Once Upon a Time – A Wondrous Place

By: Paige Zinaman

David (Josh Dallas) paces the kitchen floor as Emma (Jennifer Morrison) sits on the counter after telling him that Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) killed his father. David asks Emma where Hook was and asks if he didn’t have the guts to come tell him himself, Emma tells him that Hook left town after their big fight about hiding it and she told him that if he wasn’t ready to trust her they shouldn’t talk and he just sailed away. While on board everything is going badly. Hook comes to find Captain Nemo (Faran Tahir), Liam (Nick Eversman) and the crew trying to regain control after they were sucked into a portal without warning caused by Gideon (Giles Matthey). Hook tells them that they are turning around and going back to Storybrooke when Liam tells Hook they can’t do it. Hook tells him that Nemo said the submarine can travel between worlds; Nemo tells Hook they can only do that if the submarine has kraken’s blood causing Hook to demand they go hunting for one.

Meanwhile, Jasmine (Karen David) and Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz) are on a mission, more so Jasmine is on a mission, to find Agrabah causing Aladdin to tell her he was built for the desert and to just face the fact that the wish didn’t work. She tells Aladdin that it might have worked, even if they are in the Enchanted Forest. Aladdin tells her that what they say about wishes are true that they always come with a price. He tells her that it’s time for them to go home. Jasmine walks off telling him she has no home. Aladdin tells her she can make a new one in Storybrooke and that there are nice people like him there. She tells him she can’t after he got closer and closer when he asks her how many times is she going to try and kiss him then asking her what she’s so afraid of. Jasmine tells him she’s not afraid when a ring falls from her pocket. She tells him that she didn’t have that there before and that he was right about the price of the wish. The wish didn’t give her Agrabah, but instead gave her a reminder about how she failed Agrabah she spots a row boat and tells Aladdin that she knows what she has to do.

We are thrusted many years ago to the Capital of Agrabah where the Sultan (Cedric De Souza) is offering the crown jewel of Agrabah to the lucky Prince who agrees to marry Jasmine. Prince Achmed (Zahf Paroo) takes it upon himself to stand up when Jasmine comes in saying that it’s a price indeed. When Jasmine asks Prince Achmed if he meant her or the diamond he asks her if it matters, she scoffs and tells the men at the table that they can leave and that there will be no engagement today. The Sultan pleads with her telling her he knows she wants to marry for love when Jasmine turns around and says everyone should have that opportunity. He tells her that for a Princess’ duty comes first and they need a Prince with an army since Jafar (Oded Fehr) is threatening the kingdom. Jasmine tells the Sultan that they need a hero and that she already found one, Aladdin. Before they can say anything else the doors open and Jafar comes in saying that Aladdin is a hero no longer and he’s fought too many battles that he’s now broken. Pointing that the princes behind him says that they are spoiled and will never fill Aladdin’s shoes. Achmed, not one for backing down, pulls his sword asking who the man was that just insulted him. Jafar pulls a vial of red powder tossing it at Prince Achmed, which turns him into a walking stick.

Jasmine and Aladdin row out to the middle of the water and that when they reach it she will free him of the lamp and dump it so far no one else will find it. Aladdin tells her that they are far enough and that the water gets rough the further they get away from shore. He also reminds her they don’t know how to swim. Jasmine tells him to hand her an paddle when Aladdin tells her to duck and pulls her down as the Kraken attacks them. It suddenly goes away when Hook shoots it and saves them.

Back in Storybrooke, Emma and David are at the station going through old files when Regina (Lana Parrilla) comes in telling Emma she has found the cure for a broken heart. When Emma tells her whatever spell it is she doesn’t want it. Regina tells her that it’s not magic and shows her the coupon for two for one special at the new pub. When David asks Regina if she really thinks half priced liquor will work she tells him she does and also says that they need a lady’s night out with Emma and Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin). Emma reminds Regina that Snow is under a sleeping curse so she is at home. Regina reminds them both that she doesn’t have to be asleep while looking right at David, who tells Regina he just woke up. Regina keeps looking at him so he relents and says she doesn’t have to be asleep. She goes to wake Snow up. Emma tells Regina that she can’t go out because she’s about to go on patrol and asks Regina if she’s supposed to break that curse. Regina tells her she’s working on it, but she could use a break, saying that they all do and that she knows Emma is hurting and trying to hide it because she’s Emma. She also tells her she can’t hide from it.

Hook begins yelling at Aladdin and Jasmine telling them that Emma is in danger and that he needed Kraken’s blood to get back. He also tells them that they’ve made a mess of things because he had to wound it and let it get away. Hook stops when he notices the lamp Jasmine is holding and says he may be able to get back home if she lent him one of her wishes. Aladdin tells him that it won’t get him back to Emma as it won’t work the way he wants and that they didn’t find Agrabah. Hook asks who took their home, but Aladdin says he has no clue at the same time Jasmine says Jafar. Aladdin asks her why they weren’t looking for Jafar. Jasmine tells him that she can’t face Jafar again because he ripped away everything she cared about. Hook tells them that they can find Jafar and that they can use him to get them all back home. He asks Jasmine what she thinks of the idea and when she doesn’t respond Hook tells her she has nothing to fear because she won’t have to face him alone.

Emma shows up at the pub asking the bar tender about a fight she was called about, but he tells her that he’s been there all day and asks if she has the right bar. Regina and Snow walk up behind her telling the bartender she’s sure. Emma looks at them then asks if they seriously called in a fake fight to get her to go to lady’s night. Regina says she needs to let go when Snow tells Emma that Regina is right and hands Emma a drink while slurring her words. Emma asks how many she’s had when Regina tells her that believe it or not that was her first. Regina tells Emma to take a seat.

In Agrabah, Jasmine is walking around the street market when someone calls out to a “street rat” who stole something from him. When the vendor catches the thief, she holds up the fork she stole saying she didn’t know. He snatches the necklace off her which soon reveals her fin and no voice. Jasmine comes to her defense causing the vendor to panic and start to explain himself when she flips money at him telling him to take it and go. Jasmine gives the necklace back and she soon learns that the woman is none other than Ariel (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) who tells Jasmine she really didn’t have to do that, but she has to find Prince Eric (Gil McKinney). Jasmine goes after her and asks her about the prince. Jasmine tells Ariel she can help her find Eric if Eric’s army can help her. With the help of the magic carpet they go looking for him much to Ariel’s dislike.

While Emma, Regina and Snow sit at the bar Regina tries to get Emma to open up when Snow tattles on Vikings who were leaving without paying first. She challenges them to a dart contest when Regina asks if Emma was going to stop it she says no. Jasmine uses a wish and wishes everyone on board to the land they need to be much to the dislike of Nemo and Liam who wanted to go down with the vessel like any captain would do. They go in search of Jafar when they find a cottage on the beach that belonged to none other than Ariel and not Jafar. We flashback to Agrabah yet again and Ariel comes face to face with Eric and as she explains who she is it’s revealed that Eric is none other than Jafar in disguise who once again tries to persuade Jasmine to marry him before he destroys their city.

Ariel shows them the vase that seems to hold Jafar. When Jasmine releases him for the vase he appears and goes through the genie speech only to realize who set him free and takes the cuffs off. Knocking Hook, Ariel and Aladdin out Jafar goes one on one with Jasmine. In a quick flashback Ariel tells Jasmine they can confront Jafar together and shows Jasmine the vile she took from him. Jasmine agrees to marry Jafar and gives him the crown jewel when he tells her she truly failed her people. He tells her he never wanted to rule or marry her while telling her if she stayed strong he would have failed and sent Agrabah away.

She forces him to tell her where Agrabah was when he tells her it was at her finger tips and inside the ring. When he continues to taunt her with the failure he wants the ring. She denies him it and throws the vile at him. When it doesn’t shatter he steps towards her as she tosses the actual powder in his face turning him into a walking stick. Emma finally lets her emotions out and cries and wipes her tears on a napkin that Aesop (Thomas Cadrot) gives her while Snow and Regina hug her.

Jasmine explains that if she used the last wish it would be to free Aladdin and tells them that for the first time love comes before duty. She and Aladdin kiss causing everyone to be transported to a newly replaced Agrabah as they notice Aladdin’s cuffs are gone and he’s no longer a genie. Ariel and Hook talk and she gives him a conch shell that works across realms to which Hook says he has one at home. Meanwhile, Emma comes home to find that Henry (Jared Gilmore) didn’t take the box to the shed and does it herself. As she goes she hears her name coming from the box. Hook explains what happens as she listens on. Emma breaks down on the steps as Aesop who turns out to be Gideon stops in front of her telling her that Hook can’t hear her because he is holding onto the tears of the Savior. He tells Emma he needs her to help him in order to get Hook back and kill the Black Fairy (Jaime Murray).