[Warning: This story contains major spoilers from the season finale of Once Upon a Time. Read at your own risk.]
The Once Upon a Time season finale brought us back to where the ABC fairy tale drama had begun. No, we're not talking about Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) reuniting with Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). We're talking about the curse being unleashed again upon the town of Storybrooke just as the clock struck 8:15. Before Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) made us scratch our heads wondering what the heck the Once writers will do in Season 2, let's take a look back at what happened in the finale:
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Prince Charming finally escaped the Evil Queen's (Lana Parrilla) clutches and set out in search of Snow White, who had fallen prey to the curse of the infamous poison apple. Of course, he had a little help from the Huntsman, aka Sherriff Graham (Jamie Dornan).
In Storybrooke, Henry (Jared Gilmore) was suffering from the same ailment after trying to prove that Regina's apple turnover was poisonous by taking a bite. Finally, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) realized that Henry's ailment could only be magic, and upon touching his book, she suddenly believed that the crazy tales he had been telling this year were actually true. She confronted Regina for essentially killing Henry, and pleaded with her to use magic to fix it, but there is none left.
Though he had escaped the castle, Prince Charming found himself stuck inside an endless forest, where Rumplestiltskin offered him a chance to escape and a way to find his true love, Snow. He would have to hide the powerful true love potion in the belly of the beast. According to Mr. Gold, this is the same potion that will save Henry. The potion is so powerful, in fact, that the one drop of it used in the evil curse created the savior loophole that could break it.
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Just one hitch: The potion is still in the belly of the beast, aka Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten), whom the Evil Queen kept in her dragon form when she brought her to the real world. After running to August (Eion Bailey) for help, he ended up fully turning into the wooden Pinocchio we know and love. But, don't worry, his story line will continue next year. Emma went into the bowels of Storybrooke with her father's sword, and upon stabbing the beast in the heart, she recovered the true love potion. But she wouldn't have it in her possession for very long.
Meanwhile, after Regina reneged on her deal with Jefferson (Sebastian Stan), he decided to strike out by freeing Belle (Emilie de Ravin) from the mental ward, and sending her to Mr. Gold to reveal her whereabouts for the last 28 years. Mr. Gold, however, had not yet learned the news when he decided to tie up Regina and trick Emma into giving him the potion. Before Emma and Regina could track him down, the hospital called with grim news: Henry had died.
In fairy tale land, after completing his deal with Rumplestiltskin, Prince Charming finally found his Snow White in scenes that recalled the series premiere, where Snow lay sleeping in the glass coffin until his kiss woke her. After he proposed, Snow vowed to take back the kingdom together. But this wasn't the case in Storybrooke since David was on his way out of town, a feat which none of the fairy tale characters had yet achieved.
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Feeling hopeless, Emma kissed Henry's forehead, causing him to suddenly wake up and break the curse! This caused each and every fairy tale character to remember their past — which meant Regina had to go on the run, lest the townsfolk decide to lock her up. Her last words to Henry, though, were expressing her true love for him, denying what anyone might say to the contrary.
Though the curse was broken, none of the Storybrooke residents returned to fairy tale world. That's because Mr. Gold had re-unleashed the curse on the town, bringing magic to this world — because magic is power, he says. And though we smiled when Charming and Snow shared a reunion kiss, we don't think Regina smiling upon seeing the evil smoke monster curse return is a good indication that the fairy tale characters are anywhere near finding their happy endings, especially when the clocked stopped right at 8:15 again.
What did you think of the season finale of Once Upon a Time? Any theories as to how the story will continue in Season 2? Hit the comments!