Mitch

" I wanted this to kind of be the way the curse worked for Storybrooke, that people never came to stay in Storybrooke because they (with the help of the Curse if they got close) never thought of it as anything more then a boring back woods town, and no one ever left as they thought..this is how I have always lived why would I go? I lived in a small town and really it is like time stops and the outside world is closed off. But really, this show has to make everything so much more confusing and simplistic at the same time. I think the explanation to this Story world time never changing is, maybe none of these characters are real until they actualy get sucking into our world. They are all just characters the Author thought up and he could jump in and out of stories like realms, but they dont' take real human form until they come to our world? Is that the twist...you all didn't exist so all of those things in the past never happened so you are free to become what you want here?

Loved this episode and yea, they fooled me that Cruella was an outright psycho! Loved that it was really fun but still dark ...I mean, matricide and dog killing on a family show..??? However, I do feel that part of this is her mother's fault as, uh, it took three murders for her to realize that Cruella was behind it...( I laughed when the mother said, "Well, after the third husband I had my proof!"God I love this dumb show!!) and is it really good to just keep your psycho in the attic intead of getting help for her...(or are there no shrinks in 1920's Land?) I will miss Cruella, she was having the most fun with her villainy and we are now stuck with emo villains. I especially will miss her insults of Rumple "When people threaten me they should look me in the eye..can I get you a stepladder darling?" Snow and Charming are again...totally useless! Why does anyone even call them "heroes," anymore, they do absolutely nothing unless helped out by a magical being....For once Henry wasnt an idiot in how he again was kidanpped...makes sense he would chase after Pongo alone on the street. Liked Regina getting one over on old Rump...and that she got Belle's consent before doing so (still don't know if that is really Belle's heart or if they were faking it...her "Script," was pure Regina and I don't think that limp biscut could come up with such good taunts..) Speaking of, I think Cruella was lying when confronted by Maleficent..for some reason she does not want her to know that Lily is still alive or where she is? Nice that we got an explanaiton for the queens not aging but we still have the Snow Queen and her agelessness. The only quibble I have is that I wish the world Cruella came from would be a mishmash of decades...jazz music and some 50's furniture, maybe some 60s and 70s things thrown in so we could see its a world without time..kind of like Storybrooke under the curse.

I agree, how odd for her not to metion the pendant..thought I would like it if she was permanetly depowered and had to manipulate and use magic things to acheive her aims. Questions: Could Ingrid have iced Marion because she knew she was Zelena and she didn't want another sorceress to mess with....(or to chew the scenery?) What if Zelena is better in the sack then Regina? Why didn't Zelena just cut Robin's head off and send it to Storybrooke with the QOD and Rump. I think my bad Trash TV viewing self would be in heaven to see a cheap plastic special effect head fall out of a box and see Parrilla chew the scenerey with that scene. Edited to add...it just hit me why I love Zelena so much...in the late 80s early 90s there was a villain on As the World Turns who was the typical wife returned from the dead...only this wife, much like Marion/Zelena was bad news. Lilith was a psycho who would send people's body parts back to her ex Duncan and actually had paid off a tribe in Africa to be her guards (dont ask) She kidnapped Duncan's new wife Shannon, and when Duncan went to get her Lilith pulled out a narled shrunken head of Shannon, "Oh here she is dear, we did some alterations!" LOL. One of the worst story lines on ATWT ever so of course I loved it..but Lilith was crazy, had an english accent, crazy red hair and ridiculous schemes. HMM..perhaps A & E were fans also! See there IS worse writing then Once out there.

Great episode, and shows you how nice it is to get a breather from Snow and Charming and Henry. Hardly any Hook and Emma "cuteness," (sorry, I like both of them but think they are just okay together and I hate "Ross/Rachel," cute romances...) Loved that Zany Zelena is back and yes, it doesnt make sense that she traveled back to the time before the curse was cast and could have seriously messed with Regina , even stole the curse herself and cast it, but maybe she just had it out more for "todays," Regina and wanted to come back...no still doesnt make any sense at all..(hopefully they will throw us a bone and say that Zelena just really got used to electricity and central air and heat Marion was too dull to be anything then a shell for Zelena to hide in, and well, I just hope her revenge has more going for it then just boinking Regina's boyfriend...very high school Zelena. Anyone who can make Rumpel her bitch is okay with me and I loved her imitation of his annoying Sparkle Dark mannerisims, and the actress is clearly enjoying this and playing her as a total whacko as opposed to trying to make us feel sorry for her. Favorite line of the night, after taunting Regina and threatening Robin..."Now I have to go, I have a MEATLOAF in the oven..." oh Cora's girls and their food (I love it when Once goes over the top and brings it all down to earth...hey a crazy gals gotta eat just like everyone else.) As Cora might say,"Well, I am very proud of at least ONE daughter..I guess I threw the wrong one away!" I actually thought Robin was more interesting and the guy playing him did a good job this episode...(though his escape from Zelena was really easy..she couldnt just send a monkey his way? I still don't know what the odd looking guy with the big ears is doing on this show...and I can hardly understand him half the time) I liked the nod to that Meg Ryan movie with the chase on the horse, I liked that Rump was reduced to fighting with them over the apartment, and I can help it if her plan is dumb I like Zelena causing trouble. The mirror thing was okay, it was Zelean seeing herslef in the mirror as opposed to every mirror revealing her face. Big plus, Parrilla was very, very good with her last scene. She plays ambiguous Regina so much better then the EQ or whiney Regina. I also love that there is no magic in New York but magical things can cause trouble. Can we trade Storybrooke for New York..I would love to see the charaters living in the real world and trying to scavenge what odd magical things they can find. I liked that Rump explained the trees in SB are from our world so they don't have magic and we found out that if Regina's arms are bound she can't do magic...(simple enough thing for them to have done to her earlier.) My big question is: Zelena has no magic so why is she such a threat to Robin? I know she could poison him or knife him to death when sleeping (and I wouldnt put it past her..all the while with crazy eyes popping out of her head) but can't Regina just send a text to Robin"Hey can't talk, that's not Marion that is Zelena..get Roland and go someplace safe and then call me, will explain." But this is Once so... Cruella will be on next week so it will be fun, I hope she and Zelena don't share scenes, there will be so much over the top camp that gay bars across America will spontaneously catch fire.

I would totally get behind the story if THIS was the case. At least these supposed heroes did something proactive and not just react to the latest threat, and worry, and stand with a sword and say something cardboard cartoony and then get knocked aside, but get saved at the last minute from outside interventions. Forget Hook these two morons need a guardian fairy as they continue to stumble into trouble with no plan. Anyway, if they did something heroic, that actuallly looked non heroic to idiots like Henry, that would be an interesting storyline..."No Herny, sometimes heroes have to make a terrible choice to save others..so grow the hell up already!" But I can see them feeling guilty that it was a human baby and especially with what happened with Emma they would worry who raised that child. And they would have to throw the whole good and evil tranference thing out the window as that just makes them look even more idiotic.

Your kidding me..."Tapas," makes somoene Spanish...(which is different then someone coming from Mexico but...) Regina is into food and has mentioned various different dishes over the years. Plus, could you call someone from their wacked out world "Latina,"...I mean, it seems a racially mixed lot over there, all coming from the same place which I am okay with. Can't wait to see Zelena hopefully off boring Marian, though maybe real Marion was more interesting then Faux Marian?

I actually like how the show finally went their and showed them to be the most idiotic and self centered rulers in history, and that is saying something. But then I have always disliked both of them. My big problem with this episode is yes, we didn't get to see the emotional confession from those two and I wished Emma's reaction included..."Really??? What is with you people and your silly definition of good and evil..like everyone is one way or another. I have done some bad things, you have done some bad things, but we arent villains. Real people, at least in this world, are a combination of both! God you people are freaks! I am packing the bug up and getting the hell out of here with my annoying kid and by hot boyfriend!" Later, have fun with whatever monster comes her next fall!"

Do we know that is acutally Henry's real middle name? Regina is definatley giving Henry a signal to trick the Queens and maybe it by saying the wrong middle name? I like that Cruella is annoyed by a kid, but I just wish Henry was as bitchy as his adopto Mom and said "So Mom, your now into hanging out with drag queens?" to see the look on Cruella's face! I liked the light behind the door and the key signal. I am interested in this storyline...its more interesting then another Big Bad takes over Storybrooke.

Good episode and a much needed improvement from last week. I actually liked it the best of this season's episodes as it seemed more S!..there was a clearly defined story, instead of some gobblygook and "oh, there's a monster," we have been getting since S2. They told Ursula's story, she got her ending and that was that, all the while a ton of characters got screen time, a lot happened though the emotional beats weren't missed and some funny lines were dropped. I especially liked the homage to bad 70s cop shows with the "torture," in the cabin, I expected Startsky and Hutch to break in or one of the Angels. Good work Once, keep doing funny riffs on pop culture while advancing and a story and your goofy little self can stay on my TV. I also thought it was like S1 that it was a dark theme, (a torture) and ended on a bright hopefull note that only this show can get away with. Plus, Cruella is fast becoming my favorite villain, who else would be crass enough to come on to a guy you just tortured and I LOVE that gun of hers..someone finally figures out that a gun will cut through all that hocus pocus b.s. (never figured out why some sniper just doenst take out Regina or Rump or the villain of the week.) Then she gets smacked by a frying pan by a suddenlly cool again Snow! Charming, as usual was useless and stood around holding Snow's purse. I will miss Urlsula but she was the most ambivalant of the Queens, she just seemed to roll her eyes and seemed tired of our whole world. Hopefully she will come back and knock Mal's and Cruella' s head together..."You fools, can;t you tell the Dark One is going to screw you over but good!" Other things, you have to just let the really dumb stuff slide (like Midas not being able to stop Hook, and Cruella recovering from what would be a concussion causing pan hit, to just get up and get past them, big fur and wild hair and all) which is par for the course on this show and about every other. I liked the use of magic here for once and liked that, guess what, Regina got her brains back and her magical smoke sign was great. the Snow actress nailed Parrilla's mannerisims as Regina. I am not that into Hook and Emma, don't hate em, don;t love em, but they were okay together. Malifienct was looking stylish in her Marlena Dietrich 1930s Lesbian Pant Suit and as always Rump is a big d*ck. Are we sure that Belle gave FakeHook the real dagger or the fake one? She seemed not that concerned. And a big plus, Henry had almost no lines and was in just two scenes!

Not a big Hook and Emma fan (dont hate em mind you) but yes, anything is better that another convoluted Snow/Charming/Regina flashback. I actually like Ursula and really do hope that she has motivation and actually wants to be reformed (but still bitchy) and hey anyone who can kick Rump's legs out from under and give those great sideeyes is welcome in my book.

Also, didn't Regina say she traded the Dark Curse for the Sleeping Curse? In S1 it was a big deal, but now the Sleeping Curse is traded around so much everyone should have had it or known someone. A better revenge would have been for Regina to put a spell on the horse to "hate," Snow and be afraid of her. That would kill a little girl..and then Step-Mommy dearest with her knowledge of horses calms the horse. And more consistent with Regina just being pissed at Snow now and no one else.

Agreed S1 was good as it had a limited scope and a limited set of characters. The whole thrust was clear and concise...a curse stranded these people in our world in a suspended state of unhappines. Emma is the curse breaker, and she is antogonists with Gold and Regina, though she had no idea why. We see the main cast back stories. That was it. Now they are all over the board thinking they are so creative just jamming crap into an episode and it would be find if they could handle it....they can't. This season could work with just Malifecent being there. She and Gold team up to find out who this author is and IF he is running their fates. Meanwhile a still on the brink Regina renews her friendship with Malifecent to make ammends for what she did, and hoping she has a friend in recovery and showing her how to live in our world. Maleficent will act nice but we know she is up to something ala S1 Regina and she will subtly work against Regina's redemption. Snow and Charming are nervous around Mal..she drops a few hints but nothing solid, Emma is trying to get her relationship with Hook going, and balancing a relationship with her same age parents and Regina, a co parent. They dont need Cruella or Ursula...(unless already in town and they can act as a greek chorus making fun of one and all) and that is it. No jumping realms, not as much Fairy Backs as they get stupider and more convoluted with each one. Malificent slyly pitting one and all against each other while Rump pulls the strings.

Actually the horse thing bothered me too..though I had to laugh at the credits they had Animal Cruelty Blurb that no pets were harmed..as if we think a sleeping curse is real. Anyway, it bothers me as I am a sick person and I can deal with people, even kids being hurt on TV but no animals..and that a horse doesnt have a brain to know that the burnging room isnt real like a person does. I fanwanked Snow did come and kiss the horse goodby and the next morning Regina saw her riding it hale and hearty and she said, "Drats....will nothing I do work!" So she would have no idea how the curse got broken. Anway, what bothers me is this shows stupid cartoony way of writing characters. At this point Regina should still be new to this and feel remorse...we should have seen her goaded to do it by Rump and her hesitating and then see some ambiguous look on her face. For some reason Parrila rocked it in S1 but after that she plays Regina like a cartoon evil queen or a whine box all the time. Its very unsatisfying viewing.

Yea, but they really need to explain that to us...I mean, would the train hit one of the flying monkeys when it was going by??? They could have easily made this stuff much easier on them if they would have just gone with, the rest of the world sees Storybrooke but thinks its a boring crap hole that one one would go to. They could have stuck with the..."Anyone who leaves town reverts to cursed memories," and left it at that...no Ice Wall, no Snow Queen curse, no flying monkeys in New York...etc.

I agree KingofHeats, but Adam and Eddy needed her to be an antogonist against Emma, but she had more then enough reason to hate Emma just by being Mayor Mills, what with Henry, her hot sheriff mooning over Emma, Emma being an alpha female also (how interesting it would be to see a cursed Mayor Mills just believe everyone would cowtow to her, and not getting why an uncursed Emma didn't). Back to this episode...oh my God was it stupid..and not in a "Once," fun goofy way. No one in Storybrooke has a half a brain between them (or for the days that Emma, Regina and Gold would play each other...) and they all act as if someone cursed them with the "Dummy Curse." Snow and Charming are as bright as a block of wood (Sorry Pinochio) I am used to that....(Memo to Snow and Charming, the only reason you are heroes is that a magical person helps you out or something falls into your lap) but EVERYONE else is stupid, from the Queens, to Regina to Emma to Hook to Belle (or okay, nothing new there.) There is nothing interesting to watch with dumb people bumping into each other. The usual save of a Post S1 episode is that there are usual bitchy one liners and camp jokes and knowing references. There were none this episode and the show falls flat without them.

Uh, Regina was putting it on pretty thick there..she acted like she was auditioning for the 60s TV show Batman, I guess the QOD are not the braniacs of the villain world but since everyone is Storybrooke is stupid.... I think that overlooking being turned into a dragon is a plot point, its also not like Maleficent knew what was going on, she was sleeping trapped in time, and while they never actually said it, I don't belive she started to wake up until Emma came to town, and really woke up when Emma decided to stay and took the sheriff star...remember the big earthquake that happened then and trapped dim Henry in the mine? Anyway, that makes sense in Once's whacked out universe. Interesting...I didn't think of that...we saw that the people turned into animals...like Hook's buddy, turned back to human form when returned to the EF....I am sure the writers wont address that. I like Maleficnet's outfit, it looks like she could be a Wonder Woman villain!

I thought the same thing when I saw the Charmings once again being tossed aside as the useless bums..uh heroes they are. It brings me back to S2 and Snow had Mulans' sword that can repel magic and she just drops it as she jumps into the vortex..uh, dimmy, you might need that. Now this shows use of magic could be interesting if the heroes had ways to make that magic harmless and then the playing field would be more level. As it is, the only reason the Charmings are alive is that the villains are two inept to just off them, as easy as it would be, and yet, they are still considered these great heroes????

I love these fun villains so far...,much better then the Frozen Icescapades. I think its interesting that Emma has the "chance," to go dark, (we know she wont for long at least) and that Malificent seems to have a good backstory on why she wants revenge and a happy ending...I always thought that a better scenario for Regina's anger was that she was preggers with Daniels kid and lost the kid when Cora killed Daniel..but I also wanted Snow to actually tell on Regina in a bit of childish unthoughtful selfishness to keep a stepmother (not that she wanted bad things to happen but kids dont think things out) but realize that would be incredibly dark and adult for this show... but would better explian Regina's years spent seekign revenge. Also anything that would expose the Two Idiots for what their selfrighteouness....(Line of the episode..."I wish just one of the Charming family would live up to the name." ) Had to laugh, the two dulldards pull out swords and are quickly knocked down..AGAIN. Doesn't anyone figure out those swords are no good and WHY are the Charmings such big heros when they are at the whims of magic like everyone else. No one in this goofy land ever come up with a way to fight magic??? Step in the right direction with Regina and Gepetto..but I would have had a follow up scene where Regina talks to Henry about it.."I know my go to when I come up against the wall is to try and knock it down, and that is not right. I did horrible things and cost many people their lives and the people they love and I know now its not only wrong, but its something I am regretting, and that is because of loving you I can finally see what other's feel." or something to that effect. I also wish Gepetoo had said something about children changing your life and your perspective, etc. But as someone posted elsewhere, this is an action and adventure soap opera fairy tale not a "Lets grab a cup of hot choclate and talk," show so I take what I can get. Just please let Ursula and Cruella live to snark and side eye each other for another season. And yes, I just love to see those Two Idiots being tortured!

LOL..I remember right after the curse broke, and Regina still didn't have her magic back, after the Charmings broke up the usual Storybrooke Mob (which is always useless) Regina just waltzes out her front door and drives on over to Gold's shop to get her goofy spell book back. You would think that they would have a guard in place 24/7 to make sure she was in place at all times. That was the first time I realized how really stupid and useless Charming is..(Snow got sucked into the Vortex at that time.) It was also the first time that I really thought the Storybrookers get what they deserve ..(to make them not look as stupid the writers could have had a secret escape tunnel in her basement...as there is no way Regina would not have an escape in case she needs it.) Once again, you are thinking deeper then the characters....well, really the writers. At least they could have excised the Rumple agreement clause..."You swear that you will not betray us again and we will work together to get ALL of our happy endings." Rump is a shit who would find some out but at least they tried. By the way, I can watch a loop of Ursula kicking Rumps ass outside the town line over and over and over....

Hey she did love her pet Unicorn and would sacrifice herself to save it, and then she tried to keep the Curse out of Regina's hands, so I can see her redemption not being that hard...however, Mal...who put both Aurora and her mom to sleep..means she was not secretly good. I like Mal as someone who had an axe to grind with the Auroras (and really, I find all the princes and pricness of the EF to be annoying so...) and is just a grumpy guss wanting to hang out at her castle with her pet unicorn and not answer her crystal ball when that bitchy Regina calls.

Zelena placing an ad on Storybrooke Craigslist...."My evil queen needs to be tamed..have black leather dress (about 30 of them) and a dwarf fetish..the Grump-ier the better if you know what I mean...though more then willing to wake up Sleepy and have Doc examine me! Into office scenes, crypt scenes, kitchen scenes..well just about any scene you can think of. Turn the table on me and put me under YOUR spell. Discretion assured!"

You thought more about that then the writers have I am sure! However, I think Zelena just "Froze herself," so she didn't have to spend time with boring Robin..the only man on earth to be duller then Charming, and to make "Marian," more of a victim. After they all left she got up cackling evilly and went though Regina's email on her office computer..

I never watched "Lost," but I don't have a problem it..the scene was funny so I was okay with it..(and you just know that Trashy Cruella and Ursula love their fast food!) "Once," does homages to all types of books and movies (Easter Eggs?) and my favorite was the statue of Pazuzu the Demon from the Exorcist standing behind Emma in Rump's Vault of Evil Things that even scare him.

I'm glad she is back...there will be some continuity between seasons and arcs at least. I thought the killing of the Wicked Witch of the West was pretty lame but I do hope they don't make her as "desperate," as she was before and for God's Sake do not try to mack on Rump again! Maybe she will take a page from Cruella and Ursula and just be bad because its fun and all the good people besides Emma are a bunch of bores? Anyone who can get under Regina's skin and make her give that puss face is okay by me...(and I lurve Regina!) Also, can we let Glinda out of her ice hut or whatever the hell it was?

Yea.. but acting like a total bitch to Regina would have blown her cover...Zelena was playing the part of the "sweet wife," and torturing Regina with it. Regina has the shortest fuse on earth...(not that I wouldn't being stuck in a town full of idiots but...) and have you ever tortured someone nasty by being overly nice to them? They don't know how to respond. If I was Zelena I would do the exact same thing..act all nice, "Ohhhh, thank you Regina," smirking behind her back. I think the actresses bland acting could go either way with that. The only thing is, Zelena makes Regina and Rump seem sublte...that really isnt her style.