Posted by Dustin on 04.07.2014 at 5:44 pm

So last night’s “Once” finally answered some big questions as to Zelena’s parentage and motives. It seems so far that she really is Cora’s daughter. The wizard told her this and showed her Cora abandoning her in a vision. Cora did so because Zelena couldn’t get her what she wanted, namely to be royalty. Regina however could. While we didn’t see Cora’s face in the flashback, that may be more about the actress not being available for such a small glimpse. The wizard told her sister, but never mentioned her father. Hmmmmmm. He sent her to Rumple to learn to be a great witch, which is what she wanted. Rumple himself seemed convinced through his own means that she was in fact Cora’s daughter. Zelena was jealous of Regina, she thought she got everything handed to her and it was easy for her. The wizard and Rumple both warned her that jealousy could over take her, which it did. She became green with envy as she was consumed with jealousy.

While Rumple began teaching her, he soon realized she wasn’t the one he needed to cast his curse after all. While she was very powerful, her emotions were gaining the better of her, namely her jealousy. He also said his curse comes at a price, sacrificing what she loves the most. The only thing she loves is him and his power, so he can’t have that. He cast her off for Regina, just as her mother had done, which made him an enemy of her. She then returned to Oz to find out the Wizard was a fraud. They kept him true to the book, a con-man who floated in from Oz. The Wizard is actually her flying monkey minion and Emma’s fake fiance from New York. Enraged, Zelena turned him into the flying monkey to serve her. Zelena was after the power to change history all together. She wanted to be raised by Cora and to see that Regina was never born. THAT is what her plan is!

We still have no resolution on her father. I think I’m now back to my original hypothesis that Rumple is her father. He should have been able to figure this out with his magic, but maybe he didn’t and she she doesn’t seem to know the truth either. If she does, she hasn’t shared it. I think it would be a huge knife twist in her heart to realize she killed her own brother who wasn’t part of her feud. Then again she is bonkers and may not care!

In Storybrooke, Zelena challenged Regina to a duel, with the intention of getting her heart. So it’s not the heart of Snow’s baby she wants, it’s Regina’s. Regina however never brings her heart to a witch fight, something Cora taught her. She hid it and Robin Hood guarded it. She also entrusted it with him to guard a little longer. I love that they are giving Regina a possible love interest and a second chance with the love Tink told her could make her happy. Speaking of Tink, she was back in this episode finally!

Also going on, they buried Neil, and Hook hung out with Henry to tell him about his dad, as Hook knew him when he was a kid.

We still don’t know what Zelena wants with Snow and Charming’s baby. I’m going to guess it’s another necessary ingredient for her curse. It seems every curse requires a huge sacrifice. Maybe this one is a life to change a past life?

Next week is a Hook-centric episode, with the return of Ariel.