Once Upon a time S04E04: The Apprentice (Full Reaction)

The Apprentice- "Love is a weapon." I absolutely love the theme and parallels throughout this episode! As Gold exploits and preys on Killian's love for Emma in order to manipulate him, while Rumplestiltskin exploits and preys on Anna's love for her sister, Elsa, in order to manipulate her within this episode's fantastic backstory. So brilliantly done!! Yay! I absolutely love this episode!! Of course, you can imagine why I love it too. Killian, thanks to Colin O'Donoghue, is phenomenal within this episode! :) Easily, this is another one of my absolute favorite episodes from season four! As well as throughout this entire show overall too! And I love that Captain Hook has begun to fit himself into the modern world, from accepting having a cell phone so he can communicate with the others as is shown in the previous episode... Rocky Road, to his change in wardrobe here in this episode. And dang... Does he ever look good!!! :) First, in regards to why Elsa's and Anna's parents left Arendelle so they could search for a way to get rid of Ela's snowy and icy magic... I've spoken about this before in some of my previous comments. Mainly in my comments under your posting for this season's premiere episode... A Tale of Two Sisters. Their parents may or may not have made all the right decisions while on their search, but I absolutely believe that they left all for the love of their daughters. Both Elsa and Anna. Because they truly did want what's best for them both. Now... I absolutely love, love, love the moment Emma walks into Granny's to ask Killian out!! Easily one of my favorite scenes throughout this episode and throughout all of Once Upon a Time. This is such an adorable moment between my favorite True Love couple, and I love that Emma's the one who at last takes the initiative to ask him, as we know that Killian has attempted to ask her a number of times before, only to be unsuccessful. I love how Emma asks him so quickly because she is nervous about doing so, which causes Hook to miss the dart board completely when he attempts to throw a dart at it as she asks him because he's caught so off guard. Adorable! And I love how Killian mocks Emma for being unable to plan a proper date, and how he offers to do so. Then, Emma states, "Well, just so you know... I don't pillage and plunder on the first date.", to which Hook answers her, "That's because you haven't been out with me yet." And that face he makes... Killian is a gorgeous, gorgeous man!! And he most definitely beats Flynn Rider from Disney's, Tangled with his smolder. Captain Hook has smolder in spades!! :) And then... Killian sadly goes to try to blackmail Gold in hope of getting his hand back. Yes... It's very foolish of him to do so, especially because Hook does know Rumplestiltskin better than most people, given their history together. He really should have known that trying to blackmail the Dark One, especially more than once, would end badly for him. But nonetheless, I love this entire scene between them, and all the scenes throughout this episode between them. Their dynamic is absolutely phenomenal! I love, love, love getting to see more of their dark rivalry come back, as both men continue to struggle against the darkness inside of them. But more importantly... I love and truly understand Killian's reasoning for wanting his hand back, as he wishes to be whole for Emma. To be able to hold Emma with two hands instead of just one hand and a hook. Killian doesn't just feel less of a man for having only one hand, but the reason why Gold is able to manipulate him so easily by making Killian believe his hand is cursed, is because Killian is truly very insecure about himself as a hero. Deep down, he fears that he isn't good enough for Emma, and to him his hook is a symbol of the villain he used to be. Killian is definitely a romantic like Gold teases him about. And I feel that while he has accepted his hook as a part of himself in the two hundred years he was a pirate and a villain since he's met Emma and has worked so hard to change to become a better man, his hook has become more of a reminder of the man he used to be and a part of him is afraid Emma will always be reminded of the villain he used to be so long as he keeps his hook as well. So, Gold's way of manipulating him is perfect, and absolutely cruel. Gold believes he knows Hook better than he knows himself, and all of this is why I love their rivalry so much! As for Killian refusing to believe Gold when Gold tells Killian what will happen if he takes his hand back... That Killian's hand will cause him to fall back into the selfish pirate and villain he used to be, I can also absolutely understand why Killian doesn't trust him, because the Dark One lies and tricks just like Gold says as he mocks Killian in the end. And sadly, Gold gets so deep inside Killian's head, that Killian falls for the Crocodile's manipulations. However, Killian also has every right to suspect that Gold might have done something to his hand, or that he is simply lying too. Either way... All magic comes with a price, and Killian most certainly pays a big price in this episode. Now he's unfortunately in Gold's debt for the foreseeable future. I just love this new storyline between Killian and Gold!! And there's so much more to come! :) As much as I love Killian in this episode and understand why he seeks his hand back from Gold, for Emma's sake as well as his own... Killian does sadly go about it the wrong way, and I definitely recognize this. Unfortunately, there is no right way to go about it with Gold at this point either. Blackmail is the only way for Hook to get something from Gold because of their history together. They hate each other. Gold definitely wouldn't have helped him if he simply asked. Hook's choice to blackmail Gold isn't right, but it's the only way. And Hook knows this better than anyone. Next... I absolutely love, love, love the moment when Hook comes to pick Emma up for their date at hers and her parents' loft. I love the brief scene between Emma, Mary Margaret, David, and Elsa just before Killian knocks, as Mary Margaret takes a picture of her daughter when she comes down dressed in a pink dress with her hair pulled back for her date, as if Emma was leaving for her prom. So cute!!! :) And then... Killian arrives at the door, and I love how he and Emma both stare at one another in awe at how each other looks, as Killian is dressed in black jeans, a black button up shirt, vest, and a new leather jacket instead of his long leather duster he's always worn, then reveals his new/old hand upon holding out a rose for Emma. I also love how Emma mocks him by calling him "Captain Hand." And then... This brings us to Emma calling Hook, Killian once again like she does back in season three's Part Two finale... There's No Place Like Home, and I absolutely love it! :) I also love how cute David is, as he acts like a father would towards the man coming to take his daughter out on their first date, and how Emma is embarrassed by her parents. Next... I love the scene when Emma and Killian are on their date inside a restaurant called, Tony's. Which is all a beautiful nod to Disney's, Lady and the Tramp. Tony's is the name of the restaurant in the Disney movie as well. And in case you missed it, the moment Emma and Killian first walk into the restaurant, you can see another couple eating spaghetti from both ends until their lips come together in a kiss, just like Lady and Tramp do in the Disney movie. It's great, and the first few minutes of their date is adorable! Unfortunately, this is the beginning of Killian's fall, when Will Scarlet attempts to flee from the restaurant until he bumps into the waiter standing above Emma, causing him to spill the wine and wine glasses on top of her. Immediately, Killian grabs Will by the lapels of his jacket collar and demands that Will apologize to Emma. And as worried as Emma becomes upon seeing Killian acting out of character all of a sudden, Killian is swiftly frightened by his actions and pulls his hand back, as he then becomes wary of Gold's warning that his left hand would change him back into the villain he used to be because he fears that Gold has cursed his hand. Not good, but I love this whole scene. I really love the simplicity of Killian constantly looking down at his hand out of fear of what it's doing to him thanks to Gold getting inside his head and messing with him. I absolutely love how Colin O'Donoghue keeps with this fear of his hand turning him all throughout the episode! It's smart and it adds so much to who his character has grown to become. While Killian is now a hero, he doesn't believe it most days because he doesn't believe in himself. His fear of falling back into being Captain Hook is phenomenal, albeit sad too. And him fearfully starring down at his hand often adds so much to it. I think the creators and writers have Killian show just the right amount of darkness throughout this episode, and Colin O'Donoghue shows it fabulously! I know that some fans may think that this has come out of the blue a bit, and/or that they might not have shown enough of Hook's inner darkness throughput this episode while Killian has his hand. However, I disagree. Killian has always struggled with his inner darkness and still struggles to believe himself a hero. And unfortunately, Gold knows this about him and knows how to get into his head. And because later... Killian does threaten Belle, which is really bad, and something about this episode that I don't actually like. But I will talk about this momentarily... And then... We have another of my favorite moments between Killian and Emma, as Killian walks Emma home and they say goodnight. I love the kiss shared between them and how Killian asks Emma out on a second date, to which Emma responds with this beautiful kiss. Sadly, it's slightly interrupted, when Killian begins to stare again at his hand once more in fear upon sensing something's very wrong. And then... I love the moment between Emma and her parents, when they surprise her at being still awake and Mary Margaret is so excited to ask her daughter about her date. And how uncomfortable David is with hearing about it. So adorable! :) Later, Killian comes upon Will again as the thief is attempting to break into the library, and Killian suddenly becomes enraged with Will when he resists as Killian tries to persuade him from breaking inside, then strikes Will over and over again with his left hand, before threatening him that he better not tell anyone he attacked him, then runs around the corner. And upon this occurrence, Killian fearfully realizes that Gold was right about his warning. I love his facial expressions throughout all the scenes he's in, as well as the moments where Killian is seen clenching his jaw together to show his rage inside of him, whether he lets it out or not. Colin O'Donoghue is brilliant with expressions and emotions! This is a big part of why Killian is my overall favorite character throughout the whole show. :) Next... Killian then goes back to Gold to demand he take his hand back so he can get rid of it to save himself and protect those he cares about from himself. Unfortunately, Gold continues to manipulate Killian, forcing him to make a deal with him. An open ended deal without Killian knowing what Gold will ask of him in return, that he has no choice but to accept. This leads us to when Gold and Killian meet up at the docks where Killian slept through the night, and then together they make their way to the Apprentice's home in Storybrooke. And Gold forces Killian to hold the Apprentice down while he traps the old man inside the magical hat. Oh, and in regards to where Killian is currently living, since we now know that Killian traded his ship to be able to find and save Emma in New York... I suspect that Killian is most likely staying in a room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, just like most characters who have come into Storybrooke since Regina's original dark curse had been broken. August stayed in one of Granny's rooms, and so did Neal. Greg, and Tamara too. I believe Killian is staying there too, which also explains why Emma knows she can find him at Granny's so early in the morning, when she comes to ask him out. Now, back to my thoughts about this episode... In the end we have one final scene between Killian and Gold once again inside Gold's shop. I love this scene, as the two rivals come to a bitter understanding between one another, as we learn that Gold didn't actually curse Hook's hand, but simply preyed on Killian's fear and hatred for him, and Killian's hatred for himself. I feel so bad for Killian, because he falls perfectly into Gold's trap. Gold/Rumplestiltskin is brilliant! He lies and tricks, just like he warns Killian he does. Just like Killian knows about him. And maybe... just maybe, Gold really did lie to Hook about his hand not really being cursed. For all we know... It very well may have been cursed too. It would explain why Killian is so quick to acting so darkly until he so quickly recognizes what he's done and stops himself every time. Because we know how much Killian really wants to be a hero, especially for Emma. He doesn't have any desire to be a villain any longer, or to act badly. So, Gold is absolutely wrong about why he believes Killian is so quick to turn back to acting like his old selfish, villainous self. We may never know the truth for sure, and yet I choose to believe that he does curse his hand. To me... I think it makes more sense, because Killian has truly changed and become a good man and a hero. He wouldn't be so quick to anger so easily. Not any longer. So cruel and sneaky Rumple is. But if Gold is telling the truth about him not having cursed his hand, Killian's actions do still make sense, nonetheless. As for the only real moment I don't like about this episode and scene... It's when Hook threatens Belle to try to get out of Gold's debt. It's wrong and while I know Killian wouldn't really hurt Belle ever again at this point, I still hate that he even bothers to threaten to hurt her. I really don't believe it's in him any longer to hurt someone so good, and a very close friend to him. I believe Killian would stop himself from ever hurting Belle again if it ever came down to it... cursed hand or not. And this kind of threat to me, is just really out of character for him at this point. So, I really wish this line had been left out. As for Killian not going to Emma about what he's done and what Gold's done to him... It isn't so much that Killian is too proud to admit he needs help. It's because he's afraid. Afraid that Emma won't see him as a hero any longer and afraid that he will lose her. It's not good that he won't tell the truth to her or to anyone else, because the truth would certainly solve a number of his problems. However, Killian of all characters struggles so deeply with showing his weaknesses. He should trust in Emma to be understanding of the situation, but I also understand why he's afraid to. And the truth is, Emma is the same way. She doesn't trust so easily either, just like we saw between her and Killian throughout the Wicked Witch arc in season three. Emma struggles to believe in herself almost as much as Killian does. And for Killian, it's worse even though it's sometimes easier for him to hide his insecurities. Because he was a villain once, whereas Emma wasn't. They both struggle to believe in themselves for different reasons, even though Killian is able to act far more confident than he really is. Emma certainly doesn't. And Killian knows this, so he's afraid she might not be able to forgive him this time either. Now, as for the backstory with Anna, Rumplestiltskin, and the Apprentice... I really, really love this backstory a lot! And I love that we learn more about the reasons for Rumple/Gold wanting the box containing the Sorcerer's hat. It's brilliant that should he succeed in collecting himself enough power inside the hat, it will allow for Gold to cleave himself from the power of his dagger so that he can no longer be controlled by it, but still keep his power. And this is why Gold doesn't do anything more with the hat once he pulls the Apprentice into the hat. Because Gold has yet to collect enough power needed to perform the magic that will cleave him from the dagger. Fantastic!!! I also love how naïve Anna is towards Rumple at first, until she finds her strength to defy him when he tries to convince her to poison the Apprentice. This storyline parallels perfectly with the Storybrooke storyline where Gold manipulates Killian, as we see how Rumple tricks and manipulates Anna too into getting him the Sorcerer's hat, having failed to be able to do so beforehand just as Zoso and other Dark Ones before them had as well. And speaking of Zoso... I too love that we once again see the former Dark One before Rumplestiltskin became so. I love this call back. :) Anna then manages to get a hold of the dagger and forces Rumple to send her home to Arendelle with the box in hand. And she only tells Rumple to send her home with the box in hand, not with the dagger too, which is why the dagger isn't transported with her. I am so proud of Anna for getting one over on Rumplestiltskin. Could she have demanded more? Of course. But I still think she did pretty darn well, and getting one over on Rumplestiltskin, and as we all know... This certainly isn't easy. And then... Another of my favorite moments within this episode is in the end between Anna and Kristoff inside the stable with Sven, when she finally returns home. I love how happy Kristoff is to see Anna return! They're so cute together. And it's adorable how they act off of one another. This is just the first scene between them together we see, and in time I hope you will come to see what makes them another of my favorite couples throughout the show as well! I absolutely love Anna and Kristoff!! :) Overall... I really love this episode. and it's easily one of my favorites because of Killian and Emma!! I just absolutely love them together and I love, love, love all of the scenes between Killian and Gold as well! Fabulous acting all around!! Thank you so very much, Reds!! And I truly had so much fun watching this episode over again with you!! I can't wait for more Once Upon a Time!! You're fabulous, my dear friend! :) Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum