Let’s talk about Emma Swan

I love her. I really, truly love her character. She’s strong and independent, but also feels and loves deeply. She gets hurt. A lot. I understand that. But she can’t just up and leave with Henry once the Wicked Witch is defeated. It’s selfish.

He has a mother in Storybrooke who loves him so much. He has grandparents who love him. He has a whole town who loves him. And he doesn’t remember them or understand them. And it breaks my heart.

It’s not only that, either. It’s not only Henry. All of those people that love Henry— the ones he doesn’t remember— they love Emma, too. And Hook. Hook loves her so much. Mary Margaret and David love her so much. They are about to have a baby; I can only imagine they want her around for that. 

It just frustrates me. Mainly because I understand where she’s coming from. Henry’s memories, his current ones, are good and they are normal and they are safe. They had a life in New York and just because hers didn’t turn out as expected, it doesn’t mean he should suffer. There are two sides to that, though. He’s missing out on so much by not knowing who he truly is, who his family truly is. 

Let’s talk about Once Upon a Time- The Jolly Roger

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Oh my, oh my. This episode ripped out my heart and then proceeded to stomp all over it. Don’t get me wrong, it was great- very well done. Colin O’Donoghue just killed it. And me. His performance killed me. 

We got to see a little of what Hook was up to in the year he was separated from Emma. He was back to his pirating ways without the Jolly Roger. So, dressed as a knight (holy hotness!) he and Smee gets gold from unsuspecting travelers. Mr. Smee and the rest of Hook’s men honor and thank him by hiring a prostitute, but Hook pays her off. Obviously, he’s still hung up on some blonde woman back in NYC. 

After this incident, however, he gets hit in the head and threatened by… ARIEL! She accuses him of kidnapping Prince Eric because she heard he was taken on the Jolly Roger. But Hook has yet to find the Jolly Roger, so it couldn’t have been him. No, it wasn’t Hook. It was Black Beard. Hook, Smee, and Ariel embark on a journey to find his ship and its new owner. 

On their journey, Ariel remarks that she thought it was odd when she heard Hook was the one with Eric. She had heard all the things he did in order to help get Henry back to Storybrooke. She was under the impression that he was a good man. Well, let’s just say he did not want to hear that. Hook has this whole “bad ass” thing down and, as far as he’s concerned, it’s who he is. He’s a pirate. He’s not a prince. He’s not a good man. As the audience, we’ve seen him go from pirate to hero and we also know that while he was back in Fairytale land, he was just trying to get over Emma. 

But, when he gets to the Jolly Roger and to Black Beard, some pretty intense stuff goes down. A sword fight (holy hotness again) and an ultimatum. Black Beard’s heard that Hook has gone soft, so he gives him the option of surrendering his boat in exchange for Eric’s location, or Hook can kill him which would end up letting Eric die alone on an island somewhere. And then it happens. Hook kills Black Beard and Ariel flips her… fin. Literally, after slapping him and calling him a coward (maybe… I can’t quite remember), she jumps overboard and is determined to find Eric all her own. She will never stop believing (as you can see, she’s learned quite a bit from the Charmings. All good things, all good things).

So, in Storybrooke, Emma decides that the only way for Regina to defeat the Wicked Witch is if she learns to use her magic and help her. It’s agreed that this is a dangerous idea, sure, but a very good one, nonetheless. After David offers his and Mary Margaret’s services in watching Henry while Emma’s off with Regina, Emma has to drop the bomb that Henry actually finds them a little… boring. He’s twelve and listening to baby talk just isn’t his thing. He’d much rather hang out with our dear Captain Hook. 

Emma and Henry head to the docks, and while Henry’s glued to his phone, Hook and Emma have a bit of a moment. What I love about Hook and his character development is that, yes, a lot of it has to do with Emma, but he’s interested in saving the town and keeping everyone safe. He tells her that magic is a part of her and she should embrace it. And then they get into a bit of a fight because she brings up taking Henry back to New York once everything with the Witch is over. Hook is not okay with that. He’s tried to go back to the person (pirate) he used to be and it didn’t work. (Side note: We saw him go back to the pirate he used to be, and yes he was rife with guilt, but there is so much more to that story and we need to see the rest of it). Emma asks again what happened the year they were apart and he brushes it off, but he does agree to watch Henry.

While Hook is teaching Henry how to cheat in a game of dice (real nice, Killian), the Charmings and half of Storybrooke stumble upon Ariel on the beach. She’s looking for her prince and the Charmings suggest that Hook would be far better suited to help her find him, what with his time at sea and his knowledge. Little do they know that he has a pretty good idea of where Prince Eric could be. Dead on an island outside of the curse’s reach, perhaps? But he agrees to help her and Henry goes off to learn how to drive David’s truck. 

Hook and Ariel head off to Gold’s where they find Eric’s cloak and Belle uses a locator spell on it. Hook and Ariel follow it to the sea, where it looks like Eric must be dead. Ariel hugs Hook and tells him she just wishes she knew how her and Eric’s story ended. After she leaves, Hook’s guilt bubbles up and the man we now know and love runs after her to apologize for the man he was. 

Ariel slaps him again and definitely calls him a coward this time. He promises he will do ANYTHING to make it better, but how is she to trust a man who doesn’t believe in love. Hook admits that he does still believe in love, it’s just that the Jolly Roger was the only thing to fill the void of his broken heart. Ariel asks if he still loves the woman that broke his heart and he tells her the truth- yes. (AHHHHHHHHHH). She makes him swear on that woman’s name and he so swears on Emma Swan (AHHHHHHHHHH). And then BAM, his lips turn green and he is utterly confused. That is until Zelena shows up! That WITCH! She’s cursed his lips, so when he kisses Emma all of her powers will diminish. And so, she tells him that he must kiss her or she will make sure everyone she cares about- her parents, her friends, her son– will suffer. Now we’ve seen that Hook has taken quite a liking to Henry and he’s just admitted to loving Emma, he won’t let anything happen to either of them. But either way, kissing her will take her powers and Regina won’t be able to defeat Zelena on her own, or everyone will be killed. Umm, hello rock please meet hard place. Poor Hook! What is he to do?!

There was a couple of silver linings I suppose. Henry had a great time with his grandparents. Regina and Emma were able to work on Emma’s magic and found it to be much stronger than they thought. Also, Zelena told Hook that Ariel did find Prince Eric and they have been living happily ever after. Regina and Emma use their magic together to use mirror magic and, even though they don’t know the truth about who Hook was helping all day, they do see Eric and Ariel together and happy. As far as everyone but Hook is concerned, it was good day with a happy ending. 

Let’s talk about Once Upon a Time- It’s Not Easy Being Green

So, I’m not going to lie. I missed this episode live last night. I was out for my dad’s birthday dinner, but I woke up early this morning so I could watch it before work (and safely go on Tumblr when I got there). Anyway, I really enjoyed this episode. It had A LOT to offer.

Starting off at Neal’s funeral, watching everyone (minus his father) throwing dirt onto his casket, Henry having no idea about who is father truly was- it was a bitch. Whoa, it hurt. I may ship Captain Swan hardcore, but I never disliked Neal. Not once. He was an amazing character and I hope his death proves to be a powerful storyline that lives through the end of the season. I’m with Hook, Henry needs his memories back. He needs to know who Neal was and who he really is.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Because after the funeral, Hook insists on talking to Henry. He’s the only one around who can shed light on who Neal/Baelfire was at Henry’s age. Emma swoons a little at Hook’s sincerity and then tells him to be careful because Zelena is still out there. Hook promises that nothing will happen to Henry while he’s watching him. That’s about the time I swooned. Sa-woon.

So, Hook takes Henry down to the docks and Henry brings up the fact that his mom always pawned him off on friends with boats. Which, I don’t know, it just might mean that without her memories, Emma was still attracted to the sea. And Hook. Subconsciously, of course. Then, we see them later, and Henry’s tied about every knot that he can and Hook is staring dreamily at the sky. Why? Because he’s going to teach Henry how to use a sextant just like he taught his father all those years before. But Henry doesn’t want to know how to navigate by the stars, he wants to know who his father was. Sure, he understands that his mother is keeping things from him to protect him, but he still wants to know the truth. Then, Hook tells him that when he and Baelfire happened upon each other, it was right after he lost his father. Henry has more in common with Neal than he realizes.

Back in town, Zelena comes to crash the wake and drop a bomb on Regina. She is her sister. Half-sister. Whatever. Cora gave her up and gave Regina everything. Zelena basically challenges her to a duel on Main Street at sundown. So cliché. But when she leaves, Regina goes on a mission to find the truth about whether or not they are sisters. She finds a letter, from Rumple to Cora, claiming that Cora’s firstborn (Zelena) may be the best student he’s ever taught. All this time, Regina thought it was about her, but now she realizes the truth.

Oh, also at Granny’s after the funeral, Tinkerbell sees Robin’s tattoo and gets mad at Regina for not doing anything AGAIN. And when he comes over to offer Regina a drink, Tink kind of fangirls and it’s just about the cutest thing ever. Robin also runs into Regina in the woods, with the letter, and they talk about what’s really bothering her. What she wouldn’t tell Snow and Emma in the vault where she found the letter.

Belle, David, Tink, and Emma go to the farmhouse to see if Zelena’s around so they can try to get to Rumple without her interference. Belle thinks she can get Rumple on their side even though Zelena has his dagger. Oh Belle, true love isn’t always the strongest thing in the world. Needless to say, their plan didn’t work and only pissed Zelena off more. Now, if there’s any outside interference with her and Regina, Rumple will be forced to go on a killing spree. And you can see how much it kills him to be controlled by such a crazy witch. And, you know, he doesn’t want to kill the woman he loves… Or anyone else. Hopefully, at least.

When the time for the duel arrives, Regina is late and Emma, as the Savior, tries to step in. She doesn’t last long at all, but, hey, it’s the thought that counts. When Regina finally does show up, she’s much calmer and more confident than when Emma and Snow last saw her. She’s ready for whatever Zelena has in store. She knows it won’t be easy, but she’s got to, at least, try. And she does, nearly failing. But when Zelena reaches into her chest for what she really wants, Regina’s heart, she finds nothing. Regina’s not rookie, she knows that she can’t show up to a fight with something as sacred and valuable as her own heart. No, she’d left that in the care of Robin because, well, duh.

Zelena flies off on her broom (really, a broom) and the Charmings find Regina still alive. She also has an inkling as to why the Witch is after her heart. She already stole David’s courage; she’s cooking up a recipe. But for what?

When Zelena gets back to the cellar where she’s keeping Rumple, we find out. It’s not a curse. It’s a second chance. She wants to travel back in time to when her mother abandoned her so it doesn’t happen again. And, therefore, Regina won’t be born and Cora and Rumple can’t choose her over Zelena. She’s crazy and vengeful and envious. And she’s not done.

We also find out that Walsh, you remember Walsh, was the one, great and powerful, Wizard of Oz. And when Zelena found out who he was and how he was managing as a Wizard with no magic of his own, she turned him into her flying monkey minion. So, yeah. It’s going to be a long rest of the season. At least everyone knows who she really is now.

But, before I wrap this up, I want to go back to Hook and Emma. And then Regina and Robin. First, when Hook brings Henry back to Emma, this is when he tells her she can’t just go back to New York when all this with the Witch is over. Henry needs to know the truth. The truth about himself, his father, and who all these people in Storybrooke really are. Emma just thanks him for taking Henry and goes to her room. Hook lingers awhile before begging off to his own. Hook has grown SO much since “Tallahassee” in season 2. And he’s been there for Emma so much. I mean, offering to take Henry was as much for her as it was for him. He’s also suffered so damn much in his life. I want a happy ending for the guy, and I’m pretty sure it’s Emma. She just needs to realize and accept who she is and where she’s from. She’s been through a lot, too, more than most, but she deserves her own happy ending.

So does Regina. And that is with Robin! He was the one watching over her heart while she was dealing with Zelena. And she also left it with him to watch over until the Witch infestation is handled. Guys, she literally gave him her heart. And admitted to owing him a drink. Oh god, it’s going to be so GOOD when they get together. Just get rid of this Witch, give Henry back his memories, and everyone will be right where they belong with WHO they belong. COME ON!

PS: Who’s ready for a Hook-centric epsiode next week? I know I am.

I still cannot get over that scene with Hook and Neal in the hospital. Despite everything the two of them have been through, from Milah leaving with Hook to their love of the same woman, they were able to finally put aside their differences and hug it out. They needed to hug it out and actually talk their issues out before something else bad happened to Neal.

Hook loved him like a son once and we know that he missed him when they all thought he had died. When they split up, when Neal was still a boy, they had their issues. Obviously. And each time they came together after that, they had more issues. But they also had a deep respect for one another, a kind of love, too.

So, let’s remember that Emma and Henry weren’t the only ones that lost someone tonight. So did Rumple. And so did Hook.

Let’s talk about Once Upon a Time- Quiet Minds

Less than halfway through this episode and I was already an emotional mess. Like, that scene with Hook and Neal in he hospital? How perfect was that? Like Hook, I tend to forget that they spent that time together on the Jolly Roger and that Hook watched over him for quite a bit of time. What sits on my mind is the time they vied for Emma at the same time. Hook hugged Neal. Neal called him Killian. And my heart melted. And it was broken by the end of this episode.
but before we get to that, Robin and Regina finally met in Storybrooke. He almost shot her with an arrow at the farmhouse and she thought he was a flying monkey. Whatever, I love them. Outlaw Queen for the win. As they searched the farmhouse for any trace of the Witch, Robin noted that Regina didn’t seem to live up to her Evil Queen legacy. And then he found some whiskey and offered to share a glass, revealing his lion tattoo. The one that Tink pointed out to Regina all that time ago when she showed her who her true love was. As you may expect, the reveal was quit surprising to Regina and she reacted by… running away.
After Neal was discovered and brought to the hospital, after his moment with Hook, he went out to the woods to try and find his father. The team found out in last week’s episode that Rumple was alive and had escaped the Wicked Witch’s creepy lair, and this week Emma and David went to the woods to find him.
When Neal and Emma found each other there, they were able to have a good moment. After a year apart, Neal was able to let Emma go despite the fact that he will always care about (love) her. It was nice to see that they could be good even if the weren’t together. Alas, it was short lived.
Neal had a strange triangle shape burned on his hand and when Belle found out what it was, she also came to find that Neal should be dead. He wasn’t, though, because Rumple was living inside of him due to what that Witch did to them back in the Enchanted Forest. Neal begged Emma to use her magic and separate the two of them, even though it meant that he would die. She did it and Rumple, much more sane, appeared as Neal died. Before perishing, though, he told Emma to be happy and that he loved his Papa for teaching him what true sacrifice is. The good thing that came out of Neal’s death was that it brought Rumpled back and he was able to tell them who the Wicked Witch is. Zelena.
Zelena who was back at the loft with Mary Margaret. Zelena who escaped through the bathroom window before Emma and David could get back and confront her. Zelena who held the Dark One’s dagger and got to Rumple in the woods and led him back to his cage. Freaking Zelena.
Another good thing about Neal’s death was that it led Emma to begin telling Henry the truth. After revealing to Neal that she didn’t want Henry to get his memories back and telling David that once the curse was broken, they were going back to New York, she told Henry that his father was a hero. He lived as a good man and died a hero. All Neal wanted was to die to help Emma save herself, Henry, and the town. And now that everyone knows who Zelena really is, I think they’re one step closer to reaching the end result that Neal wanted. I, for one, will miss Neal.

Let’s talk about Once Upon a Time- The Tower

Okay, I do not like this Witch. I don’t like her messing with Rumple. I especially didn’t like her shaving him. I’m not okay with how she handled David. The poor guy has enough to deal with. Everyone does. I don’t like how she’s so shifty and I hate that Mary Margaret is enamored with her. The second half of this season is straight up stressing me out.

There were a couple of bright (but not really) spots, though. First, Regina and Henry were able to spend some time, one on one, together. Henry opened up to her about his feelings toward Emma and her decision to turn down Walsh’s proposal. He admitted that he couldn’t wait for the day there would be more than two plates set up for holiday dinners. And what Regina told him next was so spot on, I just had to smile. She told him that one day he would have more family than he would know what do with.

What I loved most about that sentiment is that she wasn’t just talking about his blood family, but also the rest of Storybrooke. It’s something she had mentioned just before she really got Henry talking; the good thing about living in a small town (i.e. Storybrooke) is that it’s like everyone is family. I mean, in the case of Henry and Storybrooke, that’s pretty damn near accurate.

What hurt about this scene is the fact that Regina is just Madame Mayor to Henry. Sure, she got to spend some quality time with her son, but he has no idea why it matters. He’s just getting some ice cream and a tour of the town.

Emma and Hook also got to spend some quality time together this episode. At first, they were working with David to gather clues in Regina’s office, but just as he found remnants of berries and told them where to find them in the woods, he was called back to the loft to meet the new midwife, Zelena (that Witch). And Emma and Hook took to the forest together where they had one of their very close standing, serious talks. Emma admitted that she had been considering Walsh’s proposal. You know, before she discovered he was a flying monkey. She also admitted that his betrayal had broken her heart. To which Hook expressed his delight.

You see, he’s not happy that her heart was broken. Not really. He was happy that her heart was breakable, that it still worked. Because then she is capable of loving him back. Unfortunately, she turned away from him before he could get any closer. But he still followed her so they could finish their mission.

The two of them happened upon a mysterious (well, mysterious to them) farmhouse. We know it’s where that Witch is keeping Rumple prisoner. It’s all locked up and before they call Regina, Emma sees a voicemail from David who is sure he’s about to confront the Wicked Witch.

Alas, it is not. It’s himself, a side effect of the night root that Zelena slipped into his tea during their meeting at the loft. By the time Emma, Hook, and Regina show up, David has confronted his greatest fear and was able to defeat “himself.” When he tells Regina about his sword that disappeared, she reveals that it was the Wicked Witch’s way of taking a symbol of his courage. Uh oh.

Seriously, I can’t wait for all this terrifying mystery to be over. Actually, I can, because then the season will be over and we’ll be thrusted into another dreadfully long hiatus.

Ps, we got to meet Rapunzel, who was a victim of night root back in the Enchanted Forest. I wonder if she’s back in Storybrooke after David saved her and brought her back to her parents.

Let’s talk about Once Upon a Time- Witch Hunt

I love this show no matter what land/realm they’re in, but Storybrooke is my favorite setting. And I was so happy to see most of our favorite townspeople (Neal, we miss you!). On that note, yay for having Ruby back after quite the lengthy absense- in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest. Also, I was really happy to see that Robin Hood and his merry men were hit with the curse and brought to Storybrooke this time. Okay, I’m not happy they’re cursed, per se, but I’m happy they’re around.

I know Robin is supposed to be Regina’s one true love and all that, which I am wildly excited about, but last night’s episode got me wishing for A LOT more Charming/Hook/Robin interaction. I mean, I’ve been rooting for a Hook/Charming bromance since the end of season 2, so now I won’t be pleased until the three of them become biffles. That’s right, I said biffles. The three of them are my new brotp (which is a phrase I have yet to use in all my time as a fangirl).

Anyway, on to Regina because she really shone this episode. In the Enchanted Forest, she saved Robin’s son, Roland, from one of the Wicked Witch’s flying monkeys which, in turn, caused Robin to owe her one. So, he accompanied her through the underground tunnels, out of reach from the curse, and into her castle. Sure, they had some bumps along the way- you know, a couple of death threats shared between two people is really what brings them together. Just kidding, don’t threaten the ones you love. But, they had a lot to talk about and quite a bit in common. They are both dealing with losing people they love, Robin’s wife and, obviously, Henry.

Um, so Henry. This cursed Henry is like any other teenage boy. I want the real Henry back! And I really, really want him to remember Regina because that storyline was HEART CRUSHING. Seeing him for the first time and knowing right away that he wouldn’t remember her caused her to drop her coffee cup and cause a bit of a scene in the middle of Grannies. This is not the type of scene Regina is used to causing- that came later on.

Later on, she and Emma cooked up a scheme (I was beyond pleased it was a scheme) to try and buy some time to figure out who is behind the current curse. The rest of the town is now convinced it’s Regina, but Regina and Emma were in the Mayor’s office trying to replicate the memory potion that Hook had given Emma so that they could remember what actually happened in the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately, it failed, but they were able to come up with another plan: Have Leroy (as the unofficial town cryer) let everyone know (or think) that Regina was close to getting the potion right so the person behind the curse would get scared and try and ruin it. Well, it worked, the two of them had a stakeout outside of Regina’s office and waited until they were sure someone was in there. And, oh boy, someone was in there. That’s right, it was the Wicked Witch, but they didn’t know that just yet.

She’s so shifty, that witch. Back in the Enchanted Forest, we found out that she’s not just any witch- she’s Regina’s half sister! And she trained with Rumple! Ugh, I don’t like her. In Storybrooke, she is well underway of winning Mary Margaret’s trust as a midwife. A freaking midwife.

I’m starting to think that she has a plan for the Charming children. I mean, someone sent Hook that message to bring Emma back and it wasn’t her parents. Now, Zelena is going to help Mary Margaret through this current birth? No, not okay. I DON’T LIKE HER.

After the mess of a day, with failed potions and failed stakeouts for the women, Hook and Charming met them in the apartment to fill them in on what was happening with all the missing people. They’re turning into flying monkeys. Little John crossed the townline, not knowing the circumstances as he’s new to the cursed town, and was attacked and taken by a monkey- just like the one Emma was about to marry while she was in New York. Which, by the way, Hook was all to happy to bring up. In front of David, nonetheless, and it was great. Anyway, she sends them off to find Little John (with Robin- the beginning of my new favorite bromance) and they find him, still as a man, but hurt. When they take him to the hospital, before Dr. Whale even has a chance to get a look at him, Little John transforms leaving everyone a little shocked.

But, at least, this information is enough for Regina to figure out who is behind this curse- The Wicked Witch. Bum bum bum.

I don’t know, I’m still a little nervous for our friends in Storybrooke, but at least Emma’s presence is helping things get figured out. It’s not going to be easy by any means, but I have faith they’ll figure it out. And, I still love Regina working with the good guys! And Hook! I mean, the five of them working together is my new favorite thing and season 3 has been full of it. Silver lining, I guess?

Let’s talk about Once Upon a Time- New York City Serenade

As some of you know, Once Upon a Time was a show I watched over the winter hiatus. I watched it all within a week and was caught up right around the first of the year. Over the week I spread out the two and a half seasons, I was hooked. This show sprang to the top of my list so quickly, I didn’t know what came over me. It’s a complicated story that needs to be paid close attention. The family tree alone will make your head start pounding if you think about it too hard and too long. There are a lot of characters, there are a lot of relationships, and there are a lot of stories being told- all of it sucked me in and ran through my head until I was able to watch the new episode last night.

I’m nervous for the second half of this season, guys. It’s going to get dark and the fact that no one knows what happened to them makes me very uneasy. I mean, at least Regina knew the last time a curse was put on everyone. Now it’s just the Wcked Witch who, according to interviews with Jennifer Morrison, is one of the sweetest people in Storybrooke. And she’s the only one who knows she’s the Wicked Witch and what happened to everyone. I just think it’s going to be a very dangerous second half for our friends in Storybrooke.

Everyone that was transported back to the Enchanted Forest kind of reacted differently, it seemed. Hook just decided he didn’t want to try and be a hero anymore, so he took off. (We all know, and so does everyone else, that this has everything to do with Emma being back in our world). Snow, Charming, and Regina team up to take back their kingdom, which is strange, but I cannot wait to see the three of them working together. Neal has suffered a lot- losing his father, his son, and the woman he loves in one fell swoop- but at least he has Belle to lean on and help get to Rumple’s place.

Regina is also having a very rough time being away from Henry. She’s hurting. A lot. She reaches the point where she feels the only way it will stop hurting is if she tears out her own heart and buries it. Thankfully, Snow finds her in the knick of time and convinces her that she needs her heart to find the one thing Henry always wanted for her- happiness. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that just after putting her heart back in its rightful place, Robin Hood saves her from one of the Witch’s flying monkeys. I can’t wait to see more of Robin Hood and I hope he and his boy were taken back to Storybrooke with the rest of the fairytale characters.

When we see Emma again, she’s meeting her boyfriend of eight months for dinner. Walsh is played by the ever charming Christopher Gorham, but I knew straight away that I wasn’t going to like him. And, yeah, maybe it has something to do with my undying love for Hook, but that wasn’t the only thing. He was just rubbing me the wrong way. I was SO happy that as soon as he stepped away from the table, Hook took his seat and used what little time he had to apologize. But he, like we, knew that Emma believed him that something wasn’t right. She’s stubborn, as she has always been, but he’s able to convince her to go to an address that we find out later is Neal’s apartment that Emma, Gold, and Henry visited a year before.

Of course, as soon as Hook vacates the restaurant Walsh comes back and proposes. Emma, being the Emma we’ve always known and loved, has to have some time to think. No matter what memories are implanted in her by Regina, her history with Neal is real and she holds on to the hurt she felt. Love and trust have, and probably always will be, a real issue for her. And obviously, everthing that’s happened with Hook up to this point is fresh in her mind and she needs to know the truth about herself before agreeing to any life changing decisions.

Henry, on the other hand, is all for Walsh and his mom getting married. I’m not going to lie guys, I liked seeing Emma and Henry happy and living normal lives. I know it’s not in the cards for them, but it was nice to see while it lasted. I actually kind of hoped that Henry, having the heart of the truest believer, was just going along with everything for Emma’s sake and somehow knew the truth about their family and friends. I no longer believe that, but I wish it were true. Getting Henry to believe and understand everything is going to be hard. And the fact that Emma doesn’t want his good, happy, stable memories to disappear is going to make it more difficult.

Anyway, Emma does go to Neal’s apartment and does realize quite quickly who it belongs to. Not only that, but when she finds a camera with Henry’s name on the strap, she knows that what Hook was telling her about her real life and her real family could be true. So, she meets him in Central Park where he told her he’d be and after he tries to convince her that he’s not crazy and that she and Henry were at Neal’s only a year ago, he asks her to drink a potion that will help get her memories back. Obviously, she doesn’t, but she does get him arrested. Because, of course she did.

Later on, Henry and Emma are on their way home and Henry drops a bomb on her that he texted Walsh and told him to come over for dinner and that he would be at a friend’s for a sleepover. It’s difficult because Emma wants to be happy with Walsh and Henry, but she also wants to see what the pictures from the camera she found are of. She sends Henry up to the apartment and checks the bag of developed pictures to find her and her son in a town called Storybrooke- a town she’s never heard of, let alone been to.

Now she knows Hook is on to something and she gets him out of jail. He’s finally able to convince her to drink the potion and find out her truth. And when she does, the nice, safe world she was living in falls around her and she’s back to who she was with a man she may, or may not, have been in love with once upon a time. A man who clearly still loves her and has come back to, not save her family, but to save her.

Back at the apartment, Hook tells her the truth that he didn’t stay with her parents which is why he was able to use the Jolly Roger and come back for her when he received a note. He told her there was nothing in the Enchanted Forest for him, and we all know it’s because she wasn’t there with him.

When the doorbell rings and Emma realizes she needs to break things off with Walsh, because he doesn’t deserve to be sucked into her life and her mess, Hook decides he’ll be the one to get rid of him. Ha, you keep your jealousy in check, Captain, and Swan will send him away. Which she does and he says that he wishes she hadn’t drank that potion. WHAT?! How could he possibly know about the POTION? Because he’s a flying monkey, that’s why.

Poor Emma, even the fake life she was living wasn’t safe. This poor girl can’t win, can she? At least she has Hook and Henry to drive up to Maine with so she can see her parents for the first time in a year. And the scene with her and David was absolutely adorable. She doesn’t know the reach of the current curse, so as far as she know, David doesn’t remember anything. Luckily, or not so luckily, he remembers her and what happened up until the point she and Henry drove away from Storybrooke a year before. He’s just SO happy to see his daughter and to find out that she remembers who he is. And he knows it’s been a year since they last saw each other because… Mary Margaret is pregnant(!!) and pretty far along. I mean, that’s a pretty good way to judge a span of time, if you ask me.

Like I said, this second half of the season will be tough for everyone in Storybrooke, but at least they have the savior back. And thankfully for us, the show is just BACK ON!