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Previously on Once Upon a Time: Manhattan.

This week on Once Upon a Time, revenge is on everyone’s mind. In New York, Hook finds Rumpelstiltskin and a return to Storybrooke is the only thing that can save him. In Storybrooke, Cora and Regina come out on top – but Snow is not giving up without a fight. Finally, in the pre-Curse Enchanted Forest, we learn what happened to Snow’s mother.

In the pre-curse Enchanted Forest, the court is preparing a ball for Snow’s birthday. The little princess is quite snooty – especially when she catches her servant Johanna (played by Lesley Nicol, better known as Downtown Abbey’s no-nonsense cook Mrs. Patmore) trying on the tiara she will inherit. The Queen (Rena Sofer) schools her daughter on how to be a benevolent ruler, but collapses in pain mid-lecture. The healers are at a loss, so Johanna mentions to Snow that the Blue Fairy might be able to help. The Blue Fairy offers Snow a forbidden magic to save her mother – a candle that will trade someone’s life for the Queen’s. Snow cries to her mother that she wasn’t strong enough to use dark magic to save her, but the Queen praises her goodness with her last breath. After the funeral, Cora appears to gloat over the Queen’s body – even if she wasn’t able to corrupt Snow with her Blue Fairy deception, she vows her daughter will be queen one day.

In New York, Emma and Rumpelstiltskin commiserate over the fact that their sons are not exactly happy with them. Nealfire treats Henry to some New York pizza that is “delicious, cheesy, and doesn’t lie,” but their bonding time is interrupted when Hook appears and stabs Rumple. Emma knocks out the pirate (seriously, how does he not have brain damage by now?) and locks him in the basement. Unfortunately his hook was poisoned and the only thing that can save Rumple is magic – meaning they need to return to Storybrooke, and fast. Nealfire offers to captain Hook’s ship back to Storybrooke – apparently the real world wasn’t his first stop after the Enchanted Forest – and works on getting them a car to get to the harbor. Emma receives an update via text from Snow, and gets Rumple to give up the location of his dagger so they can get before Cora does. Emma and Neal go to retrieve their ride – from Neal’s fiancé, Tamara.

In Storybrooke, Snow is not in the mood to celebrate her birthday. A mysterious present contains her tiara, and she’s happy to discover that Johanna is in town. They have a tearful reunion, which is interrupted when Snow discovers Cora and Regina digging for the dagger off in the woods, with no success. Meanwhile, Hook attacks Charming at the sheriff station and retrieves his hook. Snow revives Charming and gives him the bad news – but she thinks she can turn Regina against her mother. The two meet at Granny’s; Snow offers Regina “one last chance” to be good, to which she replies “Hey, remember that time I saved your life and then you shunned me? No, thanks.” With help from Emma, Snow and Charming retrieve the dagger from the clock tower. Regina and Cora appear with Johanna in tow, and the revelation that Cora was responsible for the Queen’s death. It’s Johanna’s life for the dagger, and Snow caves, only to have them murder her anyway. With their cover blown, Regina worries what Cora’s endgame will be. Over Johanna’s grave, Snow vows to kill Regina.

Next week, Snow and Regina have an epic showdown, and apparently someone dies.

Thoughts/Theories
• Both Baelfire and Rumpelstiltskin are a “few centuries” old. So while Rumple was creating the curse, we can assume Balefire was in Neverland. I have only one question: can I have epic Baelfire and Hook Neverland adventures like, RIGHT NOW PLEASE?
• Stay tuned for Storybrooke: The Deadliest Small Town in Maine that No One Knew Existed – Until Now, a documentary that is sure to be in the works if this battle between good and evil escalates.
• Cora and Snow’s mother – hopefully there is more backstory to come.

Nicole N. decided to justify the countless hours she spends watching television by writing about it here. She is currently terrified of Stanley’s oddly-shaped head on Project Runway. For more tv-centric musings, check out her tumblr.