"Once Upon a Time" Recap: "The Price"

Written by Shae

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

All right, admittedly this season’s first episode didn’t exactly grab ahold of me, however, episode two…kind of ripped my heart out of my chest and held it tightly. I’m not going to lie, Emma as the Dark One is really working for me. For whatever reason, she really is fantastic at being evil. The back and forth is oddly working for me this time around, I don’t know why I’ve struggled with this in the past, but I really have. 

This season is lining up to really just…be epic from what I can gather so far. I’m hoping my expectations aren’t too high already, but, things happen. In the Enchanted Forest and the Kingdom of Camelot, we have a grand ball about to happen six weeks in the past. Regina has announced herself as the Savior, which isn’t boding well with Emma, but, Regina does have a point. Emma can’t use her magic, after all the more she does, the more she turns…right?

But, the ball doesn’t go as planned. Percival realizes who the ‘Savior’ is, or rather that Regina the Evil Queen is amongst them and he’s a little unhappy about it. Enough so that he tries to kill her (I mean, she burned his village when he was a kid, so it’s fair. I’ve also stopped questioning how everyone is somehow just the same age as everyone else, despite the obvious fact that it’s impossible…but Magic!) only he stabs and kills Robin instead. The only one who can save him is Emma, and she does…ignoring the figment of her imagination that is Rumple. Everything comes with a price, Emma just wasn’t willing to let Regina pay. I don’t mind that Emma is attempting to be selfless, I just feel that this is why she ends up going full dark side on everyone. Which, seems like a plausible reason as to how we all get from Fighting the Darkness to Dark One Emma!

Robin Lives! Or does he? Fast forward to present day and it seems Once Upon A Time's version of a Hell Hound has come to collect the soul of the life that was spared. Though, really, just any life. A life for a life, as it is in all of these types of deals. Only, Regina can’t stop it. Emma refuses to help, and points out that it really is Regina’s fault and her debt to pay, so she needs to do that! Kind of hard to do when everyone’s memories are missing, and Emma isn’t willing to really fill them in. Probably with good reason. Regina is struggling to handle things. She’s determined to save the day at whatever cost. This sudden switch in character roles is quite fun! Finally, Regina faces the demonic beast attempting to take her boy toy, offering her life, only to find that she truly isn’t alone. Does love kill this beast? Probably more like the script decided that a bunch of people holding hands can overcome most things…either way, Robin is saved.

Emma is still being evil, or is she? I feel she’s up to something more than what we see. It seems she has Excalibur down in her basement, sheathed within the stone. Once the Dagger and sword are reunited, made whole, it seems the Dark One will be able to do something no other before her could…vanquish the light forever. Thankfully, she can’t pull it from the stone, not without paying whatever that price is….which leaves a huge cliff hanger for next week, and really, I have no patience, so this is going to be torture.

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