RECAP: Once Upon a Time 2x15 - "The Queen is Dead"

Things are about to change in Storybrooke after this week's episode of Once Upon a Time. Secrets come to light, discoveries are made, and lives will be changed forever. 

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Fairy tale Flashback:
   Young Snow and her mother, who is currently alive, are excited for the ball later that evening celebrating Snow's birthday. Her mother mentions a gift she would like to give Snow, a tiara that has been passed down by the women of the family. The two enter the queen's chambers for the heirloom but catch their hand maid Johanna trying the tiara on. Snow lets her bitchy side loose reprimanding Johanna that it is her tiara and it was not meant for servants to wear, only royalty. Her mother is shocked and scolds her for acting so ugly. She explains to Snow that she was not raised that way and that when she wears this tiara it will be her duty to lead the people with goodness and rule justly. Suddenly, her mother collapses out of breath. 

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   The doctor is unsure of what is ailing the queen and requests that someone send word to the King, who is away, that his wife is ill. Snow proposes they cancel the celebration until the queen is feeling better but her mother protests. She wants to see her daughter walk into the ballroom wearing the tiara on her birthday. The queen begins to cough up blood and Snow is ushered out of the bed chambers. Snow fears her mother will die and confides in Johanna who suggests that perhaps magic can save the queen if medicine cannot. She informs Snow of her mother's secret confidant, the blue fairy, that has very powerful magic. She says the fairy will only grant a wish if the person's heart is true. Determined, Snow sets off into the woods late at night to wish on the blue star that will summon the fairy. 

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   As she struggles to find the correct star to wish upon, she is surprised by the blue fairy herself. Snow begs the blue fairy to help save her mother but the fairy confesses that she won't be able to cheat death with her pure magic. Snow refuses to give up and says there must be something she can do. The blue fairy discloses that she may be able to conjure a remedy that is forbidden among the fairies but Snow must swear never to tell anyone of this. The fairy presents Snow with a candle that is infused with dark magic that can save her mother. She warns Snow that all magic comes with a price and in order for one life to be saved, another life must be lost in return. Snow must choose a life to sacrifice, hold the candle over their heart and whisper their name. When the candle is lit, their life will be traded for her mothers.
   The next day Snow runs into her mother's chambers sobbing. She explains that she met with the blue fairy last night and was given a dark magic candle that can restore her life by taking someone else's life. Well did she do it? Of course not, it's Snow White. She apologizes to her mother for being too afraid to take a person's life to save hers. Her mother is proud of her daughter and tells her that it took great strength to overcome darkness. She tells Snow that with or without her, she will be a great queen someday. With that, the queen takes her last breath. 
   After the queen's funeral, the "blue fairy" who is actually Cora in disguise appears and reveals she had poisoned the queen. She tells the queen's corpse that one day she will turn Snow's heart black and will destroy the queen's legacy. 

The Search for the Dagger:
   Snow and Charming or rather Mary Margaret and David are back at Emma's loft where Mary Margaret refuses to celebrate her birthday. David tries to convince her otherwise but she won't hear it. She finds a present sitting on the table that was left at the door for her containing the tiara her mother had given her. She reads the card and sees that it was sent to her by Johanna who she didn't realize was in Storybrooke. While Snow goes off in search of her friend, David returns to the sheriff's office. He is unexpectedly attacked by Hook who knocks him out with a crowbar-ouch! He grabs David's keys and unlocks the drawer holding his infamous hook. 

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   Snow reunites with Johanna at her home and thanks her for the gift. Apparently Johanna came across it in Gold's shop and knew Mary Margaret had to have it. The two reminisce over the past and the origin of Snow's name is revealed. According to Johanna, Snow was born during one of the kingdom's harshest winters. Johanna was planting snowdrop flowers in memory of Mary Margaret's mother and as the two think of her benevolence, they hear a strange noise coming from the forest nearby. Mary Margaret leaves Johanna and goes off to investigate. She spots Regina and Cora digging a large hole and overhears them discussing finding Gold or Rumpelstiltskin's dagger and killing whomever Regina wants. Mary Margaret races over to the sheriff's office and finds David passed out on the ground. She brings him to consciousness and informs him that Regina and Cora have conspired together to find the dagger and abuse it's power. Worried Gold won't come back to town in time, Mary Margaret concocts a plan to slow Regina down by putting doubt inside her head about Cora's motives.

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   Mary Margaret gets Regina to meet with her at Granny's diner and confronts her about lying and searching for the dagger. Mary Margaret advises her that she has one last chance to choose the side of good and that she shouldn't give that up considering she has been working so hard to change for the better. Regina rebuttals and tells her that she doesn't want to sit around with hypocrites who pretend to forgive her but in fact hate her. She cautions Mary Margaret to stay out of her way. Mary Margaret warns Regina that listening to her mother is a mistake because Cora doesn't care about her or Henry. All she wants is power. Regina ends the conversation with, "and what would you know about mothers?" Harsh. 
   Figuring magic may be the only way to stop the evil mother daughter duo, Mary Margaret and David drive over to mother superior (a.k.a. The Blue Fairy) and ask her for help in finding the dagger before Cora and Regina do. The three stop off at Gold's shop but are unable to disarm a dark magic protection spell on the entrance. Mary Margaret suggests they try and use dark magic just like the blue fairy told her when she was a child. Mother superior is surprised and says she never said such a thing. Hmm..wonder why?

Back in the Big Apple:
   Neal and Henry are bonding quite nicely but the two still haven't forgiven Emma or Gold. Gold proposes that Emma talk to Neal and try to convince him to move to Storybrooke with them. She is reluctant at first but is convinced when Gold calls her out on being worried she'll get hurt again by Neal if he moves there.

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   Finally alone, Emma reminds Neal that they will have to go back to Storybrooke and that he should come with them if he wants to spend more time with Henry. Neal says he can't because of complicated reasons but there is something he has been wanting to tell Emma for a while. Before he can get a word in, they are interrupted by Henry who is excited about taking the subway for the first time. As Neal and Henry run off, Emma tells Gold that Neal may need more time before he goes to Storybrooke. Out of nowhere, Hook bursts in, pushes Emma to the ground, backs Gold to the wall, and stabs him in the chest with his hook. "Times up crocodile". Hook threatens to finish him off but before he can plunge his hook once more into Gold, Emma rises and smashes a fire extinguisher at Hook knocking him unconscious. Back at Neal's apartment, Emma locks Hook in a random storage closet and Neal tends to the bleeding Gold. She says she found a map on Hook's person that depicts the route Hook used to sail to Manhattan. 

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   Henry tries to comfort Gold, but Gold angrily whispers that this is all Henry's fault for bringing them back here. Henry is completely startled and leaves the room per Emma's request. Emma and Neal take a look at Gold's wound and see that it is surrounded by yellow puss. Apparently Hook had glazed his hook with poison that is not from this world, so no hospital or normal antidote can cure it. Gold tells them there is a cure back in Storybrooke and that the fastest way to get home is by sailing Hook's ship The Jolly Roger. Neal agrees to captain the voyage because supposedly he knows Hook and this world was not the first stop he made when he left home (his original magical realm). 
   Henry rejoins them and shows Emma a text he received from Mary Margaret communicating everything that has been happening in Storybrooke. Gold isn't worried that Regina and Cora will find his dagger because he has kept it hidden for centuries. Emma recommends Gold that he will have to trust somebody some time.

Losing Patience, Losing Faith:
   David gets a call from Emma and reveals the location of the daggers whereabouts. The camera pans to the clock tower....but of course! David and Mary Margaret make their way up the clock tower and discover the dagger attached to the back of one of the clock hands. Deep sigh of relief right? Wrong. Cora and Regina appear out of their usual clouds of purple smoke and summon Johanna. Regina grabs Johanna's heart right out of her chest and gives Mary Margaret a choice, the dagger or her friend's life. Well played ladies, well played. 

   Cora recites words Snow had once heard when she was a child and realizes that the blue fairy that had sworn her to secrecy in regards to the evil candle was in fact Cora the entire time. Mary Margaret continues to make several revelations including the fact that Cora had killed her mother to make her daughter the queen. Feeling hopeless, Mary Margaret falls to her knees and surrenders the dagger. Cora has what she wanted...but not quite everything. She uses her magic to thrust Johanna out the clock tower window and fall to her death. Oh snap! What a bitch! Regina and Cora disappear and leave Mary Margaret to mourn over the loss of her beloved friend.
   Regina and Cora congregate back at Regina's home to celebrate their victory. Confused, Regina confronts her mother about her history with Snow's mother the queen. Eventually it comes to her. The day Regina rescued Snow from the runaway horse was set up by Cora. Everything had been planned by Cora so her daughter could take the throne. Regina asks her mother why she wants the dagger if she has already become queen. Cora assures her that Regina will have Henry now that they have the dagger and not to fear her motives.
   Emma and Neal search the streets for a friend's car to take Gold to Hook's ship. On the way, Neal tells Emma they need to finish their earlier conversation. Once again the two are interrupted but this time by a woman running to Neal's side. He explains that this is his fiance Tamara. Emma clearly looks a bit heartbroken at this news and I'm sure Nemma fans felt the same.

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   Mary Margaret and David bury Johanna's body in the local cemetery and lament over the situation. Mary Margaret is starting to lose faith in goodness, her decisions, and who she is. It is settled. No more lives will be lost and no more hearts will be broken. She no longer cares about justice, she wants revenge. Mary Margaret is determined to kill Cora.

CHECK OUT NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE RIGHT HERE: