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Catch of the Day
"Wish I could be part of that world..." This week's episode introduces us to everybody's favorite redhead, the mermaid Ariel. She rescues Snow White after she jumps off a cliff into the sea to escape the queen's guards, and tells her all about Eric, a man she rescued during a storm. Though she never heard him speak, she fell in love with him at first sight. Unfortunately, the prince is human, but Ariel is never one to give up, having managed to snag an invitation to the ball given each year to honor the sea goddess Ursula. Snow is about to question how she plans to attend when she knocks her tail against the ground and it magically transforms into legs. Each year during the solstice Ursula grants mermaids the ability to walk on land for six hours. After a little crash course on human customs, Snow accompanies Ariel to the ball, where Prince Eric recognizes her but can't place her. The two dance, and he asks Ariel to come along with him on a voyage around the world. She is hesitant to make him choose between her and his dream journey, so she goes to the seaside to ask Ursula's advice, hoping in a small corner of her mind that the long-dead myth might answer her. To her shock, the octopus surfaces, and turns out to be Regina in disguise, who has a plan to trip up Snow White, of course. She gives Ariel a bracelet to give herself legs permanently and the chance she dreams of to be with Eric.
A glowing Ariel returns to Snow and announces that she has a plan to solve both of their problems. She puts the bracelet on the princess, exchanging her tail for Snow's legs. Snow will now be able to go where the queen cannot follow her, and Ariel will be able to be with her prince. Despite Ariel's good intentions, Snow puts the pieces together as a plot by the Evil Queen. Sure enough, Regina struts down the pier and is about to claim her catch of the day, when Ariel stabs her in the neck with a fork from the dinner table. Unwilling to let her friend die, Ariel takes the bracelet off and the two swim off together as Regina growls threats at the mermaid. They arrive back on shore in their normal forms, and Snow tells Ariel to go back to the palace; it might not be too late to catch Eric and tell him the truth. Ariel swims eagerly back, where Eric awaits, looking from his balcony at the sea. She tries to call out to him, but finds that the Evil Queen took her voice as punishment for helping Snow White. The prince waits for a time, but then sadly turns away. Having lost her one chance to be with her true love, Ariel tearfully dives back into the sea. The Evil Queen heads delightedly back to her palace when we see the most epic part of the flashback: the real Ursula reaches through Regina's mirror and surrounds her with her tentacles, threatening her life is she ever masquerades as the sea goddess again.
"Wish I could be part of that world..." This week's episode introduces us to everybody's favorite redhead, the mermaid Ariel. She rescues Snow White after she jumps off a cliff into the sea to escape the queen's guards, and tells her all about Eric, a man she rescued during a storm. Though she never heard him speak, she fell in love with him at first sight. Unfortunately, the prince is human, but Ariel is never one to give up, having managed to snag an invitation to the ball given each year to honor the sea goddess Ursula. Snow is about to question how she plans to attend when she knocks her tail against the ground and it magically transforms into legs. Each year during the solstice Ursula grants mermaids the ability to walk on land for six hours. After a little crash course on human customs, Snow accompanies Ariel to the ball, where Prince Eric recognizes her but can't place her. The two dance, and he asks Ariel to come along with him on a voyage around the world. She is hesitant to make him choose between her and his dream journey, so she goes to the seaside to ask Ursula's advice, hoping in a small corner of her mind that the long-dead myth might answer her. To her shock, the octopus surfaces, and turns out to be Regina in disguise, who has a plan to trip up Snow White, of course. She gives Ariel a bracelet to give herself legs permanently and the chance she dreams of to be with Eric.
A glowing Ariel returns to Snow and announces that she has a plan to solve both of their problems. She puts the bracelet on the princess, exchanging her tail for Snow's legs. Snow will now be able to go where the queen cannot follow her, and Ariel will be able to be with her prince. Despite Ariel's good intentions, Snow puts the pieces together as a plot by the Evil Queen. Sure enough, Regina struts down the pier and is about to claim her catch of the day, when Ariel stabs her in the neck with a fork from the dinner table. Unwilling to let her friend die, Ariel takes the bracelet off and the two swim off together as Regina growls threats at the mermaid. They arrive back on shore in their normal forms, and Snow tells Ariel to go back to the palace; it might not be too late to catch Eric and tell him the truth. Ariel swims eagerly back, where Eric awaits, looking from his balcony at the sea. She tries to call out to him, but finds that the Evil Queen took her voice as punishment for helping Snow White. The prince waits for a time, but then sadly turns away. Having lost her one chance to be with her true love, Ariel tearfully dives back into the sea. The Evil Queen heads delightedly back to her palace when we see the most epic part of the flashback: the real Ursula reaches through Regina's mirror and surrounds her with her tentacles, threatening her life is she ever masquerades as the sea goddess again.
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Echo Cave
Back at camp, Hook returns to David and Mary Margaret to tell them that Neal is alive. Though they plan not to tell Emma for fear of getting her hopes up, Mary Margaret decides that she deserves to know. They decide to go in search of Neal, but Regina is fed up with what she considers a trap and decides to break off on her own. She finds Rumple, with his vision of Belle that has changed her tune remarkably to echo what Pan himself urged Rumple to do: go home and give up trying to defeat Pan. Luckily Regina steps in and begins her favorite strangle trick, exposing this version of Belle to actually be Pan's shadow. She learns that the only way to defeat Pan is by dying, but Gold's survival instincts kick in. What if the boy could be forever imprisoned, defeating him and also sparing Rumple's life? The clever man remembers that he has just the thing in his shop: Pandora's Box, said to contain the world's darkest evil. Regina and Rumple begrudgingly team up and head to the shore, where Regina whispers to a seashell, and Ariel appears. Mermaids have the ability to cross realms, and although Ariel is less than enthusiastic to see the woman who ruined her life, her interest is piqued when the queen throws in the sweetest part of the deal. She returns the bracelet and her voice, and tells her that Eric lives in Storybrooke. Though the bracelet will only give her legs for twelve hours, if she returns with the box, then she can have the bracelet to give her legs whenever she chooses. Ariel takes the deal and swims off toward Storybrooke.
Meanwhile, just as Peter Pan desires, the others head toward Echo Cave where Neal is imprisoned. Legend says that one has to reveal his deepest, darkest secret, one that he would never share with anybody. This scene was one of my favorites this season. The best thing about Neverland is facing your past and yourself, and our characters are often pushing their past aside for their present. Pan believes that once he knows a person's deepest longings, he can use it to defeat him. Sure enough, when they enter the cave, Neal is on a precipice in the middle, with a chasm between them. There is no other way, so Hook first gives his secret, saying that he thought he would never be able to get over his first love, until he met Emma. Swoon!
The next is Mary Margaret, who confesses that she wants another baby if they ever make it home, because she's upset that she never had the opportunity to raise her child. Third is David, who finally owns up to never being able to leave the island because of the Dreamshade cure. As each tells his secret, a rock bridge forms until it reaches them. Emma runs across to Neal and tries to break the cage open, but the rules of the cave still apply. She crouches down before him and tells him that although she will always love him, she had hoped he was dead because facing the pain of all those years would be harder than putting Neal behind her. The cage disappears, and Neal hugs her. As they leave the cave, Neal pulls Emma aside and tells her that he also has a secret; he'll never stop fighting for her.
Back at camp, Hook returns to David and Mary Margaret to tell them that Neal is alive. Though they plan not to tell Emma for fear of getting her hopes up, Mary Margaret decides that she deserves to know. They decide to go in search of Neal, but Regina is fed up with what she considers a trap and decides to break off on her own. She finds Rumple, with his vision of Belle that has changed her tune remarkably to echo what Pan himself urged Rumple to do: go home and give up trying to defeat Pan. Luckily Regina steps in and begins her favorite strangle trick, exposing this version of Belle to actually be Pan's shadow. She learns that the only way to defeat Pan is by dying, but Gold's survival instincts kick in. What if the boy could be forever imprisoned, defeating him and also sparing Rumple's life? The clever man remembers that he has just the thing in his shop: Pandora's Box, said to contain the world's darkest evil. Regina and Rumple begrudgingly team up and head to the shore, where Regina whispers to a seashell, and Ariel appears. Mermaids have the ability to cross realms, and although Ariel is less than enthusiastic to see the woman who ruined her life, her interest is piqued when the queen throws in the sweetest part of the deal. She returns the bracelet and her voice, and tells her that Eric lives in Storybrooke. Though the bracelet will only give her legs for twelve hours, if she returns with the box, then she can have the bracelet to give her legs whenever she chooses. Ariel takes the deal and swims off toward Storybrooke.
Meanwhile, just as Peter Pan desires, the others head toward Echo Cave where Neal is imprisoned. Legend says that one has to reveal his deepest, darkest secret, one that he would never share with anybody. This scene was one of my favorites this season. The best thing about Neverland is facing your past and yourself, and our characters are often pushing their past aside for their present. Pan believes that once he knows a person's deepest longings, he can use it to defeat him. Sure enough, when they enter the cave, Neal is on a precipice in the middle, with a chasm between them. There is no other way, so Hook first gives his secret, saying that he thought he would never be able to get over his first love, until he met Emma. Swoon!
The next is Mary Margaret, who confesses that she wants another baby if they ever make it home, because she's upset that she never had the opportunity to raise her child. Third is David, who finally owns up to never being able to leave the island because of the Dreamshade cure. As each tells his secret, a rock bridge forms until it reaches them. Emma runs across to Neal and tries to break the cage open, but the rules of the cave still apply. She crouches down before him and tells him that although she will always love him, she had hoped he was dead because facing the pain of all those years would be harder than putting Neal behind her. The cage disappears, and Neal hugs her. As they leave the cave, Neal pulls Emma aside and tells her that he also has a secret; he'll never stop fighting for her.