In Storybrooke, Henry learns from Aurora that Snow and Emma are fine and that Cora is fighting to come to Storybrooke. After sharing the information with Charming and Regina, they enlist Gold’s help by telling him he is more vulnerable to Cora now due to his love for Belle. He tells them of some magic ink he left in Fairytale Land that would help Snow and Emma return. However, Henry is unable to give the information to Aurora because she is pulled from the nightmare unexpectedly. Afterwards, Charming and Regina agree it is too dangerous for Henry to return because he is receiving harsh burns.
Thus, Charming wants to go to the fiery nightmare. The only problem is that it’s reserved for victims of a sleeping curse. So Gold sets up a poison spinning wheel and Charming falls into a deep sleep. Another obstacle Charming finds is that he hasn’t yet been awoken from the curse, so he is sent wondering in darkness. But he is able to find the fiery room and breaks into it, discovering not Aurora but Snow. He tells her of the magic ink and how he has faith she will return. And she must, because only she can awaken him from the curse.
In Fairytale Land, Killian Jones escapes from the giant to find Cora waiting for him at the beanstalk. He tells her of his plight with Emma and how he does not have the compass. So she dismisses him and returns to the village she destroyed. She summons the dead through the hearts she’s collected and sends them to attack the women.
Meanwhile Aurora continues to try to contact Henry through the fiery nightmare, but Mulan realizes she is actually receiving burns. Having vowed to Philip to protect Aurora, she pleads with her not to continue. But Aurora continues the effort anyway. While sleeping, she is pulled back from the nightmare to the women being attacked by the walking dead. She is captured and taken back to Cora.
Cora tells her she can help Aurora find Philip because wraiths move the souls of their victims to other worlds. However, Aurora refuses and Cora knocks her unconscious. She sends a message to the other women through a blackbird that she’ll kill Aurora if they don’t bring the compass. Mulan wants to take it immediately, but Emma and Snow plead with her to buy time.
Snow realizes the fiery nightmare is a place where all victims of a sleeping curse can travel, thus she can return to it. Through a sleeping powder Mulan made, she falls into a deep sleep and finds Charming there. After he gives her the magic ink information, she begins to slowly fade—she’s waking up. She vows to return to him and awaken him with true loves kiss. When she wakes up, she is devastated to realize Charming is cursed but determined to return to him. Emma and Snow realize Mulan has left with the compass and rush to find her.
Jones awakens Aurora from her sleep and sends her to return to the other women and tell Emma his offer stands…he’ll help them in return for passage to Storybrooke. Aurora finds the women just as Snow is attacking Mulan for taking the compass. She tells them Jones saved her to show his loyalty to them. However, it is revealed as Jones reunites with Cora that he actually took Auroras heart and is controlling her, cementing his loyalty to Cora.
LOVED the episode! No flashbacks were even necessary. For me, it’s certainly a little difficult to see our former ‘villains,’ aka Regina and Gold, working with our ‘good guys’…especially since season one tried so hard to make them formidable villains. However, that was one criticism I had of season one—sometimes it was hard to hate the villains. But this season, these villains are downright vile. And I LOVE it! Cora is queen of evil in my eyes. And Jones, what a right-hand man…I fall for the good guy act every single time.
In other news, will Charming be sleeping the rest of the season? Honestly, I would be okay with that. He’s not able to do much from Storybrooke anyway. Let’s leave it up to the ladies in Fairytale Land. And Aurora, what’s going to happen to her? Is she a puppet from here on out? And how exactly does the heart thing work…can you put it back or are they without it forever?
What did you think? Love it or leave it? Leave your comments!