Once Upon a Time S2 E10

[frayadjacent]

I was SO PLEASED they showed the party after Emma and Snow returned.  And Emma invited Regina!  That whole first act was fantastic.  Though Emma's reaction to Regina asking for Henry to stay with her sometimes was weird.  First off, Henry's old enough that he should have some say in the matter.  Second, I guess it's hard for me to wrap my head around Emma suddenly being his mother FOR REAL.  (I don't mean biologically.) It just was never a foregone conclusion in my mind, even after the curse was broken.  I guess because they never really had time together where they were fully mother/son -- almost as soon as the curse was broken Emma went through that portal.  So it was a little strange still to see the balance of power so shifted, that Regina was asking Emma for permission to see Henry, instead of the other way around. 

The basic episode structure, in which thematic and character developments unfold in tandem in the two worlds and build off each other, is still working great.  It's a formula, but it totally works.

Another pleasing thing: when Cora told Hook to go see "who" was in the hold of his ship, I was sure it'd be Belle, kidnapped AGAIN.  And not getting to flirt with Ruby!  So I was delighted when it was Jiminy!  And also because they didn't fridge him. I like him.

I wonder who Cora *did* kill?  I'm trying to think of who I saw in the episode after that scene.  I know I saw all my favorite ladies: Ruby, Belle, Emma and Snow of course.  I don't think I saw Grumpy.  :(  Lol, watch it'll be Amy Acker's character.

Comments

[beccatoria]

Aaaah, right, yes, that makes a lot of sense and I see now where I misread your original post - apologies. I definitely see our point and agree with it. It is an unsettling turnaround and...I don't know, I mean, I adore Regina too. I think what makes that scene work so well is the way you do have so much sympathy for Regina, the way she's so obviously in pain and hurting and paying a price in a very real, personal way. The way we felt hurt for Emma when Regina wouldn't let her see Henry? There was something so...desperate and, I don't know, humbled but rageful about Lana Parilla's performance.

As to the magic, yeah, sorry I was just babbling and being a little loose with my metaphors. I made the connection both because of the way she sorta...inhales the magic as it rises from the book, with her eyes going all weird, which is often scifi/fantasy code for "Look out! Magic drugs!" and the way she was talking with her psychiatrist about how difficult it was to stop using it and how ultimately she couldn't destroy her mother's book. I think it's certainly been portrayed that she's...potentially addicted to it, but given the positive uses (although counterpoint: all magic comes with a price), I'm not sure it's totally fair to equate magic with drugs. I was, as I said, mostly being hyperbolic and casual with my comparison! :)

I do wonder if the show will ever explicitly talk about Snow and Henry's very different experiences of Regina's parenting? I thin it'd be really interesting if it did...

[frayadjacent]

No need to apologize on either front! Yes, good points about the magic=drugs thing. I think I was so soured on that trope by BtVS that I try to forget it is a Thing. But you're right, Regina talking about trying to give up magic does liken it to an addiction. Which is kind of strange, because didn't she go 28 years without doing magic? Or at least very, very little.

I do wonder if the show will ever explicitly talk about Snow and Henry's very different experiences of Regina's parenting?
That would be interesting. I'd like to see more of their time together after Daniel was killed but before Regina went totally evil. (They haven't even shown us at what point she married the King, have they?) I'd also really like to know how Henry ended up with Regina, but that's a separate thing, mostly.

Also, I love your icon!