‘Once Upon a Time’ Hero and Villain of the Week: Love Thyself

Warning: This recap for “Page 3” episode of Once Upon a Time contains spoilers.

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have … Regina.

This season started with Regina having divided herself into the good part (Regina) and the bad part (the Evil Queen). This week finally resolves that separation, as Regina realizes that accepting both sides of herself is the only way to heal the pain of Robin Hood’s death and move forward with life. As Snow White wisely notes, “Love can save even the darkest souls.” Look at what it did for Regina, who went from villain to hero thanks to the love of Henry, Robin, and friends.

It’s a lesson learned by Hook, too — albeit a little late, as he finds himself torn away from Emma for the foreseeable future.

Here’s a rundown of this week’s episode…

Hero and Villain of the Week: Regina

In flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest, Regina is still hellbent on her mission to kill Snow White, who is too clever to be caught. Regina is duped by her father into thinking he can lead them to a source of magic that will find Snow, but finds that it’s a statue of Cupid and powered by good magic. Turns out dear old Dad is in cahoots with Tinker Bell and wants Regina to find her true love (the man with the lion tattoo).

Regina brushes him off and turns Cupid’s arrow from an instrument of finding the person she loves the most to finding the person she hates the most — Snow. The arrow leads them back to Regina’s castle, but instead of finding Snow, she sees her own reflection. Regina is her own worst enemy!

In Storybrooke, the Evil Queen cuts a deal with Robin to take down Regina. He digs up the shears of destiny, which she plans to use to sever the tie between herself and Regina — and that way, she can kill her other self!

Then, the EQ uses Robin as bait to lure Regina to their office. When Regina shows up, Robin disappears, and the EQ uses the shears to cut their bond. Then, the two draw swords and begin to fight. They seem evenly matched, until the EQ taunts Regina that love hasn’t made her stronger. Except it has — and Regina ties her up and takes her heart. But as she’s on the verge of crushing it, Regina catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

“I’m going to be brave for the both of us, and choose love over hate,” she tells the EQ. Regina draws out her own heart and mixes the two. Now, they both have hearts with lightness and darkness. Regina has learned to love herself — all parts of herself.

At the diner, the EQ apologizes to Snow White for trying to kill her (again) and gives Regina info on breaking the sleeping curse that separates her from David. And Henry is going to give the EQ a fresh start in another land.

Using his author’s pen, Henry writes her into another story — into the Wish Realm! New Regina stands outside the tavern, where Robin is inside drinking ale. She enters and they banter about how she kidnapped him. She admits that her villain plan didn’t work, but that’s OK. “Let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart,” Regina says, and offers to buy him a drink.

Hero and Villain of the Week: Hook

As Snow, Henry, and Regina all congratulate Emma on her engagement, Hook is brooding by the docks, where Captain Nemo finds him. Nemo is planning to set sail soon and asks Hook about his troubles. Hook admits that his past has finally caught up to him and that it will ruin his future with Emma. Nemo advises him to tell her the truth and ask for forgiveness — and then forgive himself.

But instead of following that advice, Hook takes his dreamcatcher and contemplates destroying it. As he watches his memory of killing David’s father, Emma catches him. She’s upset — not by what she saw, but because he was about to destroy his memories. Hook is scared of losing her, but Emma replies that he should’ve trusted her. Shouldn’t they lean on each other, depend on each other? That is the man she agreed to marry. And until he can be that man, she will return his ring.

Hook goes back to the dock and asks Nemo for passage away from Storybrooke. But Snow runs into him a little later, ecstatic that Regina found a way to vanquish the Evil Queen. “Love can save even the darkest souls,” she notes, which hits Hook right in the heart. He changes his mind about joining Nemo’s crew, but as he prepares to return to Emma, the ship submerges. Nemo didn’t give the order — so who did?

Gideon. For what he has planned for Emma, Hook needs to disappear!

Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of OUAT for free on Yahoo View.

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