What’s Zelena Up To?
The episode started with a warning call of sorts — a basket of green apples for Regina, courtesy of Zelena — along with a toe-to-toe conversation that made it clear that neither sister has forgotten their battle from a few episodes ago. And neither is willing to give up.
When Regina makes the harsh statement that their mother Cora “gave Zelena away” the wicked sister responds with a threat that Regina doesn’t really know what happened. Then Zelena drops the bomb — she has Regina’s heart (thanks to some tightrope-walking by Rumple)!
The question Regina keeps asking is: What the heck is Zelena going to do with her heart? Before she can answer that question, she makes an unlikely ally in Belle. They may not have the friendliest past, but they both want Zelena defeated. Putting their heads together, Regina and Belle realize that Zelena’s plan is inextricably connected to Cora’s life, long before she died.
It’s flashback time!
Back To The Future With Cora
We’re thrown back in time, to when Cora and “Prince Jonathan” got engaged (the Prince put a ring on it, albeit one made of straw). Of course, there isn’t really a Prince Jonathan… just a gardener who says dirty things like “A harlot is a harlot” to Cora, as if he wasn’t the guy who just faked being a prince.
Royalty or not, Cora reveals that she’s pregnant. After the gardener runs away — since he’s a great guy and all — that’s when she meets the real prince, Prince Leopold. These two are well on their way to falling in love when Leo admits that he already has an arranged wife, but clever Cora doesn’t see it as too much of a roadblock.
Jonathan returns two days before Cora’s wedding with Prince Leopold to exact a ransom — he wants that bling, and in return, he won’t tell everyone that Cora’s carrying his child. Since Once is a drama though, of course Princess Eva overhears Jonathan and Cora’s conversation.
And that’s how Leopold and Eva ended up together, and how Cora was cast out on her own and forced to give up her first daughter, Zelena.
Cora Pays Regina & Mary Margaret A Visit
Back in present day, Regina has assembled the whole gang — Mary Margaret, Emma, David, and of course, Hook, who can’t be bothered by all this talk about baby names — to talk to Cora from beyond the grave. Unfortunately Cora doesn’t seem to interested in talking. Regina knows her mother’s holding back secrets, chief among them why Cora gave Zelena away.
On her own schedule, Cora’s spirit does pay Regina and Mary Margaret a visit eventually. Unfortunately, Cora’s not interested in answering questions, just trying to take some ghostly revenge on MM. Cora takes a dive into Mary Margaret and the entire flashback is revealed.
Zelena’s Plan Is Finally Revealed
But Zelena’s scheming continued while all this was going on. After putting Rumple into a dashing suit, she sits Rumple down to dinner, and reveals her true plan. With everything she’s gathered, Zelena plans to go back in time and change the past.
Belle is the one to finally crack this code, and with the knowledge Cora imparted on Mary Margaret, the group puts together that Zelena plans to go back in time to kill Princess Eva and reverse everything that happened since the day Leopold cast Cora out.
That’s pretty bad news for Eva’s daughters — if she’s killed they can never be born. And all history would be changed, so it’s likely that Regina wouldn’t be born either. Really, this is a serious power move by Zelena that basically takes down everyone in one fell swoop.
But Zelena needs Mary Margaret’s baby to be born first, so she doesn’t have all the cards just yet.
Erasing all of history, and therefore pretty much every Once character does sound wicked — even for a witch — but I don’t know, seeing Zelena left in the woods by Cora makes me sort of feel for her. She’s a lone wolf, and it almost seems as though she doesn’t have any other choice. What do you think?
— Andrew Gruttadaro
More ‘Once’ Recaps:
- ‘Once Upon A Time’ Recap: Zelena Casts A Shocking Kiss Curse On Hook
- ‘Once Upon A Time’ Recap: The Wicked Witch’s Past Is Revealed
- ‘Once Upon A Time’: Rumpelstiltskin Is Back & [Spoiler] Gets Killed