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abc_onceuponTime for discussion questions for this week's episode!
1. Okay. Anyone actually think Gold would die? The PR people went into overdrive trying to make it a mystery but clearly Robert Carlyle was staying and Barbara Hershey is moving on to destroy more lives elsewhere. Of course they could have had Snow misfire and kill someone else. Who were you hoping would be off the show or was it the right time to get rid of Cora?
2. And Snow White. I didn't know she had it in her. I did know she could murder if need be (as in killing when not in the course of battle or war) since she has come close before and you are unlikely to have a more worthy target than the one who murdered your mother. But to manipulate Regina like that! Clearly she has been taking lessons. Was Snow justified in actively causing Cora's death? Does manipulating Regina into killing her own mother make it worse? In her death has Cora finally achieved her aim of blackening Snow's heart? (There is some lovely irony there I think. Both in corrupting Snow through her own murder and in providing the murder weapon.)
3. Rumpel was quite clever, and interested in continuing to live, by presenting the choice to Snow as an either or. Either he dies and Cora lives, probably becoming the Dark One in the process though Snow was willing to try and control her through her heart, or Snow kills Cora with the candle, getting her vengeance, while saving Rumpel's life. What about the third choice? Snow finds and immediately crushes Cora's heart. Cora's dead and Rumpel is dead soon after.
4. Considering it's a tv show, Snow isn't going anywhere just like Rumpel wasn't, so what can Regina do? We know what she will try to do but what will stop her? Once her anger cools and hardens will she go for a complicated plot instead of direct murder? (I could kill you now but wait there is better way!) Or will the season/episode end with her finally letting go of vengeance and starting to build a positive life for herself?
5. Would Cora really have given up world domination/evil/wanting to be the Dark One once she had her heart back? Yes, she said it would have been enough and Regina would have been enough but she was dying. Young Cora was hungry for power and happy to do whatever was necessary to get it including removing her own heart (she even freaked out the Dark One) to achieve her goals.
6. So Cora decided to pursue power to the exclusion of all else since she was tripped and humiliated? This is the origin of a multi-generational vendetta. There must be more to it, right? Or by removing her heart and using that moment as a magical focal point did Cora doom herself to never being able to move on?
7. As of this episode Cora is fifth in line for the throne and as of Stable Boy they are by all appearances a wealthy but not a noble family. Hmmm. Why do I think the Rumpelstiltskin/Cora story is not quite over? I can't imagine he simply shrugged and forgot about her. I predict a BIG fight - one which leaves Cora alive and in possession of Regina but makes sure she will never ascend the throne herself. (At least not in FTL - she gets what she wanted in Wonderland.)
8. Anyone confused about who the royals of Cora's kingdom are in relation to everyone else? We could use a map but until then - according to the writers this kingdom is an entirely new one, Eva is visiting from her own kingdom for the 'get Henry married off ball', and Leopold's kingdom is different one from both of those.
9. Is Emma continuing to learn magic a good or bad thing? The power has been shown to be rather addicting, though that may have more to do with angry, vengeance filled people learning it. And Gold is appealing to Emma's good side and desire to help and protect instead of her dark side. I guess the question is whether magic is a tool (neither good nor bad in its essence) or if it inevitably leads to darkness. Also, of course, Gold's motivations in teaching her will make a difference.
10. Did Cora and Rumpelstiltskin love each other? It clearly was not True Love since it didn't break his curse (though curse breaking kisses may need curse breaking intent as well - as in if you don't want to break a curse they are simply kisses even for True Loves) but Rumpel changed his contract for his love of her and she removed her heart so as not to be stopped by her love of him.
11. Can Bae forgive his papa? They did share a lovely moment in this episode but then Rumpel was dying and it is easier to put problems aside in a crisis. I would be surprised if it is as easy as that in the long term. Like Regina, he is estranged from his son for love of magic and power, but now that they are near each other it's a least possible for them to reconcile.
1. Okay. Anyone actually think Gold would die? The PR people went into overdrive trying to make it a mystery but clearly Robert Carlyle was staying and Barbara Hershey is moving on to destroy more lives elsewhere. Of course they could have had Snow misfire and kill someone else. Who were you hoping would be off the show or was it the right time to get rid of Cora?
2. And Snow White. I didn't know she had it in her. I did know she could murder if need be (as in killing when not in the course of battle or war) since she has come close before and you are unlikely to have a more worthy target than the one who murdered your mother. But to manipulate Regina like that! Clearly she has been taking lessons. Was Snow justified in actively causing Cora's death? Does manipulating Regina into killing her own mother make it worse? In her death has Cora finally achieved her aim of blackening Snow's heart? (There is some lovely irony there I think. Both in corrupting Snow through her own murder and in providing the murder weapon.)
3. Rumpel was quite clever, and interested in continuing to live, by presenting the choice to Snow as an either or. Either he dies and Cora lives, probably becoming the Dark One in the process though Snow was willing to try and control her through her heart, or Snow kills Cora with the candle, getting her vengeance, while saving Rumpel's life. What about the third choice? Snow finds and immediately crushes Cora's heart. Cora's dead and Rumpel is dead soon after.
4. Considering it's a tv show, Snow isn't going anywhere just like Rumpel wasn't, so what can Regina do? We know what she will try to do but what will stop her? Once her anger cools and hardens will she go for a complicated plot instead of direct murder? (I could kill you now but wait there is better way!) Or will the season/episode end with her finally letting go of vengeance and starting to build a positive life for herself?
5. Would Cora really have given up world domination/evil/wanting to be the Dark One once she had her heart back? Yes, she said it would have been enough and Regina would have been enough but she was dying. Young Cora was hungry for power and happy to do whatever was necessary to get it including removing her own heart (she even freaked out the Dark One) to achieve her goals.
6. So Cora decided to pursue power to the exclusion of all else since she was tripped and humiliated? This is the origin of a multi-generational vendetta. There must be more to it, right? Or by removing her heart and using that moment as a magical focal point did Cora doom herself to never being able to move on?
7. As of this episode Cora is fifth in line for the throne and as of Stable Boy they are by all appearances a wealthy but not a noble family. Hmmm. Why do I think the Rumpelstiltskin/Cora story is not quite over? I can't imagine he simply shrugged and forgot about her. I predict a BIG fight - one which leaves Cora alive and in possession of Regina but makes sure she will never ascend the throne herself. (At least not in FTL - she gets what she wanted in Wonderland.)
8. Anyone confused about who the royals of Cora's kingdom are in relation to everyone else? We could use a map but until then - according to the writers this kingdom is an entirely new one, Eva is visiting from her own kingdom for the 'get Henry married off ball', and Leopold's kingdom is different one from both of those.
9. Is Emma continuing to learn magic a good or bad thing? The power has been shown to be rather addicting, though that may have more to do with angry, vengeance filled people learning it. And Gold is appealing to Emma's good side and desire to help and protect instead of her dark side. I guess the question is whether magic is a tool (neither good nor bad in its essence) or if it inevitably leads to darkness. Also, of course, Gold's motivations in teaching her will make a difference.
10. Did Cora and Rumpelstiltskin love each other? It clearly was not True Love since it didn't break his curse (though curse breaking kisses may need curse breaking intent as well - as in if you don't want to break a curse they are simply kisses even for True Loves) but Rumpel changed his contract for his love of her and she removed her heart so as not to be stopped by her love of him.
11. Can Bae forgive his papa? They did share a lovely moment in this episode but then Rumpel was dying and it is easier to put problems aside in a crisis. I would be surprised if it is as easy as that in the long term. Like Regina, he is estranged from his son for love of magic and power, but now that they are near each other it's a least possible for them to reconcile.
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Date: 2013-04-28 05:41 am (UTC)>(she even freaked out the Dark One)
doubtless a *very* short list, that. (ditto for being able to out-wit him - with the contract)
>6
I imagine the tripping provided an impetus to begin, and Eva seems VERY different behaviorally from The Queen Is Dead, so we may be seeing the start of a feud - I suspect Eva doesn't want herself or any child of hers to be kneeling to Cora or Regina.
>9
>appealing to Emma's good side and desire to help and protect instead of her dark side.
based on her prior behavior, I imagine Emma's dark side is a very short distance from her desire to protect. (what would she do to protect Henry?)