Dual Personalities

This season, "Once Upon A Time" has really changed direction, in my opinion. Given what happened at the end of last season, with the curse breaking, and Rumplestiltskin bringing magic to Storybrooke, change is inevitable. I realize it's in transition, still giving explanation of what happened and what it means, but it's a different show in many ways. Not that it's a bad thing, but just... different.

One of the major differences is Regina. In season one, she was pretty straight-forward: She wanted control and would do whatever she could to get her way, even if she had to kill people to get it. In "We Are Both," we are seeing a different side of her. It's almost as if she's possessed, in a way. She's struggling between the innocent young Regina and the hardened, cynical, Evil Queen. She seems to have lost a good deal of her memory of Fairy Tale, or rather, "The Enchanted Forest" as we have now been told it's name. Regina does not remember Jefferson or how she obtained the hat, and she's lost her magic. She's working on getting it back, and has shown some progress toward that, but I think she'll still struggle with Magic for some time.

We saw a child-like sadness in Regina when Henry said he didn't want to be with her. She seemed genuinely upset that he didn't love her back, and seemed desperate to make him love her. And then after he attempted to escape, when James came to see Henry, Regina willingly allowed Henry to go with him. Last season's Regina would never have allowed that. Is this an act of kindness, or does she have something up her sleeve? She did seem sincere, but she is the Evil Queen, and can we really trust her? Just a thought... If the well in which Rumplestiltskin dropped the love potion does indeed bring back something which is lost, did the purple smoke bring back to Regina her youthful spirit? At least in part?

It's hard not to feel sad for Regina. While she has been evil and done atrocious acts, she has really never been free. When she was a child, she was always overshadowed and controlled by her mother, then once she discovered her mother's book of magic and called upon Rumplestiltskin, she was controlled by him, and magic. And while she's given in to temptation and been the Evil Queen, she still only ever wanted one thing: To be loved... Doesn't everyone?

I've noticed lately, Rumplestiltskin has been wearing what appears to be an alligator... or crocodile... coat. Can't help but notice that one, especially since "The Crocodile" is coming up on October 21.

I find it very intriguing that Rumplestiltskin told Regina that they were together again, when she summoned him in Fairy Tale. I've suspected for a while that they had a past together beyond what we've been shown so far. Did Cora do something, make an agreement with Rumplestiltskin over Regina? Did Cora sell Regina's soul to Rumplestiltskin? Or something equally as sinister?

What happened to Pinocchio?

I said last week that I thought it was too simple for the man in the city to end up being Baelfire, but they are leading in that direction. The mysterious man lived in what looked like New York, and Mr. Gold was gathering maps of Maine, Massachusetts and New York when Charming burst into the shop looking for the owner of the hat. I feel sad for Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin. He seemed so close to finding Baelfire, and then they discovered they couldn't cross the line to leave town. Trapped and tormented, wishing for the one thing that could save him: Baelfire. Did you notice Gold had a small case full of bottles, presumably potions to bring back what was lost? He took one out and handed it to Charming.

Not much happened with Snow and Emma this week, but I have questions about what we did see. A big question for me is, was Cora locked in the pit? And if she was, why couldn't she get out? She is, after all, a very powerful woman, magically speaking. Or did she appear there after the fact? Was she expecting Snow to show up? Remember, they do know each other, even if Snow is much older now and doesn't look the same. When she wakes up, will Snow recognize Cora? I am suspect once they realize the identity of each other, Cora will try to go back with, or at least help Snow and Emma get back to Storybrooke, since she will soon know that's where Regina is, and I'm sure she will have plans for her daughter. But I don't think meeting Cora will be a good thing, even if it might seem so at first.

Oh! I forgot something... Just how old is Rumplestiltskin? If he was already the dark one before Cora and Henry got married... And how old would Baelfire have been, if he hadn't been sent out of Fairy Tale, and how old would Morraine be? And do we know who she is in Storybrooke? Could she be one of the witches? Could she be someone we don't know yet... or someone we see nearly every week? It seems that, based on Rumplestiltskin's attire at different points in the show, Baelfire was sent out of Fairy Tale before Regina attempted magic. Rumplestiltskin's clothes change from a peasant's rags to finer fabrics, as his wealth increased. Not sure where the crocodile suit fits in yet, timewise, but he'd been the dark one for some time before Regina sent her mother into the looking glass (and I still can't help but wonder if Cora is the Queen of Hearts). Baelfire would have been at least fourteen years older than Regina, since he was fourteen when Rumplestiltskin became the dark one, and that was before Cora got married and had Regina. So... Morraine is at least that much older than Regina. I don't recall anyone ever using Granny's first name... do you? Just a thought. Oh, and since Baelfire could have been sent through time, just as the Fairy Tale characters could have when they came to Storybrooke, it's possible that Baelfire came to Storybrooke so that he would be an adult now, but not necessarily the same age as Morraine, since she came through at a different time and place. Time is funny stuff in the Fairy Tale world!

Ack, another update...
If Rumplestiltskin was already the Dark One before Cora got married, is it possible that he could actually be Regina's father?

See you next week!