How I Met Your Mothers

Once Upon a Time  

Season 1, episode 2 – “The Thing You Love the Most”

Somewhere over the green smoke curse monster, parents take the centre stage in the second episode of Once Upon a Time. Over the course of the hour we see the different interactions between a variety of parental and child pairings. We see Regina and Henry, Emma and Henry, Regina and Henry Senior and unknowingly Emma and her mother Mary Margaret (aka Snow White with short hair.)

A cold wind blew through Storybrooke as the town’s grand clock ticked for the first time ever and who was to blame, it was Miss Emma Swan that’s who and Henry and Regina knew, it. Or does she? That’s the question that the show poses throughout the episode. Does evil Mayor/Witch/Queen know that she is in fact the evil Mayor/Witch/Queen? It seems like she does then she appears to be genuinely concerned that Henry may prefer his birth mother than she’s with it again then Mr Gold comes by and my head feels confused.

In Fairy Tale Land the Queen has just made a dramatic exit from Snow White and Prince Charming’s and arrives at the spooky castle of Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten.) Yes, that one of Sleeping Beauty fame –Disney fans scream- It is quickly revealed that the Evil Queen trading the ‘happy ending’ ending curse for Maleficent’s sleeping curse. The Queen is upset claiming that she should be allowed to have the magic back as the sleeping curse could be undone by just one kiss (The Queen is complaining that the curse had a loophole but it is established that the tale of Sleeping Beauty happened before this meeting in Fairy Tale World so shouldn't she know this was a possibility?)

 

In other news I think my Shetland Unicorn is going to be a real hit around Christmas time this year.

  It is from this point on that the Evil Queen starts following the ‘Revenge’ rule book as handed down by the one and only Emily Thorne. Like Miss Thorne, Regina is hell bent on destroying those who have wronged her and does not can who she hurts in the process. Firstly she turns on her only friend, then threatens all the other evil creatures of Fairy Tale land into helping, that is after she CUTS OUT HER BELOVED PET HORSE’S HEART (I know I started the comparison but there is no way even Emily would cut out Sammy’s heart.) This of course does not work because half way into the episode it would not be that easy so Regina must make a deal with the devil Victoria Grayson, Rumpelstiltskin.

These two characters are both clearly powerful and the power struggle between them is fascinating to watch. It also brought up so many more questions? For example what did Snow White do to destroy the Queen’s true love and why did Rumple make the curse in the first place?

Mister Stiltskin as we know from experience loves to make deals, so in order to get the secret, special ingredient, Regina must give him riches, comfort and maybe a few firstborns in the new world. She must also agree to do whatever he says, but only if his says please.

It turns out all the Queen must do is to get the curse to work is sacrifice the thing she loves the most. She turns to guidance from the old ‘butler,’ Henry (Tony Perez,) who has followed her around all episode and utters this heartbreaking and terrifying statement; “Daddy, I don’t know what to do?” Regina is shown to soften around Henry Snr, even before we know about their relationship and it shows a different side to the character, one that is not cruel but that can be softer and listen but, as we know the curse has well and truly been casted so it’s not a surprise that the Queen’s father does not make it. It is still very sad though, especially after seeing the relief on his face when he thinks he has talked his daughter around.  She definitely has an Emily Thorne mentality, revenge is everything even if it’s at the expense of her family.

Henry in Storybrooke is having equal but not quite as final problems with Regina too. As time starts moving again he moves forward with his plans (OPERATION COBRA) even ripping out pages of his book to hide from Regina, all the while assuming that Emma is completely on board.

We get some nice bonding moments between the different parental units this episode whether its Henry and Emma or Emma and her own mother, Snow White/Mary Margaret from the awkward “he thinks I’m Snow White” moment to Mary bailing Emma out of jail because she trusts her and the shared love of cinnamon and hot chocolate between all White-Charming family members.  

Regina on the other hand has chosen to use her son’s mental health as weapon to drive Emma out of town and nearly succeeds in breaking the new bond between bails bonds women and son, having Henry hear Emma call him crazy. Henry’s sadness at having his mother disregard him and his belief system is crushing. Even if it’s unintentional, it is still very cruel, particularly as it was both of his mothers involved.

In her hero moment of the episode, Emma redeems herself spectacularly in Henry’s eyes when she bursts into his therapy session and totally sells that it was all a part of her plan to throw Regina off the trail of Operation Cobra. She’s lying, but Henry’s is so happy and it’s very sweet as she holds him and watches the secret pages of the book burn.

Although as the book pages burn all I can think is that some poor fairy is involuntarily crying over this; “It was so big and I was so small and it took so long.”

As we arrive at the end of the episode and poor Regina is mad, well the tree Emma destroyed took time to grow in this fake town where time doesn't move and she wants Emma gone. We learn in this scene that Rumple brought Henry to Regina as a baby how he achieved this I will leave to you. And secondly Rumple asks Regina to do something and even though she does not approve, she has a sudden change of heart after he says PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well played show, well played.

What do you think; do Mr Gold and Regina know that they are just playing different characters with the same agendas whatever they may be in Storybrooke?

Extra Fables:

-  I have never known apples to be so scary. Though you could imagine Snow White as Emma was chain sawing the apple tree, cheering “Yes, my daughter, kill, you destroy that tree.

- I don’t know if it’s because Maleficent was really spooky when I was ten but I found her portrayal in this episode more sassy than scary.

-Despite that I’m still in love with all the fairy tale breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout - The magic mirror (Giancarlo Esposito) in Fairy Tale land is a journalist for “The Mirror” on Storybrooke, Archie Hopper (Jiminy Cricket) has an umbrella with him always, excellent!

-Why do you think Rumple made the curse? Maleficent says that the person who did it makes her and the Queen look moral. Theory 1: Lost was cancelled and he had nothing better to do. 

Thank you for reading again, until next episode where the Queen will do something evil, Emma will try to stop it and the Sheriff will continue to be very, very handsome. Or you can follow me here @Hanniebee852 where I sometimes might discuss other Sheriffs I think are handsome too.