Once Upon a Time S04E07: The Snow Queen (Full Reaction)

The Snow Queen- Such a fabulous episode! I absolutely love it! This episode is quite emotional and beautiful. I am so happy you're enjoying the Snow Queen, and this overall Frozen story arc so much! So, thank you so much for another fun and exciting reaction for Once Upon a Time, Reds!! :) Ingrid's backstory has finally been revealed! And it's quite heartbreaking. With Helga dying from a frozen heart when Ingrid accidentally loses control over her magic, then is soon pulled inside the urn by her third and youngest of the sisters, Gerda, upon her becoming afraid of Ingrid, which I will certainly come back to momentarily... But first... Here we have the answers as to how the Snow Queen became trapped within the urn, after we've seen Prince Hans come to set Ingrid free in trying to get rid of Elsa back in this season's third episode... Rocky Road. And why Ingrid has become the Snow Queen. As her fear, anger, and hatred has consumed her for all the years she's remained trapped inside the urn, turning her into a villain. It's all tragically brilliant! However, I just can't feel as bad for Ingrid as I would like to. Her backstory is heartbreaking. So, I absolutely feel bad for her within the past timeline, as well as for her sisters. Absolutely. Yes... It's heartbreaking that Gerda turns on Ingrid, However, she did just lose her other sister, Helga, when Ingrid loses control of her powers because she became angry. The Duke is most definitely a jerk and I want to see him get punished. But Helga jumps in front of him to protect him, because it is the right thing to do. She didn't want her sister to turn into the villain that all of Arendelle would have most certainly come to see her as had Ingrid killed him. And while the Duke is a absolutely jerk for saying all those horrible things, he doesn't deserve to die for them. As much as we may hate him for being the true weasel that he is. One thing... It is a little hard to tell whether or not Helga actually moves in front of the Duke to try to stop her sister from hurting him in effort to protect her, or if the Duke instead pulls Helga in front of him to protect himself, using Helga as a shield from Ingrid's icy magic. I can see both ways happen. Because first and foremost... Helga loved her sister very deeply and has never seen her as a monster. And as we know... The Duke is a weasel and a coward. So, I think that both options are certainly possible. But given the story this episode is trying to share with us... I definitely believe that Helga jumped in front of the Duke to protect him, and mostly to try to protect her sister. Now... Gerda loses both of her sisters on this day, and it's absolutely tragic. And of course, she became afraid of her sister after that moment upon seeing that Ingrid had killed Helga. And rightly so. Was she right to fear her sister so completely without even trying to understand what's happened? Was she right to call Ingrid a monster? Of course not. But I still understand Gerda's fear and anger too. Because as much as we can tell that Gerda loves both of her sisters very deeply, even as a child, and back when the sisters went to see Rumplestiltskin, you can see Gerda's hesitation and worry regarding her sister's magic. She never saw Ingrid as a monster before this moment, but she just lost one of her sisters to magic, that anyone would rightfully fear coming from anyone. Including one's own sister. But even though Gerda calls Ingrid a monster, I absolutely believe that it is truly her sister's magic she fears, and not her sister herself. Unfortunately, it was Helga's faith and strength that kept Gerda from fearing Ingrid, or rather her icy magic so completely, for so long. So, once Helga dies, her death breaks Gerda. I completely understand Gerda's reactions. I don't think she's right to do to Ingrid as she does. However, I absolutely understand her reasons for doing so. And I do not hate Gerda, as a character or otherwise. Gerda's actions, in my opinion, do not fall into the frustrating trope that happen in a lot of shows either. And this brings me to why I can understand why Gerda and her husband, the King of Arendelle, Elsa's and Anna's mother and father, later on had come to wish to get rid of Elsa's magic as well. They most definitely had a responsibility to protect their daughters, as well as the people of their Kingdom too. And after all that Gerda had gone through after losing her sister Helga to Ingrid's magic and having imprisoned Ingrid inside the urn... It's no wonder why she was so worried for Elsa too. I don't think she so much feared her daughter, but more so that she feared for her, knowing the pain Ingrid suffered upon being seen as a monster. Especially by her. So much so, that it eventually caused Ingrid to lose control. I understand why Elsa's and Anna's parents did all they did to try to keep Elsa from using her magic and to keep Anna from ever knowing about Elsa's magic. I don't agree necessarily with their actions in keeping Elsa and Anna apart, but I understand them. And it's absolutely tragic that it comes to lead to Elsa and Anna being separated most of their childhood as they grew up. But I understand. And it's sad that Elsa's and Anna's parents lost their lives in trying to free their daughters from that kind of pain Gerda suffered through. I most certainly have my frustrations with the Duke of Wesselton. I hate him and think of him as a slimy weasel that makes him such a wretched antagonist within this show. And yet... This actor does a phenomenal job at portraying his character from Disney's, Frozen. Because we hate the Duke in the movie as well. So, he's done his job. And it's brilliant! Now... I quite love the parallels between the Snow Queen's backstory here in Once Upon a Time, to Frozen, especially regarding Elsa's and now Emma's characters. There are so many parallels, and it makes me love even more that this Frozen arc storyline for the Disney movie's characters, takes place five years after the events seen in Frozen, and that it isn't just a different take on their story like so many other characters' stories are within this show. Not that the other stories are bad by any means, because I love them all!! I am simply saying that it's just really nice to see a new story expanded from an old one, rather than being rewritten like so many others. But back to this episode's present day storyline... I really enjoy seeing it unfold, with Emma's growing fear of herself the more the Snow Queen gets inside her head. And this is why Emma loses control of her magic. Not because she becomes jealous, but because she's reminded that she had to grow up all alone, causing her to doubt herself once more much like she's struggled so much with within the first three seasons, and to lose faith in her strength. As well as to become distrusting that anyone could ever really love her. Which is why she's so quick to be afraid that her parents really do fear her more than they've ever admitted. Because there are certainly tiny sparks of truth within Ingrid's cruel words to Emma about her family. Ingrid is most definitely very clever because she knows all too well the right things to say and do in order to convince Emma that her loved ones fear her, while she does not. And what's worse... To a very small degree, Ingrid is right. Mary Margaret did show fear of Emma's magic upon seeing her boil the milk in the bottle when she becomes upset in the beginning, then again upon learning Emma broke the hole through the side of the station. And especially upon seeing Emma lose complete control of her magic, which nearly causes a lamppost to fall on Killian, until David pushes him out of the way and is hurt when it strikes him instead. By this point, the Snow Queen has gotten so deep inside Emma's head, that she can no longer control her own powers, making her lose complete control. Sadly, things only become worse when she sees she has hurt her father and nearly hurts the man she is falling in love with, and especially when Mary Margaret immediately cries out her name with fear of her in her eyes, even if it was only for a split second. As for Killian accidentally calling Emma a monster, moments earlier, when they first see Emma step out of the station through the rubble left behind by the hole in the wall... Of course, Emma takes that to mean he was calling her a monster. However, when he says "monster", it is because he believed that the Snow Queen had blasted the hole through the wall. Not Emma. Killian would never, ever call Emma a monster or hurt her intentionally in any way. No matter what. He has never once feared her, and he certainly doesn't even now. Killian looks at her with surprise and worry, not fear. And when Emma starts to run away, he is the only one of the group to attempt to go after her until Emma pushes him away again and runs to her car to drive off. The others are still shocked and afraid in this moment. I just love Killian all the more for how much he loves Emma and tries so hard to protect her, even if he makes mistakes in doing so along the way. And Killian's show of love for Emma in this moment is why this is one of my favorite moments within this episode. As for Mary Margaret's fear of her daughter... No one is really to blame for what's happened to Emma, except of course for the Snow Queen. Mary Margaret's fear comes out purely from instinct, or a slip of the tongue. Not because she truly fears her daughter. Because she doesn't. She never has. And neither has David. And Mary Margaret proves this by admitting David, Killian, and Elsa that she, or they messed up. Although, with this being said... Mary Margaret is really the only one who messed up within this episode. No one else, so I am a little bit miffed that she puts the blame on David and the others too when she uses the word, "they", instead of "she" upon telling David that they all messed up. But... Oh well. Another of my favorite moments in this episode... I absolutely love, love, love, love the brief scene inside the clock tower when Killian, David, and Elsa are examining the fake mirror the Snow Queen planted up at the top of the stairs, until Belle comes in and immediately tells them to stop staring into it. I absolutely love it when Killian states, "It must be broken, because I've been staring at it all day, and I think I'm even more devilishly handsome and charming than usual." I can't help it... I just absolutely love it when he teases the others about how good he looks!! :) Killian can act a bit conceited at times, but as we know... It's only just an act. Because Killian isn't at all so full of himself. He's just as distrusting and fearful of himself, as Emma is of herself. If not more so. His act is simply a mask, or a cloaking mechanism he's had to hide behind ever since his brother's death and him becoming a pirate, in order to protect himself. And it's not something he can so easily let go of. Next... I love how the Snow Queen plants a fake mirror in order to draw Emma into her trap so she would be able to speak with her alone, which causes all of the trouble Emma is now in. And as I said before... Ingrid is very clever. I also absolutely love the brief scene between Killian and Gold in Gold's shop after the others leave to help Emma when she becomes trapped inside the police station as well. These two characters are brilliant whenever they're in a scene together. I just love seeing their continued rivalry, and I love that Killian just knows Gold all too well to not believe a word he says. And he's absolutely right. And their glares at one another as they stare one another down... Just marvelous!!! :) As for Robin's storyline with Regina and Will... I do absolutely love Regina and Robin together. However, this storyline... While the moment Robin returns to Regina inside her vault and tells her that today he doesn't feel like being the man who follows his code, then kisses her is beautiful, and a part of us as the viewers really want it to happen... I still just somewhat hate this storyline overall as a whole too. Because again, it's another love triangle that causes so many unneeded problems that I feel are unnecessary to the show's overall story arcs. I still really hate love triangles, and in this case... Robin is actually having an affair because Marian is alive again, like David and Mary Margaret somewhat had throughout season one. The only difference was that David and Kathryn were never really married, since Charming has always been married to Snow. Next... I like the scene between Robin Hood and Will Scarlet inside Granny's Diner too, as Will reminds Robin of why Marian loved him, after Robin tells Will why he fell in love with Marian too. As he's apparently done many, many times. And yes... I absolutely love seeing the visuals of Robin's regret and pain, as we see him constantly miss the dart board, given that he is indeed, Robin Hood. So good!! :) And lastly... Another of my favorite moments in this episode, is the very end scene between Rumple and Ingrid, when she comes to his shop seeking to make a deal with him at last. I just love the whole conversation between them about how Ingrid wishes to take full control over Storybrooke, while Rumple then can take power throughout the rest of the world should they succeed in getting everything they want. And it's absolutely true... Villains in short, do want everything. I love that Ingrid seeks to take back hers and her sisters' ribbons, in exchange for her telling Gold of a secret ingredient he doesn't yet know about that is needed to help cleave himself from his dagger. I even love how Ingrid just whispers the answer into his ear in order to leave us as the audience in deeper suspense. I can't wait!!! There's so much good to come, and I'm so excited for you to see how this story continues to unfold!! These next several episodes are phenomenal and are all among my favorite episodes for season four!!! :) Thank you very much once more, my dear friend!! Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum