Once Upon A Time Recap S03E21 Snow Drifts

A little girl receives a Mickey doll, heading off to a new home as other girls solemnly watch her leave, as Emma sadly watches another girl find her home but not her.

Now Emma daydreams while her parents hold their new baby. She still doesn’t know the name of her brother, and they haven’t announced it yet. There’s a little ceremony that they plan to uphold. Henry comes in telling her that he’s been looking for an apartment for them and Emma is a little shocked. Emma isn’t ready to commit. She thinks that the Charmings are stalling on the naming of the baby.

Robin and Regina celebrate the returning of her heart over some wine beside a fire. He kisses her, and she’s overjoyed. She never thought she would have love again. He admits that he felt the same after the death of his wife, he was the cause of her death. He would have walked though hell to be with Marian again, but he’s let it all go. Regina understands that, she was the cause of Daniel’s death too. She couldn’t open herself up to that, was too afraid to. She tells him that Tinkerbell brought her to a tavern, showed her the man who she was to love, and would love her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She never saw his face, only his tattoo, it was Robin. He thinks it was serendipitous, that perhaps it was about timing, and now the timing is right.

Gold looks over his dagger the real one, before hiding it away. Belle returns the dagger, she fears carrying around too much power, wants to put it in the vault, but Gold tells her that it doesn’t belong there, that he cannot put it there because in her hands he trusts her to protect it. He turns her attention to their wedding plans, and she tells him the good news that her father is giving them his blessing. If Belle forgives him, for kidnapping her long ago, then he forgives Gold/Rumpelstiltskin too.

Grumpy is glad that everyone is back from being a flying monkey, especially Sleeping Beauty, considering that Aurora was pregnant and all. Thankfully she didn’t have a monkey baby. Henry reads to the baby the story of how his parents fell in love. The pair saved eachother equally before they fell in love. David was rushing towards his wedding to Abigail at the time, and Snow was running away from everything, and then they crossed paths and everything changed, both of them dragging their feet the whole way. Hook notes that Emma is just as bullheaded, which peaks everyone’s interest, and where she and Henry will live becomes the big topic. Henry doesn’t want to go back to New York, but it’s complicated. Regina wants answers that Emma isn’t ready to give. Hook goes after her, with Henry’s book to remind her. David tries to comfort them that it’ll be alright, she’s just stubborn. There’s a problem on the horizon, a portal is open.

David runs to the jail, but Zelena is gone. Regina took her pendant, so she should be powerless, unless Rumple did something to her. He claims that with Belle having his dagger she could curb any homicidal tendencies. Rather than pointing fingers, David wishes to see the how, and goes to his camera for help. Rumple does a little magic altering, and the tape shows Zelena turning herself into porcelain and breaking. Regina figures with her death it released her magic, opening the portal. Rumple cautions everyone to stay away from the portal, a trip to the past could be catastrophic he warns.

Emma ignores David’s calls when Hook catches up. He delivers Henry’s message, home is here. Emma wants to keep Henry safe, but Hook thinks its all nonsense. She has defeated so much, all her, but still she keeps running. He asks her what she’s looking for. She looking for home. New York isn’t home, it was all false memories, but Emma thinks it can be home. Hook thinks here can be home, asks why it can’t be. The magic, the fairytales, all of it isn’t a part of her, she’s not in it. She thinks that if she has Henry then they can build a life somewhere and be happy away from the craziness. She was never apart of anything. When she was a kid she ran away, never missed any place, so she keeps running. She was once told that home is a place when you’re away you miss. She’s looking for that place. Emma notices the portal, and goes to check it out, Hook follows it. Emma knows its Zelena’s time portal, that her death must have triggered it. Hook wants them to turn back, but she cannot. They’re sucked towards the portal. Hook’s hook saves them, but Emma’s grip falters and she’s pulled into the portal. Rather than abandoning her, Hook goes in after her.

They’re back in the Enchanted Forest, a wanted poster establishes the when. It’s Snow’s wanted poster. They’ve arrived before Snow and Charming have met. They’re trapped in the past, but they still have Henry’s book with them. So far everything is still there. This is just the reason that Emma wanted to leave Storybrook. Hook tells her to keep her wits about her, and they have to figure out a way out of the past without a Dolorian. The Evil Queen’s carriage sends them running. Regina threatens the people, demanding their help. Geppetto offers her what she wants to know, if she will tell them. Regina gives them an example on what helping Snow will look like, unmasking a woman. Hook stops Emma from rushing in to save her. They cannot change the past, or it could change their presence. Hook tells Emma she needs to look the part, and they steal some clothes off the line. She looks like a sexed up Briar Rose. Hook approves the look, and believes that it’ll help reduce the chance of her making a lasting impression on people she knows of the future. They plan to affect as few things as possible.

Snow tears down a wanted poster, and begins to cut down a tree. Abigail prattles on in the carriage, complaining about how long the trip is taking. Hook and Emma hide in the woods as David and Abigail’s carriage near. The riders come to a stop because of a fallen tree, and Emma is surprised to see her father, and scares Snow who falls. David knows that the tree did not fall, but was cut. Snow takes off running, and David goes unrobed. Emma realizes that she may have just messed up her future. She just ruined their first meeting.

Abigail and David make it to their new home, it’s very gold. Snow wants to go far away as soon as possible. She turns to a pirate who swindles her for secrecy. Hook and Emma overlook the castle, but Hook thinks that he should stay back, that he is wanted dead. The Dark One gets the jump on Hook and Emma. He tries to kill Hook, but Emma stops him. She tells him who she is, and asks for his help. He asks if he finds his son, and she admits that he does, but he stops her from telling him how he succeeds. She admits that she may have messed up his future, that she interrupted her parents meeting.

Rumpelstiltskin takes them to his home. Time travel may be a bit much to wrap his head around, but he wonders why even more that he has not killed Hook. Hook admits that they bury the hatchet, and not in eachother. Belle comes in, and its surprising that they fall in love, they’re still in the hate part of the relationship. Now Rumple doesn’t believe that they are really from the future, that he would actually fall in love with Belle. Emma tries to prove that what she is saying is true, but their book has changed, its pages are now blank, the future up in the air. Snow was to steal the ring Prince Charming was to present Abigail, and then the engagement never happened. But he still possesses the ring. Luckily King Midas is having a ball, and there’s still time for Snow to steal the ring. Rumple shows them where Snow is, she’s with Blackbeard trying to secure passage. Hook muses that perhaps they know a pirate who could help, him.

Emma and Hook spy his past self. Hook reasons that as long as Past Hook stays occupied, then he can steal his own ship. Emma looks to distract Past Hook, and current Hook is a little jealous. Hook goes to his ship, and Smee notices a little difference in him. He sends Smee to grab Snow and bring her aboard quietly. Over drinks, Emma asks how he got his hook. He asks her about her name, and she plays coy, double entendre dripping from her words. Hook propositions Snow, claiming to want treasure. Past Hook notices that Emma is trying to get him drunk. He asks her to come back with him, or he finds a new plaything. Hook asks Snow to procure a wedding ring for him, and he’ll grant her safe passage. Emma feigns drunkiness, and Hook carries her. Once Emma sees Snow pass by, she goes back to her feet, and looks to distract. Smee tries to warn Hook of the oddities, but with Emma waiting below, he’s unworried. Emma finds Current Hook below deck, and Emma plans to distract his past self so he can get away. Emma pulls past Hook in for some kisses, and Current Hook knocks himself out, reasoning that he’ll blame the rum. Someone is jealous of his past self!

Hook and Emma watch the castle from afar. Hook thinks that Snow will have no trouble getting in and stealing the ring, but Emma doesn’t want to hope for the best. Rumple comes bearing an invitation to the ball. Once they confirm that Snow has set things right, Rumple will send them back. He gives them a very good disguise, and set them off to the ball. Midas greets “Prince Charles” and “Princess Leia.” Its an elaborate affair, one Emma doesn’t think she can do. Hook pulls her into a waltz, and luckily the swashbuckler isn’t just handsome, he can also cut a rug. Outside Snow uses a grappling hook and climbs into the castle. Emma picks up on the dance, and Hook has to admit that she’s a natural. Prince David asks Abigail to dance, but she brushes him off, saying that her feet hurt. He offers to fetch her shows.

Snow looks for the ring. Regina makes an entrance at the ball, and she comes with an armed guard. Emma thinks that things have gone awry, but Hook tries to assure her that they haven’t. Snow finds the ring, and David finds her, tackling her to the ground. She knocks him out, and Abigail spots her raising the alarm. Hook and Emma watch Snow get away. David declares that he will find her.  One of Regina’s guards try to shoot Snow, but Emma stops him. She notices that Snow dropped the ring, and Hook takes care of the other guards so that Emma can get the ring to her. Regina stops Emma, and has her guards take her away. Hook can do nothing but watch.

Portland 2001 Emma meets with Neil. He asked her out for a drink, brought her coffee and proceeds to break in somewhere. He takes her to a fair swing ride. They sit on the ride as the rain falls around them. Emma asks him about his life. He has a good one, one he can’t go back to. Things changed with his father, he misses it.

Emma gets tossed into cage. She meets Marian, but she cannot speak her name aloud. Regina still does not know who she is. Emma recognizes her, she saw her before, she wanted to help.  Marian knew where Snow was and refused to give her up. Luckily they will only be imprisoned for a night, but unluckily everyone is to be executed.

Snow walks into David’s trap. He warned her that he would catch her, and she names him Charming. Charming knows exactly who she is, and he wants his ring back. Snow doesn’t have the ring, and Hook exposes himself. He tells Charming that Snow really does not have his ring. Hook’s princess “Leia” does, and she’s in the Queen’s castle. Snow can get them into the castle, since it use to be hers. Everyone will get what they want. Hook gets his princess, Charming gets his ring, and Snow never has to see Charming’s face again.