Spoilers ahead:
“Couldn’t it be called Sunshine Valley or Rainbow Cove?” We’re right there with you, Emma. Neverland isn’t exactly as colorful as Disney made us believe.
How nice was it to finally see what the other beloved characters were up to back in Storybrooke? Belle and Ariel save the day. John and Michael Darling have hope instilled in them. Wendy Darling is unfortunately still Pan’s prisoner. And Henry’s on Pan’s side again.
Through Rumple’s cryptic instructions, Ariel’s optimism, and the unbreakable power of True Love, Belle finds what’s needed to defeat Pan in order to bring everyone back home safely. How many hearts broke when Belle believed she wasn’t needed? It turns out, she’s very much needed and deserves a standing ovation for retrieving the Pandora Box not just once but twice.
Because Ariel succeeded in her task, Regina grants her with the ability to become a human/mermaid whenever she pleases. It’s going to be wonderful to see her and Eric reunite + watch her learn what it’s really like to be part of our world.
John and Michael Darling reveal that Wendy’s been one of Pan’s prisoners for a decade now, and they’ve been working alongside him for her safety. In 2×02 we learned that Wendy’s the only person Pan let go and the question on everyone’s mind was why? However, it definitely seems as though every detail has been planned accordingly. Pan let Wendy go in order to capture Bae and keep him until it was time for him to be freed to meet Emma when he grew up. It’s no surprise that he’s been planning this all along, but where did he even get the information on Henry years before he was born? Who told him he’d have the heart of the truest believer? There’s a force greater than Pan and that doesn’t sound too good.
Now that Henry believes Wendy is genuinely ill, he thinks he understands Pan’s motives; however, he has absolutely no idea what’s in store at Skull Rock. They’re now working alongside one another to make sure Neverland’s magic doesn’t die or at least that’s what it seems. Who knows what Pan’s keeping in Scull Rock?
Meanwhile, Snow is still having a hard time forgiving Charming for keeping his inability to leave Neverland a secret. Because the two are the ultimate True Love pair, they evidently make up after a heartfelt speech about how Snow would stay anywhere with him, just as he’ll always find her. There aren’t any concerns here about them being in Neverland forever as it’s certain there’s a way off the island. Also, they still need to work things out and learn to be a family with their daughter. She may be the same age, but she still needs both her parents.
Emma, Hook, and Neal go on their own dark adventure with the goal to trap Pan’s shadow in order to leave Neverland the moment they rescue Henry. The two men continue to display their love for her even if it means they turn into 12-year-olds fighting over who can light a candle. We aren’t going to lie, it’s actually quite nice to get such lighthearted moments when there’s so much at stake. After both men are attacked by shadows, Emma’s fear causes her magic to light the candle and essentially save the day. It turns out she doesn’t need anger for her magic, she just needs to want it desperately and it’ll work for her. Maybe she didn’t care so much about the firewood in last week’s episode which is why it took longer. Thoughts?
So who’s going to win her heart in the end?!
“I also believe in good form so when I win your heart, Emma, I won’t win it with trickery. I will win it because you want me.” By ceaselessly putting her happiness above everything else, we have Killian Jones bestowing chivalry at its finest as he valorizes the fact that he will not give up fighting for Emma Swan’s heart. The rare understanding that exquisitely binds them together continues to serve as an emblem of their promising romance. He doesn’t just have hope that she’ll rescue Henry, he knows it. With his unwavering persistence, he continues to crystallize her hope by wholeheartedly believing in her.
“Emma, I just want to say that you’re right about Henry. He’s all that matters and if he’s the only thing that came from us being together then I say we did alright.”This is the exact character development we’ve been hoping for when it comes to Neal. He’s acknowledging the notion that it truly is all about Henry and that being together brought beauty to the world. Emma and Neal are undeniably capable of being outstanding parents, but ultimately they work extremely well as just friends. Did anyone else catch Neal’s smile when he saw Tinkerbell? We aren’t jumping to any conclusions here, but it’s a smile we haven’t seen from him in a while.
Although Emma states that she chooses Henry because he’s the only love she has room for her in life, Morrison’s acting is what justifies the fact that Emma will eventually choose one of them because she needs a partner. She chooses Henry at this moment because he’s the only thing on her mind. She needs to fill the emptiness inside of her before she could even think about her feelings. This moment was Emma temporarily closing the topic and focusing on Operation Henry.
Next week’s episode will be a boldly revealing adventure. So close to going home…