Last Week’s Once Upon A Time Explores Many Worlds When Rumple’s Son Cries

Editor's Note: This actually happened on a highly rated primetime television show. Let us take a quiet moment to commemorate it.

Oh, I’m sorry, did I forget to mention Katheryn Nolan has been found? Yeah, it slipped my mind that’s who everyone was looking for, too. Luckily, she’s back. We can tell by her  snappy 2 minute cameo. Here’s the entire scene:

David Nolan: You’re kind of amazing.

Katheryn: Yeah, I am.

(David kisses forehead for no reason, leaves.)

Audience agrees. End of episode.

Luckily, the episode actually gets better this time. Mostly because of the exciting questions that arise. One such question revolves around our Evil Queen of hearts. At episode’s end, Sydney predictably took the blame for “tampering” with the DNA of the human heart found by Ruby so that is appeared to match Katheryn’s. We’ll ignore exactly how someone can tamper with a human organ to appear to match a specific person’s DNA, and whose heart it actually was, because the episode certainly does!

The more compelling question is whether everyone in Storybrooke is walking around without a heart. The hospital is clearly in league with Regina, so in Once Upon a Time logic, that could actually work. Perhaps even more compelling is the possibility that she only has the hearts of people that are in league with her, or crossed her (as in Graham’s instance). If that is the case: what did Katheryn do to the Queen?

In the main Storybrooke story line this week, August makes Henry accessory to a crime as he attempts to steal something from Mr. Gold. But why?!

As the episode progresses, we are treated to the Fairy Tale follow up to Rumpelstiltskin’s Dark One transformation. He commits murder in front of his son “because it’s his nature,” and they have some very flat dialogue about Ski-bomb’s constant need for power. From here, we see that no one wants to play with the son of a crazy magical murderer, and so the kid makes a deal with the Blue Fairy for a magic bean that will transport father and son somewhere that the Dark One’ evil powers do not work, and they can have a normal life. When the time comes, however, R-Pel refuses to go, and his son is transported alone.

Through out the episode, it is hinted that our Stranger might in fact be R-stump’s missing son. After a silly therapy session with Archie, Mr. Gold goes to meet the Stranger, who is definitely not his son, turns out. For some unknown reason August was hoping to control Mr. Gold via his dagger. Luckily, the magic does not work in this world. While it seems like nothing much actually progressed with the story as a whole, a few more science fictiony things going on.

In the Mad Hatter episode last time, we discussed multiple worlds, and multiple pathways. This episode opened up another one of those storylines, though hopefully not quite as much of a dead end. Someone with the power to stop and redefine Mr. Gold is floating around somewhere, and that is exciting. Also, we can now be assured that Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin knows all of what happened with the curse, as he is its creator, and holds almost all of the artifacts that could set the Fairy Tale characters into amnesiac distress. This puts the world of Storybrooke into a new balance. Gold’s motivations are still largely unknown, and he seems at times to hold more power in this world than the Queen herself.

If you haven’t figured out August’s leg issues yet, the trailer for next week’s episode spoiled that, and also his Fairy Tale identity. So don’t ruin your fun by clicking on the link! Also, the Wikipedia page pretty much explains his relationship to Emma. You’re welcome!

Also next episode, Regina’s going to try her hand at a little homewrecking of her own, on her “best friend’s” ex.