Witch Hunt

"Someplace where there isn't any trouble...do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or train. It's far, far away... behind the moon... beyond the rain." - Dorothy Gale

** All photos posted here are chosen for a reason ** (This episode's photos will be added over the next couple of days)

This episode of ONCE Upon A Time was great and wonderfully witty. I enjoyed it immensely.

I, I can't get these memories out of my mind, And some kind of madness has started to evolve.

Feeding the madness is feeding the monster! People come into your life to be mirrors, mirrors to show habits that you need to change and things you need to move on from. How can Emma and her family and friends end their suffering when they're constantly presented with new challenges and bits of their past rearing its ugly hurtful head? 

Some cope by securing feelings inside a bubble, shielding any future emotional trauma. And when they drop the shield some resort right back to old habits of hiding or fighting back. Either way these old habits must be changed in order to grow and move forward in life. They need to learn they no longer need that old pain.

I feel that in a way this episode is trying to tell us to keep the light in our heart lit, even when we're feeling broken- especially when we're broken.  And that we must also learn to extinguish the pain that burns inside preventing one to let go. They must find a way to learn there's always Hope and another chance for things to get better.  It is with open eyes one can see this- but it is important not to mistake a new opportunity for use in negative behavior, it should be used as a step in a positive direction. Owning past mistakes is part of the process of moving forward.

In the Enchanted Forest inside of Regina and Snow White's castle, Zelena rummages through the pretty things, dresses, and jewels (Onyx, Black Pearls, and Diamonds) that Regina left behind when she casts the Storybrooke sleeping curse. Zelena feels a family can live off of what those jewels are worth. She instructs her flying monkey to go find the Evil Queen and let her know that she's there; with no need to be gentle.

On their trek Ruby notes that it seems like old times, except now they're not running from Regina but with her.  We can see Regina has that old focused look in her eye. In many ways Regina has changed and she is always thinking about Henry. She's also thinking the tunnels that run under the castle may enable them to go beneath the spell; But not with an army- just Regina. At that moment the flying monkey dodges toward the ground and Regina shields and saves little Roland from the attack. Magically she turns this minion into a cute stuffed animal monkey, a toy she presents to the little boy.  Regina had a protective motherly instinct for Robin Hood's son.

"Who the hell was that thing?!" David asks. So, David knows that flying monkey is a "who"! Belle and Regina know that the only land that has creatures like that is Oz. This confirms it is the Wicked Witch whom has taken up residence in their castle. "East or West Witch?" Grumpy seems to know about Oz Witches too. David armies up the gang to fight who their up against, but Regina insists she can lower the protection shield on her own and the gang will wait for her on the other side.  Robin Hood insists on going along, noting he realizes that flying monkey was really after her. He wants to help her- owes her a debt.

There's a fire that burns in the center of the courtyard, as long as it burns the shield will stay up. Regina needs to put it out.  They make their way through some traps and come upon an open door- a door that should sealed with "blood magic." Apparently Regina's not the only one who can open it. The Wicked Witch is a formidable foe. They enter the crypt that also contains Cora Mills' coffin. Here Regina shares that her son isn't dead, he's just lost to her forever.

Regina mixes a sleeping curse and is interrupted by Robin Hood. Regina doesn't care about the witch; she plans to use it on herself, feeling no one will miss her. Empathetic Robin Hood shares about when he lost his wife and that he knows what she's feeling, like she doesn't want to go on. But he found a new reason to go on- his son. Unfortunately Regina already lost Henry. Robin explains that they all get a second chance she just has to open her eyes to see it. Regina claims this sleep isn't an end- it is  an "eternal middle" that can be broken by the only true love in her life and the only reason she would want to wake... "My son."  Regina will keep her word about lowering the protection spell so that Snow and Charming can be victorious- then she will go to sleep.

At the center, we see Regina lower the protection spell and the dome protecting the castle comes down. Charming then orders his army to move in on the castle.

Heartbroken Regina readies for slumber. "I'm sorry Henry, maybe one day you'll find me and wake me up... but until then..." As she's about to prick her finger with the needle coated with the sleeping spell she's interrupted by a green witch. The green witch magically takes the needle from her.
Zelena reveals the truth about them.  Regina shares that both Cora and Rumple are dead, but that's OK with Zelena, as Regina is the only one she needs alive because she is going to take everything away from her. She needs Regina to suffer; that's a fate worse than death. Regina isn't afraid and challenges Zelena to "bring it."  Newly energized Regina realizes the sleeping curse isn't the answer. She's found stimulation in the task of destroying someone.

Cora is quite the secret keeper! Zelena is the older half (blood) sister of Regina. My initial thought upon this revelation was that the girls were twins, but then Zelena goes on to tell the tale to Regina.  Zelena was born first before Cora wormed her way into the dregs of wealthy. "Our mother gave me up and sent me away. But you, you she kept- you she gave everything." Regina feels Zelena was lucky to escape Cora.  But abandoned Zelena is the one who had to grow up without a mother.

Is the baby we see Cora present in the episode "The Miller's Daughter" really Zelena and not Regina?  Zelena is Regina's "older" (half) sister. They share a "connection" to Rumple- Cora is mother to both girls. Rumple may have taught Zelena magic (as she implies Rumple had other students). We kind of got some fuckin' shenanigans with Cora's intimacy/love with Rumple before she weds. Remember Cora ripped out her own heart because she didn't want to feel certain feelings (what she felt with Rumple), and who knows, possibly distancing herself from the pain of parting with a child, etc..

Zelena may be green with envy that Regina is the one who was positioned to finally get into the life of royalty and riches, but more importantly is jealous Regina got to grow up with a mother and that Regina was the one who cast Rumple's curse.

If Zelena is Rumple's child, maybe he took her from Cora, or was able to acquire her through a loophole in their contract. Remember Rumple changed the contract so he would only get his own child; note Cora says any baby she has won't be his, which of course could be a huge lie. Or did Cora simply have a child before Regina with another man.  Also, maybe Zelena isn't telling the whole truth to their tale. And why was Zelena in OZ? Hmm...


One Year Later: In Storybrooke Regina is suffering knowing Henry doesn't remember her; and the rest of the residents don't remember the past year.

Henry is asleep upstairs while Emma, Hook, and her parents discuss what has happened. Pregnant Mary Margaret recalls Regina casting the spell to return them to the Enchanted Forest and then everything went black. The next thing they remember is waking up in their beds like it was any other morning in Storybrooke- except it clearly wasn't; as Mary Margaret is now pregnant.
"Almost harvest time but you can't remember the planting. It's bad luck, mate,"  Hook says.
Emma knows a year has passed as she was in New York.  Hook confirms the rest of them left Storybrooke as he was with them when they spent brief time with a Prince and Princess named Philip and Aurora, but he left the little community when they were making their way to Regina's castle. As he was sailing the realms a bird landed on his ship's wheel with a note (and a small vile of memory potion that was only enough for Emma and not Henry) instructing him to retrieve Emma and bring her back to Storybrooke. He assumed Mary Margaret sent the message. David thinks a message sent via a bird does sound like her.

Remember this... A bird brought a note/postcard to Neal in N.Y.. in the episode "Broken". That was sent by August.

Grumpy and Happy come in to inform the group that they lost another one; residents are being picked off and they are down to 4 dwarfs. Ever since they all woke up people began disappearing. Emma asks if Neal is there; and I noted an interesting look on Hooks face when she asked that. Neal isn't there but Hook feels he'll turn up, "He always does."

Henry is introduced to David and Mary Margaret at Granny's Diner as old friends from Phoenix and then "here."
"I thought you were only in Phoenix for being in that place?" Henry asks. Mary Margaret says that they were cell mates; she was in for Banditry. "People make mistakes. The important thing is to find a way to keep moving on."  Henry asks her if she knows his dad, but that question doesn't get an answer as David distracts and Regina is stunned to see Henry right there.

While turkey hunting with his stolen bow Little John is captured at the town line by a "Monster with wings." Emma warns Robin Hood and his Merry Men not to cross that town line. Hook shares that Emma almost married one of those "monsters" while in N.Y..  Later David, Robin and the men find a barely alive Little John. They take him to the hospital where he is cared for by Dr. Whale. Little John goes into shock and when he's about to be sedated turns into a flying monkey and escapes the hospital through the broken window.

Zelena has incorporated herself into the town of Storybrooke. She watches while the residents blame previously guilty Regina for their current situation. But Regina insists that although it looks like her fingerprints are all over this, she's clueless about this new curse.

Emma hatches a con to smoke out the perp with innocent Regina to find out who really cursed the town. They need to get their memories back and find out who took them in the first place- and find their missing town's people. In an effort to try and wake everyone up Regina tries to replicate the potion from the small blue vile- even though she tries she can't do it.

Mary Margaret reads and rabbit ears pages in an old baby book while Henry is focused on his hand held video game. Very concerned over babies getting Cradle Cap, Mary Margaret tries to get Henry to the Library. While Henry is away from the booth, Zelena meets Mary Margaret and claims to just be a supporting player back in their land; no one Mary Margaret would remember. And now we see that the convenient mid-wife Zelena will have access to Snow White's/Mary Margaret baby- will Zelena take Snow's baby?

Leroy gets the word out to the town that Regina's making a memory potion (as planned for the real perp smoke-out) and we see Zelena become concerned and exit Granny's.

While on the stake out of Regina's office, Emma shares with Regina some of Henry's new life in N.Y. and also admits she came back because she feels although Henry doesn't remember all of this, she does. Henry would say "A hero would come back."  Emma spots a shadow up in the window. Confident Regina sealed the room with "blood lock" ensuring a trapped perp. Once inside they see a cloaked figure in the corner, but it magically turns into green smoke and escapes. Shocked Regina says "No one can break through Blood Magic no matter how powerful they are."

Henry is still focused on his hand held video game when Emma brings Regina to the apartment to meet him. Emma introduces him to Regina Mills, the Mayor of the town. Henry likes school and is good at English. Emma's shared this info about him to Regina because she couldn't be prouder of him. Regina offers to take the boy a tour of the town one day; and some ice cream. He'd like that.

David and Hook tell the ladies that the taken town's people are being turned into flying monkeys. There's still no sign of Neal. The clues show Regina that the Wicked Witch (of the West) is the one who cursed the town. Note: It is Emma who uses the phrase Wicked Witch of the West. Emma wonders, "It's not like we're in Kansas. Why would the Wicked Witch of the West want to come to Storybrooke?"

Zelena brings a tray of food to caged Rumple. "You never should have brought me back," claims Rumple. Zelena tells him to eat up, "We've got work to do."  She leaves.
Alone, Rumple recites, "You feed the madness and it feeds on you. You feed the madness and it feeds on you.  You feed the madness and it feeds on you. {giggles}"






Regina, although taps into her evil side often, shows that she was able to leave all the riches behind when she cast the curse, only taking the things that were most important to her.  Regina even currently mentions in Storybrooke that she doesn't care about being in her (mayoral) house.

The mention of Kansas makes me recall that August/Pinocchio rode a motorcycle and the license plate is from Kansas; as seen in "The Return". 

I love the use of feathers in the costume designs, as they give us a great metaphorical visual to this story. Plus, I get a kick out of seeing Regina use Darth Vader's choke-hold on Robin Hood. We've seen Rumple/Dark One do this too.

I'll leave you with this... "A hero would come back" and yes, Emma has returned to Storybrooke, but we also see that Zelena has brought Rumple back. 


Things to Note...Questions to Ask...
๑ Henry is really attached and focused on the video game
๑ Didn't they previously want to go under Storybrooke to avoid curse in another episode?
๑ Where is Neal?
๑ Monster (flying monkey) Emma was going to marry (in N.Y.).  And at one point she would have married Neal.
๑ Con
๑ Mirror
๑ People are being picked off and taken, like the others took the survivors. tunnels under the castle
๑ Zelena claims to be a midwife.
๑ Tunnels: Dig under Storybrooke to get under...
๑ It was great to see Red Riding Hood again
๑ Sleep. Wake up/awake
๑ Dream
๑ 4
๑ Monster/monkey with wings. Shape-shifting/transforming monkeys
๑ List: crossing people off the list
๑ Search grid
๑ Honor
๑ Coffin
๑ We've got work to do.
๑ Episode "Into the Deep"
๑ Episode nods to Oz: : "The Return",  "The Doctor"  and "Tallahassee"
๑ Video game/game

Vocabulary and Research...
๑  Zelena (Zeleny) in Slovic means green
๑ A witch hunt is when someone unfairly looks for and punishes another person who is accused of having opinions that are believed to be dangerous or evil

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale
✈ Rebecca Mader played the role of Charlotte Staples Lewis; returning Island resident, anthropologist, later in the Flash-Sideways in S6 says she's an archaeologist. She succumbed to the side effects of "temporal displacement" due to the "Flashes" caused when Ben Linus moved the Island and made the wheel slip off its axis
✈ Jack discovers he has a half blood sister- Claire Littleton
✈ Con
✈ Tunnels under the stations, Dharma houses, Temple, Island, etc.
✈ Juliet was a researcher in the field of fertility and later a doctor of obstetrics
✈ Sleep. Wake up/awake
✈ Dream
✈ Wheel
✈ 4
✈ Mirror
✈ Monster
✈ Search Grid
✈ Coffin
✈ Honor
✈ Jacobs lists: Crossing people off the list
✈ A bright light in the center
✈ I've/We've got work to do.
✈ Video game/game