“Save Henry”
Unconditional love is a magic all its own. In this week’s Once Upon a Time Regina’s softer side comes out, there is no clear line of good and evil in this woman, but something far more emotionally complicated. While this episode was flashback heavy it was also enlightening to see the Evil Queen become a new mother.
Anyone who’s ever held a screaming baby could empathize with Regina. Her sense of helplessness as she struggled to bond with baby Henry was heart wrenching. Despite his tears and the steep learning curve, Regina fell in love with that baby. She did in fact find true love that day and she’ll be damned if she’ll ever let anyone take him away. She’s raised him since birth, he is her child just as much as he is Emma’s, if not more. The Evil Queen’s “happily ever after” rests squarely on Henry’s shoulders.
Once the overprotective mother, Emma seems to have stepped back from that role allowing Regina the alpha momma spot. Unlike Emma who is seemingly beloved by all, Henry is all Regina has, she has no other family or anyone else to love her. Yet a comment from Regina wouldn’t be enough to change Emma’s stance, would it? No. Perhaps Emma sees Regina for the complex woman she is. Working together to save Henry has brought Regina into a favorable light. No one can refute how much she loves that little boy. And a woman who can love like that cannot be all evil (right?).
Emma’s been on both sides of the fence; she knows what it’s like to both be the child that’s given up and to give up a child. This puts her in a unique position to appeal to the lost boys of the island while also sparing them Regina’s torture tactics. Not all of the lost boys are happy in Neverland, some yearn for real homes and real mothers. With Emma’s promise a couple of the boys give away Peter Pan’s location and voila they find exactly what they are looking for. Three mothers on the hunt for Pan, the need to protect their offspring rising up in a carnal formality.
Despite her wicked ways, Regina has no regrets. I’m on her side, she shouldn’t have regrets because every decision she made led her to her son. Maybe she could have made better decisions, but those decisions would have been different and might not have led her to Henry. Thankfully Pan wasn’t counting on her lack of regret and lost his heart (albeit a little too easily). For most of the season he’s been elusive and cunning and yet here in this scene he was careless and sloppy. Perhaps his arrogance got the best of him. Losing Henry’s heart didn’t stop Pan, he’s a man with selfish determination and that becomes all too clear when we last see him aboard the Jolly Roger. Henry may not be himself anymore thanks to a little intervention on Pan’s part.
What havoc will Peter Pan wreak now? Seeing him outside of Neverland should be interesting. He’s easily the most disliked character, there seems to be no glimmer of good in his soul. Pan will have no redemption, nor does he want it. He’s a child at heart, and cares only for himself, family means nothing to this one.
Get ready to jump back into Storybrooke next week. We’re homeward bound!
Aurora Snow Says
Episode Rating:
[Rating:4.5/5]