This article focuses on the Season Two episode, "Queen of Hearts". For the character Queen of Hearts, see Cora.
Template:Episode2Queen of Hearts is the ninth episode of Season Two of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It is the thirty-first episode of the series overall, and premiered on December 2, 2012.
Synopsis
Cora and Captain Hook face off with Mary Margaret and Emma in a race to secure the compass, which will point its holder to the portal into Storybrooke. But back on the other side, Regina and Mr. Gold, desperate to keep Cora out, put a plan into action that would kill anyone entering the portal, placing Mary Margaret’s and Emma’s lives in danger as well. Meanwhile, back in the Fairytale Land that was, Captain Hook travels to Wonderland and meets up with a vengeful Queen of Hearts.
Recap
In the Fairytale Land that was, a hooded man walks up the steps of the Dark Palace's cell block. When he is stopped by a guard, a fight ensues. The man prevails against two guards, and is revealed to be Captain Hook. He takes keys from one of the guards and opens the door to the nearby cell.
Inside the cell, Belle asks Hook if the Evil Queen sent him to kill her. When Hook replies that he is there to rescue her, Belle asks who he is. Hook simply replies, "a friend". Hook further explains that her father is being attacked by Rumplestiltskin, and must be stopped. He asks Belle about a magical weapon that can stop him. When it becomes apparent that Belle has no knowledge useful to him, Hook knocks her out. He raises his hook in preparation to strike the unconscious Belle, and as he swings downward, it disappears. The Evil Queen stands in the doorway of the cell with his hook in her hand.
Captain Hook asks for his hook back, but the queen refuses. The queen knows of Hook and she knows all about the crocodile he wants to skin. Then she states that she can help him, if he helps her first. She invites Hook to tea where she tells him about her plan to unleash the Dark Curse, and how it will take them to a new land, a land without magic. There Hook will be able to kill Rumplestiltskin with ease, but first he must kill the one person who may stand in her way, her mother.
In Storybrooke Regina and Mr. Gold wait anxiously for David's awakening from the Sleeping Curse. Regina says that he will not wake up until Mary Margaret returns to Storybrooke to kiss him. Mr. Gold seems pessimistic about her return, and is unsure if David was able to deliver the message. He says that Cora may be the one who manages to get through the portal into Storybrooke and that they must stop her. Regina then says that Emma and Mary Margaret still could come through but Mr. Gold says that even if they did it would still be a win for Regina as she would be the only mother for Henry. Regina says that she has been trying to be a better mother to Henry and regain his trust. Mr. Gold replies by saying she won't be a better anything if Cora manages to come through the portal.
In present Fairytale Land Mulan, Aurora, Mary Margaret, and Emma search through the cave to find Rumplestilskins cell. When they find it Mary Margaret tells Emma it was the place where Rumplestiltskin told them she was to be the savior. Emma is surprised by this. As they are looking for the squid ink Aurora finds a scroll left by Rumplestiltskin, for Emma. She is handed the scroll and sees her name written over and over again.
Meanwhile, in Storybrooke Henry reads his Book to a sleeping David. Regina than walks in telling Henry that this time Mary Margaret will be the one to wake up David, then Regina tells Henry to watch over David while her and Mr. Gold prepare for the arrival of Emma and Mary Margaret.
Mr. Gold leads Regina down into the mines where diamonds were found. Regina shines a flashlight up at them revealing tons of sparkling diamonds. She is surprised when Mr. Gold says that they need to use all of the diamonds. When asked how Mr. Gold pulls out the Fairy Godmother's wand, telling Regina it is from a dead fairy that no one mourns. He then points the wand up towards the diamonds and the wand absorbs the magic into itself and glows.
Back in the Fairytale Land that was Evil Queen has just enchanted Captain Hook's hook so that it will be able to take one heart. She then shows him the body of the man he killed, and tells him he will be traveling with him. Hook is confused as to this, but Regina explains that if two travel, two must return. He will travel to Wonderland with Claude's corpse and return with the corpse of Cora. She takes the hat out and lays it down, but Hook asks how he will find her but Regina assures him he will have no trouble. She then spins the hat, opening a portal to Wonderland.
In Wonderland, Hook is stopped by the Queen of Heart's Guards. They drag him to be questioned by the Queen. She sits above her courtiers and asks why Hook has traveled to Wonderland, through the Knave of Hearts. Hook admits he is in search of a woman named Cora. The Queen of Hearts is furious at this and takes off her mask revealing herself as Cora, but says here he should call her "Your Majesty". Then she tells her subjects to leave them. Everyone runs out leaving just Hook and Cora. She begins questioning him and he tells her his name is Hook. As the two get closer Hook tries to rip out her heart with his enchanted Hook. Cora laughs at his attempt and tells him that she doesn't keep her heart where everyone else does. Then she reaches into his chest and squeezes his heart until he tells her who sent him here. After he tells her that it was Regina, Cora seems hurt by this and continues to squeeze his heart to torture him.
In present day Fairytale Land, they continue to search for the squid ink. Mulan finds the container that held the squid ink but it is empty. Aurora then throws a rock, causing the cell walls to fall down on them, caging them into the cell. Cora then appears and tells them that Aurora has been helping her, summoning the compass from Emma's hand. The group then questions Aurora for betraying them but Cora shows them the heart, telling them that she was under her control. Hook steps forward and tells Emma that he was the one to take the heart. Cora walks away with the compass in one hand and Aurora's heart in the other, on her way to find Storybrooke. Before they leave Emma asks Hook to stop and tells him that her son needs her. Hook laughs and tells her that she should have thought about that before she abandoned him on the beanstalk. Emma tells him that he would have done the same but Hook denies this. Then he shows Emma the magic bean that the giant kept and compares her to it; saying she too is dried up and useless. He then leaves with Cora.
In the Storybrooke mines, Leroy notices that all the diamonds are gone. Ruby runs in asking him what happened, and she too notices the diamonds have dissappeared. Meanwhile Henry reads his book to a sleeping David before Ruby and the seven dwarves walk in. After they tell him about the missing diamonds, he realizes that his Regina lied to him. The group decide to help Emma and Mary Margaret.
In present Fairytale Land Emma tries to break out of the cell using her sword, but Mary Margaret tells her that it is useless. Emma then says that although she is the savior she hasn't saved anyone in a long time and that the only reason she broke the curse was because Mr. Gold wanted her too. She then hands the scroll with her name on it to Mary Margaret.
Cora and Hook are guided by the compass to a dried up Lake Nostos. The lake can restore the magic of wardrobe ashes. Cora uses her magic to create a geyser, which shoots water up into the air refilling the lake.
In Wonderland's past, Cora continues to interrogate Hook. Cora tells him that Regina should have been the one to come., then releases her grip on Hook's heart. Hook thanks her for taking mercy on him. She then offers him the choice to travel back to Fairytale Land with her. Hook is confused and asks her why. Cora tells him that the curse will erase all of his memory, so he will not be able to remember his fued with Rumplestiltskin. Cora asks of Hook to bring her close to her daughter, so she can rip her heart out. In exchange Hook be spared from the curse and will remember everything.
Hook brings Cora's body to Regina, who is convinced that she is dead as her body lay in an uncovered tomb. Hook leaves the room so Regina can say goodbye to her mother. She then apologizes to Cora, thanking her for making the person she has become. Regina recalls, when her mother killed Daniel and told her that "love is weakness". She then confesses that the reason she wanted her mother dead was because Cora was her weakness. She then places a red rose on Cora, and then leaves the room to enact the dark curse.
Hook walks toward her from behind the vault of hearts, asking why she didn't kill Regina. Cora tells Hook that she doesn't want to, but that they must protect themselves from the impending curse. Later as the curse comes storming through the land, Cora plunges a staff into the ground causing magic to be propeled into the sky, this creates a shield over much of Fairytale Land. The Curse settles overhed but does not engulf them. Everyone in this corner of the land will be frozen until the savior comes. Cora tells Hook that in twenty-eight years the savior will come and she will reconcile with her daughter, and he will get his revenge.
Appearances
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Trivia
- The titlecard features water shooting up from the dry lakebed of Lake Nostos.
- The scene where the group walks down Main Street is similar to the scene in "Broken" when the same group walks down the same street and Mary Margaret Blanchard confronts Emma about having met her parents.
- The flashbacks in this episode occur shortly before "Pilot" and before and simultaneously with "The Thing You Love Most".
- The scene where Regina places a rose near her mother's "dead" body is similar to the scene in "The Thing You Love Most" where she places a rose on her father's grave.
- The scene in which Mary Margaret awakens David with true love's kiss and the conversation they have thereafter mirrors the scene in the "Pilot" (in which Prince Charming awoke Snow White instead).