Good night sweet one: A Once Recap

I don’t know what my TV was thinking Sunday night, but I took a serious hit right in the “feels.”  Kicking things off with Once Upon a Time, I feel like this episode was supposed to inspire the idea of “it’s always darkest before the dawn.”  In the midst of the discovery of rumples return, we go back to Storybrooke to get the answer to another blazing question, “where is Neil?”

We open our story with the search for Rumple in the places that would have the strongest clues; Mr. Gold’s shop which is now being cared for by Belle, the old farmhouse the witch had hidden him in, and even the woods themselves.  Sadly, to poke around the shop they have to tell Belle that the love of her life may still be alive but they aren’t sure where.  How heart breaking to not know.  Just like Emma’s question about where Neil has disappeared to.  Belle, however may have a longer wait than Emma, as Neil comes crashing through the backdoor of Gold’s shop.

So where has Neil been, well to answer that we must go back to the Enchanted Forest, a whole year ago.  Balefire and Belle decide to leave the group and head for Rumple’s castle in hopes of saving him and finding a way back to our world.  Ever the little researcher Belle decides to hit the books in the library that Rumple built for her, where she meets Lumiere, a soul who promises to help them locate the vault of the dark one where they can conjure Rumple back to life.  What seems to be an imprisoned soul to help them, turns out to be another pawn in the game of the wicked witch.  His purpose is to lead them to the vault that houses the dark one and convince Neil to use the key to release Rumple.  Unfortunately for Neil, there is always a price to magic, and this one will be very hard to pay.  The rules of the vault are simple; one for one, so in order to release Rumple Neil must sacrifice his life and is taken in by Rumple.  This is why Rumple has been suffering, his mind has been clouded by both he and Neil’s thoughts. 

Back in Storybrooke, things seem to be heating up as Regina and Robin finally have their introduction in our world and it is electric.  How she can resist that face is completely beyond m, still they meet in front of the old farm house, both looking for clues as to her identity and locations.  Between the witty banter, closeness and half smiles, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife.  This is delicious until Regina sees the lion tattoo and then, everything falls to place and then to pieces.  Regina cannot allow herself to be happy, it’s too scary to let go of anger and hate… and even scarier with a beating heart in her chest.

This episode’s progression was definitely more in Storybrooke than the Enchanted Forest, as we see each of our favorite people both coming to terms with horrible truths and that you may not be able to stop destiny.  Neil decides that he needs to take this time to tell Emma that she will always be in his heart.  It feels like a kind of goodbye as he tells her that all he wants is her to find Tallahase, even if he can’t be a part of it.

As any Once fan I sat on the edge of my seat, praying, crying and ripping my hair out that Rumple would find a way.  After all this time, all the searching throughout the seasons, Rumple must now hold his son for the very last time.  In that moment, there was so much love, kindness, and forgiveness of all the past mistakes.  The vault must have its price and with a tear filled good bye, we lay our sweet one to rest.

With Rumple’s mind now free of Neil, he can tell the group that Snow’s own midwife is the incarnate of the wicked witch.  It is a short lived victory however, with Rumple’s head now clear the dagger once again controls him, and effectively so does the witch.  That means it’s time to go back to his cell a little more lost, as are we all with this loss.  It is a horrible thing to lose someone, but to lose a person so strongly connected to everyone’s life is devastating.  Perhaps the worst, Neil laid his life down for a chance to get back to a son that can’t remember him.

So what now Once?  Well Snow is only going to get rounder as we press on to the due date of Storybrooke’s newest price or princess.  It’s becoming painfully obvious that her baby is crucial to whatever the witch has planned.  My question, why does everyone in these stories want a freakin baby?!  I have a baby, and yes they are rewarding, but seriously why you want to take on someone else’s waking up every two hours…. Seems like a curse to me.