Posted by Dustin on 11.28.2012 at 4:31 pm

This week’s “Once Upon A Time” had a few twists that set up next week’s mid-season finale.

The show began as Hook managed to free himself from the giant’s castle, only to find one pissed of Cora waiting for him. She knew Emma and the gals had the compass and that Hook had crossed her, choosing them over her. She wasn’t going to kill him, she was going to let him leave . . . However she’d leave him behind never to get his revenge on Rumple!

Later Cora used some hearts from a vault to conjure up a bunch of zombies of the dead villagers to go chase down the girls and get the compass. Hmmmm, well I guess we know who the Queen of Hearts is?

Emma and Snow realized that Aurora was able to talk to Henry and they could warn the others of Cora and her intentions, which they did. The look on Regina’s face when she learned of her mother was probably my favorite part of the whole episode.

However Aurora and Henry talking started to become dangerous. The fires in the room they meet in were real and burning them. Mulan got uppity, she swore to Phillip to protect Aurora and didn’t care about Henry or the others. She wanted Aurora to just leave, but Aurora wanted to help them. I haven’t been a fan of Mulan much this season, so maybe it’s time she finally goes away permanently. I wouldn’t miss her.

On the other side, David and Regina too were worried about Henry continuing. David offered to take a potion so he could go to the netherworld. However Gold said they couldn’t bring him back. David felt one kiss from Snow over there would, so he wasn’t worried. Gold told him of a way to stop Cora to tell the others. They can use the same poison ink they used to snag Rumple years ago, and told him where a stash of it was (in the cell below the castle they had held him in before the curse hit).

Meanwhile the zombies attacked (why didn’t they use this for the Halloween episode?) and while they didn’t lose the compass, Aurora did get captured. Cora tried to make a deal with her to get the compass, promising to revive Phillip for her. Aurora was too smart to make the deal. Later Hook found her in the cell and helped to free her. He wanted her to tell Emma that their original deal still stands . . . . Wait what? So it looks like Hook was a good guy after all? Not so fast . . .

Snow went to the netherworld thinking she’d see Henry, but was shocked to see Charming. Not as shocked as they both were when they couldn’t touch one another, meaning no kiss for Charming! Before Snow woke up, Charming gave her Rumple’s message as to the weapon to use against Cora . . . I guess Charming is now stuck in a coma until Emma, Snow and whoever else gets home to kiss him!

The end of the show had Aurora’s return to the group and telling them that Hook seems to be a good guy for real. Ouch for Emma, who didn’t think she could trust him. Well it seemed she can’t . . . Hook has a deal with Cora too! He managed to take Aurora’s heart (how does she not know she doesn’t have a heart?) and with it she can basically see and I guess control Aurora if she wants? The girls are on their way to the old castle to try and get the stuff to stop Cora, but she seems to already know their plan . . . Which means she also knows where to find them to get the compass.

I’m not sure how they will wrap this all up next week, and what cliff hangers we’ll be left with. My guess is Snow might cross over to save Charming, but Emma could still be stuck. Will Cora make it over? Will August/Pinocchio resurface? What about Henry’s dad?