#ouat commentary

Episode 2x01 “Broken”

~ The first time I saw this episode, I did not realize that the opening scene was part of it, because it starts in such an ordinary, mundane setting outside of Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest. It is only when the bird shows up with the Storybrooke postcard that it becomes clear that this is that story.

~ I’m quite confused about the timeline of Maleficent and Aurora’s relationship, given what they say about each other and what is shown in later seasons.

~ Although a tearful reunion might have been expected, Emma’s reaction to her parents makes complete sense. It’s weird and awkward because she has been carrying mixed feelings about her parents her whole life, and they’ve turned out to people she has already spent time with, and even considered friends/family.

~ Snow/Mary Margaret is right that they have lot to talk about, but she could have at least waited until they were alone before trying to initiate that catching-up conversation.

~ Dr. Frankenstein being the one to lead an angry mob is quite ironic!

~ Why/how does Gold have a selection of women’s clothing in his shop? Does he sell secondhand clothes too? That’s a funny scenario to imagine, if people come to his shop like it’s a boutique!

~ Mary Margaret improvising a blowtorch = badass!

~ Why does Regina play ignorant when Jefferson is mentioned?

~ How/when did Gold learn that the wraith was gone and Regina survived? Did anyone tell him?

~ Mary Margaret did the opposite of Gold when her child was being sucked into a portal to another world. He clung to the world he was comfortable in, whereas she leapt in to follow her daughter into the unknown.

~ While it is sad to see them separated from Emma and Snow/Mary Margaret, it is really nice to see David and Henry finally spend time together during this half of the season.

~ This episode is pretty confusing as far as the flashbacks/flashforwards go. Did the Land Without Magic storyline happen before the Enchanted Forest storyline?

Episode 2x02 “We Are Both”

~ Considering Emma and Snow/Mary Margaret have been kind of the main protagonists of the first season, it’s interesting to see an episode where they are absent for the most part.

~ Flashback Regina has a tree-shaped pendant, probably an homage to her apple trees!

~ Gold says that portals are outside his purview, but he knew how to get his hands on the looking-glass in this episode.

~ Gold uses “love” as a term of endearment before Hook ever does!

~ It looks like Henry has been prepared for a quick getaway for a while; or maybe he used the same method to sneak out on past occasions.

~ The cycle of a child becoming like the parent they hate is on full display in this episode. Regina stops Henry from running away the same way Cora stopped her from running away.

~ It’s amusing to see Sebastian Stan and Josh Dallas in scenes together, knowing they play very different types of characters in their respective Marvel movies!

~ I wonder what David would have done if he knew what Jefferson did to Mary Margaret and Emma last season.

~ I hope Ruby or some other townsperson eventually told Snow/Mary Margaret about David’s speech. She would have been so proud!

~ Where did Emma leave David’s sword after fighting Maleficent, and how did he get it back?

~ David and Henry sipping their drinks in unison is adorable, and the shot of them sitting together at the counter looks like Norman Rockwell's painting "The Runaway"!

~ Introducing present-day Cora at the end after seeing all the flashbacks is excellent. The audience spends the episode thinking that the flashback storyline was simply illustrating Regina’s past, but it was actually setting up for the future.

~ This is the first of three episodes that shows one of the main characters fighting a villain in the past, and then revealing that villain as a present contender at the end of the episode. First it’s Cora, then King George, then Hook.

Episode 2x03 “Lady of the Lake”

~ Parent-child relationships are a focal point of this show, but this episode really zones in on mothers: Snow most of all, as she gets to act as a mother to Emma for the first time; Ruth, as she meets her daughter-in-law and sacrifices for her family’s future; and Cora as she plots to reunite with her daughter.

~ Cora uses an apple idiom to describe Regina! It’s such an ordinary phrase, it’s easy to miss, but with Regina’s connection to apples, it is kind of hilarious!

~ King George using a potion to sterilize an enemy is really horrendous.

~ It’s beautiful to see that Ruth and Snow had a meaningful and positive relationship despite only having a short time to be together. Unlike in many other meet-the-parents stories, they love and respect each other right away. That really only makes sense given that one of them raised David and the other fell in love with him.

~ It’s amusing to see Snow White and Princess Aurora, two classic Disney princesses, fighting hand to hand!

~ Did the group camp for the night as they originally said they would, or did they press on to reach the castle that night?

~ Henry is kind of like Emma in this episode: he has been so used to operating alone that he continues to do so when he wants to check out Regina’s vault.

~ This is the first time Henry reveals the more selfish desire underlying his original goal of getting Emma to break the curse: he wants to be part of the fairy-tale world and be a hero.

~ A possible clue to my question about the other worlds’ religions: most of the Enchanted Forest characters say “gods” as an interjection, but Lancelot refers to “God in His mercy.” Of course, it would make sense for Camelot to be a Christian land, since the Knights of the Round Table famously seek the Holy Grail, which Lancelot alludes to during the wedding ceremony.

~ I hope Snow tells Emma at some point about how she’s indebted to Ruth and Lancelot for her life.

~ Snow and Charming’s music motif sounds so sad as Snow leaves the nursery!

~ Cora does what Rumplestiltskin does, bottling ingredients for magic to use in the future.

~ The final scene uses the same cinematography device twice, having a character watch other characters interact from a distance while sitting in a car.

~ Henry moves as though he has already done some sword-fighting!

Episode 2x04 “The Crocodile”

~ This may be the first episode in which Emma, Snow, and/or Regina are completely absent.

~ Evidence of Milah’s drawing ability can be seen throughout the episode. When Rumplestiltskin enters his family’s home, a drawing of a desert island can be seen pinned on a wooden beam. When they return, a sheaf of them can be seen on a table. It seems Milah had been daydreaming about her getaway for a while. (I initially wondered if she drew them, or if her pirate friends drew them for her.) Finally, near the end, a portrait of Baelfire is shown.

~ Killian Jones (not yet Hook)’s first scene is wonderfully understated. If you’re not actively looking for and watching him, he could be overlooked as an ordinary crowd extra; he only has a couple lines and doesn’t get any closeups.

~ Is Rumple trying to nurse Milah’s hangover when they talk at home? That would explain why she’s in bed and he’s making her a warm drink.

~ The way Milah talks, it sounds like she was thinking she, Rumple, and Baelfire could travel with the pirates, or at least get passage to another place to live. I wonder if Killian would have let Rumple and Baelfire come with her if she’d asked?

~ Prince Charming mining with the dwarves seems oddly fitting, like a rite of passage for him to be part of Snow’s adoptive family. But is his pickaxe magical like the dwarves'?

~ Ruby/Red Riding Hood bringing them meals is just perfect!

~ Rumple does the same thing in both storylines of this episode: he is looking for his love interest, who he thinks is in danger from another man, not knowing whether she left voluntarily or was kidnapped.

~ “A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets.” That’s almost like Killian’s thesis statement, a motto that he lives by. He fights hard for what he wants, whether it’s revenge or love. (Spoiler: I wonder if his thoughts on this change over the course of the series, as he ends up being a recipient of grace, receiving much better than he deserves.)

~ Killian’s devil-may-care attitude vanishes when he recognizes Rumple. He becomes dead serious when he realizes the danger he is in, and he tries to protect Milah by saying she died.

~ David and Gold’s conversation doesn’t make much sense, because David and Mary Margaret’s relationship didn’t work in Storybrooke. Rumple should have asked how Charming and Snow made it work.

~ Rumple foreshadows what he’ll later do to Milah when he says he wants Killian to feel as helpless as Rumple did when Killian took Milah.

~ Rumple seems to project his own regrets onto Milah: they both abandoned Baelfire in a sense.

~ Milah and Belle are very different in that Milah puts her own desires first and Belle puts others’ needs first. But they have one thing in common: they both want to see the world and have adventures. It seems odd, but could be a sign of learning, that Rumple does something to grant this wish for Belle by giving her the library.

~ Killian is shown to be a true scoundrel, given the way he treats Rumple; but his self-defining moments in the final scenes, as he becomes Captain Hook, are just awesome!

Episode 2x05 “The Doctor”

~ Although the present-day Enchanted Forest storyline doesn’t relate much to the rest of the episode, the first scene helps to establish the horror-genre tone.

~ (Spoiler:) Emma is the one who finds Hook! I guess finding people is still what she does, but it’s also fun foreshadowing if you know how things go for them later in the show!

~ Rumple really is like Palpatine and Snoke, urging his “apprentice” Regina to go further down the path of darkness on the pretense of training.

~ “So long as you live in your past, you’ll never find your future.” Not the most original line, but significant in a show that’s all about time and the relationship between past and future.

~ (Spoiler:) It’s not surprising that it takes Emma such a long time to trust Hook, considering their first-ever conversation was full of him lying, and even lying about not lying. Also, he talks about survival from the very beginning!

~ I’m surprised that Cora amassed so many hearts even before she became a queen. What reputation did she have before Regina sent her to Wonderland? Did people outside her family know about her and her abilities? I’m guessing those hearts were of people still living, since they were still pulsing, which would mean that she had a lot of people under her control.

~ If Jefferson had seen Cora’s heart collection, did he know, when he ended up in Wonderland, that she was the Queen of Hearts?

~ Rumplestiltskin, Dr. Frankenstein, and the Mad Hatter: three different varieties of insanity. They only share the screen for one scene, but I would have loved to see more!

Episode 2x06 “Tallahassee”

~ This is the first episode with flashbacks taking place in the Land Without Magic, and the first to show part of Emma’s past.

~ (Spoiler:) The way Neal first speaks to and looks at Emma kind of sounds and looks the way Hook would. I wonder how much of Hook’s personality or mannerisms might have rubbed off on Neal during their time together.

~ Emma basically does the same thing in both past and present timelines: trying to steal something with her love interest. Given how things went with Neal, it’s no wonder she doesn’t want to give Hook the chance to betray her.

~ Emma and Hook have to dress/equip each other before climbing up the beanstalk! He gives her jewelry/armor, and she gives him his prosthetic/weapon. Kind of intimate if you think about it.

~ The name “Henry” is visible among the keychains when Neal is talking to the cashier!

~ Neal likes the Apollo candy bars, just like Henry!

~ Bad dreams are discussed in both timelines: Emma teaches Neal about dreamcatchers, and Snow tells Aurora about David lighting a candle.

~ “You’d make a hell of a pirate.” Hook is more right than he knows: Emma kind of was a pirate in her old life.

~ Emma’s jacket in the flashbacks looks sort of like Snow’s old outfits.

~ It’s interesting to see Snow acting as a mother to Aurora since Emma is reluctant to let her fill that role for her.

~ How can August say that Neal was just “caught in the crossfire”? Does he think it mere coincidence that he and Emma met?

~ When August came to Storybrooke and found out Emma had a son, he must have known that it was Neal’s. So August knew, before anyone else did, that Baelfire, son of Rumplestiltskin, was Henry’s father.

~ The giants’ home couldn’t be very well-constructed if one giant could make the stones from the roof fall just by running.

Episode 2x07 “Child of the Moon”

~ “Once one controls something, one no longer need fear it.” A fitting quote for this episode, and very in-character for Gold.

~ It’s interesting that Gold does a favor for Henry, as if he has a special care or interest for him. Does he already suspect, at this point, that Henry is the boy prophesied to lead him to his son, and then be his undoing?

~ David says that it’s been “a few months” since Mary Margaret was framed for murder. That seems longer than what’s been shown or suggested: the last few episodes of Season 1 and the first few episodes of Season 2 only looked like a few days or weeks each.

~ Interesting stuff going on psychologically with Red/Ruby in this episode, and the werewolves in general. Not sure how much I agree with the way they describe it, but it sounds similar to the concept of “eating your shadow,” confronting and integrating the parts of yourself you don’t like.

~ (Spoiler:) Belle saying “I’m sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation” is funny, but not really true in terms of her overall relationship with Rumple, since he has ups and downs and she is still capable of being manipulated by him.

~ I don’t like Ruby’s emotionally-driven decisions. The last one especially, deciding to put herself in the mob’s way, doesn’t make sense because she could end up hurting them in wolf form.

~ This is a really emotional episode for David, and reveals a lot about his character—his bravery, his loyalty, his faith—but I feel like it didn’t go deep into his point of view.

~ As much as I love Red/Ruby’s friendship with Snow and Charming, I wonder if another character could have played David’s role in calling her back. That showed the kind of brave, selfless love that spouses, parents, or siblings show.

~ I wish the series showed Red and Granny reconciling after she finds out the truth about her mother.

Episode 2x08 “Into the Deep”

~ I think this is the first episode that does not have any flashbacks. I’m glad, because they aren’t really needed, since the action cuts between multiple parties in both realms in the present day.

~ I had forgotten about Cora controlling the dead with the hearts she’s taken. I’m surprised that wasn’t used more.

~ Looks like there are some autumnal decorations in Granny’s diner, suggesting that it could be sometime in the fall.

~ Do Belle and Gold ever have a proper, uninterrupted date? They didn’t even get a bite of their hamburgers before Regina showed up with a crisis!

~ Henry gets a scene with three of his grandparents: his two biological grandfathers, and his step-grandmother Regina.

~ “I was born to do this.” = a nod to Joan of Arc?

~ “Sometimes being a hero means knowing when not to run into the fire.” Sounds like a bit of Mufasa wisdom.

~ Aurora finally shows some backbone and integrity in this episode. Her scene with Cora is interesting; I hadn’t realized that she was thinking about starting a new life in Storybrooke.

~ The music during Hook’s scene with Aurora sounds noble, like he’s doing a good thing and genuinely hopeful of renewing his alliance with Emma. What I’m wondering is, had he already taken Aurora’s heart by that point?

~ I like Emma and Mary Margaret’s conversation about who is to blame for everything that has happened.

~ Cora’s bird companion and Regina’s laboratory setup both look like nods to Disney’s Snow White

~ Regina and Henry’s scene may be the first time we’ve seen them have an honest and positive conversation. It’s not exactly a bonding moment, but it’s a nice change!

~ Henry and David’s moment is lovely, and feels earned now that they’ve spent time together.

~ David’s journey to find the burning room could be symbolic of the journey to the subconscious.

~ It’s nice how Emma and Mary Margaret take turns encouraging each other.

~ (Spoiler:) “You must have a death wish” is a funny line to have addressed to Hook, considering how many times he’s going to die in the show!

~ Hook really is sleazy and slippery, kind of like Rumple—or, for a Marvel comparison, Loki. You’re never quite sure when he’s sincere and when he’s manipulative, or both at once.

~ That last scene with the princesses is intense! There’s a moment when it really seems like Snow is going to kill Mulan, and Emma is already shocked. How would things have played out if Aurora hadn’t arrived?

Episode 2x09 “Queen of Hearts”

~ It’s interesting to see Hook and Evil Queen Regina meet. They’re both characters who play up their attractiveness and try to use it to their advantage when they want to entice or intimidate.

~ Good on Regina for trying to continue her upward redemption arc! And boo to Rumple for trying to twist her motivation.

~ Apparently this is when Emma finds out that Rumple/Gold knew she was the Savior all along. Did she not get that when she talked with Regina and Gold about the creation of the Dark Curse in the Season 1 finale?

~ The scroll with Emma’s name fits with both Rumple’s descent into madness and his penchant for names.

~ Henry reads the storybook to David, just as Mary Margaret did for each of them when they were in comas!

~ Rumple has said that fairy magic doesn’t mix well with him, yet he harnesses the power of the fairy dust here.

~ Why would someone as smart and ruthless as Cora leave the princesses alive in the cell? They had no further usefulness to her. It’s the same thing that happens in superhero stories when the villain leaves the hero detained or on their way to death while they go off to complete their evil plot. The only possible explanation I can think of is that Hook may have requested that she let them live, and they would probably have died of starvation in the cell.

~ The way Regina’s theme plays, so light and gentle, over Henry’s lines twice in this episode is so sad.

~ If Regina didn’t want to have any weakness, why didn’t she just rip out her own heart, like Cora did?

~ Hook did a random act of kindness! And in the middle of a battle! Repairing the wrong that he did to Aurora! In spite of all his selfishness and switching sides, he still has a shred of compassion. Also, the way he saves the satchel from falling is like Flynn Rider in Tangled.

~ Not very subtle sexual imagery when Hook pins Emma down—not only in his words, but in the way he moves his weapons down over hers.

~ All the dwarves watch over David under the sleeping curse, the way they watched over Snow!

~ Gold says that Emma needed to find the scroll so everything could occur; but he didn’t seem to know she would be able to use it to get back to Storybrooke.

~ “Maybe one day, they’ll even invite you to dinner.” Emma does, in fact, invite Regina in the next episode; and (spoiler!) Season 6 ends with everyone having dinner together!

~ How did the Jolly Roger get through the portal? In fact, where has it been all this time? Was it inside Cora’s protective bubble, shielded against the curse? Did they restore the bean’s magic at Lake Nostos and then bring it to the ship to make the portal?

~ What happened to the enchanted compass? Do they ever use it again? (Spoiler: My headcanon is that Hook later got it and used it to find Emma in New York.)

Episode 2x10 “The Cricket Game”

~ The opening shots of Hook are just him acting fabulous and slightly Byronic.

~ There are swans near the docks when Hook and Cora disembark!

~ It’s odd to cut from a Charming family scene to a flashback of the Evil Queen. Usually at least the first flashback is related in some way to the present scene—either the same character is in them, or a common item or similar situation. It would have made more sense to cut between Mary Margaret in bed and Snow White running through the forest.

~ They reused the “Welcome home Mary Margaret” banner from Episode 1x19, and added “and Emma”! I’d like to know who among their friends was so practical.

~ Emma and Regina’s conversation feels very real, like divorced parents trying to get along for their child’s sake. Regina’s music theme sounds so sad and wistful at the end.

~ This is a question I had from the pilot episode: who are the nameless soldiers who sit with Snow, Charming, and their more iconic friends at the round table?

~ When she’s looking out her tower window, Regina’s theme sounds a little more like usual, but still sadder.

~ The door between the interrogation room and the mirror room remains ajar when David and Emma go through.

~ What did Rumplestiltskin receive in exchange for giving Snow a way to test Regina?

Episode 2x11 “The Outsider”

~ Why is this episode called “The Outsider”? To whom does that refer? Greg Mendel seems the most likely candidate, but he only shows up in the last seconds.

~ It’s pretty messed up that no one notices the death of the person Cora actually killed. When the local conscience/therapist dies, everyone takes notice, but when some random guy without a famous story dies, no one comments? Do they take him out of Archie’s grave after learning it was someone else?

~ Belle is present at Archie’s funeral, even though she didn’t know him as long as the others. She really must have gotten to know everyone in the short time she’s been out of the asylum.

~ Marco/Geppetto must feel so alone thinking that both Pinocchio and Jiminy are gone!

~ Belle wears brown, for the first time, in both storylines of this episode. Her outfit in Storybrooke is my favorite of them all.

~ I love the concepts behind Belle’s flashback adventure, but they’re not super well executed in terms of dialogue.

~ Belle reminds me a little of Desdemona in Othello: she has so much love and faith, she doesn’t seem capable of imagining what horrible things the man she loves might do.

~ Smee must have gone to Hook and told him about the way to cross the town line; but Hook must have been spying on Gold if he was able to find out about the shawl and where it was hidden.

~ It’s brief and only visible through the window, but Gold’s reaction to realizing the shawl is gone is to cover his mouth, just devastated.

~ The first thing Gold smashes is a model ship! Clever.

~ Belle carries the gun so casually as she searches for the Jolly Roger.

~ Belle is extremely book-smart, but not very street-smart, and she’s rather reckless when she tries to do things on her own. The safe, smart thing would have been to tell Gold her hunch, or at the latest, when she had found the ship. But I wonder if she kept it from him because she did not want him to confront Hook himself.

~ Did Hook see Archie leaving? Did he simply let him escape?

~ Emma finally shows a desire to be with her parents!

~ It’s strange that Belle isn’t more disturbed by Hook’s revelation that Rumple killed Milah.

~ “Why do you think anyone who’s gotten close to him has either run away or been killed?” It sounds as though Hook believes Baelfire ran away from Rumple.

~ “Your [heart] is rotten.” / “You’ve no idea.” Does that mean Hook believes his heart is more rotten than she thinks, or not as much?

~ Does Hook have an actual death wish? Twice, he tries to goad Gold into attacking him, knowing that he can’t defend himself against magic.

~ How did Hook get to the town line so quickly, if he was walking and Gold was driving?

Episode 2x12 “In the Name of the Brother”

~ Who called Emma and her parents to the scene of the accident? Are all three of them on night patrol?

~ Emma is very sensitive to Hook’s circumstances: she notices him after the accident, diagnoses his injury, and has the presence of mind to tell the hospital staff to hide him so Gold can’t get to him. When she sums up the situation to him, there’s a note of genuine concern in her voice.

~ “If I had to pick dead guy of the year, I’d pick you.” Foreshadowing on multiple fronts!

~ Emma and Hook give each other such nasty smirks!

~ Greg Mendel’s ringtone is Star Wars music! I guess that was allowed after Disney purchased Lucasfilm.

~ “We don’t let go of people.” Interesting line, especially for Frankenstein!

~ Cora snooping around Regina’s house is actually such a mom thing to do! Did she need to see a picture of Henry so she could impersonate him?

~ I did not notice until now that Henry’s bedroom is full of clocks!

~ Cora knows exactly what Regina has always wanted to hear from her. But she stops short of an apology for killing Daniel, and she doesn’t exactly apologize for forcing Regina into a loveless marriage, just says she shouldn’t have done it.

~ I laughed at Regina referring to “Emma and Henry and the two idiots”

~ Cora says they see Regina as a snake, but Cora is really the one acting like Satan, sowing doubt and convincing her that she can’t make things right with the others.

~ What became of Gerhardt Frankenstein? Did he die at some point before the Dark Curse?

~ That high tinkling music sounds eerily like “Rock-a-Bye Baby”

~ Even in hospital, Belle still wears yellow and blue!

~ Belle smashing the cup is heartbreaking! You can see how much that crushes Gold, like shattering his hope.

~ It’s odd that Ruby and Belle both have several scenes but don’t interact with each other in this episode. Ruby is later shown to be aware of Belle’s situation. Did she not try to check on her when she arrived?

~ Gold seems to be looking at Henry when he threatens to kill the whole family!

Episode 2x13 “Tiny”

~ Hook seems to be done being a “gentleman,” as he said he always is. Is it because he’s no longer with just women, as he was in the Enchanted Forest for a while? Does he start making innuendoes about Mary Margaret just to irritate David and Grumpy? Is that his way of making himself feel powerful?

~ How was Cora able to abduct Anton? Did he come down the beanstalk, or did she go up?

~ Hook seems to slip away when Anton attacks David. Did the others simply forget about him? Shouldn’t he be in either the hospital or the jail?

~ Ruby continues to play the role of delivery girl for the sick!

~ James is dressed like an attractive villain, similar to Hook: black clothes, low V neckline, necklace.

~ The Jack introduced in this episode seems to be a different character than the one Hook described to Emma when they went up the beanstalk.

~ Jack slayed the Jabberwock!

~ Emma really does act like a daughter, or daughter-in-law, toward Gold during the airport security scene. In that moment, he’s not a wizard or the local miser, he’s just an old man who needs reassurance.

~ Cora must have had the mushrooms to make Tiny small, and then big again, because she brought some from her time in Wonderland.

~ The way Emma and Henry look at each other after Gold leaves clearly says, “What are we going to do with him?”

~ Why is Tiny’s small size the one he now reverts to? Does it not wear off the way the growing mushroom does?

~ How did David manage to hold Anton’s weight? And how does Anton come up before him?

~ The dwarves seem to accept Tiny as one of them, with an axe and everything. So why didn’t he accompany them for the rest of the series? Did the actor lose interest, or did the writers not know how to include him?

~ The sound of the plane taking off is an effective way to show Gold’s increasing anxiety!

Episode 2x14 “Manhattan”

~ Milah is sewing Baelfire’s shawl in the first scene, and later he’s wrapped in it as a baby!

~ I appreciate that Hook is still moving like a man who was injured in a car accident.

~ Gold seems to think that Henry has already fulfilled his role as the boy who would lead him to his son, since Henry brought Emma to Storybrooke.

~ The Seer could have overheard the soldiers call the saddles “cows,” so it’s not much of a confirmation of her clairvoyance.

~ Neal and Snow both have lines, addressed to their significant others, about never having to see each other’s face again.

~ If Emma thought she could still bring Neal to Gold, how did she think she could keep him from meeting Henry? Did she think they could be introduced without them realizing the truth?

~ Why does Gold think who his son loves is pertinent information? Would he have used that against him?

~ Does Gold really think he could beat Emma in a physical fight? He’s shown that he can be brutal even without magic, but he still has a bad leg, and she’s much younger than him.

~ The fact that Neal came back to defend Emma, after spending his life hiding from his father, speaks to how much he cares about her.

~ Having the scene where Rumple meets his son right before the scene where Neal meets his son is brilliant.

~ The Greg Mendel scene should have been at the end. It feels like a random interruption in the midst of so much drama.

Episode 2x15 “The Queen is Dead”

~ How are they not suspicious of the package arriving on Snow’s birthday? Cora is one of the few people who would know that date.

~ Having Hook emerge from hiding and reclaim his hook is a great way to end the teaser!

~ Why couldn’t Regina and Cora just use magic to dig, instead of a shovel? And that conversation was way too convenient—were they trying to be overheard, so Snow would look for the dagger?

~ Emma, Henry, and Gold must have stayed somewhere in New York overnight and met up with Neal again the next day or two.

~ I’d forgotten how violent Hook and Emma are to each other: he pushes her aside to attack Gold, and she hits him in the head with a fire extinguisher. And she locks him up again, this time in a storage closet.

~ Why did Cora impersonate the Blue Fairy to talk to Snow White? Why did she want to give her that candle? What did she expect Snow to do? Did she want to darken Snow’s heart, or cause a particular person’s death?

~ Snow losing her mother as a child is even more tragic knowing that she was the one with her mother when she died.

~ King Leopold’s absence in this episode feels off—not that it mattered to the story, but that it’s out of character for him not to be present and involved at his wife’s death and funeral.

~ There might be an inconsistency about how much time passed between Queen Eva’s death and Snow’s first meeting with Regina. It wouldn’t make much sense for Cora to wait long to arrange the meeting after the queen’s death, but in Episode 1x18 King Leopold says it’s been years and that he’s searched the land for a new wife.

Episode 2x16 “The Miller’s Daughter”

~ Mary Margaret is holding an apple during her first scene. Why is that, when their family, in general, does not like apples, and she has a negative association with them due to Regina?

~ How and when did Regina and Cora tap Mary Margaret and David’s phones? Must have been after Emma gave Mary Margaret the news about Gold’s son, since they don’t know about that.

~ Regina says Henry would never forgive Cora; does she mean for killing Gold? But Regina doesn’t yet know that Gold is Henry’s grandfather.

~ Cora speaking to Regina about never bowing is first time she actually comes across somewhat sympathetic.

~ Past Cora adds a rose to her hair—a nice nod to her future as the Queen of Hearts!

~ This episode kind of ruins the timeline that was described in Episode 2x02. Prince Henry said that Cora knew Rumplestiltskin long before he met her, and it sounds as though Cora’s relationship with Rumplestiltskin lasted a fairly long time for him to teach her magic, to the point of her calling him “master,” and eventually meeting newborn Regina.

~ “You’re selling off your own flesh and blood” is a strange line to give Cora, who basically sold Regina into a loveless marriage for status and revenge (and did more, as season 3 reveals).

~ I like how the ridiculous boast about turning straw to gold comes about, starting as a jest in their verbal sparring.

~ The look that David gives Neal after being introduced!

~ I don’t like the way David talks to Mary Margaret, saying she has to “stay” pure of heart, as if she doesn’t get to choose for herself.

~ It’s nice to see that Henry is still optimistic and encouraging toward Emma, despite being angry and distant with her after finding out she lied to him.

~ Cutting from “You won’t let her get away” to Cora being trapped in the tower is pretty effective.

~ (Spoiler:) Cora questioning the “firstborn child” clause is more significant knowing that she had already given birth to her first child by now. Did she think Rumple would want Zelena?

~ Gold and Emma have a mentor-student moment, probably their first real one—and it ends with him praising her!

~ It’s cool to see Regina and Cora using magic in sync. But what did Emma, Neal, and David expect to accomplish against them with just swords?

~ Rumple encouraging Cora to use her bloodlust to fuel her magic explains a lot about her.

~ When he shows his face, you can see they did a good job of casting young Prince Henry; he does look very similar to the old man.

~ Cora and Rumple’s relationship is so twisted and toxic … and yet, it rings true because of their similar motivations. It’s completely based on their tendency toward darkness, a sharp contrast against his relationships with Milah and Belle.

~ How was Mary Margaret able to get into Regina’s vault? Does she not have any locks or protection, even after living in hiding there?

~ Emma’s theme music is played twice over Mary Margaret’s scenes; it sounds so eerie and ominous when she takes out Cora’s heart!

~ Interesting that Cora took to heart (no pun intended) the advice of the king she hated.

~ Rumple’s three greatest loves are on display in this episode to compare and contrast: his destructive love with Cora, his wounded relationship with Baelfire/Neal, and his pure love for Belle.

~ Emma and Neal both struggle—particularly in this season—with forgiving their long-lost parents for giving them up.

~ Neal and Rumple’s scene after the phone call is wonderfully realistic: there is still anger, but also love on both sides, and it’s as close to a reconciliation as they can expect to have at that point.

~ The worst thing Mary Margaret does in this episode isn’t using the candle; it’s tricking Regina into being the instrument of Cora’s death. That whole conversation in the vault, Mary Margaret manipulates Regina, weaponizing her desire for her mother’s love.

~ How powerful can protection spells be if Cora and Regina are able to break through them so easily?

~ Cora actually seems regretful when she says that any baby she has will not be Rumple’s.

~ Did no one in the royal court have any issue with Cora, a princess by marriage far down the line of succession, declaring that her daughter would one day be a queen?

~ Cora’s last moments are so tragic, because all at once she feels the love that she should have had all along for Regina, and she realizes that love “would have been enough.”

Episode 2x17 “Welcome to Storybrooke”

~ The orange car is such an appropriately vivid contrast against the dark title card!

~ This episode is a fascinating exploration of Regina’s psychology in both the past and present.

~ Did Mary Margaret give her students the exact same lesson about birds every day for 28 years?

~ Is Gold being genuine when he talks to Regina, asking her to give up her feud? Does he really care about her happiness or Mary Margaret’s life?

~ Regina’s reaction to Owen is so sweet—it’s probably the first time anyone has shown her unsolicited kindness.

~ When did Regina get Kurt’s phone number?

~ Regina tearing her mother’s clothes is powerful.

~ Gold and David, too, can apparently just walk right into the vault. But Gold makes more sense because his magic is so powerful.

~ Gold’s take on Cora and Regina’s different reasons for being dangerous is interesting. Which is more dangerous, being too led by your heart, or not letting your heart lead you at all?

~ Henry is acting in the role of a prophet again, calling everyone out and reminding them who they are (supposed to be).

~ Neal can understand exactly how Henry feels about his evil magic-wielding parent. Henry’s idea to get rid of magic is strikingly similar to Baelfire’s original goal to rid his father of his power.

~ “He’s your son!” In that moment, Neal realizes exactly what that means: Henry can be just as deceptive and conniving as he.

~ Greg Mendel crossing paths with Henry is more ironic when you know that Greg’s goal is to destroy magic, which is exactly what Henry is trying to do in that moment.

~ You can hear Greg’s phone camera go off as he picks up Henry’s bag. That must have been when he figured out Henry was Regina’s son.

~ Regina actually let Owen go in the end, rather than trying to use his father as leverage or have Graham restrain him. Maybe, on some level, she did care about him. At the very least, she realized she could not force him to love her—and she has the same realization about Henry in the present day.

~ Why was Storybrooke visible to Kurt and Owen at the beginning, but not later? Did Regina do something to change that, like a cloaking spell?

~ I know Regina had a lot on her mind in both episodes, but she must have wondered who Neal was and why he was so protective of Gold and Henry.

~ Mary Margaret’s bookcase has clocks lined up across it, like in Henry’s bedroom!

~ Gold’s advice to Mary Margaret is phrased in such a way that it sounds as though it hasn’t worked yet for him.

~ They did a good job of casting two actors for Greg/Owen. They have very similar faces.

Episode 2x18 “Selfless, Brave and True”

~ Neal wears his coat and scarf like Henry!

~ One minute Emma is bemoaning the fact that outsiders are coming to Storybrooke, as though Tamara is a threat; the next, she urges Neal to tell Tamara the truth about where he comes from.

~ Snow White listening to “Reputation” while doing archery … is one form of self-care.

~ Where did the abandoned trailer come from? Was it always there as part of the curse?

~ Neal and the Blue Fairy/Mother Superior don’t interact, but their scene with August/Pinocchio may have been the first time they saw each other since she gave him the magic bean.

~ The scenes that connect this episode with ones before and after don’t have much setup/payoff within the episode. For instance, Henry hasn’t been shown pulling away from Emma the last few episodes, but she decides to talk to him after seeing Geppetto/Marco and Pinocchio/August reconcile. And we don’t see any of Regina’s thought process prior to her conversations with Greg Mendel.

~ Greg and Tamara are each separately shown using their phones a lot—and there is one time Neal looks at his caller ID and says “It’s her,” like she’s labeled on Greg’s phone!

Episode 2x19 “Lacey”

~ Neal is so into his swordfight with Henry! He may not have much practice, but he really throws himself into being a dad when he finds out he is one.

~ At first, Gold seems to respond the same way everyone else does to Belle’s claim that she saw magic, like he’s gaslighting her; but he’s not. He acknowledges that she’s been through a lot and been under the influence of drugs, but he doesn’t say that what she saw wasn’t real, he just assures her that it will become clear when she remembers.

~ The flashbacks of this episode show just how horrible Rumplestiltskin was to Belle when she lived with him. That period of time was mostly glossed over in “Skin Deep.”

~ I don’t know what’s funnier: David making a pun of Dark One and Don Juan, or Gold’s claim that “Don Juan was nothing before he made his deal with me.”

~ It makes sense that the first thing Emma does after learning about the beans is to read Henry’s book. (Spoiler:) The sentiments she expresses in this episode are fleshed out more fully in the second half of Season 3, particularly in the season finale.

~ Gold wears a blue pocket hanky on his date! And while it’s painful to watch Lacey’s behavior, he is so adorably happy when she acts like the Belle he knew!

~ Rumple takes the Sheriff’s tongue so effortlessly. Was that a nod to the BBC Robin Hood episode, “Sheriff Got Your Tongue”? Can Rumple do that with any part of a person’s body? That’s terrifying.

~ I’m surprised Rumplestiltskin didn’t already know Robin Hood’s name.

~ Belle basically plays the angel on Rumplestiltskin’s shoulder. It’s heartbreaking to see Lacey become the devil on his shoulder.

~ “You are not the kind of man to leave a child fatherless.” Ooh!!! He has probably wanted to hear that for centuries.

~ David driving all the dwarves in the back of his truck is so familial!

~ Emma and Neal seem to do pretty well with co-parenting.

~ I wish we got to see Henry becoming friends with young August/Pinocchio!

~ Neal says one of Emma’s characteristics is, “You don’t stop till you find what you’re looking for.” What Emma is really looking for—now and throughout the series—is a happy ending, only she doesn’t know what that would look like. (Spoiler:) Perhaps it's intentional that the next scene brings back Hook!

Episode 3x20 “The Evil Queen”

~ Why are David and Mary Margaret talking about something so sensitive in a public place?

~ I knew that fisherman was … well, fishy, given the way the camera focused on him.

~ Funny that Emma bumps into Tamara, kind of like Tamara did Neal. Did Emma do it on purpose?

~ Regina seems to have such a warped perception of herself and her capacity for good or evil. Does she truly not recognize how she has earned the name “Evil Queen”? Does she really believe all her actions are justified? Does she truly think Snow is evil, after living with her for at least a decade?

~ Rumple was the one who caused King George’s kingdom to go bankrupt!?

~ I’m not a fan of when shows wipe characters’ memories so they can have interactions without any consequences. In this episode, it happens in a single scene!

~ Is Hook being sincere when he talks to Regina about Cora? Does he actually feel bad for her and want to help her win?

~ It’s interesting that Hook shows an understanding that revenge is an end, not a beginning, and that he’ll be empty without the pursuit of that goal. In that sense, he may be more mature than Regina, who has always put her revenge first and was angry that it did not satisfy her.

~ Did Hook ever meet Maleficent, or did he just piece together what Regina had said?

~ Did Regina saving Snow really have such a profound impact on her faith in people’s goodness? That’s rather ironic, and if true, Regina’s descent into evil should have shaken some of Snow’s faith, because it would have been an upending of her understanding of people in general and Regina in particular.

~ Emma and Henry doing a stakeout together is great to see, harkening back to Season 1. But she’s not setting a very good example for him by breaking into hotel rooms and teaching him how to give a warning signal.

~ This is the first time Henry has seen his parents argue, and you can see how awkward it is for him, but it’s also kind of sweet that he finally gets to experience that.

~ It’s significant for Henry to tell Emma that he believes her. For one thing, no one believed him about his fairy tale theory, so he knows the feeling. For another, he now trusts her not to lie to him again. (Spoiler:) Sharing that ice cream is the last peaceful, happy moment they have together for a long time.

~ Giving a stranger a weapon and the instruction to stay behind her isn’t really smart of Snow.

~ Such a strange interaction between Regina and Snow at the end … Regina leaves her alive, which is good, but how can she insist upon her own goodness when they’re standing in front of the village she slaughtered?

~ (Spoiler:) “The one thing I excel at is surviving.” Hook saw this as a characteristic of his all along!

~ Hook takes no pleasure in the way Greg and Tamara taunt Regina, and he actually looks kind of concerned at the end.

Episode 3x21 “Second Star to the Right”

~ Pulling in the story of the Darling family is a great way to transition to Neverland, which so far has been mentioned but not explored.

~ This show chooses odd moments to use title cards to establish time and/or place. There’s no need for “London, England” when they just showed Kensington Gardens and Big Ben.

~ It seems Baelfire/Neal began his thieving career at the Darlings’ house!

~ Wendy is one to talk about “unusual” names: there were hardly any Wendys before the publication of Peter Pan.

~ Odd to have Hook, the one-handed guy, be the one to restrain Regina. She may not be able to use magic, but she’s not afraid to use physical violence, as seen the time she hit Emma. Did he threaten her with his hook to make her comply?

~ Mrs. Darling deciding to take Baelfire in without even knowing his name … is fast, but fits with how the Darlings adopt the Lost Boys at the end of Peter Pan.

~ “Never underestimate the power of a guilty conscience.” Interesting words coming from Gold!

~ Mary Margaret’s emotional state must be really bad if she can summon a tear so easily.

~ Emma tells Tamara that Regina is missing, as if Tamara knows Regina, but as far as Emma is aware they haven’t met yet. She would only have been a name on Tamara’s list.

~ The music at the end of Emma and Neal’s scene is so pretty and sweet—such a contrast from the usual emotional tone of the show. The music usually evokes wistfulness or suspense.

~ Interesting that Greg and Tamara’s feelings about magic are similar to Baelfire/Neal’s, except that they want to destroy it while he just wants to stay away from it.

~ It’s nice to see that Baelfire/Neal got to be part of a decent family for a while. He’s experienced parental love in the past, but his time with Wendy, John and Michael is his first experience of sibling love, and he proves himself a wonderful big brother.

~ The way the lights go out is like when Tinker Bell arrives in stage productions of Peter Pan.

~ Wendy and Emma both experience losing Baelfire/Neal in this episode. But it’s different than when Rumplestiltskin lost him through a portal, because now Neal is urging them to let him go, sacrificing himself so no more families will be broken. Only he doesn’t see that they will be broken because he won’t be there.

~ Regina wakes up the same way she did in the flashback in the previous episode, startled by Snow/Mary Margaret pressing a compress to her face.

Episode 2x22 “And Straight On ‘til Morning”

~ This is the most Hook-centric episode so far. Up to this point, he’s been seen mostly through the eyes of other characters (Rumple, Belle, and Emma). In this episode, he has multiple people, at multiple points in time, asking him about who he is and what motivates him.

~ “Well aren’t you quite the hero?” Hook doesn’t know how true that will be!

~ Even with Lacey influencing him to do evil, Gold deciding to kill Henry makes no sense with Neal back in his life. Why would he inflict that pain on his son?

~ Hook says, “The things we do for our children,” so knowingly, like a father!

~ I love that Grumpy cares so much about Belle!

~ I wish we got to see Sneezy getting his memories back. His brothers must have missed him over the last several weeks, while they’ve been working in the fairy dust mines and beanfields.

~ There are soooo many layers to Hook and Baelfire’s conversation at the helm! Hook must be thinking and feeling so much—obviously calculating about his revenge, but also thinking about how Rumple and Milah both abandoned Bae in some sense, and how he had a hand in Milah’s actions.

~ Hook has to watch the Charmings’ family discussions twice, and you can tell he’s uncomfortable.

~ The idea of sending the wraith and the failsafe through portals to other dimensions actually isn’t all that selfless. They don’t know where they are sending those dangers. The wraith attacked Philip when they sent it through. They are basically passing their problems on to strangers.

~ Hook’s theme music sounds so sad and reflective when he’s contemplating his choice.

~ (Spoiler:) Was “I’ll track them down in Hell if I have to” foreshadowing the Underworld arc?!

~ Hook looks at Gold so icily when he realizes they’re going to be working together.

~ Once the six of them are on the Jolly Roger, the heroes and villains automatically congregate to opposite sides.

~ Hook’s expression when he says they’re going to Neverland = he knows better than any of the others what kinds of trials they’re in for.