Once Upon a Time: Season Four, Episode Fourteen

First Aired March 8th, 2015.

Snow White/Mary Margaret (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming/David (played by Josh Dallas) are on edge. They’re so worried about Ursula (played by Merrin Dungey) and Cruella (played by Victoria Smurfit) exposing their dark secret they can’t focus on anything else.

Ursula and Cruella steal a wooden box from Belle (played by Emilie de Ravin) at the pawn shop but they’re followed by David and Emma (played by Jennifer Morrison). David finds the box in Cruella’s car but is horrified to learn it contains something that belongs to Maleficent (played by Kristin Bauer). He and Mary Margaret realize they are trying to resurrect Maleficent and vow to stop them to protect their secret. Flashbacks show the Queens of Darkness offering to help Charming and Snow stop the Evil Queen/Regina’s (played by Lana Parilla) curse. They take a journey to a magical tree that will answer any questions of two valiant heroes. However, when guards prevent the evil women from passing, Maleficent turns into a dragon and slaughters them. Snow and Charming ditch them but instead of helping the tree knocks them away, which Maleficent claims is due to Snow’s pregnancy. Born of true love, their child has the potential to be good or evil, and could be one of the worst villains ever known.

You would think if Ursula and Cruella wanted to sell their lie of being reformed they would be more discreet, or at least not act so rudely to people. I wondered why David and Mary Margaret were so worried considering that whatever happened was a long time ago and in another realm. It would be their word against Ursula and Cruella. If anything, they just deny everything until they run those two out of town. Maleficent incinerating those guards was bad but it highlighted how Snow and Charming are too good for their own good. With the fate of your family and kingdom on the line, why not beat up the guards instead of wasting days going the long way? I’ve always been annoyed with how the heroes are generally so “good” they can’t even bend the rules for the greater good. Babies are born neutral and being “good” or “evil” is based on their upbringing, whether or not they’re born of “true love.”

Meanwhile, Regina and Henry (played by Jared Gilmore) continue the search for the elusive Author. She finds out that August Booth/Pinocchio (played by Eion Bailey) added pages to the book and may have known the Author. However, because Pinocchio reverted back to being a child (played by Jakob Davies), he has no memory and Regina becomes frustrated and threatens him. Geppeto/Marco (played by Tony Amendola) is furious and bans Regina from coming near Pinocchio. Regina later gives him a heartfelt apology so Marco gives her a bag August had as an adult and Henry finds information about the Author. While this is happening, David and Mary Margaret travel underground to destroy Maleficent’s ashes but get ambushed by Ursula and Cruella. They manipulated David and Mary Margaret into going there because they needed the blood of people who wronged Maleficent to resurrect her. Once she’s brought back, Maleficent vows to make David and Mary Margaret suffer for what they did to her.

I’m very curious to find out who the Author is but compared to the storyline with the evil Queens I find it boring so far. I think once the Author is revealed, that story will become more exciting when everyone tries forcing him/her to rewrite their happy endings. Whenever Regina gets angry or frustrated people always recall her past as the Evil Queen. Is she not allowed to get mad anymore without people thinking she’s bad again? It didn’t take long for Ursula and Cruella to abandon their “we’re good” personas. I thought it was a mistake for Mary Margaret and David not to tell Emma the truth, they’re desire to keep the secret is what led to Maleficent coming back. Emma had an issue with Hook (played by Colin O’Donoghue) not disclosing his past with Ursula but felt he could tell her on his own time. Not telling their daughter the truth or at least some of it will come back to bite them in the ass when she inevitably finds out.

Mary Margaret meets with Regina and asks her to go undercover and find out what the Queens of Darkness are up to. Regina asks what Mary Margaret did to Maleficent and she begs Regina to keep it secret, worried that if Emma ever found out she could go down a dark path. In order to ensure Emma grew up to be a hero, Mary Margaret and David caused Maleficent (who was also pregnant at the time) to lose her baby. Once Maleficent revealed she was pregnant in the flashback it was obvious she lost her baby long before Mary Margaret’s longwinded speech. I don’t think Snow and Charming actually killed her baby, but that would explain why they feel so guilty. I hope Regina doesn’t revert to being evil again, that would be a huge disservice to her character because she’s already done that and it would set back all the growth she’s had since.

Queens & Thoughts

“Should have known that Fish Sticks and Pound Puppy were here for more than a second chance.”

Belle is dating Will Scarlett/Knave of Hearts (played by Michael Socha). Not only has Belle moved on from Gold but this should help bring Will into the story more and expand on his character.

“When I’m finished, you won’t have a family left to hurt.”

I want to find out whether Maleficent had an affair with another villain or used magic to make herself a baby.

If you enjoyed Manny’s return to Storybrooke, you can find the rest of his work right HERE on Sci-Fi Bloggers. You can also follow him on Twitter @KN_Manny.

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