Oh, how the tables have turned. Sunday’s episode of Once Upon a Time delivered a happy ending for a villain and a not-so-happy ending for a hero. Here is what happened.
The Evil Queen reveals a deep truth about herself
In this week’s flashbacks, the Evil Queen is on her usual mission — to kill Snow White. While in a village, she gets a visit from Tinkerbell. In a past season, Tinkerbell showed the Evil Queen a person who could be her true love, who ended up being Robin. Instead of making a move on the handsome thief, she chickened out.
The Evil Queen’s father tells her he is going to help her get revenge, but tricks her instead. He leads her to Cupid’s arrow, which leads whoever shoots it to the person they love. When the Evil Queen figures this out, she is not happy and enchants the arrow to lead her to the person she hates most. The arrow flies toward her castle and she is led to believe Snow White is in her castle. Instead, it strikes her wardrobe door, and when she opens it, she sees her reflection in a mirror. The person she hates most is herself.
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The fate shears reappear
In Storybrooke, the Evil Queen enlists Robin’s help to take down Regina. She hands him a shovel and tells him to start digging. When he hits a box, the Evil Queen opens it and presents the shears that can alter a person’s fate. The Evil Queen wants to use the shears to separate her and Regina for good so she can kill her.
Regina and the Evil Queen square off
To lure Regina to the mayor’s office to fight, the Evil Queen ties Robin up. When Regina walks in, the Evil Queen casts Robin away and pulls out the shears. That’s when Regina realizes the Evil Queen is going to separate them, and her response is to say, “This town is just not big enough for the both of us” — how original.
The Evil Queen uses the shears and the two are separated. They then destroy the mayor’s office, and all of the expensive decor in it, while fighting. In the end, Regina gets the upper hand and plucks the Evil Queen’s heart from her chest. As she holds the heart in her hand, ready to obliterate it, she changes her mind. Regina takes out her own heart and puts the two of them together, melding light and dark together again. Regina wants the Evil Queen to be happy: “And now I love myself, which means now so should you.”
The Evil Queen gets a happy ending
Regina approaches Henry with an idea to send the Evil Queen to the place she most desires to be. Regina wants Henry to write the Evil Queen a happy ending. Henry does so, and the Evil QUeen is transported to the alternate wish realm where she trapped Regina and Emma. This is also the place she sent Robin to live. She stumbles across a tavern and peeks through a window. Inside is Robin, so she goes in and has a couple drinks with him. It is extremely fitting that the Evil Queen’s happy place is with the person she let slip through her fingers long ago.
Via giphy.com
Hook struggles with his past — again
Similar to last week’s episode, Hook is struggling with whether to tell Emma about killing David’s father. While by the docks, Captain Nemo comes up to him and provides some insightful advice. Nemo tells him he needs to tell Emma or find a way to forgive himself.
A few scenes later, Hook is seen with a dreamcatcher that possesses the memory of killing David’s father. He is about to burn it when Emma walks in. She notices the memory and is more upset that Hook was about to burn it and not tell her the truth. Hook says he “couldn’t bear to ruin that happiness” of their engagement, so he was prepared to do anything. She tells Hook he needs to stop keeping secrets and find the man she loves, so she gives back the engagement ring until he can do that.
Hook goes back to talk to Nemo, who is preparing to leave Storybrooke in his submarine. Hook asks Nemo if he can tag along and says, “I’m not the man she needs me to be, and I need to find that man.” Nemo says they will depart that night and come back later.
As Hook prepares to leave, Snow comes to the docks to talk to Hook. She fills him in about the situation with the Evil Queen and Regina and says, “Love can save even the darkest souls — you just have to believe in it.”
After the small pep talk, Hook goes to Nemo and says he is done running and that he will not be going with him. As he turns to leave, the ship moves and starts submerging, but Nemo did not give the order — Gideon did because he doesn’t want Hook in Storybrooke. This leaves another couple separated and a villain at large.
Once Upon a Time airs every Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC.
