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Previously on Once Upon a Time: The Stable Boy.

Welcome back! This week on Once Upon a Time, Kathryn is back from the dead, Ms. Blanchard is off the hook for murder, and Emma is determined to take Regina down for framing her friend. Meanwhile, August and Mr. Gold develop a mutual curiosity about one another and come to an understanding that the curse needs to be broken, and soon. In the Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin’s son Baelfire tries free his father from the powers of The Dark One, which leads to a broken promise and a painful separation.

In the Enchanted Forest, we pick up where Desperate Souls left off. Rumpelstiltskin has the powers of the Dark One, which he used to end the Ogre War, but he also uses them to terrorize the villagers – turning a cart driver into a snail and crushing him for accidentally knocking down his son, Baelfire. His son wants him to give up the power now that the war is over, but Rumpelstiltskin reminds him the only way to do that is if someone kills him with the magic dagger. Baelfire insists that there must be another way, and his father reluctantly agrees to give up his power if he finds it. They shake on it. Baelfire learns from one of the other children that Reul Ghorm might have the power to help him. That night, Baelfire asks for help and gets a visit from the Blue Fairy, who tells him the only way to save Rumpelstiltskin is to send him to a world without magic, and gives him the last magic bean as a way to get there. The bean creates a vortex and Rumpelstiltskin’s cowardice gets the best of him – he lets go of Baelfire at the last moment and is left behind. Rumpelstiltskin confronts the Blue Fairy, and she lets slip that only way to get back to Baelfire is a curse that would sacrifice one world for the next. He vows to make it happen.

In Storybrooke, as August is awoken by his left leg twitching so violently that it throws him out of bed. He calls someone, saying they need to accelerate the plan. He utilizes Henry to distract Mr. Gold so he sneak into his office, but the shopkeeper throws him out before he finds what he’s looking for. Emma checks on Kathryn at the hospital, but she doesn’t remember much of anything other than being kept in a basement. Regina complains to Mr. Gold that Kathryn was supposed to die. He corrects her that “something tragic“ was supposed to happen, and did, so he fulfilled their bargain. The town hosts a party for Ms. Blanchard. Henry gives her a “We’re so glad you didn’t murder Mrs. Nolan” card, and Mr. Gold asks Emma about August, who she describes as “a typewriter wrapped in an enigma wrapped in stubble.” Later, Emma warns Sydney he’ll go down with Regina, Ms. Blanchard tells David it’s really, truly over, and Mr. Gold follows August to the convent, and where he learns the writer was asking about his father. Mr. Gold starts to believe August is his son, and goes to Archie for advice, who tells him to ask for forgiveness. He confronts August, tells him how every waking moment has been spent looking for him, and they hug it out. Rumpelstiltskin offers him the knife, saying he doesn’t need it anymore. August turns it on him and tries to control him – which doesn’t work, as there is no magic in this world, something Baelfire would know. August clearly isn’t his son. He confesses that he’s dying and needs magic to fix it. Rumpelstiltskin decides to let August be for the time being, since his desire to live is the perfect motivation to push Emma into becoming the Savior. The next day, Sydney admits to framing Ms. Blanchard. Emma loses it, swearing to Regina she’s sick of playing nice and she will get her son back, one way or another.

Next week, s**t gets real and Emma might have to save the world.

Quotes
Mr. Gold – Are you proposing I’m working with Regina or against her?
Emma – I don’t know. Maybe diagonally.

Thoughts/Theories
o So now we know why Rumpelstiltskin hates fairies. One minor mystery solved! What happened to their magic beans, though?
o I’m not sure what to believe about August. A part of me thinks he really is Baelfire, but then all the conspiracies I want to believe turn out not to be true, and the ones they come up with I never see coming. And who is he working with?

Nicole N. decided to justify the countless hours she spends watching television by writing about it here. She enjoys a challenge and is currently re-watching all 15 seasons of ER. Follow her @nicolemnelson