ONCE UPON A TIME – “Nasty Habits”

Reader discretion is advised. Once Upon a Time… In a mysterious island known as Neverland, Tinkerbell joined the alliance of Emma, Snow White, Prince Charming, Captain Hook, and the Evil Queen, but warns them that the only way they will get off the island is if Pan allows it. Meanwhile, through the magical properties of flight Neal found his way back to Neverland… just as Pan had wanted. Read ahead for our detailed recap and review of Season 3, Episode 4 of “Once Upon a Time”

Neal arrives at Neverland, and is immediately confronted by the likes of Felix, the lead Lost Boy. Fortunately for Neal he is able to do away with Felix, temporarily, giving him the opportunity to find Henry.

We as a viewer are flashed back to a time when Rumpelstiltskin was still the most intimidating figure in his village. He gives his son, Baelfire, aka Neal, a gift that he gained through force. Baelfire compels his father to see reason and allow him to get out there in the world. Rumpel’s insecurity in prohibiting Baelfire to leave his home is grounded in his fear of loneliness.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Nasty Habits”

Back to the present story, Rumpel puts on war paint, and speaks to Belle’s humanity by saying that he has nothing to live for; however, Belle challenges this point and says that him returning to Storybrooke where she actually is will be his happy ending. Lastly, Rumpel firmly believes that although Henry may be his undoing, based off of the prophecy of the seer, he now wants to redeem the “death” of his son through Henry.

Back in the Dark Forest, Emma strategizes with her mom, Snow White, while Tinkerbell tells the alliance about dream shade, which the Lost Boys poison their bows with. Having been hit by one of those bows Charming, aggravated, ends that conversation, shifting it back to Tink who questions if they have an escape plan. Unfortunately, due to the spontaneity of their call to adventure, they hadn’t created an escape plan. This sends a chill through Tinkerbell, who proclaims that if Pan doesn’t want you to leave Neverland then you won’t.

Back to Rumpelstiltskin, who is on the move in trying to get Henry back. Rumpel approaches Pan’s camp, and uses a sleeping spell to knock out two of the Lost Boys who are standing by, when suddenly… Father and son, Rumpel and Baelfire, the Dark One and Neal, are standing to face to face. Rumpel honestly believed that he would never see him again, and questions the credibility if that’s truthfully his son, or if it’s just a façade just like Belle is. Finally he comes to terms with his preconceived notion, after emotionally creating an exterior of strength, and goes on a quest with Neal to save Henry.

Later on while on their quest for Henry, Neal explains that he was able to get to Neverland by paying a debt to Robin Hood. Neal questions why Rumpel’s not with Emma and the alliance, and Rumpel retorts that they don’t have the stomach to die for their cause, whereas he does. Later, Neal comes out with how he was able to escape the island, squid ink. So he takes his father to the shore and capture a squid, due to the squid ink’s magical properties. With the ink at their disposal, Rumpel wonders questions their ability to eliminate Pan, but Neal with vigor states that he will be able to get him in one clean shot.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Nasty Habits”

With that, we are transported back into an era of yesteryear, where Pan has played on the ignorance and naivete of these boys who are lost. As he is then, the Dark One, is disgusted at the notion of his son, Baelfire, being lost and longing for something outside of what his father has provided for him. Then they briefly allude to a former relationship they had when they were children, only to dismiss that relationship, and have things come to a head. Pan says that the Dark One only clings to Baelfire because he knows that just like his father and wife that all of those that were once close to him will eventually leave him. With that the Dark One takes control of the situation, finds his son among many, and casts a spell to get them home.

Baelfire is upset that his father didn’t allow him to take Peter Pan’s deal, which was to allow Baelfire to choose if he wanted to stay in Neverland or return home. Balefire believes he would have come home, if he only had been given the chance. Sadly, although it’s in his better judgement to protect him for the Dark One, this is the breaking point for Baelfire and he runs away.

Back in reality, Pan is trying to convince Henry that he should be celebrating with all of the other Lost Boys. However, Henry sees it differently, and sees there to be no cause for celebration. Pan is pulled away from his conversation with Henry, as Felix approaches the camp with a look upon his face of grave concern. Through the power of deduction Felix and Peter Pan realize that the Dark One and Baelfire are now working together, and although Felix argues to move Henry, Peter wonder where all the fun in that would be.

After quite a journey, the odd alliance is seen inside the cave in order to find a way off of the island. Emma, being the savior, eventually comes across a coconut, which has holes penetrated into it. When the two halves are closed, there is a light source from within, and the light is cut from within the cave, a map in the on the cave’s wall is revealed. Emma quickly puts it together that using that map they now have a means on how to get off of the island.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Nasty Habits”

On another part of the island, Rumpel and Baelfire are in hot pursuit to take out Peter Pan, and save Henry from his brainwashing, once and for all. Rumpel walks in as bait and knocks out all of the Lost Boys in one clean swoop, with the exception of Peter. Peter calls out Baelfire who he knows is hiding in the brush, and with that gets a clean shot to his heart. Unfortunately he catches the arrow, but with the squid ink on the end of the arrow, it casts a freezing spell. Forcing Peter’s hand as he tells Neal about the prophecy that Henry would be his father’s undoing, and that’s the true motivation in him helping Neal out.

Neal gets further out of the camp, and then begins to confront his father, Rumpelstiltskin. Initially, Rumpel is very dismissive and nonchalant about the whole situation, but as the tensions further, Rumple implores Neal to see that he’s changed, and that his ulterior motive to kill Henry no longer exists. He pushes on that his happy ending is being with Neal, not to kill Henry in the aims of self preservation.In fact, although he’s as honest as he could be in this moment, Neal still uses the squid ink, out of fear for his son. With that Neal lifts Henry and carries on, and in one of the most compelling moments I series or primetime television history, Rumpel weeps, at the condition that his relationship is in with his son.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Nasty Habits”

Emma is thrilled at the prospect of using the map, but therein lies the problem. Without Neal, who the alliance believes is dead, to guide them, they are again back to square one on an exit strategy. Only with the mapmaker, Neal, will they be able to read the keys that unlock the map. This makes Emma distraught, so she goes outside the cave, and vents. She voices the fact that after years of thinking that Neal didn’t love her only, and only to later on find out that he did, she feels powerless. She can’t tell him how hurt and terrified she felt when she saw him. As she rushes back in, Snow White and Prince Charming comes to have the resolve to move on if he dies, but she just won’t accept that potential reality.

Neal lays down Henry, and gets encircled by Pan and the Lost Boys. Felix grabs Henry, while Pan goes on a diatribe about how he thought it was to Neal’s detriment not to have his father there to protect him. But furthers the point in saying that who would protect Henry from Rumple? Pan says that the game has changed.

Rumple has a heart to heart with Belle wondering why Neal could ever trust him again. Bell believes Rumple at his core is pure of heart, and questions why he’s upset that Baelfire is alive. With that turn of events Rumple casts Bells away.

Henry remembers hearing Neal; however, Pan glazes over that fact, and presses on that Henry can bring the magic back, and that the Lost Boys and Pan can be his family. Henry starts to hear the music and becomes brainwashed into becoming a Lost Boy.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “Nasty Habits”

There were far more illuminating nuances to this episode than I anticipated. I thought it was going to be more action packed and high octane. Yet it most reset some relationships that such as Snow and Charming who have yet to come to terms with his impending death. In addition it reevaluated where Henry and Pan are as his brainwashing is slowing taking hold over Henry. Finally, it simplified the core problems in Neal and Rumpel’s relationship, which is a lack of forgiveness on Neal’s part and a driving sense of ambition on Rumpel’s part to protect himself and Neal.

In the preview, we as the viewer get Captain Hooks’ backstory is revealed, and Henry looks like he’s being trained by the Lost Boys. Emma persists that Pan started the war, when they took her son. Hook makes a move on Emma, and Charming threatens Hook to stay away from his daughter.

What did you think of this episode? Leave your thoughts below!