Once Upon a Time - Going Home

by Molly

It's been nearly two weeks now since the mid-season finale of Once Upon a Time, and all of us loyal fans have been left reeling from all of the action and all of the cliffhangers in the most recent episode. In the first few episodes, we got answers to a select few of our questions, only to have them replaced by even bigger ones. No doubt these will be answered in the second half of season three and the beginning of season four. Just to recap, here are the things we learned as of the latest episode, appropriately entitled Going Home.

 

 

Back in season two, a prophecy was found, stating that a boy would be Rumpelstiltskin's undoing. The “boy” was, in fact, Rumpelstiltskin's undoing. However, it wasn't Henry (Jared Gilmore), as we'd all come to expect. Actually, it was Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) that this prophecy was referring to. Consequently, we learn in the same episode that Peter Pan is Rumpelstiltskin's father, lending yet another facet to the monumentally confusing family tree that makes Once so endearing.

 

By the end of Going Home, all of the villains who are actually villains (i.e. Felix and Peter Pan) are definitively dead, along with Rumpelstiltskin, whose death was not-so-definitive. Yeah, I know. We all watched Rumpelstiltskin kill himself along with his father. But here's a bit of news to brighten every fan's day: Robert Carlyle's contract doesn't expire for another two years, so we will undoubtedly be seeing more of Rumpelstiltskin in season four, if not sooner!

 

During the most recent episode, Regina (Lana Parrilla) realizes that the only way to stop the curse Peter Pan has set into motion is to send everybody back to the lands from which they came. This means that Henry will have to remain in Storybrooke whilst everybody is dispersed amongst the other realms. It is quickly discovered that Emma (Jennifer Morrison), being the Savior, can stay behind with Henry, in order to continue raising him. But as we've come to learn with Once, all magic comes with a price. Yes, she can stay behind to raise Henry, but her family, friends, and anything else related to Storybrooke, will be eliminated from her memory. Not wanting Henry to go back into the foster system, she agrees to stay behind.

While Emma says her heartfelt goodbyes, Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) admits that he will think of her every day. This bit of information could not have come at a worse time for us fans, though. I mean, we've been waiting all season for an admittance such as this, and then it is cut short by the smoke monster (LOST reference), of all things! With only moments to spare, Emma and Henry cross the town line, losing any and all recollection of the life they once lived, and Storybrooke ceases to exist.

*The Purple Smoke Monster

Flash forward one year, and Henry and Emma are leading completely normal lives in New York City. One morning, as the two of them are sitting down to breakfast, there is a knock at the door. To the viewers' astonishment, it is Captain Hook, coming to warn Emma of the grave danger her family is in. To this, Emma responds that the only family she has ever known is Henry.

   

At this point, the viewers are questioning how Hook is going to remind Emma of her family and friends, who are now trapped in the Enchanted Forest. Of course, what better way to remind someone of their past than a kiss, right? No? Well...oops.

 

This encounter, however, did spark hope for those of us holding out for Captain Swan. I mean, why else would he try the whole true-love's-kiss-can-break-any-curse thing? He must love her, right? If he can just get her to remember, perhaps the feeling would be mutual.

 

So, in short, we've gotten far more questions than answers. No doubt they will all be answered in due time. For now, here are some unanswered questions for you to think about and analyze! Leave some theories in the comment section below!

 

1. Where is Baelfire?

We know that Baelfire was transported somewhere. He was born in the Enchanted Forest, spent most of his childhood in Neverland, and then somehow ended up in New York. Where do you reckon he ended up when Regina's spell was cast?

 

2. How the heck did Hook get to New York?

Hook was sent back to Neverland or Victorian England or wherever the heck he's from when Regina cast the spell. With no magic beans or Pegasus feathers to help him on his way, how do you think he got back to our realm?

Fun fact: Literally everybody on this show is related. I would love to go into detail about this, but that would take an entire article in and of itself. For now, here's a photo of the Once Upon a Time family tree. In the words of Prince Charming, “It’s a good thing we don’t have Thanksgiving in our land, because that dinner would suck.”