This season and the show continue to deliver. Episodes 5-8 are excellent as we learn more about the origins of recurring main characters Captain Hook (Jared S. Gilmore) and Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) in flashbacks. They also introduce a new character in Ariel, the Little Mermaid. Of course, the rescue party continues their quest in Neverland to find and save Henry. The group includes Emma (Jennifer Morrison), Snow White/ Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), Prince Charming/ David (Joshua Dallas), Evil Queen/ Regina (Lana Parilla), Captain Hook/ Killian Jones, Rumpelstiltskin/ Mr. Gold, and Neal/ Balefire (Michael Raymond James). Of course, they have to deal with Peter Pan’s (Robbie Kay) deception and plots. The show has done a great job developing its version of Pan as a villain. He is a cruel, sadistic boy. Similar to Regina and Rumpelstiltskin, I expected him to have redeeming qualities or some moral reasons for his actions. However, I am ready to conclude that neither element exists in Pan. Despite his boyish looks, well spoken demeanor, and youthful exuberance, he is a monster. In this alternate fairy tale universe where there is hope of redemption for the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin, it is ironic that one of the most beloved childhood heroes is the one character who is truly an evil, terrible person. It is a genius use of artistic license to change a uniformly known hero into a unique villain. In Episode 8, “Think Lovely Thoughts”, there is a significant plot twist that reveals who Peter Pan really is in the series’ universe. I was absolutely stunned and definitely did not see it coming.
Captain Hook has been one of my favorite characters since he was introduced into the series. As he is a pirate and all other versions of Hook have been notorious villains, I have cautiously enjoyed the character with the inkling that he could turn out to be a true villain at the core. However, his origin portrays a man of honor. Hook’s story begins as Killian Jones, a Lieutenant in the King’s navy serving under his brother Captain Liam Jones. They are on a mission for the King to go to a faraway land, Neverland, where there is a magical plant that supposedly heals all injuries. In reality, the plant is the deadly Dreamshade and the King wants to use it for warfare. When they reach Neverland, Peter Pan greets them and warns them that Dreamshade is a potent poison. While Hook fears the warnings of Pan, Liam is skeptical as he trusts his King. In an ill advised attempt to allay Hook’s concerns, Liam touches the plant which kills him. Nevertheless, Pan shows Hook natural springs that heal Liam. As always, magic always comes at a price. The water from the spring is powered by Neverland. When their ship leaves Neverland, Liam immediately drops dead. Hook blames an immoral king and a depraved kingdom for his brother’s death. Before the journey, he only strived to serve his country and be a man of honor. However, he was naïve as his king has no honor and sent them on a journey that costs Liam’s life for the sake of obtaining a weapon. Accordingly, he decides to take command of the ship, names it the “Jolly Roger”, and convinces his men to be pirates so they can steal from a corrupt kingdom. You empathize with Hook’s grief and why he views piracy as a just act. Nevertheless, revenge is never a moral cause. As such, Hook is an anti-hero that is innately good and still has a chance to be a hero. He reminds me a lot of Han Solo in Star Wars. He appears to be a selfish scoundrel and greedy pirate at first. However, Han turns out to be selfless and one of the biggest heroes in the saga. Hook can be a very similar character.
In the present, Prince Charming, or David, was hit by one of Pan’s Lost Boys with an arrow dipped in Dreamshade. While he is slowly dying, he does not want to distract from the group’s mission of saving Henry by going on a side journey to save his life. While David has kept this fact a secret, Hook deduces the truth. Accordingly, Hook knows he has to trick David to make a journey to the spring that will save his life. On the other hand, the show is excellent in disguising Hook’s intentions as Pan tempts Hook with a deal in exchange for killing David. In the end, Hook turns out to be a good guy as he saves David’s life and rejects Pan’s offer. Another reason Hook helps David is that he is secretly in love with Emma. As such, it wins him favor by saving David. However, Pan informs Hook that Baelfire, Neal, is in Neverland and held captive by Pan. He discloses the information hoping to prove that Hook is not an honorable man. As Hook has affection for Emma, Pan believes Hook will keep the details to himself since Emma loves Neal. Instead, Hook briefs Emma’s parents, David and Snow White, about Neal. It is the moment that truly shows Hook is more of a hero than a villain. The Hook story arc has been great and I like that he is actually a man of honor that is scarred from a difficult past. On the other hand, the fact that he has been an anti-hero, who is unpredictable in regards to whether he is good or evil, really makes his character intriguing. Now that it is more clear which side of the coin he lands on, his story may have peaked. Of course, the love triangle between Hook, Emma, and Neal will play out. If you think deeply into the situation, it is very odd. Hook’s true love was Neal’s mother. Neal’s love is Emma and Henry is their son. Now, Hook is also in love with Emma. While it would be some very incestuous, freaky affair in the real world, it is acceptable in Once Upon a Time as Regina’s curse froze time for everyone who came from the Enchanted Forest while Emma and Neal continued to grow up.
A new character introduced into the series is Ariel (Joanna Garcia-Swisher), the Little Mermaid. I think it is a cute and good version of the story but not as great as the other reimagining of fairy tale characters. Joanna Garcia is very beautiful as Ariel. She is also very innocent, naïve, and always optimistic. She enters the story in a flashback. Snow White is running away from the Evil Queen’s men. As she is cornered, she decides to jump over a cliff into the ocean. While it would have killed most people, Ariel swims to Snow’s rescue. Accordingly, they become very good friends. Ariel shares with Snow that she is in love with a prince, named Eric, who she also saved. Moreover, the goddess Ursula grants Mermaids the use of legs for twelve hours once a year to walk the Earth. Accordingly, Ariel uses this time to attend a ball to meet her prince. Snow goes with her to coach her. Naturally, Ariel and Eric is another story of love at first sight. Unfortunately, Ariel’s aid for Snow puts her at odds with the Evil Queen, Regina. However, Regina decides to manipulate Ariel to get to Snow. She masquerades as Ursula and gives her a magical bracelet that allows Ursula to keep her legs permanently in order to pursue her Prince. The only catch is that she needs to put the bracelet on someone else who will inherit her fins. Ursula’s naivety is used against her. As she believes that fins will allow Snow to swim and flee away from the Evil Queen, she thinks it is the perfect swap for her to get legs and Snow to get her fins.
Of course, it is a trap and Ariel fell right for it. While Snow is trapped with the fins and helpless, Regina is not without mercy. She offers Ariel a chance to walk away and be with her Prince. Snow is selfless as ever. She knows Ariel did not mean to hurt her and had good intentions. As such, Snow pleads with Ariel to go to her Prince and have her happy ending. The scene continues to prove the purity of Snow White. However, Ariel is pure herself and refuses to abandon her friend. She attacks the Queen, saves Snow, and removes the bracelet from Snow to take back her fins. This episode speaks to the unbreakable character of both women. Snow is grateful and encourages Ariel to go back to call out to her prince to tell him the truth and work things out. While Ariel follows the advice, Regina is waiting for Ariel and punishes her by taking away her voice. It is completely vindictive and evil. In Regina’s words, the only thing more painful for Ariel than being rejected by her prince is to never know how things could have turned out. There is a lot of truth to that statement as it goes back to the old saying “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”. Regina has really grown on me during the series as a victim that wants to be good. However, flashbacks to moments of her as the Evil Queen, preying on innocent people like Ariel, really show how evil she was and it makes her difficult to completely like. On the other hand, this aspect of Regina is exactly why she is such an intriguing character that fluctuates between total villain and anti-hero.
Ariel comes into play in the present as mermaids have the ability travel through different dimensions. As Rumpelstiltskin needs an item from Storybrooke to defeat Peter Pan, Regina summons Ariel to Neverland and gives Ariel back her voice. Naturally, Ariel is shocked and angry that Regina would have the audacity to ask her for help after what she did to her. However, Regina promises that Ariel will get to see her prince again if she helps. At the sound of those words, Ariel is optimistic and jovial again. I would have expected Ariel to be more angry and for much longer. As such, it is the main reason I thought Ariel is a good but not great character in the series. The stories of the other characters are more realistic and developed longer and better. Rumpelstiltskin instructs Ariel to go to Belle in Storybrooke with instructions to find the item. I like the tandem of Ariel and Belle. They are both strong female characters with a good heart. The item they find is Pandora’s box, which can trap any powerful, magical being forever.
Peter Pan continues to be a twisted, little boy. One of his schemes includes putting the captured Neal in the Echo Cave. Once the heroes enter the cave to save Neal, they realize that there is no bridge to the middle of the cave where Neal is in a cage. Hook knows about the cave. He informs everyone that a bridge will only extend and the cage will only open if they all reveal their darkest secrets. Pan put them in this situation as he believes that revealing those secrets will cause the group to turn on themselves. The plan is definitely depraved but brilliant as Pan continues to toy with them. I also really like the concept of the Echo Cave. Hook is the first to reveal his secrets which include the fact that he and Emma kissed. More importantly, he professes his love for Emma. After the death of his Milah at the hands of her husband Rumpelstiltskin, Hook never thought he could love another woman again until he met Emma. I think it speaks well to Hook’s character to be able to be so honest and it also explains the tragic nature of his past. On the other hand, his confession serves to drive a wedge between Hook and Baelfire as they both fight for the affection of the same woman.
The next two heroes that reveal secrets are Snow and David. She admits that she wants another child. While Emma is an amazing daughter, Snow feels cheated that she never got to see her daughter grow up because of the curse enacted by Regina. Her feelings are completely understandable as it must have been gut wrenching for a mother to give away her baby at birth. Unfortunately, David finally admits that he can never leave Neverland as he was poisoned by Dreamshade and the waters of Neverland are the only thing keeping him alive. As such, he will not be able to be the father of another one of Snow’s children. It is a very tragic and emotional moment. Of course, it drives an immediate wedge in between the two as Snow is hurt that David kept this information from her. They are supposed to be the ultimate symbol of true love but David did not trust her enough to tell her. Even though he had good intentions of protecting her from the upsetting truth, it is an inexcusable decision. These secrets create a rock bridge all the way to Neal’s cage. However, Emma needs to reveal her deepest secret to unlock it. Accordingly, she admits to Neal that she wished he was actually dead as she believed after he was shot and fell through a portal. In an emotional confession, she states that it would be easier as she would finally get closure to move on from the pain of their relationship. Of course, the pain of their past is amplified since she truly loves him. Unlike Snow and David, the secret actually pulls Emma and Neal closer together. Neal knows he has put Emma through a lot. Accordingly, she does not need to apologize to him. Nevertheless, the heroes need to deal with the consequences of knowing all these secrets as they try to move forward to save Henry.
Of course, no story about Peter Pan is complete without Wendy Darling (Freya Tingley). Consistent with this dark version of Pan, he has tormented Wendy and her brothers. Wendy has been his prisoner and he has controlled her by threatening to kill her brothers. Wendy is innocent and pure of heart. She only travelled to Neverland in an attempt to save Baelfire after he sacrificed himself to Pan’s shadow for her brothers as shown last season. On the other hand, Pan has threatened her brothers that he will kill Wendy if they do not do his bidding on Earth. He has kept the brothers alive and youthful for over a century to use them as agents in the real world. It is an unbelievably evil ploy by Pan to force these good people into doing his bidding. He sends the brothers into Storybrooke in an attempt to stop Ariel but they fail. In Neverland, Pan allows Henry to find Wendy. Next, she feigns that she is sick, magic is the only thing that can save her life, and that Pan is doing everything he can to save her. Of course, it is actually Pan who is dying as Neverland loses its magic. As Henry is desperate to be a hero like Emma and other fairy tale characters, he falls for Pan’s scheme. Even though saving magic involves Henry ripping out and giving Pan his heart, he willingly and enthusiastically does it despite the pleas of Emma, Neal, and Regina. As a result, the heart of the true believer makes Pan immortal.
The show has done an excellent job developing Pan as a villain. Even though I expected some redeeming quality, he continues to be more sadistic than I could have ever imagined and it ties in with Rumpelstiltskin’s story. Rumpelstiltskin tells Neal that Peter Pan destroyed his father. As a young child, Rumpelstiltskin loved his father. Unfortunately, the feeling was not mutual. His father is notorious as a scam artist and a coward. He is a deadbeat father that tries to abandon Rumpelstiltskin to live without responsibility and drink. However, Rumpelstiltskin gains possession of a magical bean that will allow them to travel to any world for a fresh start. As such, his father remembers a place where he went to in his dreams during his childhood: Neverland. Both of them travel to the new land. However, his father does not belong as he is no longer a child. In the end, his father makes a deal with the Shadow on the island to transform him back into a child. However, a child cannot have a child. Accordingly, the Shadow takes Rumpelstiltskin back to the Echanted Forest. In a huge twist I did not expect, Rumpelstiltskin’s father is actually Peter Pan. While Rumpelstiltskin is a victim, he is also guilty of abandoning his own son for the power of the Dark One. Unlike Pan, Rumpelstiltskin regretted it as soon as he did it. While he actually has a conscience unlike Pan, it is still tragic and very difficult to forgive especially considering he knows the pain of being abandoned. I also like that Rumpelstiltskin is vague about the true identity of his father to the rest of the group. It is like Star Wars when Obi-Wan Kenobi massages the truth by telling Luke Skywalker that Darth Vader killed his father, Anakin Skywalker. I appreciate Once Upon a Time taking a page from that book.
There is a big confrontation between the Rumpelstiltskin and Pan as Rumpelstiltskin tries to save Henry. However, Pan is able to gain possession of Pandora’s box and trap Rumpelstiltskin in it. As such, Pan is so ruthless and selfish that he is willing to imprison his son in a box forever and kill his grandson in order to survive. It is unconscionable as most brutal dictators in real life do not sink to such lows. It is a line I cannot imagine even the worst of human beings crossing. It is ironic that the show has made one of the most revered heroes in Peter Pan into the wicked villain in the show. Even the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One, have redeeming qualities. While the story is not over and Pan still has a chance to redeem himself, I have a difficult time imagining how he can atone for any of his crimes. The show has done a brilliant job with their version of Peter Pan so far. He is charismatic, well spoken, and fun. Nevertheless, he is pure evil. I am captivated by the story and cannot wait to see how it finishes.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.