Making a sacrifice
Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.
Paying the price is a recurring theme in Once Upon a Time. “Magic always comes with a price.” If you’ve watched the series for more than a few episodes, you know the quote. Our characters apparently forget it on a regular basis. This time around magic cost both Emma and Regina. Their roles are intertwined, and both characters are going down intriguing paths. They’re keeping Regina’s switch to team light side engaging by switching the question a little: it’s no longer about whether she can use light magic, it’s about whether she can be the Savior.
With the Fury arriving in “The Price,” and who knows what else coming their way, it was smart to establish Regina’s capability to step up early on in the season. She’s overcoming her insecurities, and non-believers like Leroy are finally seeing her as someone they can look to for protection. Regina’s journey isn’t over though, and I’m glad we had the scene with her blaming Rumplestiltskin for turning her into the Evil Queen. There’s still room for Regina to grow — she needs to take more ownership over her actions — and that’s going to keep the character from getting stagnant as she becomes a fully fledged Savior. Well, one of the things.
But can we not have Regina continually jumping around to save Robin Hood? He’s a capable guy, and he’s been threatened repeatedly. It gets old. Sure, he’s the person she loves most after Henry, but test her mettle by endangering someone she’s not super close to. Maybe even someone she dislikes. Put the Blue Fairy through the ringer next time.
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photo Gallery:
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
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Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
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Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
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Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
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Once Upon a Time: “The Price” Photos
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On the opposite side of Regina, Emma started to fall a little more into the Dark One role. It was surprising to see Snow and Charming be so hands-off with Emma in Camelot. Hands-off is very much not their style. They’re normally over-protective and borderline smothering, but it seems like Hook is the one most concerned about Emma’s status and feelings at any given moment.
This is where I want to pause and appreciate some endearing moments in the episode: Charming giving Henry advice about girls? Adorable. Snow talking to Emma about her first ball? Also precious. Hook and Belle bonding over loving Dark Ones? Brilliant. Charming and Snow giving Regina fashion advice? The best. Related, I thought it was a fabulous decision for Regina to put herself into Evil Queen-esue garb for the ball. She can be a savior while rocking her old wardrobe, and it seemed like a nice “being true to herself” touch before she changed. All of these little scenes serve the characters and are the results of years of build-up and development. The cast truly seems like a family.
The Camelot crew hasn’t had enough screen time to make an impression yet, and that’s both good and bad. Good because it means Arthur and his knights aren’t derailing the story away from the series regulars so far. Bad because they’re sort of boring to watch. Not even sort of, they are boring.
Plus, what’s up with Percival’s betrayal? We didn’t know Percival long enough to care about his death, but given what we know about the legends of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, it doesn’t make sense for a knight to go behind Arthur’s back to trick a guest of Camelot. They’re supposed to be honorable. I’m not sold on any of them yet.
The twist with Excalibur, however, is solid. Everyone else in Storybrooke is occupied with bringing Emma and their memories back, but Emma needs to keep busy, too. Busting Excalibur out of the stone with the idea of destroying all light gives her a mission. It’s not one I want to see executed, but it’s better for Emma to have a purpose besides sulking around her house and trying to convince people she’s not super different. And even if we knew everything Rumple told Emma, hearing it from Rumple and knowing what he’s faced as Mr. Gold over the last four seasons made it impactful.
Tonight’s Once Upon a Time moved the story along on several fronts – we learned a little more about the curse, the state of Merlin, and the danger of Excalibur. But characters acted well, out of character. For example, Snow and Charming should have been more concerned about Emma in Camelot and less worried about teaching Regina to dance (as cute as that was).
