After her secret was exposed by Ava, Cora was forced to give up her baby.
Zelena visits Regina following their fight yesterday. Meanwhile, she has Gold take Regina’s heart from Robin Hood. Regina enlists the help of Belle in order to learn her step sister’s plan. In the past, Cora is proposed to by Prince Johnathan. Later, Regina gathers Emma, Hook, David and Mary Margaret at her home where she tells them her plan to speak to her mother about her past. Using the candle that killed her, they attempt to summon the Cora’s spirit but seemingly to avail. Cora meets Snow White’s father Leopold. Mary Margaret is still regretful over murdering Cora. While they iron out things out, they hear a noise from upstairs. When they investigate, Regina and Mary Margaret find the spirit of young Cora. Cora goes after Mary Margaret but Regina manages to teleport them to the dining room. The spirit follows and Regina holds her back. Meanwhile, Zelena reveals her plan to change the past. Regina loses the battle with her mother and Cora enters Mary Margaret’s body. Her past is revealed to marry Margaret. Regina succeeds inn removing Cora’s spirit and sends it back through the portal. Afterward, Mary Margaret tells them about Zelena going back in time to kill Princess Ava.
Regina and Mary Margaret/Snow White bury the hatchet in order to stop the Wicked Witch.
Some secrets should be left buried in the past but curiosity often times gets the better of us. Regina seeks the help of her mother Cora in order to learn about her and Zelena’s past. What is discovered is a secret that connects Regina and Mary Margaret more so than Regina and Zelena. In the past, Cora falls in love with Mary Margaret/Snow White’s father Leopold while she was pregnant with Zelena. Ava, who was betrothed to Leopold, overhears Cora’s meeting with a man who claimed to be a prince and broke Cora’s heart. Ava tells this to Leopold who breaks off his engagement to Cora immediately. Because of Ava, Cora was forced to give up her child in order to live a better life. Basically, everything that’s happening right now is all Snow White’s mother’s fault. Piecing it together, the Charming family and Regina learn that things would’ve been different if Ava hadn’t exposed Zelena’s secret. Perhaps if Cora had married Leopold, she wouldn’t have been such a bitch. With this revelation, one would think that the dark cloud that now hangs overhead would change everything Snow White/Mary Margaret thought about her mother. But it doesn’t. She rejects the past since what her mother did to Cora was before her time and looks to the future. However, Regina isn’t so sure that they have much of a future left. She begins to doubt that they’ll succeed in defeating her sister now that she has her heart. Mary Margaret comforts Regina and restores her confidence. What is interesting is how much Regina is changing since the start of the season. We are seeing less of her being a destroyer and more of her becoming a protector. A prime example of this was in this episode when she stood between her mother’s spirit and Mary Margaret, declaring that she will give her life for the child of her one-time arch-enemy. Another is the interaction Regina has with Mary Margaret and she expresses no ill feelings toward Mary Margaret for killing her mother. At least, not anymore. Despite her currents actions and intentions, there are those who are not ready to forgive Regina for the oppression she inflicted upon them as the Evil Queen. Belle recalls how much pain and torture she went through because of Regina. She refuses to help Regina learn about Zelena’s plan at first until Regina reminds her that Gold is still under Zelena’s control. Regina reinforces this with a heart-felt apology. With all these illustrations, it’s safe to say that Regina should no longer be referred to as the Evil Queen.
With the Dark One under her control, Zelena has all she needs to succeed in her endeavors.
Zelena has all she needs to cast a time travel spell—Prince Charming’s courage, Regina’s resilient heart and lastly, Gold’s impressive and cunning brain. She intends to change the past and rewrite it so that she will live on with her mother Cora and end the existence of Regina, Mary Margaret and Emma, which in direct violation of the laws of magic. In the spin-off “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” Jafar attempted the same endeavor in the finale of that series. His ambitions lead to his failing in that mission. Unlike Jafar, Zelena just might succeed in this. According to Gold, the spell has never been done before. This could be due to the special ingredient needed—a baby. Not just any baby, one that is possibly connected to the caster’s past. This is why Zelena wanted Snow White’s baby since Snow is the daughter of the woman who ruined her life. And the spell likely takes the power of two sorcerers hence why she has Gold/Rumplestiltskin. Zelena might need a little more than his brain to cast time magic.
Emma is becoming more adapt with her magic powers and seems to enjoying herself. She has fun with Hook who isn’t in the joyful mood since Zelena cursed him. Hook is torn between telling Emma the truth and saving his own skin. He cares deeply for Emma and does not want to harm her. However, if he doesn’t carry out his secret mission, his actions will hurt Emma—when Zelena endangers Henry.
