Dani-Ellie

The only possible way they can dig themselves out of this for me is for Regina to be 100% dead wrong. When she finds Mystical Author, he or she looks at her and says, "Oh, child, it's not me. It was never me. It's you. Only you can give yourself your happily ever after." Oh, I totally get that. But this nonsense is just like, "... What? I dun follow." Usually I can at least see why she thinks what she thinks, even if I don't agree with it. This is just a whole new level of ridiculousness to the point that it doesn't track in any way, shape, or form.

Thank you. I couldn't remember if Hook was a lefty when he had both hands but even still, 300-odd years of not having a left hand should have made it the non-dominant hand just by default. If it really was all Hook, one would think he would have been doing things with his right hand. Rumple's story about the reason the hand was cursed may have been a bunch of horseshit but I do think he did something to it. Since Rumple really only gets what he wants out of double- and triple-crosses, he would need a reason for Hook to come back to him to take the hand back. I think the "it was all you, dearie" business afterward was just head games.

I'm not so sure this is a continuity issue, but I certainly have a big nit to pick with this "find the author of the book" storyline: I have zero idea what Regina is expecting to accomplish. I mean, I get what she's doing, but I have no clue why she thinks it's going to work. Even if I assume that she doesn't grasp that the book is a record of events and not a work of fiction, let's look at the book for a second. If I recall correctly, Henry pulled the last couple of pages of the book out because that was the part with baby Emma. As far as we know, nothing following the arrival of the first curse made it into the book. So, by that logic, doesn't the book end with Regina getting her happy ending anyway? I mean, yeah, there's the little glimmer of hope with baby Emma escaping, but at the end of the book, Regina freakin' won. The curse whisked everyone to the new land, the end. So even if she believes some mystical author out there is handing out the happy endings, by Regina's own logic, Mystical Author already handed her hers. She even said it herself in response to Snow's question as to why she was doing this: "Because this is my happy ending." The fact that it ultimately wasn't her happy ending isn't Mystical Author's fault. But Mystical Author already ended the "story" with Regina winning, so, wtf, Regina?? (And honestly, I get that this is just more Regina ridiculousness, but it's really freakin' trying my patience because it makes zero sense, even for Regina.)

This is what I'm afraid of and why I'm hoping (but preparing myself for it to not happen) that Hook fesses up immediately. 1) The reason Rumple was able to get the upper hand in the first place was because removed Hook's leverage (or so he said). If Hook were smart, he'd remove Rumple's leverage right now. 2) He should have learned better from the Zelena thing. 3) At some point, he needs to trust Emma just as much as she trusts him. 4) Keeping it from her is falling into the same trap every other guy has when it comes to her: keeping secrets. If he really cares about her, I think he needs to be the one to break the cycle.

Any other show, I'd be putting the faith in the writers that they were taking Henry in this direction on purpose, maybe as a wake-up call to Regina. This show, though, with its Regina blind spot big enough that Emma saving Marian is ruining Regina's life but Regina casting the curse and taking Emma's parents away from her somehow doesn't ruin Emma's? It's just as likely that Henry's material so far this season (but especially in this episode) isn't at all supposed to come off as grody and the writers are all, "Look, you guys! Henry and Regina are bonding! Isn't this fun?"

I very much agree. I mean, look, I get that Emma's going to eventually want some privacy and yeah, it's probably quite crowded in that apartment with Emma, Charming, Snow, Henry, and a newborn (and apparently Elsa, for the time being) but they all just came back together as a family. Can we please see them having some family time before they split them up again? Please? Because I'm loving what we've been getting so far.

I can see that, and I can even see where Henry would think that Regina being happy is part of the greater good (because an unhappy Regina makes for a very tenuous time in Storybrooke), but I think they're taking it way too far. The Henry I know would never be telling Regina she should be happy that she hasn't found a way to save Marian. The Henry I know would never think the book is wrong. The Henry I know would never think Rumple having a wife but losing his son is a happy ending. And I think playing the "I'm here for a gift for my teacher" card is a few steps removed from playing the "you're my only connection to my poor dead dad" card. Who the hell is this kid, and what did he do with Henry?

I just don't get what they're doing with Henry this season, period. The Henry from these past four episodes is not at all the same Henry from the previous three seasons. I'm calling it now: he's a changeling. :P

No, but even that could be cute. Elsa: But you're a princess, are you not? Emma: By name, I guess. Elsa: Then let me do up your hair. Emma: But-- Elsa: Turn around and sit in front of me. Emma: *sighs* Okay, fine. (Guys, seriously, the fanfic is writing itself. ;))

Since "The Apprentice" implied that Elsa is staying with the Charmings for the time being, I would kill for like, an "Emma's first sleepover" hat tip, where Elsa and Emma are up talking until the wee hours of the morning and Charming and/or Snow have to come out of their room to shush them. It would be silly but I would also find it adorable. Please, show?

Exactly. This isn't the badass little boy who hopped a bus from Maine to Massachusetts to bring back the happy endings in the form of Emma. This isn't the same little badass who told Regina that she was going to lose because good always won. This is a Pod Person Henry who is all of a sudden thinking someone should be happy someone else is under a freezing curse. This is a Pod Person Henry who believes the book is wrong about Regina (when I still don't understand what there is to be wrong about). Season 1 Henry would be looking at Season 4 Henry going, "All right, Mom, what the hell spell did you cast on me?"

There's some kind of room at the top of the metal staircase to the left of the apartment door (if you're walking into it). We've never seen it so fanon is kind of divided on what, exactly, it is. My headcanon is that it's a small loft that's just barely big enough to sleep both Emma and Henry comfortably.

Is it too much to hope that Henry's totally just going along with Regina here and secretly thinks this is the dumbest idea ever but it's the only way to get Regina to get it through her head that she needs to take some kind of responsibility for herself and her path? Because season 1 Henry would totally be smacking his season 4 self upside the head for being such a naive twit.

This is like, the fourth week in a row now that I've wondered how the hell long a crew has to sit there filming a reindeer to get Sven's reactions because they're so perfect that I just can't take it. Anna remains delightful. "Is something wrong with your skin?!" indeed. Can we please just give the Charmings, Hook, and Elsa their own spinoff? (The rest of the Frozen gang can come, too.) Because between Snow acting as if Emma was going off to prom (and OMG I HAD that Polaroid camera when I was 10) and Charming all uncomfortable and Elsa being a supportive friend, I was grinning like an idiot. And Emma's "I can still hear you!" after coming home was just icing on the cake. And seriously, show, teasing me with the Snow Queen/Emma stuff is not nice. I want to know now!

I adore when this show pokes fun at the craziness. Things like Emma's "Not this shit again" reaction to Grumpy's latest town crier run down Main Street with the snow monster or making Little Bo Peep a warlord dressed in pastel finery goes a long way. Since the show is clearly not interested in exploring the consequences of the fairy tale nuttiness in any kind of real way, I also think it would behoove them to add more of that kind of humor.

This is an ensemble show, so other characters are going to get the A-plot from time to time. What matters to one viewer doesn't always matter to another. Personally, I'm enjoying the focus on the others for a change. I think it's a breath of fresh air. I do think a reverse-It's a Wonderful Life story could be interesting. "This is what your life would be like if you hadn't cast the curse." And obviously everyone else's lives would be sunshine and rainbows, but I think it would be interesting if they were able to show that Regina could have had a good life, too, if she had reacted differently to certain events. Maybe if she had run away from the castle before marrying Leopold, she might have met Robin anyway. That kind of thing. (They'd have to come up with some kind of contrivance so that there'd still be Henry, of course, but, y'know, fantasy show. ;)) Otherwise, yes, let's Christmas Carol the hell out of this story. Showing Regina her past, present, and future might just knock some sticking self-awareness into her yet.

This. Zelena's father was a dink, but her mother seemed to be loving. And I would have loved it if being on the receiving end of an irrational vendetta had led to a massive dose of self-awareness on Regina's part about how she's treated Snow, but alas.

IA. This is where I wish it had been established that they had something going on during the missing year. That way the super-speed of the development of Outlaw Queen in Storybrooke could have at least had a basis (some unconscious part of them felt the connection they'd formed during the missing year, etc) and it would have felt less like Regina is in this just because tattoo. Maybe she could have originally given him a chance in Storybrooke because of the tattoo but then when they got their memories back, it could have been a "duh, of course!" moment for the both of them because they still would have a previously formed connection that wasn't magically foretold, you know?

And yet some of the loudest voices who decry Hook also ship Swanfire and Swan Queen. These fans would be willing to accept (and actually push for) a relationship between Emma and the guy who dumped her 17-year-old self in jail (and the only reason I'm not including "pregnant" before 17-year-old is because Neal didn't know) and then never contact her again or a relationship between Emma and the woman who tried to have her killed as a baby, tried to kill her multiple times over the course of the series, is the reason Emma grew up without her parents, and who has killed two of her previous partners as well as her father. Neither of those relationships strike me as particularly healthy and Regina, in particular, comes across to me as someone who should never enter into a romantic relationship with anyone, for the safety of the other party. So at a certain point, I really question how much of it is concern for social consciousness and how much of it is just not liking the ship. I'm not saying there are no problems with the portrayal of Hook, and I'm not saying I don't see where some fans are coming from. I'm just saying that there's more going on here than fans taking exception with the writing of certain lines. Even still, what someone likes is what they like. If someone finds a problem with it, more power to them. If someone doesn't find a problem with it, more power to them. I personally find Rumbelle extremely unhealthy and problematic for a great many reasons, not the least of which because the symbol of their engagement was a deception, for crying out loud. But you know what I do? Stay the hell out of Rumbelle fandom. I'm not going to rain on the Rumbelle-ers' parade by tweeting them "but don't you see the power imbalance?!" messages.

And even the name "Operation Mongoose" is so ridiculously petty that I can't stand it. Emma and Henry had Operation Cobra, and four seconds after Henry confirmed that, Regina picks the name of an animal known for fighting and killing cobras? Seriously? Learn to freakin' share, Regina. Not everything has to be a contest.

Should we assume that a crew from like, Storybrooke Light & Power repaired the utility lines by the ice wall? It can't be cost-effective to run an entire town on emergency generator power indefinitely (refueling those suckers is expensive) and can you imagine the mob the citizens would form when that electric bill arrives? ;)

From the Robin Hood thread: Yes, and it's so very frustrating. I seem to remember an interview with Adam and Eddy coming out where they basically said that what happened in the Enchanted Forest stays in the Enchanted Forest. And it's like, this isn't Vegas, and we're not talking about wild and crazy but ultimately fun antics, here. What happened in the Enchanted Forest should have a bearing on what happens in Storybrooke because the events of the Enchanted Forest didn't magically unhappen when everyone's lives were uprooted by the curse. Aside from Marian, everyone who died is still dead (and she only escaped death because Emma time-traveled, for crying out loud), so there are still holes in people's lives where Regina killed their family member. Snow and Charming still missed the first three decades of Emma's life. The curse may have brought everyone to a new land, but it brought (or should have brought) all their emotional baggage with them. And that's not even getting into all the things in Storybrooke Regina has done, like killing Graham or poisoning Henry while meaning to poison Emma or trying to kill the Charmings for half a season. But just because Regina's "trying," everyone's just going to forget what she did to them? That's not normal; the normal response to betrayed trust to the point where people are dead is the response that gets portrayed as "Oh poor Regina:" the hurt party backs away and don't even want to talk to the perpetrator again, never mind trust him or her. I might buy into Regina's redemption more if Regina was actually made to atone for her crimes rather than making all the other characters treat her crimes as water under the bridge.

Replying in All Seasons.

I would assume Marian told him that she was in Regina's dungeon. We didn't see her telling him, granted, but one would think it would come up, especially because Marian was so scared of and angry with Regina upon her return.

I think that was Serena's point, though. Douchecanoe David Nolan, who still tried to carry on an affair with Mary Margaret while supposedly working on his marriage to Kathryn, broke things off with Mary Margaret when she was suspected of murdering Kathryn. Robin may have done the noble thing up front by telling Regina he needed to go back to his wife, but he just confessed over his wife's frozen body that he loves the woman who was supposed to kill his wife in the first place (which makes him an even bigger douchecanoe than David Nolan, imo).