Once Upon a Time: Tallahassee Review!

     This episode wasn't really one of the best episodes but it did have some very good parts all the same. We finally learn who New York Mystery man is...well  sort of, some chemistry between blondie and the hooked one, what's in the darn box AGAIN, what's up with those dreams, another possible Wizard of Oz reference, and will Emma ever learn to trust again? Can't say this episode didn't move the plot along because yes it did but it also dragged in places to me. I watched it twice to see if a second viewing would make me feel any different but no. Still had that same feeling. Oh, and one more thing. A   LOST character makes a big, BIG, entrance. Coming from a person who didn't watch LOST, I kinda liked him. :) On we go.

FAIRYTALE PRESENT

     It begins with the Hook and the four (Snow, Emma, Aurora, and Mulan) walking to the beanstalk. Hook tells Emma the story about Jack and the Beanstalk is not at all what she was told. He also goes into a story about how all these humans including Jack killed the giants for their beans or something. Saying that the giants were evil somewhere in that mess. Only two people can climb the beanstalk to get the compass that Cora needs as well as them to get to Storybrooke. The giants enchanted the beanstalk. Emma is the one that will go with Hook and she tells Mulan if she's not back within 10 hours to cut down the beanstalk even if Snow protests. Mulan gives Emma some poppy dust or something to knock out the giant. Another possible reference to the Wizard of Oz. Why don't we just go there people! Hook is untied by Snow. Hook is ever so the flirt. He calls the women "lovelies" once and later even mentions rum and how it's a "bloody waste of it". What are the writer's doing? He's a pirate we get it but he's not Jack Sparrow. All pirates now have to have the same personality I see. COME ON! Hook gives Emma an enchanted cuff (the one Cora was suppose to use) and these girls are still going along with this! Ugh! Hook and Emma chemistry begins! Last episode I wanted to see some Aurora action with Hook but now I can see something between him and Emma. Hook also mentions while they're climbing that he "likes a challenge." Well, he'll get one with Emma much more than Aurora. Trouble is Emma may already be taken. We'll we soon see a triangle in the future? The two reach the top and I must say this is the worst CGI I've seen on the show. Did not like how much they relied on  all the giant's place being special effects. I must be forgiving though because I'm sure it's hard to make things look so much bigger than you are. Can't forgive them for that beanstalk though and that was a prop. So even their props aren't so great.
      After the giant (played by LOST's Jorge Garcia) is knocked out they trample through his stuff. Poor guy. Only giant left and those blasted humans are writhing though his stuff like it's a flea market. The two chit chat for while, fall into each others arms (must admit slightly hot), and by the time they get somewhere the poppy dust has worn off, rocks fall on Hook, and Emma is in the palms of the giant. Blah, blah, blah. Emma tries to talk to the giant but he doesn't care. She resorts to biting him and soon she has captured him with one of his own traps. She's about to jab him with a dead Jack's sword (so this is suppose to tell us Neal Cassidy is not Jack, not convinced) when the giant tells her she's heard the story all wrong. The humans are the bad guys in the Jack and Beanstalk story. He's hated human's ever since because he's the last of the giants. The giant gives her the compass and Emma doesn't kill him. The giant gets free but doesn't hurt Emma. He lets her go. She asks for one more favor and lets Hook out of his rocky trap only to chain his arm to a rock. Hook acts hurt that she still can't trust him after all he's done. She leaves him there.

     Mulan is about to cut down the beanstalk with Snow protesting when Emma falls down the beanstalk. Hmmm. She tells the ladies Hook is going to be about 10 hours behind them. They leave and will Hook be really angry at Emma the next time we see him? I can't wait to see what we saw in the advertisements for this season. Will that truly be Hook grabbing a hook from Mr. Gold's shop? It never showed he face of course. Was that more than the reason to hide who would be playing him? Hmmm.

EMMA'S PAST

    We are following an eleven years younger Emma to a familiar yellow Bug. She breaks into it only to discover a man (Mystery NYC man) is in the back seat. They get stopped by a cop and she discovers she's stolen a car that was already stolen by mystery man. He says his name is Neal Cassidy and he's also a thief. They decide to go into the biz together and become a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. Later, they both want to quit the biz and settle down. They choose Tallahassee, FL as the place to do just that. Only problem is Neal wants to steal some watches but got himself into some hot water in the process of going through with it. Emma agrees to get the watches from the place he left them. Sometime later, Neal is being chased by someone who turns out to be...August Booth! I'm sure everyone watching screamed August when they first saw him. Been awhile since we've seen him. I think he treats Emma pretty dirty here. He convinces Neal to leave Emma and let her get caught by showing him something in a box he has. Last year it held a typewriter. What was it this time? I'm guessing maybe...Rumpy's dagger?! Can't explain how Booth would have that then but if Neal is Bae that dagger would certainly sober him up to the truth. Emma of course is caught and thrown in prison for eleven months. August meets with Neal one more time and Neal gives him the keys to his yellow beetle and some money to give to Emma. Booth does give Emma the car but noooo money in sight! How cruel August. She could have used that money to take care of Henry because of course Emma finds out she's pregnant by the end of it all! That as probably August's plan too. To have Emma give up Henry. Ugh.

     THE STRANGE DREAM!

      We had another mystery introduced to us during this episode. Snow seems to be mothering Aurora a  lot more than her own independent daughter this season and so it's no surprise she'd be there for Aurora when she wakes up from a bad dream about red, doorless rooms with burning curtains, and someone in the corner. The strange part is that Henry has the same dream in Storybrooke! Now, there is one connection these two people have. Both have taken a sleeping potion. Snow has too and I wonder if she  had strange prophetic dreams after she was awaken by Charming? I'm sure these dreams have something to do with Cora or the Queen of Hearts. Maybe they're one of the same. Are Aurora and Henry looking at each other in their dreams? Is there a gap between Storybrooke and Fairy Tale world in the future where you can look into one another's world?

     Next time's scenes seems to be about Ruby and her "changes" in Storybrooke. I would love to see more interaction between Ruby and Mr. Gold. We haven't seen them interact that much. I'm sure there is a story there to be told. Until then tootles! Thanks for being patient as always. :)