Wow.
That was not what I expected. It was very satisfying, though.
What do you think?
Please vote in the poll and discuss in the comments below.
My initial reaction is after the jump (total spoiler if you haven’t seen the episode yet):
I did not expect Emma to become a total believer just minutes after the episode started. And I certainly didn’t expect her to lift the curse. I didn’t think that would happen for another couple of years. And then, just as I was wondering where the show could possibly go next — it seemed as if everything had already been resolved — Rumple unleashes the purple fog.
And Regina grins.
And another epic battle begins.
Also, poor Belle. She gets her love, but now, it seems, he wants to become the Dark Lord again.
…………Oh. My. God.
I absolutely loved this! I thought everything was a surprise, and totally unexpected. I’m super glad how it turned out. I never really believed Henry was dead though. I knew that Emma’s kiss would bring him back. I’m just so crazy right now. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. Haha
I cannot wait to find out where this show is going next season.
Also, can anyone tell me what day the show is expected to return? I know that filming starts July 16, but I mean like when it actually airs.
Had the same reactions and also didn’t really think Henry was dead — well, I did for a few moments, but then, no.
I don’t think they’ve announced the Season 2 starting date yet.
Gold redid the curse! So did he let Regina remember like she let him because their was no deal like they had before she did the curse? So Emma won’t remember now either along with Henry? PS she was super dumb for throwing up the true love to him! Is Maleficent really dead or does Gold redoing the curse make that unhappen? Oh my Gosh it was so good and not what I expected, everything wrapped up and all restarted for season 2. What about August – does Gold’s new curse undo him as well! WOW!
I don’t think he “re-did” the curse. I do think he brought magic into Storybrooke.
OMG !!!
Ok, first, that was WAYYYY too much to throw into one episode. All of the sudden, Emma believes when she holds the book. She’s held that @#!$% book many, many times. So she goes (in LESS than one episode) from denial to:
1) all of the sudden believing everything
2) seeing a dragon in our world (Holy @#$! That’s enough for 1 episode)
2) Shooting said dragon w/ a 9mm Glock (or whatever she used). LOL
3) Waking up Henry
4) Breaking an ENTIRE curse!! REALLY???
Come on writers!!!! That was pure cr#$ !!!!
Anybody else notice she fired WAY too many shots for one clip?
The writers have failed as far as I’m concerned. They could have paced themselves much better. All-in-all it was a complete disappointment to me.
The episode catered to the unimaginative and ‘quick fix because we need a new season’ viewer. Real writers for a real show would keep every episode awesome. Ever see ’24’ ???
I disagree that Rumple re-enacted the curse. Although it was 8:15, he explicitly stated that the well (plus the true love potion) will restore that which one had lost. Everybody, I’m sure, saw Regina’s grin. Gold also stated that magic has now entered our world.
I hope the writers deliver better thought-out stories next season. I really really really would like the “LOST” writers to THINK before they write and publish…… not put out garbage then rush to fill in their copious quantities of mistakes.
Maybe they can bring in better writers. Maybe some people with forethought. Now THAT would be the real MAGIC!
My opinion summarized:
Poorly written, VERY rushed, no explanations, poor explanations to ‘back-fill’ the previous bad explanations. This is LOST all over again. Writers pulling garbage out of thin air without forethought or reason and creating an anarchic environment with time travel, multiple dimensions, and a make-it-up-as-we-go attitude. Heck without those restrictions, I could to do that!! Write stuff off the cuff, then worry about the consequences later.
They did pack a lot in, but I liked that because it was so unexpected — I enjoy being surprised. I thought everything in the episode fit and made sense (and I don’t always think that about the show).
Your analysis is way off the mark. Emma didn’t “suddenly” believe anything, this has been building for many episodes, her relationship with August, the Jefferson story, it didn’t just happen. The whole season has been building up to Emma breaking the curse, now granted, the writers have totally changed the show, but that just opens up new storytelling possibilities. It’s challenging, but not poorly written. Yes, a lot happened, but that’s what you want in a season finale. If you want a show that explains everything, then please watch something else, these are the writers behind LOST so please stop complaining. Write and produce your own show if you are so disappointed. This was great postmodern storytelling.
Interesting discussion, but please, no personal sniping — this is a kinder and gentler blog. State your opinion and disagree with other people’s opinions all you want, but please don’t attack other commenters personally for their opinions or tell them what they should do or think (i.e., don’t tell people what they should or shouldn’t watch, whether they should or should not complain, etc.).
I agree with everything you said. Copied and added one word because it’s worth to read it again: “Emma didn’t “suddenly” believe anything, this has been building for many episodes, her relationship with August, the Jefferson story, it didn’t just happen. The whole season has been building up to Emma BELIEVING and breaking the curse.”
Do you think Regina will get Daniel back?!
I respectfully disagree :), but value your opinion. Yes, I wholeheartedly understand your argument (or rather Daniel’s argument) that her dealings with Jefferson, August, and Graham have been leading up to her acceptance; however, I feel they should have made a better attempt to show her progress. (Now, just to show you I’m not a total ogre :), they did show Emma taking time to read the book after her bizarre incident w/ Jefferson, etc. Just feel they should have done more)
I think it would have made a better story if they peeled back her disbelief in layers by having her SHOW IT during the season. (or at least a few episodes). I just didn’t like the whole
— *FLASH*!!! OMG, I *DO* believe in magic!
— Also, I *DO* believe these stories are real, and
— OH !! I do believe I am Snow White’s daughter and
— OH YES, everybody here *IS* a fairytale character!!
all in the span of 5 seconds, and off to slay a Dragon 10 minutes later.
Another person on another blog said it better when they said, “The ‘believing’ should have been more of a process”.
Once again, it’s just my personal opinion.
I do like the concept of the show, I really do ! Otherwise I wouldn’t be on here.
It did make me laugh when she encountered Malificent in the mines. I was trying to put myself in her shoes remembering that all she knows is our world, and then all of the sudden she’s in front of a real live 20 ft dragon!! She looks at the sword, “Scr!% this!” Throws it down, takes out a pistol and starts shooting at it.
I expect to see a lynch Mob after Regina in season 2. Also, for some reason I don’t think Rumple is going to soon forget her lying to him about Belle and keeping her prisoner. As a matter of fact, I think he’s gonna be out for blood.
Now that the curse is broken, and Magic is in our world, are there any boundaries? Is everything contained in Storybrooke, or can Regina/ Rumple try to gain more power in a higher office such as Governor of the state? Anything is possible with Magic right?
Remember August’s speech about how water is magic? It connects everything. Rivers to oceans, oceans to land, blah blah. (However that speech went)
Actually I am going to agree with you, the FLASH moment was kind of cheesy, but she still needed confirmation, she got Regina to admit it, then talked directly to Gold, then she saw August as wood then fought the dragon.
I don’t agree about your comments on LOST either. Several other bloggers made the same remarks about the storylines, but as a writer myself I know that it is a bit of both. Yes, writers do pull stuff out of thin air, but EVERY writer does that. You think Shakespeare’s plays were original? Nope. The writers of OUAT are using Grimm fairytales as a base to tell us something about ourselves here in the postmodern 21st century. In a way, they are telling parables. Now I can’t imagine what it’s like to write for a TV show, but they do have deadlines and it takes weeks to produce an episode so they have to outline or plan out the story MONTHS in advance. I can’t imagine the pressure they must be under right now.
Writing off the cuff is not what they are doing. Granted, no writer can predict everything that happens in a story, the best part of my novel writing is when a situation occurs to me in the heat of inspiration. This is the way inspiration happens.
To me, this season of OUAT felt far more planned out than LOST ever did. The ending felt exactly right, as if it was the first thing the writers had written, with all the earlier episodes written later to lead up to it. (I have no idea if that’s how they actually wrote it, but that’s what it felt like to me when I watched it.)
A lot of things that seemed iffy to me earlier in the season were resolved in a satisfying way in the finale. For example, I had doubts all along about whether Regina really loved Henry or not — the writing, I felt, was very ambiguous about that, especially in the Pilot — but in the finale, it was clear that she did.
Another example — earlier, I thought it was ambiguous about whether or not Emma really believed in the curse. I knew that we were supposed to think she didn’t, but there was enough ambiguity there that I didn’t completely buy it, especially in moments such as the one where she opened Henry’s book and saw a picture of Jefferson there. The ending resolved that question very cleanly. Now she really knows, and the question is behind us, and we can move on to another.
LOST’s first season was far more improvised. Damon Lindelof admitted as much, after the show was over. The writers were throwing out mysteries that they didn’t know the answers to, and they had to figure out solutions after the fact, when the show turned out to have a longer run than they had expected.
LOST, though, with all its flaws, will always be a brilliant achievement that no other show will ever match, much less surpass. And at some point, the comparisons between LOST and OUAT break down because they are different kinds of shows. OUAT is a family show about hope and love, with its roots in ancient folk tales. LOST was an angsty adult show about philosophy and friendship, with its roots in science fiction.
The real test for OUAT will come, I think, next year. This first year felt very solid to me and all of a piece. I do believe they had all the story arcs of the first season planned out in advance. But did they think further ahead than that to what would happen in the second and subsequent seasons? Or will it feel improvised or tacked on? I think we’re in good hands with the writers and the actors, so I’m betting on them pulling it off.
Maybe you’re onto something. I don’t know if it’s ever been done before. Consider one season telling one story with a bunch of supporting stories or weekly shows. Maybe there is a master story board where the last show of the seaon is written first. Maybe they have even pondered the master series finale already, given that the show has maybe a 5 year life span. After you know where you are going to end up it’s easier to hold story continuity in getting there. I really liked that about this season and how it ended with most of the story being revealed with a teaser in the season finale giving the viewer a voracious appetite for another story, which we’ll have to wait for untill next season. I hope the writers are taking this approach. What fun jobs they have.;) OUAT is not just a show about when a curse will be broken or when some person comes to believe in magic but rather a story of the circumstances that happen to a group of people where magic is as normal in their day to day lives as apple pie is to us.
Sassy: “Do you think Regina will get Daniel back?!”
I never thought of that before, but it’s possible. In both worlds of the show, dead is dead — but ripping someone’s heart out may not necessarily kill them, as we saw with the Huntsman, who lived on after Regina reached in and pulled out his heart. So there is a chance that Daniel might not really be dead, and his heart could be in a box in one of FTL’s heart vaults. I’d say it’s a really long shot, but not impossible.
But just because Gold/Rump bought back magic to the land doesn’t mean it is for everyone, he could of just gave himself all his power/magic that he had before Regina did the curse. That is still bringing back magic to the land. The clock did go to 8:15. It was a lot but I think that it was really good and totally left it for a lot of guessing on all of our parts for next season and what they are going to do and how they will tie other fairy tales into the mix. Going to be very interesting to see what they do next season.
I don’t think the curse was restored, despite the clock turning to 7:15. I think Rumple restored his magical powers and also Regina’s — for some purpose that we don’t yet know — something beyond the love of power for its own sake.
You mean 8:15, not 7:15
Right, 8:15.
The episode was quite packed and did leave us with many unanswered questions. A few that I have are: How did Jefferson know that Belle was in the mental ward(and I did feel as if the Belle/Mr. Gold/Rumple reunion was a bit rushed)? If everyone in Storybrooke now remembers who they really are will they remember their Storybrooke selves/lives? And of all scenes to cut short why did it have to be the Snow and Charming Storybrooke reunion kiss???? We’ve waited all season for that!
Can’t imagine what’s in store for season two but a family reunion with Emma and her parents would be amazing.
I think the purple fog did a whole reset. Notice the tower clock is now 8:15 again. I think everyone will go back to being in the dark with the exception of the EQ, Rumple, Belle, and Jefferson. I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts over in Boston with Henry knocking on Emma’s door. I think the sheriff will be back. One curse was broke, Henry waking up, and the FTL curse half broke. Remember the towns people didn’t return to FTL. The towns people were awoke (my guess) only until the purple fog came rolling through town. Rumple planned all along to bring magic to Storybrooke, cause he’s going to need it to find Bael. There’s no reason for Rumple to go home yet. I always wondered why the windows in the library were covered over. )))
I’m not sure if it did a total reset. If it did, then Rumple and Belle won’t be reunited. I think it is a different curse that brings magic to SB. Also, it will be the only way to keep everyone in SB long enough for Bael to come save everyone. You see, what Rumple wants is a reunion with his son. If he didn’t cast another spell, especially when he did (At the exact time everyone was remembering who they were) they may have all gone back to FTL, and the reunion between him and his son will not happen. Also, what would be in it for Rumple if he keeps everyone from having their happy ending (finding each other)? That was Regina’s wish and the curse she wanted. What better way to upstage Regina and get under her skin than to allow everyone to be together? Ultimately she is the one left all alone. But I do believe her magic will be restored. SO this next season should be interesting in seeing how everything plays out! I thought it was a great season finale. You definitely don’t want all the questions answered in a season finale, only a series finale. Gotta have something to look forward to!
I didn’t want to admit it to myself but I think you’re right … and MAN that’s a letdown. I cannot wait to see how this unfolds for season 2.
I think next season will be a bit like the movie “Ground Hogs Day”. Everything will be back to where it was before Emma showed. There will be slight variations. Rumple may regret beating Belle’s father considering the EQ had her imprisoned in both lands. Haha. Well that part won’t happen next season. Just wonder if Belle will recognize dear old dad at the florist shop? Should be interesting.
I hope it dont start over with everyone being in the dark. That would be disappointing and not worth watching. But, I loved this episode. It was kinda rushed to see Emma finally believing, but you would do/say/believe anything to save your child. Besides, she did watch him eat the dessert and pass out. I couldnt believe the Regina revealed herself. I really wished Emma could have been with her parents. All in all, I liked it. I’m not going to over analyze a make-believe tv show. Thats dumb… Its not going to make sense. Its fiction, if they pull stuff out of thin air so be it. Why complain about someone elses imagination? I just like being entertained.
You are absolutely correct, if you were entertained the writers, actors, and producers did their job!
Great finale. So glad Things got resolved and not more complicated. I hate clifhangers in between seasons. Looking forward to magical storybrook- season 2!
I just thought he was unleashing magic into the world i didn’t think he was making everything go back to the way it was.
I thought he was doing it so he could go find Bae, I half expected him to bring back when he tipped it into the water.
So who died was it Maleficent or August?
I hope it wasn’t August
I think NOW…they will be in the modern world, with magic, and with their memories…of BOTH lives. They’ll have, basically, two sets of active memories, their FTL ones and their SB ones. That’s got to be confusing.
And, now that they all remember, what will Gepetto do upon finding wooden August? What about Grumpy and Nova? There are a lot of little sidestories that’ll need to be revisited, don’t you think?
And then, too: Archie. Magic’s back, and he remembers who he is…but he’s not a cricket. He’s still human. So apparently there are some holes in the “restoration.”
I agree. Can’t see things going back to the way they were. I think that Rumple wants to stay in SB so he can find Bael. Too bad he still has his desire for power. But I think now maybe Bael is the only one who can stop this new curse. I hope August isn’t the one who dies. He did try his best to convince Emma that she was the savior and convinced her that she had the strength to end the curse on her own. I’m betting he will be back in some future season. Otherwise the story-line between him and his father isn’t finished.
arghh just realised that last bit made sense, they said a significant character would die right? did August die? or did Emma “breaking the curse” make him better, bit upset that wasn’t resolved
or was it maleficent who died? if so I am a little disappointed i wanted to see more of her
August probably isn’t dead — he just needs magic to become un-wooden. They must have been referring to Maleficent, who was killed in her guise as the dragon.
Remember, bringing magic to Storybrooke probably has its price. The writers will have fun with that I’m sure and we get to enjoy all the fun.
Obviously Rumple knew exactly what he was doing from the beginning when he created Emma. He knew that he wanted her to become the “savior” by sending her to real world. I am almost 100% sure that he knew that she would find Bae and he would become Henry’s dad. That is the only reason that he brought Henry to Regina. He knew that Henry would bring back Emma and his plans to take over real world and be with his son would be able to happen. PS. the whole Bae being Henry’s dad is not confirmed yet but i think that it is true. Also we are going to be seeing other FT characters that have been part of real world for a long time now, since the Blue Fairy did say that all the other magic beans got away from them. I also really hope that we see more of August. Can’t wait till next season.
This is along the lines of what I’m thinking, too. I’m about 99.9% convinced that Bae is Henry’s father.
This also sets up an interesting problem for Rumple/Mr. Gold. If Henry is his grandson, and Emma the mother of his grandson (and, in effect, his daughter-in-law)…well, he can’t really do anything too horrible to Snow, Charming, Emma or Henry, now, can he? Because in a way, they’re his family now.
I loved when Rumple/Mr. Gold saw Belle for the first time. And then when she remembered…oh, holy cow, that was moving. That was so well acted. I also liked the scene with Rumple and Charming and the ring.
Why did this episode seem like it was 2 hours long?
Wow I agree with so much. Rumple thought things through pretty well. I think Bae is Henty’s dad too…and now I’m thinking Jefferson is Bae!
How could Jefferson be Bae? Bae was Rumple’s son who was able to escape to another world.
Jefferson is the Mad Hotty – er I mean Hatter.
They can’t be the same.
This coment is so scary it seems like a spoiler! It makes so much sense! Lets see if thats how it really turns out.
This episode was MIND BLOWING! i think it was perfect, and the cliff hanger was at a perfect timing; rite where everything we knew satisfactorily ended, and right before the dynamic change in Story Brooke happens. I had chills throughout the entire episode. CANT WAIT TILL NEXT SEASON!
One last thought from me. If magic comes to Storybrooke. Does this mean that the Blue Fairy has her power back. Remember what Morraine said about her? She is suppose to be the most powerful. For example, she could bring life to wood. Resurrecting people is something Runple admits he can’t do. All this power flying around town next season will make for some interesting stories. There’s your war. I think it would be boring if the EQ and Rumple we’re the only ones that could use the magic.
Fantastic finale, just love this show. I tried to think of 5 things I LOVED about it. I could not limit it to 5. So here is my top 8 moments. What are yours????
Interesting – it’s a lot of Emma!
1. Emma’s birth flashback – and her believing.
2. Emma going after Regina at the hospital. Stellar performances! From both Lana and Jennifer !!!!!!
3. Emma’s “HEY!” and throwing her sword – Just like her Father from the pilot episode.
4. Charming yelling “Snow!” and how Snow responded with breathy “Charming.” And their reunion.
5. Mr Gold and Belle reunion. Hearing Mr. Gold say “I love you too.”
6. Emma’s true love kiss saving Henry and breaking the curse. Again, another fantastic performance from Jennifer.
7. Henry’s smile at Emma when he woke up and responded to her “I love you too!”
8. The clock ticking to 8:15 at the very end. Exactly where it started when Emma came to town.
So why exactly was Regina smiling in the end.? I liked it very much but I felt it was rushed. Or packed a lot into the episode. Exciting though!
I think because magic was coming to Storybrooke. Magic she will be able to harness/use or however magic works.
She could of been smiling because she now has time to figure out how to save herself from everyone. She could take Henry and go because now Gold has the power and control.
Maybe after Rumple unleashes the purple fog, everyone will go back to FTL?
Awesome. Cannot wait for the next season. I loved
How Charming and snow remembered each other. But can someone plz explain the whole deal with belle and rumplestilskin, how did she get to be in that little cellar, and why did Jefferson decide to free her?
Regina trapped her down there to spite/piss off Rumple, basically.
Jefferson somehow knew about her, and Rumple, and freed her so get back at/spite/piss off Regina, AND unleash Rumple’s fury on Regina because Regina screwed Jefferson over more than once.
Eq lied to rumple in FTL telling him that belle died. Regina had to hide belle from rumple by capturing her and hiding her in a secret mental ward. I am Assuming Jefferson knows this because he still has his memories from FTL and knows everyone in SB along with their past. Possibly since he is the ‘mad’ hatter maybe he spent some time in the menal wards and met belle. He also has been working with Regina / eq all along- and usually winds up getting the bitter end of the deals he makes with her.
Also, I wanted to add that I believe this is a completly new curse not the “take your happy memories and loved ones away curse”. When Regina did that curse she had to kill the thing she lives most and throw it into a fire- her farhers heart. What rumple did was throw a true love potion (which is made out of snow and charming-and emmas dna) into the magic wishing well- which is supposed to return something lost to whoever drinks from it. I think this curse will magically bring back bael to rumple. I think the SB people will keep their memories of both FTL and SB, but have a whole new set of magic related problems.
I love this show. I love to be intertained. I like trying to figure out all the storylines. Rumple said something about power after he threw the bottle in the well. He wants his power back. Remember he chose the power over Bae.
True, but when he thought August was Bae his tone changed. He wanted forgiveness and to give up his dagger and power to make up for lost time with his son.
Help me out! What does Emma mumble under her breath during her conversation with Regina in the Hospital closet? Regina answers yes.
Emma: So…???
Regina: Yes
pretty sure she asks if it is all true. and regina says yes
Thanks
Listened to it again, got it this time. Funny how you can listen to something five times and not get it then come back to it later and it sounds plain as day.
Emma said “So he could…”
Regina interrupts and says “Yes” before Emma could complete her thought “so he could die?” meaning Henry
Hey…you all did notice that “S. Glass” now has a room in the underground asylum that Belle was in, right?
Do you think that it has to do with Glass slippers. Maybe it’s Cinderella’s stepmom/sisters. I love trying to predict this show. I predicted that August was the writer of the book, that she was the boy that saved Emma and that he was Pinnochio. I think that the glass slipper thing is far fetched but hey one never knows.
No actually i was thinking it was Sydney Glass, since he was forced to “confess”, and now hes seen as a lunatic
Duh!!!! i knew that name sounded familiar!!! i cant believe i didnt remember that. thanks for refreshing my memory!!!
Hey, so, i know my comment is waaaay late, but I’ve watched the finale four times now so i have a lot of thoughts.
Belle and Rumpel will be together. I’m kind of saying this because I’m a die-hard, but more because he tols her there’d be time for it, so obviously whatever that sketchy purple smoke monster was, he doesn’t think it will ruin theie relationship.
The S. Glass thing totally threw me off..i feel like that’ll be a whopper when we get to it.
The purple smoke…I wanna say he redid the curse but i don’t know. He said that magic is coming, and thqt would be insane if he was taking it all away. But the clock waz at 8:15 again. Perhaps they are now frozen in time WITH magic. Though I don’t see why Regina woukd be happy.about that.
Anyway, really great finale! Loved it!
• I know my thoughts are late as well, and I have re-watched the finale a half dozen times this week! I thought the Season Finale was fantastic. I don’t know why everyone thinks Rumple’s motives for throwing the “LOVE POTION” into the Well were so bad. He said it was to “restore what was lost” – BAELFIRE! His motive in creating the Dark Curse and storing the Love Potion for a “rainy day” were the same – finding Baelfire. “I will find you, Bae!” And in order to do that he will need Magic.
I thought the reunion with Belle was sweet and as it should be. He thought she was dead – not lost. This came as quite a shock to the all-powerful and all-knowing, Rumplestiltskin. I don’t think a long, drawn out kiss would have been well-placed at the time. In the first scene, she didn’t even remember him; in the second scene the revelation had just come to her. I think they will build on their relationship in Season 2 and I think there will be a well-timed kiss. Something worth waiting for! Also worth waiting for is the exact revenge/punishment Rumple is going to inflict on Regina! That should be delicious!
Robert Carlyle is brilliant in this role. No one else could do it the justice he has done to it. Do we hear “Emmy” PLEASE? The chemistry between him and Emilie de Ravin is unforced and beautiful. Truly they are “The Beauty and The Beast!”
Can’t wait until September! Hope this show last for years – after all – there are literally hundreds of Fairytales to choose from. Go for it, Kitsis and Horowitz!
Well put!!
Consider the fact that Henry died right before her eyes. She was a hot mess and so at that point she was willing to go along with whatever she could to help him. She knew Regina loved Henry so I think that’s why she was willing to do whatever Regina had in mind. I think she was still in disbelief of course until she came face to face with Malificent.
I watched the epsiode and towards the end im like “NOOOO, this is a series finale, not season” then bam at the end total series change. (remember when they did that in Battlestar Gallactica??) LOVE IT! I was thinking the potion would bring Golds son back, then he says magic. Cool. And I think Daniels going to come back for EQ. I also think that the apple and what happened to Henry was enough to push Emma over the edge and believe. She was starting to anyway in previous epsiodes. I dont know I just loved it. Enough to search blogs to see other peoples ideas ; )