Posted by Dustin on 12.04.2012 at 5:53 pm

This Sunday was the Winter Finale of “Once,” the show won’t be back until January 6th. What a finale it was too. A lot of questions were answered, others still remain. Of course the final scenes set up the second half of the season and an entirely new battle to be fought.

Rumple/Gold and Regina realized they could not let Cora make it to Storybrooke. They devised a plan to make sure anyone coming through the portal would be killed. Gold knew where the portal was, it’s the well in the woods that he used to bring magic back to Storybrook. However what if Regina and Snow came through? It was a chance they’d have to take, and Regina didn’t think they could defeat her mother. She was sure it would be her mother that came through, Emma and Snow would be no match for her. Meanwhile when the dwarfs found the mine drained of the magic diamonds, they and Red eventually learned what Regina and Gold were planning. Henry felt betrayed as he thought Regina had changed . . . .

In Fairytale Land past, Regina was planning to enact the curse, but there was a problem. She employed Hook and told him about the new world she was making, and that he could get his revenge on Rumple there. However she needed something first. She didn’t want her mother following her to the land, she needed her killed. She then sent Hook to Wonderland to take care of her mother . . . who in fact was the Queen of Hearts! I knew it! I suspected they were going there last season. Cora however told Hook he was being played, in this new land he’d have no memory of who he was, so he couldn’t get his revenge. The two then teamed up to play Regina. Hook brought a seemingly dead Cora back to Regina, but she of course wasn’t dead. Regina told her mother’s not-so-lifeless corpse that she had to do this, because she still loves her, and her mother taught her that love was weakness. So Cora is Regina’s weakness . . . Meanwhile Hook didn’t understand why Cora would do this for a daughter who wanted her dead. Cora knew that the day would come when Regina would need her mother’s help.

It seems Cora used her powers to save part of the land, to protect it from the curse Regina let loose. This is why not everyone went to Storybrook. She and Hook waited there with the other refugees . . . until the time was right to strike.

In Fairytale Land present, Snow and the gang reach Rumple’s cell, but there is no ink to be found. They do find a bizarre scroll with Emma’s name all over it. Cora and Hook then arrive and seal them in the cell, and an enchanted Aurora hands over the compass to Cora.

Cora and Hook make their way to Lake Gnosis where the portal is. Hook is confused, it’s a dried up lake. Cora uses her magic to bring it back to life. They then plan to head to Storybrook to be reunited with the ones they are both seeking.

Back in the cell, the pieces from last season begin to come together. Rumple told Snow and Charming their child would be a savior, and last season he had asked them what the name of their child would be. He wrote the name with the ink on the scroll and left it in the cell. Snow figured this out, and used it to free them from the bars. Aurora was still without her heart, so she begged to be tied up and left behind or else Cora could use her. Mulan vowed to return her heart to her.

At the lake, the battle begins. It’s a pretty kick ass battle. Near the end Cora has had enough and tries to take Snow’s heart, which she plans to present to her daughter as a peace offering. However Emma pushes her out of the way, and Cora plunges her hand into Emma’s chest. However she’s unable to retrieve her heart! As it turns out, Cora has been wrong all along. Love is not weakness, it is strength. Emma and Snow gain the compass and jump through the portal . . .

Mulan retrieves Aurora’s heart and returns it to her. Aurora then tells Mulan that Cora mentioned to her other ways to break the wraiths curse and wake Phillip. The two set out to do just that.

Back in Storybrook, Red, the dwarfs and Henry find Regina and Rumple casting their magic at the well. Henry begs her not to do this, but she’s sure Cora will come through. Henry begs her to have faith in him the way she wanted him to have faith in her. He’s sure good will win, it always does. Regina takes a chance, and out pop Emma and Snow! They all race to save Charming . . . and then Regina is left out in the cold. She helped reunite a family, yet was not included in the celebration. I actually felt bad for Regina believe it or not. However you could see the evil seething in her! Meanwhile Emma knew Gold made the curse, he knew she would break it, he set it all in motion. What she doesn’t understand is why he did it?

Back in Fairytale Land, Cora was furious, but Hook had another trick up his sleeve. He had the giant’s last withered and dried up old bean. Cora thought it would do no good, but Hook felt with the waters of the lake . . . . The last scene we see is of Hook and Cora on his ship sailing up on Storybrook! Oh shiznat!

A really good episode, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions . . . .

-After all they’ve done to one another, Cora and Regina still seem to care for one another. That can’t be good for Emma. Regina is going to go after her to get Henry back and big time, and my guess is that Cora will be glad to help.
– Who was the dead fairy that owned the wand Rumple had?
– Where is Augustus/Pinocchio and Henry’s dad? Or when will we see them again I guess I should say. My guess is they may come to help Emma battle Regina and Cora.
– We still don’t know who or where Bey is, but it seems obvious that everything Rumple/Gold has done is to find him.