"Once Upon a Time" Recap: "Unforgiven"

Written by Shae

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Sometimes even the best of people do the worst of things with the best of intentions. This episode, we saw Charming and Snow trying to protect their deepest secret from Emma…and everyone else. It seems as though Cruella and Ursula are up to something when they waltz into Gold’s old shop, which Belle now runs. Ursula steals something and the two flee. But Charming is watching them and searches Cruella’s car. He takes something and lets them leave. Snow is dead set on not letting anyone find out what happened back in the enchanted forest between the five of them, and that includes lying to Emma.

Hook has a past with Ursula, but he won’t say what, which irritates Emma, but she finally gives in and just accepts that he’ll eventually tell her. Meanwhile, Regina and Henry are combing over the book when Regina notices some pages are different. The book was modified by August, who was/is now a young Pinocchio. So, they invite the young boy and his father over to see if Pinocchio has any memory of the book. They even have Emma come over to see if she can jog his memory, but nothing works. In a fit of frustration Regina loses it and snaps at the kid, which makes Gepetto yell at her. There’s a lot of yelling in this episode…but Regina can’t just leave things be. Well, not the ‘new Regina’ anyway. She seeks the former toy maker out and gives him the apology he deserves. Which prompts him to help her. He gives her the backpack August kept with him, in hopes it helps. After all, August was able to take the book apart and put it back together. Maybe he had a clue as to who the Author was?

Snow and Charming are busy being sneaky as they head down to the cave under the library. After all, Emma did kill Maleficent down there. A pile of dust awaits them, and they’re quickly knocked out by Ursula and Cruella. Gold appears and offers Cruella a knife before leaving. He can’t be seen, or suspected of having anything to do with this, after all. Cruella slices a cut on both their hands and holds it over the ashes. In a swirl of dust and magic, Maleficent is back. And a bit irritated. But, she just wants Snow to suffer like she has. What did Snow do to her?

Back in the enchanted forest, Maleficent, Cruella, and Ursula had gone to Snow and Charming. They knew Regina had stolen the curse from the Dragon and wanted to stop it. Their attempts to speak to the magical all-knowing tree, however, didn’t work out. All because Snow is pregnant. So Maleficent comes to Snow to ask for help one on one. Saying she’s pregnant too and they have to stop Regina before the curse happens. Snow refuses to work with Maleficent because she’s a villain.

Present day, Snow asks Regina not to tell anyone what she’s about to tell her. She needs Regina’s help. She needs Regina to go undercover and find out what those three are planning. She knows it’s bad because she knows what she did to Maleficent. Emma is as light as it gets, because she is the savior, right? But her heart has potential for great darkness….but Snow and Charming did something to ensure Emma wouldn’t become evil. Whatever they did cost Maleficent her baby…how? I’m dying to know!

And Gold? He just wants a second chance with Belle…or a billionth chance. But has she finally moved on? It might just look that way...

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