Spoilers ahead:
Flashbacks: This week’s flashbacks gave viewers a further glimpse into Cyrus and Alice’s relationship in the past. As they were stargazing and being adorable, Cyrus reveals that he wasn’t always a genie thus, justifying the notion that it’s something anyone can become. When they’re attacked by three men and Alice injures herself while fighting, Cyrus takes her to the rabbit’s house where his wife tries to revive her. The rabbit tells Cyrus he needs to let Alice go, and he visits the caterpillar to ask for his assistance in his disappearance. Cyrus later reveals an invisible house to Alice that they could call home and be together.
Modern Day: Alice and Knave continue on their pursuit to find Cyrus, but this time they also go searching for the rabbit. When they find the rabbit, he reveals the reason he told the Red Queen about Cyrus’ bottle is that she was holding his family hostage and he merely had no choice. Knave reveals that he may possibly know their location, and he takes them to the hut he and Anastasia used to live in where the rabbit is reunited with his family.
Meanwhile, when the Red Queen finds out that the bottle she’s kept inside the house is given to Jafar, she gets upset and sets out to find Cyrus along with the real bottle. On their journey, Cyrus realizes she has a secret but doesn’t understand what it is until the confrontation that takes place later. Jafar creates a murderous storm that’s to kill to Red Queen when it finds her and as she tries to tell the group, things turn out much differently than the escape plan she had in mind. Cyrus is now permanently free while Knave is the new genie.
What stood out most in this episode was undeniably Emma Rigby’s acting as she was beautifully able to shift from the Red Queen to Anastasia at the sight of Knave. “You had me. All of me, my heart, my soul, my life, and you tossed me aside like a piece of rubbish all for a little red crown.” … “I would give up my crown, I would give up anything, everything just to go back to the time where you loved me.” Whether you’ve cared for Red Knave or not, you cannot deny that this scene and essentially everything that followed was heartbreaking. I couldn’t help but think of the fact that Will still probably doesn’t have his heart with him meaning his reactions could’ve possibly been different.
It’s certainly what the two of them had was a special relationship, but it’s also clear that there’s an awful ton of deeply rooted aches within them. I especially thought the most amazing part of this episode was the theme of sacrifice coming to life gracefully. In flashbacks, Cyrus sacrificed the compass left by his mother for a home with Alice, today Will/Knave sacrificed the one wish he’d earned by wishing for Alice to be free from suffering. Because of the fact that Alice’s main concern has always been the fact that after three wishes Cyrus would be prisoned again, Will’s wish made it so Cyrus is free from his role as the genie. Although it’s clear he had no idea what the wish would do, the sole fact that he was selfless with his wish, as he has been throughout their journey displays an ultimate form of sacrifice that’s stemmed from genuine love.
I was proud of Anastasia’s honesty and willingness to put the throne behind her, a part of me hoped she’d let them all go to demonstrate an even more powerful form of sacrifice. It was the fear in her expressions and dialogue that stopped me from being upset with the outcome of everything for it is truly evident she feels extremely remorseful over what’s occurred. It’s wonderfully nice to see friendship presented as a form of sacrifice for once because surely I’m not the only one who loves an amazing bromance – especially the one Knave and Alice have.
On lighter notes, I’m literally still laughing at:
“Sorry, nature was calling.”
“Really? What did it say?”
“Nothing you want to hear, trust me.”
I love a good modern-day saying being presented in front of those who aren’t familiar with them, it’s such a unique form of comedy in quite a few shows nowadays, including the Once Upon A Time world.