by Tracy Ladd:
Once Upon a Time Recap: “The Stranger”
Original Air Date (ABC): Sunday April 29, 2012
Season 1 Episode 20
Normally each episode will focus on a character’s story both in Fairytale Land as well as Storybrooke. But normally we also get to see what else is happening in and around each place as well. A sort of white noise if you will. There wasn’t much of that going on in this latest episode, aside from a bit with Regina. Instead we finally find out who August really is, what he actually did with the book when it was in his possession and as a bonus, we get to see Regina taken down a couple of pegs.I’m not exactly sure where things will end, but apparently the finale is supposed to have an “epic” battle. If that’s the case then they’ve got some ground to cover with Emma especially after this week. There are only two episodes left and I’m sure the finale will end with a cliffhanger. If that’s the case then I really hope we’ll see a season two. I don’t think ABC has said anything officially either way, but I imagine they will have some pretty pissed off fans if they cancel it. I have to admit, I’d be one of them because I really really really want to see Regina get her just dues.
Fairytale Land
Tonight is the story of Geppetto and Pinocchio. It starts with the two on the raft in a storm. Pinocchio is alive, but still wooden and Monstro (the big ass whale) is seen surfacing in the background. There’s only one life vest and Pinocchio makes Geppetto take it, then sacrifices himself by jumping off the raft.
The next morning, the storm has passed and Geppetto wakes up on the beach amongst the ruins of his raft. He sees Pinocchio face down in the water and cradles him in his arms. Pinocchio is dead…at least until the Blue Fairy shows up. Geppetto asks for help and she so kindly complies by making Pinocchio a real boy. She tells him that as long as he’s brave, honest and selfless, he’ll remain that way. Of course he promises to do what she said and the Blue Fairy goes about her business.
Later on, Geppetto and Pinocchio are working on a cuckoo clock when the Blue Fairy shows up once again. She informs Geppetto that the Evil Queen is set to release a curse on all of FTL and she asks him to build a magical wardrobe out of the last magical tree. She leads them to the tree and tells him that the power it wields is enough to protect two people, and it will send them to a world without magic. She tells him that Snow and Charming’s baby is the Chosen One and in 28 years, will battle the Evil Queen to free them all from the curse. Geppetto agrees to build the wardrobe, but only if Pinocchio can have one of the spots because there is a chance he’ll turn back to wood once the curse hits. The Blue Fairy agrees, but she’s a little shocked at his selfishness.
Geppetto is at the castle putting the finishing touches on the wardrobe when all hell breaks loose and the curse is fast approaching. Mixed in is previously seen footage of Snow giving birth. The Blue Fairy tells Geppetto that Snow is delivering early and that the second spot needs to go to her so she can protect her child in the new world. Geppetto agrees, but then after the Blue Fairy leaves, he puts Pinocchio in the wardrobe and closes the doors. Pinocchio is then whisked away, and is spewed from a tree. He’s in Storybrooke’s world now and is frightened. A plane flies overhead and shortly after, Emma arrives bundled in her little blanket with her name on it.
Next we see the two in a foster home and Pinocchio is rather protective of Emma. He gets yelled at by the maintenance man for borrowing tools to fix the crib that Emma’s in and is approached by one of the other kids. I equate this kid to be the one from the movie that I always hated. He tells Pinocchio that he’s got a wad of cash to buy them all bus tickets to get away from the home and asks Pinocchio if he’s going to go with them. Pinocchio asks if he can take Emma but the other kid says no, they can’t care for a baby. Pinocchio makes his decision and tells Emma he’s sorry, then leaves with the others. So much for being brave and selfless.
Storybrooke
Mary Margaret is preparing to head back to her teaching job and Emma asks if she’s ready. Meanwhile, August is installing a “medieval chic” deadbolt on their door so that Regina’s skeleton keys won’t gain her access to their house again. Henry calls Emma over the walkie-talkies and tells her to meet him at Granny’s for something Operation Cobra related. She heads down to the diner and August tells her to take the day off and come with him, but she declines and goes to meet Henry instead.
Henry tells her that a new story has been added to the book. It’s the story of Pinocchio but it wasn’t finished. The two ponder the new development, while August sits in his room and fondles a hat (which actually is Pinocchio’s hat). August has that pain in his leg again and when he lifts his pant leg, his leg is wooden. He phones Mr. Gold and asks if they can meet to talk about Emma.
August shows up at Mr. Golds show and Marco (Geppetto) is there looking at a clock (the same clock he fixed with Pinocchio in FTL) to see if it can be fixed. August recognizes him instantly, but Marco doesn’t recognize August. It’s a little sad actually. Mr. Gold questions why August doesn’t say anything to Marco, but then the two get down to business. August tells Mr. Gold that he can get Emma to believe, he just needs Mr. Gold to steer her in his direction.
Mr. Gold refuses to take Emma’s case against Regina, which really pisses Emma off. She goes to August’s room and tells him that she’s running out of options. August tells her to come with him so he can tell her his story and the two hop on his bike and hit the road and….gasp….leave Storybrooke!
August and Emma finally stop a diner and Emma is automatically suspicious and defensive. It happens to be the diner that she was taken to as a baby when she was found on the side of the road. August recites her story to her and she tells him that he could have read it anywhere. He tells her that the seven-year old boy who found her was him and describes the blanket that she was wrapped in.
Information overload gets the best of her and Emma starts to freak out a bit. August tells her the truth, that he is Pinocchio, Henry’s book is real, and she’s the only hope that they have to break the curse. Emma doesn’t want to hear any of it and tells him that she’s only there for Henry and she doesn’t want the responsibility to be the savior for the whole town. August shows her his leg, but her denial is so strong she can’t see what he sees. He tells her again that she’s there only hope, but Emma just turns and walks away.
Henry is in bed when Emma calls him on the walkie talkie and tells him to come downstairs to talk to her. He does and she asks if he wants to be with her. He says more than anything, so she tells him to buckle up and the two drive away.
August tries to reconnect with Marco in probably the most moving scene of the entire episode. Marco is working on that same clock when August shows up and tells him what to do in order to fix it. Marco follows his instructions and the clock works again. August tells him that he’s trying to keep a promise and get back on the course that he drifted from. Marco tells him that he’s trying, and that’s the important thing. August tells him that it looks like he could use some help around his shop and Marco agrees but tells him that he couldn’t pay him. August doesn’t care, he just feels the need to fix things.
While all this August/Pinocchio/Emma stuff is happening, Regina has a pretty shitty day. First she goes to the school to take Henry his lunchbox and runs into Mary Margaret. Instead of getting the bet of MM, the tables are turned. MM tells Regina that she knows she was the one to set her up, but MM forgives her. She tells Regina that she must be super lonely to wish ill will on others like she does. Then Henry tells her that she is the Evil Queen and Emma is going to break the curse. Then as if that wasn’t bad enough, she sets it up to where her car breaks down in front of the animal shelter where David works. He helps her out and when he realizes her battery is dead, offers to take her home. He helps her with her grocery’s and she invites him to dinner. He declines at first, but feels bad after she reads a note that Henry left saying he wouldn’t be home (which was also a set up), and agrees to stay for dinner. He helps with dishes, but then Regina moves in for a kiss and he shuts her down. Once he leaves, her aggression gets the best of her and she throws her wine glass against one of her precious mirrors.
Final Thoughts:
The opening scene in FTL is probably the best I’ve seen as far as visual effects go. Especially with Pinocchio. He looked wooden, yet….not. It was actually kind of creepy. But then again, I’m not a fan of dolls at all.
The Blue Fairy is like Visa…she’s every where!
David needs to man up and be more like Charming. He’s kind of a wet noodle in Storybrooke and it’s really grating on my last nerve.
Emma best start believing fast. And how does she think that stealing away with Henry is going to help her get him for good? Although she can leave Storybrooke, and apparently he can too since he found her in Boston. But no one else can so I guess leaving town is a good plan after all.
The plane that flew overhead when Pinocchio came through the tree….I’m think that’s a nod to Lost and was Flight 815. I’ll have to go back and watch again, but it looked awfully familiar!
So….two more episodes until the season is over. I hope others begin to remember their FTL lives. Regina is going to have a lot on her plate if they do.
DarkMedia contributor Tracy Ladd has been writing about film since her days on the her high school newspaper. Even though she took a decade or two off to explore other things, she’s back to doing what she loves. She also bakes, can knit a pretty nifty scarf and makes lightsaber sounds with her knitting needles. Or chopsticks. Especially with the lightsaber chopsticks.
You can find her on Facebook, on Twitter @ReelGoddess, and on her website The Reel Goddess.
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