‘A land without magic’ was directed by Dean White. Writers were Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
In pre-curse FTL, Prince Charming’s (Josh Dallas) prison break gets a helping hand. The Huntsman (Jamie Dornan) clears a path for him to escape. He mentions they have a mutual friend in Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin).
The Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) isn’t happy with the news. She traps Charming within the Infinite Forest. This is where he encounters Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle). Rumple offers to help. Snarky swordfight before a deal is made.
If Charming hides a vial of true love inside a dragon aka Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten), Rumple will return his wedding ring. The now enchanted ring will act as a Snow White GPS tracker. And find her he does. A kiss leads to a marriage proposal then vow to vanquish evil in their realms.
In SB, Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) is treated by Dr. Whale (David Anders). But they can’t find the cause for his symptoms. Henry isn’t responding to treatment. Emma (Jennifer Morrison), holding Henry’s book, thinks it could be magic. Belief unlocks something. She’s magically shown her FTL origin.
Emma attacks Regina (Lana Parrilla) when she arrives. Regina admits the truth after learning Henry ate the turnover. What would’ve put an adult to sleep could kill a child. The ladies seek advice from Rumple. He sends Emma on a quest to retrieve the vial of true love. Maleficent the dragon is in a cavern underneath the town.
In a delay tactic, Emma visits August (Eion Bailey). She watches helplessly as he turns into a paralyzed puppet. Jefferson (Sebastian Stan) interrupts Regina as she speaks to the unconscious Henry. He’s furious when she refuses to give him back Grace. He frees Belle (Emilie de Ravin) from her secret prison cell. He tells her to find Mr. Gold and say Regina was responsible.
Emma manages to kill Maleficent. She returns to the surface. Rumple tricks her out of the precious cargo. A call from the hospital sends Emma and Regina running. Henry has died. Emma’s kiss returns him to life and breaks the curse. Everyone’s FTL memories return.
Rumple is about to leave when Belle enters his shop. They enter the forest for the next phase of his plan. He takes her to the wishing well. He drops the vial in. Magic billows out into the real world.
The good: Joy at seeing the Huntsman and Maleficent again. More Jamie Dornan and Kristin Bauer van Straten please. Clash of titans Rumple and Charming. Showing what happened before Charming and Snow’s reunion in the pilot. What else did The EQ do to Jefferson? How did he know where Belle was? What is his history with The EQ?
The bad: Felt like several episodes crammed into one.
The ugly: Didn’t the ratings warrant a two hour finale?
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