Once Upon A Time, Episode 16, Heart of Darkness or Isn't That Convenient

Red and Prince Charming are huddled around a fire in the snow. Suddenly, King George's guards charge from the woods. Red tells Prince Charming to take off with the horse. He pleads for her to go with him, but she turns away and tells him to get a head start.

If only there was a convenient way to escape.
beyondhollywood.com

Cue the full moon. Isn't that convenient?!

The red cloak comes off and it's wolf time.

Emma takes mug shots of Mary Margaret while telling her she had no choice but to arrest her.

Yesterday it was David, now its Mary Margaret. Make up your mind, woman!

Emma explains the Mayor will say it's favortism, and then she'll get fired. Oh dear, Emma, yes that would be the worst thing that could happen from all of this—unemployment.

Snow White coaxes a songbird into the dwarf's cottage then proceeds to chase it with a broom, trying to smack it flat. Grumpy arrives and almost gets the broom as well.

She's being grumpy to Grumpy.

He tells her to put down the weapon, sorry I mean broom, and join the others for supper. But it's not supper, it's an intervention, complete with Jiminy Cricket. All the dwarfs take turns telling her the potion that made her forget Prince Charming has changed her from a lovable yet sad girl, into a crazy cleaning woman with permanent PMS.

She rants about her life of luxury at the palace, her father being murdered, and then having to escape being killed by that sexy Huntsman (okay the sexy part was my idea). She decides she's entitled to a little revenge and plans to kill the Evil Queen. Jiminy Cricket tries to reason with her, but she grabs a pick axe and stomps out of there like the creepy killer dude from My Bloody Valentine.

Emma is giving Mary Margaret a lie detector test. Of course the Mayor is there. *rolls eyes*

Emma puts the wooden box down and asks Mary Margaret if it looks familiar. Mary Margaret says it's her jewelry box. Emma is shocked—that's the box the heart was found in!!!

The Mayor pipes up and says, “a woman with a broken heart can do unspeakable things.”

Like dress and decorate your home in only three colors? Personally I thought it was in bad taste to use the word 'heart'...you know considering the evidence.

Snow White unsaddles one of the Evil Queen's guards and threatens him with the pick axe, demanding the whereabouts of the Evil Queen. He informs her she's taking a trip to the summer palace. Snow White knocks him unconscious and steals his armor. Grumpy shows up and pleads with her to go back to Rumpelstiltskin to fix her black heart. Snow White agrees only because he may be able help her with the assassination.

Emma inspects the front door and the windows at Mary Margaret's apartment, hoping for evidence that someone broke in and stole the jewelry box. Henry arrives and tries to help Emma since there's no need for school with his teacher in jail and everything.

Yup, that makes perfect sense to me.

Suddenly—because there's never any foreshadowing in this series—they hear a noise from under the vent. Emma takes off the iron cover and finds a hunting knife wrapped in bloody cloth.

Cool! A singing knife. I don't remember that in any fairytales.

The writer, I mean August, finds Henry at the diner/pub/laundromat. He's a bit bummed out by the discovery of the murder weapon in his teacher's bedroom.

Ew. I foresee an appointment with Dr. Hopper.

August is hopeful and encourages Henry to find answers in his storybook. Henry senses a new member for Operation Cobra. August confides that he believes the stories are true. He tells Henry he has faith and wants others to see the light too.

August is beginning to sound a little too messiah like. *squirms uncomfortably*

August reminds Henry that Emma is someone who requires proof—and lots of conditioner.



Shampoo commercial, take two.
photo credit, imbd.com



Have you seen how big her hair is getting? Forget being the daughter of Snow White, I think Emma is Rapunzel.

Prince Charming follows tracks in the snow and finds the naked guard who tells him Snow White was the crazy chick who robbed him.

David interrupts the Mayor's apple snack time and tries to convince her that Mary Margaret is good not evil. The Mayor tells him evil isn't born, its made—just like boy bands!

photo credit, lyrics.wikia.com

Emma stares at Mary Margaret through the bars and tells her about the singing knife that was hidden under her floor. She's worried because the evidence is piling up.

So is something else, and it's really stinky. *plugs nose*

Mr. Gold arrives and offers his service of legal counsel to defend Mary Margaret in court. Although she can't pay him, Mr. Gold takes her case saying he's invested in her future.

Rumpelstiltskin tells Grumpy the potion took away a big piece of Snow White's heart since she lurved Prince Charming sooo much. He looks at a shelf full of glass bottles, but one space is empty. Mr. Gold says love is the most powerful magic of all, and if you can bottle that power, you can rule the world.

I believe someone said that about Baileys when it was first invented.

Snow White could care less about love. She tells Rumpelstiltskin her plans to kill the Evil Queen. He skips with glee and gives her an arrow, plus a map showing the best vantage point from where to shoot. In return, Rumpelstiltskin takes no payment, saying that he's invested in her future.

Weird deja vu moment.

David goes to Dr. Hopper's office and asks for help with his blackouts.

Can you say hypnosis?

Prince Charming barges into Rumpelstiltskin's castle and demands some answers. When Rumpelstiltskin says there's nothing her can do, Prince Charming proclaims all curses can be broken by true love's kiss.

Except all those other times it didn't work.

Rumpelstiltskin makes David trade his cloak for information on Snow White. He gives him the map and says the arrow will make her just as evil as the person it kills.

What if she kills someone really nice? Would that work too?

Prince Charming finds Snow White and lays a big one, right on the smacker. Then she knocks him out.

Sweet!

Henry shows Emma the ring of weird looking keys he found hidden in the Mayor's office. He says that's proof she got into the apartment and planted the singing knife. Emma is unconvinced, but hey, what do you know, the last one he tries fits.

Isn't that convenient?!

Whoa, Emma is shocked. She's not used to weird stuff happening.

Prince Charming wakes up tied to a tree. Snow White demands his name. He tries to convince her they're in love. She tells him obviously not, since his kiss did nothing. He is helpless to stop her from carrying out her plans to kill the Queen. She says 'just watch me' and walks away.

How can he watch her if she walks away?

David is in a trance, lying on the couch in Dr. Hopper's office. While under, David says he spoke to Katherine the night she left and they had made amends. He starts to have flashbacks of Mary Margaret as Snow White on her way to kill the Evil Queen. When David wakes up, he runs out of the office keeping his secret.

Finally, he does something smart.

Jiminy Cricket unties Prince Charming. He suggests in order to help Snow White, he has to help her remember who she used to be.

The Evil Queen and her entourage travel down the road on horseback as Snow White tracks them from above. She readies the 'arrow of revenge' and lets it fly, but Prince Charming lunges in the way. With an arrow stuck in his shoulder, he tells her he would rather die than let her live with a heart of darkness.

Snow White's expression softens, and she kisses him. And that did the trick. They make out as he continues to bleed from the arrow sticking out of his body.

Suddenly—because these guys are all about the surprise attack—King George's guards drag Prince Charming away. Snow White promises to find him...she will always find him.

Hey, that's his line.

David visits Mary Margaret in jail and tells her about his flashback. She's dumbstruck that he would even think she was guilty of killing Katherine. When the evidence pointed to him, she never doubted his innocence and stood by ready to defend him against the town.

Too bad she didn't hit him this time too.

She tells him to leave. Poor Mary Margaret. Seriously, when Mr. Gold is the only one interested in helping you, things aren't good.

Only one thing can fix this mess. Release the UNICORN! There that ought to shake things up.

Mary Margaret returns to the dwarf's cottage to apologize. Grumpy and the others can see she has changed and they tackle her in a group hug. Snow White tells them Prince Charming is in trouble. Apparently this was exactly what they wanted to hear. The dwarfs get all pick axe crazy, ready to take on the castle.

While Mary Margaret fusses with the blanket on her cot, another inanimate object sings out, getting her attention. Under the bed, hidden in plain site *rolls eyes* is the key that opens her jail cell.

Isn't that convenient?!

Emma arrives with lunch and Mary Margaret quickly shuts the door, hiding the key in her hand. She tells her the DNA was a match for Katherine. And then to further explain, she tells us Katherine must be dead.

Ya' think?

Dear ABC,

Why hasn't anyone thought to question the gym teacher? He was the first one to find her car, and is her true love from fairytale land. No? *sigh* Never mind.

Emma tells Mary Margaret that she plans to expose the Mayor for planting evidence. Emma finally admits she has faith in Mary Margaret and asks for the same.

Easy for her to say, since she isn't the facing a death sentence or life in prison.

Emma finds Mr. Gold in the back of his shop and asks for his help to defeat the Mayor. He knows Emma feels desperate. He tells her she's more powerful then she knows—especially with that hair betting bigger each episode.

Rumpelstiltskin is investigating Prince Charming's cloak and removes a hair.

What is going to do with it? Hmm...I don't know. Maybe make a love potion so he can rule the world? Of course he is! Besides, that empty spot on the shelf would drive me crazy too.

What do you think Rumpelstiltskin is planning?

Successful Hook Ups

Me making supper, not exactly as shown.
credit, diaryofacountrywife.wordpress.com

I'm a cover girl. No, not the kind on the magazine (obviously). I'm talking book cover. I confess, it's the image that grabs my attention and makes me pick it off the shelf—isn't that why they spend money and time working with the artist?

However, it's the first paragraph or even the first line that determines if I'll tuck it under my arm or slip it back into place.

Ah, the first line, the tagline if you will, that sets the story in motion.

Sometimes you have no choice but to keep reading, and turning the pages. Then, before you know it, you've burned supper.

These are from some of my favorite books. Do they look familiar to you?

1. Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

2. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

3. I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Book for the first time.

4. The night before he went to London, Richard Mayhew was not enjoying himself.

5. Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.

6. All children, except one, grow up.

7. My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie.

8. I first saw Hundreds Hall when I was ten years old.

9. I became what I am today at the age of twelve on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.

10. It was a pleasure to burn.

Wouldn't you want to read more? Now take a look at your own manuscript. Are you hooked by the first line?

What are your favorite first lines? How many on my list can you guess the title and author?

Next Monday I'll be blogging the latest episode of Once Upon A Time.

Cheers!

The Teenage Heartthrob Blogfest!

Sarah Ahiers, Vic Caswell, and Emily White are hosting Teenage Heartthrob Blogfest!

1. List up to 7 people that you crushed on as a teen. I chose 5.

2. Then go view other blogs to see who they chose.

I had to go way back to the 80's for my teen crushes. Let the embarassment begin. In no particular order.

                                             Simon Le Bon, Lead singer of Duran Duran.

                                             Rob Lowe. Really, the picture says it all.

                        James Spader. He was so bad in Pretty in Pink, but he looked so good.

Hank from Dungeons & Dragons. Yes, he's a cartoon. Maybe it was his leadership qualities or that blond hair always falling perfectly, or maybe even the uber cool voice of Willie Aames. 

                           Luke Skywalker. Come on! He's a fighter pilot and a Jedi Knight.

                             Who were your heartthrobs when you were a teenager?

Once Upon A Time, Episode 15, Red Handed or Ruby Finally Wears Pants!

Original cast of The Hunger Games
photo credit, onceuponatimeabc.com

Emma drills David mercilessly about Katherine. Just kidding. She begs him for answers but he only shrugs in that goofy way of his, and says he didn't call Katherine the night she disappeared.

Emma frowns at the phone records trying to decide what to believe; the cheating husband or the computer print out. She flicks her golden tresses off her shoulder then tells him to get a lawyer and become a better liar.

Schmexy must be rolling in his grave.

Aw, Schmexy. At least there was a glimpse of him during the flashbacks at the beginning of the show.

August, the writer guy, talks with Ruby at the pub/diner/laundromat. She's enamoured by his stories of the outside world. And he's enamoured with the view of her mid-drift. Granny pulls a lemon face and calls her over to the counter.

Red's boyfriend, Peter
photo credit awn.com

A strapping young fellow with bow and arrow walks through the snow to a cabin in the woods. Red answers the door and warns him they don't have much time. He tries to convince her to run away with him. Granny bellows from the other room, startling Red. She gives him one last kiss, promising to think about his offer. He runs off happily. His name is Peter, you know as in Peter and the Wolf. And now this song is running through my head.

Red joins Granny at the front door of the cottage—it must be a fancy one with several entrances—a group of menfolk with torches arrive and explain they're not an angry mob but a hunting club looking for a green ogre named Shrek. Also, there's something eating the sheep.

Granny tells them they're no match for the wolf she knows is responsible for the missing livestock and sends them away. She locks up the cabin tighter than Fort Knox, and orders Red into the back room where it's safest.

Granny and Ruby have a fight at the pub/diner/laundromat. Granny says that since business is booming Ruby should learn how to do the books and take more responsibility.

Um...it's the only business in town. Hasn't it always been booming?

Red wakes the next morning and Granny scolds her for not wearing her red cloak. The color red repels the wolf and therefore protects her.

Huh, in the movie, The Village, the color red attracted the monster. I hope Granny didn't get her legends mixed up.

Red rolls her eyes but still puts on the cloak and ventures to the chicken coup to gather eggs for breakfast. She finds Snow White hidden in the corner. She's cold and nearly starving, but with her eye make-up is perfect. They immediately bond over their misfortune situations. Red tells Snow White about the wolf, but Snow White isn't convinced until they find the hunting mob, sorry I mean hunting club for men, in pieces.

Emma and Mary Margaret walk down the street and pass under a sign advertising Storybrooke's Free Local Library.

Great! The free libraries as so much better than the kind that charge you. I call those libraries, book stores.

Emma tells Mary Margaret about David's phone call to Katherine and pleads for an alibi. I guess Emma hates arresting people. But their conversation is cut short when they see Ruby being propositioned by the creepy doctor. You remember him right? He's the town's only doctor, other than Dr. Hopper, the psychiatrist, and whatever Doc from the dwarfs is doing these days.

When Ruby tells them she quit the diner and is trying to leave town, Mary Margaret offers her apartment as a place to stay for the night.

Mary Margaret specializes in taking in strays.

The villagers have gathered for another hunting club meeting, the group is a little smaller since the last few members were well...dismembered. Tempers rise and plans are made for bloody vengeance.

Granny tells them they're fools if they think they take on this wolf-monster. She shows them a scar on her arm from when she survived the attack that killed her whole family. The wolf spared her but she warns the people that the only way to survive is to hide like a ninja.

Red confides to Snow White that Granny's compulsive need to keep her locked up has made it impossible to have a normal life. The only way she can have a future with Peter is if they run away. Snow White worries that Granny is using the danger of the wolf to keep Red from her true love.

And we all know what true love's kiss can do, right? Well, sometimes.

But Red has a better idea then kissing Peter and waiting for the magic, she's going to kill the wolf herself! She'd be free to see Peter and finally wear the green cloak that goes so much better with her skin tone than the red one.

Mary Margaret arrives at the scene of Katherine's car accident and walks into the forest. Instead of Mr. Gold limping from behind a tree, she stumbles upon a spaced out David. Mary Margaret assures him that even though evidence is mounting, she will stand by him. David ignores her and wanders off.

Things that make you go, hmm.

Snow White follows Red through the woods as they look for animal tracks. You know who would be helpful...yes the Huntsman.

Dear ABC,

More Schmexy flashbacks please!

Huge prints suggest the wolf is one big fella. Snow White wants to turn back but Red is determined and she plods forward.

Ruby and Henry are at the Sheriff's office looking up jobs on-line. Of course, where else would he be? School? *snorts*

Emma walks in and sees that Ruby would be a perfect receptionist or filing clerk or lunch order delivery girl. Mary Margaret breaks up the happy scene, and hurriedly explains that David is acting all freaky in the woods.

Red and Snow White discover the tracks change and that the beast is a minotaur! No, actually it's a boot wearing werewolf. They deduce the wolf changes (mid-stride mind you) from a huge beast into a fully clothed man.

If Grumpy can hatch from an egg in pyjamas with a beard and speaking English, I guess anything is possible.

They follow the tracks to the Granny's cottage. Red realizes she kissed Peter at that very window. Instead of getting the hunting club for men, Snow White suggests the only route of action is to tell Peter the truth. This apparently is the only way to stop him and save the village.

Okay. *sighs heavily*

Ruby goes into the pub/diner/laundromat as a customer since she is the receptionist/file clerk/ and lunch order delivery girl. She stands tall and tells Granny that she has a new job. Granny says she hopes she finds what she's looking for.

What does that mean? She's looking for lunch!

Red confesses her discovery to Peter but puts a positive spin on the situation by declaring they can now go away together. All they have to do is tie him up when he starts to turn into the wolf-man. But he has a better idea and opens his bag, showing her the chains he happens to be carrying.

Isn't that convenient?! What the heck did he have planned for their date tonight anyway? Time to run away, Red.

They ignore my comments and decide to try chaining him up that night.

Great plan. *more sighs and rolling of eyes*

Henry shows Emma (and us) where he keeps the storybook locked in the Sheriff's office far away from the Mayor's prying eyes. Ruby returns with sandwiches and Emma makes another awesome decision. She takes Ruby with her to look for the spaced out David. This seems stupid until Ruby takes off into the forest, saying she's just following her instinct.

He's lying on the ground with a fresh head wound. He has no memory of getting into the forest or anything since the night before.

The creepy doctor declares that this is a side effect of his coma. In fact, this nicely explains how David could have called Katherine and then kidnapped her without realizing it.

Isn't that convenient?!

The Mayor shows up, and comes to the aid of 'Helpless David'. She demands he get a lawyer since she's still his legal guardian or something.

Emma panics at this bizarre turn of events because it's so rare for weird stuff to happens to her. She calls Ruby and insists she search the (Troll) Toll Bridge since David wanders there...a lot.

Ruby, not exactly as shown
photo credit tiptopglobe.com

Ruby hones in on her natural tracking skills from fairytale land.

She starts probing random parts of the beach with a stick. She unearths a jewelry box and opens the lid. Her screams are heard all over British Columbia.

Go Canada!

Granny enters Red's room and finds Snow White under the red cloak, pretending to be her. Snow White tells Granny that Red sneaked out and is going to help Peter deal with his wild side. Granny practically has a stroke, then storms out of the cottage.

Peter is chained to a tree trying to break the iron links as a huge wolf approaches. He pleads with Red to snap out of it. SHE IS THE WOLF.

Finally! A strong female protagonist.

Back at the Sheriff's office, Emma looks inside the jewelry box. She talks about being impressed while Ruby cries over the discovery. What is it? A hand? A heart? An eyeball?

Snow White wears Red's cloak as she follows Granny through the woods. Red suffers a family curse started from the early attack when Granny was only a young girl. They find Red and what's left of Peter. Granny has a silver tipped arrow and shoots her down.

I have a feeling Granny would have kicked serious butt in The Hunger Games.

When Snow White lays the red cloak over the beast it turns back into Red. The hunting club for men are shouting in the distance as vengeful clubs often do. As they close in, Granny tells a disoriented Red the truth and that she must flee the village. Red realizes she's too afraid to leave, but Granny pushes her toward the woods, saying it's the only way. Snow White takes her and the both disappear into the trees.

Ruby decides to wear pants and visits Granny at the pub/diner/laundromat and asks for her job back. She explains the book keeping and extra responsibility scared her.

Yeah, math has that affect on me too.

She says working at the pub/diner/laundromat makes her happy. Granny confides the business will be Ruby's when she retires.

David and Mary Margaret meet at the animal shelter. Of course. Wait. Why are they at the animal shelter. Emma arrives and tells them about the jewelry box. It contained a human heart.

Holy smokes. Schmexy!!!!

The DNA will take a few days, but the fingerprints inside the box matched someone in the town...wait for it. Mary Margaret. I have a feeling this is connected to the REAL reason the evil queen wants Snow White's life to be hell.

Whose heart is in the box? I know. The evil queen's true love, that's who.

But who is the evil queen's true love? And who is the creepy doctor in fairytale land? And why is the writer not doing anything? And where is my Tylenol?

Liebster Blog Award

photo credit, champagnemuseum.com

Whoo-hoo! *Pops open champagne* 

Ah, the Liebster Blog Award. It reminds me of lobster and Justin Bieber.

I'd like to thank Jackie for giving me the Liebster Blog Award! It's given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers and to help more bloggers find their blog.

Okay, it sounds like a pity award—but hey, who doesn't need a little pity these days?

Be sure to check out Jackie's blog here.

The rules for accepting the award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
2. Nominate up to 5 others for the Liebster Award.
3. Let said bloggers know via comment on their blog.
4. Post the award on your blog.
5. Consider signing up for the A - Z Challenge. It's a great way to find new and interesting blogs.


My choices to receive the Liebster Blog Award...*drum roll*

Heather Marie

Anne Marie

Kathryn Rose

Rain L

Jenny K

Let the good times roll, my friends. And be sure to check out the above winners of the Liebster Blog Award. *throws confetti* 

Next Monday I'll be blogging the latest episode of Once Upon A Time.

Once Upon A Time, Recap of Episode 14 “Dreamy”

Or better title, "Why Grumpy is so...well grumpy"

The well endowed Blue Fairy is sitting on the clouds, looking like she's auditioning for a Philadelphia cream cheese commercial. A pink fairy arrives with a bag, and almost spills the contents as she trips over the cloud. The Blue Fairy scolds the newbie, Nova, for being so careless with the powerful fairy dust.

Last seen in Finding Nemo.
photo credit cakehat.com

The special effects in this scene were probably done by the local High School drama team. Plus the fairy costumes make them look like jellyfish.

Far below the fake clouds, in a darkened room, huge eggs are tended to by dwarfs. One starts to crack open! Cool, bring on the dragons.

No. It's...Grumpy?

Ew. Weird. Not liking this development.

The Head Dwarf takes the freshly born Grumpy down into the mines, explaining how he was specially made to shovel rocks for fairy dust...for the rest of his life. He's handed his pick axe and the name Dreamy appears on the wooden handle. The Head Dwarf smiles at him and declares he will now be known as Dreamy.

Wow! What could have changed Dreamy into Grumpy?

I don't know—maybe a lifetime of backbreaking labor underground?

Inside Storybrookes' only business, the pub/laundromat/diner, Grumpy sits at the breakfast counter looking constipated. Hopefully he's having a bowl of Bran Flakes. Two men arrive and ask him to move over so they'll have room to eat. One of the men is the Pharmacist who always has a cold. And yes! I was right, he's Sneezy! Click here for proof.

Grumpy gets up from his stool muttering something about hating people. Mary Margaret walks in the door and asks for everyone's attention. She needs volunteers for the annual Miners Day celebration.

Right! Because there is an abandoned mine in town. Check out the Jiminy Cricket episode here.

It gets quiet, all at once, in that awkward kind of way, and no one raises a hand. Apparently Mary Margaret is still the reining 'homewrecker of the year.' Even Emma watches over the rim of her coffee mug, choosing to stay silent.

Grumpy stomps up to Mary Margaret. When she asks if he wants to volunteer he lashes back with a lovely quote about what a great team they would make, since she's the town harlot and he's the town drunk. Mary Margaret runs down the street crying, in yet another cute hat.

Seriously, check out all her hats below.

Emma catches up with her and promises to help if she can.

Really? Nice timing. Maybe stand up for her the next time there's an audience. What a horrible daughter.

Mary Margaret explains to Emma, and us, the annual festival goes way back, honouring a tradition when the Nuns used to sell handmade        
candles to the miners.

This is almost as hokey as dwarfs coming out of eggs.

Before Emma can back up her empty promise, she gets a call from the mysterious dispatcher that no one ever sees. Emma bids Mary Margaret farewell, saying she has to check 'something' out.

Grumpy is busy stomping through the festival grounds when (confetti?) sprinkles down on him. Nova is above him, struggling to stay on a ladder, trying to figure out how to work the lights.

Of course, all lights are packed in confetti. That makes complete sense.

She climbs down and brushes the mess off his face, apologizing in her soft yet excited voice. Grumpy is immediately charmed since no one that good looking has ever touched him before.

He fixes the lights for her and she calls him her hero. He says his name is Leroy and she introduces herself as Astrid, which we all know is the most clumsy of all the flowers.

We arrive at Nun headquarters. It's like a community center...I think. Never mind, that's not important. The important thing is that Astrid is one of the Nuns. So is the Blue Fairy, although she looks much more demure in her button up sweater and Peter Pan collar compared to the bedazzled blue bustier she usually wears.

Grumpy has followed Astrid and he finds out she's made a huge mistake in ordering too much helium. Now the Nuns won't be able to pay the rent for this month to that nasty Mr. Gold. They'll be out on the street unless they sell all the candles—all five thousand dollars worth.

Okay, the hokey factor on this episode just went through the roof. Seriously? Too much helium.

Anyway, Grumpy is determined to help Astrid and he joins Mary Margaret's volunteer committee, which includes himself and Mary Margaret.

Emma finds Catherine's abandoned car. Sidney shows up with his camera saying he might get his job back at the Daily Mirror if he lands a good scoop. Emma shrugs him off and guesses that Catherine was so eager to get out of town and start law school, that she probably started to hitchhike when her car ran off the road.

Yeah, that's what I would do if I was in a car accident at night. Instead of going five minutes back to my hometown where I know everyone, I'd probably start walking into the dark unknown.

Dear ABC,

Why is Emma the best choice for Sheriff again?

Sidney, not exactly as shown.
photo credit scoobydoowhereareyou.blogspot.com

When Emma pops open the trunk she discovers Catherine forgot to take her suitcase as she hitchhiked into the dark unknown. David shows up in his pick-up truck, looking confused. Emma has an amazing idea that maybe she should pull Catherine's cell phone information to make sure she walked all the way to Boston last night. Sidney gives her an approving nod and says he has a source at the phone company. He runs away, excited to be hunting for clues, just like Selma from Scooby-Doo.

Emma asks David about Catherine and he denies knowing what happened. She looks at him for three extra long seconds and declares that yes, he is innocent.

The Mayor prints off Catherine's phone records and calls Sidney letting him know she found something juicy. Wow. The Mayor can do so much from that office.

At the assembly line in the mine, Dreamy is hard at work and I can't help but think of that I Love Lucy episode in the candy factory.

Nova waits beside the spigot, watching the fairy dust come out. But the tap gets stuck and she's helpless in her jellyfish dress. Trying to fix the problem she only makes it worse, sending a full bag of dust on the conveyor belt headed straight for the furnace.

If she was a dwarf her name would be Clumsy.

Dreamy unclogs the machinery and with a series of impressive acrobatics around the equipment, he saves the bag of fairy dust. Nova calls him her hero and they get philosophical all of a sudden, as fairies and dwarfs are known to do. He tells her, “You can do anything you want as long as you dream it.”

I dreaming Schmexy will come back. Let's see how that works out.

Dreamy's charm works like...well it works like a charm and Nova invites him to watch fireflies that night.

Mary Margaret and Grumpy are having no luck at the candle selling booth. Grumpy convinces her they will do better door to door if they work as a team.

Emma finds Sidney and tells him that she needs those phone records speedy quick since Catherine never showed up for her Lawyer 101 class today.

Holy cow she's really missing!

Dreamy has lunch at a long wooden table, surrounded by his work buddies, confused by his sweaty palms and the butterflies in his stomach. One of the other dwarfs says it sounds like love, but Dreamy doesn't understand what love is.

A woman's voice gets his attention. Two tables over, Belle begins to spout advice. She talks about how important it is to hold on to love, and that he needs to find his dreams. At least that's what I think she said.

Dear ABC,

Why is Belle in the miner's cafeteria?

Anyway, after talking with her, Dreamy is convinced his destiny is with Nova.

Grumpy and a defeated Mary Margaret go back to Nun headquarters and find Astrid. Grumpy lies that they sold all the candles, therefore she won't be thrown out on the street. Mary Margaret figures out that Grumpy has romantic feelings for Astrid. They trade insults on who is the most unethical.

Dreamy meets Nova at Inspiration Point, overlooking the kingdom. She tells him being a fairy isn't so great, she flies above the world but is never a real part of it. He talks about working in the ground and dreaming of getting a boat and sailing away. They kiss and she tells him she's totally game, and they make plans to set sail the next night.

Um...that was quick.

Grumpy is trying to sell a leaky sailboat to Mr. Gold, but he's not buying and says he'll be glad to get rid of the Nuns. I'm guessing the fairies and Rumpelstiltskin didn't get along.

Astrid shows up with a fresh pie to thank Grumpy for selling all the candles. Uh-oh. She sees all the boxes of unsold wax and walks away disappointed.

Sidney gives the phone records to Emma and she sees that David had a long chat with Catherine just before she crashed. Really? How do they know when she crashed?

The dwarfs audition for Scrooge.
photo credit, serial.com

Dreamy tip toes out of his little dorm but the other workers wake up and question him. He tells them he's had a change of heart and instead of having an awesome life living in the darkness with other little men who hatched from eggs, he going sailing around the world with a magical hot chick.

After one last group hug with his peeps, he runs through the forest to meet her. Near the end of the path, the Head Dwarf stands in his way and tells him dwarfs aren't capable of love. The Blue Fairy swoops in and tells him that Nova was meant to earn her wings, and that Dreamy is standing in the way of her true destiny.

Huh? That doesn't sound like something a fairy would say.

Mary Margaret and Grumpy share drinks in the pub/laundromat/diner and talk about how they can't be with the people they love. Mary Margaret wishes she could forget all about David. Grumpy refuses to let go of the good feelings Astrid gives him, saying it fills him with hope. And don't we know it! Fed up, Grumpy takes his last swig and crashes the festival.

He takes his pick axe (where did he get the pick axe?) and smashes the town's only transformer thingy, plugging Storybrooke into darkness.

Dreamy meets Nova and she hands him a telescope showing him the awesome Love Boat that's waiting for them. He tells her it's a no go. It's not meant to be, he's in the ground and she's in the air. She pleads with him saying they're in charge of their own lives, plus they're in love, right? She lays out her heart, but he tells her he's a dwarf, and everybody knows, dwarfs can't love.

He returns to the mine asking for his axe. Dreamy pounds the crap out of the stone and breaks his pick axe. The Head Dwarf hands him a new one, and the name Grumpy appears on the wooden handle.

Well, what do you know, I guess we can change after all.

Everyone in town is buying candles because no one has a flashlight. Mary Margaret and Grumpy rejoice because they've sold every last one. Grumpy gives Astrid the money and she forgives him for the horrible sin of lying. He talks about fixing up his boat and invites her for a sail.

The Mayor storms into Emma's office demanding action since her 'friend' Catherine has been missing since yesterday. Emma mumbles about being on top of things. Then the Mayor walks away.

Wow, moving scene.

Mary Margaret walks through the festival with her unlit candle. Granny kindly smiles and lights it for her. And just like that, everything is okay. David has been watching from the sidelines and is about to celebrate Mary Margaret's victory when Emma shows up all serious like. She puts him in the back of the Sheriff's car and takes him down to the station. Mary Margaret sees this and fears the worst.

The worst of course, is that Schmexy and his almost as sexy replacement, Autumn, didn't even make an appearance tonight.

I can't even make predictions about the next episode because the preview has me so excited. FINALLY Ruby gets a story line. And guess who else is in it? Yup, the Big Bad Wolf. And guess who has a special connection with wolves? Yup, Schmexy!

Who's with me? 

What I'm Giving Up For Lent

Yesterday I noticed a lottery ticket stuck on the fridge behind a yellowed comic strip, and a pair of theatre tickets. My husband must have put it there. I can't remember the last time he bought a lottery ticket. I began to worry.

Do we need money that badly? Has our debt grown so monstrous that a million dollars is the only solution? This is bad timing. Our daughter needs braces and that engine light thingy is blinking on the car's dashboard.

photo credit, wikispaces.com

This is what I do. I'm a worrier, just like Wemberly in the Kevin Henkes' books.

My drive is late. They must be in a car accident.

A headache lasts for two days. It must be an inoperable brain tumour.

My agent hasn't heard from any editors who have my manuscript. Obviously, they're too busy making fun of it over the water cooler.

See the pattern?

It's exhausting being a worrier. Look at the pictures of Wemberly. Those dark circles under the eyes are there for a reason!

And it's not only imaging the worst. Worrying goes hand in hand with it's ugly cousin, guilt.

I'm not Catholic, but some of my friends are and they assure me that I have enough guilt to qualify. Lately they've been discussing what they're giving up for Lent.

I've decided the dark circles under my eyes have to go. For Lent I'm giving up worrying, or rather I'm trying to worry in a more positive way.

Instead of imaging the worst case scenarios, I'm day dreaming about the best possible outcomes. And I've discovered there is a fine line between my usual foreboding and anticipation.

Ah...anticipation.

Carly Simon had it right. Even a character on The Simpsons summed it up nicely, “Better than the moment, better than the memory, is the feeling of anticipation.”

If my drive is late, I take that extra time to eat a cookie and imagine they're picking up a nice bottle of wine for us.

If my agent hasn't heard from an editor, hopefully it's because they're taking their time to read it a few more times before making a million dollar offer.

And that lottery ticket stuck on the fridge? Maybe my husband was feeling lucky that day. Everybody has a dream, right?

This morning I heard someone in my city won the lottery big time, but no one has claimed it yet. I'm not in a rush to check the numbers though. The ticket will stay behind the comic and the theatre stubs a little bit longer. This anticipation thing is more addictive than Pinterest.

It's Lent after all, so I'm going to spend the rest of the day dreaming about the best possible outcomes.

What would you do with a million dollars?

Cheers!

Next Monday I'll be blogging the latest episode of Once Upon A Time.