Once Upon A Time 3x18 “Bleeding Through” FULL REACTION

Bleeding Through- Thank you so much for another fun reaction for Once Upon a Time! This episode for me is one of the weaker ones from this season. And I only say that because I'm not really much of a fan of Cora, especially young Cora. Rose McGowan plays young Cora really well, but I have never really liked her much as an actress in anything. And young Cora is horrible in the past, just like she is in the present day too. I definitely love the Storybrooke storyline more than I like the backstory for this episode. However, it all makes sense as to why Zelena has turned out to be who she is, and why Cora is as she is too. Their actions are inexcusable and wrong in so many ways, but I understand them both better now because of the events within this episode. SO that's really good. I do somewhat feel sorry for young Cora after watching this episode because it was absolutely cruel of Jonathan to trick her so cruelly, but in my opinion... Cora wasn't forced to give up Zelena. She willingly chose to give her away because Cora was selfish and wanted a better life for herself and not for her child. She stated... "I have to give you up so that I can have my best chance." Or something like that. If she really loved Zelena at all, she would have wanted her to have her best chance, just like Emma wants for Henry, and Snow and David wants for Emma. It would have been a hard life for a miller's daughter to raise a child all on her own, but if she truly loved her child, she could have done it. Poor people even back in those days had children all the time just like everyone has. Cora was greedy and selfish through and through. Even before she ripped out her own heart so she wouldn't risk love getting in the way of what she wanted. She only ever cared about herself. She's always chosen her own self and power over Regina too. So in all honesty... I really can't feel too bad for Cora. In this circumstance, Zelena is the innocent and I feel the most bad for her, especially when she was an adorable innocent baby. Of course Princess Eva was wrong to act as she did too. She was a spoiled, selfish brat when she was young. But as we know from season two's episode... The Queen is Dead, that she did turn her life around upon learning from her own mistakes too, and she became a wonderful, selfless woman and Queen to her people she loved very much. And she raised her daughter Snow White beautifully. Now... Zelena has chosen to allow her hate and jealousy to consume her, so I can only feel bad for her to a small degree. However, I really love Zelena in her interaction with Regina in the beginning of this episode. I love her snarkiness, and these two women play off one another so well. Zelena isn't quite as good with Rumple, although she is certainly eerie and dark. I really hate the moment when Rumple begins to make love with her, even if it was so he could try to steal the dagger. Any relationship with him and Zelena is just wrong because we know from back in season two's episode... The Miller's Daughter, that he had a relationship with Cora too. Both of their relationships just weird me out. However, with all that being said... I like Regina's plan to talk with Cora to try to learn about why Cora had given Zelena up. I love the moment young Cora in ghost form attacks Mary Margaret and that Regina fights her mother to protect Mary Margaret. I think the reasoning behind the creators using young Cora as the ghost instead of the older Cora played by Barbara Hershey, was more because Regina was summoning her mother to find out why Cora had given Zelena away. And because it was Cora in her younger years when she did so, they felt that seeing young Cora in her younger years would parallel to her backstory throughout this episode better. Maybe Barbara Hershey couldn't come back for this episode, but I don't know. And I especially love the talk between Regina and Mary Margaret in the end once all was well again, just as I love all of their scenes throughout this episode together. The ending is a beautiful moment between these two and it shows how far their friendship, as well as relationship between stepmother and stepdaughter has come. This is definitely a moment we as fans of this beautiful show have been waiting for. And it's easily one of my favorite moments too. I especially love how Mary Margaret assures Regina that she is still capable of feeling love, because she loves so deeply and with her whole soul. And Regina absolutely does. So beautiful! :) And in regards to Regina being able to feel emotion in spite of having no heart... I really love how this shows just how different Regina is from Cora. First... I feel like perhaps it's a matter of time that causes someone to become emotionless like Cora had become. Perhaps, the longer the heart remains outside of a person's body, their emotions will eventually fade away all together. And second... I also think it's a matter of will. Because Regina wants to continue to feel, she is able to do so and she is very strong willed. It's like Mary Margaret says... Regina loves with her whole soul. Whereas Cora rips out her heart because she didn't want to feel emotion any longer so she would be able to get everything she ever wanted and not feel any weaknesses. As for the door disappearing... it's meant to show us that Cora made it vanish so that Mary Margaret and Regina wouldn't have been to escape in case they tried to escape, and so that the heroes wouldn't be able to get back in to help them in case they returned any earlier. However, nothing actually came of it, so seeing the door vanish was a bit of a pointless moment. I really love the entire séance scene between Regina, David, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Hook too. I like the idea that to summon Cora's spirit, Regina needs the candle used to kill her mother, as well as her mother's killer... Mary Margaret, but I love how Regina has finally forgiven her. As for another of my favorite moments... I absolutely love, love, love the moments with Hook and Emma. Hook is definitely feeling guilty over the trouble he's in with Zelena and he's angry, and is struggling to keep from lashing out, especially at Emma. However, he's still very good with Emma nonetheless and wants to protect her. He is keeping her at a distance because he needs to protect her. Their moment together at the diner before Belle charges in and interrupts them is cute, sweet, sad, and funny. The moment with Emma transporting a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon over to Hook... "Boom! Granny's to go!" I love it!! And another of my favorite moments is when Regina comes to Robin in forest at the end to kiss him at last upon getting good advice from Mary Margaret. At last... they are together!! And they are definitely another of my favorite True Love couples throughout this show. I feel so badly for Robin when Rumple threatens to kill his son, so of course it's understandable that he gives up Regina's heart to save him. And I'm so grateful that Regina understands this and doesn't get angry with him. Of course she's understanding, because she knows she would do anything for Henry too, like Robin would do anything to protect his son. And I love that Regina assures Robin that she does understand his sacrifice. So beautiful. That is True Love right there. And lastly... I love that the ingredients for the time travel spell are courage, a heart, a brain, and innocence, which is a nod to The Wizard of Oz because they are the four things that represent Dorothy (her innocence), the Scarecrow (his brain), the Tin Man (his heart), and the Cowardly Lion (his courage). And Zelena's ingredients... for innocence she's planning to steal away Mary Margaret's and David's baby, for courage she's taken the hilt of David's sword, for a heart she's now taken Regina's heart, and for the brains she plans to take a symbol of Rumple's brain. Absolutely brilliant! Thank you again, my friend I can't wait for the next episode!! You now have four episodes left... the final two being a two part finale, which I am so excited for!!!! Until next time... Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum