No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. This really is a double episode analysis. I know I haven't posted one of those since June, but the analysis of 'Save Henry' was so short, I figured it was necessary this time.
Save Henry
Gosh, I loved the flashback plotline in this episode. We see exactly what led Regina to adopt Henry
in the first place, and how she chose to go to Gold in order to bypass the
adoption waitlist. She was in the same
state of mind that we saw her in at the end of the ‘Welcome to Storybrooke’ flashback, growing increasingly jaded and
dissatisfied with how life in Storybrooke was for her. However, she is still reluctant to admit to
herself that the warnings she’d received from Dark One Rumpelstiltskin and
Maleficent were proving to by spot on- her quest to get her way had left a hole
in her life that couldn’t easily be filled.
Remembering how the brief presence of Owen helped brighten things up for
her, she makes the choice to adopt a baby boy.
What surprised me the most is that Henry was nearly adopted by a family
in Boston until the adoption hit a snag.
Meaning Henry nearly wound up living in the same city where Emma had
been living in the pilot episode.
Seriously, what is it about Boston that keeps drawing in the children/descendants
of the Enchanted Forest? Come to think
of it, how did Regina make it to Boston to talk to the adoption agency people
and pick up Henry? I thought the curse
prevented people from leaving Storybrooke?
Did Regina just get a special pass because she was the one who cast the
curse? Because I guess that would make
sense, but it would be nice if they actually explained that. Of course, Regina quickly finds that being a
mother to Baby Henry wasn’t quite as easy as she expected, particularly since
he never stops crying, except when he’s being held by Mary Margret. (Who else
grinned like a loon that Baby Henry seemed to sense that was his biological
grandmother?) Regina, understandably
confused as to why Baby Henry cannot seem to warm up to her, turns to Sidney
Glass to bend a few laws in order to find out about his birth parents and
learns how the birth mother was found as a baby just outside the borders of
Storybrooke, on the very day the town came into existence. This leads to a fiendishly delightful moment
when Regina confronts Gold, accusing him of knowing exactly who Baby Henry's birth mother was and arranging for Regina to adopt him for that very reason. Because you
KNOW that's exactly what Gold was doing, and that he knows what Regina’s getting at. But he of course feigns ignorance
just to mess with her head. Gold you are
such a deranged, twisted weasel.
The main chunk of the episode involves Emma and Regina setting out to
try and get Henry’s heart back from Pan, with the aid of Snow, who wants to
spend as much time with her daughter as possible, now that Gold/Rumpelstiltskin
is gone and won’t be able to make a permanent cure for Charming. Their venture results in them getting caught
up by magical vines that feed on regret.
The more regret someone has, the tighter the vines hold that
person. And it was in this scene that
Regina was just on fire. She really
showed a surprising level of maturity, especially after how off-kilter she was
throughout the second half of season 2.
She acknowledged that she has caused a lot of people pain, but cannot
bring herself to regret what she’s done- because in the end, it was her taking
the path she took that resulted in her gaining Henry in her life. It was by this act of seeing the silver
lining that Regina really earned my respect.
And I can also now appreciate why she was so adamant about trying to
keep Henry all to herself. He really was
the only positive thing in Regina’s life up until this point, so I suppose I
can’t really hold her tendency to keep such an iron grip on him against her. Not that it made her actions in trying to keep Henry all to herself permissible, of course. There's a reason why the saying 'if you love something, set it free' exists, after all.
All things considered, this episode was really Regina’s moment in the
limelight, with everyone else being forced into the background. The only exception was when Emma reached out
to the Lost Boys to encourage them to inform them where Pan was hiding by
latching on to their need for a mother in their lives. Her words do the trick, as the majority of
the Lost Boys agree to help them, as long as they’d be allowed to go with them
back to Storybrooke. The only one who
refuses to accept their offer of a new home is Felix. Which begs the question of why they even
brought him along when they left Neverland.
He clearly isn’t going to be won over, so why not just leave him behind? I’m serious. What is the logic of bringing
him back with them? Story wise, I
suppose it makes sense, as having Felix on the Jolly Roger was the best way to
inform the audience that Pan pulled a whole body-swap thing with Henry at the
last minute, meaning it’s Henry who is now trapped in Pandora’s Box. But still, I fail to see the logic behind the
characters’ choice of taking him with them.
There wasn’t much else that happened in this episode that I haven’t
touched upon yet. There was a small
moment with Regina and Tinkerbell, in which Tink briefly got a vial of pixie
dust to glow, but she could only keep it going for a few seconds, as the glow
diminished the instant she became aware of it.
And it was nice to see Gold/Rumpelstiltskin once again make amends with
Nealfirebagelperson. I really wish there was more emphasis on the dynamic between Gold/Rumple and his son. Nealfire was always WAY more interesting when he's interacting with his father.
Unfortunately,
that’s pretty much all there was in this episode, so on to the next one.
The New Neverland
After a long mission in Neverland, everyone returns to Storybrooke,
where they are met with a warm welcome.
I particularly enjoyed seeing the brief moment Snow had with Ariel (considering
this is the first time they’ve seen each other since the flashback in ‘Ariel’) and seeing Wendy reuniting with
John and Michael. Although, I can see
this being rather awkward for them in the future. Then again, considering how the people they
all knew back in Victorian London are long-since dead by now, that should
decrease the chances of them running into questions they might not want to
explain the answers to. (Speaking of
questions, Belle doesn’t seem the least bit surprised to see
Nealfirebagelperson again. Unless I’m
mistaken, the last thing she knew was that he was reported dead, and I don’t
think anyone informed her otherwise. Can
we call this a minor plot hole?) The
scene ends with Snow loudly thanking Regina for the role she played during the
Neverland mission. That was very much
called for, particularly after what went down in the last episode. See Regina?
They CAN accept you, as long as you continue to show you deserve it. On the other hand, it does kinda stink how
they’re not shown commending Hook/Killian for his assistance. After all, Neverland was something of his own
personal Hell, but he endured the horrible memories he had of that place to
help get Henry back, and even helped save Charming’s life from the
Dreamshade. At the same time, I suppose
it does make sense that they wouldn’t call out his praises. Plot-wise, the denizens of Storybrooke only
learned of his existence at the end of Season 2, when they were gathered at
Granny’s Diner after he and Charming managed to get a solitary magic bean back
from Greg and Tamara. Up until this
moment, that was the only time they’ve seen this man, and they never bothered
to make any introductions back then. So,
if someone had tried to get everyone to thank Hook/Killian for the part he
played during the Neverland Mission, people would most likely be all ‘Huh?
Who’s this guy?’ But everyone in town already knows who Regina
is, so having them hear Snow thanking Regina would undoubtedly resonate.
Afterwards however, things started going downhill. Once again, I’m so disappointed in Snow and Charming. First of all, remember how quick they were to
dismiss Emma’s concerns about Tamara towards the end of Season 2, even though
Emma was proven right in the end? Here,
we’re getting a rehash of that. After
returning to Storybrooke, Emma starts to sense that something’s not quite right
with Henry (who we know is really Pan in Henry’s body). But when she tries to voice her concerns to her
father, he more or less tells her that it’s all in her head. (We see the same behavior from Regina, but
I’m less angry at her, because she was just being typical Regina at the time.) It’s such a shame that Hook/Killian was
trying to be Captain Nobility and keeping his distance. I’m sure if Emma had gotten the opportunity
to voice her concerns to him, he would have taken her seriously. (Just two episodes later, he’ll be the one
telling her to trust her instincts.) But
apart from the whole issue of Emma’s concerns being completely ignored again, Snow and Charming are still
pushing her into getting reacquainted with Neal. Seeing this kinda bugged me, as they’re
automatically assuming that Emma’s hesitations are due to her inability to
focus on the good moments or some crap like that. They never even consider the possibility that Neal might not be Emma’s True
Love. Even if they did try and pick up
where they left off, I have a hard time believing that it would be a harmonious
union. Neal had already severely broken
Emma’s trust once, as Hook/Killian points out to him during the episode. I do suppose Snow and Charming (who probably don't even know the full story of what Neal did to their daughter) might think
that Neal’s reasons for leaving her were on the same level as what they
did, and that they both gave up Emma to make sure she’d break Regina’s
curse. However, I think that’s utter
horse bunk. When Snow and Charming sent
Baby Emma through the magical wardrobe, they believed they were saving her life,
and in a way, they were. If Charming
hadn’t sent Emma away when he did, Evil Queen Regina’s soldiers would have most
likely killed her without batting an eye, and if they didn’t, I’m fairly
certain Evil Queen Regina would have done so herself. And if Snow and Charming had an inkling of
what kind of life their daughter would be subjected to within the foster
system, I’d wager they would have had second thoughts about sending her
off. On the other hand, Neal had spent enough
time in the Land Without Magic to know exactly what he was subjecting Emma to
when he had her sent to jail. But he did
it anyway, and I don’t believe for a second he did what he did to make sure
Emma fulfilled her destiny. I’m
convinced he only left her because he didn’t want to risk running into his
estranged father again. This guy chose fear over love. In addition,
there’s Neal’s behavior in this episode.
Mere hours after everyone’s back in Storybrooke, he decides that now is
a perfect time to ask Emma out on a date, completely ignoring her obvious
reluctance. He then proceeds to say that
she’s welcome to join him for lunch the following day, but if she doesn’t show
up, he’ll no longer bug her. Okay, first
of all, Neal, what happened to what you said in Neverland after Echo Cave? You said you’d never stop fighting for
her. Now you’re all ‘if you don’t want to go out with me
tomorrow, I won’t ask you again.’ Is
this really the full extent of your fighting spirit? Because if so, that’s pathetic. Also, the fact that you’re just up and asking
her out again when she’s barely had a chance to breathe after returning from
Neverland indicates you're either blind to what she really needs or simply don't care. If this is what True Love looks like, then I
don’t see how anyone would want
it. So how can Snow and Charming not see
that? You’d think the two people who are
supposed to be the very epitome of True Love and all that fun stuff would have
a radar for it. Why are they complete
rubbish at spotting the presence (or absence, in this case) of True Love in
their daughter’s life? Besides, if what Emma and Neal shared really was True Love, then that would make Henry another Product of True Love. Which would have meant Pan wouldn't have been able to take his heart. Remember how Cora had been unable to physically remove Emma's Heart back in 'Queen of Hearts?' It's basically been concluded that the reason why Cora couldn't take Emma's heart was because Emma is the Product of True Love. The fact that Henry's heart could be taken out and that Regina had to actually place a magical barrier around him to keep it from happening again suggests that the same isn't true for Henry.
On the other side of the coin, we have Hook/Killian, who once again
is showing his ability to put Emma’s feelings first. He’s clearly remembering how important Henry
is to Emma, and how she said straight out that she’d always choose Henry
first. Taking that into consideration,
and possibly remembering what happened the last time he’d pursued a romance
with a woman who already had a son with another man, he decides to back off a
bit in order to give Neal a fair shot.
He even explains that he’s doing so for the sake of Henry. Like Emma, he’s putting Henry first. However, he also states that he’s not giving up;
only that he’s not going to push Emma into something she might not be ready for. Speaking as a woman, that is a very wise
move. And it’s particularly wise when it
comes to a woman like Emma. It shows
that Hook/Killian is letting her decide, and that he’s respecting her
agency. More importantly, he’s saying
he’s going to continue to be there for her.
Think about how many times Emma has had people leave her, whether by
their own devices or not. But
Hook/Killian is saying he’s not going to continue the cycle, something that I’m
sure Emma is bound to notice if he makes good on his promise.
On a different level, Hook/Killian has
already shown that he has absolute faith in Emma. Remember how confident he was that she’d
succeed in getting Henry back from Pan?
That wasn’t the first time we saw him display complete faith in her,
either. In fact, he’s shown much more
faith in her than Neal or Emma’s own parents have. Let’s use Emma’s lie-detecting superpower for
instance. At the end of season 2, when
Emma tried to tell her parents and Neal that she was suspicious of Tamara’s
motives because of her superpower going off, they just brushed her off, as if
her superpower was faulty/completely made up.
In that moment, we saw that Emma’s parents and even her supposed
‘soulmate’ didn’t believe in her, or her superpower, which we’ve established as
being practically the only thing Emma valued about herself before Henry
reentered her life in the pilot episode.
But when it comes to Hook/Killian?
Remember what he said to her atop the beanstalk, when Emma was leaving
him behind? ‘Emma, look at me. Have I told you a lie?’ Hook/Killian had only just met Emma the day
before, and in this moment, he showed he completely believed that Emma’s
superpower was a real thing, as he tried to get her to use it on him to prove
his sincerity. And this wouldn’t be the last
time he asked her to use her superpower on him.
The point stands that Hook/Killian keeps proving he believes in Emma,
far more than Neal or even her own parents do.
Disagree with me if you will, but, based on the evidence, I think it’s
more than obvious who Emma’s real True Love might be.
Of course, that does bring us to the possibly questionable moment in
this episode, when he appears to make a pass at Tinkerbell. Let’s analyze this scene, piece by
piece. In nearly every scene we’ve seen
him in before this moment, he’s had a drink in his hand (including a very quick
but enjoyable scene of him holding his hook under Mr. Clark/Sneezy’s nose. That little moment was so awesome; it was as
if he’d always been a part of this
community). From where I’m standing, he
does look like a man trying to drown away his sorrows. He’s already made his choice to give Neal a
chance at getting back together with Emma.
As far as he knows, Neal might succeed.
If he does, Hook/Killian has lost the first chance he’s gotten at finding
real happiness in 300 years. This
knowledge is probably made even worse at his tendency to be self-loathing,
which is always buried beneath the surface of his swagger. On a deeper level, let’s look at what he says
to Tinkerbell in this scene. ‘Storybrooke can be a disorienting place if
you're not used to it.’ I might be
reading something into nothing, but it almost sounds like he’s projecting
here. As I said earlier, no one in this
town knows him, apart from the members of the Charming-Mills-Rumple extended
family. For all we know, he might be
wondering ‘what am I even doing
here? Unlike everyone else, I don’t have
any real connection to anyone in this town.
Do I even belong among these people?’ I imagine those kind of feelings can leave
you feeling quite lonely. The fact that
Emma doesn’t seem to be seeking him out is probably not helping matters
much. (If only he knew that at that very
moment, Emma was off at the Storybrooke bay, within seeing distance of the pier
where the Jolly Roger is no doubt docked, possibly hoping to get a glimpse of a
certain leather-clad figure.) When he
bumps into Tinkerbell at Granny’s Diner, he probably sees an opportunity to
further distract himself from the pain and loneliness he’s feeling. But even as he’s pouring out the charm, we
can see his smile never quite reaches his eyes. I once came across a post on Tumblr which
pointed out an interesting parallel to this scene. Looking back on Season 1, there was a point
in time when David told Mary Margret he intended to leave Kathryn for her, but
when David’s cursed memories kicked in, he elected to remain with Kathryn. This decision left Mary Margret feeling so
dejected, she attempted to escape her heartbreak by seeking comfort with Dr.
Whale. In a way, that’s essentially what
Hook/Killian is doing here. However, the
moment he and Tinkerbell hear the sound of a woman screaming, Hook/Killian
immediately takes off running towards the scream, no doubt thinking that might
have been Emma’s scream. If that doesn’t
prove where this man’s heart lies, then I don’t know what does.
Anyway, after Pan’s shadow escapes from the Jolly Roger’s sail and
kills the Blue Fairy (no doubt resulting in resounding cheers from the
viewers), Emma convinces Gold/Rumpelstiltskin to bring out Pandora’s Box again
and open it at the town line, which would enable Pan to be powerless. In the confrontation that follows, everyone
finally sees Emma’s suspicions were well-founded (again) when Henry proves that
he is really Henry trapped in Pan’s body.
However, the discovery comes too late, as Pan the Henry Impostor had
already managed to trick Regina into taking him to her vault beneath the Mills Mausoleum
and stole the scroll Regina’s curse had been written on. With the scroll in his possession, Pan plans
to cast the curse again, which would ultimately turn Storybrooke into a new
Neverland, with Pan and Felix in charge.
The flashback in this episode, which involved Snow and Charming
attempting to obtain the head of Medusa in order to turn Evil Queen Regina to
stone was an entertaining one. I particularly loved the part when Snow tries to sneak out to go find Medusa on her own, only to run right into Charming, who cut her off at the pass. He knows her WAY too well. But I really didn’t see the connection to the
main episode. I guess they were trying
to draw parallels from the statement that it was important to take time for the
positive moments in life, but I didn’t see the point of that message in the
main storyline. Particularly since the
‘good moments’ Snow and Charming were trying to get Emma to enjoy in this
episode were ones Emma was reluctant to participate in for very good reasons. And Emma’s ‘problem’ in this episode wasn’t
really an inability to live her life between the dangerous happenings. It was the fact that she knew that something was not quite right with her son, but no one
else was picking up on it and were therefore dismissing her concerns.
Teeny little nitpick. How was
Ariel managing to walk in those heels so easily when she was on her way to
reuniting with Eric in Storybrooke? We
ARE talking about a mermaid here. Do
they really expect us to believe she can learn to walk in high heels that
quickly, particularly since this is most likely only the third time she had
actual legs? Because believe me, walking
in heels is not something you get the hang of right away. This would have been more believable if
they’d had her walking like a duck, or at least looking a little wobbly. (I suppose she might have been wearing heels
at Prince Eric’s ball a few episodes ago, but that’s beside the point.)
No comments:
Post a Comment