Once Upon a Time Review: True Hearts Can Lose

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Even true hearts can lose and they did this week, over and over again. 

"The Queen is Dead" featured Snow White struggling with loss after loss until her belief in doing the right thing was strained to its limits.

Rena Sofer on Once Upon a Time

In fairy tale past, a bratty little Snow White paraded around in her pink princess dress and berated servant Johanna for trying on her precious crown. It was satisfying to see her mother put the entitled little girl in her place. 

Apparently, the lesson stuck as Snow has gone out of her way to do good, even when in the end doing so has hurt her and those she's cared about.

But Cora may have taken her evil vendetta a step too far. In one day Snow found out that Cora had murdered her mother, tricked her by pretending to be a fairy and manipulated events to make sure that Regina would one day be Queen. 

The last straw was poor Johanna. Even when Snow handed over the dagger and Regina restored Johanna's heart, Cora still killed her in front of Snow's eyes. Why? For the fun of it? To prove she had the power to do so? As she told Snow in this Once Upon a Time quote

You see in the end it isn't good or evil that wins. It's power. | permalink

As they stood in that clock tower, I found myself hoping that Snow would use the dagger to destroy Cora. She didn't and Johanna died anyway. 

If there was ever any doubt before, in that moment Cora proved herself to be pure evil. Perhaps the arrogance of it all will be her undoing. Snow did finally seem convinced that Cora's demise was a price worth paying for peace, even if it does darken her own soul.

Back in New York, Rumplestiltskin was treating Henry as though he had the plague. So much for grandfatherly love. The seer's warning still rang in his mind more than the happiness of finding his son or learning of his grandson.

Henry barely seemed to notice. He's too busy getting to know his dad and being angry at Emma for her lie. Hopefully he won't hold this grudge long. 

Neal's plan to get them back to Storybrooke was surprising. He knows how to sail a pirate ship. Impressive. 

The moment Neal told Emma things were complicated, I figured he had a girlfriend. He one upped me by making it a fiance. I'm sure the poor woman has no idea what she's gotten herself in to.  

Since all magic comes with a price, what will Rumplestiltskin end up paying to have magic save his life?

A few side notes…

  • To this day, Snow won't celebrate her birthday. That's really sad.
  • I loved Regina's boots as she was digging in the woods. Being an evil queen has its wardrobe perks.
  • Snow got her name because she was born during the harshest winter. Nice back story.
  • Hook took a crowbar to Charming's face? Yeah, I think it's going to take more than "apologies" to make up for that.

Do you think Cora's plan is to use Rumple to do her bidding, or to become the dark one herself?  Will Regina follow in her mother's footsteps?  Or will Snow White find her own dark side and bring them all down?

The Queen is Dead Review

Editor Rating: 4.6 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0 (113 Votes)

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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