Once Upon A Time SEASON 3 EPISODE 11 FULL LENGTH REACTION

Going Home- Thank you so much for another reaction to such a beautiful episode of Once Upon a Time, my dear friend! Oh my goodness!!!!! I absolutely love, love, love this episode so very much!!!! :) It's easily and by far one of my absolutely favorite episodes throughout this entire show!! And it completely tore my heart out and crushed it the first time I watched it when it first aired on television years ago, just as this episode continues to do so every time I rewatch Going Home. It's so, so sad, and yet so beautiful for so many of our characters that I love so much! :) First, to help you understand this episode, and why it was written such as it is... Yes, this episode is actually this season's midseason finale. And this episode was written and filmed before this show's creators and writers knew whether or not Once Upon a Time would be cancelled by the time this midseason finale first aired on television. And despite so many fans coming to love season three as one of their favorite seasons throughout the entire show... if not their very favorite, the ratings for Once Upon a Time were sadly way down at this point in the show. So, in order to be safe, the show's creators and writers chose to write an episode for this season that would be a good ending to all of Once Upon a Time, just in case it was to be cancelled after this midseason aired. However, it was written to end just after we see Emma and Henry escape the curse by crossing the town line, while we see all the rest of our favorite fairy tale characters disappear within the purple and green smoke of the curse. The one year later forward we get at the end with Hook coming back into Emma's life in the very ending, was later written and filmed once this show's creators and writers found out that Once Upon a Time was thankfully getting renewed for the second half of this season, as well as another whole season after season three. This whole end scene between Emma and Hook was later added onto the original ending just before its first airing on television, so that we could all become so excited for Once Upon a Time to return for the second half of season three in a few months!! And what a cliffhanger! Absolutely brilliant and fabulous!!! :) And now... One of my absolute favorite moments in this episode is when everyone says their goodbyes, which I will get back to more later on... But I will say that I especially love, love, love the moment when Hook says his own goodbye to Emma, as he compliments her vessel and then states lovingly, "There's not a day will go by I won't think of you." So beautiful and again... I love the emotion shown on his face with the tears in his eyes, as well as in Emma's when she listens to him, then responds simply, "Good." I love the way they stare at one another for several seconds before he finally walks away from her feeling disheartened. I love the emotional impact this moment gives me. And between Hook and Neal, I can't help but feel that Emma's chemistry and feelings for Hook are most definitely stronger. This is just how I feel. But back to what I was saying... I feel Emma's and Hook's chemistry is stronger. Mostly because their actors... Jennifer Morrison and Colin O'Donoghue, have such beautiful chemistry with one another. Even though Emma never had chance or the time to work her feelings through for either one of the men who love her. It's quite a beautiful moment between Hook and Emma, as is this entire goodbye scene. But more thoughts on everyone's goodbyes shortly... I absolutely love seeing a brief flashback between Hook and Tinker Bell in Neverland, as well as with Smee too. of course!! And I love how it ties into the present day storyline, as Hook risks his life to try to help his friends capture Pan's shadow, all for Emma. Not for himself or for revenge like he continues to pretend, but all because he loves Emma so much, in spite of him believing that Emma could never love him in return. So sad and so beautiful. Also... I love how Tink earns her wings and magic back by believing in herself, and I really like the moment with her and Blue when Blue apologizes for losing her belief in her. And I'm happy that Blue is alive again too, because I like her character. While we haven't seen much with her except for mostly in flashbacks... I feel she's a very important character in regards to helping our heroes, as she is the leader of the fairies. And she is very powerful. And I believe that she means well. I am also happy that she apologizes to Tink for being too strict, and states that Tink has earned her wings back many times over. Next... Pan is so sly and cruel towards both Regina and Rumple, and I love every moment! Robbie Kay is absolutely brilliant in the role of Pan, and Pan is a phenomenal villain, outside of both Rumplestiltskin and the Evil Queen of course! There is good reason why Pan is easily one of the fans' most favorite villains throughout all of Once Upon a Time. Robbie Kay is phenomenal as Pan!!! And now... Rumple has finally defeated Pan at last, but sadly at the cost of his own life. It's so tragic. I remember screaming at the screen when I first watched this episode. Why?!!!!! Why did they have to kill off Rumplestiltskin?!! How could they?!!! Again... This moment upon Rumple sacrificing himself to kill Pan so he could save everyone else, mainly Neal and Belle of course, is also quite beautiful and heartbreaking. I especially feel for Belle when she collapses and cries out his name upon being forced to watch him die. It's tragic. I also feel badly for Neal, who you can see is hurting upon losing his father even though he holds his own emotion back. You can see the pain of his loss in his eyes. Next... I also feel so badly for Regina, and everyone else too of course, knowing they all have to return to the Enchanted Forest without Emma and Henry, who now no longer remembers them because of Pan's curse. So sad. Again... Why?!!!! But wow the overall goodbyes scene is so, so beautiful and such a tearjerker for me. I ball every time throughout this episode's entire ending!! I also love seeing the moment again when Emma is giving birth to Henry, first shown back in this season's premiere episode, titled... The Heart of the Truest Believer, and then seeing her memory change because of Regina's magic, as she gives Emma and Henry new memories of their pasts, upon Storybrooke being destroyed. Emma never did actually keep Henry, but as far as she and Henry now believe and remember, Emma did. Beautiful. So sweet and so sad. And now.... Hook's back!!!!! I was screaming at the screen all over again the first time I watched this episode, and I have done so every time since too!!!! But this time because I am so happy to see Hook appear in New York to try to convince Emma her family is in danger. Perfect!!! And I am so happy that it is Hook who has come to New York for Emma over anyone else!!! I love him so much!!! And I love the idea of Hook and Emma together!! :) And as for Hook kissing Emma... I understand that Hook is trying to give her True Love's Kiss in order to restore her memories, and because Hook does truly love her as was revealed to us throughout this episode. But while we know that Hook loves Emma, Emma in no way loves him in return. She never had the chance and time once again to allow herself to figure out her feelings for Hook or for Neal. So, True Love's Kiss wouldn't have worked either way because their love has to work both ways. This moment is just awkward. However, I do appreciate that while this moment is awkward, it does show us that Hook really does love Emma wholeheartedly and truly, given that in this moment, he truly believed that his love for her might have been enough to break the curse. And I absolutely love this! :) As for the apparent lack of emotions from our heroes, like many fans feel about this episode's midseason finale ending... I completely disagree with most everyone else. I don't see everyone as emotionless. I feel more like they are really struggling to hold their emotions inside, in order to keep up a brave face. Not only for themselves, but for Emma and Henry. As well as for Regina, who is about to make the biggest sacrifice to save them all from being cursed again in Pan's curse. And it's true. You can see a struggle in Mary Margaret's eyes, and in David's. Especially in Mary Margaret's. Just like you can see the struggle in Neal's eyes upon his father's death. And like you can see the pain in Hook's eyes upon him having to watch Emma drive away, believing in this moment that he won't ever see her again, and knowing that she won't ever remember him. So, yes... Everyone is definitely showing emotions, while they struggle to keep them inside for Emma's, Henry's, and Regina's sake. As well as for their own. In regards to why Neal couldn't join Emma and Henry... It's simply because he was born in the Enchanted Forest like everyone else except for Henry. Were it not for Emma being the Savior... for being able to escape the curses cast, Henry would have been all alone because he is the only one of them all who was actually born here in our world and not in the Enchanted Forest. The conditions have nothing to do with those who were and weren't cursed to begin with. Otherwise... Hook and Tinker Bell would have been able to stay with Emma and Henry too. In regards to each of the backstory scenes added throughout this episode, and them all taking away time from what might have, or could have been a stronger battle between our heroes and the Shadow... I really wish this battle between a few of our heroes and Pan's Shadow could have been a little longer to make room for more of a fight, and I feel like this episode definitely could have been a two part episode, in order to add more to everyone's story. However, I really love the added scenes within these characters' backstories. Especially this scene between Hook and Tinker Bell in Neverland, given that it explains why Hook is still fighting and standing against Pan and his Shadow... All for love, which in this case, he's in love with Emma. And I really love it!! And I love that we get to see Hook's and Tink's first meeting too. I also love the other backstory moments with Snow and Charming, Emma and baby Henry, Henry and Mary Margaret, and with Rumplestiltskin and Belle too. I absolutely love them all! Because they are all special and just as important to the feelings that all of our main characters are feeling throughout this episode. Moments and emotions that they're all thinking about throughout this episode. And we can see this through very pivotal moments within this episode for certain characters. This is why they're important to this episode. I hope this makes sense. Oh... And as for the moment when Mary Margaret gives Henry the storybook, shown in a backstory scene that takes place months before Henry first brings Emma to Storybrooke... Absolutely beautiful!! I love seeing how Mary Margaret comes to give the storybook to him as she talks about how the stories inside the book shares hope and the possibility of a happy ending, and I absolutely seeing Henry immediately begin to believe when he turns to look at Mary Margaret again as she begins to walk away from him, only for him to momentarily see her as Snow White after opening up to the pages sharing hers and Charming's love story. So beautiful and powerful. Obviously, the creators and writers had no idea that they would be writing a scene such as this one between Henry and Mary Margaret back when Jared Gilmore looked the appropriate age for this scene upon this moment being set before Emma ever comes Storybrooke. Given that they didn't even know Once Upon a Time would survive past season one. However, this scene is important to this episode, because it reveals to us how our characters are feeling and what they're thinking about. Like I mention above. So yes... Jared Gilmore is older and taller than he should be for a scene such as this, but I appreciate that the creators and writer chose to include this moment in this episode, nonetheless. Because it's beautiful. Also... If you didn't notice, Jared Gilmore does try to act younger in this scene than he normally acts, to try to make himself smaller and sound like his younger self. And he is sitting down throughout this entire scene, in order to try to hide his growth spurt so that he can try to make himself appear as small as he possibly can. And I appreciate this too. And yes... It's mentioned in the Pilot episode that Mary Margaret had given Henry the storybook. Just in case you don't remember how he first got the storybook. And in regards to how the book came into Mary Margaret's possession and how it comes to be... It's always been told that the storybook appears by magic to the person who needs it most. In this case... It was Mary Margaret and soon to be Henry. Brilliant!!! :) And finally... I have to say, I really love this Neverland arc as a whole!! Pan is a phenomenal villain, played by an actor who is brilliant at a young age. Robbie Kay plays Pan better than any other teenage actor I've ever seen in any movie version of Peter Pan before. And I really love the overall direction in which this arc takes us! However, with all this being said... I also feel some disappointments within this arc, which to me, brings this overall arc down slightly more than I wish these few complaints do. First... While I really, really love Henry throughout the entire show, this is the one arc in which I feel his character is at his weakest. Not that Jared Gilmore does a bad job in acting as Henry, because I still really love his character all throughout this half of the season. But I just feel that the writers failed him by writing Henry the way they did in some episodes, because Henry is a little weak and he makes some decisions that I feel are just stupid, if not very out of character for him. Like when he foolishly sacrifices his heart for Pan. He really should have trusted and believed in his parents over Pan in that moment. Especially after Pan proclaims he's never lied to Henry, when Henry knows full well that this is not at all true. Because Pan lied to him many times. I just hated this moment, and I was mad with Henry for being so gullible. I love what we get from Pan and the rest of our characters, but not so much from Henry himself. I just really wish this arc wasn't so focused around saving Henry from Pan. There are many ways this Neverland arc could have been written, and I wish they had gone with some other ideas on top of this main storyline for Henry. Although, for it to have been written as it has been, it does allow for us to see a lot of character development for many of our beloved characters. Mainly for Emma, Hook, Regina, and Rumplestiltskin, and I do truly love their storylines throughout this arc just as they are!! :) And second... I would have chosen to write a different storyline, or at least added a storyline for two characters in particular... My biggest complaint with this overall arc that I do still love as it is, is that the rivalry between Peter Pan and Captain Hook that many people like me, have grown up with and have loved since Peter Pan was first written by J.M. Barrie, then was made into a play, multiple Disney movies, and multiple other movies, as well as many books over the years... Their rivalry was hardly touched upon. I really, really wish that there was more interaction between Hook and Pan throughout this arc, given that Hook and Pan are one of the most famous and beloved rivalries within all fairy tales. At least for me. Because I love their rivalry, that I truly wish could have been written into this Neverland arc. Instead, we only get one episode within this arc where Hook and Pan actually interact, and not as much as I would have liked. In the fifth episode, titled... Good Form. And this is partly the reason why Good Form is one of my overall favorite episodes. Not only within the Neverland arc, but throughout this entire show as well. That... And because it is so centered around Hook. Whom I absolutely love so much! Outside of in Good Form... Pan and Hook only have one more very brief interaction just before the heroes' battle against the Lost Boys shown within this season's second episode, titled... Lost Girl, as Pan calls out to Hook saying he's disappointed in him for being foolish enough to return to Neverland after he had set him free, and that he's there to fight on the side of the heroes' instead of with him. I love Hook as a character, and I absolutely love all of the scenes between Hook and Pan throughout Good Form!! I just would have loved to see this rivalry brought about in more episodes, far more than it was. I really would love to know your thoughts about this, Tim. What do you think about the Neverland arc as a whole, and do you agree that this show's creators and writers should have expanded more on the infamous rivalry between Hook and Pan? Please let me know! Thank you!!! What's to come is so exciting!!! And I cannot wait for many more reactions for Once Upon a Time from you to come, Timothee!! Because what's in store is just as good as the first half of the season, if not better. It's near impossible for me to say which season or arcs are the best throughout this show overall. There's so much good in all of them. :) And yes... As hard as it is to believe, this show only continues to be just as good as all that you have loved from Once Upon a Time so far!!! You have lots of good episodes to look forward to! So, just you wait!! Thank you again so much, Timothee! Until your reaction for the fourth and final episode for this month... Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum