Well, this was such a fun two-part episode! This is like a period romance meets Back to the Future, and it is filled to
the brim with scenes of Emma and Killian interacting. To any Captain Swan fan, like myself, this
episode is like an early Christmas gift.
So you’ll have to forgive me if I go off on tangents during this
analysis.
So everyone in Storbrooke is looking forward to what they believe is
the end of all their problems now that Zelena is defeated. Regina is able to return her heart to her
chest, which results in her feelings for Robin to no longer be muted, so
they’re free to properly build a relationship with each other. Even Rumple/Gold seems to have gotten away
for what he did to Zelena by magically overriding the security footage at the
sheriff station to make it look like he was never there, leaving him free to
continue his relationship with Belle as they plan their wedding. My apologies to the Rumple/Belle fandom out
there, but at present, I just see this pairing as a representation of an
unhealthy relationship. While I totally
respect the fact that Belle can still love Gold/Rumpelstiltskin regardless of
all the crap he’s done, that guy just keeps doing a really good job at proving
he doesn’t deserve the multiple chances Belle gives him. Okay, so he did sacrifice his life to save
everyone from Pan at the end of the Neverland Arc. He gets brownie points for that. But then, when he comes back to life, the
moment he’s released from Zelena’s leash, he immediately relapses back to his
me-first mindset, which is shown with
him deceiving Belle with a fake dagger.
I could overlook that if he only did so long enough to avenge his son
and then secretly swap out the fake dagger with the real one afterwards. That would be totally understandable. But even after he gets his vigilante justice
dealt with, he still keeps the real dagger, making his marriage to Belle be
founded upon deceit. Not cool,
Rumple. Not cool.
Meanwhile, Snow and Charming are getting ready for this Storybrooke
version of an old Enchanted Forest tradition, in which they’ll publicly reveal
the name of their new son during a big celebration. During the whole Naming Ceremony thing (Oh,
hi, Kathryn/Abigail! Haven’t seen your
face in forever), the fact that Emma still plans to return to New York comes
out. Unwilling to discuss the matter,
she ducks out of Granny’s Diner, prompting Killian to go after her. When he catches up to Emma, Killian tries to
remind her that she’d be leaving her family behind once again if she tried to
return to New York. But Emma shoots that
down by stating she’s never been a part of the Enchanted Forest world, so it’s
never felt like home to her. Problem
with that, Emma, is that you WERE part of the book once. Remember?
There were originally a few pages that covered the events of your birth
and how you were destined to break Regina’s curse. Except you burned those pages back in episode
2. So, it’s kinda your fault you’re not
in the book anymore. Besides, what does
it matter if you were never a part of the stuff that went down in the Enchanted
Forest? No one’s asking you to go live
there. At least, not at the moment. All they’re asking is that you stay in
Storybrooke. You’d still be living in
the world you’re familiar with, even if they’re a bit behind the times in terms
of technology. (They’re still using
Betamax? Guys, I remember VCRS, record
players and the Atari system, and I don’t think I’ve ever touched a Betamax tape.) And
you’d have your parents, the ones you’d wanted to find for as long as you could
remember. I’m still a bit confused over
what changed, considering how upset she was when she had to leave Storybrooke
at the end of ‘Going Home.’ Unless it’s her dueling memories that’s
holding her back now, but that should only further prove she belongs in
Storybrooke. With very few exceptions,
everyone else in town has two sets of memories as a result of Regina’s original
curse. She’d fit right in.
Anyway, Emma and Killian’s conversation is halted when Emma sees the
giant beam of light that has risen up from Zelena’s activated Time Traveling
spell. Emma, deciding she wants to be an
idiot, runs off towards the giant light.
Yeah, brilliant move there, Emma.
Just run right towards the weird glowing light beam. While you’re at it, why don’t you go investigate
that creepy noise down in the basement?
Once again, it’s Killian who has to be Emma’s voice of reason, pointing
out how stupid it is to try and mess around with Zelena’s Time Portal when
Emma’s powers still haven’t returned. Unfortunately,
it’s too late to turn back, as Emma and Killian are both pulled through the
portal and wind up back in the Enchanted Forest, during the period of time when
Evil Queen Regina was still on the hunt for Snow White. What I loved the most about this scene was
how, when Emma falls through the portal despite his best efforts to maintain
his grip on her hand, (who else was strongly reminded of that agonizing moment
in the Doctor Who episode ‘Doomsday’?) Killian doesn’t hesitate to
follow her through the portal. For all
he knew, they’d wind up in the open ocean with no land or ship in sight, or
right smack dab in a cave overrun with ogres.
But he still goes through anyway, because regardless of what’s waiting
on the other side, he’s not about to let Emma face it alone.
Needless to say, Emma is not happy about this unplanned trip to
Pre-Curse Enchanted Forest.
Emma: This is exactly the kind of thing that does not happen in New
York.
Me: No, Emma. This is exactly
the kind of thing that happens when you run off towards an open Time Portal
when you’ve got no means to do anything about it.
While trying to figure out a way to get back to Storybrooke, which
includes another wonderful Killian vs. the Modern World moment (‘Marty McWho?’), Emma figures out their
best bet is to seek out Dark One Rumpelstiltskin. After all, he’s the Enchanted Forest’s
leading expert in regards to magic. Of
course, during their trek to the Dark One’s castle (after a quick wardrobe
change for Emma to ensure she won’t attract unwanted attention due to her
modern-day attire, with Killian being 110% in approval of her new guise), Emma
accidentally interrupts Past!Snow’s attempt at stealing from Past!Charming’s
passing carriage, which results in the two not meeting as they were supposed
to. (On a side note, Past!Abigail
comments on how Past!Charming almost gave her a heart attack when he reappeared
outside their carriage door. They know
about heart attacks in the Enchanted Forest?)
So now, Emma and Killian have got another problem- finding a way to correct
the error and ensure Emma’s parents meet.
Thankfully, they make it to see Rumpelstiltskin without any further
incidents. Well, apart from the issue of
how Dark One Rumple still regarded Killian as an enemy he wanted to see dead,
but that crisis was averted rather quickly when Emma steps in and warns Dark
One Rumpelstiltskin that killing Killian would put an end to his hopes of
reuniting with Baelfire someday. (Incidentally,
when Killian calls out to Emma while being magically strangled, I’m wondering
what he was trying to say. My guess was
he wanted her to run, just in case Dark One Rumpelstiltskin tried to kill her
for simply being in Killian’s company, which he might have done. After all, we’ve seen him kill for lesser
offences.)
After hearing Emma and Killian’s story, Dark One Rumpelstiltskin
agrees to help them return to the future, but is not pleased to hear that
they’d interrupted Snow and Charming’s first meeting. Knowing that his future reunion with
Baelfire is on the line, he assists them in locating Past!Snow, who is trying
to barter her way out of the Enchanted Forest.
(Is that the same magic orb Jefferson gave him in ‘The Doctor’ flashback?) But
because she didn’t get a chance to steal Past!Charming’s jewels, she doesn’t
have the money she needs to achieve her goal.
This knowledge gives Killian an idea.
Remembering that his past self was in the area at this point in time, he
and Emma concoct a plan. While Emma
keeps Past!Hook distracted, Killian sneaks aboard the Jolly Roger and arranges
a meeting with Past!Snow, telling her that he’ll give her safe passage out of
the Enchanted Forest if she can obtain a certain bit of treasure for him-
namely the peridot wedding ring that Past!Snow was supposed to steal from
Past!Charming. Killian’s part of the
plan goes over without a hitch. Emma, on
the other hand…. Oh boy.
This is where the episode hits one of its high points, in which Emma
approaches Past!Hook to keep him out of the way while Killian meets with
Past!Snow. It’s no secret that Past!Hook
was always… appreciative of what a
woman had to offer, something that’s highlighted by the fact that he
practically had a barmaid hanging on each arm during this scene. And yet, the moment he sees Emma? Even though she is clearly flaunting it, his eyes never really
stray from her face. That is a huge
testament to the draw Emma has for this man.
He is visibly stunned upon
seeing her. So much so that he
completely forgets those other woman and immediately moves to a more secluded
section of the tavern to share drinks with Emma alone. And Emma is laying it on thick with the
shameless flirting, coyly touching his hook, and at one point, even resting her
hand over his leg. And Past!Hook is
simply enthralled with her. You can see
it in his eyes that he wants to know who this woman is; that he probably
wouldn’t object to this being more than ‘just
two ships passing in the night.’ And
his interest only comes that much clearer with every shot of rum that Emma gets
him to drink. (Let it be known high and
wide that Captain Hook, the fearsome, treacherous, cutthroat pirate, actually
playfully bops Emma on the nose at one point.)
In the end, Past!Hook manages to get Emma to come back to the Jolly
Roger (LOL. Past!Hook’s so drunk, he calls
the ship ‘the Rolly Joger’) with him for a ‘nightcap,’ but even then, he’s still showing signs that
he could be interested in more.
Something I can’t help but notice- when Emma stumbles as they’re making their
way down the docks, Past!Hook just immediately throws the bottle of rum away to
help steady her. While the bottle did
seem to be empty anyway, it was the fact that he didn’t even hesitate to toss
that bottle into the water. Like with
the moment he’ll one day use rum to disinfect her injured hand, Past!Hook shows
he’ll always willingly waste his precious rum for this woman (also providing
more weight to his ‘always a gentleman’
claim).
Of course, apart from a prolonged lip-lock, nothing actually happens
between Emma and Past!Hook, since Killian was still on the ship when they
arrive, and is very quick to step in when he thinks his drunken past self takes
it a bit too far. (You know you’ve got
it bad for a woman when you get jealous of yourself.) My question is, what exactly was Emma’s plan
if Killian had made it off the Jolly
Roger before she and Past!Hook got there.
She wouldn’t have actually
gone through with the ‘nightcap,’ would she?
Seriously, Emma. What was the
plan?
Regardless, they’ve successfully completed Stage 1 of their plan to
ensure Past!Snow and Past!Charming would meet, since Past!Snow is planning to
break into King Midis’ castle during the ball celebrating Past!Charming’s
engagement to Past!Abigail. As Emma and
Killian take up their positions to watch things from afar, Dark One Rumpelstiltskin
pops up again, presenting them with an invitation that would enable them to
attend Midis’ ball and make sure Past!Snow successfully steals the ring. But before they leave, Dark One
Rumpelstiltskin, deciding to add ‘Enchanted Forest’s Fashion Police’ to his
ever-growing list of aliases, goes and plays Fairy Godmother again (was this
before or after he killed Ella’s Fairy Godmother?) and magically places Emma
and Killian into ball-appropriate attire, also placing a glamour spell over
them to eliminate the possibility that anyone would recognize them in the
future. On a side note, there was a
little behind the scenes info that proved Dark One Rumple had a twisted sense
of humor. You couldn’t see it in the
actual episode, but the shoes Emma wore to Midis’ ball had little gold
crocodiles on them. (And seeing how
this information came from actress Jennifer Morrison’s Twitter post, I’d say
the credibility is quite solid.)
Emma and Killian successfully infiltrate King Midis’ ball, despite a
moment of awkwardness upon meeting Midis face-to-face. (You would think a professional pirate and
someone who worked as a bail bondsperson would have had the foresight to have
their aliases prepared ahead of time.)
And then… I am just dead, because they see the other ball attendees
dancing, and Killian, announcing they should blend in, takes Emma’s hand and
leads her onto the dance floor. This
whole moment is just… there is nothing about this moment that is not perfect! First of all, Killian knows how to
waltz. When did he learn how to
waltz? Was this something he was
required to know back during his youth, when he still served in the royal
navy? Did he decide to learn after
turning to piracy so he could infiltrate royal balls and make off with crown
jewels? I think there’s an interesting
story to this, and I wanna hear it! But
apart from that, just look at Emma and Killian as they dance. This is one of the most romantic moments that
have ever happened in this show so far, right down to the fact that they’re both
smiling openly at each other. Seeing
those two smiling at this moment is particularly enjoyable, after how their
smiles were such a rare occurrence during the whole Wizard of Oz arc. And they’re just so wrapped up in the moment,
and each other, they don’t even notice when Past!Charming walks right by them
when he heads off to fetch Past!Abigail’s comfortable shoes. In a related story, it’s such a relief that
that marriage never came to pass. If
their interaction in this scene was any indication, that union would NOT have
been a pleasant one- Poor Charming would have been such a henpecked prince. Thank goodness Abigail eventually got
Fredrick back. (Come to think of it, did
they meet again after the original Dark Curse broke at the end of season 1? It’s never stated on the show, and I didn't see him at the Naming Ceremony thing.)
On the plus side, them not noticing Past!Charming stepping out proved
to be a good thing, as it ensured that he caught Past!Snow in the act of
stealing the ring, which led to him vowing that she ‘can’t hide from me,’ which
can only mean that their meeting is ensured.
Except for one small detail- Past!Snow dropped the peridot ring as she
tried to escape the castle. To try and
fix the mistake, Emma tries to take the ring to her mother while Killian covers
her by facing the guards, one-on-twelve.
(Yeah, I totally believe a novice like Emma could defeat this man in an
actual duel. More importantly, show
writers, you need to let this man
wield a sword more often.) Unfortunately, Emma is prevented from getting
the ring to Past!Snow when she runs right into Evil Queen Regina (did I mention
she was a guest at the ball?) who promptly arrests her for aiding Past!Snow’s
escape, much to Killian’s dismay, as he can only watch helplessly as Emma is
carried off. Because you know his first
instinct was to charge forward to rescue Emma, but he knew he couldn’t do so
because it would either only result in his own capture or it would have gotten
Evil Queen Regina angry enough to kill Emma on the spot. Of course, you know he’s not about to take
this sitting down, and it’s a good thing, too.
Because Emma, upon arriving at the Queen’s castle, is promptly thrown
into the dungeon’s death row section.
Deciding the best option would be to kill two birds with one stone,
Killian ends up tailing Past!Charming as he goes about cornering Past!Snow to
demand the peridot ring back. He informs
the pair that Emma has the ring, and the only chance Past!Charming has of
getting it back is to help him rescue Emma (who he actually calls ‘my princess,’ with not even a hint of
irony.) Past!Snow agrees to help them
infiltrate the Queen’s castle, and the three of them set off. It's really fascinating to see this scene play out. Even though the situation has clearly changed, the dialogue between Past!Snow and Past!Charming remain virtually the same as it was in the 'Snow Falls' episode flashback. Some things really are just meant to be.
As they get ready to execute their escape plan, with Past!Snow
slipping off to fetch someone who’d be able to assist them, we get a little heart-to-heart
moment with Past!Charming and Killian.
Watching this moment between the show’s two main male leads is
particularly enjoyable when you realize Killian is reassuring Past!Charming of
the existence of True Love. Not only is
Charming supposed to be the reigning champion of True Love, but he also had a
tendency to be downright horrible to Killian (i.e. his treatment of Killian on
Neverland prior to being cured of Dreamshade, and how quickly he turned on him
at the end of ‘A Curious Thing’). So nice to see proof that Killian can be a
big enough of a man to not bear a grudge.
And that brings me to what he actually says to Past!Charming
Past!Charming: This whole ordeal makes me wonder if there’s even such
a thing as true love.
Killian: I once felt as you did, mate. All it took was meeting the
right person and everything changed. Past!Charming: Princess Leia? The one
we’re rescuing?
Killian: Aye. I’d to go to the end of the world for her. Or time.
Once again, we’re getting Killian declaring that Emma is his True
Love in the most romantic way. And his
declaration is made even more touching when he admits he is unsure if Emma
feels the same way. It’s no wonder he
feels this way. Unlike Killian, Emma
doesn’t exactly wear her heart on her sleeve, and every time she seems to
express her interest in him, she usually backpedals soon afterwards and goes
back to pushing him away. And he hadn’t
had the opportunities to witness the subtle hints we saw though the past two
seasons. Killian wasn’t conscious when
he was admitted to the hospital after getting hit with Greg Mendell’s car, so
he didn’t hear Emma telling the nurse to hide him so Gold/Rumpelstiltskin would
have less of a chance to retaliate for Belle losing her memories. He probably never found out that Gold later
used the threat of killing Killian as leverage to get Emma to accompany him to
New York when he left to find Neal/Baelfire.
And he wasn’t able to witness Emma’s sheer panic when he nearly drowned
in ‘Kansas.’
More importantly, we also get this:
Killian: I’m not so sure her parents approve of me.
Past!Charming: Given the length you’ve gone to save her, they’d be
crazy not to.
Killian: Hope you remember that.
Killian WANTS Emma’s parents to approve of him. He wants them to accept him as part of their
daughter’s life. As if we needed even
more proof that Killian’s interest in Emma isn’t just a passing fancy. I can just picture Killian bringing this
conversation up again when he eventually comes to Snow and Charming to announce
his intention to propose.
Further conversation is postponed when the help Past!Snow went to
find arrives. Turns out, it’s Past!Red,
who ends up using her Wolf Form to help Killian and Past!Charming rescue
Emma. (I am a bit confused why Killian
doesn’t lower his sword when he sees it’s Past!Red, since he’s at least
somewhat familiar with her back in Storybrooke and knows she’s an old friend of
Snow’s. Unless he was just trying to
keep up the charade that he wasn’t from the future.) With the help of Past!Red, they enter the
dungeons to free Emma, only to find that she’s already managed to escape on her
own, because Neal apparently taught her how to pick locks (Woop-de-doo.) Except, Emma is not alone, as she’s decided
to help free another prisoner who was slated for execution. Killian isn’t too keen on this, because, as
he points out later, if this woman was supposed to die in the past, then saving
her could drastically alter the future.
But they have no time to really discuss the issue now, as Past!Snow is
unaccounted for, as she went off on her own to try and use her Dark Fairy Dust
on Evil Queen Regina. But Past!Snow’s
plan only ends up with her getting captured, with Evil Queen Regina deciding to
immediately burn her at the stake. And
Emma, Killian and their future allies/family members can only watch as
Past!Snow is killed, much to Emma’s devastation. Of course, they find out soon afterwards that
Past!Snow survived by using the Dark Fairy Dust on herself at the last moment,
which turned her into a ladybug until the Blue Fairy appears out of nowhere to
turn Past!Snow back into a human.
This whole sequence is just heart-wrenching on so many levels. First off, imagine how you would feel if you
were forced to watch your own mother’s execution, with you being powerless to
do anything to stop it. So of course,
watching Past!Snow getting burned at the stake would be crushing for Emma. Which is why it’s probably not too surprising
that it took Emma a while to figure out the obvious: if Past!Snow really had
died, it would mean that Emma would have instantly disappeared, as she would
never have been born. The fact that Emma
hadn’t vanished meant that Past!Snow had survived. But her joy at her future mother being alive
ends up being bittersweet, as Past!Snow obviously doesn’t recognize Emma when
she embraces her. In a related story, I
cannot see how anyone wouldn’t be able to give Killian huge props with how
attuned he is to Emma during this whole sequence of events. When they believe they are watching Past!Snow
die, his first instinct is to reach out and hold Emma, to comfort her and offer
to share her pain. He clearly wishes he could shield her from the
anguish she’ll undoubtedly feel upon seeing her mother die. But since he knows that’s not possible, he
simply holds her as protectively as possible.
When they’re recovering from what they just witnessed, prior to figuring
out that Past!Snow hadn’t actually died, Killian does his best to console
Emma. He knows he can’t erase her pain,
so he tries to shoulder some of it, by freely speaking of his brother, Liam,
something he’d previously been reluctant to do.
Here, Killian is willingly opening up an old wound, which probably never
really healed to begin with, just to give Emma a bit of his strength to help
her overcome her pain. And when they
find out Past!Snow is alive and Emma’s joy at seeing her future mother alive is
rewarded with Past!Snow’s obvious inability to recognize her future daughter,
Killian does not hesitate to wipe away Emma’s tears, which is a very intimate
gesture in itself.
So, after a few bumps in the road, Past!Snow and Past!Charming are back on the paths
they were supposed to be on, and the future is secured. Of course, there is still the matter of the
fact that there is a woman walking about who was supposed to have died in the
original timeline. Emma decides on the
spot that the only option left is to simply bring her with them when they go
back to Storybrooke. However, when they
go back to Dark One Rumplestilskin, he informs them that while the wand (which
is either the Black Fairy’s wand or a recycled prop) can reopen the portal that
will bring them back to Storybrooke, it will only work if the wand is wielded
by a magic-user who went through the portal.
Meaning they’re pretty much stuck, and can do nothing when Dark One
Rumpelstiltskin magically teleports them into his secret vault, where he stores
all the magical whatnots he’s not willing to deal with.
So, now Emma and Killian are in a real fix, as they can’t open the
portal back home, and since Dark One Rumpelstiltskin is about to drink a
Forgetting Potion so he’d forget everything he’d learned about his future to
ensure nothing would get thrown off, it’s a pretty safe bet that he’s going to
forget they’re down there, thereby sentencing them to a slow death by
starvation. Their only hope is if Emma’s
magic re-manifests itself, which is a problem as her magic should have returned
after Zelena was defeated. But Emma
hasn’t even been able to produce a single magical spark. However, Killian is not giving up, and he
suggests that maybe Emma’s powers HAVE returned, but she just hasn’t been
letting them show because she still wants to bury her head in the sand and go
back to pretending she’s just an ordinary non-magic New Yorker. And this is one more reason why I support
Captain Swan so strongly. Killian is
someone who would not hesitate to go along with whatever plan Emma comes up
with, even if he thinks it’s foolish or risky. (i.e. using the poppy powder on
Anton the giant, or, more recently, taking the currently unidentified woman
Emma saved from the dungeons with them back to Storybrooke) However, that doesn’t mean he won’t call her
out when he has to. And this scene is no
exception. He tells her straight out
that she needs to stop pretending that she’s not an integral part of
Storybrooke and can no longer act like she can just go back to being who she
was during the Lost Year. His words
prove to be exactly what Emma needed to hear, as she finally opens up and
allows herself to be completely vulnerable.
She admits that she doesn’t want to keep on running and wants to settle
down in Storybrooke, stating that the time she’s spent with her future parents
when they didn’t know who she was made her realize how much she’d miss them if
she left again. The moment she accepts
that she belongs in Storybrooke with her family, her powers finally return,
enabling the wand to instantly
activate. This allows her to open the
portal back home, which they take, bringing the woman from the dungeons with
them.
Now, I’m going to give a minor spoiler warning right now. If anyone hasn’t seen the entirety of season
4 before reading this post, please skip down to the next paragraph if you want
to avoid getting a plot point spoiled.
I’m kind of surprised that the fact that they could bring this woman
back with them didn’t raise any red flags with Emma and Killian. While I obviously don’t know the particulars
about Time Travel spells, I seem to remember a certain rule that was tied to
portal travel in past episodes.
Something about how if a certain number of people go through a portal,
the same number has to come back. No
more, no less. While I realize that rule
might have only applied to Jefferson’s hat (are we ever going to see him
again?) I haven’t seen anything to date that would suggest different rules
apply to other portals. For crying out
loud, Killian himself once made a trip through Jefferson’s hat when he went to Wonderland
and back, so there was no excuse for him not knowing that particular rule. So, wouldn’t they find it a bit strange that,
even though only two people seemed to travel through the portal to the past,
three people were able to make the return trip?
So, Emma and Killian manage to make it back to present-day
Storybrooke, with one extra passenger (even though Emma nearly missed her
chance to return home because Dark One Rumpelstiltskin just had to get confirmation that his son
would forgive him before drinking to Forgetting Potion). Once they make it back, Emma hurries off to
Granny’s Diner to announce she now plans to remain in Storybrooke, also finally
fully accepting Snow and Charming as her parents. This is such a huge moment for Emma, the
person who had once claimed to still feel like an orphan. For the first time in her life, she finally
is able to feel like she’s found her home, and she is surrounded by her family-
her parents, her son and her new little brother, whose name is finally revealed
to be Prince Neal. (I discuss my
thoughts on that further down.) However,
you can see in Emma’s face the exact moment she realizes that the seemingly
picture-perfect moment isn’t complete.
Because there’s someone who is missing- someone who has never really
left her side, but is now noticeably unaccounted for. Namely Killian, who she soon locates out on
the patio outside Granny’s. When she
comes out to join him, they start to discuss their adventure in the past,
reassured that everything in the past was now back on track. Killian confirms this by stating his past
self had no memory of encountering Emma at the tavern, stating that if he had,
he’d have undoubtedly gone looking for her.
Since he didn’t, it’s proof that he and Emma succeeded in making sure
the past played out as it did before.
Emma thanks Killian for everything he’s done, even freely using his real
name instead of his alias of Hook. And
you can see in his face that he picked up on that and realized Emma’s walls
were completely down at last. The
knowledge of this gave Killian the go-ahead to do the same, finally revealing
how he’d been able to escape from the effects of the second Dark Curse and
venture from the Enchanted Forest into the Land Without Magic- by obtaining a
rare magic bean in a trade, with his ship, the Jolly Roger, being the item he
sacrificed to obtain the bean.
People, that right there is just the ULTIMATE gesture. For any seafarer, the ship they travel on is
their most prized possession. It’s not
simply a large boat to them, it’s their HOME.
And for Killian, the Jolly Roger was his home for centuries. It was the one constant thing he had in his
long life. What’s more, it was one of
the only things he had left from his beloved brother, Liam. And it held the majority of his memories of
Milah and Boy Baelfire. So for him, the
Jolly Roger was also a symbol of his entire past, and the people he once
loved. Not only that, I have serious
doubts he was given the chance to pack up his belongings when he gave the Jolly
Roger up, particularly when you take into account who he made the trade with. (The identity of the person in question is revealed
in season 4.) He’s not going to get
boxes of his things delivered to his room at Granny’s Bed and Breakfast, or
wherever he’s been staying in Storybrooke.
Meaning whatever he couldn’t carry with him when he left the Jolly Roger
with magic bean in hand is essentially gone forever. This man gave up practically EVERYTHING he
owned, just for the chance to see Emma again and bring her back home to
Storybrooke. It’s clear that Emma
realizes how much of a sacrifice this was for Killian. And it was all for her, the woman who felt as
if she would never matter to anyone, the woman who one said she wasn’t used to
others putting her first. So it would
have been a huge disservice to Killian (and the viewers) if she hadn’t
responded by kissing him. And while this
kiss wasn’t as heated as the one they shared in Neverland, it was just as
passionate, particularly since this time, Emma has completely shed her internal
armor and is fully allowing herself to let Killian in.
As if that romantic moment wasn’t enough for us, they then show us
the wedding of Mr. Gold and Belle, which appears to be a rather small affair,
as the only people present are Belle’s father, Mr. French/Maurice and Archie/Jiminy,
who is the one officiating the ceremony.
(Since when is Dr. Hopper ordained?)
I will admit this scene plays out quite well, and it’s particularly
moving that their wedding vows are accented by glimpses of the other three main
romantic couples in the show. However,
the moment is kinda spoiled by the visual reminder that Gold has lied to Belle
and has let her believe the dagger he gave her was the genuine article. So, we’ve essentially got a marriage that has
been founded on a lie, and a pretty significant one at that. That makes it kinda hard to really appreciate
it as much as we should.
And then there’s Snow and Charming’s decision to name their baby son
Neal. I’m sorry, but that’s just
stupid! Why are they naming their son
after the man who put their daughter through such inexcusable pain? Do they know how badly Neal’s betrayal hurt
Emma? Have they even ASKED her the full
story of what he did to her? I don’t
think they did. It just seems so
insensitive on their part, even if Emma had forgiven him for his
transgressions. Apart from that, what
exactly did Neal do that deemed him worthy of having a namesake? Yes, he chose to let himself die to free his
father’s mind of the side-effects of their merging, but that wasn’t what I
would call a heroic act, especially since the merging thing wouldn’t have even
been an issue if he hadn’t gone and tried to resurrect his father in the first
place. I think the main reason why them naming
the baby after Neal irritates me so much is because there was someone else they
could have named the young prince after.
Graham for instance. Yeah, you
remember Graham? Because no one else in
Storybrooke seems to, particularly since his death was virtually swept under
the rug. During his time as the
Huntsman, Graham had been an invaluable part of Snow and Charming’s story. Not only had he chosen to spare Snow White
despite Evil Queen Regina’s orders, but he also helped Charming escape from the
Queens’ Castle so he could save Snow from the Sleeping Curse. Have those two completely forgotten how
indebted they were to him? For me, it
all comes down to this. Graham
ultimately died because he chose to defy Evil Queen Regina in Pre-Curse Enchanted
Forest and then stood up to her during season 1 when he tried to sever her hold
on him. Neal ultimately died because he
chose to mess around with the Dark Arts for his own personal gain and
completely ignored Belle’s misgivings in the process. The way I see it, Graham was more of a hero
than Neal ever was. And yet, the only
one who seems to make any effort to honor Graham’s memory is Emma, by keeping
his bootlace tied around her wrist AND keeping his old jacket hanging up at the
sheriff station. When is Graham going to
get the recognition he deserves?
So, those two grievances aside, everything seems to be ending on a
high note, right? But there’s still the
matter of the mystery woman Emma and Killian brought back from the past. Emma decides to introduce her to Regina, in
order to help alleviate the woman’s fears of the former Evil Queen, thinking
that if they met, the mystery woman would see Regina had changed. But, before the introduction could even
really start, Robin happens to see the mystery woman’s face and recognizes her as
Maid Marian. Well, crap. Nothing puts a damper on a relationship like
a dead wife showing up, alive and well. (On
the plus side, I do give the show writers brownie points for this. Finally, a love triangle that actually makes
sense.) Needless to say, Regina is not
pleased with this development, and Emma is right back in Mayor Mills’
doghouse. And of course, Regina just HAD
to say that there better not have been something else Emma brought back. Which is, of course, as bad as saying ‘it can’t get any worse.’ Because the urn that Killian went and picked
up in Dark One Rumpelstiltskin’s forbidden vault had also made it through the
portal, and as the episode ends, the urn opens, releasing the person
inside. While the person’s face is not
revealed this episode, her attire, and the fact that she can magically produce
ice, leaves us with little doubt who has just arrived in Storybrooke….
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