scenicbyway

I loved that white sweater Emma wore in the last episode. I just ordered it from Zappos!

I really enjoyed this episode. Yes, it's dumb for Emma to have to try to win over Regina's friendship, but I think I understand what the writers were trying to show us. Obviously, Regina=Lily, Lily did Emma a favor by "buying" her food and setting her up in a "house" with a fake life, essentially. This calls back to Regina letting Henry and Emma escape last December and gifting them with memories of a fake life. We also see that Lily feels invisible in her own family and wants to runaway, just like Regina felt invisible to her mother (unless it concerned magic or power) and wanted to runaway from that life more than once. Just like Lily being caught by her dad, Regina was always caught by her mother. Of course, once Emma learns the truth about Lily, who actually has the one thing Emma's always wanted, a loving family, teenage Emma writes Lily off for lying to her. We see from present day Emma, that she later regretted not keeping in touch with Lily, probably because even with her betrayal, it was a bright spot in an otherwise trouble childhood. Perhaps, if they'd stayed in touch, Emma wouldn't have ended up with Neal etc. and things would've worked out better over all because she and Lily seemed to understand each other. Emma's right, Regina is the only one who can understand what it's like to have magic and a troubled childhood to boot. Is Regina whining a bit much over the loss of her relationship with Robin? Sure, it's annoying. She's whined longer than their relationship lasted. The thing is, it's more complicated than that. Regina's always known that she screwed up by not meeting him that night Tink led her to him. Tink told her that by doing that she'd ruined both their lives. Once Robin came into her life, she thought she'd get a second chance and she wasn't going to screw it up. But of course, fate (or Emma) took it out of her hands and intervened. Regina is in mourning because she thinks no matter what she does, she'll lose Robin anyway because she didn't take action that first night. That's what she really wants re-written, she wants to go into that tavern and change the past. Loved the Hook and Emma moments. So kind and sweet, it's also nice to know that Hook is still spending time with Henry. There is a ton of symbolism with Hook and Emma and marriage this season. When he asked if he could have the honor of seeing the box and then he took out a ring, I felt like we were being hit over the head with it. I'm not worried about Hook's secret at this stage, time passes so slowly there, it's not a big deal at the moment. It was nice to see Snow put the baby down. I did think it was funny when she said she didn't know why she was hanging out with a thief at the beach when she could be home with Neal--(oh, the irony). I wish they'd clue us in to Will's reason for being in Storybrooke, but at least he has more to do than Belle. Love the special effects of the ice bridge and the twist of DQ being one of Emma's foster mothers, (which many of us had speculated). Regina's pants were distracting. But I like how they are dressing Emma in white shirts and sweaters this season, it plays well against Hook's black and makes Emma stand out in the snow scenes as well. Good episode!

You might be on to something there. I could see TPTB not wanting the "Evil Queen" around Elsa. I'm sure the Frozen storyline has been tightly controlled.

Exactly. I don't think Regina in the background corner is a clue that the Kai/Gerda story is about she and Robin. Robin's not even getting enough air time if they are supposed to be the big story. I do think something will have to come of Frozen Marian, I hope it's not that she thaws when the Snow Queen leaves. I do wonder if they've just put Marian on "ice" to stall the story a bit while the show focuses on Emma and Rumple. There's been so much foreshadowing about Hook being put in peril, I have to think that's the direction they are going in. They've also had him repeatedly say he'd do anything for Emma. I could see him sacrificing himself for her. I can't believe they'd really go the TLK route yet with them, but perhaps we'll see it in 4.11 since there was a failed TLK in 3.11. ETA: I do think that Snow and Regina are purposefully being given less air time, but I think that could be actress driven. Ginny gave birth at the end of May and was back on set at the beginning of July and Lana got married a few days before filming began. Perhaps the showrunners are being nice in giving the leads lighter schedules in the face of major life changes.

Emma doesn't seem to hold grudges. Think about Regina or even Gold- she doesn't trust them but she also doesn't judge them for their actions. I don't see her being that hard on Hook. When Emma asked what happened to his hand, Hook replied that the "Dark One's" magic wasn't what he thought it was." From this explanation Emma didn't dig any deeper, she was fine with his explanation because she knows that Gold can be a jerk. Look at the situation when Emma wanted to go off and find the Ice Queen and she told Hook to go to the office with Elsa. Hook wasn't about to let her go into danger without him, he wasn't mad, he just wanted to be there for her. Hook going off and doing something with Gold because he owes Gold for the hand isn't going to make her mad, she'd want to go after Gold herself for how he's making Hook pay. Emma lives in a grey area, she's been to prison, she's been a thief, she's been a bounty hunter, she understands that people aren't always going to do the right thing. It's not like we're dealing with Snow White here, Emma's lived a hard life and she knows Hook has to, it's expected that he won't always be on the side of good. I don't think Hook's a chump either. Was it stupid to want his hand back? No. Was it stupid to want it back from Gold? Yes. Could he have explained the situation to Emma and had her take it off? Perhaps, but her magic isn't that developed yet and Regina isn't speaking to them. Gold was pretty much his only option. Hook was so desperate to rid himself of his dark side hand that he told Rumple he'd do anything. That's desperate, but it doesn't make him a chump. All of this is happening because the show runs on drama and, as part of that drama they needed to give Hook something to do outside of Emma. David is the co-sheriff, Snow is Mayor, Regina is sulking, Hook needed something to do because he no longer has a boat. Splitting his time between Gold's cause and Emma's case investigations gives him something to do and also shows the audience that he's straddling the line between his dark past and his bright future.

Why is Elsa even wearing a cloak? I thought the cold never bothered her anyway!

The Storybook storyline doesn't make sense because it only documents events in the Enchanted Forest. Nothing that happens in Storybrooke ends up in the book. That's why Emma was excited in the finale--she finally saw herself in the book, she'd only been in their as an unrelatable baby before. Seeing the story come to life and becoming part of the story is what worked for Emma. Regina doesn't seem to understand that the book only documented her Enchanted Forest life. I can't figure out why Henry doesn't see this either. Isn't he curious as to why he's part of Emma's story but not in the book? Rumple can open the box because he captured one of Anna's tears, therefore the dagger has the hint of innocence the box requires to open it.

What leads me to think that Tumblr might be on to something with Emma's feelings are two things that have happened: 1. Emma's admitted to Hook that she "can't" lose him. He's that important to her. 2. The "Apprentice" kiss mirrored the "Good Form" kiss down to her reaction behind the door. The same music also played during both kisses. Obviously, last night also set up angst for the couple. But I think where we've seen Hook fight to win Emma's affection over the last year, we'll now see Emma fight to keep Hook, not for lack of her affections but because he still needs to find himself. Emma needed to find herself before she could be open to Hook, he needs to find himself while being supported by Emma.

Looking back at their "Good Form" kiss (for science) and Hook's reaction to the kiss, Emma had a similar reaction to last night's kiss. In "Good Form," Hook is breathless and momentarily stunned by the kiss, we learn later, that's the moment he knew he could give up on his love for Milah and possibly move on with Emma. After Emma closed the door, she looked similarly stunned until Snow interrupted her moment. I wonder if we'll see that, that was the moment Emma knew she could move on with Hook, after having lost every other guy she's ever liked.

I agree about the Kiss Curse redux. Hook seems really smart, is love really that blind that he'd want his hand back for their first date? He knows Rumple better than anyone (even Regina), I can't believe he make the deal to get his hand back and then go on to "whatever it takes" to get the hook back. If he hasn't noticed, he should, that Emma doesn't care if he has a hand or not. I still say that wanting the hand was so that he could feel her, vs. wanting to be whole for her. As for Rumple's happy ending...I don't think he has one. I also don't think he's Belle's happy ending. Whatever message the writers are trying to send with Beauty and the Beast with these two is just wrong. She's essentially married to a serial killer, and she doesn't seem to mind. Why bother to have Rumple at Neal's grave saying he would be a better man to Belle than he was to Bae if, 5 minutes later, he finds a magic box and all bets are off? Disney's Belle deserves better than this and, for a show watched by kids, I find their relationship really scary. The thing is, even with the dagger switch, we know Belle won't end up caring, she'll just blame Hook or everyone else and only be mad until Rumple apologizes. Bleh.

I did want to mention something about Hook and Emma's first date--how supportive they are of each other. We've seen Hook support Emma countless times, heck, even when she walked into the diner he was worried he'd missed out on the search for DQ and when she said he didn't he reassured her that she'd find her. Back to the date, we saw Emma talk about her day and that she had no new leads on the case, yet, Hook took her hands and reassured her that they would find her. Then we saw Hook really down about grabbing Will, but this time we saw Emma take his hand and reassure him that it was no big deal. That's what good couples do, they support each other. It was nice to see the mutual support on the date, because normally it's one sided (mostly from Hook).

Belle finally has a storyline! Forget opening the library, let's stick her with Neal again! How is Belle a main character? I sure hope the others get paid more because she only has one or two lines per episode, if that.

I can't believe I'm saying this...but I agree about the kisses. I can only guess it's the last we'll see of them kissing for a while now that Hook is again keeping secrets. I do think the date probably did solidify the relationship for the characters, I'm sure the writers just thought no one beyond shippers wants to hear the first date banter so we had a taste of it and saw the drama, but beyond that it was just typical date chatter.

Do they though? I'm not convinced that the "Dark One" was telling Anna the truth. We don't even know if they made it to the Enchanted Forest. Wouldn't the parents have sent the girls a letter letting them know they had arrived? I hope the message in a bottle from the Queen comes back up, but I'm not holding my breath since things like Zelena needing Regina's blood last season, didn't make a bit of difference to the plot. On another note. I was glad to see Hook's hand preserved again. It probably isn't cursed which means at some point (a wedding perhaps?) the hand could be restored again.

I have a huge problem with Henry not being ok with Emma asking Hook out on a date. Yet, he's cheerleading Regina and Robin Hood, even though Robin is still married and Marion is in an ice coma. The idea that TLK didn't work on Marion seems to be one of the reasons why Henry's in favor of Robin. We also saw that Henry was excited at the docks last season when his memory came back and Regina introduced Robin to Regina. I get that it might be cool to have Robin as a stepdad, but Hook is the one who's actually been involved in Henry's life. Has Robin even taken Henry for ice cream? Last season, Hook offered his ship and services in order to "Save Henry." Hook offered to take care of Henry and share stories about Bae with him. Memory addled Henry wanted to spend time with Hook over MM and David because he was cool. I get that Henry doesn't know that Hook traded his ship to get back to them, but he does know that Hook came for them in New York. I just don't get the sudden change of heart where Hook is concerned. I will say, though, Henry looked like he couldn't wait to get away from Emma when they were standing outside the diner. I get that Jared and Lana have a closer bond than Jen and Jared, but it was painfully obvious to me in that scene and the subsequent ones with Regina that he really likes acting with Lana.

Emma's dress was supposed to be showing the audience that Hook makes Emma feel feminine and girly. I think if Emma had worn the red dress from the pilot, they never would've left the bug, or they would've headed straight for Hook's room. Emma's dress made the date feel special with a hint of innocence. The kind of hand holding they were doing on the date was anything but innocent. Those two have it bad. Too bad it probably won't get resolved until next year. As someone pointed out it's been 2 years since they met, a year since their first kiss and now their first date. I suppose we'll be waiting another year for more development.

Other than last season's finale, this was my favorite episode by far. I really enjoy Rumple and Hook's interactions. I like their little team of evil and the blackmailing each other and one upping each other. "If you hurt Belle...if you hurt Emma..." I don't think Emma or Belle will be all that excited about this partnership. I can't imagine that Hook can really keep this from Emma, or, maybe she won't care. Belle's not smart enough to see what happening. I like Henry becoming the apprentice, I was worried it would be Hook. I like the storylines tying in together, with Hook, Rumple, Henry, Regina, Anna, etc. I was so glad to see Anna get the upper hand on Rumple. I still think the mystery house must be the Snow Queen's. I don't see why it's a big deal if Hook punched WIll. He was trying to break in and Hook stopped him, no big deal. The DATE-- I admit to rooting for Mary Margaret, she was the voice of the shippers tonight. The photos, the wanting all the details. Aaaah. Emma's got it bad. She was starry eyed. I do wonder what Henry is thinking not "approving" of Hook when his other mother is the "Evil Queen."

I think that Charming and Snow are together by choice, not just because they are true love. Belle and Rumple choose to be together, not because they are true love (but because one of them is completely blind to the fact the other is truly the "dark one". The only ones who seem influenced by knowing they are true love are Regina and Robin. The thing is, Robin chose Regina before he even knew about their fate. I see Emma and Hook choosing to be with each other, in spite of the fact they don't know if they are true love. In fact, that could be part of their storyline. Do either one of them even believe in "true" love? I could see Hook believing along the way, he did sacrifice his ship based on love. I think Emma would take longer to come around even though she's experienced "true" love's kiss with Henry. Wanting to hold Emma with both hands doesn't make him weak. Who wouldn't want that opportunity if it was readily available? I do think he's jumping the gun a bit since it's just their first date, I could see wedding or something, but it does seem a bit soon. I'd say the "hand" storyline fits into a bigger arc than their date. The date is just a way to introduce the "hand." I think Hook is actually pretty secure in asking for it, he's doing it for himself. He wants to hold her, feel her. It's really about him.

I really like these two playing off each other. They've got the longest history on the show, it's nice to see the banter between them. I'm not sure why Rumple is complying with Hook's wishes, all he has to do is erase either Hook or Belle's memories and he gets away with the dagger ruse.

They haven't edited out Colin's remark about the cheeky lip lock. It's still there. I wonder if it's cheeky because he walks her home and her parents are waiting in the living room for her. No privacy?

So basically, Ben not making quesadillas for the primary's girlfriend cost the group $5,000? Was he supposed to make them for every meal? I could see where the appetizer would make her squeamish, but it's not like the steak should've. The fact that he did make them should've counted for something. I think the guy just wanted to be shown as a jerk. Amy is awesome, she's exactly the person who should've served that dinner. Could you imagine Kate serving them and having them ask for quesadillas? Ben is right to have Amy on his team, how many episodes have we had where the guests have complained about Kate. I think Ben was trying to salvage the food by having Amy serve it. I don't think Jennice is a stalker, she thinks he's legitimately interested in her but now that's he got her, he's being a typical boy about the whole thing. I'm sure they have talked about what happens after the show but he probably didn't want everyone else to know about those discussions.

I do think the actors are pushed into promoting ships that are otherwise not going to happen on the show. I remember last December, when the guy that plays "Happy" was tweeting and, was, essentially baited in to answering questions about different ships. Not being particularly media savvy, he answered truthfully, by saying that the actors don't take certain shippers seriously because they know the direction the show is going in. It blew up into a huge thing and it essentially got that actor written off the show until this season (not that he plays a huge role, but he disappeared from any more episodes until this season). He was publicly admonished by Lana and Jen and Adam. It was pretty ugly. I like the interaction that Twitter provides between the actors and fans but, at the same time, I hate that because that media is fairly anonymous on the fan side people think they can make threats and say disparaging things because of that anonymity. They say things there that they would never say to that person if they were standing in front of them. I wish they'd recognize that the actors are just doing their jobs and they are real people with real lives outside of the show. They have thoughts and feelings to. I do like that Adam responds to people on Twitter, it does seem like he only responds to those with complaints sometimes, but I get the impression he responds to everyone that tweets him.

Welcome! I tend to think we won't even see that shirt beyond the collar. Hook seems to always be wearing a jacket. They may have chosen the shirt for the dark purple background color. I like that he's trying to adjust to life in Storybrooke and that the date seems to be the impetus for it. Now that Emma's accepted him he can work on accepting Storybrooke as his home. I really appreciate that Snow puts the baby down to take a picture of Emma and that she and Charming wait up for Emma to return. I think it will hopefully be a sweet moment.

I liked the TV Line article. It sounds like they have a really nice time and then Will shows up and interrupts everything. I would think Emma arrests him for escaping last week. This is probably why she doesn't get home all night, she spends it at the station filing the paperwork. I'd love for the date to end well, but with a drink spilt on the dress and a cursed hand, I'm not sure how that happens.

When was she really pushing him away? In the premiere he wanted a quiet moment, she told him to be patient but kissed him. They spent most of episode 2 apart but she didn't discourage his idea of champagne and she lept into his arms coming out of the cave. In the 3rd episode she didn't want him to help her because she was afraid he'd get frozen like Marian. She did push him a little, but he also pushed back and, in the end, they were together in the street certainly not pushing each other away. She's explained her feelings, first feeling guilty about wrecking Regina's happiness, second having to face a crisis every day and third, worrying that he could end up dead because past history says every boyfriend she has dies. They are showcasing the relationship I think because major angst is coming and they need a solid foundation for it to be believable that the romance will survive the angst.