Miss last night’s episode? Here’s what you need to know about ONCE UPON A TIME’s “A Land Without Magic”
AIRDATE: 5/13/12 WRITERS: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz DIRECTOR: Dean White SYNOPSIS: As Henry’s life hangs in the balance following last week’s killer dessert, Emma and Regina are left with no choice but to turn to… gulp… Mr. Gold in an effort to save his life. A choice that results in some fairly serious ramifications for the land that formerly was without magic. Meanwhile, in the land of magic, Prince Charming frees himself from the Queen’s evil clutches (Hat Tip: Huntsman!) and strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin in order to save Snow White’s life which, much like Henry’s, also hangs in the balance following one helluva rotten apple. INTRODUCED: A true Belieber believer in Emma who faced with Henry’s impending doom finally clues into what the rest of us have been screaming at our television for the better part of twenty-two episodes (Read: Henry’s fairytales are real!). Also of note, the introduction of Mr. Gold’s true endgame that saw him use Emma to help retrieve the one piece of magic needed to unleash a surprisingly fashion forward purple smoke monster responsible for returning both magic and memories to the sleepy denizens of Storybrooke. Double Gulp! NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “YOU DID THIS!” screamed an understandably furious Emma as she threw Regina against the wall and accused her of being responsible for Henry’s hospitalization. LESSON LEARNED: Emma Swan clearly isn’t a fan of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, how else to explain her falling for the oldest trick in the book that saw her carelessly toss the enchanted egg (Think: keys to the magic kingdom) recovered from the deceased Maleficent’s body (in dragon form) to Mr. Gold! That said, on a more serious note, the big takeaway from Sunday’s finale was that true love’s kiss is indeed as powerful as advertised, with Charming saving Snow and Emma managing to do the same for Henry thanks to the proverbial peck on the cheek (or in the case of Charming and Snow, incredibly romantic traffic-stopping smooch in the center of Storybrooke!) CRITIQUE: Complete with a cadre of familiar faces (The Huntsman! Bell! Jefferson! Maleficent!) Sunday’s ONCE UPON A TIME season finale didn’t just live up to our expectations in terms of what co-creators Adam Horitwiz and Eddie Kitsis’ characterized as a “deeply satisfying and surprising one,” it exceeded them. “A Land Without Magic” not only managed to reward those loyal viewers who had invested the time into the show’s fantastic first season by answering virtually all of the questions put forth at the start of the series, it culminated with a deliciously evil final scene that left audiences breathlessly awaiting to find out what happens next. Fairytale ending indeed. GRADE: A
ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8PM on ABC (7PM on CTV in Canada) Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv