Sunday, November 9, 2014

Once Upon a Time 4.07: "The Snow Queen"

“You see at the end of the day you’ll understand that everything I’ve been saying is true and then you’ll do the last thing in the world you think possible right now. You’re going to let me go.”
- The Snow Queen

We begin this week way back in Arendelle when Gerta and Helga and Ingrid were children. They’re flying a kite that they found and it crashes into a tree. They are arguing a bit over who should get the ribbon that was used as a tail when a creepy guy tries to kidnap them. Ingrid’s powers come out for the first time and she freezes a tree, crushing the man with a frozen branch. Her sisters swear that she’s not a monster and promise to always be there for each other. Several years have passed and the sisters have grown up. Ingrid is hiding away so people don’t see her powers, much the same way Elsa did. There’s a ball for their father’s 70th birthday but Ingrid isn’t sticking around for long. Helga introduces a young duke to her father and it seems Ingrid is a tad jealous of both of her little sisters dancing the night away with men so she leaves (after creating flurries). She’s packing to head out permanently when her sisters try to talk her out of it. And then Gerta recommends they seek out Rumple for some help. Yeah, you people really need some better research tools because he just isn’t to be trusted. As much as I adore the character, it’s just not wise to seek him out period. They go as a trio and he offers up the gloves that we saw Elsa wear in the film and the urn. In exchange he wants the ribbons they used as the symbol of their sisterhood. He does point out that Gerta and Helga’s true love for Ingrid would solve the problem, too but Ingrid is just too insecure. Helga’s Duke (who I didn’t realize was the sleazy guy from the movie) tries to hit on Ingrid and then lie to Helga and blame Ingrid for hitting on him and attacking him. Thankfully Helga has more sense and kicks him to the curb. Unfortunately, the Duke has some nasty words for Ingrid and she unleashes her magic. It hits Helga (much like Elsa’s magic did to Anna in the film) and Ingrid is left to sob uncontrollably as Helga freezes completely and crumbles. Gerta shows up and ends up putting Ingrid in the urn and then goes to the rock trolls to ask for the memory spell. Grand Pabbie explains that the magic will come with a price. Gerta thinks she’s already paid it but I’m pretty sure he meant Elsa being born with ice magic.

Cut to the Snow Queen in Storybrooke and she’s heading up to the clock tower for some nefarious reason. Robin pays Regina a visit and things are not going well for them. You can see how heartbroken they both are at not being together but Regina is insistent that Robin focus his romantic feelings on his wife because she’s all out of ideas. This is also the second time he’s just let Regina walk away from him. Dude needs to fight for his woman, damn it! Elsewhere in town, Emma and Elsa are trying a spell Belle found but Emma gets called away for babysitting duty. We see some familiar faces with Aurora and Ashley (Cinderella). She apparently runs Mommy and Me classes which leads to some awkward stuff with Emma and Snow (who Emma is back to referring to as Mary Margaret). Emma doesn’t realize it but as they are talking, the milk in baby Neal’s bottle starts to boil and everyone kind of stares at her. But she’s sort of saved from the frightened looks by a call from David saying they found the Snow Queen. Emma uses the spell and it seem to work but knowing the writers of this show and that it happened in the first five minutes of the episode, it was all an act.

Elsa and Emma are both in the room at first with Ingrid until Elsa gets really pissed and Emma kicks her out, explaining that they need to stay calm and not let Ingrid push their buttons. I certainly hope Emma can take her own advice but I worry that she can’t. She tries to keep things in control and dictate where the conversation goes but Ingrid is quick to reveal that she knows about Emma’s superpower and that she’s going to let Ingrid go. Emma wants to know why Ingrid was watching her entire life and Ingrid says it was to protect Emma and that she doesn’t believe it that Emma’s family hasn’t looked at her with fear due to her magic. She tries to implore Emma that family isn’t just blood and that they belong together.

Back at the clock tower, Hook and Elsa are trying to figure out why the mirror isn’t doing anything spooky or evil. Belle arrives and after taking a look realizes it’s a fake. David surmises that Ingrid wanted to get caught and the gang arrives at the sheriff’s station just as Ingrid freezes over the door. Oh and it seems Regina is giving up on Robin as she looks glumly through the story book. But when Henry shows up for a little help with his tie (per Grandpa Gold’s orders) Regina vows to accept the next happy ending that comes her way and Operation Mongoose is her sole focus now. Yeah, you just need to give Robin more of a chance honey. It will work out. Speaking of, he’s at Granny’s throwing darts rather aggressively when Will comes in. They end up sharing a drink and we learn about when Robin first met Marin. He’s trying to remind himself that the day he stole from her was the day he decided to no longer steal for himself but for the poor. Will explains that if you truly love someone, you do whatever it takes for them, even if it ruins your life. Please dear God, let that mean he goes back to Regina.

Henry is trying to get into the back of the shop to snoop and luckily he gets permission from Grandpa (he has to polish furniture). And Rumple agrees to go off with everyone to confront Ingrid when Belle asks nicely. Clearly he needs to keep up pretenses. Things are spiraling out of control rapidly at the sheriff’s station. Ingrid is most definitely pushing Emma’s buttons, using information about their year together to force Emma’s emotions out of whack enough that Emma explodes part of the wall and Ingrid escapes. I suppose that counts as letting her go. The rest of the family gets there and Emma kind of freaks out and causes a light pole to fall and it smacks David in the shoulder (he was pushing Hook out of the way). Emma takes off in the yellow bug while Ingrid watches from around the corner, rather pleased with herself. Emma is nowhere to be found and David and Mary Margaret feel awful for failing their daughter in such a big way. In slightly happier news, Robin goes to Regina basically tells her he is throwing away his code (at least for the day) and quite passionately kisses her. I cheered.

And as the episode comes to a close, Ingrid and Rumple make yet another deal. She wants Storybrooke and he can have the rest of the world. She will give him the last ingredient he needs to sever his connection with the dagger if she gets her ribbon back. He seems quite pleased with what’s coming which makes me more than just slightly concerned. And next week is going to be quite epic seeing as it’s a two-hour event.

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