We begin in fairyland past with the miller’s daughter,
returning to her mill to find her father drunk and asleep – apparently a habit
of his. In frustration she has to deliver the flour herself to some grandly
appointed castle structure (what these medieval style palaces and structures
don’t have servant’s entrances? They haul several bags of flour through
thoroughfares in castles used by the nobility?) Hauling the heavy bags of
flour, one of the wealthy noblewomen deliberately trips her. It’s princess Eva
from the northern kingdom and the (presumably) king announces that the miller’s
daughter won’t be paid for the flour and must apologise to Eva. The miller’s
daughter is furious and calls Eva a girl. The king demands her name – the miller’s
daughter is Cora. She is forced to kneel and apologise – and remain kneeling
until the nobility have passed.
In present day real world, Neal, Emma, Henry and Rumple
are sailing back to Storybrooke in this odd pirate ship that is faster than
modern transport (apparently). Emma asks Rumple about the dagger – whether Cora
and Regina could use it to force Rumple to do anything, including kill them
all. He says they could and comments that Emma probably wants him to bleed to
death from his injury now. She denies it, pointing out he’s Henry’s
grandfather, he’s family now. (Argh… ok taking this rant to the bottom of the
page). Emma calls Snow to explain their situation and Rumple’s wound.
Which is listened to by Regina and Cora who have tapped
the phone – with Cora being unhappy at being called “wicked.” She’s also
concerned that Rumple has been warned about the dagger and has time to think,
and he is very clever (I have to admit “Rumplestiltskin has time to think”
would worry me too). Regina points out his injured and they see his name
beginning to fade on the dagger – he’s not injured, he’s dying. And if he dies
like this, his Dark One power will disappear too. Regina wants to use his power
to get Henry back before he dies but Cora doesn’t want to speed up Rumple’s
death (uh-huh, she has other plans for him). Instead, Cora will stab him with
the knife and claim his power. Regina protests, Henry would never forgive that,
it wouldn’t get Henry back – which is the whole point. Wait, is it the whole
point? (At last, Regina gets a lightbulb moment). She accuses Cora of trying to
just get power and Cora says yes – to protect themselves, because if they don’t
have the power they’ll spend the rest of their short lives on their knees,
which she won’t do again.
Back to fairyland past when Cora sneaks into a royal masquerade
ball, wearing a fancy dress. While there she makes a very snarky comment to a
masked man expressing pity for Prince Henry having all these rich woman attend
to try and buy him. Of course, the masked man is Prince Henry. They dance but before
the dance can barely begin the king cuts in – recognising Cora he degrades her
as beneath him again and points out she still has straw stuck to her dress. She
fights back accusing him of selling his own flesh and blood for money, he
admits they need money but they’re still better than her and what can she offer
– she claims to be able to spin straw into gold. But since she’s been insulted,
she won’t help – “good luck whoring your son.” The king counters by announcing
to the whole ballroom Cora’s claimed ability and adds that she will spend the
night locked in a tower full of straw. If she turns it to gold, she can marry
the prince – fail and she dies.
Back to Storybrooke where they help Rumple out of the
boat, Henry introduces Neal to Charming as his dad and Charming asks Rumple if
Cora has control of his dagger getting the responds that since they’re all
still alive, then no, no she doesn’t. And Mary Margaret has grown some sense
and is angrily declaring that they’ll stop her and kill her. Of course Charming
has a full blown “no you’re too goo and pure and you just can’t!” moment
(Charming has shown willingness it execute in the past – but Snow’s just toooo
precious?). Henry is loaded off on Ruby to keep him out of the crossfire while
they go to Rumple’s shop.
Back to Fairyland where a desperate Cora is considering
jumping out of the window and is visited by Rumplestiltskin. And look who can
spin straw into gold and is willing to do so – in exchange for her first born
child (with extra lovely snarkiness) so she can then demand the hand of the
prince and make him kneel before her. She says no – she wants to be taught,
which impresses Rumplestiltskin enough for him to tell her his name.
Back in Storybrooke, the gang in Rumple’s shop are
preparing for battle with invisible chalk. And Emma and Neal clearly have more
issues what with Neal adding to the “surprises” he’s sprung on her with his fiancée.
Then Mary Margaret finds the candle – the candle the fake fairy had that would
save a life in exchange for a life. She asks about it but Rumple says he has it
for a rainy day. It’s the only thing that can save Rumple’s life. Mary Margaret
protests she couldn’t do it to save her own mother – why would she for him. He
counters that she’s an adult now and their interests are aligned; they need to find
Cora’s heart (which isn’t in her body) use the candle over it and return it to
her body, killing her but healing him. Mary Margaret suggests using Cora’s
heart to make her “do the right thing” and leaving Rumple to die, but points
out he’s Henry’s grandfather and how sad Henry would be to see him die.
But first they need a protection spell which Rumple is in
no state to cast – that’s Emma’s job. Rumple talks her through the process,
imagining and realisation rather than over thinking it. Magic is about emotion
not thought
Back to Fairyland in the past where Rumplestiltskin gives
the same lesson to Cora – describing his moment when he thinks of the man who
made him kiss his boots in front of his son. He remembers that, the anger of it
and thinks of ripping out the man’s throat instead – that is how magic is
made., Cora sums it up as bloodlust, and he doesn’t deny it. She thinks of
being made to kneel, made to apologise to a child – and no matter what she did or
how good she was she would never be more than she is now. Rumple asks what she
wants to do and she says she wants them to bow, to make their necks crack from
bowing, their knees freeze and break from kneeling. Oooh I like her. Imagining
it, she spins straw into gold. Rumple says she’ll do much more than that – don’t
stop until they’re on their knees. There’s lots of interesting and intense
flirting going on as well.
Next day in court she spins gold for them in the throne room, with Rumple, cowled and hooded, looking on. King Xavier is stunned “you’re just a Miller’s daughter” but Cora replies she’s so much more. The King tells her she’s earned the prince and he kneels before her and she accepts his marriage proposal.
Back to Storybrooke and Mary Margaret is still troubled
about the choice ahead and doing what has to be done. At which point Regina and
Cora arrive, battering down Emma’s protection spell with ease. As they enter,
Emma urges Regina to think about what she’s doing but she won’t listen. Mary
Margaret sneaks out the back door.
There’s a battle and despite original wins (charming
being quickly thrown out of the shop), Cora drops the Dark one Dagger while
avoiding a sword slash from Neal and Emma manages to hold a knife to Regina’s
throat. With Neal ready to grab the dagger, Cora has a choice – Regina or the
dagger. She calls the dagger to her hand. Emma doesn’t stab Regina but throws
her at Cora; she and Neal flee into the back room, Emma raising a new
protective barrier. Cora turns to Regina with the plan but then staggers,
shakily – someone is in the vault with her heart. She sends Regina to the vault
while she attacks the barrier.
Back in Fairyland, Rumplestiltskin greets Cora in her
wedding dress with a kiss. He compliments the dress and she says “all brides
have to be snow white” to which he responds “when you see the future, there’s
irony everywhere.” But Cora has been
examining her choices – 5th in line to be Queen and she’s not sure
she wants it. Rumple says he can only give her darkness and isolation but she
asks “and love?” and he agrees that he can give her that. He offers to amend
their contract – rather than getting her firstborn child, he changes it to she
giving him his child. They both come together and want this really want this –
but there’s one little thing. Cora hasn’t forgiven the King for his humiliation
of her – she wants to kill him, to show him his heart before she kills him so
he can see it as he crushes it. And this is why Rumple loves her. I’m kind of
in awe of her too.
Leaving the awesomeness that is past Cora, we return to Storybrooke
present and the Wet Lettuceness of Mary Margaret in the vault looking for Cora’s
heart. She finds it and lights the candle over it, she whispers Cora’s name –
then blows out the candle.
Back to fairyland and Cora the awesome finds King Xavier
winding his treasure on spindles. She tells him she doesn’t love his son. He
says he never expected her to – it’s about alliances not love. Love is a
weakness. And he knows about Rumple and presents her options – run off with the
evil imp for love or stand next to his son with a crown on her head and citizens
at her feet. Love or power. If that’s the choice, she says even having a heart
is a liability – putting her hand on his chest. We don’t see what happens, but
we see her walk away with a heart in a box.
In Storybrooke, Rumple is getting weaker and asks Emma to
talk to Belle. Emma gets Belle on the phone, despite her not remembering him.
He tells her who she was, her good qualities in an amazingly well done and
beautiful call (even if “who she is” is a big list of what she makes Rumple
feel like). The call is overheard by Neal who is choked up and stunned. This
allows them to have a heart to heart about Rumple’s going back on their deal
and be choked up and grieving together.
In the vault Regina confronts Mary Margaret and Mary Margaret
says she was going to give the heart to Regina – Cora can’t love her, she doesn’t
have her heart. Maybe, with it, she can (the cursed heart). Regina tells her
that Cora took out her heart to protect herself but Mary Margaret questions if
it worked – did the person she was actually survive without love. Mary Margaret
keeps talking about how Cora never really loved Regina and what it would be
like to have an actual mother (what a total stranger who shares your biology?)
and make a real family Henry can be part of – or just be the dark one.
In Fairyland, Rumple waits for Cora who arrives, late,
with the box. He realises something isn’t right. Cora said she could take the
King’s heart but chose not to, she’s not going with Rumple. Her heart is in the
box – her heart was stopping her from forcing them onto their knees as she said
she would. Rumple is astonished, they had a contract – but she says the
contract meant he only got his own child – and any baby she has, won’t be his.
Charming finds Mary Margaret at the tomb and sees she’s
very disturbed. He asks, in horror, what she did and Mary Margaret says he was
right – this isn’t her. Just as Cora breaks down the barrier and uses her
purple smoke to teleport Neal and Emma out of the way, leaving her with the
dying Rumple.
Rumple lays on his death bed and asks Cora if she ever
loved him, his vision never told him that. She says that’s why she ripped her heart
out - he was her weakness, the only man
she ever loved. She raises the dagger to stab Rumple – and Regina returns her
heart. The dagger drops from Cora’s hand – Rumplestiltskin’s name fully
restored as he opens his eyes, awake and aware. Cora looks at Regina, smiling
and happy
Cut to fairyland and Cora presenting her baby to the
court that all kneels before her “her name is Regina, for one day she will be
Queen”.
Present Cora’s joy is short lived as she collapses with a
wound appearing on her chest – a mirror to the wound of Rumplestiltskin, that
now heals. Cora is cradled in Regina’s arms and she says “this would have been
enough, you would have been enough.”
She asks Rumple what’s going on – he stands healthy, with
his knife back and entirely healed. Regina accuses Rumple of stealing her life –
but he says “I did nothing” (awesomely like everything else in this episode)
just as Mary Margaret rushes in screaming at Regina to stop. Too late
Ok, my rant. I truly hate Once Upon a Time’s “family”
message and idea. What’s family? People you share DNA with. It doesn’t matter
what they’ve done to you, it doesn’t matter how estranged you are, it doesn’t
matter if they’re complete and utter strangers to you – so long as you share
that DNA you’re FAMILY and it’s SPECIAL and IMPORTANT
But raise a child from an infant until he is 12 years
old? Not family. Not motherhood. A man and a woman he has never met before are
his “real” parents and instantly become mom and dad; a man who has been, at
best, a manipulative enemy all his life, is Henry’s grandfather and quickly
acknowledged as such. About the only person the show recognises as Henry’s “family”
who has spent any actual time with him is Mary Margaret/Snow White. Is anyone
looking at Cora as a grandmother for Henry? They’ve actually implied Regina as
a grandmother figure for Henry (loosely) because she is Snow’s stepmother.
Rant over, now may I just gasp in awe at this one. We not
only have Cora’s backstory that explains so much more of this complex character
– but she is several kinds of awesome – ruthless and dangerous and more than a
little evil but brutally determined. And yes, Rose McGowen does an awesome job
this episode. The scenes, the emotion in
this episode was immense – Rumple and Cora’s performances were amazing.
This adds so much not only to Cora’s backstory, but also
to Rumplestiltskin’s – why he consider love to be a trick when he first met
Belle, why he was so wary.
And Cora’s last words? She chose power when asked to choose
between love and power – and on her last words says love would have been
enough. So well done. So much awesome… except – Regina just got another body
blow. At the same time “owe we murdered Cora” uh-huh, choice was murdering Cora
or having her achieve ULTIMATE COSMIC POWER and murdering everyone.
