Once Upon a Time Recap: Rotten to the Core


Yes, it’s gonna have to be her precious, or she has to give up this plan.  Hatred wins out over love and after one more kiss, she tosses the ring into Jefferson’s hat.  He tells her to concentrate on what it is she’s trying to retrieve….focus on the time and place she last saw it…

In Fairyland.

Snow meets up with Regina at the stables where Daniel was killed, and Regina leads her to the hillside where they first met.  Where she saved Snow’s life.  There on the hill, is Daniel’s grave.  Snow is shocked at the revelation that Daniel is dead; she really thought that he had run away. 

Regina presents her terms to Snow:  eat the poisoned apple she offers.  But she has to eat it willingly, for only then will its magic work.  Eat it and be trapped inside her own body with nothing but her regret filled dreams to keep her company.  Eat it and Charming will be safe.  If she doesn’t eat it, Regina will kill him.

So she bites it

Regina smiles as Snow starts to choke, while in the Queen’s dungeon, Charming is in obvious pain.  It’s almost as if he can feel what Snow is feeling.  And as the apple rolls down the hill….it disappears……

Ooooooooo…..very interesting.  So not only does the hat allow travel through spacial dimensions, but also through time.  Huh.  That could turn out to be very useful information later on, doncha think?

Jefferson wants her to make good on her promise, but she’s got to make sure this works first.  See?  He’s never gonna get what she promised him.  My bet is she makes him forget, but won’t give him the happy ending he wants with his kid.  Ten bucks says he ends up locked away in that asylum.

Turns out that Regina can whip up more than amazing lasagna in that kitchen of hers.  She’s turning that half eaten apple into a delicious looking apple turnover.  Well, delicious looking if you aren’t ALLERGIC to apples.  No one’s ever gonna poison this recapper with some tainted apple!  I know you’re relieved to hear it.

She’s just taking the turnover out of the oven when her doorbell rings.  It’s Emma, here to tell Regina that she has won.  Emma says she will leave town on one condition: she’ll still get to see Henry and be a part of his life.

Deal

But wait!  Before she heads out of town, Regina has a parting gift for: the very apple turnover she just finished baking.  Like the dumbass that she has turned out to be, Emma takes it without question.  UGH.  She really is an idiot.  Don’t tell anyone, but I’m sort of hoping she eats the damn thing!

Oh, thanks.  That’s real nice.

Hey!  If you weren’t so dumb all the time you wouldn’t have driven me to this!!

Back on that hillside in Fairyland, the gang has found Snow.  Ruby holds a knife under her nose; she has no breath!!  She’s gone; she sacrificed herself for true love.  “She sacrificed herself for all of us.” Grumpy says.

Regina’s feeling great now that she’s solved her problem, so she heads on over to Gold’s to let him know how awesome she is.  I don’t know why she’s counting her chicken before they’re hatched; it’s not like the thing went off without a hitch the last time she used it.

Details, details.

Henry has stopped by Emma’s to continue in his quest of trying to make her believe.  Instead, he finds out that she’s leaving.  But she can’t run away!!!  She just can’t!!  She’s the only one who can stop the evil queen. 

Henry decides to show Emma once and for all just HOW REAL the curse is.  He grabs up the super special apple turnover that Regina made just for her and takes a GIANT BITE.

You see?  Noth-

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PottyMouth

When she isn't screaming curses at various dance show judges or washing her OWN mouth out with soap, PottyMouth is a proud mama to a gorgeous little boy. And yes, she knows everyone says that about their kids, but it's true when she says it. YES IT IS. Fuck you. She also laments throwing away the chance to be a trophy wife, and would like to find a rich husband so she can sit on her ass all day long and watch TV. If you are fabulously wealthy, look like Hugh Jackman (or ARE in fact Hugh Jackman), and are turned on by foul-mouthed, mature, slightly smooshy women, then she just may be the gal for you. Please send picture, references and your latest bank statement for review.

35 Comments

  1. 1
    Monica
    Posted May 9, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    Great recap! Emma is the Jack Shephard of this show — so eager to boss everyone else and be a faux hero, but so unwilling to step up and do what’s actually needed of them.

    I was hoping Emma would eat the turnover and that it wouldn’t poison her, but somehow make her a believer by showing her visions of Storyland or something (because of what Gold said about how making magic with other magic can backfire).

    Can someone remind me who Paige is? Is she the girl Henry had a crush on?

    Two unrelated things…I think Jennifer Morrison is so pretty – but she needs to cool it with that permanent frowny expression; it makes her look haggard. Second, every since TVgasm’s facelift, it has been taking FOREVER to load for me. When it finally does, it takes forever to scroll down. Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue?

  2. 2
    sagittariuskim sagittariuskim
    Posted May 9, 2012 at 6:14 pm

    @Monica Paige is Jefferson/Mad Hatter’s daughter.

    I thought EQ already knew who Emma was, which was why she mad with Rumpy, when she found out Henry was Emma’s son, since he helped her with the adoption.

    I want the whole Jefferson thing explained, what happened when he fell out the window?

    I kind of doubt this is going to get Emma to open her eyes. I think its going to be something else happening in the finale.

    I’m excited for the finale and yet I’m dreading it, what am I going to do on Sundays now. And I’m going to miss all the awesome theories the gasmi comes up with.

  3. 3
    Moli Moli
    Posted May 9, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    I said this in last weeks recap…did you guys know the real name for FairyLand is the Enchanted Forest. While I KNOW its used all the time is fairytales…I just can’t call it that. Another scene I likes Henry in(go figure), his angry face during Regina’s dream was great. Another top episode for me…I had some SW,PA,Red and my baby Grumpy(I love him…his wide-eyed bushytailed birth flove). Top lines 1)You have a little someone on your chin(laughed for a few real minutes over that one. 2) I didn’t want to have to clean tongue prints off(ditto). 3) keep the little knife between your tuffets(I had to wipe a tear). Emma is dumb as an amoeba, maybe dense as the Dead Sea.What the hell!!!! I need a flashback or something to explain how Jefferson just ‘pops’ back into FairyLand like he didn’t fall out a window and disappear(near hat Emma was making) a few episodes ago. I understand when we saw making hats in the next scene, it was obvious we were viewing a flashback(probably him trying to make a new hat to escape Wonderland, when Regina trapped him). I’m really jumping on the EQ/MH kinship wagon.

    Paige is Grace in FairyLand The Mad Hatter’s daughter. In this world she is being raised by another family and doesn’t know him. They were separated before the curse, since EQ tricked him into going to Wonderland knowing that the same number of people who come in and go out. EQ went to rescue her father and since only two could leave MH was trapped.

    Am I understanding the MH/EQ deal correctly. EQ is going to erase both of their memories and planting new memories with always being together…

  4. 4
    Moli Moli
    Posted May 9, 2012 at 6:50 pm

    dammit@sagittariuskim, this is what happens when you start a comment and walk away. You said everything I said without 5 thousand words. I have to say it that was the worse sword fighting scene I’ve witnessed. I knew the faeries where coming but why did they have to sound like a swarm of bees in drag For the love of Bob please give the Blue Fairy a larger top ! I did love the dust bombs:) The costume designers to a hell of an award winning job on everyone else’s costume and they have the faeries looking like THAT!

    Speculation timeeeeeeee where is Wendy?

    Here I go…Emma will wake Henry up with true loves kiss. I think(and hope) Regina will try to do it and it won’t work. I think the curse my be broken and memories may come back, but that is not how they will get to FairyLand. Maleficent is going to be on this episode will she kill EQ and my previous Cora aka Queen of Hearts theory????

    Who the hell is Dr. Whale, this is bugging me.

  5. 5
    maryedith
    Posted May 9, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    It’s bugging me, too. Especially now that it seems “August W. Booth” wasn’t any kind of clue as to Pinnochio’s identity. So “Whale” and “Swan” may be equally empty of meaning. But I hope not!

  6. 6
    Bouncebouncebbounce
    Posted May 9, 2012 at 11:22 pm

    Actually I read somewhere I think it was Perez Hilton that Henry was going to be killed off and that is what is going to set off Emma go after EQ.

  7. 7
    Stacey
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 12:04 am

    Monica, you are not alone, takes forever if it loads at all and then I get one page read and won’t load the next! Driving me crazy but the recaps are so great they are worth putting up with the annoyance. Hand in there, they’ll get it fixed for us…right? Great recap! This show just gets better and better!

  8. 8
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 6:13 am

    another great line “I miss Stealthy”- heehee–I love Grumpy
    And Emma’s kickin’ red leather jacket is back!!!!!!

    And I am lovin’ Regina’s kitchen!!!! I have those mixing bowls too !!!Ya know when an apple is cut in half, it looks like a heart to me. OK- focus now.
    Where was Mad Hatter all this time?? Am I right to posit that he also knows what is going on with the curse, can “move thru” both lands??? He is related to Regina in some way–either a brother or another connection. I agree with who ever said that he is related b/c of Cora (who we think is our little Red Queen) being Regina’s mother–he could be Jefferson’s mother also.
    Now a question leaping from that– how did he “lose” his daughter?? Was she taken? Did he have to give her up to keep her safe? Am not remembering .
    Lastly ( for now-LOL)– Regina gave up something of value-the ring from Daniel-does this mean she has nothing more other than Henry? hhhmmmmm

  9. 9
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 6:30 am

    Bouncey-cubed– OH NO !!!! But I guess we are all relying on Doc Whale to save Henry.
    Will Henry be killed or killed like sent to Fairy Tale Land or go back thru the portal/wardrobe????

  10. 10
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 6:34 am

    ssiigghhh– oh Sheriff McHottypants have I missed you and your hot-ness. He is as yum as the carmel that Regina was whipping up in her kitchen.

    @Sagit—Could it be that Rumpy/Mr Gold knows everything ie more than EQ ????? This is leaving a real opening (quasi pun) for Bae to come back and Belle!!!!!!!!!
    will we get more great stuff next season?? unicorns, flying carpets

  11. 11
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 6:37 am

    I thought Doc Whale was the Big Bad Wolf (from 3 Little Pigs but he is rather a letch-well was in an early episode). Maybe he is the whale from Pinocchio????

  12. 12
    Leloh
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 7:02 am

    Yet another great recap! I love Thursdays!

    Rumpy, & Blue Faery, have said more than once that all magic comes with a price. & while she did give up her ring w/Daniel’s picture (loved the “My precious” reference HAHAHA!), the question I have is this: The apple doesn’t kill people — well not really. So they can’t really “kill” off Henry can they? Regina won’t let him be buried knowing that he’s not really dead!

    Did I actually hear that Regina was/is the one responsible for writing the stories of the new lives of the people in Story Brooke? If so she’s got an even more twisted sense of humor than I originally gave her credit for! :) I maintain she’s the best bad guy on tv!
    By the way @hot cawfee, he left Grace with his neigbors when he went for the last job w/Regina. & I’m guessing she left her with them, because … well, because she’s hateful! (I’m kinda wondering why she would do that to him — aside from her being hateful. Makes me think they have more animosity towards one another than we might think.) :)

    Other than that, I’m going to give my “theory-maker” a rest, because I don’t think I’ve been right about even one thing! hahaha! (and even though they continue to make me look bad by being wrong, I still love the show!)

    I’m never going to survive the summer!!!!! Especially knowing they’re going to be taking on “the Little Mermaid” next season! Best show on television! & the best recapper & best discussion board ever! (Have I mentioned I love Thursdays?) :)

  13. 13
    Honeybee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 7:15 am

    Okay my theory as to “true loves kiss” is obviously going to be Emma kissing Henry. I think the twist will be that the curse will be broken, but it will send everyone into storyland. So season two will move out of Storybrook and into FairieLand.

  14. 14
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 7:39 am

    @Leloh– RIGHT!!!!!! Now I ‘member—only the same number that go into Wonderland can leave it- and Regina brought her father back (and yes–I got misty during that episode)

    @Honeybee— I like it !!!!!!

  15. 15
    WendyBird
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 10:14 am

    THIS SHOW! And this is what I get for not being around yesterday! So many amazing comments!

    I really, really hope they don’t kill Henry off, especially since he’s not technically a Storybook character :( Unless Emma’s magic flows through him to and they pull something like he gets trapped in Fairytale Land even though no one is actually there and he has to fend for himself and help from the other side?

    I also want to know if Emma can really be Henry’s True Love’s Kiss? I’ve never considered it to be possible between parents, just the persons one true love but it’d be an interesting twist!

    I’m wondering if Jefferson is Regina’s brother and Cora is the Queen of Hearts then why did the QH not recognize him when he was brought before her? And wouldn’t he have known not to call Regina queen in front of her? Just speculating…

    Count me in on the “What happened to the Mad Hatter after the window fall” Do they expect us to think he just ran off, even though he was so determined to get Emma to make him a hat. I was really hopping that the hat Emma made HAD work and that August was going to come to the Mad Hatter with Emma and push her through so she could see real magic.

    Knowing Emma though she’d just say she had a bad acid trip. THE GIRL IS SO FRUSTRATING.

    Moli – The Enchanted Forest makes me think of a bad amusement park. Always has! By Wendy do you mean Wendy Darling? Or am I just being super dense. She’s not exactly a typical storybook character so I gave up hope they’d use her. Even though my username is definitely her nickname because I love her. And Alice, which ironically are voiced by the same girl.

    Since we’re throwing out finale theories, I think that Emma is going to do something (believe? maybe?) that unlocks magic in our world. Which causes chaos and brings people like the Red Queen and Malificent to the forefront. I’m wondering why we’ve never seen Mal around town either, did Regina lock up all her adversaries like she did with Belle? Maybe Emma finds the secret lair under the hospital! So next season, not only does Emma have to try and beat the curse but with all the magic flying around trying to save her loved ones will be even more complicated.

  16. 16
    WendyBird
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 10:16 am

    Oops that was super long. Sorry!!! I just love this show and getting to talk about it with all of you and Pottymouth’s fab recaps! The withdrawals are going to suck! I’m going to rewatch the entire season over the summer and keep analyzing for more clues.

    Of course just when I think I have an answer, the writers are like just kidding, you’ll never know anything until we want you too >:( Cruel Cruel Brilliant writers.

  17. 17
    WendyBird
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 10:18 am

    WAIT WAIT WAIT Leloh!

    They’re doing the Little Mermaid next season? OMG! I will die. Please Please let her have red hair too.

  18. 18
    Moli Moli
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 10:35 am

    You silly goose@ WendyBird, I was looking for YOU!

  19. 19
    WendyBird
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 10:46 am

    OH! Teehee

    I was having one to many bottles of wine at a friends house. Needless to say I am hung over and want to marry my latte right now cause it’s so good.

    I got to read all the amaaaazzzzziiiinnngggg comments this morning though!

  20. 20
    Moli Moli
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 10:54 am

    I couldn’t wait for your comments:). I think I’m going to re-watch all the episodes and hopefully our beloved PM will have a page we can use to throw our theories we come up with over the break*hint hint PM…hint hint*. As much as I dislike Henry I don’t want him to die. Enchanted Forest…bad amusement park….bwahahahahahaha. The crazy thing is, it makes sense to call it that…I just thinks wrong for this show(and the fact that we have called it FL for months…you see how long it took me to stop calling August… Stranger)

  21. 21
    ChaCha
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    @Monica (first one to post)–I’m having the same loading problem that you are…takes forever. And please, TVG people, let us reply to other posters they way you had it for a few weeks recently. Much nicer to do it that way than to have to scroll down past 20 comments to post a reply.

  22. 22
    finnegan
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 2:07 pm

    i guess jefferson just landed on his feet and ran off when emma booted him out the window. the fact that the hat can go back in time leads to SO many crazy ass possibilities. this show always delivers.

  23. 23
    Leloh
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    You know I just thought of something… (MH related) so we just saw that the hat can go back & forth through time (the whole apple from Snow in FL/EF to Regina in SB)… I’m wondering if that is the reason he went through one hat & was able to come back.

    I have no idea! (This is why I shut down the theory machine for the season! … Well until the season finale! hahaha!)

    @ Wendybird, YES!!! If she doesn’t have red hair I’ll personally be ticked! (& I’m not a red-head!) But when I realized they were in Maine, my first thought was “Oh my gosh! Being that close to the ocean they can *SO* do a Little Mermaid storyline! :)

  24. 24
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    And Regina had the hat—-dumdumdduuummmmmm———

  25. 25
    WendyBird
    Posted May 10, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    Moli – Aw shucks n.n I feel so loved! Yes! We need our own little summer survival forum where we can obsess and analyze and slowly go stir-crazy until they bring the show back.

    Leloh – The Little Mermaid came out the year I was born and she was the only red-headed female character anywhere (aside from like Raggedy Anne…) and being a little ginger kid, she was always my favorite. Even though I have the cartoon version of the real version (Tongue cutting out, bloody steps, death) and she had blonde hair in it, The Little Mermaid should always be a red head.

  26. 26
    Mila
    Posted May 11, 2012 at 2:13 am

    “And so Henry has tasted Regina’s forbidden fruit. That sounds so gross.”

    Oh yes, it does! The forbidden fruit from his adoptive mother, ment for his birth mother (refusing to call Emma “real mother”) and he grabs and eats it. It is everything Freud would get excited for and more! That show…

    Monica: She has to stop the frowning and acting like the spoiled little sister of Henry, too. It annoys me so much I’m rooting for EQ (BUT SHES EVIL!!!)

  27. 27
    2008momof3
    Posted May 12, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    I just read on another board that in an interview Snow White (well the chick that plays her) says we will be throwing stuff the TV during the finale. I hope they do not make it to where Emma finally believes but Henry wakes up and loses his memory so she has to fight the curse all by herself:(

  28. 28
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 14, 2012 at 8:36 am

    @2008Mom– Happy Mom’s Day !!!!!

    And they were soooooo wrong !!!! No throwing nuttin’ at my TV–it was awesome!!!!!!!
    Curse reversed and a new curse a’comin’!!!!!!!!!!!

  29. 29
    Leloh
    Posted May 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    Am I the only one who was squealing (Well screaming) w/delight every 3-5 minutes after the show started???? Best. Episode. E-V-E-R!!!

    So excited for the recap!!!!!

  30. 30
    WendyBird
    Posted May 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    OH MY GOD! Best.Show.Ever.

    Why of all weeks am I moving this week. Ugh. I will have to read and reply from my phone when the recap is up. I can’t wait to dish with you all!

  31. 31
    Moli Moli
    Posted May 14, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    Nope I didn’t want to throw anything at the television. I had a goofy grin when the show ended. Dare I throw out there the last scene we see SW/PC in…

  32. 32
    WendyBird
    Posted May 14, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    You know what I just realized… ( I was in too much shock and awe from everything) but the well Rumpy went to brought back one’s lost love with the true love potion. And even though he had Belle back (YAY) he didn’t ask for bae back. No…Rumpy’s lost love was MAGIC! I can only imagine how magic will act in our world..

    I’m going to try to keep my mouth shut till Pottymouth’s recap!

  33. 33
    hot cawfee
    Posted May 15, 2012 at 6:51 am

    YES!!!!! Wendy I thought Bae was going to come back too.
    ANd a small scene with our beloved and much-missed (and drooled over-hand raised) Sheriff McHottypants.
    We had no dwarves when the reversal whooshed thru Story Brooke (thats ok) but Regina’s face at the end was BRILLIANT — tears and sobs for Henry and then……(dramatic drum rolls)…..and then she looks outside and see the curse coming and her face changes to one of evil delight. sigh………………………………..

  34. 34
    Leloh
    Posted May 15, 2012 at 10:55 am

    I didn’t want to throw anything but *myself* at the tv! (& that’s only to weep that I will have to wait until fall to watch a new episode!) :)

    WOW @WendyBird! I never thought about his lost love being magic! But I thought it would just turn him into the “Dark One” not consume the whole town!

    (& By all that is good & holy if these writers ruin PC for me like they did David I might have to beat them! :D )

    @hot cawfee, I was screaming “It’s the huntsman! It’s the huntsman!!!” at my tv before he even took off his helmet! hahahaha! I enjoyed this episode soooooo much! (in case you missed it before!) :D

  35. 35
    Moli Moli
    Posted May 15, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    And reason #76 why I luv ya WendyB, I never thought of that!!!! Rumpy’s love of magic/power is how he lost Bae in the first place.

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