Once Upon A Time: The Stable Boy

Whoa. WHOA! What an ending!! WHOA!!

And how absolutely perfect was Bailee Madison as young Snow? The similarities between her and Ginny are uncanny! She knocked it out of the park in this episode!
And Barbara Hershey? She's so good at being so evil!

I also have a confession to make. It appears that I'm not as observant as I thought I was! Am I the only person who never noticed that Once Upon A Time has a different opening every week?
I only noticed it because I remember it being the dwarfs during 'Dreamy' and it was a running horse with a female rider for this episode. Looking back, I also remember a wolf, a spinning wheel and a person wearing a cloak.
So, I apologize for that! I promise from now on to pay more attention and mention the opening sequence here every week.

Now, lets begin, shall we?

In Fairytale Land, we meet a young Regina--and HOLY. They did an amazing job, making Lana look 25 years younger! Very impressive! I wonder if I can hire those make-up people to follow me around. Hmm..
Er, anyway!

We meet a young Regina who's NOTHING at all like the Regina we've come to know.
This girl is sweet and carefree and kind and fun. I found myself pretty much in love with THIS Regina.
Of course, we then meet her mother, who appears to be the Regina we DO know in all but physical appearance. Cora is mean and manipulative and conniving and just not at all nice.

After making Regina feel like dirt, Cora uses magic to lift Regina off the ground after Regina tries to walk away from her.
So...Mommy's got power. Interesting.

Regina runs back to the stable where we meet the stable boy in the title, Daniel, and the two share a steamy kiss.
Aww. Young love.

Later, the two lovebirds meet in a field and as they're talking about telling her mother about them, a runaway horse bolts by with a young girl clinging to its back, screaming for help.
Regina rides to the rescue and saves the girl, who's name is Snow White.
So...who else got goosebumps at that? Just me? Oh.

Some time afterwards, Cora helps Regina dress because the King has decided to visit the person who saved his daughter, Snow.
The King has been looking for a wife and, because Regina was so nice to his daughter, he asks Regina to marry him. Cora accepts. Sheesh, controlling much, Cora?!

After she can get away, Regina flees to the stables and tells Daniel what's happened. The two decide to run away and get married, and Daniel gives Regina a simple ring he takes off a saddle.
Snow overhears and spies the two kissing, and she runs off with Regina close behind.
Regina catches up and explains true love to young Snow, who promises to keep the secret from Regina's mother.

Next we see Snow and Cora having a little chit chat. Cora manipulates Snow using the love Snow had for her deceased mother. And Snow, in her innocence, trusts and believes every word Cora says.
Snow tells Regina's mother everything. :(

That night, as Regina and Daniel are about to leave, Cora catches them in the act.
First, she's very angry. Then, being evil and all, she makes the couple think she understands their plight and that she believes that true love should win.
Of course, we all know she's a big fat liar and we yell at the TV for Regina to stop her fast...but it's too late. Cora pulls Daniel's heart right out of his chest and kills him.
What? Oh, none of you were yelling at the TV? Oh. Er, okay. Um, neither was I. Then. Wut?

The next we see Regina, she's standing in a wedding dress during a fitting. (And what a GORGEOUS wedding dress it is! LOVED!)
Snow happily gushes over Regina, telling her how happy she'll be with Daniel. Then Snow gushes over Cora and Regina puts two and two together.
Snow apologizes for telling Cora, but explains that she didn't want Regina to lose her mother.
And in that moment....in that very moment, we actually SEE Regina transform from the sweet, kind, caring girl she was into the mean, hateful, evil person she's become. What a powerful, amazing scene. Lana Parrilla did that wonderfully.

Regina tells Snow she's not mad and then lies to her. She tells the girl that Daniel was only an infatuation, that he ran away, and that the three would be a family now.

Cora overhears the exchange and seems to be proud of her daughters new-found evilness.
Regina confronts Cora about setting up everything...From the horse running away with Snow to the King coming to the castle. Cora denies it and Regina says bitterly, "I should've let her die on that horse."


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Over in Storybrooke, it's one week ago. Regina is in her window, looking at a very plain ring.
From behind her, Mr. Gold asks if it's 'remembrances of things past'. Well now we know that it is, Gold. Thanks for the heads up! ;)

With a few Rumple-like hand gestures (Ha!), Gold makes a deal with Regina. She gets rid of his battery charges and he gets rid of her Mary Margaret problem. 

Flash to present day Storybrooke, Emma brushes off David and heads to her office/the jail, where we see Regina is sitting, watching Mary sleep. Creepy.

Mary wakes and Regina tells her to confess. Mary refuses because she's innocent and asks what she ever did to Regina to make her hate her so much.

Gold arrives later that day and, while Emma is busy taking a pretty vase of flowers from Sidney (who is still playing secret agent for Regina and lying to Emma about it), convinces Mary to speak to the DA.
And who walks in at just that moment? Why, the DA himself, of course! Who is none other than King George's alter-personality! *gasp*

The DA presses Mary Margaret until, in a fit of anger, she blurts out that, yes, she did want Kathryn gone--"Is that what you want to hear?!"
Poor, poor Mary.

Next we see Emma, sitting on a bench in the rain, looking through Henry's story book.
August comes to say hello and assists her in realizing that she needs to think things through differently.
The two decide to go back to the t(r)oll bridge, where the first of a few weird things in this episode happens.
As they're walking down the hill, August seems to tweak his leg somehow. He says it's nothing...but NOTHING is never nothing in Once Upon A Time! Trust me, people! This is a clue! This is either a foreshadow to a future episode--perhaps the one where we finally find out WHO August is--or it's a clue from a previous episode that I'm somehow missing! Or perhaps it's a telltale for which Fairytale character August is!
More on this below, in the questions bit of this post!

Emma digs around a bit where Ruby found the heart, and finds a piece of broken shovel. The two head to Regina's later that night and, with Henry's help, get into Regina's shed. And what's in that shed? Why, a broken shovel, of course! They've got her!

First thing in the morning, Emma shows back up at Regina's with a search warrant...and finds the old, broken shovel has been replaced with a brand spankin' new one.
D'oh! Foiled again!

Emma goes to August's room at Granny's and confronts him, thinking he was the one who told Regina.
And here's the second of the weird things that happens in the episode!
August says to Emma, "I would hope that you would have enough faith to know that I would never betray you.", and then he looks--first, completely stunned and then second--like he's almost let something slip by saying that to Emma. Did you all notice that?! (And that was some GREAT face acting by Eion Bailey, by the way!)
Again, more on this below in the questions bit of this post!

Back at the jail, Mary is in tears when Regina walks in. Again.
Regina is at her bitchy best and Mary finally realizes that the Mayor IS indeed out to get her for reasons unknown.

Back at Regina's house, she's once again standing in her window, clutching her ring. She whispers, "We got her Daniel. We got her."

The police take Mary away in cuffs and Emma and Gold have words.
After Gold leaves, Emma throws the flower vase (remember the flower vase I mentioned above?) in her anger and, lo and behold, among the shattered pieces she finds a bug! Darn that Sidney!

Emma finds August at the diner and apologizes, showing him the bug.
Suddenly the two hear screams. They run around the corner, where Ruby is pointing to someone lying on the ground in the alley.
Emma turns the person over.........and it's KATHRYN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And there was much yelling and cursing in my house at that!
GREAT episode! Loved it! LOVED!

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Highlights: 
-Bailee Madison as young Snow. Did she study Ginny beforehand?! Is that how she got Snow White down so perfectly?! Amazing!
-Barbara Hershey! Evil never looked so good!
-The costumes (again!). The wedding dress! Regina's riding coat! Young Snow's costumes!
-Gold's little Rumple flourish!
-Lana Parrilla's amazing acting as she changes from sweet Regina into the Evil Queen.


Questions:
-WHO IS AUGUST?!
-What was with the scene where he tweaks his leg? Is there a fairytale character I can't remember who had a hurt leg? Or who couldn't use his legs? At first, he was acting a bit wooden after he'd 'hurt' it, so of course I though Pinocchio....but I don't think that's who he is.
What about Baelfire, my theory on who August is. Did Baelfire have a hurt leg? Or will he? Argh!
-Why did August say what he did to Emma? Why would he think she should 'have enough faith to know he would never betray her'? That sounds like she's supposed to KNOW him, doesn't it? If she is, why doesn't she remember him? Double ARGH!
-What is Gold/Rumple doing? He's playing all sides of the coin. What is his end game?
-How did Kathryn get back? (Rumple?)
-How is she alive?! She has no heart!
-Will Mary be released now?
-Will Regina be charged?
-Where WAS Kathryn??
-Cora was a miller's daughter...In the Rumple fairytale, didn't the MILLER'S DAUGHTER have to guess his name? Is she THAT miller's daughter? If so, was Regina the first born she would have had to give up? Or maybe Jefferson?! (Remember how I said it seemed like they were related?!)
-How did Cora get magic? (Rumple?)
-What deals did Cora have to make to get them out of poverty...and with who? (Rumple?)
-What happened to Cora? She went to live with Snow, Regina and the King, I assume...but she was no longer around when the Evil Queen cursed Fairytale Land.
-Is Regina's grudge against something a child did 40 years ago the whole reason she cursed a WHOLE WORLD?!

No new episodes for THREE MORE WEEKS! Blah!
Here's the promo for 'The Return':

Looks AMAZING!! Was I right? IS August, Baelfire?! I can't wait to find out!

And what did you think of The Stable Boy? What are your thoughts on the many questions we have after this episode?

Comment are VERY welcome! I must debate this show! ;)

See you back here April 22, Oncers!