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Queen of Hearts
Season 2, Episode 9
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Airdate December 2, 2012
Written by Edward Kitsis
Adam Horowitz
Directed by Ralph Hemecker
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Queen of Hearts is the ninth episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 31st episode overall, which aired on December 2, 2012. The episode served as the series' winter finale. An enhanced version with additional scenes and trivia aired March 31, 2013.

It was co-written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, while being directed by Ralph Hemecker.

This episode centers around Captain Hook and Cora as they try to steal the compass from Emma Swan and her mother, while flashbacks show how Hook and Cora met. Also in Storybrooke, Regina and Mr. Gold try to stop anyone from coming out of the portal.

The episode was watched by 9 million viewers and was received positively by critics.

View the Queen of Hearts Gallery.[]

Plot[]

Opening Sequence[]

The waters of Lake Nostos erupt from the ground in the forest.

In the Characters' Past[]

At the Evil Queen's (Lana Parrilla) fortress, Captain Hook/Killian Jones (Colin O'Donoghue) kills a guard in order to reach Belle (Emilie de Ravin), who is imprisoned there. Upon learning that she has no information that can help him kill Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle), he prepares to kill her, but is disarmed of his hook by the Evil Queen/Regina who asks for his help in casting the Dark Curse. He agrees after she explains that the Dark One will be rendered an easily killed mortal man by the curse. His assignment is to travel to Wonderland via Jefferson's hat and kill her mother, Cora (Barbara Hershey), whom Regina previously banished to that land. She enchants his hook so that it can be used to remove Cora's heart, and no more than one heart. He is sent with the corpse of the guard he killed, so that he can bring Cora's body back in accordance with the hat's "one goes in, one comes back" rule.

In Wonderland, Hook is brought before the Queen of Hearts, who reveals herself to be Cora. Hook attacks her with the enchanted hook, but fails to remove her heart as she does not keep it in her chest. She takes hold of his heart and forces him to divulge everything. After he tells her everything, she does not take control of him, as she knows Regina would detect it. Instead, she convinces him to side with her by explaining that Regina's curse would strip him of his identity, rendering him unable to exact his revenge, while Cora offers a guarantee of that revenge. Hook agrees to get Cora close enough to Regina to rip her heart out.

Hook brings Cora, who is feigning death, to Regina, and leaves them alone. Regina then confesses to her mother's "body" that she still loves her, but needed her dead because of Cora's own advice that "love is weakness," and Regina cannot allow herself to have a weakness if her plans are to succeed. Regina leaves and Hook returns to ask why Cora didn't kill her. She explains that matters have changed and takes him to another part of the Enchanted Forest to erect a magical barrier that will protect them from the curse. Cora explains that the curse is destined to be broken after 28 years, during which they will be frozen. Once the curse is broken, Cora will reconcile with her daughter, who will be distraught over her defeat, and "help her pick up the pieces."

In the Enchanted Forest[]

Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), Aurora (Sarah Bolger), and Mulan (Jamie Chung) reach Rumplestiltskin's cell, and Emma learns for the first time that he knew beforehand that she would be the savior. They search for the squid ink, but find only an empty container and a scroll with the name "Emma," written over and over. Aurora suddenly activates the mechanism that seals the enchanted cell, and Cora and Hook arrive and take the compass from them. Cora reveals that she holds Aurora's heart, and Hook insists that he would not have betrayed Emma. He now holds the giant's dead bean, which he likens to her and to their former association before he departs with Cora. Emma laments that her role in breaking the curse was all part of Rumplestiltskin's plan, and that she's not a hero who can rescue them now. Mary Margaret then realizes that the scroll is the same type of magical document as the spell book she watched Cora use when she was a little girl. Blowing across the scroll, Mary Margaret is able to use the copies of Emma's name, which Rumpelstiltskin wrote with the squid ink, as a spell to destroy the cell's door. Aurora insists that the others tie her up and leave her since she can't be trusted as long as Cora has her heart. Mulan reluctantly agrees, but vows to return the heart to her.

Cora and Hook travel to the dry basin of Lake Nostos, whose waters held the power to restore that which was lost. Cora magically causes water to erupt from underground. Hook pours the magical ashes into the new lake, and a portal opens. Emma, Mary Margaret, and Mulan arrive and a fierce battle ensues over the compass. Hook gives Aurora's heart to Mulan as a ploy to even the odds. Mulan immediately leaves to restore the heart to Aurora, but gives her sword, which is powerful enough to deflect Cora's magic, to Mary Margaret. Emma bests Hook in single combat and knocks him unconscious. Then Cora renews her attack and declares her intention to give Regina Mary Margaret's heart. Emma interposes herself at the last minute, so Cora reaches into her chest instead. Cora mocks them, reminding them that love is weakness. But when Cora cannot pull Emma's heart out, Emma realizes that love is strength and a burst of magic comes from her and knocks Cora back. Emma and Mary Margaret take the compass and jump into the portal.

Mulan restores Aurora's heart to her and frees her from the cell. Aurora then reveals that Cora told her that the soul of a wraith's victim can be reunited with its body and they agree to try and restore the soul of Prince Phillip.

At Lake Nostos, Hook suggests that he and Cora use the lake to restore the petrified magic bean he took from the giant.

In Storybrooke[]

Mr. Gold proposes a plan to destroy the portal to prevent Cora from traveling to Storybrooke, and Regina reluctantly agrees, convinced that it's the best way to protect Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), even though the portal's destruction will kill anyone who attempts to use the portal, including Emma and Mary Margaret. She lies to Henry about her plans, claiming she is preparing for his mother and grandmother's return, and he praises her for having changed. Regina and Gold go into the mines and Gold uses his stolen fairy wand to draw all the power from the diamonds. The Seven Dwarves soon discover the theft of the magic, and they, along with Ruby (Meghan Ory), inform Henry, who realizes that his mother lied. Henry declares that they must stop her and protect Emma and Mary Margaret.

Gold brings Regina to the well in the woods, which will be the location of the portal, and casts a spell that creates a deadly energy. Henry and Ruby arrive and Henry convinces Regina to have faith in his belief that Emma and Mary Margaret will defeat Cora and be the ones to come back into Storybrooke. Regina absorbs the energy of the spell and it dissipates just in time for Emma and Mary Margaret to emerge. Henry explains that Regina saved them, and Emma thanks her. Ruby takes Mary Margaret to David, and she successfully awakens him with true love's kiss.

Emma confronts Gold over his manipulations. He acknowledges that his plots have involved her from the beginning, but he reveals that he did not control her destiny or make her what she is, rather, he simply took advantage of his knowledge of the fact that, as the product of true love, she would be an exceptional and powerful individual. Henry accepts that Regina has changed, and he embraces her. But when he, his family, and the Dwarfs leave with Ruby for a celebratory dinner, a despondent Regina is left behind and Gold mocks her. As the group walks to Granny's, Hook's ship, bearing him and Cora, appears just offshore from Storybrooke.

Production[]

"Queen of Hearts" was co-written by series co-creators/executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, while being directed by Renegade veteran Ralph Hemecker.

Cultural references[]

The episode makes references to Alice in Wonderland and Snow White. The guard Hook killed and took to Wonderland is named Claude who later appears in the season 5 episode "Ruby Slippers".

Reception[]

Ratings[]

This outing saw a slight uptick in the ratings from the previous episode placing a 3.1/8 among 18-49s with 9.10 million viewers tuning in.

Reviews[]

The episode received generally positive reviews.

In a review from Blogcritics.org: "Queen of Hearts" happily brings back to the fore the central narrative of the show. All of the key characters are front and center where they should be (most of the time, anyway!): Emma, Snow (and by extension Charming), Henry, Regina, and Rumple. Each plays a critical role in the episode, driving the story to its intense conclusion, setting up the narrative for the chapter of season two with Hook and Cora poised to make their entrance into Storybrooke — not through the Lake Nostos portal, but by sea.

Entertainment Weekly critic Hilary Busis gave it a good review, with some reservations: "Did Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz consult a checklist of Unsolved 'Once' Mysteries while writing 'The Queen of Hearts?' It sure felt that way as the episode trundled along, resolving question after question," but then added "...by the episode's end, the only really big question left dangling is 'What the hell happened to Baelfire?' (Okay, one more: And Pinocchio! Where is that hunka hunka lying wood?) I'm glad that Kitsis and Horowitz tied up so many loose ends in tonight's winter finale, since season 1 was hurt by storylines that dragged on far longer than they should have. At the same time, I wonder if Cora and Hook's arrival in Storybrooke is really enough of a cliffhanger -- especially since it wasn't really surprising that they found their way to the 'Land Without Magic' after all. Sure, 'The Queen of Hearts' was a game-changer -- it just wasn't as much of a game-changer as I was expecting it to be."

Laura Prudom of The Huffington Post gave the episode a positive review: "We knew that the creative team behind Once Upon a Time had something big in store for the show's winter finale, but it was still great to see all the plot threads tied so definitively together in 'Queen of Hearts,' making for an action-packed hour."

Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave it a C+: "For its winter finale, Once Upon A Time reverts back to the old status quo before throwing a silly new wrinkle in the mix, but let’s all just celebrate that Emma Swan and Snow White have finally made it back to Storybrooke. As their fairy tale adventure dragged on, this show began to lose focus of the relationships, but this week’s installment helps get things back on track. That said, it’s the structurally flawed track that Once Upon A Time has been on since the start, so there are still plenty of issues with 'Queen Of Hearts.' This episode by show-runners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz is definitely stronger than the last few chapters of this show, but it still feels unsatisfying. The writers continue to quickly write the characters out of every obstacle with a makeshift magical solution, and the result is a general 'That was it?' feeling when everything is resolved." Sava also made comparisons between OUaT to another TV series (Charmed), saying that "both shows are fantasy soap operas with one foot in a world somewhat resembling reality, have a heavy emphasis on magic, and feature a cast of tough females, but there’s also an artificiality that makes everything a little bit hokey," but unlike Charmed, Sava points out that "everything is dead serious in Once Upon A Time."

Amy Ratcliffe of IGN gave the episode an 8.3, proclaiming that "the winter finale of Once Upon a Time delivers with happy endings." She also was impressed with Lana Parrilla's performance in this episode as the conflicted Regina and added that "Cora being the Queen of Hearts was a great touch" to the plotline.

Trivia[]

  • The object/animal/person in this episode is a Geyser rising from the dry bed of Lake Nostos.

Goofs[]

  • Emma and Snow's weapons disappear when the shot changes just before Snow says "Emma, run!" when they are fighting Cora.
  • During the time when Emma was in Rumpelstiltskin's cell, whilst talking to Hook, the position of her hands kept changing places between shots.

Quotes[]

[as Emma saves Mary Margaret from Cora, her own heart becomes the target of Cora's deadly grip]
Cora: Oh, you foolish girl! Don't you know? Love is weakness.
[she tries to rip Emma's heart out, but for some reason can't make it happen]
Emma Swan: No. It's strength!
[Cora is blasted away by some magical force]
Mary Margaret Blanchard: When I was a little girl, I used to sneak into Cora's chamber and watch her practice magic. She had a spell book, and, Emma... the spells were in the book!
Emma Swan: Yeah. Isn't that what a spell book is, a book that has spells in it?
Mary Margaret Blanchard: We're going to win this fight, you know. Good always defeats evil.
Emma Swan: You sound like Henry.
Mary Margaret Blanchard: Guess optimism runs in the family.
Emma Swan: I think it skipped a generation.
[Mary Margaret has roused her husband from his sleep]
David Nolan: You... You did it.
Mary Margaret Blanchard: Did you ever doubt I would?
David Nolan: No.
[they kiss]
David Nolan: Though the burning red room did give me pause.
Emma Swan: Um... your mom, she's, uh... she's... a piece of work, you know?
Regina Mills: Indeed I do.
[Hook has saved Aurora's heart from falling through the portal]
Captain Hook: I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart. Unless it's over me.
Evil Queen: You remember Claude?
Captain Hook: Can't say that I do.
Evil Queen: You killed him in the cell block.
Captain Hook: Ah, yes. I didn't recognize him without my hook in his neck.
Evil Queen: [speaking to the "dead" Cora] I'm sorry, Mother. Without you, I never would have become the person I am now. But I had no choice. I had to do this. After you killed Daniel, you told me something I've never forgotten. Love - is - weakness. Well, Mother, you are my weakness. Because I love you.
Captain Hook: Do you know what this is, Emma?
Emma Swan: The bean that the giant kept.
[she tries to grab it]
Captain Hook: [keeps it away from her] Uh-uh-uh. Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this... well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you.
Emma Swan: Your scroll. I saw it in your cell. You wrote my name again, and again, and again.
Mr. Gold: Just wanted to make sure it would stick.
Emma Swan: You created the curse, Gold. You made me the savior. So everything I've ever done... it's exactly what you wanted me to do.
Mr. Gold: I created the curse, dearie, but I didn't make you. I merely took advantage of what you are - the product of true love. That's why you're powerful. And everything you've done... you've done yourself.
Captain Hook: [of Belle] So pretty. Yet so useless.
[during a swordfight with Hook, Emma has fallen to the ground]
Captain Hook: Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it.
Captain Hook: Well, what shall you have me do?
Cora/Queen of Hearts: Get me close to my daughter. And then I'll rip her heart out.
[first lines]
Black Knight: Halt!
Hooded Man: [carrying a bucket] Food for the prisoner.
Black Knight: It's not mealtime. Who are you? Identify yourself, slave!
[he tries to uncover the man, and a short battle ensues, which the man wins]
Captain Hook: [removing his hood] "Slave"! I prefer "Captain".
[the Queen of Hearts is whispering something to her knave]
Knave of Hearts: The Queen wants to know why you've come to Wonderland.
Captain Hook: I'm in search of someone. In her native land, she goes by Cora.
Cora/Queen of Hearts: [removes her mask] In this land, she goes by "Your Majesty"!
[Hook has tried to rip out Cora's heart, but to no avail]
Cora/Queen of Hearts: I'm the Queen of Hearts. Do you really think I'd be so careless as to keep my heart where everyone else does? *This*...
[her turn to grab Hook's heart]
Cora/Queen of Hearts: ...is how it's done.
Leroy: Nobody steals from a dwarf!
Doc: ...Except the Queen.
Happy: ...And Rumplestiltskin.
Henry Mills: [to Regina] Emma and Mary Margaret are going to come through. I know it. You said you wanted to change. To be better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in *me*.
Mr. Gold: Just remind me never to bet against you in the future, Ms. Swan.
Mary Margaret Blanchard: Told ya. Good always wins.
Captain Hook: Wouldn't it have been easier to reconcile with her before her curse destroys the land?
Cora: Regina doesn't need me not now, not when she thinks she's about to win. But I still have a place in her heart. And the curse won't last forever. It will end. In 28 years, there'll be a savior, and she'll break it.
[Hook gives her a look]
Cora: You won't even notice. You'll be frozen, like all those in this corner of the land. But when the curse ends, and our quest will resume, and when it does, Regina will truly have lost everything, and *then* she'll need me.
Cora/Queen of Hearts: You're now going to tell me everything and do exactly what I want. Because when you hold a heart, you control it. You have the power.
Cora: Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits.
Mr. Gold: We have to consider the possibility that when that portal opens, it won't be his family that come through. It'll be Cora.
Regina Mills: And neither one of us wants that.
Mr. Gold: We have to find where they're coming through and destroy that portal.
Regina Mills: But whoever came through would die.
Mr. Gold: Exactly. But I'm confident between the two of us we can summon up enough magic to complete the task
Regina Mills: Well, what if we're wrong? What if that portal opens up, and it's not my mother? What if Mary Margaret and Emma do defeat Cora and go through it?
Mr. Gold: Well, I believe in this world, they call that a win-win.
Regina Mills: How exactly is that?
Mr. Gold: If we stop Cora, you are protected from your mother's wrath. If, on the other hand, we stop Snow and Emma, well you become the only mother in your son's life, now don't you?
Episodes
Season 1
PilotThe Thing You Love MostSnow FallsThe Price of GoldThat Still Small VoiceThe ShepherdThe Heart Is a Lonely HunterDesperate SoulsTrue North7:15 A.M.Fruit of the Poisonous TreeSkin DeepWhat Happened to FrederickDreamyRed-HandedHeart of DarknessHat TrickThe Stable BoyThe ReturnThe StrangerAn Apple Red as BloodA Land Without Magic
Season 2
BrokenWe Are BothLady of the LakeThe CrocodileThe DoctorTallahasseeChild of the MoonInto the DeepQueen of HeartsThe Cricket GameThe OutsiderIn the Name of the BrotherTinyManhattanThe Queen Is DeadThe Miller's DaughterWelcome to StorybrookeSelfless, Brave and TrueLaceyThe Evil QueenSecond Star to the RightAnd Straight On 'til Morning
Season 3
The Heart of the Truest BelieverLost GirlQuite a Common FairyNasty HabitsGood FormAriel (Episode)Dark HollowThink Lovely ThoughtsSave HenryThe New NeverlandGoing HomeNew York City SerenadeWitch HuntThe TowerQuiet MindsIt's Not Easy Being GreenThe Jolly RogerBleeding ThroughA Curious ThingKansasSnow DriftsThere's No Place Like Home
Season 4
A Tale of Two SistersWhite OutRocky RoadThe ApprenticeBreaking GlassFamily BusinessThe Snow QueenSmash the MirrorFallShattered SightHeroes and VillainsDarkness on the Edge of TownUnforgivenEnter the DragonPoor Unfortunate SoulBest Laid PlansHeart of GoldSympathy for the De VilLilyMotherOperation Mongoose
Season 5
The Dark SwanThe PriceSiege PerilousThe Broken KingdomDreamcatcherThe Bear and the BowNimueBirthThe Bear KingBroken HeartSwan SongSouls of the DepartedLabor of LoveDevil's DueThe Brothers JonesOur DecayHer Handsome HeroRuby SlippersSistersFirebirdLast RitesOnly YouAn Untold Story
Season 6
The SaviorA Bitter DraughtThe Other ShoeStrange CaseStreet RatsDark WatersHeartlessI'll Be Your MirrorChangelingsWish You Were HereTougher Than the RestMurder Most FoulIll-Boding PatternsPage 23A Wondrous PlaceMother's Little HelperAwakeWhere Bluebirds FlyThe Black FairyThe Song in Your HeartThe Final Battle
Season 7
Hyperion HeightsA Pirate's LifeThe Garden of Forking PathsBeautyGreenbacksWake Up CallEloise GardenerPretty in BlueOne Little TearThe Eighth WitchSecret GardenA Taste of the HeightsKnightfallThe Girl in the TowerSisterhoodBreadcrumbsChosenThe GuardianFlower ChildIs This Henry Mills?HomecomingLeaving Storybrooke
Wonderland
Down the Rabbit HoleTrust MeForget Me NotThe SerpentHeart of StoneWho's AliceBad BloodHomeNothing to FearDirty Little SecretsHeart of the MatterTo Catch a ThiefAnd They Lived...
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