The Stranger

"The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away" - The Beatles

** All photos posted here are chosen for a reason **


"You don't see it, do you? Your denial is more powerful than I thought.  It's preventing you from seeing the truth."


One of Emma's lessons in this adventure is about seeing what is right in front of her and not believing it and outright refusing to see it- the truth.  She needs to have a little more faith and trust in herself and believe. Not only with the things she is seeing and hearing with her own eyes and ears, but including intuition.  

Do you believe everything you are seeing even when it's shown to you over and over again, or trust it to be true- even if it is a lie?  Could there be something you're refusing to see?


Don't be fooled by time and space

The challenges we see Emma experiencing in her Storybrooke journey seem reflected in the dialogue played out in this version of events in Fairy Tale Land. Emma asks August to show her the big picture and when he shows her a big picture- she freaks out. Even though she claimed to want to see as a means to beat Regina, she couldn't find it in herself to do it- not even for the greater good.  I am concerned about Emma's confusion, decisions and actions.

Nonetheless circumstances have changed in Fairy Tale Land and things have changed and are in motion in Storybrooke; and on a grand scale. Sure, I'll ask- did circumstances change just because Emma is there or because of the change in the storybook?  In Fairy Tale Land the Blue Fairy states that circumstances have changed and Jiminy Cricket even says "Things have changed and the savior needs her mother." 


Choose your own adventure

A story written out and scripted with roles; But now edits, changes and outcomes are a part of the evolving story.  Literally, right now, the story has no ending, so anything happen. Many other fairy tale characters stories are in the book and Pinocchio has been acknowledged before, so why the need to add/change his story in there?

Again I'm brought back to Henry tearing out the last few pages of the book- the ending.  Is Henry's (remember the book was given to him by Mary Margaret/Snow White) ending to the story really the same ending that August says will come to fruition once Emma "believes"- we can only hope for a happy ending.  In life we all write our own stories... and ending.

* Henry feels the changes in the book are there "to tell us something we need to know about the curse"; but he/they don't know what that is because the story isn't finished.
* I'm just gonna ask again... Is there more than one book?

Regina tells a couple of stories:
* Regina made up a story to David with the staged blank note from Henry.
* Regina told David a really great story about finding him unconscious on the road. She played David, put on a dramatic act, outright lied and tried to manipulate David into her web.

"I meant to be a good boy"

Since August/Pinocchio is a liar, are we to completely trust in the stories he's told while in Storybrooke? Of course we are led to believe he is the one who "changed/added" an entry into the fairy tale book. Now, I'm not saying he's not. I just have a tendency to be cautious of liars and con-men.  Emma surmises he's the altering author, but he only states he needed her to know the truth.  But did he stretch or manipulate the truth a bit, having an ulterior motive for some reason?  I mean, after all, he hasn't been completely honest about everything since arriving at Storybrooke.  One example (there are a few) in this episode alone is when August, the writer, tells Emma he learned how to do this handy work in wood shop, 8th grade, and not from his father. Of course, he really could have had shop class in 8th grade, but the obvious point was made in this episode that he didn't mention a father who taught him.

Evidently, he didn't seem to take the initiative to go and look for Emma during his life in the new magic-less land, or even look for her in the ever important 28th year.  He was only motivated when he was woken up at 8:15 in the morning (in Phuket) when his leg got a shooting pain because "you decided to stay in Storybrooke. That's 8:15 at night in Storybrooke- sound familiar?"  Why did he say "you decided..." like that?

And (last week) what was all of his theatrics with Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin and trying to get the dagger and kill him for the Dark Power all about?  Should we still question that play or was he completely honest with Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin about his goals? I mean, think about it, did he think that move was really going to get Emma to believe, or give him the proper magic to stay a real boy/man- or was that about something else all together? August/Pinocchio was willing to acquire the Dark Power! How would that have helped Emma to believe or to heal him?  He's known since childhood that world is a land without magic. Plus, I thought by knowing Henry's book that he realized the Evil Queen is the one who enacted the curse. (We know Rumpelstiltskin concocted it.)  In this episode the Blue Fairy tells Geppetto the child needs to be protected from the powerful effects of the Dark Curse. Who knows, maybe he had intentions to fight Regina as the Dark One, or maybe he thought just by taking that power away from Rumpelstiltskin was a noble act.  And while we're at it... why does August always wear black? Hmm...

Although we see some compassion and bravery in August/Pinocchio, I can't help but wonder is there more to it?  Could he have made shit up or skewed events in the changed storybook because he wants to be a hero or is he a villain? Is he taking advantage of the current circumstances? Or has he truly learned his lesson and turned over a new leaf?

Things to Note...Questions to Ask...
๑  Damon Lindelof, LOST and the "Island"
๑  Flashes
๑  Battery. Power. Electricity. Energy.
๑  The universe, karma, fate and destiny
๑  Henry's been hiding the storybook in the sheriff's office for a while now and is only noticing the changes in it now?
๑  Stories told: David and Emma were found on the side of the road.
๑  August and Emma can "leave" Storybrooke
๑  The words Curse and Magic are braided together; associated as the same- yet different
๑  Both Geppetto and Pinocchio break rules and go against what is asked of them.
๑  Trip. Unconscious.
๑  Real. Not Real
๑  Tree
๑  Birth.  Born. Spring.
๑  Late can mean dead or asleep
๑  Inanimate
๑  Guiding. A gentle nudge.
๑  Balance
๑  Black (Smoke),  White (Roses)
๑  Chanty- another word for "shanty" is cabin, camp, hut, shelter, shed, cottage and box.
๑  Three: Colors (copper- gold- emerald green) on the rotary phone, three digits call/connect you to someone.
๑  Pinocchio must remember to be brave, truthful and unselfish to stay a real boy. But now he's a grown man.
๑  1984
๑  Fairy Tale Land is down to their last enchanted tree in the entire realm, and last week they used the last magic bean to open the vortex.
๑  The clock tower in Mr. Gold's shop is 6:10 and in Geppetto's garage it's 6:05.
๑  The clock has a sort of military motif with its chevron and star design.
๑  Clock. Time.  Fast. Slow.  Early. Late. Running out of. Pace.
๑  Risk
๑  Game. Win. Lose. Time.
๑  Framed
๑  Booth
๑  Claim. Custody. Case. Accusation.
๑  Hope
๑  Head/mind- Heart/chest.
๑  Right. Wrong
๑  Cold. Ice. Winter. - Spring
๑  Fun nod to Star Wars.
๑  TRON
๑  The word vessel (used for holding something or traveling. Artery or vein) is used for wardrobe (for holding clothing)
- Vessel- aka- ship, sink, sinkhole, bay or tub, barrel.
- Wardrobe- aka- chest, costumes, fashion,  locker, trunk

Vocabulary and Research...

๑  Code Red- emergency alert used in hospitals.
๑  Code Red: series of books for teens written by Chris Ryan
    1).  Flash Flood    2).  Wildfire    3).  Outbreak    4).  Vortex    5). Twister
๑ The Stranger or The Outsider (L’Étranger) is a novel by Albert Camus published in 1942.
   - The Stranger is a collection of science fiction stories by Gordon R. Dickson.
   - The Stranger is a short story written by J. D. Salinger first published in the December 1945 issue of   Collier's magazine.
๑ Sociopath: Antisocial personality disorder that begins in childhood
๑ White Rose: Have come to symbolize many things. Purity, Innocence, Secrecy, Sympathy, Spirituality. In early traditions- true love and the wedding flower.

                                                 Hints to the "Island" (more photos in the post)

 

                                                               

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

 20 out of 20 ONCE Upon A Time episodes literally connecting to LOST and the amazing "Island"...

✈  Oceanic Airline: Oceanic flight 815 crashes on to mysterious island on September 22, 2004.
As per one ARG, it was founded in 1979; at one point claimed to have a 30 year perfect safety record.  Oceanic flies over Dharmaville in "A Tale of Two Cities".
✈  Flashes
✈  Lock
✈ Trip. Unconscious
✈  Head/mind- Heart/chest.   "Hearts and Minds"
✈  4,  8
✈  108
✈  815
✈  Battery. Power. Electricity. Energy.
✈  Tempest: Violent storm
✈  Birth.  Born. Spring.
✈  Pace
✈  Suffering
✈  Tree
✈  Guiding.
✈  School.  Learning.
✈  Swan
✈  Sidney Glass- Sydney (Glass)
✈  Claim
✈  Late
✈  Hope
✈  Mental and emotional health
✈  Kidnap
✈  Raft: Michael builds two rafts. He takes Walt on the raft to spare him growing up in "that place."
✈  Bearded Jack tells Kate "he's sick."
✈  Jack visits Phuket in "Stranger in a Strange Land" and we learned in "Lockdown" that's where he learned to play cards.
✈  Gordy/Gordi is the man Sawyer is involved in a Con with in "The Long Con"
✈  Kate buys a bus ticket to Tallahassee in "What Kate Did"
     - In "316" Jack's Grandfather, Ray, travels on the bus
✈  Hot air balloon: Henry Gale makes up a story about it in "One of Them"
✈  Course correction is mentioned to Desmond by Eloise Hawking in "Flashes Before Your Eyes."
✈  Diner: Kate's mother, Diane, worked as a waitress in a diner.
✈  Foster home - Foster children: John Locke- "Deus Ex Machina", "Outlaws",  "The Man from Tallahassee", and  "Cabin Fever"
✈  "Expose" - Corvette realizes the money for the children in the orphanage.
✈  In "The Substitute" Ilana has to show the people at the Statue 'the face of what they're up against.'
✈  Charlie feels he has to "Save the baby" as it is told to him via a realistic dream in "Fire + Water".
✈  "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" Answer- “Ille qui nos omnes servabit.”  Translation- "He who will save us all."  {Possible Translation: “He quae we omnes being saved”. But those words also may translate to: He/she/it- who/what/which/that- us/we-omnes serves/servant/slave/creature.
✈  Custody: Michael fights for Walt in "Special".  Kate, by default, gains custody of Aaron.
✈  In "...And Found" Jack's wedding ring is rattling around in his sock drawer back home.
  -  In "Lockdown" Locke hid Helen's engagement ring in a green and white sock in his sock drawer.
✈  Crash 
✈  Wash up on shore:
   - Desmond in "Live Together, Die Alone"
   - "The Little Prince" - Rousseau's science team.
   - "LaFleur" - Sawyer tells Horace a story his shipwrecked adventure.
✈  Other connecting episodes:  "Live Together, Die Alone", "Raised by Another", "Special" "The Greater Good",  "S.O.S.",  "Solitary",  "The Cost of Living", "Every man for Himself" and "One of Us".


Enough of my rambling...Here is your episode recap! Enjoy!

8:00 AM

 August installs a new heavy duty medieval chic lock on Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment door.  "No one is gettin' through that."  Impressed  Emma asks him "Wow. When are you installing the torture chamber?"  Mary Margaret doesn't care what it looks like, as long as it keeps Regina and her skeleton keys out.  August, the writer, tells impressed Emma he learned how to do this handy work in wood shop- 8th grade.
Speaking of school Mary Margaret has to get going.  Emma asks her if she's sure she's ready to go back. Mary Margaret feels that after a stint behind bars, how tough can a room full of 4th graders be? "Besides... Aren't you the one we need to be worried about?"   Emma wonders why.
August- "Well, you did threaten to take Henry away from Regina."
That wasn't a threat. Emma is hiring Mr. Gold to help build a case against her.  She reiterates to Mary Margaret "She tried to frame you for murder."   Mary Margaret asks her "But you do know what happens if you do win?"
Emma- "Yeah."
Mary Margaret- "And you're ready? To be him mom?"
Emma- "Yeah."
Henry radios Emma via his walkie-talkie "Code Red. Code Red."  He tells her to meet him at Granny's "It's an Operation Cobra emergency."  Emma's on her way.

Outside {passing the stacked lumber} August tells Emma to wait up. They continue to hurry along. Emma- "You heard the kid. Operation Cobra calls."
August- "I didn't think you believed any of that."
Emma- "Oh, I don't. But sometimes it's the only way to get through to Henry."
August feels a custody battle against Regina isn't going to accomplish anything. "You need to look at the big picture. That's the only way you're gonna understand what you're up against. That's the only way you'll know how to beat Regina."  {They walk passed the closed up Library}
Emma-  "Okay new guy, how's that?"
August- "Take the day off.... come with me and I'll show you."
Emma- "And where exactly would we be going on this magical mystery tour?"
August- "If I told you, you would never come."
Emma continues to walk on.  August calls out "Oh come on.  Take a leap of faith. You come with me and I promise you, you'll find exactly what you're looking for."
Emma- "My kid needs me. I don't have time for faith."   August is disappointed.

Emma meets up with Henry, who is sitting in a booth, drinking hot chocolate and looking through the fairy tale book.  Emma enters asking Henry "What's the emergency?" Henry urges Emma to "Shhh. This is sensitive."  Emma whispers "If it's sensitive, why are we at Granny's out in the open?"  Henry was hungry.
Henry - "Who else knows that we hide the book in sheriff's station?"
Emma- "No one. Why?"
Henry-" Someone changed it. There's a new story in it."
Emma- "Why would someone add a new story?"
Henry- "To tell us something we need to know about the curse."
Emma- "And what would that be?"
Henry- "I don't know. The story isn't finished."

Emma- "Why would someone go to so much trouble to add a new story and not bother finishing it?"
Henry- "That's what's weird. The story's about Pinocchio. (he says this with a bit of foreboding) Everyone knows how that ends."
Emma- "Well, maybe that's why it was left out."
Henry - "Or maybe- there's more to it."   He turns the page to show a raft.
Emma- "Henry. You are gonna be late for school.  Let's go."
Henry looks at the page again and the page transforms into live action (for us).

A violent storm is tossing the raft around.  Geppetto and marionette Pinocchio are the passengers. Geppetto yells for his boy to hold on as they try to move faster to escape the approaching giant whale.  Pinocchio is trying to hold on.  "Faster! Faster, father! He's catching up!"   But the current is too strong and the whale is quickly approaching.  As Geppetto tries to steady the raft he tells his marionette son "Don't let go!"  Geppetto decides "We must abandon ship. Take this. This is the only one."
Pinocchio- "No father. I'm made of wood. I'll float. We can both survive."
Geppetto- "No! We don't risk."  Pinocchio pleads with his father to take it "Save yourself!" and he jumps overboard as the whale is about to gobble up the raft.

Geppetto is unconscious, lying on the edge of the shore. {Note the reminders of the crash of Oceanic flight 815} He wakes up and finds his head was resting on the life preserver.   He calls out for Pinocchio and realizes "You saved me."  He is happy.  "Where are you?!  Oh! Where are you?"  Geppetto spots Pinocchio a short distance away, face down in the water's edge.  He holds the wood boy and cries; he's devastated.

"I wish I could've saved you, my boy."
The Blue Fairy flies in and tells Geppetto "We still can."  Geppetto begs "Please- save him."  The Blue Fairy uses her magic wand and transforms the wood boy into a real boy.  The boy opens his eyes and looks up at the man cradling him and asks "Father?"  Pinocchio looks and realizes "I'm... a real boy. I'm a real boy!"  Father and son are very, very happy. Geppetto thanks the Blue Fairy. "I don't know how I could ever repay you. Th... This is all I ever wanted."
The Blue Fairy- "You and Pinocchio have found each other. Now go. Live your life together as a family." She also wants Pinocchio to remember to "Be brave, truthful and unselfish.  So long as you do that you will always remain a real boy."  She blows him a kiss. Geppetto places the boy's hat back on his head.

Sad August fondly touches his boyhood hat. He dials three digits on the three tone colored rotary phone (copper- gold- emerald green) and sets up a meeting with Mr. Gold. It's about Emma "There's a... problem."

On his way out the door, he is sidetracked by a painful crippling and stiffening in his leg. He reveals his left leg is turned to wood.

At the school Regina sees that Miss Blanchard is back.  Mary Margaret seems happy to be back. There are kids playing kickball/soccer and two kids walking their bikes.  Mary Margaret remarks it's wonderful that everything worked out.  Henry forgot his lunch, Regina asks Mary Margaret if she's seen him.
Mary Margaret says "He's with his mother."  Regina asks if there's a problem to which Mary Margaret replies "Not anymore. Though someone did got to a lot of trouble to make it look like I did something horrible. But they failed."
Regina- "Yes. Sidney Glass. Who's safely incarcerated."
Mary Margaret- "If it was Sidney.
Regina- "Well, ask your roommate. He confessed."
Mary Margaret- "Of course he did."
Regina- "Are you insinuating something?"
Mary Margaret- "Yes, I am. But I forgive you.  Even if you can't admit what you did. I forgive you anyway. Your life must be filled with such incredible loneliness if your only joy comes from destroying everyone else's happiness. It so sad, Mayor Mills, because despite what you think it won't make you happy. It's only going to leave a giant hole in your heart. There's Henry now."
Regina is left there silent.
Henry asks Regina what she's doing here.  Regina gives him the TRON lunch box he forgot.

She sits him down and tells him it's time for a change. "I think it's time to transfer you to a new class with a new teacher." Henry asks why she wants him out of Miss Blanchard's class. "Is it because you framed her?"  Regina is shocked "Henry, do you really think I'm capable of doing something so horrible?"  Without hesitation he replies "Of course. You're the Evil Queen."
Regina- "Enough.  Those fairy tales are not real.  Miss Blanchard should have never given you that book. She should be grateful I'm not trying to get her fired."
Henry gets defensive. "Go ahead and try. It won't work. No matter what you do Snow White will have her happy ending. She and Prince Charming will be together.  The curse will end!  Good Will Win.  And I'm not transferring classes."  He walks away from her, leaving her with a baffled look on her face.

August enters Mr. Gold's shop.  He is wearing black gloves and keeps his hands in his jacket pockets the whole time he's there.
Mr. Gold is busy discussing the repair of a pretty clock tower with Marco/Geppetto.
Mr. Gold tells Mr. Booth he'll be with him in a moment. "On second thought,tell me, as one admirer of antiquities to another... Do you think it's worth my while having this clock repaired? {August doesn't answer because he's stunned to see wide eyed Geppetto there- so he knows this is him.} I'll take your silence as a "yes" then."
Geppetto tells Mr. Gold that he's very busy right now, as he only a one man shop. "But I'll get to the clock as fast as I can."   Mr. Gold wouldn't ask for anything more.  Geppetto takes the clock, walks past August and bids him a "Good day" on his way out. Nervous August mumbles, stumbling over the words "H, How are you?"
Mr. Gold- "First time seeing dear old dad since you arrived at Storybrooke?"
August, still stunned from the shocking moment he just experienced, again stumbles over his words. "I'm.. s, s, sorry."
Mr. Gold- "You know what surprises me is, why a man claims to be at death's door, can't even bring himself to say hello to his father. What are you afraid of?"
August- "That's, uh... that's my business."
Mr. Gold feels that's fair enough. "Let's talk about ours. You claim to be the only person who can make Miss Swan believe. That you can get her to do exactly what she was brought here to do. And yet, for a man who's running out of time, you don't seem to be in much of a hurry."
August- "It's not me slowing us down. It's her. All she can think about right now is getting custody of her kid."
Mr. Gold- "Sounds like Sheriff Swan needs a course correction."
August- "She's coming to you for legal advice."
Mr. Gold- "And you want me to steer her toward you."
August- "I can get her there- to believing. Trust me."
Mr. Gold laughs- "Ah, I'm sorry, it's just that- knowing who you are and your nature- trust is a big ask.  Fear not. A gentle nudge I shall provide."  He heads toward the curtained back room with his ledger.

Geppetto is teaching real boy Pinocchio how to make the clock function; fix it.  "Line the gear on the spindle. Now press the spring."   Pinocchio follows instructions and it works!  Geppettto is proud. "Good work! You fixed it. Bravo!"   The repair opens the double doors of the clock tower set on 2:00, revealing Jiminy Cricket has been tied up and trapped inside.  Giggling mischievous Pinocchio did this.  As Geppetto frees Jiminy Cricket, he reminds him what the Blue Fairy told him about being a good boy. Jiminy tells Geppetto it's okay, "He meant no harm. I'd be laughing too if I wasn't so dizzy."   Just then the Blue Fairy flies in and Pinocchio instinctively blurts out "I'm sorry! I meant to be good!"  She's not there because of Pinocchio, she is there with bad news.   Geppetto has Pinocchio wait in his room while he talks with the Blue Fairy.  {Jiminy tells Pinocchio to "hang on" and goes with him.}
"The Evil Queen. She's threatened the entire Kingdom with a curse. A curse that will rip away all that we love."
Geppetto- "Then we must stop her."
The Blue Fairy- "It is too late for that."
Geppetto- "So,  all is lost?"
The Blue Fairy- "No. There is hope. If you will help us.  {He asks "Me?"}  Snow White is about to give birth to a child.  A child who will save us all when she reaches her 28th year.  But only if she can be protected from the powerful effects of the Dark Curse."
Geppetto wonders how he can protect this child.
The Blue Fairy tells him of an Enchanted Tree; much like the one he carved Pinocchio from. If fashioned into a vessel, it can protect the child from the Queen's magic. Will you do this?"
Geppetto is afraid. "I can't lose my boy. I have lost...  so much. I cannot lose him too.
The Blue Fairy- "Then build the wardrobe.  That's how you'll save us all."  Geppetto thinks intensely about it and then nods "yes."

"I have to save him. I have to get Henry away from Regina" says desperate Emma to Mr. Gold.  He feels her intentions are admirable . However, he won't be taking her case.  This shocks Emma. "You know what Regina did."  Mr. Gold agrees, but they can't prove it.  "Given the Mayor's sway in this town any proceeding against her will be long and drawn out and futile. The only certainty is- Henry will suffer.  You can't do that to your boy."  Emma seems frustrated "So, we leave him in the same house as that sociopath?!"   Mr. Gold apologizes, but his mind is made up.  She tells him "Well, then change it! The only person I've seen go head to head with Regina and win- is you."
Confident Mr. Gold says that's  because he knows how to pick his battles.  Aggravated Emma tells him to pick this one.
Mr. Gold- "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm simply not the man to help you beat Mayor Mills."
Emma- "No. You're not."  She huffs out, while Mr. Gold is pleased.

Pissed off and desperate Emma bangs (4x) on August's door {2}. She paces while she waits for him to answer.  Although he cautiously opens the door for her, she barges in.  He tells her to take it easy.  Everything is not okay; Emma feels she's just about out of options.
August- "Just about?"
Emma-" You told me to beat Regina I needed to see the big picture. Show it to me."

David locks up the Storybrooke Pet Shelter.  He sees Regina investigating things under the hood of her car; she bangs her head.  Chivalrous David goes over to help her out.  Car trouble- It won't start. She has a car full of groceries "And, well it hasn't exactly been a banner day."    David determines her battery is dead. He doesn't have any jumper cables, but he can give her a ride home in his truck.  He insists, siting the option being a car full of melted Rocky Road.  She accepts.

Regina thanks him for being her Knight in shining armor and invites him to stay for dinner; as she bought more than enough for her and Henry. "Well, I'm making lasagna."  The Knight in flannel feels he shouldn't.  It's getting late and he has to get up early for work tomorrow. 

Regina tells David to set the bags "over there" while she reads a "note" from Henry. Wow, Mom! It is blank!

Regina reads the note and looks very troubled by it. She lies to David saying Henry is having dinner with Archie after his session instead of coming home.  David is sorry.
Regina turns on the drama- "Lately it seems like he'll do anything to avoid spending time with me.  But I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems.  You've already helped me more than enough for one day. Thank you."   David walks out and then has second thoughts about leaving the sad Regina alone. He loves lasagna.

The Blue Fairy leads Geppetto, cloaked Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket {he settles on Pinocchio's right shoulder} into the woods to the magnificent tree.  Geppetto is in awe of it's beauty.
The Blue Fairy- "The Evil Queen will stop at nothing to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness. We must stop at nothing to undo her curse."  She tells them "This is the last enchanted in the entire realm.
Geppetto is very inspired. "It can be done. I can make a beautiful wardrobe out of this."
The Blue Fairy- "The tree contains enough magic to protect two from the Queen's curse. Before the curse strikes, before Snow gives birth to her child, she and the Prince will enter the wardrobe and travel to a distant land- a land without magic.  Where Snow will give birth to her child. Then when she reaches her 28th year she can begin the battle that will defeat the Evil Queen. You see why it is vital you complete the task at hand."
Geppetto is concerned, because Pinocchio wasn't always a real boy. "When the curse strikes, when the things we love are ripped away, he will be turned back into wood again, won't he?" The Blue Fairy is afraid it is impossible to say.  Jiminy's concerned they're frightening the boy.  Geppetto comforts Pinocchio, compassionately rubbing his heart/chest.  "Oh. No. Shhh. I will build your wardrobe on one condition. (he puts his hand on the boy's heart/chest again) If Pinocchio can take the second spot in it." 
The annoyed Blue Fairy and Jiminy feel Geppetto can't bargain like this. "Not when the entire realm is in danger."
Frightened Geppetto feels if he doesn't he will lose his boy-  maybe forever, and can't risk that. "Snow can raise the child without her husband. Jiminy whispers to him  "Think about the example you're setting for Pinocchio."  {Note a light dusting of snow on the ground.}
This upsets Geppetto. "Oh!  You may be a conscience. But you have not earned the right to tell me what to do."   Jiminy pleads, as he's only trying to help.
Geppetto- "Help?! Help, like you helped my parents?! Your debt to me can never be fulfilled. But start would be staying out of this! Understand?"
Sad Jiminy understands.
Geppetto picks up Pinocchio and informs the Blue Fairy "Pinocchio goes through, or no one does."
The disappointed Blue Fairy asks "And what will we tell the Prince and Snow White?"
Geppetto- "You will tell them that the tree contains enough magic to protect only one. Do we have a deal... or no?"

"The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse" the Blue Fairy explains to the round table of people, including- Granny {knitting with white yarn} Grumpy, Doc, Red Riding Hood and a few Knights. 
She asks Geppetto if he can build such a thing. Geppetto pats Pinocchio's head and proudly says "Me and my boy, we can do it. This will work."

The Blue Fairy tells them all this will work. "We all must have faith. There is however a catch. The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits... and this tree can protect only one.  A choice must be made."

Emma rides passenger on the motorcycle.  She asks August if he's going to tell her where they're going and how it's going to help her beat Regina.  August informs her "We're going on a trip, Emma. So I can tell you somebody's story.  Emma wonders "Whose story?"  August replies "Mine"  They exit Storybrooke.

Regina asks David "How did you like it?"  David thinks its the best lasagna he ever had. "You really know how to work some magic."  He cleans up the dishes for her, even though Regina giggles that it doesn't seem right, since he already saved her from calling a tow truck. 

David knows the past couple of weeks haven't exactly been easy for him, "And you've been there the whole time." {Wait... WHAT?!}  Regina can't help it. "I feel responsible for you- ever since I... found you."    Even after all this time, no one has ever told David the story.
Regina, playing timid, "What story?"
David- "About how you found me."
Regina flirts- "It's probably because I'm the only one who knows it."  She giggles in a flirty coy way and begins the/her story.   "I was working late... it, it was a cold night- must have been 10 below. And on my drive home I realized I'd left my phone at the office.   I remember thinking- just to forget about it,  and I didn't really need it, but... something inside me told me to turn around and go back.
Davis- "Um, That's when you saw me?"
Regina- "You were on the side of the road... unconscious, so cold you felt like ice. The doctor said that if I found you 10 minutes later it would've been too late. It's amazing, isn't it? If I hadn't forgotten my phone I wouldn't have been on the road- at that time."
David- "That's almost... almost like the universe wanted you to find me."
Regina looks into his eyes and leans in to kiss him. David backs away, "I'm sorry. I hope you didn't get the wrong idea."  Regina apologizes; she got caught up in the moment.  David feels she doesn't have to apologize. "I just... We... This is great, like it is."   Regina has tears in her eyes.
David thanks her again for dinner and leaves.
Angry Regina sees her reflection in the warped/distorted mirror and throws her wine glass at it- shattering it. {White roses} 

We get a (sort of) replay of the Evil Queen riding in her black carriage and the black smoke to enact the curse.  Snow screams for Doc while she labors to birth her baby.  The Prince reassures her the wardrobe is almost finished.

The worried and anxious Blue Fairy flies into Geppetto's fun workshop to tell him circumstances have changed, Snow White is going to give birth early; the savior will be born at any moment.  Pinocchio can't go.  Snow White must accompany her daughter or all will be lost. "This is a land with no magic. She will need someone to guide her, someone to make her believe in her destiny. Who better than her mother?"
All Geppetto cares about is that they had a deal.  The Blue Fairy tells him there' no time to argue as the curse is almost upon them and she must return to the fairies to make final preparations. "It is vital that you tell Snow White what I just told you.  Her child is our only hope- she is the only one who can save us!"
Geppetto asks "And my boy, what will happen to him?"  The Blue Fairy feels all they can do is have faith that one day the savior will restore all that we have lost."  She flies out the window.
Pinocchio asks his troubled father if they should tell Snow White.  Geppetto tells the boy to get into the wardrobe. This troubles Jiminy Cricket. "Geppetto! You can't! Things have changed. The savior needs her mother."
Geppetto- "No. She needs someone to protect her, to make her believe in her destiny. My boy- he can do that."
Pinocchio doesn't understand because he heard what she said.  Geppetto doesn't care what she said. "All that matters is that you are safe."   Confused Pinocchio wonders "But you told me to be honest, father. You told me not to lie."
Geppetto squats down to the boy's eye level and touches his heart, telling him that sometimes we have to lie to protect the people we love. "You must look out for the child in this new land. You must protect her."
Pinocchio is scared. "But I don't want to go. I don't wanna leave you."  They hug and get teary eyed.
Geppetto-"Pinocchio, you must remember what the Blue Fairy said... In 28 years you must make sure the savior believes. Promise me you'll do that. It is the only way we'll- we'll see each other again."
Pinocchio- "I promise."
Jiminy Cricket tells the boy "There will be many temptations in this new world, Pinocchio. But as long as you remain brave, truthful and unselfish, you will not fail."
Geppetto puts his scared boy into the wardrobe, telling the boy "You'll find me again. And on that day...I will look at you with pride.  You will be a great man, my son."  They hug.  Geppetto closes and locks the doors on his scared crying son.   There is rumbling and a whooshing sound. Geppetto opens the doors to see that Pinocchio has disappeared.  Geppetto cries.

August rides Emma past the I95 sign and makes a right onto a bridge with a 'road/bridge closed' gate that is open.  They pull up to Chanty's Lobster House and Emma starts to freak out.   August calls it a diner.

Emma- "No more screwing around! I am not a character in one of your books! What the hell are we doing here?"
August- "I think you know."  He presents the old newspaper article and tells her "You've been here before. This is the diner you were brought to when you were found as a baby."

Emma seems nervous and jumpy and not impressed he found an article about her. "I thought this trip was supposed to be about you."
August- "It is. This is my story- and it's your story."  He claims to be the 7 year old boy who found her.
Emma just stands there stunned and silent.

In the snow dusted woods a whoosh with an electrical charge blows open a tree trunk and little Pinocchio hops out. {It may be a Pine tree} The very frightened boy is dirty.  An Oceanic airplane flies overhead and he cowers from it.

And as he attempts to jump back into the tree trunk opening, he is tossed back to the ground by some electrical force/charge, where he is knocked out- having Flashes of his birth into real boyhood, the instructions given by Geppetto (and him asking for Pinocchio's promise) to look out for this child in the new land; and it's the only way they can be together.

 The boy wakes up and again is frightened, this time by the obvious whooshing electrical activity occurring.

A baby appears in the already opened trunk of the tree.  He holds the baby (Emma. White blanket w/purple ribbon) and tries to quiet her. "Shh. Shh. Shh."  Scared Pinocchio looks around his new and unfamiliar world.  The baby cries.

Emma asks August "Why are we in the woods?"
August - "All the answers you've been searching for are right where I found you."
Emma- "See! You're not that 7 year old boy! I wasn't found in the woods, I was found on the side of a highway."
August- "Why do you think that? Because you read in the newspaper? Did it ever occur to you that maybe that 7 year old boy lied about where he found you?"
Emma- "It occurs to me that you've been lying to me about everything... and I'm done listening."  She walks away, but August continues telling the story.  "When I found you, you were wrapped in a blanket and the name Emma was embroidered along the bottom of it. That wasn't in the article was it? How would I know that unless I was there?"

Emma- "Okay. Let's say you were that kid. Why lie about where you found me? August- "I lied to protect you."
Emma- "From what?"
August- "That."  {pointing at a tree}
Emma- "A tree?"
August- "You read Henry's book, right. You know about the curse, don't you?   Your role in it? It's true, Emma. We both came into this world- through this tree."
Disbelieving Emma- "You're asking me to believe you are a fairy tale character?
August- "Pinocchio."
Emma- "Right, of course. Pinocchio. Explains all the lying. (she has a revelation) You're the one who added the story to Henry's book."
August- "I needed you to know the truth."
Emma- "The truth is you're out of your mind. And you're not even a very good liar. Why not write the end of that story?"
August- "Because this is the ending, and we're writing it right now."
Emma- "And how does this story end?"
August- "With you believing."
Emma- "Not gonna happen."  She walks away leaving August stunned.  He hurries after her and yells out for her to wait and he is struck with his "leg issues" and falls down.
Pissed off Emma asks "What... is wrong... with your leg?"
August laughs. "I failed."    Emma thinks he may be putting on an act to make her feel sorry for him and that something is gonna change; he'd be wrong.
August stands up. "I am not screwing around here. Whatever you believe- or don't- this is real, Emma!  I am sick!"
Emma- "That's an understatement."
August- "Have you ever been to Phuket? It's beautiful- amazing island, full of pleasures- the perfect place to lose oneself.  That's where I was... when you... decided to stay in Storybrooke."
Emma- "How did you know when I decided to stay in Storybrooke?"
August- "Because at 8:15 in the morning, I woke up with a shooting pain in my leg! That's 8:15 at night in Storybrooke- sound familiar? That's when time there started to move forward again. I was supposed to be there for you... and I wasn't.  Because I was halfway around the world I got a painful reminder of how far I strayed.  If that tree won't make you believe, maybe this will..."   He shows her his "changed into wood" left leg.  But Emma doesn't see anything but a real human leg.
August insists she look.  Emma is looking but doesn't see the wood leg.
August is surprised- "You don't see it, do you?"
Emma- "See what?"
August- "Your denial is more powerful than I thought. It's preventing you from seeing the truth."
Emma- "Okay.  One of us loosing it here and it's not me."
August- "You don't wanna believe.  After everything that you've seen, why can't you just to do it?!"
Emma- "Why is it so important to you that I do?"
August is all fired up. "Because, I, the town, everyone needs you!"
Emma- "I don't want them to need me."
August- "Well, that's too bad because we all do!"
Emma is worked up- "You're saying that I am responsible for everyone's happiness? That is crap! I didn't ask for that! I don't want it!"
August- "Right now!  A little while ago you didn't want Henry either, but then came to you and now you are fighting like hell for him."
Emma is crying, "For him! Because that is all I can handle right now! And I'm not even doing a job of that!  Now you're telling me I have to save everyone- that is beyond ridiculous! I don't want any of it!"
August- "Well, that's too bad, Emma, because that doesn't change the truth. You're our only hope."
Emma- "Then you're all screwed."

In a foster home in the big city, with many children, Pinocchio and infant Emma reside.  Pinocchio quiets crying Emma's by entertaining her with silly faces and tonal sounds.  Little handy Pinocchio is scolded by mean Mr. Raskind (foster father) for using tools that don't belong to him.  The boy was only trying to fix the crib; he didn't want Emma to fall out and get hurt.  Raskind warns him "Don't ever touch anything in this house again. Nothing belongs to you."   He takes his red toolbox away.
Gordie comes in asking the boy if he's okay.  Gordi asks him if he can keep a secret and shows Pinocchio a huge roll of cash."
Pinocchio- "Wow! Where'd ya get that?"
Gordie- "I stole it from the sock drawer. It's enough to buy us all bus tickets outta here."  He tells the boy they're all leaving right now, "You wanna come?"  Gordie touches Pinocchio's right shoulder.
Pinocchio tells Gordie "I told my father that I would take care of Emma. Can she come- please?"
Annoyed Gordie says they can't take care of a baby. "If you wanna stay here for the rest of your life, be my guest."  He walks out. Pinocchio tells him to wait; as he's had second thoughts.  Pinocchio kisses his fingertips, touches Emma's head and tells her "I'm sorry, Emma."

August/Pinocchio pays a visit to Marco/Geppetto in his garage workshop where he's trying hard to get the clock to work. He's mumbling to himself in Italian. The time on the clock is 6:05.
August/Pinocchio tells him to "Align the gear with the spindle- then press the spring."

Geppetto follows instructions and the clock works; the cuckoo bird pops out twice. "Who taught you that?"
August/Pinocchio- "My father."
Geppetto- "He taught you well. He must be very proud."
August/Pinocchio- "Oh, I don't  know about that. I don't think he became the man he wanted me to be.
Geppetto- "Have you tried to make it up to him?"
August/Pinocchio- "I made him a promise a long time ago. By the time I got around to making good on it- I think it was too late."
Geppetto- "But you kept your promise. You realized your mistake and you tried to fix it. That's important.  If I had a son... that would be enough for me."

August/Pinocchio sees the wood carved whale from his childhood on the shelf. "You look like you may be shorthanded. {Marco/Geppetto get's by} How would you feel bout taking on an assistant?"
Marco/Geppetto- "I can't pay you."
August/Pinocchio- "It's okay. I just feel like fixing things."
Marco/Geppetto holds out a welcoming hand to August/Pinocchio, telling him to come in. "Vieni. Vieni."

11:00 PM or 2:00 ? {Clocks have different times on them.}

Emma's walkie talkie transmission wakes Henry with a "Code Red. Code Red." He keeps the turned on walkie under his pillow.  Emma needs to talk to him, but it's not about Operation Cobra. "It's about us. Meet me downstairs."

In Emma's car, Henry warns Emma if his mother sees him out there talking to her, she'll get really mad.  Emma asks Henry a serious and important question. "Do you want to get away from Regina? So you want to come live with me?"   Happy Henry wants that more than anything. So, Emma has the boy buckle up."
Henry- "Why? Where are we going?"
Emma- "We're leaving Storybrooke."   She starts the car and drives off with him.

The Return

"As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.”  ― Jim Henson

** All photos posted here are chosen for a reason **


This episode was very emotional and powerful.  Both Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold and Emma have a child they're trying to find.

Fear is a very powerful thing

Let's acknowledge two important things:
 
1.) To be clear- Rumpelstiltskin is a man; A human man.
2.) Upon gaining his "dark power", the newly appropriated "Dark One", Rumpelstiltskin, liberated all the children from the Ogre Wars and returned them to their families; and he created a truce.  Was that the actions of "darkness"?  Nope.  Rumpelstiltskin used his newly found "power" for a good and noble cause.  He should have been recognized as a hero.  His powers could have been seen as a blessing in disguise.  But sadly Rumpelstiltskin didn't change his or the towns perspective on how the "power" could be seen.  Living with the belief he/the power is "dark", people would now respect Rumpelstiltskin and no longer belittle him and call him weak.  His need for more power is fueled by him feeling it's the only way he can protect Bae.

And who's not to say that Mr. Gold's goal in Storybrooke isn't the same as the noble task of returning children home to their families and ending a war, as was done in Fairy Tale Land; but this time with a much brighter outcome- He reunites with Bae.

A leap of faith

At the otherworldly vortex, we see the literal and metaphoric struggle of Rumpelstiltskin clinging to the power of the dagger (his power and ego) and the pulling/losing of his son.  He had a tiny window to make a choice, to be free of the dark power and live a new life with Bae.  Bae was certain going through the whirling green light into another world was the answer to a better existence for him and his father.  Bae was fearless. But Rumpelstiltskin's fear, coupled with his attachment to his power, was so strong that he couldn't find the strength within himself to fight that and be with Bae. 

Rumpelstiltskin was so terrified of the unknown that he couldn't take a leap of faith with Bae, hence he lost him to the world without magic. This causes Rumpelstiltskin's great suffering. So, maybe Rumpelstiltskin made the spell for Regina- with a loophole- to bring him (and the rest of the characters) to the land where Bae should be.  When Rumpelstiltskin finally does find Bae in that world or any other world wouldn't that be pretty fuckin' magical?!  That in itself makes it magic.

Talking with Archie may be the very first time Mr. Gold has faced his pain.  Mr. Gold acquires some courage, faces and pours his heart out to August, (who is impersonating his son Bae).  It seems that Mr. Gold's words were from his pained heart.  He was moved to be reunited with "Bae" and truly wanted his son's forgiveness.  In Fairy Tale Land Bae wanted things to go back to the way they were... but it is my experience that things can never go back to the way they were. You can only hope to move forward from whatever place one is currently in and make things more positive. Embrace a new beginning.

August taking advantage of Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold puts him on the defensive.  I wonder if Bae is in Storybrooke and if so, is he hanging back, watching to see if he's welcomed, and if his father has changed and would all be forgiven?

Eye of the beholder

As you can see, the individual perception and definition of "magic" differs from person to person.  This is also true to some other issues we witness with these characters.  Perception becomes your reality.

In addition to the perception issue I noted in the beginning of this post, another example is when Morraine heard the other soldiers speak of "It", Reul Ghorm; an ancient being that rules the night- The original power- bigger than anything.  Yet we discover Reul Ghorm is a tiny blue fairy.  The notion and interpretation of "It" is formed individually by assumption via stories, rumor, guessing, experience, judgment and beliefs.
Also, Morraine doesn't think Rumpelstiltskin is "that bad."  She saw him walking onto the battlefield and stopped the fighting. She felt it was like a miracle.

And of course, the conversation between the Blue Fairy and Rumpelstiltskin literally addresses the perception topic.

Pay attention to what all of these people are saying to each other. There is much confusion and misunderstanding, assuming, and a dose of conning going on too.  Seeing and hearing what one wants to see and hear, or what one chooses to ignore, even when it's right in front of their eyes; there's even a case of mistaken identity.

* Mr. Gold is smart with semantics and his deal with Regina.  She assumes he's going to play things how she imaged they should go.  But he outsmarted her by doing just enough for her, but without killing anyone. These two have their own agenda for the deals they are making, but is one willing to kill?

* August mentions he thought "the entrance" was in Mr. Gold's office in his shop.

* Emma admits to being a blind sheriff.  She actually knows lying, yet loyal Sidney is on Regina's side, yet she still would rather have his help bringing Regina down. Why won't she see what's really going on?

"It was the donkey's fault"

Was it the donkey's fault?  Oh, August... who are you- with your crafty lies, conning, pretending, storytelling, writing, drawing, improvisation, theatrics and your fondness for donkeys and lumber yards. Why do you need magic to cure your sickness?  Are you writing your story or someone else's?  Did you incorporate some new text into the story or change or take any out?  Henry ripped out the last few pages of his book. What exactly did August do with the book we saw him with?  Something isn't right here. Is something missing?  Hmm... What a tangled web we weave.
I wonder why August was willing to kill Mr. Gold - is it for the power alone?

Here's a (list) of a few more tid-bits from the original story The Adventures of Pinocchio

• Field of Miracles
• Improvisation acting
• Catchfools
• Pinocchio and the Fairy decide to become brother and sister. 
• He buries his gold then runs off to wait the twenty minutes it will take for his gold to grow
• Red Crayfish Inn
• Blue Fairy- Fairy with Turquoise Hair.
• Blue-haired Fairy sends a falcon and a poodle
• Whale
• Donkey
• Snail
• Pinocchio meets a fox (who pretends to be lame) and a Cat (who pretends to be blind)
• Mangiafuoco- wealthy director of the Great Marionette Theatre
• Harlequin, Punch, and Signora Rosaura are puppets 

It would be awesome if we could journey fearlessly through time and space.  Are we witnessing experiences in worlds that can be accessed diagonally?  Do they all go by pseudonyms in this adventure? Is there a place you can go to cure what ails you? I think there is. It sounds like a good time to me- I'm in!

The Newspaper in Storybrooke

Things to Note...Questions to Ask...

๑ World. Realm. (Maps and globes)
๑ Kansas leads Dorothy to Oz- the other side of the rainbow. Oz is another land experienced via the mind- altered state of consciousness.
๑ Is Bae the 7 year old boy who found the baby on the side of the road? If not, who is?
๑ Does Archie know something he's not sharing with Mr. Gold.
๑ Bae is a deal maker, just like dad.
๑ Little Henry gets used by August, not only in Operation Cobra, but also his con with Mr. Gold.
   And Emma is willing to use Henry to get back at Regina.
๑ Truce
๑ In "Snow Falls" Snow White uses her "Dangerous Fairy Dust" to turn the Trolls into bugs
๑ Words. Story. Book. Novel. Drawing.
๑ Set. Movie. Theatrics. Improvisation. Make-believe/pretending. Playing a role of someone else.
๑ Game. Board. Win. Cheat. Loophole.
๑ 23
๑ 42
๑ Where's Tinker Bell?  Hints to Belle
๑ Bell. Tone
๑ Musical instruments
๑ Perfume
๑ Map
๑ Speak. Don't speak. Mute.
๑ See. Blind
๑ Hear.
๑ Right. Right side. Correct.
๑ Chest. Heart.
๑ Time. Lost time
๑ DNA. Related
๑ Mental health. Crazy. Sociopath. 
๑ The word "well" is used a lot!
๑ Nuns. Advisor.
๑ Onora is a Latin girl's name meaning "honor"
๑ Even mutes can draw a picture.
๑ The paperweight is a donkey- Lamp-wick is from Pinocchio. All "boys" are turned into donkeys.

Vocabulary and Research...

๑ The Bell is a short story by Hans Christian Anderson
๑ The color Green (in literature) may represent inexperience, hope, new life, immaturity. 
๑ Snail- coiled shell mollusk.
   - The phrase- at a snail's pace or very slow speed.
   - Snail Maze: a 1986 Sega video game
   - A spiral-shaped cam, used in striking clocks and other mechanisms
   - The Snail (L'escargot) is a collage by - Henri Matisse. The work was created at the Hotel Regina in Cimiez, Nice
๑ Bae, often spelled Pae or Pai, is a unique Korean family name.
     - Internet slang for baby
๑ Pseudonyms:
    - C. Collodi is the pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini, author of The Adventures of Pinocchio
    - The Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll
๑ A pseudonym is a name a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from his or her original or real name and are often used to hide an individual's real identity:  This includes: stage names for actors and musicians, noms de plume/writers pen names, aliases, gamer identifications, anagrams, Graecisms, Latinisations, mystifications, nicknames, assumed names, graffiti artists' tags, resistance fighters' or terrorists' noms de guerre, and computer hackers' handles, (and orders) of popes and monarchs 
๑ Reul Ghorm literally translated in Gaelic-Irish is (ghorm) blue (reul) sixpence- Rumpelstiltskin translates it as The Blue Star- which that literal translation would possibly be- an réalta gorm.
๑ Mage: Someone who performs feats of magic.
   - are part of world of Dungeons & Dragons and the World of Warcraft.
   - Mage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness.
   - Mage: The Awakening is a role-playing game- characters in this game are able to bend or break the commonly-accepted rules of reality to perform subtle or outlandish acts of magic. These characters are broadly referred to as "mages". Mages "awaken" to the ways of magic.
๑ The Wheel of Time- is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. The first volume, The Eye of the World, was written in 1984. The stories major elements relate to mythology and the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and such.

✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈  Arnold Böcklin: was a symbolist Swiss painter, 1827 – 1901. His works include The Isle of the Dead and The Return
✈  World. Realm.  Planes. (Maps and globes)
✈  Bae's glass magic bean is in the shape of a kidney: Locke's dad stole his kidney
✈  Game. Board. Win. Cheat. Loophole.
✈  Lab 
✈  Wake up. Awake.
✈  Sleep.
✈  Mental health. Crazy.
✈  Truce with the Others
✈  Dead. Not dead. Gone.
✈  Map
✈  Drugged
✈  Bugged
✈  Monitor
✈  Time and Space
✈  Advisor. Guides.
✈  Son- Sun
✈  Coward:  Desmond, Charlie, the boar that attacked Sawyer's stuff, and Keamy refers to Richard as one.
✈  Dr. Bae delivers "Ji Yeon"
✈  "Deus Ex Machina" John Locke doesn't want the "Island" to "take it back"; as the "Island" has magically healed his legs.
✈ "Raised by Another" during Hurley's census, Locke tells Hurley "I was looking for something."  Hurley asked "Looking.... uh huh. Did you find it?"   Locke replies- "No. It found me."
✈  "...supposed to die" is a phrase we mostly hear from and about Charlie Pace.
✈  "Orientation"  Locke asks Jack if he's upset "because he (Desmond) recognized you."

Enough of my rambling...Here is your episode recap! Enjoy!

We get a view of a left foot in a black sock belonging to August whom is laying in his bed.  His leg starts to rumble, causing him great distress.  He tumbles out of his bed.  He hobbles his way over the desk with the old fashioned writers tools (typewriter and donkey paperweight) and calls someone from the old fashioned three-tone (copper - gold/emerald green) colored rotary phone. A bit out of breath he dials three digits and speaks to an unidentified person.
"Hey, you there? Good. This is taking too long, we need to accelerate the plan."

August and Henry discuss the plan in the rainy lumber yard. August informs Henry "It's almost 9:00. You all set? You know what to do?"  Henry says Operation Cobra is always ready. He just doesn't understand what this has to do with getting Emma to believe.
August tells him that "Sometimes other priorities assert themselves. Can you handle a little improvisation?"
Henry- "Yeah. Can you?" {Of course he can!}
August is pleased. "We're a go." He sends Henry on his mission to Mr. Gold's shop while he heads in the shop's back door.

Henry tells Mr. Gold he wants to buy a gift for Miss Blanchard; since she didn't kill that woman.  He looks at bells. You hear their muffled bell conversation (and ringing bells, as Henry must be trying them out) in the shop, while August snoops around the back office.
A bit of their muffled conversation:
Henry asks Mr. Gold "Are these bells?" and that he's looking for something special, to which Mr. Gold's reply is "You're asking a lot from a bell."
Henry- "This one's good. How much?"
Mr. Gold- "The price on the back."

As August snoops around Mr. Gold's back office, Mr. Gold appears behind him and asks "May I help you?"   August says he's looking for some maps; he's a bit of a collector.
Mr. Gold is suspicious of him. "Well, there's maps through in the shops. This is my office."   August thought it was the entrance.  Annoyed Mr. Gold tells him "Well, it's not. The shop's through there." August goes through the curtain doorway.

Storybrooke General Hospital.  {Note the school bus and that Nurse's dress in traditional uniforms}

Emma heads in to see Kathryn.

Dr. Whale tells Emma to come in. "Look who's awake."    Emma doesn't want to take up a lot of Kathryn's time, but asks if Kathryn remembers what happened.  Kathryn doesn't know much, but recalls being in a car accident and the airbag going off. The next thing she knew she was in the dark- in some basement.  She didn't see anyone, but there was food and water.  {She looks at Dr. Whale} "And then I guess I was drugged?"   Dr. Whale says "Yeah. And we're trying to flush that out of your system."
Kathryn- "And then I woke up in a field at the edge of town and I started walking. That was it."
Emma- "You saw no one? {She just fuckin' said she didn't!} You didn't hear a voice? Smell perfume? Cologne? Anything?"
Kathryn says no and that she's sorry. "I wish I could help. Especially since... while I was gone... you thought I was dead?"  Emma shares that her DNA matched the heart they found.  Dr. Whale shares that they're grilling everybody down at the hospital lab to see who doctored the DNA results.  Emma tells Kathryn she thinks someone tried to frame Mary Margaret.  Kathryn seems upset about this and wonders who would do something like that.

Regina confronts Mr. Gold in her shop.  "You broke our deal."
Mr. Gold- "I broke one deal in my life, Dear. And it certainly wasn't this one."
Regina is pissed. "Kathryn was supposed to die and Mary Margaret was to get the blame!"
Mr. Gold- "Yeah, murder seems so much worse here, though, doesn't it? You can't just turn someone into a snail and then step on them, can ya? You didn't say "kill her". We agreed that something "tragic" should happen to her. Now abduction is "tragic".
Regina raises her voice- "The intent was perfectly clear!"
Mr. Gold- "Oh, let's not talk about intent- intent is meaningless."
Regina- "Intent is everything!"
Mr. Gold- "Please!"  {he takes his ball and places it near the musical instruments on display}
Regina is concerned because this is going to raise all kinds of questions about where Kathryn was and how the test results were faked."
Mr. Gold sarcastically agrees. "Oh yes. And who put the key in her cell?"   Regina seems troubled that it's all going to lead to her.  "You bastard! This doesn't make any sense. You and I- we've been in this- together- from the start."
Mr. Gold scoffs- "Oh have we?"
Regina- "You created the curse for me. The curse that brought us here and built all this."
Mr. Gold- "Yes. It's time you said thank you."
Regina asks "Why did you do it?"
Mr. Gold- Well, you're a smart woman, Your Majesty. Figure it out."

Many children are playing together.  Bae is playing kick ball with his friends, when the ball gets away and rolls in front of the donkey cart.  Bae hurts his leg.  The donkey driver yells at him "What are you doing in the middle of the road, boy?!"   Bea apologizes.  The donkey driver instantly changes his tone when he realizes "Hey, I know you. It's fine. It's fine. It was the donkey's fault. You want a chicken or some eggs?"   When Rumpelstiltskin comes over to see what's going on, Bae tells him it's alright,.  Everyone gets nervous at Rumpelstiltskin's presence.  The donkey cart driver tells him it's nothing "It was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going. He's fine!"   Bae tells father he is fine.  Rumpelstiltskin asks Bae if he's sure and supposes this won't happen again.  Rumpelstiltskin looks down to see Bae's left leg is bleeding a bit and this panics the boy and the donkey cart driver.  Again, both insist "It's nothing."   Rumpelstiltskin tells the man not to bother; and magically turns him into a snail.  Although Bea begs him not to, Rumpelstiltskin purposely steps on the snail.  Of course this act of power makes the town's people turn away from him.

David pays a visit to sleeping Kathryn in the hospital.  {She shares a room with an older male patient; whom is on the other side of the curtain.}  Kathryn is attached to chest/heart monitors.  She bolts awake, a bit panicked as David nears down to kiss her on her forehead.  He meant for it to be sweet.  Kathryn smiles "Well, thank you. It's good to see you."   Sincere David apologizes to her; for lying and cheating on her.  "I'm just so sorry for all of this."   Kathryn tells him it's okay. "You know, what we had... it wasn't it for you. Maybe for both of us.  I can't blame you for just being the first one to see it."   David feels she's kind of amazing.  Kathryn agrees, and sends him on his way so she can get some rest.  David gives her fair warning as he's going to give her that kiss on her forehead now.
Kathryn smiles "Knock yourself out."

Granny let's herself in Mary Margaret's and Emma's apartment.  "Hi!" she says when entering with a covered plate of food.  Everyone is gathered there to WELCOME HOME MARY MARGARET!
Emma is ladling punch into cups.  Mary Margaret seems a bit curious that all of those people are there to welcome her home.  Emma tells her she's got a lot of friends, but Mary Margaret didn't feel like she had a lot of friends yesterday.

Henry watches Mr. Gold as he walks around the apartment alone.  He asks August, sitting next to him, "How bad was it?"
Confident August- "Getting caught in his office?  Not bad. I played it off."   Henry asks what he was looking for. "Did you find it?"
August- "Nope. But I have a feeling it's gonna find me."  He suggests Henry give Mary Margaret her present.   Henry hands her the extra large handmade card from the whole class; and then a gray/silver box wrapping with a white bow. "And I got you a bell."

Mary Margaret thanks Henry and wants him to tell everyone she'll be back soon.   Emma hurries Henry off, as they should get him home before his mom finds out. "That won't be pretty."   As Henry is leaving to head home and do homework, David is there to see Mary Margaret.  At Mary Margaret's urging, Emma cuts David off, letting him know "She's kinda tired. I think if you just give it some time.  Hey, Henry. Why don't you head home with David."

Once Henry has gone, Mr. Gold remarks to Emma, "Hard to let him go, isn't it? Your son."  Emma agrees it's pretty much the hardest thing.  Emma shifts gears to talk about the reappearance of Kathryn. "Was it you?"   Mr. Gold asks "Was what me?"
Emma- "Did you make Kathryn suddenly materialize- 'Cause it sure played that way to me.  Is that the magic you were going to work?  Because  if you kidnapped that poor innocent woman just to let her go..."
Mr. Gold wonders if Emma's proposing he's working with Regina or against her.  Emma's doesn't know, "Maybe diagonally."  He tells her to keep working on that one. "My question's about something else. What do you know about him?"
Emma- "Goes by 'August'. He's a writer. Typewriter wrapped in an enigma wrapped in stubble. Why?"  {So, he's like a "package"?}
Mr. Gold shares that he was poking around my shop today. "August Wayne Booth. Clearly a false name. There's one thing I know about- it's names."
Emma- "Writer's go by pseudonyms, what does it matter?"
Mr. Gold- "You trust him?"
Emma- "Yeah. A lot more than I trust you."   She walks away.
{Mr. Gold gives a very interesting quiet reaction to her comment. I took it as if Gold was internalizing "Poor Emma. You don't know what you're doing. And, maybe you should trust me."}

A blond maid is making the bed. She turns in response to Bae and Rumpelstiltskin entering the house. Courteous Rumpelstiltskin thanks Onora "You can fetch our supper now, Dearie."
Bae looks at his hurt knee "You killed that man."
Rumpelstiltskin- "Well, you were hurt. Speaking of which..."  He begins to use his healing magic on Bae's injury, but the boy stops him.  He doesn't want magic.  He'd rather use a good old fashioned remedy.  Rumpelstiltskin does as the boy wishes.  He takes the medicine out of a small box to care for his son.
Bae- "You're different now.  You see it, don't you?  You hurt people all the time."
Rumpelstiltskin- "I created a truce in the Ogre's War, Bae.  I walked into the field of battle and I made it stop. I led the children home. Surely a man who's saved a thousand lives..."
Bae- "Is done. A man who saved a thousand lives could be done with it. You can stop doing things!" 
Rumpelstiltskin pours the medicine on Bae causing him to wince.  Rumpelstiltskin tells his son that he can't stop and needs more power.  It's his only way to protect Bae.  Bae feels he wouldn't need protecting if his father didn't have power.  Rumpelstiltskin says he can't get rid of it.
Bae- "Have you tried?"

Rumpelstiltskin- "Tried. If someone kills me- with this. Then they gain the power. Now you know that, Bae. Is that what you want?"
It's not what the boy wants. He wonders if Papa looked for other ways to get rid of the power.  Onora enters the house and Rumpelstiltskin stops talking.  He tells Bae to look for other ways, but not to get his hopes up.  Onora puts the pot on the table but doesn't serve them dinner; she leaves the room.   Bae asks if he finds a way to get rid of the power- a way that doesn't kill his father or hurt himself, would Papa do it. Rumpelstiltskin feels it's not possible.
Bae- "Don't you miss how it was?"
Rumpelstiltskin seems a bit irritated by the continuing conversation and asks the boy "Are you really that unhappy, Bae?  I can conjure anything you desire. Name it. What do you want?"
Bae- "I want my father."
Rumpelstiltskin whispers sincerely to him "All I want is your happiness, Bae. If you find a way... I'll do it."  This makes Bae happy. So he holds out his hand to shake his father's hand. "The deal is struck."  Rumpelstiltskin seems to note his son's making their loving arrangement "a deal."

Mr. Gold picks the lock and lets himself into August's room.  He looks at the page in the typewriter and then picks up the donkey paperweight.  And then he takes the top page of text off of a pile of pages and sees a drawing of a dagger with the name Rumpelstiltskin on it. {There is another page of text underneath the drawing.}

At Granny's Diner, Emma sits down in a booth across from Sidney. He seems quiet, lonely and a bit nervous.  He sees that things certainly did work out for her friend, Mary Margaret.   Emma confronts him with the bug, that Sidney makes like he doesn't know about it.  Emma wanted to believe that Sidney could help her with Mary Margaret. But eventually there are things even a blind sheriff  can't ignore.  She puts the broken bug on the table  Sidney asks "Is that a bug?"

Emma tells him to "drop it!"  She knows she's been fooled and that he spied on her; reporting it all back to that sick crazy woman. Emma can't imagine what Regina has over Sidney, but it must be something huge.   Sidney feels Regina's a good Mayor.  Emma argues Regina tried to get Mary Margaret convicted of a murder that didn't even happen. Emma informs Sidney he's in a lot of trouble. There's a DNA trail in the basement of some house out there, and I'm gonna find it. "She's gonna go away."
Sidney- "Maybe. But I wouldn't bet against her. She's an amazing woman."
Emma figures Sidney is in love with Regina; to which he doesn't really give an actual answer to Emma, only body language.
Emma tells him, before he knows it she will have that evidence and he needs to think long and hard. "You can either help me and help yourself or you're gonna go down with her too."  She walks away from troubled Sidney.

Parked near Storybrooke Hardware and Paint, from his parked car Mr. Gold spies on August as he rides off on his motorcycle.  Mr. Gold follows him. {Note August's motorcycle plate at the top of this post}

Rumpelstiltskin and Bae come upon a four boys playing with their wood swords and large sticks, in a make-believe battle near a small stream.  Rumpelstiltskin suggests to his son to stay and join in, as he has some business nearby to attend that would bore Bae.   Rumpelstiltskin makes his way to s structure nearby.
The four boys see Bae nearing and run away in fear of him.   Morraine sits next to sad Baelfire.  He warns her to be careful not to be seen with him, as he is dangerous.  Morraine says they're just scared of Bae's Papa, "But I'm not. You won't let him hurt me.  I don't think he's so bad anyway. I saw him on the battlefield when he stopped the fighting- it was like a miracle."
Bae- "Now he's getting worse every day. But he said he'll change back if I find a way. I just don't know where to look."
Morraine- "Reul Ghorm"
Bae- "What?'
Morraine- "I heard about it when I was in the trenches. The other soldiers talked about it. Reul Ghorm is an ancient being that rules the night- The original power."
Bae- "Bigger than Papa or worse than Papa?
Morraine- "Bigger than anything."   They hear a twig snap.  Morraine says "He's coming back. Good luck to you."   This unafraid girl sure leaves in a hurry as not to be seen by Rumpelstiltskin.  But he saw her. "Your friend didn't want to say hello?" he asks Bae.    Bae says he frightens them. Rumpelstiltskin asks what is there to be frightened of.  "They'll get over that in time."

Bae- "You have stains on your boots."
Rumpelstiltskin - "Oh, yes, that. Uh... we need a new maid."
Bae- "Gods no!"
Rumpelstiltskin- "She heard us talking about the knife."
Bae- "She was mute! She couldn't tell anyone."
Rumpelstiltskin- "Even mutes can draw a picture."

Mr. Gold spies on August having an intense conversation with Mother Superior outside of the SISTERS of something... building.
Here's bits of their conversation that I could make out. I don't know how much I heard that is correct, but here's the idea:
August- "I understand..."
Mother Superior- "Listen. Don't do anything rash.  ... what you're doing before you (think of) doing it  and things will work out."
August- "Thank you."  He leaves.

Mr. Gold walks over to Mother Superior on the veranda. She assumes he's there about the rent; that they paid in full. {We can hear a motorcycle ride off}
Mr. Gold isn't there about the rent, so she bids him a good day.   Mr. Golds asks about "the man who just left here. Who did he say he was? What did he want?"   Mother Superior doesn't have to tell him that and Mr. Gold doesn't have to not double her rent.
Mother Superior- "Advice.. and  council.  He came to town looking for his father after a long separation and he recently found him.
Mr. Gold- "Ah. And, ah, a happy reunion has already taken place?" 
Mother Superior- "No. He hasn't spoken to him yet."
Mr. Gold- "Why not?"
Mother Superior- "Hm. It was a difficult parting. There are many issues to be resolved between them."
Mr. Gold- "I see."  {We can see he's deep in thought.}

Led by the light of his lantern, Bae steps gingerly on the ground near a small stream. {It looks like where he sat with Morraine} He sits and speaks the name "Ruel Ghorm.  Are you there? If you can help me, please make yourself known to me."  He closes his eyes {keeping them closed} and a blue light appears from behind the tree.  It's the Blue Fairy.

He opens his eyes and is startled yet asks "Can you help me?"  The Blue Fairy says she can help.  Bea asks how he can trust her.
The Blue Fairy explains "Because there is good magic and dark magic, and I'm on the right side."
Bae- "You're a fairy."
The Blue Fairy give a little giggle but then seems  troubled- "Hm. Oh...You're not untouched by magic  are you, child? There's something dark in your life."
Bae- "My father. He is the Dark One"
The Blue Fairy- "Oh. I can't make him the man he was before.  But I can send him someplace where he won't be able to use his powers."
Bae- "Not a jail. I wanna be with him. Like it used to be."
The Blue Fairy- "Not a jail, young one. Just a place without magic."
Bae- "But magic is everywhere."
The Blue Fairy- "In this world, yes. You see, what ails your father is specific to our realm. His powers do not belong here. You must go where you can escape this wretched curse."
Bae- "Go? We have to leave?"
The Blue Fairy- "Yes. It is the only way.  Can you do it? Can you leave everything here behind for the unknown?
Bae- "If it means I get my father back- then yes."
The Blue Fairy- "You're a very good son, Baelfire. You are the part of him that keeps him human. That little light inside of him that still glows... it's his love for you.  Hold out your hand."

She tosses him one (glass kidney shaped) magic bean. "The very last one that is known to our kind.  The others got away from us. Just use it wisely and follow it wherever it leads you. It will save you both."  The Blue Fairy disappears and Bae runs off with the magic bean.

David waited for Mary Margaret to appear on the street.  When she finally does she ignores him. David will leave if she wants, but he thinks they just need to talk.
Mary Margaret keeps on walking to her car but tells him "So, talk."
David- "I need to apologize."
Mary Margaret- "Yes. You do. Keep going."
David- "I didn't believe you. I didn't stand with you."
Upset Mary Margaret shares with him "I will never forget that moment- the moment the world sort of blows you backwards and the one person you thought would always be there to catch you- he isn't there."
David tries to explain "Look at what was going on. It was your jewelry box , your fingerprints, knife in your apartment!"
Mary Margaret- "It was a setup!"
David- "And a really good one! I'm human. I fell for it. I'm sorry. But we have to move forward."
Mary Margaret- "But we can't. It's like something in this world doesn't want us together."
David scoffs- "Like what? Dark forces?"
Mary Margaret- "Maybe. I don't know, but it's like something just keeps pouring poison between us. And what I don't want is to have all of those good memories... replaced by moments like that, when I looked at you and I saw that you didn't believe me. "
David knows that and he's so sorry; and Mary Margaret knows that. 
David- "But I love you."
Mary Margaret tears up and tells him "And that... is what makes it all so sad." David is crying too.

Rumpelstiltskin is working on his wheel when Bae enters to share his news.  Rumpelstiltskin seems unmotivated by the boys discovery.  Bae tells his father he found a way for things to be like they were and he wants him to go with him.  "I can make things right. Have you heard of the Reul Ghorm?"
Rumpelstiltskin perks up a bit- "Blue Star. The Blue Fairy?  Oh, son, please tell me you didn't.  Fairy magic doesn't mix well with what I am."
Bae- "But you promised! She can help us. To take us to a place without magic."
Rumpelstiltskin feels a place without magic- he'd be powerless and weak.  But Bae feels this would make him like everyone else. "It wouldn't matter. We'd be happy."
Rumpelstiltskin- "We could be happy here."
Bae- "Father. Please. You're getting worse. And you promised. This can work. It can. You made a deal with me. Are you backing out?"
Rumpelstiltskin isn't backing out.

Mr. Golds knocks twice on Archie Hoppers office door and then has seconds thoughts about it.  As he turns to leave Archie opens the door and asks if Mr. Gold is here for the rent.  Mr. Gold wonders why everyone always asks that. {That was fuckin' great! Good job writers!}  Archie replies "Well, because you... Never mind."  Archie asks him if he'd like to talk.  Obviously lost Mr. Gold doesn't know.  Archie tells him if there's something he'd like to get off his chest, please come in.

Stunned Archie states- "A son! Wow, I didn't know you had a son. How, how old is he?"  Mr. Gold suggests they start with something easier.
Archie- "Okay. What do you mean to say that you may have found him?"

Mr. Gold- "Let's just say there's someone acting the way I would expect them to act."
Archie- "So you, so, you recognize him?"
Mr. Gold- "Maybe. Or perhaps I'm just seeing what I wanna see. I don't know."
Archie- "Okay, well, wouldn't he recognize you?
Mr. Gold- "There was conflict. I'm not sure he's ready for a teared soaked reunion."
Archie- "So, he sought you out and he's hanging back? Maybe he's watching to see if he's welcome. Looking for a sign that all is- forgiven"
Mr. Gold corrects Archie. "He's not the one who needs to be...  I think he might still be very angry.
Archie- "Anger between a parent and a child is the most natural thing in the world."
Mr Gold- "I think he might be here to try and kill me."
Archie seems stunned. "Uh, right. That's, that's not..."
You can see that Mr. Gold is sad and disappointed. "I let him go. I've spent my entire life since trying to fix it and now he's finally here... and I just don't know what to do."
Archie looks deeply touched by something. "Be honest. Just tell him what you told me, and ask him for forgiveness and when your face to face you'll know what to do."
Mr. Gold- "Honesty's never been the best color on me."
Archie feels there's no other way.

August is hanging around a log cabin. {It is night time}  Mr. Gold shows up and claims "I know who you are... And I know what you're looking for."
August- "Well, then. I guess all the lying can stop... Papa."

Nervous Rumpelstiltskin is being led by inspired Bae.  He asks Bae "Where are we going, boy? What kind of world is this we're going to?  What kind of world is without magic?"
Bae shows him the glass kidney shaped magic bean and tosses it onto the ground and says "A better one."  The ground starts to shake and a whirling bright green vortex opens up in the ground.  Rumpelstiltskin begins to panic as he is overwhelmed with fear. "My gods boy! It's like a tornado!"
Bae yells "We have to go through! It's the only way!"  But frightened Rumpelstiltskin doesn't think he can. "No! No! No! No! It's a trick! It'll tear us apart!"

Bae- "No it's not! I promise! Papa!"
Rumpelstiltskin pulls on the boy, preventing him from going through the vortex in the ground.  He then plunges his dagger into the ground, using it as an anchor to secure him so that he can hold onto Bae.
Bae continues to plead "We have to go through! What are you doing?! Papa! It won't stay open long! Let's go!"   But terrified Rumpelstiltskin can't do it.
Bae- "Papa please! It's the only way we can be together! Papa- Please! You coward! You promised! Don't break our deal!"
Rumpelstiltskin repeated over and over "I can't!" and he has to break their deal.  The two lose grip and Bae travels down into the bright vortex alone.  The opening closes immediately upon swallowing Bae.  Rumpelstiltskin is left alone, gripping onto his dagger.  He frantically calls out for Bae and tries desperately to dig into the hole to get to his son. "...I'm sorry, Bae! I want to come with you! I want to come with you, Bae!  I wanna come with you! Bae! Bae! Bae!"

"You were right, Bae. You were always right. I was a coward and I never should have let you go. I know it's little consolation but,  I just want you to know that ever since you left... ever since you crossed the barriers of time and space, in every waking moment- I've been looking for you.  And now that I've finally found you... I know I can't make up for the past, for the lost time.  All I can do is to ask you to do what you've always done.  And that's to be the bigger man.  Forgive me. I'm so sorry son. I'm so sorry Bae. " sincere Mr. Gold tells August.  {Watch August the whole time}  August and Mr. Gold hug and Mr. Gold cries.  "Oh. Oh, my boy. My beautiful boy! Can you truly, truly forgive me?"
August, still hugging him replies "I forgive you, Papa."
Mr. Gold- "You were looking for the knife."
August- "I thought that if you still had it ... it would mean that you hadn't changed."
Mr. Gold- "Well, let's go find it and see."


August digs near the flowing stream.  Mr. Gold tells him he buried it shortly after Emma came to town. Things were changing. I didn't want to take the chance of Regina finding it."
August- "Of course."
Mr. Gold- "It should be right about here, son."  He unwraps it.

Mr. Gold wants August to take it and destroy it "The way I always know you always wanted to. I found you... and I don't need it anymore. I chose it once, now I choose you."     August takes the knife and looks at in awe, and claims it to be remarkable.   He takes his stance and addresses Mr. Gold.  "By the power of the darkness... I command thee- Dark One!"
Mr. Gold- "You're trying to control me?"
August- "I command thee- Dark one!"
 Mr. Gold- "You're not my son!  You're not Baelfire."
August seems offended.. "Papa, why would you say that? I'm just trying to use your power to help us."
Mr. Gold- "Enough! It's over, Booth! Or whoever you are.  My son would never try to use me.  And he would know that this knife cannot harness any magic in this world- because there is no magic in this world! That's why he chose this place. He didn't want me dabbling."  He takes the dagger from August's hands.
August wonders "So why bury a useless knife?"
Gold- "Oh, I wouldn't say it was useless. It can still cuts through flesh rather nicely.  It's about time you answered some questions, Sunshine. Why the theatrics? Why didn't you just come to me?"
August- "I needed you to work for it. Needed you to want it so bad you would ignore what your eyes were seeing. Do I even look like him at all?"
Gold- "How do you know about this knife?"
August- "I hear things."
Gold- "No one even knows about this knife."
August- "No one here remembers."
Gold- "Yet you do. You're from there, aren't ya? From my world."
August- "The fact that you're asking the question means you know the answer."
Gold- "Well, now that that's settled {He forces August against the tree by dagger point} How 'bout my other question... Who told you about me and the knife?"
August- "A little fairy."
Gold- "Why did you want it? If you know who I am- then you know who I am.  The chances of you surviving this little encounter... are pretty slim. So why take the risk?"
August- "Because I'll die anyway."
Mr. Gold looks surprised. "What?
August- "I'm sick. I'm sick and I need magic. I was gonna get the savior to believe. But that woman... (hahaha) I don't think I'm gonna make it long enough to see that happen."
Mr. Gold holds the dagger to his neck again and says "She trusts you, it might be enough. {Gold backs off} Try again."  
August is a bit baffled- "You're gonna let me live?"
Mr. Gold- "You're gonna die either way... this way... at least I might get something out of it."
Mr. Gold walks away, and August, relieved, slinks down the trunk of the tree.

"Reul Ghorm! Show yourself!" pleads Rumpelstiltskin.  The Blue Fairy flies in behind him.
Rumpelstiltskin asks her "How do I follow him?"  Seeming a bit annoyed with him, the Blue Fairy says he had the way but he didn't take it "And there are no more magic beans."  Rumpelstiltskin claims "that's a lie."
The Blue Fairy tells him not to do that, and he "will never make it to that world."
Rumpelstiltskin will find another way.  He feels there's must be other paths "A realm jumper. A time-turner. A Mage. A curse." 
The Blue Fairy seems frustrated with him. She tells him there's no other way- except when he mentions "A curse."
Rumpelstiltskin is excited! "Ah! So it is a curse."
The perturbed Blue Fairy - Of course you would think of a curse instead of a blessing. Your magic is limited by its own rotten core, Rumpelstiltskin. Anyway, it can't be done- not without a great price."
Rumpelstiltskin "I've already paid a great price."
The Blue Fairy- "So, you'd be willing to sacrifice this world for the next, because that's how great the price is."  {Come on! That was the plan when you gave Bae the magic bean- to leave this world and go somewhere else!}
Rumpelstiltskin- "Well, what do you think?"
The Blue Fairy- "Well, then I'll comfort myself knowing that such a curse is beyond your abilities."
Rumpelstiltskin- "Oh, for now! But I've got all the time in the world. I will do nothing else. I will love nothing else. I will find a way. You took my son- but I will get him back."
The Blue Fairy- "I didn't take your son."
Rumpelstiltskin yells- "You took my son, but I will get him back!"
The Blue Fairy- "You drove him away."
Enraged Rumpelstiltskin swats at the hovering Blue Fairy.  She flies away while Rumpelstiltskin yells "I will find him! I will find him! I will find him."

Emma walks into her sheriff's office to find relaxed Regina already there waiting for her. Regina congratulates the sheriff. "There's about to be a big break in your case. You just got yourself a confession. But I want you to listen to the whole explanation so you understand why this happened.
Emma will hang on every word she says.  Regina summons in Sidney. "Tell her what you told me."
Somber Sidney proclaims "It was me. I confess. I abducted Kathryn. I held her in the basement of an abandoned summer home by the lake.  I bribed a lab-tech to get me the heart from the hospital. I used that same person to doctor the lab results."
Regina- "And the other thing."
Sidney- "I borrowed some skeleton keys from Regina... and planted the knife in your apartment."
Regina- "My keys. I can't help but feel personally violated by that part."
Emma asks Sidney "And I am supposed to believe you did this for why now?" {Frustrated, she tosses her jacket and keys onto the desk}
Sidney- "I was gonna find her after the conviction- be  a hero. Then get the inside track on the biggest story to every hit this town.  I'd get my job back. Plus a novel and a movie, and I don't know, it sounds crazy... "
Emma- "I don't know about crazy. But false, yes, false as hell."
Sidney- "I have maps to where the house is.  You'll find chains in the basement. Lots of fingerprints, I'm sure- hers and mine.  But I didn't hurt her."
Regina- "The man has obviously suffered some kind of mental break.  He clearly hasn't been himself for a while."
Emma, figuring what's really going on here, replies "Yeah, it's like his words aren't his at all."
Regina- "Wow. You are so sold on your rush to judgment that you can't even see the truth anymore."
Emma- "A word in the hallway, please!"

Emma- Well, that's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard.
Regina- "I'm pretty sure that's not true."
Emma- "That poor man. I know you are behind all this.  I understand that you own the game and that you've set the boards so no one else could win.   But I am about to start playing an entirely different game. I don't care about what happens to you. I don't care about what happens to me.  All I care about is what happens to my kid!  And you are going to leave him alone."
Regina- "Am I?"
Emma- "Unh-Unh. I'm talking. You're a sociopath, lady. You tried to take away someone that I love. And now... I'm gonna take away someone you love. I am taking back my son."