S01.E17: Hat Trick

[KingOfHearts]

Quote

While searching for a missing Mary Margaret, Emma is kidnapped by a man whose affinity for hats has him teetering on the edge of madness. Meanwhile, viewers will be transported outside of the fairytale land that was for the first time when the Evil Queen persuades a skillful man of magic to come work for her one last time and travel to Wonderland in order to help steal something from the Queen of Hearts.

[daxx]

A favorite ep. my very favorite quote from the whole series. Everyone wants a magical solution to their problems but no one wants to believe in magic.

I love the scene at the end where Emma looks the mad hatter up in the storybook.

Spoiler

It’s  a shame nothing comes from this until the finale.

[KAOS Agent]

This is probably my favorite episode of the entire series. And what a shocker that it was written by a guy who never wrote another episode.

The conversation between Emma and Jefferson was awesome. I wish there'd been more of this throughout the season. Maybe have a character like the Cheshire Cat pop up with cryptic topics that would have helped Emma fit some of the pieces together or just get some level of clarity about Regina in some way that didn't allow her to have all the cards and make Emma constantly play the idiot.

Loved the Emma/Mary Margaret family stuff. It included nice character moments and still maintained quite a bit of action - balance that is so rarely seen in this show. 

It is interesting to see how Regina specifically punished someone other than Snow with this curse. Other characters were punished based on removing something important to their character, but it wasn't like she did it personally. Jefferson was very specifically targeted by her with this curse. She's such an awful petty bitch and I despise how the pain and suffering she inflicts on others is so often minimized. This episode went some way to showing us the pain the Mills women enjoy dishing out without offering any sort of mitigation on the perpetrators.

Spoiler

It's also stupid that Jefferson was tasked with creating a new hat when Cora was later shown easily visiting her daughter. Remember the days when it was super hard to travel between realms?

[Shanna Marie]

14 hours ago, KAOS Agent said:

It is interesting to see how Regina specifically punished someone other than Snow with this curse. Other characters were punished based on removing something important to their character, but it wasn't like she did it personally. Jefferson was very specifically targeted by her with this curse.

I don't even understand why she was punishing him. She was the one who screwed him over, setting him up to feel forced to take the job of taking her to Wonderland and not telling him that he was going to have to stay. She got what she wanted out of him, a trip to and from Wonderland to get her father. So why does she feel the need to torture him, specifically?

We have more lovely textiles, with the fabric used for Grace's cloak. I wouldn't mind seeing an exhibit of costumes from this show, just to see the details in some of the fabrics.

[daxx]

5 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

We have more lovely textiles, with the fabric used for Grace's cloak. I wouldn't mind seeing an exhibit of costumes from this show, just to see the details in some of the fabrics.

I know the bit I’ve seen of the fabrics of Hook’s coat at least what shows on the sleeve cuffs is tantalizing.

[legaleagle53]

23 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

I don't even understand why she was punishing him. She was the one who screwed him over, setting him up to feel forced to take the job of taking her to Wonderland and not telling him that he was going to have to stay. She got what she wanted out of him, a trip to and from Wonderland to get her father. So why does she feel the need to torture him, specifically?

Spoiler

Probably because she found out that he, Dr. Whale (Victor Frankenstein), and Rumple cheated her out of getting Daniel back by pretending to be able to resurrect him (and failing at it) so she would steal a heart for them in order for Frankenstein to resurrect his brother instead.

[Shanna Marie]

55 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

Spoiler

Probably because she found out that he, Dr. Whale (Victor Frankenstein), and Rumple cheated her out of getting Daniel back by pretending to be able to resurrect him (and failing at it) so she would steal a heart for them in order for Frankenstein to resurrect his brother instead.

 

Spoiler

Oh, yeah. But I wonder if they already knew that when they wrote this episode. And, still, Regina more than had her revenge in sticking him in Wonderland, so there was no need to torture him further by letting him keep his memories in Storybrooke but not be with his daughter.

Regina's treatment of Jefferson is yet another example of her being The Worst, because even if she had a reason to be angry at Jefferson, she also tortured Grace. She may not have been aware of not being around her father while in Storybrooke, but she was left all on her own before the curse. Regina's vengeance had so much collateral damage on so many utterly innocent people, and that doesn't seem to have given Regina the slightest moment of guilt.

[tennisgurl]

Yeah, I have been super looking forward to this episode, as it was one of my favorites when I first watched the show, and in my last re-watch a few years ago. And, happy to report, it still holds up, and I still love everything about it. It has a magical quality to it, both in the flashbacks, and in Storeybrooke, while also being creepy and exciting, and it seemed like the plot was really moving forward. 

I can really see why Sebastian Stan has gone onto bigger and better projects, because he really carries this episode from start to finish. Its really impressive how much personality he gives Jefferson, and all of his iterations, in just this one episode, and how he can slam back and fourth between loving father, and twitchy crazy kidnapper. The scenes between him and Emma in the house are just electric, especially when he starts talking about the curse. There are so many great lines, like the "everyone wants a magical solution, but refuse to believe in magic" and the whole part where he asks Emma if she is so arrogant that she thinks her world is the only world. The whole thing about how there are countless realms all lined up, bumping up against each other, some with magic, and some without, is super fascinating, and sets up how this universe works really well* and makes the whole thing seem magical, and yet weirdly plausible. I mean, multiverse theory is a thing after all. And the ending, with Emma seeing the scar accross his neck, and him screaming "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" like a maniac, only for him to disappear out the window leaving behind only the hat, is unsettling. 

There are also lots of fun Wonderland references throughout the episode, even outside of actual Wonderland, both the obvious, like the drugged tea and the more subtle, like Jefferson's daughter Grace (Jefferson and Grace were certainly named after 60s psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane and its lead singer, Grace Slick, whos most famous song was White Rabbit, a song about Alice in Wonderland), Grace having a tea party with a tortuous toy and a rabbit doll, and the decor of Jefferson's Storeybrooke house. And I love how Wonderland looks in this episode, its very otherworldly, with creepy masks and weird angels. 

I always got a bitter exes vibe between Regina and Jefferson, especially when she was commenting on how he doesn't look so hot these days. We also get another incident of Regina being The Worst, totally screwing over Jefferson and poor sweet Grace, including trying to actually guilt trip the poor guy for falling for her manipulations, and straight up laughing at taking a toy from a child. Regina is really defined by both her crazy, and her petty, isnt she? I did love how she just blew past the hedge maze with lightning balls. Thats so Regina. "Why be subtle when you have fire balls!!!" She really is awful, and the amount of peoples who lives she has ruined, even people who have done nothing to her, must be enough to circumference the world three times over. 

Spoiler

And yeah, we do find out that Jefferson played a part in manipulating poor, dumb Regina back in the day, but even when we get to her showing up at his place in the EF, that had to have been at least ten years from then, and even more time spent going insane in Wonderland since he got dumped in Storeybrooke, to be cursed even worse than anyone else. Plus, hurting poor Grace. Its so petty and awful, and it comes off as her really LIKING causing pain and destroying lives, not her being obsessed with revenge. But, disproportionate revenge is kind of Regina's thing, so its certainly in character. Of course she would drag Jefferson and Frankenstein into the curse from other realms for something that happened years ago, screwing over not only them, but several uninvolved parties as well.

Really, my only issue with this episode, like with many episodes in season 1, is that it pretty much goes nowhere, most of the cool stuff it sets up is ignored or retconned, and it leaves me wishing we got more of Jefferson and all the stuff about the multiverse that was set up here, and not a billion pointless Regina and Rumple episodes, and the stupid confusing Author plot. Forget all that stuff about all these worlds being real, its all just Realms of Story or some crap! At least Jefferson got to tell Regina to suck it and was reunited with Grace, which is more than most non main characters can say they got. And, its another episode where Emma ended the episode getting suspicious and putting things together, and then its basically ignored until the end of the season. I love Emma, but her investigating skills this season did leave much to be desired. 

 

Really, I could go on about my love for this episode, like MM finding her inner Snow to defend her daughter, the wonderful score (whimsy but played on a low scale really sets the mood) the great set and costume design throughout, solid performances from everyone, the super cool Hall of Doors, its just a great episode, both as a stand alone, and in the show in general. 

Spoiler

Its also quite interesting watching this episode knowing that the Queen of Hearts is actually Cora, Regina's mother. Its a reveal that actually makes sense in retrospect, and works well in the story, which is quite refreshing. 

[KingOfHearts]

The cheesy CGI in Wonderland really works. As @tennisgurl, it's very otherworldly.

I don't know if I'd call Jefferson's memories in Storybrook strictly a punishment. Partially, yes. But I also think Regina may have kept him awake in case she needed help and because he is so gullible in her eyes, he carries the least amount of risk. She knows he won't do anything crazy because he doesn't want to ruin Grace's new, happy life.

Spoiler

We see later when she gets desperate that she does use him as a playing card. IMO, he was meant to be one of her backup plans.

[KAOS Agent]

Jefferson was trapped in his house for the entire length of the curse until Emma came to town and started time moving. He stated that in the episode. Later he said that it was his punishment to see his daughter with a new father day in and day out. He was given a big beautiful house and all of the things he'd never been able to give his daughter in the Enchanted Forest and was unable to share it with her. He refused to inflict the reality of two different lives on his daughter once he was free because that would be "cruel" and "holding conflicting realities in your head…will drive you mad." It was a very, very awful punishment for Jefferson.

[Rumsy4]

I love this episode! So many favorite lines in this episode, the best being the one about everyone wants a magical solution. Regina is total evil bitch. 

I teared up when Emma called Mary Margaret family. I really wanted to throw things at the screen. 

Emma and Jefferson have fantastic chemistry. Weren't JMo and Sebastian Stan dating for a while after this? It shows. 

Spoiler

Now, I'm thinking of an AU where Emma really did get the hat to work in the end and Jefferson was sent back to the EF. When Emma and Snow end up there in Season 2, they all meet up again, and they form a reluctant partnership to get back to Storybrooke. My shipper heart will always be team Captain Swan first and foremost, but Mad Swan was the most viable ship of Season 1. I never could ship Emma with Graham or August, even back then. Maybe it's an AU where Jefferson and Captain Hook are amalgamated, and--oh, my god!! Jefferson is Wish Hook.

[Rumsy4]

On 7/29/2018 at 4:00 PM, legaleagle53 said:

Spoiler

Probably because she found out that he, Dr. Whale (Victor Frankenstein), and Rumple cheated her out of getting Daniel back by pretending to be able to resurrect him (and failing at it) so she would steal a heart for them in order for Frankenstein to resurrect his brother instead.

 

Spoiler

I agree. But a Zombified Daniel would've given them the exact same outcome. Whale was never successful in his resurrections. 

[andromeda331]

I loved Emma calling Mary Margaret her family at the end. The two working together in the house against Jefferson. I really love almost everything Jefferson says to Emma. He was right on so many things. The only part I don't really understand is why he thinks Emma knows how to make a hat. Sorry, Jefferson unless your expecting a paper hat you are out of luck. What would make him think Emma knew how to do that. The flashback with Jefferson and his daughter was adorable. But once again Regina screws someone else over and will never be held accountable for that either.

Spoiler

I don't know why Jefferson believed anything Regina promised in the second last episode or why he'd help her. When he got screwed over by her again. Why did he wait until then to let Belle go? How did he know she was locked up? Why didn't he tell Rumple after he woke up? The only reason for him not do or not to just attack Regina would be if her death meant the curse would never end or something. But after she screws him over again he heads immediately to release Belle and told her to go find Rumple. He had no reason to believe the Curse was about be broken. He didn't think Henry would survive so he didn't know Henry was part of what would have broken the Curse.  He also knew Regina had brought over all her potions and stuff? Why would she want him to know that? Why isn't he trying other stuff besides trying to force Emma to make a hat? Why didn't he and Rumple secretly work together? Both wanted the Curse broken and for the same reason.   

[Iju]

if emma straight up died in this episode with no explanation whatsoever, i wouldn't care. she was peak annoyance she has ever been with her denial, oh my god. and i love snow with her "i would never hurt anyone uwu!!11" ideal is completely throw out the window, (literally, actually) by launching jeff out of one. i know she was protecting herself and her friend but not really good timing lol.

[Camera One]

Someone on Twitter asked about an old promotional photo, and Adam posted the script for a deleted scene in "Hat Trick":

https://twitter.com/VioletClaymore/status/1468785518850846721

Wouldn't have minded the scene, but also unnecessary basically to drag things out.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Camera One