Once Upon A Fan

by Amy Degenstein-Hood

This week began with August waking in his room with severe pain in his leg. He is shaking and falls off the bed. After pulling himself to the desk, we see him make a call and tell the person on the other end that they need to accelerate the plan. (The writers confirmed via Twitter that is was Henry who August called) In interviews with the writer, comments have been made that the paperweight is an important clue to August’s identity. There is a lot of focus on a wooden donkey on the desk, but I also noticed that there appears to be another object as well. Something that looks like it is a stage coach, or carriage, or a rolling cage. So far, most signs point to Pinocchio being August’s real identity. However, if the donkey is the “red herring”, the carriage could point to another OZ reference. (If it is in fact a carriage.) We then see August and Henry waiting for Mr. Gold’s shop to open. Henry acts as a distraction, going in the front door and telling Mr. Gold he needs a gift for Ms. Blanchard. (“Since she didn’t kill that woman”… a line sure to become a fan favorite) August uses this opportunity to sneak in the back door and look around Gold’s office area. When Gold catches August, he says he thought he had come in the entrance, and that he was just looking for some maps. Gold is obviously suspicious. 

     In the hospital, Emma questions Kathryn about her ordeal. Kathryn says she was in a car accident, then abducted and locked in a basement. We then flash to Gold and Regina. She tells him that he broke their deal. He replies “I broke one deal in my life, and it wasn’t this one.” During this scene, Gold is holding a ball, and there are many clocks behind him on the shelves. There is also a Mickey Mouse telephone in the glass case. Gold says that Regina did not specify that Kathryn had to die, only that something tragic should befall her. He says in “this world” you cannot turn someone into a snail and step on them. Regina realizes that the evidence is going to lead back to her. Regina asks why he created the curse that brought them there and built Storybrooke. Gold replies “You’re a smart woman your majesty…figure it out.”

     In FTL, Baelfire is playing with the toy ball we had just seen Gold with in Storybrooke. It rolls in front of a donkey pulled cart and Bae hurts his leg running in front of it. The driver realizes Bae is the “Dark One’s” son, and tries to make things alright, but Rumple sees Bae’s hurt leg and it’s too late. He turns the driver to a snail, then steps on him. 

     At the hospital, David visits Kathryn and apologizes for lying and cheating on her. Kathryn says she can’t blame David for being the first one to see that it wasn’t “it” for either of them. He tells her she is amazing, kisses her on the forehead and leaves. We then see a “Welcome Home” party for Mary Margret at her home. Many of SB’s residents are there. Henry gives MM a card from her class which says “We’re so glad you didn’t kill Mrs. Nolan”, he also gives her a present. (A bell he bought from Gold’s shop) As Henry is leaving David arrives, but MM motions for Emma to send him away. She is still hurt after he doubted her when she was in jail.  Emma approaches Gold and asks if he had anything to do with Kathryn’s disappearance. He denies it, and begins to ask questions about August. Emma says that he’s a “Typewriter wrapped in an enigma wrapped in stubble”, and that she trusts him. Gold says that August Wayne Booth is a fake name, suggesting that he knows a lot about names. 

     In FTL, Rumple tells his maid, Honora that she can fetch their supper. He then starts to heal Bae’s hurt leg with magic, but Bae does not allow it. Rumple uses a potion instead to help the wound. Bae says his father is different now, and hurts people all the time. Rumple says that he led the children home and stopped the Ogre war. Bae suggests that he has done enough and doesn’t need protecting. He asks Rumple to give up his power. Rumple shows Bae the dagger and says the only way is for someone to kill him with it, and asks if that is what he wants. The maid comes in and Rumple puts the dagger away quickly. Bae asks if Rumple would give up his power if he could find a way to do it so that they could still be together, and he agrees. The deal is struck.

     In SB, Gold picks the lock to August’s room. He sees the typewriter, the donkey paperweight and a stack of papers. In the stack is a drawing of the dagger. Gold is shocked to see it. We then see Emma and Sydney in Granny’s diner. Emma confronts Sydney with the bug, he defends Regina, and Emma realizes he is in love with Regina. She tells him he can either help her or go down with Regina.

     In FTL, Rumple tells Bae to join in play with some other children while he takes care of some business. The other children are too afraid and leave. Moraine sits with Bae, and tells him she’s not afraid. She said it was like a miracle when Rumple stopped the war. Moraine tells Bae about an ancient power that rules the night, more powerful than his father, and suggests that it might be an option to help rid Rumple of his curse. Moraine leaves as Rumple approaches. Bae sees blood on his leg and boot. When he asks what happened Rumple replies “Uh, we need a new maid.” Bae is shocked and Rumple says even a mute maid can draw a picture, and she had seen the dagger so he couldn’t risk it. This might be a hint that the picture in August’s room was drawn by the maid. 

     In SB, Gold has followed August to the convent where he sees him speaking to Mother Superior. After August leaves, Gold asks what he wanted. Mother Superior tells him that August was seeking advice. She tells him August had a difficult separation from his father and was now in town to reunite with him. 

     In FTL, Bae is in the forest at night. He calls on the power Moraine had told him about. We find out that it is the Blue Fairy. She gives Bae a magic bean, and says it will take he and his father to a land without magic. She tells Bae that he is the thing that keeps a part of his father human. She tells him the bean will save them both. It is the last bean, which makes me wonder if any others had been used to travel between realms, and by who. Bae goes home and tells Rumple about his meeting with the fairy. Rumple argues that fairy magic doesn’t mix well with what he is. He tells Bae that he is not backing out of their deal, and he will leave FTL with him. 

     In SB, Gold goes to Archie’s office. He talks about a son, which Archie is surprised to hear about. Gold tells him that anger between a father and child is normal, but Gold tells him he thinks his son is there to kill him. Gold says he let his son go, and that he has spent his life trying to make it right. We then see August outside of Gold’s cabin. Gold approaches and says he knows who he is. August says that the lying can stop, and he calls Gold “Papa”.

     In FTL, Bae and Rumple travel into the forest and Bae throws the magic bean to the ground. Rumple says it’s like a “tornado” and is afraid. Tornado could be yet another Oz reference. Bae tries to get Rumple to go through with him, Rumple holds his arm as he’s going through the portal, but says he “can’t do it”. Bae yells at him that he has broken their deal, then slips away. The portal closes and is gone. Rumple realizes he has lost his son. He begins to dig and scream, yelling that he wants to go with Bae, but it is too late.

   In SB, Gold is telling August, that he never should have let him go. He says that ever since he “crossed the barriers of space and time”, he has been searching for him. Gold is visibly upset, crying and asking for forgiveness. They hug. August tears up as Gold is crying. He says he forgives him, he then says he was looking for the dagger because he thought if Gold had it, it meant he hadn’t changed. Gold shows August to a spot in the forest and says he buried the dagger shortly after Emma came to town because he didn’t want Regina to get it. This explains the “gardening” he was doing in the “Heart is a Lonely Hunter” episode. He gives the knife to August and tells him he doesn’t need it, and that he wants him to destroy it. August takes it, points it at Gold and says “By the power of the darkness, I command thee, dark one”. Gold realizes that August is not Bae, that he only wanted to control him. There is no magic in our world, so the dagger does not work. August asks why Gold would bury a useless knife. He says it’s not useless and will still cut flesh. Gold questions August. He tells him he needed him to want to believe that he was Bae. Augusts asks if he even looks like him, which suggests that he is someone who never met or saw Bae. When pressed further, August says that he is sick and needs magic. He said he wanted to get “the savior” to believe, but that he wasn’t able to. Gold lets him live, and says to try again to make Emma believe. Gold tells him that if he will die either way, at least he can get something out of it.

     In FTL, Rumple summons the blue fairy. He is furious and asks how he can get to his son. He suggests a curse, and the Blue Fairy says it is beyond his power. Rumple says she took Bae away from him, and she says that he drove Bae away. He is furious and slashes at her with the knife, screaming that he will find a way to his son. 

     Back at the jail, Regina tells Emma she has cracked the case, and that there is a confession. She calls Sydney in and he confesses to kidnapping Kathryn, and planting one of Regina’s keys in MM’s cell. Emma does not believe him. She calls Regina out into the hall, and tells her she knows she is behind it. She tells her the only thing that she cares about now is her kid. Regina tries to interrupt and Emma says “I’m talking now”. She tells her she tried to take away something she loves (Mary Margret) and now Emma is going to take something that Regina loves. Emma is going to take Henry away from her.