the servants of royals but the royals were rarely better off. Case in point, Eva was being poisoned for the benefit of a commoner, AKA Regina. It’s such a shame that Eva died on Snow’s birthday. I know I would carry that guilt and sorrow with me forever, much like Snow. Eva, as we later find out, was quite the bully herself when she was younger but apparently had matured and turned into one of the kindest royals I’ve ever seen. Aren’t fairytales the sweetest, most heartwarming stories ever? Not anymore they aren’t.
I don’t care what anyone says, I have been rooting for Cora to get hers since the moment she appeared in that dungeon and spoke to Emma for the first time. She’s been the cause of almost every misfortune to ever befall Snow and Charming (Regina, Johanna, Eva) and quite frankly, I’m sick of it. Will Good ever come out on top for once? I have never liked Cora and I doubt I ever will. Her character has always annoyed me more than anything. Why any of the StoryBrooke residents would ever believe Cora about anything, I’ll never know. To me it seems like she lies more and is less trustworthy than even Rumpel.
Maybe I missed something while watching the episode, but I really don’t understand how Hook knew precisely where to find Rumpel and Company in New York; it’s not exactly a small city and I didn’t see any bread crumbs leading to Neal’s apartment. Oh how pissed was I when Hook stabbed Rumpel. You don’t mess around with my favorite character like that, Hook! On the other hand, which Hook doesn’t have, I really enjoyed the Rumpel/Henry interaction, “Does that mean I can call you Grandpa?” “You can call me whatever you like.” Rumpel, lighten up. Henry might be your undoing but I seriously doubt he wants to murder you.
Baelfire/Neal is definitely a character to keep your eye on. To me it sounds like he might also be Peter Pan or a Lost Boy from Neverland. He mentions that our world was not his first stop when he went through the Magic Bean portal. I believe he says something about how if it had been, he’d be much older than he is right now. I know Neverland is where you never, ever have to grow up so the theory seems to fit.
The Miller’s Daughter
“But you better be quick because if she kills the Queen she becomes as evil as the woman whose life she takes.” - Rumpelstiltskin
I have to say that they did an incredible job when they cast Rose McGowan as a young Cora. Seriously, Google Rose and Barbara and it’s kind of hard to tell the difference 
between the two sometimes. But her portrayal of Cora goes beyond just her looks; she also talks and walks exactly like Cora. It’s uncanny and an amazing job, honestly. I’m not usually one to like a lot of romantic tension, but my goodness, the chemistry between young Cora and Rumpel was steamy, no? It had me grinning from ear to ear; I knew those two had a history besides magic. However, it’s obvious that Cora only cares about power and I don’t doubt that’s what she was attracted to in Rumpel. We all know her motives are all about her gaining power. The irony that Cora’s own candle was used to kill her was too perfect. I really enjoyed that turn of events.
Henry and Neal/Baelfire pirated Hook’s pirate ship and sailed back to StoryBrooke together; that was a cute little scene. My question though, where is Hook? Did they just leave him lying in the lobby of Baelfire’s apartment complex? That’s actually kind of funny now that I think about it. Oh! And where the hell is August? I want him back on the show; I really liked his character and chemistry with Emma. This episode is also the first one where we finally see some love emerge from Bae when he’s sitting next to his father. When the two clasped hands, I was starting to tear up myself. Rumpel is honestly my favorite character, quirks and all; I just want to see him happy. I really hope Belle gets her memory back or learns to love Rumpel all over again.
Next week’s teaser trailer makes me extremely nervous. I don’t want to believe that the 
writer’s would kill off Snow White but it certainly looks like Regina is going to try. Hopefully something can be done to put a stop to Regina’s anger towards Snow. Maybe Henry will talk her out of killing his grandmother. I’m clueless as to what to expect but I hope the outcome of next week is not one to make all of us angry. Until then, dearies, have a magical week!
