ONCE UPON A TIME – “Lost Girl”

Once Upon a Time…. There was a boy kidnapped by Peter Pan and held hostage on the dark and demented island of Neverland. Rumpelstiltskin’s past comes back to haunt him. And with an unlikely band of companions Emma forges ahead with the Evil Queen, Snow White, Captain Hook, and Prince Charming to save her son from suffering the same fate that she did. The second episode of Season 3’s “Once Upon A Time” on ABC, centers around Emma coming to terms to who she is for her own sake and the betterment of her child, Henry. Read ahead for our full episode recap and review…and try to think happy thoughts!

After being given a map by the treacherous Peter Pan, Emma is told that in order for the map to unlock it that she must fully embrace and come to terms with who she truly is. Initially she is unwilling to open her mind up, and so the Evil Queen, Regina, takes matters into her own hands and places a locator spell on the blank map, and with the allies take off and embark upon a journey. The spell leads them to a vicious battle with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, as Peter questions Emma’s commitment to embracing her truer self. After the battle the Lost Boys, per Peter’s leadership slip into the Dark Forest. Ultimately, at the end of the episode the highly anticipated mother daughter conversation occurred between Snow White and Emma Swan. In the conversation some wounds inflicted by her parents, Snow White and Prince Charming, have seemed to make her question her self worth as nobody was there for her in the foster system. This feeling of isolationism and fear was what Emma saw on the faces of one of the Lost Boys during the battle. This scene was easily the best scene of acting work for not only Jennifer Morrison but also Ginnifer Goodwin. They had a great balance between Stanislavski and Eisner method, and it was one of those rare moments in television when you genuinely wanted to cry for what Emma was going through on camera.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Lost Girl”

The B story line depicts the struggle that the villagers of the Enchanted Forrest went through before and after Snow White’s waking up. Although initially Snow considers the Evil Queens offer of going with the dwarves to exile or to stay and fight until the bitter death. In Snow’s nature she prefers avoiding the violent conflict so she makes concessions; however, Charming knows that if he can just get her to take ownership over her land that she will battle the Queen head to head. Through Charming’s dealings with Rumpelstiltskin he is reminded of Excalibur. With that Snow and Charming go on a faux journey to find it, Snow pulls it from the stone under the belief that it’s real. Yet after cutting the Evil Queen and staking her claim to the Enchanted Forest, Charming’s manipulation backfires and Snow confronts him about the fake sword. Ultimately she is able to see past it, and show the leadership to take back her kingdom from the Evil Queen.

This was easily one of my favorite episode from a narrative and production standpoint for two primary reasons. From a narrative standpoint the illusion of Belle, which basically serves as Rumpelstiltskin’s better angels. Secondly the closing sequence between Emma and Peter in which he not only says that Henry hasn’t forgiven her, but that he’ll never want to leave this island, and that soon she’ll be an orphan again. Although their dynamic moments the simplicity of it all really helps distill exactly what these leading figures are going to.

I am thrilled at the prospect of Tinkerbell next week and what looks to be a tumultuous relationship between the Evil Queen and Tinkerbell. Tragically I think Prince Charming’s bruise will play a far greater role than even he’s anticipated in creating a physical hardship for the group.

Gold throws a fire into the wood. He pulls the dagger that makes him the dark one and cuts his dagger from his body. “Hide it where no one can find it not even me.” Gold’s shadow runs the dagger that gives his body away.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Lost Girl”

The unlikely alliance cuts through the forest. Charming wants to go through the more challenging area. Once they get across the forest the dark forest is across the world and they decide it’s best to set up camp before they go to pursue Henry. Regina, Hook, Charming go to set up camp and Snow and Emma talk.

Charming wakes up Snow White. The Evil Queen offers Snow White a deal. She says if she allows them to go into exile so that they can spend their days knowing that she took everything is yours. The Evil Queen chokes a village person and makes an ultimatum that for every day they don’t leave she’ll kill one of her loyal subjects.

Cut back to today and Emma wakes up. She leaves camp while hearing some noises. Peter Pan tells her that he’ll give her a map that will lead him straight to her son. He said that the path to find Henry is on that parchment. It’s not about finding Henry it’s about how you do it. You can only read the map when you stop denying who you are.

Regina questions peter Pan’s intentions, and say for every minute they don’t look for Henry. Regina wants to use the magic on the map. Snow has faith, and says we have to give them time.

Snow, Charming, and the dwarves counsel each other about their next month. Snow’s belief that they should leave. Grumpy questions Snows intentions and his potential for the crown not true love.

Charming goes to Rumple in order for him to realize who she really is through magic. Rumple can tell there is someone near his camp. The thief grabs the straw doll that he is attached to, and he says that he is not going to all them run off with it. She turns and it’s revealed to be Belle who we last found in Storybrooke before they embarked on the journey to Neverland.

Rumple is speechless with her being there and tells her that he hasn’t completely become her. He wonders if the protection spell is working. She says that you created an image of her not Pan.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Lost Girl”

Charming is told that belief must come from within from Rumple. He says that he can’t take no for an answer. Rumple tells him of a magical weapon that’s a half days ride from there. She nails the target with Charming’s help.

Emma comes to the conclusion that she is the savior and says it over the map. With that the map does nothing. Regina takes the situation in her own hands and uses a locator spell. Regina challenges Emma as a leader.

Bells and Rumple go through the forest to the ledge of the forest and questions why she’d here. He tells Belle Pan’s deal with him, and she argues that the wrong decision. The straw doll was the last thing Rumple has from his father. Belle disappears into the forest. He stares into the straw doll and releases it into the forest.

Emma is leading the group using the map when the map stops. Hook calls pan a “bloody demon.” Snow reassures Emma of everything.

Charming and Snow look for the weapon and decide to do the rest of the journey on foot. Charming addresses his concerns with the dwarf. They come across on the Sword in the Stone, which was created by Merlin. Charming tries to get it out, but says only the true ruler will allow it to be released to. Snow pulls the sword out and Charming reassures that Snow is the kingdom’s true ruler.

The allegiance comes upon Pan who she believes that it is Henry before he turns around to reveal himself. Pan says because of her form that she won’t be seeing Henry and without all of Pan’s Lost Boy and allies encircle the allegiance.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Lost Girl”

The allies brace for battle, and hook warns of the arrows. Emma is surprised by one of the boy’s age. Everyone looks in true form in battle, and as Peter ends it he says that once Emma stops denying who she really is then she’ll be able to find Henry, and that he’ll send Henry her regards.

The Evil Queen comes and Snow draws the sword of Camelot. The Evil Queen exits her carriage. Snow says that she couldn’t leave her people not with you. The Evil Queen chokes out Grumpy and she takes ownership over the kingdom after cutting the Queen in the face.

Emma wants her alone time after feeling as though she’s failed Henry. Emma questions her faith in her ability to be a savior. Emma stopped fighting because when she looked at his face she saw herself. The look in his eyes the despair was the same thing she had in the foster system. She was a lost little girl who didn’t matter. Who cried herself to sleep at night. Who could never understand why they gave her up. She doesn’t feel on that island that she’s a hero. She feels like an orphan. With that the map takes form as she finally accepted who she was. Emma apologizes and Snow is starting to come to terms with that.

Snow is in the forest to discuss the deal that she searched for something strong enough to find Excalibur. The sword is revealed to be a fake that Charming created. The dwarves join Charming and apologize for doubting their intentions. Charming toasts to starting over, and later tells Snow he had that confidence within her the whole time.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Lost Girl”

Emma brings the map and gives it to hook. Emma questions if rum is his answer to everything, and how she unlocked the map, and flirts.

Rumple hears things around him and slowly moves through the forest. Looking up he sees the straw doll fall down from the sky. He wonders where it came from and creates fire and burns it and with it the memory so his father. Within another step  the straw doll is sitting on the floor as if it were never burned.

Pan asks Emma if he can call her a Lost Girl, and says that Henry hasn’t forgiven her and that he’ll never want to leave this island and that she’ll be an orphan again. Charming looks at his cut and it’s far deeper than anticipated.

What do you think of the pacing and storyline of the show thus far? Was it just me or was there a lot of swordplay this episode? Drop your comments below…see you next week!