Once Upon a Time: The Stranger

Pinocchio turns out to have been the seven year old that found baby Emma, having come through the wardrobe portal just moments before her.  (Doh I did think Baelfire was too old.) It turns out that Gepetto forced the Blue Fairy to lie about how many could travel through.  The number was in fact two.  He insisted Pinocchio be one of them.

I liked having my question answered about August and his returning to wooden form, it was indeed triggered by Emma deciding to stay in Storybrooke for Henry.  August's description of his land where everything is pleasure...Tsk.

I thought that Baelfire was going to be in the cafe as a sort of last resort bit of convincing for Emma, but no. All August succeeded in doing was to make Emma feel desperate to get away from the burden of saving everyone.

I do think the older boy at the orphanage with the wad of cash was Baelfire (like I'm letting him slip away so easily).  All that money from making deals no doubt, just like his dear old dad.

Interesting Emma could not see August's wooden leg.  It must be because she truly doesn't believe. 

I thought the telling of Pinoccio's story was sweet.  It is just too hard that Geptetto should be asked to let anything happen to his boy.  I understand the deal he made. 

It was far too much to ask of a small child to go through a portal to a foreign land alone, and to bear the burden of watching over a baby and making sure she meets her fate.  Still, when he left poor innocent baby Emma there alone with those cruel people I'm going noooooo.

Nothing but sadness has been brought by the curse, even for Regina who is not loved anywhere by anyone.  I wonder if she is regretting having done it at all.  Interesting ploy trying to gather David to herself.  Maybe Charming is waking up to himself.  He backed right on out of there, didn't he.

I am vindicated, August did change the story and Henry did notice!  Aha.

My husband and I are agreed that August/Pinocchio has achieved redemption because Gepetto told him he tried to make things right and that is all that could be asked.  And he's going to work for his dad for free just to be near him again.  Now that is nice.

And Emma decides to take things into her own hands and drives off with Henry.  That will be a fine mess.

Once Upon a Time: The Return

They really fooled me!  I apparently have a giant soft spot for Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold because I really wanted him to be reunited with his boy.  Instead, he was tricked by August into revealing the location of his Dark One Knife and August tried to use it to control Mr. Gold.  Major bummer. But only on behalf of Mr. Gold.

There has been something a bit off about August, a bit slimy, and I have had a hard time liking him even though he seemed to be helping Emma.  Ah, well.

Another opportunity for Robert Carlyle to do some really wonderful acting.

Still, Baelfire must have ended up in this world, right?  So who is he? Have we met him or will we?  Because he came here before the curse as Emma did, he would be immune to having to stay in Storybrooke.  I'm wondering if Baelfire is who August was talking to on the phone, saying we have to move our plan up, we're running out of time.  It would explain why August knows so much.

The next theory that has been floated out there then is that August is Pinocchio, and perhaps the tremors we're seeing in his legs are him turning back to wood in this non-magical world.  He would be highly motivated to have Emma break the curse if it would save him by sending him back to fairy tale land.

The Blue Fairy is head of the convent, right?  Now we know why Gold hates fairies.  As I was watching I was recalling Rumplestiltskin killing Cinderella's Fairy Godmother...why kill her?  She must have done something as well.  Silly fairies.

So "The Return" was not the return of Baelfire, but Kathryn's return.  She was in an accident, drugged, kept in a dark basement.  She was most gracious to everyone.  Hopefully nothing more bad will happen to her.

I feel for Sidney, still as in love with the Queen as ever.  What a terrible fate he has suffered for his true love.

David in Storybrooke was as noxious and clueless as ever.  Could they make him any less appealing?

Luckily Snow/Mary Margaret gets stronger by the episode.

Only three more episodes to the finale.  Lots of possible twists.