Guest Post: Matt Tyler, "A Novice on Heraldry"

It's been a while, and we'll be getting back to regular posting soon. In the meantime, we have another answer to the Society's most recent call for contributions--which is still open; we'd still love to hear from you! This one comes from Matt Tyler, who says of himself "Experienced hobbyist, Matt dabbles in roleplaying games, board games, war games, writing, and playtesting. He considers himself a novice in many of them, and a master of none."

The text of the post below is provided by Tyler, who reflects on his experience and understanding of heraldic practice as it relates to gaming. Included images are those Tyler recommends, attested and used in accordance with Fair Use. Other editorial adjustment is kept to a minimum and is made without comment.

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ℜoderick stared in disbelief as the forces of the High Marshal rallied against the charge. Lines that had been crumbling were now pushing back on the blood-soaked field. Soon, Roderick knew, he would have to signal for the retreat or lose everything. Though, after this catastrophic turn of events, the Iron Dane might still take his head.

But how? It had been a gamble, to be sure, but only a slight one, and no word from his agents within the High Marshals ranks intimated a knight on this flank capable of such a feat of arms.

Roderick “The Blood Hawk” Marleybone craned up in his saddle, his black tabard stretched across the armor beneath, the three golden arches on the black field displayed for the world to see. His eyes strained to take in the scene of battle. The livery of the knights who opposed him swayed back and forth, glimpsed through the glinting forms of his own forces.

No. It can’t be.

His eyes squinted against the dance of color in the midday sun, straining to confirm what he hoped was a trick of the mind. No, there! It was! A hint of sky blue on the shield of the knight leading the counterattack. With a nod to the officer mounted next to him, a relay of signals went up, and the Blood Hawks forces fell back in haste.

Impossible. The black wyvern on a field of light blue, but, that line was gone, by his own hand ended, not a decade since.

As Roderick wheeled his horse about, his mind swirled at the possibilities of seeing the Blackwater coat of arms again...

As a reader, you know next to nothing about either of the knights mentioned in the story, yet with the inclusion of heraldry for the mysterious Blackwater knight, you now begin to conjure images in your mind of not only what they are wearing, but pennants, horse livery, and servant tabards. The bleak field of battle and death begins to take on color and pageantry.

The Pageantry of Battle

What most recognise today when they hear the word “Heraldry” is the codified and registered forms made popular from the medieval period, still used to modern day for royalty, organizations, corporations, and geographical/political regions. This system has its own language and rules to govern its use. It’s through these regulations that historians can solve ancient mysteries when discovering an ancient site of battle, or need to determine the ancestry of uncovered remains based on heraldic evidence.

It’s believed by many that the system of heraldry as it’s understood today was introduced from mainland Europe, but given its necessity on the fields of battle of the time, it quickly grew into something more. Used in tournaments, land grants, inheritance law, if one had a registered label of heraldry, it could prove an invaluable tool in many facets of medieval life. It evolved with the owner, becoming more complex with not only each deed given honor for, but marriages, and successive generations of the family line. In an age with no real forms of identification, those with the means and honors to acquire such an important piece of recognition were viewed in an altogether different light.

From Kawanakajima no kassen
at the Library of Congress

Heraldry though, at its most basic form, is simply a means of identification, much as our modern-day soldiers wear the nation's flag, or indeed, ancient peoples would mark themselves with paints of their tribes’ colors. Even in those basic aspects you’ll see variations to reflect deeds, sub-factions, and genealogy. Samurai, who were active very much during the same time and practically a world away, were making use of family marked sashimono under their lords’ command, with individuals wearing horns or antlers, or sporting their own families colors on their lacquered armor. The “pageantry of battle”, as it’s sometimes known, is not limited to the romanticized concept most known from medieval Europe, but from many ages, and from around the globe.

Heraldry Design

Arms of King Henry IV, differenced by a bordure argent. That’s the heraldic description for the coat of arms used by Humphrey of Lancaster,1st Duke of Gloucester.

A shot from Branagh's Henry V

One of the easier descriptions to deduce, and a good place to start with understanding some basics of the language. First in the description is the field, or the shield. Next, one would expect to find a description of used “ordinaries”, or the basic geometric shapes that comprise the field, be they a band that runs down the middle of the field (known as a “pale”), or an X shape that crosses the field (known as a “saltire”). Given the nature of Humphrey’s coat of arms, the first two are implied with the description of the original arms of Henry IV, which given it uses no ordinaries would simply be quarterly of 4, 1 & 4 France, 2 & 3 England (Plantagenet). The last part of the description would include any lesser charges, which in Humphrey’s case would be differenced by a bordure argent, or more plainly spoken, made different by a border of silver or white. A bordure as a difference was commonly used for a younger sibling who had not been granted a coat of arms individually, or as would happen, Humphrey was the younger brother of Henry V (Henry V used the same arms as Henry IV).

You’ll naturally be curious why some terms are used instead of others, and that has to do with the nature of the system being adopted widely from that of mainland Europe. Argent is the French word for silver, though in heraldry silver and white are used interchangeably. Which brings us neatly to the notion of color use in heraldry.

The Maryland state flag

All patterns and designs should be discernible from a distance, and to help regulate this is the separation of colors into two categories, colours and metals (a third category exists known as furs, but I’ll leave those for you to investigate on your own). As a rule of thumb, you should never have a colour next to a colour, or a metal next to a metal. This is executed in Henry IVs yellow lions on red, and yellow fleur-des-lis on blue (or to use heraldic vernacular, Or on Gules and Or on Azure). Another more modern-day example would be the Maryland state flag. There you have a quartered design, using red with white, and black with yellow (Gules with Argent, and Sable with Or).

The inclusion of symbols is another major part of the craft, and it’s the combination of the two forms, color and symbols, and the combination with which they are combined, that one can convey a great amount of information with but the glimpse of an image.

Most anything can be used for the imagery it conveys. Animals and beasts both natural and mythical (birds, fish, bears), but also objects natural, mythical, and constructed (towers, swords, the sun, the Green Man). Many of these have been assigned meaning over the years, but like with most any language, those meanings will change over time and should not be seen as writ in stone. Horses in heraldry would typically be seen as “one ready for battle”, but there’s nothing to say it couldn’t be used for a messenger, or perhaps a noble lineage of scholars bearing the name Palfrey or Paulfrie.

In the opening narrative, we see arches used on Roderick’s tabard, which typically convey the position of a governor or magistrate. In this small way, if your reader takes it upon themself to investigate that aspect, you have given them a clue they can use to unravel your narrative without ever having to spell it out. This further brings them into your setting.

When I Left You, I Was But the Learner

Knowing even the most basic of information on the subject is usually enough to begin working on your own setting specific heraldry with rules or guidelines. Even in the lands of Middle-earth, Tolkien created a sense of heraldic arms for various houses and factions. The most recognizable being Aragorn's royal standard, unfurled on the fields of battle towards the end of the trilogy, though in the movies more basic versions of the Gondorian crest can be seen on the shields of the guards, and indeed in the helmet designs.

In writing fiction, we have a great tool to use here with the use of color and imagery to convey much about our characters and our setting. With the change of colour we shift preconceptions from one to another. In western movies the good characters wore white and the villains wore black. If a coat of arms is seen to have a dark motif, one might naturally assume villainous intent.

In running games, we have a way for our players to personalize the world. Guilds need emblems and crests, warriors need coats of arms, and kingdoms founded need banners. Some simple tracing paper, a laptop to get images from, and then an inexpensive drawing pad can allow players to make up their own heraldry to bring the world to life and leave their mark. Imagine some players leave and new ones arrive, tales of the Knight of Bonded Grove catch their interest and all they have to go on is a white stag rearing inside a golden wreath of ivy on a green field.

In playing wargames, we have a system to easily allow us to achieve wonderful color schemes for our armies. Using the basic rule of no color on color, or metal on metal, one can begin to devise a striking scheme for their troops that will draw the eye on the battlefield. Are your space warriors covered in variations of tan and green, or perhaps yellow and black, or maybe even orange and blue? Try using metallic paints to break up the colors you wish to use, say a shoulder pad or shield with black and silver trim to stand out from the blood-red armor.

Resources

I have been fortunate enough in my meager investigation of heraldry to exist in a time where the internet has made such searches easily accomplished. As one who dabbles in all aspects of the hobbies naturally drawn to a gamer, I have also encountered numerous sources from personal, individual communication. My favorite resources I’ll list here, though numerous stores of information are easily accessible with the click of a button.

1. 1. Re-enactment. I live in an area where historical reenactment takes on several forms and is richly done. One major organization is known as the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). In these made-up kingdoms, the rules of historical use are as closely followed as possible, including preparing the same meals at events as would be made in medieval times. Among the many aspects of the system, those who wish to take on the role of a herald must apply themselves to the role as diligently as any would have done historically, including sometimes learning multiple languages and being fluent in the rules of heraldry and coats of arms. Just as colleges of heralds have enlisted throughout history, these reenactment scholars likewise preserve their worlds history and culture through heraldic knowledge and can be a wealth of personal experience to draw from.
2. The Complete Book of Heraldry by Stephen Slater. A Beautiful book that can be found relatively on the inexpensive side of things. It covers the history and nature of heraldry in detail, though it doesn’t provide all the symbols and meanings one would need to generate historically accurate heraldry. The heart of the book is to provide a deep understanding of the system itself from its inception through to modern era usage.
3. Modern History TV on YouTube. A fun channel that delves into rediscovering what life was like in the medieval period from the foods eaten through to travel times. Heraldry is touched on, but recommending more as a good resource for the setting and making it believable in roleplaying games, novels, or paintings.
4. The Dictionary of Heraldry by Joseph Foster.
5. An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Heraldry by Julian Franklyn.

An Update for #Kzoo2023

A follow-up: Per the Congress, "the ICMS Program Committee has extended the paper submission deadline through midnight Friday, September 23." So if you have 'em, get 'em in!

𝔚ell, folks, some news has come it, and it's not the news we'd want.

Put simply: the panel didn't make

Put with a bit more detail: we didn't have enough submissions come in to be able to seat a panel for the 2023 International Congress on Medieval Studies. Given that, and given the expense to Society members of attending the Congress--even remotely--the Annual General Meeting will be held via a Zoom call, date and time to be determined. Agenda items will focus on moving forward.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Guest Post: Anne EG Nydam, "On the Virtues of Beasts--A Modern Fantasy Project with a Medieval Inspiration"

The first answer to the Society's recent call for contributions--which is still open; we'd love to hear from you!--comes from author and illustrator Anne EG Nydam, whose Nydam Prints features prints, books, and other artistic sundries. Her 2019 book, On the Virtues of Beasts of the Realms of Imagination, is "a bestiary that is inspired by and modeled on medieval bestiaries," as well as by the works of Tolkien. She notes, too, a comparison between medieval bestiary work and contemporary speculative fiction, in that both serve "to inspire a sense of wonder by telling stories about magical things, which holds up a mirror or guidebook to invite the reader to consider how we can live our lives morally."

The text of the post below is furnished by Nydam, in which she reflects on the content and composition of the words and images in her bestiary. The images below all come from her book and are used with her kind permission. Editorial adjustment is kept to a minimum.

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ℑ am not an academic or a medievalist, but I am an artist and fiction writer who has done extensive amateur research into the medieval bestiary, which I find not only a fascinating genre, but also one that has many common threads with our modern speculative fiction genres. I combined these ideas by writing and illustrating On the Virtues of Beasts of the Realms of Imagination, a “medieval style” bestiary of my own, featuring all sorts of mythical, magical creatures. Medieval bestiaries combine elements of art, storytelling, science, mythology, social history, and morality. Right at the outset, I’ll acknowledge that the medieval writers wouldn’t have used any of those modern terms, let alone think of their work as “fantasy” in any way comparable to the way we think of fantasy now. Nevertheless, the blend of all these different elements is what attracts me to bestiaries and is what makes them so much fun!

There are many fantasy “bestiaries,” often presented as if they were books of natural science, and I enjoy these. However, the bit that differentiates the medieval era’s bestiaries from both the Classical encyclopedias before and the Renaissance encyclopedias after is a moral component: the idea that the purpose of learning about the Creation is to gain insight and understanding about the moral lessons that the Creator had embedded in the creatures of the Earth. In Europe, these moral lessons were all about Catholic theology, but the bestiary genre was also popular throughout the Middle East and Persian literary areas, where the moral lessons derived from the natural world were based in Islamic theology. Plus, Jewish art of the same era often made use of similar iconography for similar purposes, although to the best of my knowledge, there was not a bestiary genre in Hebrew literature. In any case, though, what struck me as I discovered more about these texts was the common thread across these cultures of the idea of using stories (especially information about the natural world) to examine moral issues. Moreover, this is a role that speculative fiction often takes on today.

I’m one of the many people for whom Tolkien’s work was instrumental in turning me into a lifelong lover of fantasy. Three of the elements in Tolkien’s success and appeal to me are beauty, wonder, and morality, and these are three major elements in the medieval bestiaries’ success, as well.

First, beauty. Bestiaries were lavishly illustrated, and the illustrations in bestiaries were not marginal decoration, but were important iconography that explicitly illustrated the text. For my own bestiary, therefore, I wanted to make a book that would be physically beautiful. Not only did I illustrate each of the animals featured, but I designed borders to go around each page, decorative initials, frontispiece and illustrations for the index, and so on.

Second, wonder. When we look at bestiary illustrations, as well as their strange descriptions of some of the animals, we tend to think, “Couldn’t they see that isn’t accurate? Surely they must have known?” But often “scientific” accuracy in the way we think of it now simply wasn’t the point. For the medieval bestiaries, part of the point was to inspire the reader with wonder to draw them in and to invite them to think about the divine lessons to be understood through learning about this wondrous Creation. They did this by describing strange creatures from faraway places, by illustrating them with marvelous colors and even gold illumination, and by telling anecdotes of magical behaviors and miraculous properties. This is exactly what modern speculative fiction often does as well; it shows us a world that is explicitly not “realistic,” and draws us in with wonder. For many of us, myself included, Middle-earth was a major introduction to the wonder, beauty, and excitement of magical worlds. Tolkien also created a sense of wonder by writing in a deliberately lyrical, somewhat archaic style. In order to evoke wonder in my own bestiary, I used many of these same techniques used by the medieval bestiary makers and by Tolkien: tales of strange and magical creatures; illustrations of wondrous scenes; and a deliberately poetic, old-fashioned writing style to show the reader that this is not your everyday modern encyclopedia!

Third, morality. The wonder opens our hearts and minds to consider and reconsider the choices we make about the ways we can live in our own world. Modern speculative fiction has a powerful and subversive ability to slip behind our defenses because we are willingly suspending our disbelief. Because readers of fantasy are less likely to object, “But that could never happen!” fantasy can show us visions not only of nifty things like elves, dragons, and magic, but also visions of individuals and societies functioning in ways that we would otherwise reject as impossible. Tolkien used a world of wonder to draw us in to consider the moral dimensions of such big questions as heroism, industrialism, loyalty, power, and knowledge. For my bestiary, I drew a moral from the story of each mythical creature. Rather than medieval Catholic theology, however (which has some thoroughly appalling elements), my morals are more modern messages about the importance of welcome and kindness, care for the natural world, integrity, creativity, and so on.

For years, I toyed with the idea of making a medieval-style bestiary with a modern diversity of creatures and a modern sense of morality. I made illustrations of dozens of mythical creatures, researched their stories, pored over more than a hundred digitized medieval bestiaries on-line. But was I the only person in the world who loved the strange mash-up of old-fashioned writing, relief-printed art, veneer of science, world-wide fantasy, and explicit morality? Would the people who love fantasy accept the moral lessons? Would the people who appreciated moral content understand the fantasy? Would adult readers want a picture book, and would children be able to read archaic, poetic writing? My husband, who likes to deal in data, convinced me that I should run a Kickstarter campaign in order to get some answers. Quite simply, if no one was interested in the Kickstarter, I would know that I was indeed alone in thinking this idea was enticing. On the other hand, if I got a few backers, I’d be able to gauge just how much interest there might be. Lo and behold, when I launched the campaign, it was successfully funded in just a few days, and went on to receive pledges of over five and a half times my initial goal.

Since then, the book has gone on to receive positive reactions whenever I do readings or bring it to events. So it turns out that the modern world is still interested in beauty, wonder, and morality, those same elements that made bestiaries best-sellers of the medieval world. And I also owe thanks to Tolkien, for introducing me to the wonders of medieval-influenced fantasy, of course, but also for making it such a foundational part of the modern fantasy landscape that other readers, too, have found that my own book, although it might seem so hopelessly niche, strikes a familiar and beloved chord.

Another CFP: NE/PCA

ℑn response to the announcement about the Society's session at #Kzoo2023, Robin Anne Reid, the Tolkien Studies area chair for the Popular Culture Association, sent along word that her area would be interested in having proposals from members of the Society. She also notes "that the Northeast Popular Culture conference is virtual this fall and is open to work on Tolkien -- and on "Tales after Tolkien" as well--they have a science fiction fantasy area," adding that "anyone who cannot present at K'zoo is welcome to join us at Pop Culture (the conference will be f2f in San Antonio, Texas, in 2023 [...], or to propose at NEPCA https://nepca.blog/ (deadline there is August 1) which is virtual."

So, if you have ideas that might've fit well in "Bad Medieval/ism: Mis/Uses of the Medieval in Contemporary Fiction; or, I Know It's Wrong, But I Want to Have Fun" or "Hidden Middle Ages: Where the Middle Ages Hides in Plain Sight in Contemporary Narratives," send them along!

Some News about #Kzoo2023...And Updates

𝔑ews arrived today about the panels that the Society had proposed to the International Congress on Medieval Studies for its 2023 iteration. Of the three sessions that the Society had voted at the 2022 AGM to propose, only one was accepted: the paper session Religion along the Tolkienian Fantasy Tradition: New Medievalist Narratives. While it is something of a disappointment to have only one of the three sessions accepted, the Society looks forward to the abstracts and papers that are sure to follow.

The session will broadly examine depictions of formal religion, real-world or in-milieu, in recent (post-2000) works in the Tolkienian fantasy tradition--here, conceived loosely as fantasy works, irrespective of medium, that make use of a more or less "authentic" European Middle Ages (itself a somewhat nebulous term, as has been noted) as a primary reference for their milieux and their trappings. While it is a commonplace that religious observance was a prominent concern in medieval life, Tolkien notably largely avoids substantial overt depiction of religious forms in his works, and those authors who follow after him largely do, as well. Even those authors who are explicit about the inclusion of religion--Martin and Hobb come to mind as attention-grabbing examples, and others can be found--are far less overt about religious practices. The disjunction is curious and invites exploration...such as the session hopes to do.

Submissions for the session will be accepted via the Congress's platform, which should appear on the "Submissions" page once it goes live. Early-career researchers, persons working off of the tenure track or outside academe entirely, and persons from traditionally marginalized populations are especially encouraged to submit abstracts; the Society welcomes diverse voices working from formal and embedded approaches.

Members of the Society are encouraged to spread word of the session and to submit proposals to it, as well.

Information about the AGM will be posted once it becomes available.

Additionally, the Society still hopes for contributions from its members and other interested parties to this webspace. From an earlier announcement of the same:

The Tales after Tolkien Society, which seeks to provide a forum to examine use of the medieval and medievalism in post-Tolkien popular culture, is seeking guest contributors to its blog (talesaftertolkien.blogspot.com). Contributors need not have any institutional affiliation—we prize the voices of those on the outside. Posts can be of any length and can treat any work of any genre in any medium so long as it makes use of medieval/ist tropes and figures. We’re happy to see many topics, including (but certainly not limited to!)

• How reading / having read Tolkien influences your work, scholarly and creative;
• How reading medieval/ist work influences your own;
• How participation in / engagement with fandoms influences your own; and
• How you see a particular contemporary / recent work or body of work making use of the medieval.

More information is available at https://talesaftertolkien.blogspot.com/p/contributing.html. Interested? Email the Society at talesaftertolkien@gmail.com; we’d love to hear from you!

Note, too, that more regular activities will resume in this webspace soon; thank you for reading!

#Kzoo2022 Report (and an eye toward #Kzoo2023)

𝔗he Tales after Tolkien Society continued its work at the online International Congress on Medieval Studies hosted by Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For the 2022 iteration of the event, the Society conducted its annual general meeting and sponsored and presented a roundtable session. Notes about each appear below.

The Meeting

Per §5.1 of the Society Constitution, an Annual General Meeting of the Society was held during the 2022 Congress, taking place online and called to order at 6pm US Central Daylight Time. Society President Geoffrey B. Elliott presided; Rachel Sikorski, Society Secretary and Social Media Officer, took minutes. In attendance were the aforementioned officers and members Carrie Pagels, Gillian Polack, and Kris Swank.

Formal agenda items to be considered were

1. Determination of session offerings for the 2023 Congress,
2. Election of a Vice-president (USA) for the term of 2022-2025,
3. Election of a Social Media Officer for the term of 2022-2025, and
4. Concerns for general Society attention and consideration.

As to the first point, suggested in the meeting were five possible topics: a roundtable on medievalism and despair, unconventional medievalisms, medievalism and diversity, medievalism and religion, and medievalists/medievalism and the news. Lively discussion of topics followed, resulting in determination that the Society propose three sessions to the 2023 Congress (with titles amended for clarity and sense):

• Bad Medieval/ism: Mis/Uses of the Medieval in Contemporary Fiction; or, I Know It's Wrong, But I Want to Have Fun—A Roundtable
• Hidden Middle Ages: Where the Middle Ages Hides in Plain Sight in Contemporary Narratives—A Paper Session
• Religion along the Tolkienian Fantasy Tradition: New Medievalist Narratives—A Paper Session
  

Discussion surrounding the first proposal was particularly lively and engaging, and efforts to recruit speakers for it will be undertaken by Society membership, pending approval from the Congress of the session.

The roundtable has proposed as an online / hybrid event, allowing greater participation / engagement; the paper sessions have been proposed as online panels.

As to the second point, the incumbent in the office was not present at the meeting, and no candidates stood for election. Following past practice, the President has asked the incumbent to remain in office for the span of one year, until the Society's Annual General Meeting in 2023. Response is pending as of this writing.

As to the third point, the incumbent in the office, being present in the meeting, was asked if she wished to continue in office; she assented. A call for other nominees was made, with no response. Accordingly, Rachel Sikorski was acclaimed to the office once again.

As to the fourth point, how to prompt more engagement with the Society blog was discussed. Per discussion and approval from the membership present, verbiage recruiting guest posts will be drafted and posted to the Society's web presence and the Congress's website, and it will be made available to membership via email by request; one such request was made by Gillian Polack, to be answered as promptly as circumstances reasonably permit.

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Carrie Pagels and seconded by Gillian Polack. No objections being noted, the meeting was adjourned at 7pm US Central Daylight Time.

The Session

The Society's roundtable session, Twenty-First Century Neo/Medievalisms, was organized by the Society President and presided over by Society Secretary and Social Media Officer Rachel Sikorski; it was presented at 4pm US Central Daylight Time on Thursday, 12 May 2022. The session featured comments from the President, from independent scholar Michael A. Torregrossa, and from Lars Olaf Johnson of Cornell University. Elliott spoke on the use of neo/medievalist and medieval materials in the fifth edition of the Pendragon tabletop role-playing games. Johnson spoke on queerness in Game of Thrones, making particular reference to Society Founder Helen Young's work (of which an example is here, with another here). Torregrossa presented remarks on comic book depictions of Merlin, doing much to trace the history of those presentations and their general shape; the DC Comics Etrigan receives a fair bit of attention in his comments. Discussion of all three topics was lively and engaging, promising more such to come in future years.

A Call for Contributions

ℌey, you.

Yes, you.

Do you work with medieval materials?

Do you see them popping up in the world around you?

Do you have ideas about it?

Do you want to see them out in the world?

Maybe we can help!

The Tales after Tolkien Society, which seeks to provide a forum to examine use of the medieval and medievalism in post-Tolkien popular culture, is seeking guest contributors to its blog (talesaftertolkien.blogspot.com). Contributors need not have any institutional affiliation—we prize the voices of those on the outside. Posts can be of any length and can treat any work of any genre in any medium so long as it makes use of medieval/ist tropes and figures. We’re happy to see many topics, including (but certainly not limited to!)

• How reading / having read Tolkien influences your work, scholarly and creative;
• How reading medieval/ist work influences your own;
• How participation in / engagement with fandoms influences your own; and
• How you see a particular contemporary / recent work or body of work making use of the medieval.

More information is available at https://talesaftertolkien.blogspot.com/p/contributing.html. Interested? Email the Society at talesaftertolkien@gmail.com; we’d love to hear from you!

Once upon a Time Rewatch 2.22, "And Straight on 'til Morning"

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

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2.22, "And Straight on 'til Morning"

Written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz
Directed by Dean White

Synopsis

The final episode of the season opens with a focus on a tall ship sailing, one soon revealed to be Hook's Jolly Roger, aboard which Smee encourages Hook's revenge and reports that Baelfire sleeps but will be well. They confer about his origin, Smee voicing fears that Hook allays. Shortly after, the pair confer with Baelfire, who explains his arrival in Neverland and bristles at Hook before announcing his name--which Hook recognizes. The captain welcomes him to the crew.

Are you not entertained?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Following the title card, the episode continues with Henry swinging under Granny's watchful eye. Gold approaches, plotting his grandson's death and working magically to that end. He is stopped in his machinations by the arrival of Mary Margaret, David, and Emma and their challenge of him. Emma moves to Henry, and Mary Margaret imparts news: Baelfire is gone, shot by Tamara and taken by a portal to an unknown place. Gold is staggered by the news, and he refuses to help David and Mary Margaret in his sorrow at his son's loss, staggering off.

Beneath Storybrooke, Hook accompanies Greg and Tamara as they proceed along their orders and retrieve one of the dwarves' pickaxes to use the artifact stolen from Regina, which will undo Storybrooke. Hook challenges them, and they activate the artifact, which begins to unmake the town, allowing the original forest to reclaim the area. Regina returns to herself in company with Emma, Mary Margaret, David, and Henry as the destruction begins. Hook arrives shortly after and is punched and threatened by David in short order; Regina offers to hinder the destruction as the rest prepare to effect evacuation from Storybrooke. Regina offers a sincere apology to Henry.

Near Neverland, the Jolly Roger receives a delegation, Smee encouraging Hook to surrender Baelfire thereto. Hook refuses, citing Baelfire's utility as the delegation boards. The delegation, consisting of Lost Boys, demands the surrender of the boy, searching the ship for him. They do not find him, and they leave with dire warnings for Hook and his crew. Baelfire takes the demonstration to heart.

Gold confronts the dwarves in his shop as they note having found a remedy for their brother's malady. Grumpy offers a dose of the remedy to Gold for Belle as he heads off. Other preparations for the evacuation continue, with David and Hook moving to confront Greg and Tamara.

What arrr you thinking?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Aboard the Jolly Roger, Hook works with Baelfire. He takes the opportunity to learn more about the boy and his circumstances. He relates a sad backstory and gets confirmation that Baelfire is the son of the Dark One in exchange--and learns of the dagger, to boot.

David and Hook confer as they proceed against Greg and Tamara. Melee and pursuit begin, with Hook securing a bean as Greg and Tamara flee. Meanwhile, Emma and Regina proceed to the active artifact. Regina purposes to remain behind as the rest of the town flees; Emma attempts to dissuade her from her self-sacrifice, unsuccessfully. Gold and Lacey face their own ends soddenly, and Gold doses her with the remedy Grumpy gave him; it restores Belle to herself, and the two reconcile tearfully.

Discussion of options ensues, with Mary Margaret suggesting removing the artifact and Emma rejecting the idea as overly risky. Emma is overruled, and she overrules Hook's attempt to escape, in turn. He challenges her about her motives, and she asserts a desire to save Henry from losing another family member, Baelfire already having fallen. The news of Baelfire's loss stuns Hook.

Smee challenges Hook regarding Baelfire. Baelfire challenges Hook regarding Milah and learns the truth of her death. Baelfire demands to be taken back to the Darlings; Hook notes the impossibility, and Baelfire turns away from him in teenage angst.

The attempt to send the artifact away is made, despite Regina's objections, and Emma finds that the bean upon which they had relied is absent, Hook having palmed the object and returned to the Jolly Roger to make good his escape. Near Neverland, Baelfire makes to depart the Jolly Roger, Hook attempting to dissuade him from going. He does not succeed, so he turns Balefire over to the Lost Boys, albeit with some regret--that afflicts him as he makes to leave Storybrooke.

Ooh. Pretty colors.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Regina's containment efforts begin to falter, and tearful goodbyes begin to be said. Regina apologizes again, and Emma realized she can assist, moving to do so. The combined efforts appear to succeed, with reforestation withdrawing--though Henry disappears, taken by Greg and Tamara, who note Henry's greater importance as they abscond with him. Chase is joined, and Greg and Tamara open a portal, taking Henry with them. Means to follow are discussed, and the return of the Jolly Roger betokens hope; combined efforts promise to be enough. Gold charges Belle with instructions as to how to protect the town in what he expects to be his terminal absence.

Baelfire finds himself on the shores of the Enchanted Forest. And Henry, as it happens, is in Neverland, where his father had been taken before--and Peter Pan awaits.

Discussion

As the final episode of the season, the present episode does not bring in much, if anything, new; it would hardly be narratively appropriate to do so. But I do note the interesting refusal of the series to allow a self-sacrifice by one of the major characters; Regina had a chance at redemption by remaining in place to ensure the rest could flee, a gesture that would resonate with modern viewership no less than with medieval readership regarding a similar thing, John 15:13 being a common point of reference. For the earlier, Christianity would be taken as a given (if not always accurately so, as others can attest more fully than I), and self-sacrifice is at the heart of Christian ideology; for Regina to act in such a way would be an eminently fitting gesture. And for the latter, self-sacrifice remains lauded, as lists of honors and awards, both civilian and military, attest.

Admittedly, production reasons--described by TV Tropes as "Status Quo is God"--suggest why the gesture would be refused; it's hard to keep a character in place who is dead, after all, and resurrecting a character after a sacrifice cheapens the sacrifice (comic books might learn such lessons usefully), while disposing of a popular character is likely to have adverse effects on ratings. Still, it's a strange thing to consider from not only a perspective of medievalist interpretation, but also from a perspective of "this is a Christian nation, founded on Christian principles" so often voiced about the United States (albeit not accurately and with a decidedly slanted interpretation of Christianity, as recent events amply demonstrate), whose population can be presumed to be the primary audience of the series.

But that's an argument for another place and time, one far more emphatic and immediate than my commentaries here can ever be.

As a reminder, there will be a break before I take up Season 3. Gotta make sure I'm ready for #Kzoo2022--and then I'll need a rest!

One More Update for #Kzoo2022

𝔗his was mentioned previously--28 January 2022--but the Society will be having its Annual General Meeting via the ICMS online platform at 7pm US Eastern Time on Monday, 9 May 2022. Items to be discussed include

• What panel/s, if any, to propose for the 2023 ICMS;
• Election of a Social Media Officer, 2022-2025; and
• Election of a Vice-President (USA), 2022-2025.

No panel topics having yet been proposed, the Society will accept suggestions from the floor during the meeting. Similarly, no nominations for the positions having yet been received, the Society will accept nominations from the floor during the meeting.

Other business may be discussed at the Society's discretion.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 2.21, "Second Star to the Right"

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

---

2.21, "Second Star to the Right"

Written by Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg
Directed by Ralph Hemecker

Synopsis

At least the signage is good.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

After a recapitulation of series events, the episode follows the adolescent Baelfire after his separation from his father, a portal opened by a magic bean depositing him alone outside Kensington Gardens. The episode continues to follow Baelfire faring poorly in London six months later, sneaking into an open window to steal bread, where he is swiftly confronted by a girl and her dog; the girl offers him the bread and introduces herself as Wendy Darling.

Baelfire wakes in Storybrooke to find Tamara getting ready to train. She leaves him sleeping. Meanwhile, Gold and Lacey accost Whale until interdicted by Baelfire; Gold dismisses Lacey in favor of talking with his son. The exchange goes poorly for both of them, though worse for Gold. Seemingly at the same time, Emma and David enter Regina's office under arms in search of the magic beans, clearing the room and finding that it has been burgled. The search continues, Emma voicing her theory about Tamara and sending Mary Margaret and David to talk to Gold.

Tamara puts in at the town's docks, joining Greg as Hook restrains Regina. Tamara reports the magic beans, and the two exult in their success. After an exchange with Hook, Regina is subjected to torture by Greg.

In Victorian London, Baelfire is living in the walls of the Darling home, aided by Wendy until her parents confront her. Wendy's mother determines to take him in, despite her father's objection. In Storybrooke, Emma again searches Tamara's room, finding evidence that she has been lying to Baelfire. And back in Victorian London, Baelfire settles into the Darling household, where he is bidden watch for a strange shadow with the children--one possessed of magic. Baelfire warns the children against the magic, citing his experience, and they agree to remain apart from the shadow.

Are we suddenly in grad school?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

David and Mary Margaret call on Gold for assistance with Regina, David calling in an owed favor to compel the assistance. He completes a working that facilitates a connection between Mary Margaret and Regina, and he dismisses the pair. Lacey reenters, having overheard the conversation, and she challenges Gold over his abilities. Mary Margaret uses the tool Gold provided, linking her perception to Regina's amid the latter's torture.

They really pack these in...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Victorian London, Baelfire sees Wendy looking out at the shadow again, despite her promise. Baelfire warns Wendy again, and she refuses, taken up with the thrills offered by Neverland and departing thence. In Storybrooke, Emma and Baelfire search out Tamara and Regina, finding the former on the beach. Tense conversations ensue, and Emma's search continues. Tamara, however, repairs to where Greg is torturing Regina, and she and Greg note their intent to destroy magic in the world, noting their previous successes and their group's. Mary Margaret, having lost her link to Regina, reports what information she can--which is not much amid the pain. The smell of sardines she notes, however, gives away the location of Regina's confinement--which happens to be near where Emma is walking, coincidentally, and Emma summons aid to her location.

Baelfire wakes in Victorian London as Wendy returns to the Darling house. She reports her experiences in Neverland, noting her reasons for return: the shadow wants a boy, and will be taking one of Wendy's brothers. She admits the correctness of Baelfire's warning, and he purposes to protect her.

In Storybrooke, Gold prepares another working, demonstrating for Lacey. She grows greedy for what his power can provide, and he notes the possibility of his own undoing. She encourages him to eliminate the threat to him. Meanwhile, Emma and Baelfire move ahead of assistance to search for Regina, encountering David and Mary Margaret. The search continues, observed via camera by Tamara; she prompts exfiltration, which Greg refuses in favor of finding his father. Tamara departs, and Greg proceeds; Regina reports having killed Kurt long since.

Dark, man. Dark.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Victorian London, Baelfire arranges matters with the Darling children to hinder the advance of the shadow. They secure the room as best they can and wait for it to come--which wait is brief. The shadow comes, and Baelfire interposes himself between it and its target, sacrificing himself for the Darling family. The shadow takes him swiftly aloft above London and thence to Neverland.

In Storybrooke, Greg tortures Regina into unconsciousness. Greg flees, and David and Mary Margaret make to secure her, biding Emma interdict Greg. Tamara reveals herself then, entering via heavy pipe, and confronts Baelfire with the truth. She shoots him, and melee ensues. Tamara deploys one of the stolen magic beans, creating a portal and using the distraction of it to cover her escape. Emma and Baelfire admit their love for each other, and Baelfire sacrifices himself to preserve Emma.

Elsewhere, the fled Greg digs in the woods for his father's remains, finding evidence of his death. The Mother Superior heals Regina, and Emma returns to report events; her parents attempt to comfort her. In Neverland, Baelfire struggles against the shadow, falling from its grasp into the dark ocean and eluding its search--whereupon he is rescued by the crew of the Jolly Roger. And Tamara joins Greg in the woods, holding the crystal that Regina had meant to use to destroy Storybrooke--which they now intend to use for that purpose.

Discussion

As in the previous season, and as in previous series, the end of the season (the present episode is its penultimate episode) admits of less new medievalism, being focused on drawing a storyline to a close. Given the nature of serial television, of course, it is setting up for the next major story-arc (this is a rewatch, after all), but it is not introducing much new material even with that; it is clear that the series will be going into Peter Pan, but that was already an option with the initial appearance of Captain Hook, so that's hardly new.

A bit of a note: after wrapping up the season and addressing the coming International Congress on Medieval Studies, I'll be taking a bit of a break. Just so you know.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 2.20, "The Evil Queen"

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

---

2.20, "The Evil Queen"

Written by Jane Espenson and Christine Boylan
Directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton

Synopsis

After a recapitulation of series events, the episode begins with a bound Hook being confronted by Greg and Tamara in the ruined clock tower in Storybrooke. He refuses, citing the death of Rumpelstiltskin--and he is shown that Rumpelstiltskin yet lives. The demonstration convinces him to aid in recovering Kurt in exchange for assistance in killing Rumpelstiltskin.

Where's Wat Tyler when you need him?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The episode pivots to a scene in the Enchanted Forest during which Regina leads a small party to investigate a cottage where Snow White had been hiding. The villagers are gathered and pressed for information, but none is forthcoming, prompting an execution order.

In Storybrooke, conversation about returning to the Enchanted Forest between David and Mary Margaret ensues. Regina, disguised, overhears the conversation and proceeds on her own path. In the Enchanted Forest of the past, she confers with Rumpelstiltskin about her failure to elicit cooperation from the peasantry regarding Snow White, and he makes Machiavellian comments regarding her reign that she contests with little success. She asks for further magical assistance from Rumpelstiltskin, plotting revenge; he agrees to assist her in exchange for cutting trade with George's kingdom. The deal is concluded, and Regina, disguised, proceeds upon her plan to find and kill Snow White.

In Storybrooke, Regina meets with Henry confusing him. She shows Henry the magic beans she has purloined. She works to suborn Henry to her against the plan to leave her behind when they return to the Enchanted Forest. She overplays her hand, however, and Henry balks at the idea, resisting until Regina ensorcels him to wipe his memory.

Things seem remarkably regular, uniform...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Disguised as a peasant, Regina stalks through a local market. Amid doing so, she overhears talk lambasting the queen and rails at it. She is taken prisoner by local authorities, forgetting the constraints of her disguise.

In Storybrooke, Hook meets Regina in her office. He asks her for sanctuary, noting Greg and Tamara's plans and trying to argue for another arrangement of his own. She notes the presence of magic beans and her own plan to abscond with Henry--which will also defeat Rumpelstiltskin.

Hell of a cheat sheet.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Emma runs into Tamara at Granny's, noting a strange list as she helps her pick up dropped goods. They confer briefly, awkwardly, and Emma realizes Tamara's deceit--and Tamara, Emma's understanding. She reports her suspicions to Mary Margaret, who tries to allay her concerns. Henry overhears and plots to assist in investigating Tamara. And Regina and Hook proceed into the caverns beneath Storybrooke's library.

In the Enchanted Forest, Regina faces summary execution and calls out to Rumpelstiltskin for aid. She is saved by an attack from Snow White and flees from town with her.

Regina and Hook proceed, Hook musing on revenge. As he does, he displays a token that Regina's mother had given him; she demands it back from him, and he obliges her. In the event, it mutes her magical abilities, perilous as they move to confront Maleficent and she uses Hook as bait for her as she reconstitutes herself from ash and dust. Melee ensues, going poorly for Hook. Regina, meanwhile, retrieves another bit of magical apparatus.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White attends the still-disguised Regina. Conversation alludes to other adventures on Snow White's part, and Snow White rehearses her story with Regina. In Storybrooke, Henry and Emma confer about how to proceed investigating Tamara. Henry talks about travel to the Enchanted Forest, longing for the life that might be available there. They snoop, Emma finding a loose floorboard before being warned off by Henry as Neal approaches. Neal realizes Emma is snooping about and he confronts her about Tamara. They investigate the floorboard, finding nothing, and Emma reluctantly withdraws.

Remarkably tidy deaths, these.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the Enchanted Forest, Regina rises to find Snow White preparing to evacuate against the approach of Regina's own patrols. She accompanies Snow White into the woods and presses her about her relationship with the queen, and Snow White opines on it. Regina is somewhat taken aback, and her ruse begins to falter. They come upon the massacred village, and Snow White's heart is soured against Regina; Regina's ruse is broken, and she flees.

In Storybrooke, Regina returns from her expedition to find Hook waiting for her, to her surprise. He confronts her with Tamara and Greg, and she finds her magic has been muted. Meanwhile, Emma and Henry confer about their hindering, and David takes Leroy and Mary Margaret to investigate the bean field. They find it burned and despoiled.

Regina confronts Rumpelstiltskin for the removal of the spell he placed upon her. She accepts his Machiavellian ideas, and he restores her to herself. And as the evil queen, she faces Greg and Tamara, who take her captive.

Discussion

One brief note of interest: There is an extra in the episode played by a man credited as Hrothgar Mathews. Þæt wæs god freólsman!

There is a common conception that medieval rulership was absolute and monolithic. As with many common conceptions, it is incorrect. Even a fairly broad overview of medieval theories of rulership indicates as much, noting that even in the highest and holiest instances of medieval rulership, there was an understanding that bad rulership could rightly be overthrown. While what counted as "bad" might very from place to place and time to time, the fact that such justifications were seen even in relation to the pinnacles of governance is...telling. And it is seen, indeed, even in such commonplace medieval/ist works as those treating Robin Hood and the wars of dynastic succession that constitute and inform so much; how many would rise up against a system they see as working well for them?

Consequently, the attention the present episode pays to the unrest against Regina's reign in the Enchanted Forest--surprisingly more so than against her governance of Storybrooke, which takes place in an explicitly election-driven dynamic--while seeming at first blush to run counter to "medieval" thought in favor of pandering to a predominantly American audience, accords more closely with reported medieval understandings than is typically supposed. That it is intentionally so is doubtful; there's enough the series gets wrong, as has been noted repeatedly, that makes clear "correctness" is not a major concern (with some justification, of course). But even an unintentional act has effects, and what we do without thinking about it says quite a bit about us as we approach the world.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 2.19, "Lacey"

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

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2.19, "Lacey"

Written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz
Directed by Milan Cheylov

Synopsis

Not all it's cracked up to be, really...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Following a recap of series events, the episode begins with a celebration of Henry's birthday, Gold offering him a gift of any single object from his shop. He selects a magic wand, the functions of which Gold demonstrates--by transforming the boy into ceramics and shattering him. It is revealed to be a dream, from which Gold starts awake.

After the title card, the episode shifts to Baelfire and Henry playing as Gold looks on. Regina joins him, and Gold notes to her that his son is Henry's father--making them family, a machination of fate. Regina prophecies his failure with his descendants.

Gold calls on the amnesiac Belle, and the two confer. She accepts that her past, unremembered self had a relationship with Gold, and she recalls having been healed. She also asks him for help in recalling herself to herself--which help he agrees to provide, as it will help him, as well.

The episode pivots to Belle's captivity with Rumpelstiltskin in the Enchanted Forest. Rumplestiltskin rebukes her for her weeping and its distractions from his work, and their conversation is interrupted by sounds of a break-in in progress. Rumplestiltskin proceeds to intercept the burglar. When the episode pivots back, Belle is making ready to leave the hospital where she has convalesced. Regina calls on her and presents Belle a matchbook that carries a spell with feigned memories.

Ooh! A map!
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Meanwhile, Greg and Tamara continue to plot. He notes no success in finding his father, though he reaffirms his faith in his father's presence. She notes being ready to retrieve a package that evening.

David and Mary Margaret drive Emma to a hidden field, one cloaked and bearing a crop of nascent magic beans, tended by Anton. Emma intuits their purpose with the beans, railing at their intent to return to their native realm even as they invite her to return with them in the hopes of a happy ending.

Gold finds Belle has left her hospital room and stumbles upon the matchbook Regina had planted. He follows its clue to a disreputable establishment and finds Belle under the identity of Lacey--that with which Regina has enchanted her via the matchbook. The episode pivots to Rumpelstiltskin tormenting the thief that had breached his residence as Belle cleans. As he takes a break from his efforts, Belle calls on his victim, tending to him and releasing him to flee. The episode pivots back to Gold confronting Regina for her workings on Belle. She coldly dismisses him from her office.

Gold calls on David, asking for help with Belle. Reluctantly, he offers advice for reawakening her actual--not curse-borne--identity: "Show her the man she fell in love with." The episode pivots to the Enchanted Forest, where Rumpelstiltskin prepares to resume "work" and finds the prisoner escaped--with Belle's admitted assistance. She challenges him, and he notes that she had been gulled, vowing vengeance and compelling her to accompany him in its pursuit.

The episode moves to Gold's pursuit of Belle, showing his inept courtship. David encourages him in his efforts, which yield some success. Elsewhere, Regina confronts Emma as the latter reads, a tense exchange ensuing. And after, the arranged date between Gold and "Lacey" commences, awkwardly, and the episode pivots to Rumpelstiltskin's pursuit of the thief, during which he and Belle confer. A confrontation with local authority ensues, revealing that Rumpelstiltskin's quarry is Robin Hood. After a brief pivot back to the date, from which "Lacey" has fled for an assignation, pursuit continues, where Robin heals Marian of a malady with the wand stolen from Rumpelstiltskin. The revelation that Marian is pregnant stays Rumpelstiltskin's hand, about which Belle lauds him. And in Storybrooke, Gold finds that "Lacey" rejects him.

In the night, Regina follows the trail of David, Anton, and the dwarves back to their hidden field, finding the work on which they have been engaged and delighting in the possibilities thereof. Gold returns to his old ways, and "Lacey" happens upon him engaged in them, finding him all the more compelling therefore. Baelfire returns Henry to Emma, and she asks him about returning to the Enchanted Forest. And Tamara makes good on her promise of delivery--of Hook.

Discussion

While scenes from a dream are often regarded as variants on the deus ex machina, they are, as has been noted previously (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, if not also elsewhere) staples of medieval literature. Dream of the Rood is one example, of course, and Pearl another, with Arthurian literature offering any number of others. Dream vision is not original to medieval literatures, perhaps; JA Cuddon remarks that while it is "extremely popular in the Middle Ages," it has its precursors in Cicero and Macrobius's remarks on the same. Even so, it is pervasive in that time, so that it is ripe for taking up by a medievalist property such as the present series--which does, as repeatedly noted and observed, make use of the device, to greater and lesser degrees.

The episode also introduces the Robin Hood mythos into the series. There is no shortage of material discussing such, of course, with accessible entries here and here, among others. Some more reactionary types might well decry the presentation of people of color amid such stories, believing as they do in the myth of the monochrome Middle Ages and hoping that their presentations of such beliefs might somehow justify their execrable ideologies and their even more contemptible attempts to impose those ideologies on the world they inhabit. They are, of course, in error, severally, and should be decried and rebuked for those errors as often as can be done. And it is the case that, even among concerns of "accuracy," it muse be remembered that the medieval stories that have been transmitted--which transmission is itself a concern--are themselves products of change and refiguration. Arthurian literature shows it, among others; Arthur changes substantially from Gildas and Nennius to the Galfridian conception through the high chivalric to Malory. He is far from the only such. How the changes occur and what changes are retained--and imposed--shows much about those who do the changing and those for whom the changes are made; they are well worth the attention, for those and other reasons.

Once upon a Time Rewatch 2.18, "Selfless, Brave, and True"

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

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2.18, "Selfless, Brave, and True"

Written by Robert Hull and Kalinda Vazquez
Directed by Ralph Hemecker

Synopsis

An auspicious beginning...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

August, with company abed, wakes in pain in Phuket, his leg beginning to turn to wood. He rouses his companion, attempting to show her the progress of his turning to wood and finding that she cannot see it. He hobbles up and begins to realize what is happening to him.

After the title card, the episode shifts to Storybrooke in the present, David tending to Mary Margaret as Emma looks on and comments aspersively, prompting an argument. After Emma leaves, Mary Margaret rises, determining to "think things through" on her own, sending David to tend to the bean crop. She reminds him of her perfidy and urges him to understanding.

Meanwhile, Emma takes Henry to Baelfire, where Henry asks after the nature of the Enchanted Forest. Baelfire asks to talk to Emma, noting that Hook has escaped confinement and that his fiancée, Tamara, is coming to Storybrooke. Emma is upset by the second news more than the first, but Baelfire notes needing his betrothed. Emma bids him confess all, and he asks her to remain to confer with Tamara.

I'm sure there's some joke to make here...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the woods, Mary Margaret practices her archery, finding her aim strangely off. Startled, she seeks in the woods, finding tracks to follow that lead her to a derelict RV. Investigating it, she finds August, wooden and animated, struck by her arrow. A flashback to Hong Kong follows, tracing August's trip to a hospital for examination that reveals nobody other than him can see his lignification; a demonstration occasions pursuit, and August flees until he encounters a messenger from "The Dragon." August explains what he knows of his situation to Mary Margaret, remarking that his condition is a separate issue from the curse Regina had cast. Mary Margaret urges August to return to town, but he refuses, citing his many failures and rejecting Mary Margaret's attempts to offer comfort.

A tense conversation among Tamara, Baelfire, Emma, and Henry begins over bagels. As Emma makes to take Henry off, Henry leaves his book with Baelfire, and Baelfire and Tamara confer about his son. Baelfire makes to confess his background and history to Tamara, offering her Henry's book as explanation. She expresses disbelief at his claims, rebuking him for his continued feelings for Emma and departing.

In another flashback to Hong Kong, August is taken to the Dragon. While he waits, he returns a dropped phone to its owner--Tamara. And in Storybrooke, Regina meets with Greg at Granny's, introducing herself to him and thanking him for finding Henry. She notes finding him familiar, which assertion he rejects. As she makes to leave, she encounters Mary Margaret rushing in, offering her rebuke as she departs. Mary Margaret reports August's condition to Emma and Marco, and they determine to seek help for him from the Mother Superior--which Tamara overhears with interest.

Tamara seems to have a type...
Image taken from the image, used for commentary.

The flashback resumes, Tamara bidding August call on the Dragon. He does so nervously, though he is greeted warmly enough, and he finds that the Dragon can perceive his lignification--and knows his identity. He offers assistance--with conditions, demanding his remaining puppet string in exchange for his efforts, as well as a hefty cash fee. In Storybrooke, the Mother Superior remarks that she cannot help Pinocchio resume his flesh; his woodenness a punishment for his failures. Mary Margaret continues to hold out hope, and the flashback resumes, August encountering Tamara once again. They drink together, Tamara showing a substantial amount of cash and relating the story of how she came to seek the Dragon. As Tamara takes a call, August purloins the cash from her purse and flees--and she confronts him in Storybrooke.

The flashback continues with August returning to the Dragon, who offers him a vial of magic. As August makes to tender the payment, his condition afflicts him, and the Dragon notes that the lignification is a symptom of a condition he must address for himself. August takes the vial and departs, fleeing from Tamara as she confronts him for his theft--and takes the vial. She is no more forgiving in Storybrooke, though her perception of his woodenness gives him pause. She demands his aid in her purpose, noting that some of the contents of the vial remain--in New York City, payment for him leaving Storybrooke forever. She notes, too, that Baelfire is not concerned with or aware of her purposes, and urges him to save himself once again.

Greg returns to his room to find Regina waiting for him, aware of his true identity: Owen. He notes the temporal disjunction and asserts his purpose in finding his father. She notes that Owen's father departed, which he disbelieves, and she threatens him. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Marco proceed to August's trailer, conversing along the way; Marco confesses his perfidy, his failure in having sent Pinocchio with Emma, and earns rebuke that Mary Margaret realizes comes from the tainted portion of her own heart. As they reach the trailer, they find it empty, August having departed for New York City.

There's a reason for the sobriquet.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In Hong Kong, Tamara returns to the Dragon, confronting him for information. She makes to assail him, and though he begins to show power, she subdues him. Evidence of her having done so presents itself to August, and he comes about to return to Storybrooke, seeking Emma and attempting to warn her about Tamara. She interdicts him, however, and a confrontation ensues that leaves him incapacitated. He does manage to tender an incomplete warning to Emma and company, finding forgiveness from his father as the life leaves him. The arrival of the Mother Superior on site invites his return to life--which is given him in the form of a boy whose memories of previous life are muddled. Tamara arrives and notes the truth of Baelfire's claims, looking on apprehensively as Pinocchio is asked about the warning. Tamara reaffirms her love to Baelfire.

A flashback to New York details another meeting between August and Baelfire. August notes his intent to Baelfire, promising a report--as Tamara clandestinely observes. She uses the opportunity to ingratiate herself to Baelfire. And in Storybrooke, Emma apologizes to Henry, which apology he accepts, and Mary Margaret reports her attempt to get Regina to kill her to David. He offers her comfort, certain their love will suffice to any purpose. And Tamara meets Greg in his hotel room, their romance revealed.

Discussion

Aside from the rampant deus ex machina at work in the episode, a couple of points suggest themselves. One is that the present episode makes use of a number of interweaving narrative threads impressive for less than forty-five minutes of screen time, integrating several plot threads that extend back through the season and further back. It is reminiscent of the interweaving identified by a number of scholars, including the late and revered Larry D. Benson and eminent Arthurian Molly Martin, as typical of Malory's work. Such work is not the only to make use of the technique, of course, but given how much of Once Upon a Time works in medieval/ist tropes and explicitly invokes Arthuriana, the parallels to Malory suggest themselves.

The more important point, though, concerns forgiveness. The present episode focuses on the possibility of redemption and the struggles that accompany it; in the episode, valiant self-sacrifice appears as a means to effect redemption--perhaps the only one. I find myself in mind of Dream of the Rood as I think on it, the Early English poem speaks eloquently to that notion and to the preoccupation of the medieval mind, insofar as such a thing can be supposed to be a singular thing, with the concept of salvation. Admittedly, viewers now can look back on then and see a sort of world that asks for release from it; certainly, the stereotypes about it are of an unclean, unpleasant place from which an exit to paradise would be welcome. But there is not less evil in the world now than then, nor necessarily less desire to see the effects of misdeeds undone, even if all too many of those who espouse execrable ideologies, not seldom "supported" by sometimes willful misunderstandings of the medieval, fail to see themselves as the stains upon the collective soul that they are. There is not less need for redemption, nor less belief that it is in giving of one's self that it can be found.