ring of fire

We could see Aurora & Phillip again because both actors will be working for ABC next season. But Jaime is working for NBC and that's why they had to use a Mulan look alike in this episode. I doubt we will get to see how they got Phillip's soul but maybe Aurora and Phillip will explain Bae what happened to them.

Luna Ann Potter

All I can say, is that this episode left me more confused with the stories than ever. I don't know what is what anymore.

A few things felt too rushed and easy, like "Oh, Mother Superior found the cure to the memory loss here give it to Belle" and "Oh, I can help you save storybrooke with my magic, *chan* is saved!" idk, that's just how I saw it.

And I'm super confused with the "Home Office" Greg and Tamara...like they were fighting to get rid of magic and now they run to a magical place because they found Henry is valuable for something...and Peter looking for Henry YEARS before he's even born! I mean, Bealfire hasn't even grown up and met Emma.

Ah, I need to order everything in my head. I'm all confused.

koodles

Oh wow! Didn't realize they used a body double for Jaime.

I remember when we saw filming images for that scene over on the spoiler thread and Jaime responded to a fan who tweeted one of the filming images to her by saying it was photoshopped. Maybe she thought it had been because they hadn't offered for her to return and she didn't know that they were filming a scene with her character.

Yeah, I'm wondering what Neal's story is going to be next season. We're all expecting him to become a regular cast member for next season, but we probably won't hear that announcement, if it comes, until June. Since the actors who play Aurora, Phillip and Mulan all have other roles elsewhere, I'm guessing he won't have too many scenes with them before he is healed and transported to join the rest in Neverland.

Yeah, I agree with you on all the rushed storylines. It almost felt like when a series ends unexpectedly so they have to do a wrap up series finale last minute that has a bunch of really convenient storylines and quick fixes that don't make a lot of sense. It really showed that this season was not well planned overall. Some parts of the season seemed well planned; I was so surprised at how organic it felt for all of the villains to become "good" all at once in one episode. I think if you explained that to someone they would think it was poorly done, but when watching the episode that all made so much sense. But I think some parts of the writing just felt like they weren't really thinking things through.

Oh well, hopefully next season will have more of a plan they actually follow.

Radames

Colin just said on twitter that it was Bae's memory and Emma's words that made him return.

Kelaine

Ups and Downs in this one--

OK, a couple weeks ago, Regina was erasing Henry's memory and ready to kill everyone in SB, Now, she's a good guy.

Uh, huzzah. . . .

Ditto on Hook.

Actually, I'm more willing to buy Hook's change of heart than Regina's--which is saying something, given that Hook was woefully undeveloped until this episode (and I don't know if I believe his story about his father or if he was trying to get sympathy going with Bae). But, oh, well, that's what the plot says happened.

Look, I'm willing to buy villains who change. I'm even willing to buy Regina and Hook under these circumstances. It's just that cramming both of them into one episode was a bit much (and couldn't we have someone say something like, "So, Regina's good again?" "This week. . . .").

I don't really buy Gold quietly accepting death. Of course, if he hadn't, then he would have been helping to contain the diamond (and giving some snide lines to Regina ["I gave you a perfectly good curse, but you just had to modify it. . . ."]) instead of hanging out with Lacey/Belle and giving her the potion.

JeRoMe

Wait,

So Baelfire is still the son of Rumple, correct? LOL

Lennie1984

He needed a reminded which Emma gave him well her words and what she said (Emma was the influence for that, and Bae was the memory), a chance - and he when looking at the directions he put near the steering wheel made him think once he had cared for someone he can again, that he COULD again he needed a REMINDER THAT HE COULD.... COULD is the word - that says HOPE for him

He already knew Bae/Neal was dead... so what was the point of lingering over that, the point is the ppl who are here today that counts which was Emma giving him a chance to join them...

And importantly when he came back - he didnt know Henry was taken, so he came back on what she said, He came back for Emma, who reminded him of the way he felt when he’d had hope for Bae. He chose her and to join them. Also he told Emma scene wise she reminded him.

Radames

Actually I think Hook has been set up before this episode. His monologue in The Evil Queen confirmed that he was starting to realize that revenge was not getting him anywhere.

The writers even confirmed that in the podcast for the episode, he was questioning everything.

This was just the coming together of Hook finally letting go of his revenge and choosing to live for something now.

Radames

What I wanted to happen between Hook and Emma happened.

They have come completely full circle from where they were at the beginning of the season.

Emma told Hook basically what several have been saying, these two are as the actors like to say "kindred spirits" and this episode connected them on the level of abandonment. They're both survivors and that's how they have functioned for a long time.

For Emma she finally now trusts Hook and that was symbolized by her giving him the bean which essentially was her placing her trust in him in aiding her bring her son back.

For Hook he finally buried his revenge and has decided to aid Emma. Her words and Bae's memory convinced him that he does have something to live for away from his revenge. He proved once again that he would not abandon Emma, he came back to all of them. Now Emma knows that as well. He's allowed Gold on his boat and while there may still be some animosity between them it does appear they have indeed buried the hatchet.

As long as Hook carried the revenge he would never have what Rumple has.

geekgrrl87

*ground rumbles* "Time's running out." "Oh, is that what that means?" Snarky Charming is killing me. #OUAT

What the fans are saying about ‘Once Upon a Time’ | honestreviewscorner.com

celesstarr

Hi Everyone,

I kind of had the opposite reaction of everyone who's commented so far. I think the season 1 finale had more of a momentum build from the first scene towards the end which made it really exciting. This season 2's finale left me feeling sort of flat and disappointed. I twitched with annoyance everytime greg and tamara had a scene. The episode really felt contrived and didn't flow very well - I mean, come on ABC, why not make it a 1.5 hr season finale and tell the story the way it should be told.

The "truce" between Gold and Hook seemed too immediate and way too forced...so much so that it just wasn't believable at all to me.

But after I read some of the other more positive posts here I didn't feel as disappointed as I started with.

Some of my reactions:

Rumbelle: Loved all their scenes except for their last separation scene. The kiss was wonderful, but Gold didn't seem at all broken for leaving Belle forever in Storybrooke. But, he is still grieving his son so its a realistic reaction. Poor Belle.

Charmings: They were all over the place and dominated the finale, which isn't unexpected as this show is really all about them so far (I hope we don't get any more snow white/evil queen storylines next season as I'm sooo bored with it. The evil queen didn't like snow -I get it, I get it, I really really get it, LOL)

Gold: Wish he had more of a part with saving the town - this would have made the episode more exciting I think. But he's grieving so all his reaction is believable.

Hook and Bae: Loved the interaction and dynamics.

Hook: Glad Hook didn't just get knocked to the floor again.

Aurora, Mulan, Phillip - come on, I really wanted to see how they were able to get Phillip back from the wraith!! Couldn't we focus on this for season 3 and leave neverland to season 4. Talk about rush, rush, rush with the plot.

Greg and Tamara -can someone finish them off upon arrival to Neverland? I NEVER,NEVER want to see them again, lol.

Belle - My most favorite character has now been left stranded in Storybrooke without her true love. This is the second tme Gold has chosen to leave her for a family member. I'm not sure what this means for the storybrooke storyline nxt season. If they're thinking to split season 3 between FTL, Storybrooke, Neverland, PLUS flashbacks in all 3 relms, the writers are absolutely crazy! I love OUAT but there is so much plot plot plot that the story's just not believble anymore.

Hopes for season 3: Rumple vs Peter Pan and maybe more origin stories on where the dark one's curse orginated. Mermaids in neverland? Guess we'll be seeing the little mermaid.

geekgrrl87

So so glad Neal is alive. We all knew he was but still it was nice to physically see it.

bwm30

Awesome season finale! They really set the stage for some great action in both FTL and Neverland. I hope that they can fight off some of those evils next season and return everyone in SB to the Enchanted Forest and begin the journey of reclaiming the kingdom.

The term your actually looking for is punch-clock villain. This is because, they're both doing what they do as a job and other then that; they have normal lives. They've just been so busy lately that we never really got to see this.

Kelaine

Point. I was kind of skeptical of Hook when he first said it, but I see the point.

And there have been hints of Hook's revenge problem before. When he erased Belle's memory, he initially seemed ready to die. Then, he started plotting revenge again. At the time, it seemed like he'd spent 300 years plotting revenge, got it--

And, then, he needed another fix.

If he'd known Rumple survived the attack in NY--with no between time when he thought he was dead--I could see him going right back to his revenge plots.

But, when he thought he'd done it, when the place inside of him that gets filled when he gets his revenge fix (either by plotting or getting) was being left empty, he began to realize how empty he was without it.

Then, he finds out all those centuries of plotting didn't do anything.

Except that he inadvertently helped Greg and Tamara kill Milha's son. That is what we call irony.

FAU

ita.