Posted by Dustin on 12.23.2013 at 7:37 pm

So continuing with my catching up posts, the mid-season finale of “Once.” Henry/Pan did go through with a new curse, which like the old one required the heart of the one he loved most. He used Felix’s heart, though I think Pan only loves himself. I think he took the wrong heart. But whatever, he cast the curse which would erase everyones memories again, everyone except his. How exactly is a child supposed to rule a whole town though? I mean Regina at least made herself mayor. How was he to get any power?

Everyone else teamed up to stop the curse and return Henry to his body. Part of this required getting the most powerful fairy wand ever known, the Black Fairy’s wand. Who? I’m sure we will meet her one day. They don’t mention people and just drop them. When Tinkerbell believed in herself enough to combat and kill Pan’s shadow, this resurrected the Blue Fairy, who was killed in the previous episode by the shadow. She tells Tinkerbell that she finally believed in herself, and that makes her a fairy once more. The Blue Fairy also knew what they wanted and handed over the Black Fairy’s wand. We also learned, through more flashbacks, that Tink and Hook seemed to have a little chemistry back in the past! Uh oh . . . That spells trouble for Hook and Emma. She already wondered if something was going on between them once.

The Black Fairy’s wand returned Henry and Pan to their rightful bodies, but as always Pan is not out. He manages to imprison Rumple in magic shackles, blocking his magic, and Regina realizes there is no stopping the curse . . . all she can do is counter it. Before she can, Pan stops her and plans to kill them all. However before he can, Rumple reveals a final trick. He sent his own shadow off with his dagger. He calls it back and thrusts it through Pan’s chest and into himself, hoping to stop the curse and save his family. Sadly, it seems Rumple’s sacrifice was for not. The curse can’t be stopped! Regina would have to redo the sacrifice of the one she loves the most, and that is of course Henry this time around. The best Regina can do is change things up, make people happy this time . . . Emma and Henry not being part of the original curse are thus allowed to leave . . . . which they do before the new curse hits.

We see a note on the bottom of our screen “1 year later . . . ” Emma and Henry are happy and living in a NY apartment. They have been together this whole time, or at least believe they have been? There is a knock at the door, it’s Hook! He has been looking for her, her parents are in trouble and she must come with him. She thinks he’s nuts, so he tries “true loves kiss” . . . and it fails. He thought for sure she felt the same way about him. She just slams the door in his face!

So clearly Hook remembers, but then again he was not part of the original curse. Neither was Neil though, so does he too remember? Where is he? Back to hiding out somewhere? And what about Ariel? Will we ever see her and Eric again, or were they too much of a flop?

Is Rumple really dead? Well it seems the prophecy did come to be, the child was his destruction . . . it just wasn’t the child he thought it would be. I just can’t see the show without him. Maybe with the curse being born again, he will return somehow? But then would that mean Pan is back? Please no!

The teaser for March when the show returns shows us who the new Big Bad of the show will be, and it’s the Wicked Witch of the West. Ohhhhhhh no! I don’t think I like this idea once bit. That may really be jumping the shark at this point!