Have I mentioned I am glad this hiatus is over? Because, yes. SO MUCH.
ENCHANTED FOREST - ONE YEAR AGO
The Wicked Witch is going through Regina's things. Claims they are wasted on Regina. I'll be the first to admit Regina has some amazing clothes, and jewelry, but this just makes her look jealous and petty. She puts on one of Regina's dresses. She tells Walsh (I assume it's Walsh), the flying monkey, to go let "the Evil Queen" know she's here, and that he doesn't have to be gentle about it.
Awww, cute little Roland is walking around. He's adorable. Snow and Ruby are talking about Regina, and how they hope the change in her sticks. Ruby mentions she is worried about Regina (or rather she would be if Regina hadn't tried to hurt them before). Snow goes to talk to her. Regina is missing Henry (obviously) but she has a plan to get into the castle. She wants to sneak into the castle via the underground tunnels. She wants to go in, lower the shields and let the rest of them in. Solid plan. It actually pays to have Regina on your side.
As this is happening Walsh (flying monkey) comes and reeks havoc. Walsh attempts to fly over to Roland but Regina whisks him away to safety and tuns the monkey into a stuffed toy! She gives it to Roland and Robin is charmed and thanks her (I SHIP THEM SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!). I am very sad they won't remember any of this in present day.
STORYBROOKE - ONE YEAR LATER
Emma put Henry to bed. Tells Charming and Snow that they are helping with the case if Henry asks. She wants an explanation as to what happened. Snow and Charming are clueless. Hook tells them that Regina's spell worked, they went back to the Enchanted Forest. He fills in what he can, but obviously he doesn't know much since he left them almost right away. Emma thinks Regina might be behind this. Snow doesn't think so. She says Regina seems clueless too. For once, it's not Regina.
Charming wants to know how Hook knew to go get Emma. He says a bird brought a note telling him to get Emma, and a vial of memory potion was tied to it's leg. Neither Snow or Charming sent it (although Charming muses that the bird does sound like Snow). Hook is also changing his story. Why the lying?
Grumpy and Happy (I think) come in and tell the group that another dwarf has gone missing. They fill Emma in that people have been disappearing since they've got back. Emma immediately asks about Neal, prompting Hook to be snarky - "He'll turn up, Swan. He always does". Snow is trying to positive. She tells Emma that perhaps Neal didn't get swept up in the curse at all. Emma has had enough. She wants to know what is going on and the only way to get this sorted out is to figure out who cursed them.
ENCHANTED FOREST - ONE YEAR AGO
The group is discussing what just attacked them. Grumpy mentioned is looked like a monkey. Charming brings up that it had wings. Neal wants to know why people are acting like monkeys having wings is normal. Belle says that it's because it is....in one place anyways - Oz. Regina knows Oz exists (!!!! WHAT?!) and says that she is sure the Wicked Witch is taking up residence in the castle. Grumpy wants to know if it's the Wicked Witch of the East or West. Snow is certain both are awful, so does it matter. Grumpy provides what could be my favourite line of the episode 'one you drop a house on, the other you toss a bucket of water at'. Charming wants to know what Regina did to her. Regina says nothing, she's never met her.
Regina is still going into the castle, Snow wants to go to help. Regina says no, she'll lower the shield on her own. Snow seems really protective of Regina here.
STORYBROOKE - ONE YEAR LATER
Ruby puts cinnamon on Henry's hot chocolate, and he wants to know how she knew he liked it. I love that he still loves cinnamon on his hot chocolate. A cute, awkward moment where Emma tries to explain how she knows Snow and Charming. Snow says that she and Emma were cell mates in prison (totally cute, and even Emma smiles).
Regina walks in and sees Henry, and she drops her dish. She knows enough to not go running over to him. Emma tells Regina that they have to talk, now. Emma explains that Henry doesn't have his memories. Regina wants the story about how Emma and Henry are back. Emma explains the whole Hook thing. Regina claims her innocence. Emma tells her that it has crossed her mind that this might be Regina's way of getting Henry back. Regina laughs, and says she would have given Henry his memories back at least ('I cast curses to hurt other people, not myself').
We see that Robin Hood and his men have crossed over too (yay! He can meet Regina all over again). Little John is hunting a turkey or something and ends up getting picked up and carried off by a flying monkey at the town line.
Emma (and the others) shows up and Robin explains what happened. Emma says it sounds like the monster who attacked her in New York. Hook snips "The monster you were going to marry" (Ugh, can he not? Is he 12?). Charming is incredulous that his little girl was getting married. She tells the group to form a search grid. She realizes she is not getting anywhere this way. She wants to talk to everyone at once- town meeting I bet.
Haha, yup. She has called a town meeting. Tells everyone that they are stuck there because they can't cross the town line. Everyone is asking Emma questions. They want to know who cursed them. They are, predictably, accusing Regina. Regina sticks up for herself, but they are not having it. Archie is being nice though. Regina says she doesn't care about anything except her son so if she did enact the curse, she'd have him. Emma tells her that she is not getting near Henry until they figure things out. Regina is hurt that Emma is siding with them. Emma says she is not sure if she believes Regina. Regina, fed up, says that if they want the Evil Queen, that's exactly who they'll get. She makes an earthquake happen, and disappears in a cloud of purple smoke. I think Emma and Regina are planning something, and this was a set up (fingers crossed). We also get to see that the Wicked Witch is sitting in the crowd at the meeting (without green skin).
ENCHANTED FOREST - ONE YEAR AGO
Regina is going into the tunnels, when Robin shows up. He wants to go with her, to help. Robin tells her that the flying monkey was coming for Regina, not Roland. He says that the Witch wants Regina dead. Robin wants to try to protect her, because she saved Roland. Regina seems surprised he has honour, and he seems surprised that she has a soft spot for children (just kiss already). Regina tells him not to get in her way, and let's him tag along.
STORYBROOKE - ONE YEAR LATER
YES! Emma and Regina are planning something, and working together. They are going to figure out who cursed the town together.
Emma gives Regina the potion Hook gave her. Regina says there is enough to try to replicate it to give some to Henry. Emma wants to know who sent it to Hook, so they are going to make enough to wake everyone up. Give everyone their memories back.
Regina thanks Emma for believing her. Emma says she always knows when Regina is lying, and she knows Regina didn't enact this curse.
ENCHANTED FOREST - ONE YEAR AGO
There is a fire that is powering the spell. Regina tells Robin that she needs to put it out. They reach a trap and Regina tells him it is to keep thieves like him out. Robin tells her that he hopes she's not planning on walking him into one of the traps, because Roland already lost his mother. Regina snarks back, but softens at the mention of Roland and smirks at him telling he that he should have stayed behind in that case. She asks about Roland's mother. Robin says he accidently put her in harms way during a job, and you can tell he feels guilty. They reach a door that Regina sealed with blood magic so it should not be open, because only she can do that. Calling it right now - the Wicked Witch is blood related to Regina (sisters is my guess).
Regina had sealed a crypt behind the door. Her mother is buried there (yup, sister). She tells Robin that she's lost people too. He says he can tell she lost a child. Robin wants to know what happened to the child. She tells him that the child is not dead, just lost to her forever. Robin says that if the witch is powerful enough to break blood magic, perhaps Regina should reconsider. Regina says no (unsurprisingly).
STORYBROOKE - ONE YEAR LATER
Snow is looking at a baby book, and telling Henry about cradle cap. He doesn't care, and is playing his video game. Snow offers to take him to the library because he loves reading. Pretty sure she's not supposed to know that. Henry wants to go though (so he's going to meet Belle).
When Henry runs off, Snow starts talking to the Wicked Witch (except she does not have green skin). She tells Snow she missed the last curse, so everything is strange to her. Snow asks her who she is back in the Enchanted Forest. She tells Snow that she's nobody, that not everyone can be famous like Snow. She mentions she is a supporting player. So she's VERY jealous. Jealous of everyone. Hmmmm. Doesn't she know that the Wicked Witch is well known in our world too? If that's what this is all about, I won't be happy. She tells Snow that she is a midwife, and offers to help. Oh, Snow. RUN AWAY! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! This means only bad things for the baby. Trust me.
The group searching for Little John find him. He's badly injured and they take him to the hospital.
ENCHANTED FOREST - ONE YEAR AGO
Regina tells Robin to keep watch. He has issues with Regina collecting things for a potion. They fight and Regina eventually tells him that it's a sleeping curse (the same one she used on Snow White). He wants to know if she plans on using it on the Wicked Witch. She says no, she intends to use it on someone else (but someone he or anyone else won't miss). I am guessing herself. She is so heartbroken over Henry. Robin says he can't let her do this. He tells her that he knows how she is feeling. She needs to find a new reason to go on. Regina doesn't want to hear it. She wants to go to sleep until Henry wakes her up (like the whole Emma/Henry kiss at the end of season 1). She promises that she is going to take down the shield but after that, she's using the potion. I wonder what happened. Did she not drink it?
STORYBROOKE - ONE YEAR LATER
Regina is brewing the memory potion. Can it be this easy? I doubt it. She tests it on herself, and it didn't work. She's used all the potion, so they are all out of options. Regina says she can't live in this town if Henry doesn't remember her. Emma says they need to find the person who cast the curse to fix things. Emma wants to set a trap. She says that if they lie and say that they are close to making a memory potion, the person responsible will want to stop them. Regina says she knows who to tell - Grumpy. He, of course, runs to Granny's diner and tells everyone (haha, I love Grumpy). The Wicked Witch leaves the diner (so it worked).
Little John is at the hospital being treated by Dr Whale. The monkey bite is nasty and turns you into a monkey (my guess as to Neal's fate? Totally a monkey right now). Monkey Little John crashes out the window and everyone is, understandably, confused.
Emma and Regina are having a stakeout to see who goes into Regina's office. I want them to be best friends. I know what happened with Snow, and there is still a lot to deal with. Apologies and amends, and all that. I just want Henry to have everyone he loves together and happy. I can see Emma and Regina becoming really good friends though. This scene shows that. Regina asks about Henry, and his life in New York, mainly wants to know if he happy. Emma says he is, and that's why it was hard to come back. Emma says she did it because Henry would want her to. She offers to introduce Regina to him again, and Regina declines.
They get the signal that someone is in the room. They go in, and trap the person with Regina's magic. The person disappear in a cloud of green smoke that looks awfully like Regina's purple smoke. Again, they muse that nobody should be able to break Regina's spells (I bet it's a blood thing).
ENCHANTED FOREST - ONE YEAR AGO
Regina lifts the shield, as promised. Everyone goes to storm the castle when Grumpy gives the signal. Regina goes to take the potion and the Witch walks in first, and steals the needle with the sleeping curse on it.
The Wicked Witch introduces herself. Her name is Zelena. Regina wants to know why Zelena is wearing her dress. Zelena is fun! She tells Regina it looks better on her anyways. Regina tells her that she should have never left Oz. Regina wants to know how Zelena broke the blood lock. Zelena says she didn't break it. She says that Cora must not of told Regina about her. She tells Regina that they are sisters (obviously!). Regina says it's not possible because Zelena is green ('And you're rude' Zelena shoots back). Zelena explains that Cora had her first, before she became royalty. I wonder who her father is (anyone but Rumple, please). So Zelena is jealous that Regina got to have a mother, when she didn't. Zelena knew Rumple, and was a student of his like Regina. Some jealousy over getting to cast the original curse. Regina sneers that being chosen to cast the curse was not the best thing in the world. Zelena says she didn't need Cora or Rumple. Regina says that it's too bad they can't see how Zelena turned out, because they are both dead. Zelena seems put out by that. I think she wanted all three of them to suffer. Zelena tells Regina that she's the only one that Zelena really needs. She wants to take away everything from Regina. She wants her to suffer a fate worse than death. Regina tells her to bring it basically. Zelena promises that she will and flies off with a cackle.
Regina frees Robin from the spell she cast on him that kept him in place. Tells him that he was right about the sleeping curse. It's not the answer. She needed to find something else to live for. He smiles and asks what it is. She tells him it's something she hasn't had in a long time - someone to destroy. Evil Regina is fun!
STORYBROOKE - ONE YEAR LATER
Emma and Regina head to Snow's place so that Regina can meet Henry. It's sweet, and heartbreaking. Henry is still so curious. He wants to know why Emma told Regina so much about him (they pass it off like Emma is proud). Regina offers to give Henry a tour, and take him for ice cream. Henry agrees to spend time with her, and they shake hands. Regina looks crushed over all this.
Charming comes and pulls Emma outside with Snow to tell them about the whole people turning into flying monkeys thing. Emma immediately thinks of Neal, and that he might be one too. Emma quips that it wouldn't be the first flying monkey she's dated. Snow's face about this comment. Too funny.
Regina puts it together with the flying monkey comment. She figures out that green smoke and flying monkeys = Wicked Witch. Emma scoffs and is all "She's real too?!". COME ON, EMMA! Keep up. Hook even jokes that as the daughter of Snow and Charming she should not be surprised by this. Emma just wants to know why the Wicked Witch would want to come to Storybrooke.
We see the Witch go to bunker type place (a storm cellar! A nod to Dorothy and Oz) with a plate of food. She puts the food down in front of a cage, and someone inside it grabs her. IT'S RUMPLE!!! He hisses that she never should have brought him back! OH MY GOSH! I am so happy he's back. There is one thing I'll thank Zelena for. She laughs at him and tells him to eat up. She claims they have work to do. I DO NOT LIKE! DO NOT LIKE! FREE RUMPLE! Robert Carlyle is going to have a FUN time with this storyline though because Rumple is straight up crazy.
So I just realized Zelena has Regina's blood from the monkey. She could totally be lying. That would be a fun twist, and I hope that's what is happening. Where is Neal? Can we have him back now please?
