Once Upon a Time | 7x21
Added 2025-02-03 15:00:13 +0000 UTCno spoilers in comments pls :)
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Yes, JoAnna Garcia Swisher who plays Ariel the Mermaid was also in Reba (and also starred in the iconic short-lived CW Series Privileged)
Joshua Shields
2025-02-04 14:51:20 +0000 UTCHomecoming- What can I say about this episode?!! To begin with... Simply wow!!! This first part to this magical show's incredible two part finale certainly always makes my head spin, because just so much happens!! And I absolutely love it!!! I love everything about it!! :) However, to get the one scene within this episode that I don't care much for at all out of the way... The very first scene in which we see young Henry, is just weird. I've always thought that the moment in which we see young Henry attempt to kiss the New Enchanted Forest's version of Sleeping Beauty, until a dragon and her version of Prince Phillip interferes, is so bizarre and very cringey. The Prince kisses his Princess and they run off together, as Sleeping Beauty states that Henry is like her little brother, after calling the Prince her hero. This whole scene is just too strange and horribly acted, and I think it would have been better had this episode just started out with the scene between young Henry and Wish Rumplestiltskin. Or at least... with a different kind of opening that could show us Henry's frustrations. I don't like it at all. Nonetheless... I really love the conversation between young Henry and Wish Rumple. I just still dislike the scene moments before with this realm's version of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, even though I do understand the point it brings across. I also don't care too much for the scene in Hyperion Heights between Tiana and Naveen, because it feels kind of weak in comparison to the rest of the episode. But more than this... I still just don't like Naveen much at all. I will say, he is better here in this episode, than he's been in episodes past, but still just very boring. In my opinion, of course. However, I understand why it is necessary to have this brief scene included within this episode. Because it shows us Tiana's worries about becoming Queen again after being Sabine for so many years. I just wish we had more time with Tiana as the Queen in past episodes for us to be able to really have seen her as the Queen. As for this scene between young Henry and Wish Rumple... I really like how Wish Rumple comes to Henry to try to make a deal with him, only to have Henry turn him down just as he should have. And I love that Henry turns him down initially, since there was no real motive for him to make any kind of deal with Wish Rumple just yet. Which leads us into the next scene between adult Henry and his family, until Wish Rumple returns yet again... I love the tie in from the past to the present storyline, as we see Henry and his family make a wish as they blow out their cupcakes, just like Emma does way back in season one's Pilot episode. It is very nicely done. And now... Wish Rumple has given our Henry the motivation he needs to get him Gold's dagger, which is revealed to also be bound to Wish Rumple too, by taking away Ella and Lucy as he sends them into a prison of his own making within the Wish Realm. He threatens their lives and demands Henry to get him the Dark One dagger from Gold in order to keep Gold from giving up their powers and killing them both. So, Henry thankfully goes to the rest of his family for help. It is fabulous seeing Henry, Regina, Gold, (Yes... I am calling him Gold again because Weaver is technically gone) and Wish Hook all working together to save the day!! And Wish Hook finally has his hook back again, which I am also really happy to see! I like how it is Wish Hook who is the one who comes up with their solution so they can follow after Wish Rumple and Ella and Lucy, as they use a cracked looking glass which Alice has kept among her belongings as Tilly, to open a portal to the Wish Realm where they come out split into teams of two. As Henry and Regina wind up in the Wish Realm's version of the Dark One's castle, which is much different and much darker than our Rumple's castle shown in seasons past, while Wish Hook and Gold wind up outside of the Spinsters' old hovel where they raised a young Rumple. Only Henry and Regina make it to Wish Rumplestiltskin's castle at first, and are surprised to find none other than Pan from the Wish Realm and Cruella from the Wish Realm. And both of them are quite different from their original selves. Wish Pan is a prisoner of his son, and Wish Cruella is now too. And she's a fighter. I never thought she had the capability to swordfight, even if Henry does beat her pretty easily. Then... Our two heroes come face to face with Wish Rumple who has Henry's family trapped inside a magical snow globe slowly that's slowly killing them with snow, until Henry supposedly gets him our Rumple's dagger. As for Wish Hook and Gold... They wind up at Rumple's old home where he lived with Bae, Milah, and the Spinsters who raised hm. And once again, Wish Hook comes up with a way to help them stop Wish Rumple by returning to his own little makeshift home inside a cave, where Wish Hook summons Ariel from the Wish Realm as well, with a shell in hope of getting some squid ink to freeze Wish Rumple. I am so happy to see Ariel again!!! :) Also... I really love how Rumple makes a comment about how the Wish Realm was created by just a wish, to which Wish Hook responds that he's as real as Rumple is. I really appreciate that the writers make a point to make this distinction. And that Gold then immediately acknowledges this, and agrees with the man who is his friend. It's also very sad, when Wish Hook reveals that this tiny makeshift home of his had been where he used to come to try to drink himself to death after he had once lost all hope of ever finding and being reunited with his daughter. The place where he had grown older and became the fat old drunkard Wish Hook had become back when we first meet in in season six's episode, titled... Tougher Than the Rest. So very sad. Once they get the ink, Wish Hook and Gold finally make their way to Wish Rumple's castle to join with Henry and Regina again. Then, both Gold and Regina try to come up with solutions on how to help Henry and his family. Now... I really get frustrated with adult Henry within a lot of this episode, because he begins right then and there to make mistake after mistake throughout the rest of this episode. Although... While I do understand he has become desperate to free his family, he is kind of a jerk about it. First... He gets mad at Gold for telling him that he and Wish Hook have come up with a solution with the squid ink. At least Gold and Regina go to confront Rumple anyway despite Henry's objections. But then... Henry also renders Wish Hook unconscious by striking the back of his head with a candlestick, when Wish Hook tries to help him after Henry realizes what he has to do, and thinks that he has to go alone. This makes me really mad at Henry. He could have really hurt Wish Hook by hurting him like this. He's lucky that Wish Hook has a thick head. As for Gold's confrontation with Wish Rumple... I love it! And I like how Gold manages to succeed in freezing Rumple with the ink by giving him his dagger... the hilt being coated with it. I also love Gold's words to his other self, as Gold states that he's willing to sacrifice his happy ending with Belle just to make sure that all the realms are free from Wish Rumple's Darkness forever. Then of course, Regina makes an appearance, and the ink quickly wears off, allowing Wish Rumple to break free and outsmart his enemies yet again. And another big reveal is brought to light! As we learn that the dagger isn't really why Rumple has set all this in motion, but because of the major prophecy made way back in season two's episode... Manhattan, about Henry being Rumple's undoing. And I absolutely love this revelation, as Rumple says, “Today's the day this prophecy finally comes to pass.” Finally is right, and it's amazing!! :) Back at the castle... Just before Henry knocks Hook out, he figures out another way to help his family as he's shown staring at a quill. He then goes to find the Apprentice of the Wish Realm, whom we also get to see again as well. And Henry asks him for the quill, as Henry being the Author, at last comes back into the storyline. It is very nice to have this storyline with him as the Author come back to the show again too. I most certainly appreciate all of the nods back to the past seasons. Once the Wish Realm version of the Apprentice gives him the quill upon learning that Henry really is the true Author, Henry returns to the castle and confronts Wish Cruella once again to steal the ink spilled on her seen from when she betrays the past Author, Isaac... in her storyline from season four's episode... Sympathy For the De Vil. What a clever way for Henry to get the ink needed for his quill so he can write again! However, this latest mistake leads to the next disaster and big revelation... When young Henry from the Wish Realm reappears, and we learn that Wish Rumple has always been after the Author's pen so that he can write his story the way he wants it, using Wish Henry's lack of faith and him having given up his hope in finding his happy ending, to do it. They then strike a deal themselves, so that Wish Henry can get his revenge against Regina for killing his grandparents such as she does in season six's episode... Wish You Were Here, then what Henry has believed was her kidnapping Emma. In exchange for this, Henry writes that the Guardian's powers be removed so that Gold cannot be freed from the Darkness. Wish Rumple then transports Gold, our Henry, and Wish Hook away to reunite them with Ella and Lucy inside the snow globe, while he keeps Regina behind so that Wish Henry can get his revenge on Regina. In regards to a possible plot hole, for Henry to have an alternate version of himself from the Wish Realm as well... I used to feel a little wonky about his existence. I never really understood how he could possibly exist, or how it was Princess Emma had been in love with Bae once upon a time before his death, which allowed for Princess Emma to give birth to Wish Henry too. However, I think he somehow exists, simply because it is Emma's wish that created this world and everyone from it. And there isn't any part or version of Emma that wouldn't want Henry to be her son. So, my belief is that he exists simply because Emma wished for him to exist. Which also allows for Bae, or Neal to have somehow existed long enough before his death, so he could be Henry's father. So that Henry would still be Henry just as he truly is in Storybrooke. I hope this explanation makes sense to you, and helps you to understand why I believe this explains what could still very well be a plot hole, Travis. Back in Hyperion Heights... Alice and Robin are inside Roni's bar continuing to enjoy being freed from the dark curse. Then, Alice suddenly feels her Guardian magic being taken away as Wish Henry writes that the Guardian's magic be removed with the quill, allowing for Alice to immediately come to recognize that her father and the others within the Wish Realm are in danger. So, they seek Tiana's help in finding some sort of magic that will help them get to their family. Tiana makes a speech to the rest of the people in Hyperion Heights seeking out magic to help their loved ones, and she really steps up as their Queen, then stays behind with Naveen to look after her people, while Alice and Robin journey together in the food truck through a magic bean's portal... into Storybrooke!!! So, they can finally get help from their family and friends!!! :) Yay!!! I am so excited and happy to see the sign saying... Entering Storybrooke!!! So many emotions!!! Oh how I have truly missed Storybrooke! :) This brings me to what I love most about the first episode within season seven's two part finale... First... I love seeing everyone celebrating the curse being broken, and I love how Regina asks Alice about her father. About how Wish Hook is feeling since he had almost died from the poison in his heart after he stood beside his daughter to help give her the strength needed to defeat Gothel in the previous episode, titled... Is this Henry Mills?. It is so sad how she states that he is still in the hospital, and that he won't be able to join with everyone else at the celebration, because he can't be near his daughter. And then... My absolute favorite scene and moment within this episode, is between Wish Hook and his daughter when Wish Hook returns to his apartment by cab, as Alice calls him on his phone to make sure he's okay. This moment always makes me cry. I love how Wish Hook calls his daughter Starfish, then turns to see her watching him from across the street as she tells him she can't get any closer for fear of putting him back in the hospital. But I love even more how Wish Hook reassures her that they will find a way to cure his heart so that they can one day soon be together again. They both are so broken. So sad, and yet such a beautiful tender moment between them. I also love hearing them both tell each other that they love each other. Oh... So sweet!!! :) And lastly... I love just how many of the supposed, forgotten storylines from the past seasons are brought back into this first part of the series finale!! We had a few old characters, though the Wish Realm versions of them, we had Henry being the Author storyline brought back, Regina's storyline with killing the Wish versions of the Charmings from season six's episode, titled... Wish You Were Here, and the prophecy of Henry being Rumplestiltskin's undoing storyline revealed in season two's episode, titled... Manhattan. And I love every bit of this!!! So perfect! And now... We're about to return to Storybrooke again, which also always brings tears to my eyes. It is wonderful!! And yet it also cruelly reminds me that we now only have one more episode of Once Upon a Time ever, and then this epic story of these fabulous and beloved characters, is tragically over. I am so sad to see your journey into Once Upon a Time coming to a close, Travis. But very happy too! Because I am so excited for your reaction to the second half of this show's finale!! Overall... I absolutely love this episode!!! So, thank you so much for your incredible reaction to this second to the last episode... of this seventh and final season! What a ride! And yet it's so sad that there is only one last episode left in the entire show! Thank you, Travis!!! Sincerely, Heidi
Heidi Elizabeth Marcum
2025-02-03 20:36:17 +0000 UTComg 😫 one more!!
Miguelito
2025-02-03 17:04:42 +0000 UTCah this is so crazy i remember i joined your patreon to watch season 2 with you, cannot believe it’s almost over! what a ride it’s been😭
Alicia Cue
2025-02-03 15:59:06 +0000 UTC
