Once Upon A Time Gives Us A “New York City Serenade” This Week

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  10 March  2014.

Hello Oncers! Out of the cloud of sickness I have emerged to witness the glorious return of our beloved show and most importantly, to find out what happened to my Mr. Gold. It’s been a long few months but it’s finally time to add some magic back in our lives. Are you ready for some serious Captain Swan feels?

Previously on Once Upon a Time: Rumple sacrificed himself to kill Pan and save everyone else. Regina couldn’t stop the curse that was going to send all of Storybrooke back to the Enchanted Forest but she was able to give Emma and Henry new, happy memories. They drove off and, a year later, were living in New York. That’s when Hook showed up at their door, kissed Miss Swan in the hopes of restoring her memory and got kneed in the groin for his trouble.

Now that we’re up to speed, it’s all spoilers ahead! Time for a “New York Serenade.”

What you need to know:

Emma Swan, the girl every man wants: In her new reality, Emma’s Billy Bob Thorton lookalike boyfriend proposes after only 8 months. She (perhaps rightfully so) freaks. He says he’ll wait for her to be ready and Henry’s on board with him making their twosome a trio but Emma’s gut is saying otherwise. Well, her gut and a dashing pirate. Hook shows up at her date pre-proposal and gives her an address where she can find answers to the questions she has about her past. She tells him to get lost but takes the address.

There’s no place like home: The Storybrooke crew arrive back in the Enchanted Forest in a poof of purple clouds. Some are glad to be back but Snow and Regina are heartbroken at having to leave their children behind. Regina even tries to bury her heart in the forest but is convinced not to by Snow, who says she can find happiness again. When they’re attacked by a flying monkey, Regina fights back with fire (literally) before Robin Hood saves the day. And so the Regina/Robin ship has begun to sail…

Double potion, please: The address Hook provided is to Neal’s apartment, where Emma finds Henry’s camera and strap with his name on it. She confronts Hook about this and he offers her a potion that would restore her true memories. “Drink the thing the crazy guy just offered me? No thank you,” she replies. She turns him in to the cops but after seeing pictures of Storybrooke on the camera, posts his bail and takes the potion after all. Her memories return and Hook grins, saying, “Did you miss me?”

Monkey business: At what was supposed to be her dinner date with Billy Bob boyfriend, Emma instead talks with Hook. He says he’d given up on the Enchanted Forest because there wasn’t anything there for him (hint hint) but came to find her when he received a message: Emma’s family was in trouble and she had to save them (again, again, again?). Before she can turn back in The Savior, Emma has to break it off with Billy Bob. Up on the roof of her apartment complex she lets him down as easily as she can but he’s just mad she drank the potion. Whaaaa? Then he turns into a flying monkey and she has to fight him off!

Storybrooke still exists: In “wait, what?” news this week on Once, the town that supposedly disappeared in the midseason finale is very much still there. At the pirate’s insistence, Emma, Henry and Hook drive in and she finds not only the full town but also her parents. They’ve been cursed (again, again, again?) and the whole last year has been wiped from their memories. How have they been cursed exactly? Unclear but what is for sure: Snow’s pregnant!

Wicked always wins: The Wicked Witch has taken control of Regina’s castle in the Enchanted Forest and the Queen is pissed. The Storybrooke company will have to stick with Robin’s band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest for now. Meanwhile, the green witch mixes up a potion using Regina’s blood (taken from the flying monkey who scratched her).

Fairy Dust
No Rumple at all in the premiere Once? Why must you leave my broken heart wanting?

Hook, after Emma calls him crazy. “I prefer dashing rapscallion. Scoundrel?”

Showing they still know a thing or two about continuity, Once has all of Storybrooke’s citizen appear back in the Enchanted Forest wearing what they had on when the Dark Curse hit. This is primarily evident with David’s blood stained shirt.

This exchange, after the Regina and Robin meet-cute:

Snow- “He’s kind of cute huh?”
Regina- “He smells like forest.”