SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
Well…that was certainly dark. I know this show can go there sometimes, but the story of David’s father’s death was just tragic.
He drank himself into oblivion because he felt guilty for giving away his son, but that drinking made him a failure as a parent to the son he still had, which only made him drink even more. Everything about David’s father was just so sad. Depressing even. When he finally got his act together to try to be a better man, a better husband, a better father for his family…he died. He hardly got the chance to be better and then David ended up hating him anyway because he didn’t know what his father did.
The more this episode the progressed the heavier the entire thing became. In some ways I feel like things ended that way for him because he broke the deal with Rumple when he revealed to James and King George that he was James’ real father.
David dragging Hook along on his quest for answers concerning his father’s death was for entirely the wrong reasons. He was looking for someone to be an enabler and when Hook wouldn’t do that, he tossed him aside. It was a very callous thing to do that left me disappointed in David, but I understood where he was emotionally. That doesn’t exactly excuse it though.
David was generally a bit of a douche toward Hook for a good chunk of the episode. He was dropping some very snide remarks about Hook being unconscionable. I chalk this up to the writers laying it on too thick to drive home Hook’s point that David didn’t see him as the changed man that he was. As far as I can remember, David was never that way toward him and that particular issue never existed until this episode because they needed drama.
I did, however, love that they bonded by the end of the episode and are a little closer now that they will be father and son-in-law (If Emma says yes, that is; I get the feeling that it will take her a few episodes to accept his proposal). But then the writers had to go and ruin the beautiful moment by revealing that it was Hook who killed David’s father and not King George. Why does Hook need to have this as a secret between him and David – and by extension Emma? Couldn’t that moment have lasted a little bit longer?
As for Regina and “Not Her Robin”, it wasn’t until Snow voiced her concerns about him being brought to the real world that I considered any of the things that she said. Like Regina, I was just so happy that the two of them were back together that I really didn’t think about how it could go wrong. In my mind if they fell in love once, they could again. It never occurred to me that he could be a completely different person from the Robin we know.
He did try to kill Sheriff Nottingham and then he stole that mysterious box from Regina’s vault. It’s clear he has ulterior motives for coming to the real world, but I’m really hoping that it’s not something evil or underhanded and he has an easily justifiable reason for being so deceitful.
When Regina and “Not Her Robin” kissed I rejoiced. But a split second later I remembered what Snow said about kissing James and right after that Regina made a face. A face that told me that kissing this Robin didn’t nearly feel the same as kissing the other one. All of my hopes of an Outlaw Queen reunion were dashed. But Robin is the one who initiated the kiss. So is he actually developing feelings for Regina or was he just playing her? Why does Regina’s happy ending have to be so hard?
Regina’s comment about the ease with which we crossed into the real world reignited reservations I had about the cabinet in the last episode. If “Not Her Robin” was able to pass through, who says that someone else from the wish world won’t in the future? We have no idea what wish world Pinocchio did with the cabinet and Emma and Regina made no demands of him to destroy it after. In fact, they at no point acknowledged the potential dangers of having the cabinet around or that anyone besides them could use. Like the thought never even crossed their minds. I’d like to think they’re more vigilant and careful than that, but it looks like they weren’t. Or the fact that it never came up means that someone else won’t use it.
Random thoughts:
- But Emma didn’t defeat Gideon…
- It always comes back to a deal with Rumple.
- You’re raining on my Outlaw Queen parade Snow!
- “You’re listening to your conscience now.” It’s funny because he’s Jiminy Cricket.
- The little boy playing a young David is so cute!
- Why use the front door if you have magic Zelena?
- I do miss the Enchanted Forest version of Rumple.
- Nice way to fool Emma’s super power Hook; lying by telling the truth.
- Why is it just out if it’s so powerful then?
- Hook and David, you do not know what you are doing.
Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 PM on ABC.
