Tag Archives: Lana Parrilla

Once Upon a Time: Season 5 Wish List

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We all have so many things we hope to see not only on the current season of Once Upon a Time, but also the entire series. With the first half of Season 5A now complete I decided to compile my own wish list for the rest of this amazing season!! And you know what, even if I none of these happen, I will still be happy as this season really has been so fantastic. But of course there are always things we cannot help but wish for. Some of this is based on spoilers, including the sneak peak for episode 5×7 “Nimue” that was released yesterday, so be forewarned. Here is my top 10 wish list for Season 5:

  1. Killian says “I Love You” to Emma: In the sneak peak released yesterday, Killian finally told Emma that he loved her and we smiled and cried tears of joy. He had told her he loved in so many ways before, but never used the word love with her. In this beautiful scene, that all changes as he gives her a ring and tells her if nothing else it is a reminder that she has “a piercing eyed, smoldering pirate who loves her.” And her smile when she finally hears those words is as glorious and bright as we have ever seen. But I would still love Killian to say those three words “I Love You” to Emma. We have never heard him utter those words to anybody on screen, and something tells me they may be saving it from an upcoming dramatic scene. Brace yourself for some epic romance folks!

In the meantime let’s relive this glorious moment all over again. And if you are like me , this won’t be the first time you’ve done so 😉

  1. The Charmings call Killian “family”: Snow and David have already been showing their support of Emma and Killian’s relationship and his presence in the Storybrooke in general for a while now, but most of it has been silent support, expressing it through their actions. It would be lovely to hear them acknowledge more openly what he means to Emma, and even to them, but most of all, hearing them call him family would be so touching and meaningful, especially for someone who has lived for hundreds of years with no family of his own. Bonus points if one of them gives our dear captain a hug, because the only one who ever bestows this sweet gesture on him is Emma.
  1. More bonding and teamwork amongst multiple characters: One of things I love is when the characters all work together or we get unique team ups in episodes. There has not been nearly enough Captain Charming lately, and I already love the newly formed Captain Hood friendship. And my heart always feels so full whenever Killian and Henry team up. I also loved the new group efforts we witnessed in “Dreamcatcher” and “The Bear and the Bow” of Killian, Regina, Robin and Belle & David, Killian, Merlin, Belle, Lancelot and Merida.. These groups sound amusing from the outside but their results are always golden in my eyes, so I hope we see these continue.
  1. More scenes between Snow and Emma: In season 1 one of my favorite aspects was the friendship between Mary Margaret and Emma. Once the curse was broken the relationship changed as Snow went straight into mother mode. They have gone though lots of trials, and currently there has been few interactions between them. I hope to see some scenes between mother and daughter soon because they have such a special bond that deserves to be explored further.
  1. A True Love’s Kiss for Emma and Killian: We know that Emma and Killian truly love each other but each time a True Love’s kiss has been attempted there has been something preventing it from working, none of which having to do with how deeply they feel for each other. While this is not needed to “prove” what they feel, I think these characters deserve an epic, magical moment like this.
  1. Emma and Killian finally have “coffee”: If you are up on your lingo, then you know that Captain Swan “coffee” is a euphemism for the characters making love, and fans of their story have been waiting a LONG TIME to see them finally take that step in their relationship. And when it finally does happen I highly expect it to nearly break the internet. While I don’t see it happening until after Emma is freed from the darkness, I hope that once they make it through all of these trials, they will finally be able to have their moment and express their love for each other in this way. Given that this is a family friendly show, we cannot expect to see much and honestly that is fine. You can have a beautiful and sensual scene while still being subtle. I most hope to see them holding each other in their arms with adoring looks in their eyes. And if they can also fit in some time for some Netflix viewing of Back to the Future and The Princess Bride, I would smile for days.
  1. More sweet and meaningful moments for Regina and Robin: “In The Price” their relationship was put front and center and we could see just how much the mean to each other. Seeing Regina willing to lay down her life for him was very powerful, while the dance their shared in Camelot was as sweet as can be and so well deserved after what that have gone through. While there have been less moments lately because understandably the focus should be on Emma as The Dark Swan, I hope to see more for these soulmates in the second half of the season especially, dealing with Zelena in mature way, and maybe even getting engaged or moving in together.
  1. More unique backstories and character focused episodes: While I usually enjoy any and all backstories for our characters, some have become a bit repetitive. So I hope we see some more unique ones especially for characters who have had the least amount. As far as back stories, high on that list are Killian in his days in the Navy with his brother Liam, as well as his early days as a pirate, Emma’s adult life after jail, especially her time as bail bonds person, David as a shepherd, Belle before she met Rumple, Robin Hood and his supposed darker past, and the return of Bandit Snow.
  1. Rumple stays on the heroic path: Even though Rumple has pulled Excalibur from the stone, it is going to take much more to be a true hero because it takes one than one heroic act. He needs to continue on the path of good and work to make up for his past deeds. He has just made that first step in the right direction. Although I do love him as a villain, ultimately I would like to see him work to be the kind of man Belle believes he can be. She deserves that!
  1. A moment with all of our main characters together: I love the couples and unique groupings of characters but there are not often scenes where every character is involved. No matter the circumstance I would love some moments, or even a single scene, that involved everyone in a significant way because they each have something unique to offer. So please let’s see an epic scene with Emma, Killian, Snow, David, Regina, Robin, Rumple, Belle, Zelena, and Henry. While you’re at it, throw in some secondary characters, like the Dwarves, Granny, and Archie too. The season opened with a few moments like this, and it would be great to see more.

Honorable mentions:

Another Captain Swan Adventure: There have certainly been many moments for the princess and the pirate already this season, but it has been a while since they had a proper adventure together, with just the two of them as the main focus of the episode. Although they had some adventurous scenes in the Season 4 finale, they last time they had a more focused type of episode was actually the Season 3 finale “Snow Drifts/There is No Place Like Home” with “New York City Serenade” and “Tallahassee” being the other two.  I think it is important to balance characters and screen time and I think they have done a good job of that so far, but it would make me happy if just one episode this season featured the kind of epic adventure we have seen for these two in the past.

The Return of Familiar Faces: We already know that many familiar faces are returning soon, namely Ruby and Mulan, as well as Cora, Pan, and Sidney for the 100th episode. But there are other characters I would love to see pop up again even more including: Liam, August, Ariel, Jefferson (that one is very unlikely though), Graham, Tink, Cruella, Blackbeard, and the Frozen characters.

A Captain Swan Wedding or Proposal: Yes, I know my list has lot of these two but it’s is hard to deny the beauty that their story brings to show. There has been so much wedding foreshadowing that it would be so fitting, and extremely beautiful if these two lovebirds tied the knot or got engaged by season’s end.

Henry working as the author: I loved seeing Henry get more involved in the storylines lately, the most he has been since Season 1. Now that he is the author, he is tasked with a great amount of responsibility. I know he broke his quill, but there has to be some way around that, where he can begin recording the stories he is witnessing right before his eyes. I just love the idea of him writing stories about his family: if I ever saw him writing about Emma breaking the first curse, her falling in love with a dashing pirate, his mom Regina slowly finding redemption and love again with Robin, or his grandparents Snow and Charming becoming parents again I think I would cry.

We see the moment Killian traded the Jolly Roger to Blackbeard for a magic bean: This one is probably the least likely to happen this season, so I guess this would be on my series wishlist. But it was such an important moment for his character, and I have ALWAYS wanted to see it played out on screen.

Once Upon a Time: “Dreamcatcher” Further Thoughts & Season 5 Mid-Season Catch Up

Posted in Once Upon a Time, Television Reviews by

This weeks’s Further Thoughts is a bit different as I only have a few additional thoughts on “Dreamcatcher” that I did not cover in my Nerd Machine review. So, I also included some thoughts from previous episodes I have not yet discussed. Warning: some of this contain some spoilers from articles and interviews so read at your own risk. 

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Mysterious Merlin:

I was so happy to see Merlin this week in both the opening flashback and when Emma released him from the tree. I pretty much completely adore him already. How can you not love the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms who is also as precious as this. It is an interesting take on the character that I quite like because it is the exact opposite of what you would expect.

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Beyond these affable qualities, Merlin and his abilities are real mysterious and left me with many questions. If he was trapped inside a tree how was he able to still communicate with others. We know he did so because he spoke to not only Arthur, but also his Apprentice. I suppose that shows the brevity of his power.

Merlin visits Emma:

One of the most mysterious questions raised is how Merlin was able to visit Emma when she was a child. The timeline is somewhat confusing but was not he already imprisoned when she was in the real world? He had to have been. So that begs the questions as to how he was able to do this. The warning he gives her, very intriguing an ominous at the time, is starting to make much more sense as we have seen the season play out so far.

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In this episode we saw Emma do something very bad to Henry, but for a good reason. It leaves us wondering if she will continue to do so. During the panel for NYCC Jennifer Morrison said that Emma was doing bad things but for good reasons. Those reasons are still a mystery, but she also revealed much has to do with Killian. Jennifer said as much.

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Did she cast the curse for a good reason? Was it out of protection? This is also playing into her present day mission to create a hero out of Gold to pull Excalibur from the stone. She may have a good reason for wanting it to be removed but as Merlin warns, bad things will happen. That is what we discovered in episode 2. If she wants it to be removed she is going to have to pay “The Price.” I think it is possible that Emma is trying to spare Killian from having to pay that Price, but the inevitably bad may still may happen. For if this is not the most blatant piece of foreshadowing, I don’t know what is?

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Two Prices to be Paid?:

We know that in order to remove Excalibur a price has to be paid, but I have been wondering if there is still a price to be paid for saving Robin’s life. Regina offered herself in his place, but then Snow, David, Leroy and Arthur stood with her and fought off the fury that was coming for Robin.The Price was never really paid and the figure we see below simply sails away. With talk of the Underworld coming into play, I would venture to guess that this price has not been fulfilled yet and someone is going to have to pay it.

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Merlin’s and Killian’s Rings:

In the additional episode stills released for “Dreamcatcher” of Merlin. I was instantly struck by how similar his rings are to the ones Killian wears. I’m sure many have already brought this up as well, because Oncers are the most brilliant and observant fans ever. Look how similar they are. It is pretty remarkable and by no means a coincidence.

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Series Creators Adam Horowotiz and Eddy Kitsis revealed in a recent interview that Killian’s rings would reveal things about his origins.

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With this knowledge, the fact that there are striking similarities between the rings these two men wear is intriguing and extremely exciting!!!

Underground Darkness:

When we saw Lancelot and Guinevere travel to the Dark One’s vault in “The Broken Kingdom” one of the things that was particularly confusing was the darkness that was floating around untethered to anything. It latches onto Lancelot in the same way it did with The Apprentice and then Regina in “Operation Mongoose.” It is trying to snuff out the light. The difference here is that unlike in the Season 4 finale, the darkness is tethered to a person- Rumpelstiltskin. He is the Dark One. So what is this excess darkness that is in the vault? Is there so much that not all of it could be contained in one person, so there are still remnants of it, at the very least safe from the outside world in the vault? This was confusing to me and I wonder if it will even be explained.

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Merlin’s First Love is the Dark One:

This is a popular theory that many have been saying and I definitely agree that The Dark One that Merlin summons- the one he plans to kill because they destroyed the woman he loved- was indeed the person standing before him. The darkness can destroy a person. It changes them. Many have also pointed out that this very very could be Nimue as there is a episode coming up with that title. He could not bring himself to kill her and misses her. This moment of grief cost him his freedom. If these ideas end up being true I definitely am on board with the possible parallels between Merlin/Nimue and Emma/Killian. Where Merlin’s first love was destroyed by the darkness and they failed to overcome these demons, Emma and Killian’s love will prevail and overcome this darkness. Isn’t that what the greatest fairy tales are made of? Isn’t that  what Samwise Gamgee told Frodo about the stories that really matter:

“Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”

Surrounded by all these familiar charterers and allusions, with Emma’s character we are witnessing an entire new fairy tale and one that is for the ages. One that is like so many that came before it where darkness must be overcome. But there is something special about Emma’s story. We sees so many amazing complexities in her various relationships, and this season is about her True Love and fighting for it- fighting for their happy ending amidst the darkest of struggles imaginable. In these stories that we hold dear, there are always moments that are bleak and seemingly hopeless, but there is always hope. When the skies darken, eventually the sun does shine through again. This story feels so reminiscent of the poem “Morning” by William Blake:

poem2 This gives new meaning to the scene between Emma and Killian in the meadow when the sunlight peaks through the trees, quieting the darkness within her. For the moment, her fears vanish and all that is left is the two them bathed in sunlight. This was just one moment of the story and the darkness is sure to creep in once more, but it shall not prevail. Light and love will always shine through in the end.

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Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Further Thoughts

Posted in Once Upon a Time, Television Reviews by

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This was one of my favorite episodes of the series ever, so it is only natural that I would have a lot of additional thoughts on top of my Nerd Machine review. This is somewhat speculative on some levels as well, so I hope you enjoy!!

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-The Dark Swan’s Motivations and Behavior:

There are so many questions and mysteries surrounding Emma’s motivations. What happened in Camelot? Why did she bring them all back to Storybrooke and erase their memories? What exactly does the Dark Swan want and how is that reflected in her demeanor and behavior? She says she wants to punish those who failed her in Camelot and she is isolating herself from everyone except Killian and Henry. She wants to forge the dagger with Excalibur so she can do what all other Dark Ones failed to do- snuff out the light forever. The light they are always pulled towards filled with those they love and those that love them. But what would she gain by snuffing out this light? Ultimate power? Total darkness in the world, meaning complete isolation from love? That does not sound like something Emma would want, especially since as the Dark One, your qualities are simply amplified. Though the darkness can also twist things and lead to bad decisions. That is what makes Emma’s motivations so unclear and enigmatic. Some of her behavior can be analyzed, however, if you imagine all of her characteristics put under a microscope and magnified, the good and the bad ones. More importantly, I think her behavior is related to the way she grew up, her new responsibilities as the Savior, and her insecurities. And frankly much of this is empathetic. She grew up without a real home, so the house she takes up residence in is a beautiful, spacious Victorian complete with a white picket fence. It’s the type of idyllic home a young Emma would have dreamed of living in with a family that loved her. But inside the home lacks warmth. The tables only have two chairs, there are no photos on the walls, and in the end she is sitting alone in the dark at her kitchen table. Emma may have a house, but not a home.

Additionally, Emma has always been afraid of opening her heart because those she did so with left her, so she seems quite possessive of Killian.

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But her insecurities also come into play. She has often felt unloved and not good enough, so when Killian refused her advances, heartbroken his kiss did not work, she says it’s because this is who she is now, and does not understand why he can’t accept that. This is what makes the relationship between them so dramatic.

– The Push and Pull between Emma & Killian:

The push and pull between Captain Swan in this episode during the present day Storybrooke was set up so beautifully. They deeply, truly, and passionately love each other. There is no question about that. But when he tells her “this isn’t you” she is hurt, feeling like once again like she is not good enough. Of course this is not true. Killian loves Emma for who she is through and through. But there is bound to be this constant push and pull between them in this half of the season, because this is not the true Emma. She is in there, but the Dark One persona is overriding her.  Belle understood why True Love’s kiss did not work with Rumple, but she still chose to be with him. She accepted him as the Dark One because she believed he could be that and a good man. While it’s important to accept those we love unconditionally, at the same time this did not help Rumple at all. No one would fault Belle, but true love should inspire us to be our best selves, and he only descended deeper into darkness. For Killian, he just wants the Emma he knows, to save her from the darkness. Obviously, this is a good thing, but she is hurt he isn’t accepting her as she is. The journey for Emma and Killian is sure to be somewhere in between these two states. Loving accepting each other as they are, but also inspiring each other to be their best selves- to be good people. In the end this kind of true love will be stronger than the darkness.

– The Emphasis on Hands & Isolation:

Once again hands proved significant, and for all of the characters. The moment Regina, Snow, David, Leroy, and Arthur all joined hands and fought off the fury we see the symbolism of hands united that has been prevalent on the show. Together they are stronger and can defeat anything.

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For Emma, we saw the beginning of her isolation from her loved ones with this emphasis on hands, and also significantly, paralleling where Killian once was. After she heals Robin we see her let go of Killian’s hand and leave him, a shot they made an effort to clearly show in frame.

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When she returns, she stands in the doorway, physically and symbolically separated from her loved ones, even at this early stage. It is so reminiscent of when Killian stood the doorway of the hospital room, looking in at the happy Charming family. In both cases, there is a separation from the family they care for, and a sadness because of it.

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And just like when Killian stood alone across from Granny’s looking in at the Diner with sadness and longing in his eyes, at the end of this episode we see Emma do the same. That is the real Emma in that moment. This cannot be what she wants. And what was so heart wrenching in that moment was what Emma does with her hands. Not long ago, she was walking down the street, Killian’s hand entwined with hers. Now she isolated from him, so to fill this void, she clasps her hands together. She holds her own hand.

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This is heartbreaking, but just the beginning of her journey. When she realizes this path of darkness will not lead her towards what she truly wants, she will reach out her hand towards light and love again.

– Passionate Kisses:

There was something so moving in the similarities between the two attempts at True Love’s Kiss. They really mirrored each other. Killian kissed Emma in Storybrooke, Emma kissed Killian in Camelot. Both were incredibly passionate, loving, and desperate attempts to destroy the darkness. And both times Killian pulled away out of concern and confusion. You feel both anguish and melancholy and love and hope in both kisses. And significantly, you don’t have two attempts (on top of Killian’s other attempt), if a truly successful one was not on the horizon. That would be cruel to both the characters and the audience, and while they do have moments that make us cry, they also believe in happy endings. Once Upon a Time is not a show about despair, but rather hope. Maybe it’s not just about choosing love over power. Perhaps it’s not just about destroying darkness but restoring love.

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– The Ball at Camelot:

The Ball was one of the loveliest gifts the show has ever bestowed upon us, and one of the most beautiful moments was seeing Emma hold Killian’s hook while they were dancing. He has always been a bit self conscious about it, going so far as to have his hand reattached for their first date. But to Emma it does not matter whether he has two hands or not. And that was clear as we see them dancing, her holding onto his hook with the same gentleness and natural ease as a hand. She loves him exactly the way he is.

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The way Robin and Regina danced was also so incredibly sweet. I liked seeing them have a moment lost in each other. There is not much else to say about the moment below except that it is absolutely adorable, and it also looks like it could be the actors simply laughing. Either way, it works, and it’s as cute as all get out.

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– Wedding Foreshadowing:

There has always been a great deal of wedding allusions and hints of foreshadowing for Emma and Killian, from them holding up rings to each other, to so often a wedding dress being visible in a storefront behind them in many scenes. You may say that is simply a coincidence, but they could have anything in these store windows. Why a wedding dress? I for one think nothing is by chance on this show.

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Moreover, the way in which the Ball was filmed was like a beautiful prelude to what a wedding would look like for their characters. From Emma’s white lace dress that was so reminiscent of a wedding gown, to the smile on Killian’s face filed with all the love and amazement that a groom would express watching his bride walk down the aisle, it is impossible for me to believe this was not PURPOSEFULLY meant to resemble a wedding.wedding cswedding dance

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-Does Killian have a connection to Camelot?:

Is Killian connected to this mystical realm? No I do not think he has any kind of obvious connection because I think he would be forthcoming about that. I do however, feel like there may be some kind of unexpected connection, even to him.  There did seem to be a pull between him and Excalibur. Not only was he immediately drawn to the door leading to it, but in the promotional poster for the season (seen below in an uncompleted state where he is more visible), we see him not only very close to King Arthur, but he is holding a sword. To my recollection there are rarely any promotional images of him holding a blade. Is this a clue? Will he be the one Emma needs to pull Excalibur from the stone? But what would the price be for doing so? It is sure to be steep and Emma may not even fully understand it. The image of Rumple in her head hardly seems infallible and trustworthy. What if the price she would pay would be losing Killian?

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– Henry & Violet:

True Love couples share the distinction of meeting each other multiple times, sometimes unaware of the fact. Emma and Killian hold the record at 4 first meetings, Regina and Robin have met 3 times, while Snow and David twice. Henry and his first crush Violet have now met each other twice and it was very similar to the way in which Regina and Robin did in Season 3, the conversation (song) making them feel as if it’s happened before. It is uncertain what the future hold for Violet’s character, but I hope whoever her family is decides to stay in Storybrooke, so Henry will not suffer the pangs of adolescent heartbreak.

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– Arthur & Guinevere:

Before the season began I had the feeling that no one in Camelot could be fully trusted. While Arthur is not being completely truthful of altruistic about wanting to reunite the dagger with Excalibur and make it whole, he did earn some trust by standing with our heroes to help save Robin Hood. Of course that could still be a facade. But Guinevere on the other hand seems far more untrustworthy at the moment and her preoccupation with Excalibur is suspicious.

Screencap sources:

http://screencapped.net/tv/onceuponatime/index.php

http://genrecaps.net/onceuponatime/index.php?cat=9

http://c-odonoghue.com/pictures/

Once Upon a Time Favorite Character Moments: Regina Mills/The Evil Queen

Posted in Once Upon a Time, Television Reviews by

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Signature Line: “Evil isn’t born. It’s made.”

Regina Mills, known in the Enchanted Forest as The Evil Queen, is another character that is undeniably complex and interesting. She has developed a great deal over the show’s 4 seasons starting out as a vengeful villain and changing to someone who struggles with dark tendencies but wants to change and be a better person for her son, the man she loves and her extended family. When she is in full on Evil Queen mode it is indeed entertaining to watch, but my favorite moments for Regina tend to be when she shows more genuine and human emotions as well as growth towards a better path in life

Favorite Moments:

  1. “Regina realizes her happy ending is feeling at home in the world.” (Season 4, Episode 20 “Mother”)

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For the entirety of season 4 I had a hope for where the story would go in regards to Regina wanting to find the author and have him write her a happy ending. In my mind, though I understood her desire for happiness, I believed that happy endings cannot be given out like gifts. They have to be earned and come from within. Luckily the story did go in this direction and the result was not only wonderful but my favorite moment for Regina’ character ever! It was beautiful that Regina realized that the only person she needed to find happiness was herself. Her happy ending is being content with who she is and feeling at home in the world- a world that does include the people she loves including Robin and Henry. But truly, she creates her own happiness and that is a lovely message and the finest sign of character growth she has ever shown.

 

  1. “Regina sacrifices herself to save Henry in the author’s alternate universe.” (Season 4, Episode 22 “Operation Mongoose Part 2”)

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Even though Regina had no memories of her son in this alternate reality, and had trouble believing anything he said, becoming a bit exasperated at first, she still obviously felt a connection with him. Henry believed if she stopped Robin Hood from marrying Zelena everything would go back to normal, and it was almost the case as she peers in at the ceremony, love in her eyes as she gazes at Robin. But when she hears Henry in danger, her thoughts turn away from her own wishes and rushes to aid him. Rumples slashes his blade at Henry and Regina pushes him out of the way, mortally wounding her in the process. When Henry asks her why she didn’t go into the church, she says “I couldn’t let you die.” Barely knowing him, she still couldn’t let any harm come to her son. Cue many tears shed.

  1. “Regina stops Pan’s curse, sending everyone back to the Enchanted Forest and giving Emma and Henry new memories in New York.” (Season 3, Episode 11 “Going Home”)

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Regina has struggled with doing the right thing for so long, but in the third season she began to tread a better path when Henry was kidnapped by Peter Pan. When Pan’s curse threatens Storybrooke, she discovers she can stop it, but must give up the thing she loves most- Henry. With the curse looming above ready to consume the town Regina tearfully says goodbye to her son and kindly tells Emma she can give them happy memories for the two of them where they have always been together. She has come a long way and this act of both kindness and strength was wonderful to see. When Emma and Henry cross the town line, Regina counters Pan’s curse sending everyone back home is a flash of purple smoke. This was a powerful moment and one of the most heart wrenching of the series. 

  1. “Regina apologizes to Marco.” (Season 4, Episode 13 “Unforgiven”)

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Regina has often lacked self awareness and admittance of mistakes but as she has grown that has changed a great deal. But she still struggles and after reverting to her common quickness to anger and hostility (and towards the child Pinocchio) she seeks out the boy’s father, Marco. And she shows genuine remorse, makes a sincere apology, telling him that her happy ending will never happen if she reverts to her old ways as the two share a smile and small touch of the hand. It’s surprising that a scene between these two characters would be so moving, but it truly was. 

  1. “Regina visits Mary Margaret in jail and tells her she knows she’s innocent.” (Season 1, Episode 18 “The Stable Boy”)

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In Season 1 Regina was at her most evil, wanting nothing but revenge on Snow White and it was gripping to watch. You hated everything she did and in one of her most evil moments she visits a grief stricken Mary Margaret in jail who is in tears, adamant that she is being framed for murder, that she is innocent. In a rare moment where Regina is honest, she reaches in and touches Mary Margaret’s cheek, then harshly squeezes her face saying she knows, but she deserves this. The gesture and the scene are absolutely chilling and so fantastically evil! 

  1. “Regina kisses Robin Hood for the first time.” (Season 3, Episode 18 “Bleeding Through”)

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After a heartfelt and honest talk with Mary Margaret, Regina finds Robin Hood at his campsite who apologizes for losing her heart. He promises her he will get it back, to which she responds by passionately kissing him. This was a lovely movement of growth from her character, not letting fear stop her from embracing her feelings for this man- feelings that were strong enough even without her heart  to help her be brave. And what a kiss it was!

  1. “Snow tends to a wounded Regina who is disguised as a peasant.” (Season 2, Episode 20 “The Evil Queen”)

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This poignant moment between the two women with such a complicated history has such an interesting dichotomy. Because Regina is in disguise, Snow is completely honest about how she feels about Regina saying how she changed her and made her believe there could be a selfless connection between people, even strangers, and that she hopes that this person comes backs one day. Hearing these words obviously touches her because a tear falls down her cheek, and later she asks her if Snow would forgive her if she wanted to be good and be a family again. Obviously things take a turn for the worst, but in this singular moment we see once again that there is a genuine affection between them. I think Snow just wanted her step mother back, and Regina forgiveness for her misplaced anger, wrong as it was. 

  1. “Regina gives Henry a True Love’s Kiss and breaks Storybrooke’s new curse.” (Season 3, Episode 19 “A Curious Thing”)

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The changing relationship between Henry and his adoptive mother (technically also step great grandmother) has been a long one from mistreatment brought on by great fear, to attempts to relate to each other with more honesty, and finally to genuine contrition and forgiveness. It took a while but Regina finally learned to be a better parent and love Henry the right way, which was solidified when she shared a True Love’s Kiss with her son. This broke the curse that had brought everyone back to Storybrooke, which was obviously a very important moment. But more significantly it once again showed the power of familial love which is one of Once Upon a Time’s loveliest themes. 

  1. “Regina defeats Zelena with light magic.” (Season 3, Episode 20 “Kansas”)

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No one can deny that Regina has very powerful magic. But up until this point it had only been of the darkest kind. While I don’t think every time Regina has used magic since it has been light, I think the point to this fantastic scene was that what seemed impossible could happen. She could change for the better, and on her own, if she has the courage to do so. Zelena may have taunted her that she could only ever be dark, but when she saw Robin with her heart back in his hands, she found her strength and learned that we make our own destiny.

  1. “Regina admits she mistreated Henry and tells Snow and Charming letting Emma get rid of her magic is a mistake.” (Season 4, Episode 8 “Smash the Mirror”)

One of the things I have most wanted to see Regina admit to was the way she treated Henry when the series began, and when she finally did, it came at a crucial moment for our characters. Not only was it wonderful to finally hear he her say how much she regrets not supporting Henry and how wrong it was to make him like he was crazy instead of special, but also that it related to what Emma was going through and what her parents needed to hear. The unique things that make us special are what make us beautiful, and hearing Regina own up to her mistake, be thankful Henry was strong enough to overcome it, and finally convince Snow and David that they can’t let Emma lose a part of herself was a truly touching moment for these characters.

Honorable mention: “Regina tells Henry he should never feel ordinary just because he doesn’t have magic.” (Season 4, Episode 8 “Smash the Mirror”)

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It broke my heart to hear Henry tell Regina he felt useless and ordinary when he was not able to do anything to help Emma when her magic was out of control. But she comforts him and tells him something that is undeniably true. He has the heart of the “Truest Believer” which is indeed special, but even more beautiful is that he brought them all together. More so than any other character, Henry can unite people and hearing his mom tell him this was special. I loved this moment.

Favorite Little Moments:

– Seeing the way Regina smiles and face lights up when she is with Robin is beautiful. You can see how happy he makes her and the sight of her  cupping his face in amazement or of her walking down the street with him as she holds his son’s hand is so lovely.
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– Regina and Snow have come a long way in their relationship. She went from trying to kill her, to telling her they need to get back to “our castle,” to protecting her from her mother’s ghost.

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– It was so brief but I also loved seeing Regina and Henry looking through the Storybook together and seeing her smile at the picture of Snow and Charming’s wedding. Things certainly have changed.

– Regina’s first appearance on the show as The Evil Queen has become an iconic one. I love it not only because it shows her in her evil grandeur but it is such as strong contrast to where these characters are now.

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– I was happy to see Regina no longer spouting anger at Emma in the second half of season 4 and the two relating to each other more amiably. Her comment that she “eats like a child” could have once come across as mean, but now this was such a typical older sister thing to say, showcasing the new dynamic between them.

– When Emma talks about trusting Hook because he brought her back to Storybrooke and didn’t have to, it was funny how Regina commented on what everyone except apparently Emma could see: That of course he would bring her back, and that the two of them constantly share “yearning looks and doey eyes.” Emma denies it saying she doesn’t yearn, but Regina affirms that Hook certainly does. It was like a scene from Hercules was being played out with Regina as a Greek Muse, and Emma as Meg because “who do think you’re kidding Emma,  Hook’s the earth and heaven to you.”

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Favorite Reader Moments:

When it came to reader’s favorite moment two scenes stood out to them, both of which showed a tremendous amount of growth of her part. The rest are singular, and all fantastic, combining both moments decidedly Evil Queen, and others the Regina trying to be a better person.

The top Regina moments for readers are:

  1. Regina realizes what her happy ending is in “Mother”
  2. Regina defeats Zelena in “Kansas” 

The rest of readers favorite moments are as follows (In episode order):

  1. Regina interrupts Snow and Charming’s wedding in the “Pilot”
  2. Regina kills her father in “The Thing You Love Most”
  3. Regina must kill Daniel and lose him a second time in “The Doctor”
  4. Regina tries to stop the self destruction of Storybrooke in “And Straight On Til Morning”
  5. Regina shows Tinkerbell her dark heart in “Quite a Common Fairy”
  6. Regina stops Peter Pan’s curse in “Going Home”
  7. Regina stands between Snow and her mother’s ghost in “Bleeding Through”
  8. Regina is miffed she can’t walk through the door to see Glinda in “A Curious Thing”
  9. Regina apologizes to Marco in “Unforgiven”
  10. Regina drinks a potion that makes it impossible for her to conceive a child in “Mother”

Thank you to the following readers for sending in their favorite Regina moments: Maii, Mimi, Hagit, Melissa, Meredith, Emily, and Alyssa 🙂

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