Once upon a Time Rewatch 1.22, "A Land Without Magic"

Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series here.

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1.22, "A Land Without Magic"

Written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz
Directed by Dean White

Synopsis

After a recapitulation of events, the final episode of the season begins with Charming attempting to escape confinement. Initial efforts fail, and he is dragged off to be executed; renewed efforts along the way see more success for him. He encounters the Huntsman along the way, who assists his exfiltration.

Oh, dramatic irony!
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The title card follows, pivoting to Henry's admission to the local hospital. Initial diagnoses are inconclusive, and Emma's report of events is disbelieved against the lack of observed symptoms. When she ransacks Henry's rucksack, Emma is confronted with visions; she violently confronts the arriving Regina, rebuking her for her attempted poisoning and extracting a confession from her. They turn, reluctantly, to Gold, named openly as Rumpelstiltskin.

Checkmate, mate.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Regina confronts the Huntsman regarding Charming's escape. She acts against the escapee via magic, transporting him to an unexpected location deep within the sprawling, trackless woods, where he confronts Rumpelstiltskin. It does not go well for him.

David moves to confer with Mary Margaret, apologizing again and acknowledging his foolishness. He notes his imminent departure, and she turns away from him once again.

Rumpelstiltskin enlists Charming in protecting distilled true love. He is to lodge it in "the belly of the beast." Emma and Regina ask Gold for help with Henry; he notes having a source of restorative true love magic hidden away where only Emma can retrieve it--and at sword-point.

Henry languishes under medical observation, and Emma speaks to him in his plight, apologizing for doubting him. Regina takes her turn as Emma stalks off, apologizing to him for her perfidy and being confronted by Jefferson. He seeks to collect what Regina owes him; she refuses, and he threatens her futilely. Emma tries to bring August along, only to find him immobilized by his progressing condition. He encourages her as best he can as he turns wholly to wood.

Hell of an entrance.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Emma and Regina proceed to the defunct town library, within which is a secret elevator leading to a system of underground tunnels. Emma presses for more information about the confrontation she faces; she is briefed and proceeds--just as Charming had proceeded against Maleficent before. He finds himself fighting her dragon form, just as Emma does, the two battles running in parallel as Charming works to insert into, and Emma to extract from, Maleficent the love-potion.

Mary Margaret reads to the comatose Henry, unknowingly reading her own story. Henry's condition worsens abruptly, and Mary Margaret is escorted out. Jefferson uses the commotion to sneak into the restricted portion of the hospital, drugging the attending nurse and stalking past where Sidney is held to release a particular inmate--Belle's Storybrooke counterpart--sending her to Gold with a message about her incarceration. She heads out that way.

Charming reports success to Gold and claims his reward, seeking out Snow White again. Emma continues to fight Maleficent, succeeding in slaying the dragon and retrieving the distilled true love.

Charming proceeds towards Snow White on another peculiarly well-maintained road, drawn on by the beacon Rumpelstiltskin had provided. He arrives at his love's glass coffin, opens it, and kisses her; the kiss breaks the sleeping curse as had been shown before, and the two are reunited happily. They walk together for a time, conferring, and he proposes at the lakeside. She accepts, and they take stock of how they will proceed.

You know what it is...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Emma is betrayed by Gold as she returns to the surface; he has restrained Regina and taken the love-potion. News reaches the women of Henry's condition, and they rush to the hospital, finding him lost. Gold exults in his collection and is found by the rescued Belle; he reacts in a way that surprises her--she does not remember him, though he clearly does her. In the hospital, Emma gives Henry one final kiss on the forehead, and a ripple of rainbow magic proceeds outward, waking him to the surprise of all present--and restoring the memories of all in the town. The curse breaks, and David, newly awakened, returns to Mary Margaret. Others begin to retrieve their memories, and Regina is put to flight. Reconciliations and reunions follow--as does Regina's sorrow.

Gold enacts his own working in the wake of the curse breaking, the which occasions fear from all who see its effects. It admits magic into Storybrooke, where it had not been before--and some are pleased at the revelation.

Discussion

Even more than in an earlier episode, there's a motion to resolve matters rather than to introduce new neo/medievalisms. Admittedly, there are plot hooks for a second season in place--clearly so, in fact; I'm not up enough on the production history of the series to say for certain, but it's obvious that the showrunners knew they had another season to make when they made the present episode. How much they ring of the neo/medievalist is an open question, of course; I'm not aware of any obvious sequel-setups in the earlier literature, although it's possible that such interleaving and interweaving as appears in SGGK and some of the earlier-presented-but-later-composed sections of Malory might serve as antecedents. I'm not sure how closely akin the phenomena can be called, though.

Please note that next Thursday, 25 November 2021, is Thanksgiving in the US. There'll be no update that day--but there will be one the following Thursday, 2 December 2021. Please join us then!