The last Once Upon A Time in Wonderland is finally here! Jafar and Amara work together to change the laws of magic. The room is like a giant static ball. With the spell complete, Amara goes to her fallen son, but Jafar isn’t happy with another being his equal, and he moves to kill Amara. His father interrupts, telling him that to show real power sometimes you must show mercy. He father never loved him, and without the laws of magic in his way, he makes his father love him. His father turns into the loving doting father he always wanted, but that isn’t all Jafar wanted. He wants his father to feel what it feels like to be murdered by someone he loves. Jafar drowns him, but doesn’t get the satisfaction he was hoping for. He turns back to Amara, Alice and Cyrus, but they’re gone. Carrying Cyrus between them the ladies try to make a getaway, but they still have far to go, so Amara makes a carpet fly to assist her.

Jafar goes to find the Jabberwocky, to see what he fears now. She listens, and shockingly finds that he fears nothing. He turns her blade against her, and pins her like a butterfly to the wall. She asks what he will do with all his powers. He tells her anything that he wants.

The girls head over to the rabbit’s home, where Amara heals Cyrus, taking back his injuries. Cyrus comes back, and Alice realizes that she hasn’t been properly introduced, and introduces herself. The White rabbit fusses over the new bloodstains in is home, and Amara thanks her for everything that she’s done for Cyrus. Amara hopes that Alice has saved some of that luck, to bring down Jafar.

Jafar releases his Genie, the Knave Will, who still doesn’t have a high opinion of him. Jafar tells him that despite the fact that Will did not hold up his end of the bargain, he plans to hold up his. Jafar has brought back Anastacia, but there’s a barrier between them. Will isn’t sure why Jafar did it, but he thanks him. Jafar tells him that thanks are not necessary. Jafar brought her back, but she’s not the same, she loves Jafar now. Ana kisses Jafar, breaking the poor Knave’s heart. Will is done with the display, but the barrier keeps him from striking out. Jafar changed the laws of magic, and is using it to torture Will. He has big plans, ones that includes the Red Queen, and zombies.

Alice heads towards the palace. Amara wants to returns the water instead to the well of waters. With the water returned, the genies will be no more, and also Jafar’s magic. Cyrus points out that it will also disable Amara, but that’s what must be done, the laws of magic were put into place for a reason. Alice made a promise to Will to save the Red Queen, but Amara tells her that it cannot be done. Cyrus agrees, that to save the Red Queen she’ll sacrifice Will. She decides that returning the waters is the best option, that they should split up, because although losing magic will disarm Jafar, but it won’t defeat him. Alice will take the rabbit, and gather troops, so that once the water is returned they can storm the castle and rescue will. The lovebirds say goodbye for now.

Jafar welcomes him men back to the land of the living, telling them that he is the one they should thank, that they owe him a debt to repay. He wants them to help him preserve this land, and their lives. To do that they must just locate Amara and he allies. He warns that if anything or anyone gets in their way, break it burn it or kill it anything to bring Wonderland to its knees

Alice and her small band of troops creep through the woods. Alice tries to calm fears, to rally her men while the rabbits scout ahead. She tells the followers that what lies ahead is dangerous and important, that if they wish to turn back now she does not blame them, for they need to be resolute in battle. They’re not just fighting for themselves, but those they love, for Wonderland. With hope renewed they prepare to strike back.

Amara approves of the bravery Alice has shown as she and Cyrus get closer to the well. Alice looks for the rabbit, but finds a band of Jafar’s men. Cyrus and Amara, too are surrounded, but whereas Alice fairly kicks some major butt, Cyrus wishes to warn his attackers. Amara disarms the men with her magic, and forces them to use their own daggers against themselves. Cyrus realizes without magic, that Alice does not stand a chance. Alice fares well in her battle, but her men do not, and they’re slaughtered. She is taken hostage back to the castle. Will sees Alice’s arrival, and he’s powerless to help her, but Alice, ever feisty takes a swing at Jafar. Jafar stops her before he punch can land with magic, and plants her in a chair. She sees the Red Queen alive, and well on a nearby chaise, cozying up to Jafar. Another bout of PDA, turns both Alice’s and Will’s stomach. Jafar asks for Alice’s help to find Amara. He asks about the laws of magic, and checks them all off of things that he can now do. He can reach back into the past, and twist them. He ponders what means the most to her to change. He moves to make it as if she never came to Wonderland. Never met her true love, and is still just the ignored and lonely girl. Jafar prepares her for a new heartbreak, to have never loved at all. He spins her engagement ring around in a wine glass. Should she give up Amara, then she can keep her love. Will tells her that its over, to tell him, and save herself. Alice tells him to go ahead and change the past. Their love means everything to her, and he thinks perhaps that she’s underestimating his power. She tells him that he’s underestimating hers, believing that their love is more powerful than any magic. No matter what he does to her, Jafar can never feel true love for himself. Jafar asks what about the Red Queen, an illusion, a lie. All the magic in the world cannot measure up to the love that she has felt, and true love cannot be destroyed. A pair of guards come with news of Amara and Cyrus’s whereabouts, Amara went through a pair of red doors. Jafar asks Alice about the red doors, and she stonewalls. Jafar calls Anastasia forward, and asks her where the red door lead. Alice and Will both beg for her to not tell him, but she happily spills the beans.

Cyrus and Amara make it to the well of Wonders. Cyrus leans before the well, about to summon the Nyx, but Amara stops him, she already knows she’s there. The Nyx rise’s waters shimmer.

Will wonders if they won’t make it, Alice knows that they will. Anastasia tells them to give it up as she reads her magazine, but Alice tells her that they weren’t talking to her. She tells them not to talk at all them. Will notices the Rabbit creeping in, and he moves to distract Anastasia so that the rabbit can untie Alice. He asks for a drink, but she won’t do it. Anastasia spots the rabbit, and shoos him away from Alice. Will tells her that she’s not really in love with Jafar, but she still thinks that she is. He tells her that love isn’t that easy, its messy and complicated, and sometimes seems unworth the trouble, but it is. And in the end you forgive each other whatever you did. He forgives Anastasia for all that she’s done to him, because he loves her. He asks that if any part of her still has a shred of love inside, to help them. They’re just words to her, she thinks she knows what she feels. Will maintains that its just a curse, and she wonders if what she feels is just a curse what love really is. Will reaches through the barrier, and pulls her in for a kiss breaking the spell on her. She asks if she wants to stop Jafar, that he needs to hurry up. Will jumps forward, but the barrier is still in place, knocking him on his behind. Anastasia moves to untie Alice, she’s fully back.

The Nyx rises. Amara surrenders herself, surrenders the water to fix the balance, and release her sons. The Nyx tells her to step forward, and Cyrus stops her. Amara asks him to let her go, and he does. She goes to meet the Nyx, but Jafar has arrived, pulling her back to him with magic. He knocks Cyrus back, as he kills Amara with his magic. Amara dies on the foot of the well, all of the water draining away from her on the steps. Jafar asks him what he hopes to accomplish, and he does not answer still shocked. The rabbit and Alice arrive from the ground disctracting Jafar. He mocks her efforts, bringing just a sword and a rabbit to face him, and knocks the rabbit away. While he holds Alice immobilized, Alice tells Cyrus to go, get the water. Cyrus scoops what water he can into his hands and returns it to the well, but Jafar grabs the water before it falls. Jafar guesses that if the water is returned then the genies’ curses are broken. Jafar smashes the water, thinking that he’s won. He asks Alice what she plans to do now that he’s stolen the water. Alice tells him that she plans to do nothing, that she told him that he would be his own undoing. He didn’t steal the water from her, but from the Nyx. The Nyx rises, and bestows upon Jafar the same genie curse she had amongst Cyrus and his brothers, and sends him far away in his bottle before he can retaliate against Alice. From Nyx a surge of power sweeps out across the land, restoring the balance of magic. The brothers and Will are free, and Anastasia is dead once more. Cyrus and Alice reunite. The rabbit finds the battle over.

Cyrus reunites with his brothers, and it’s a happy greeting, until they ask about their mother. He tells them that she gave her life for theirs, so that they could build the families she always dreamed of. Taj asks if it was all for nothing, but Cyrus tells him it wasn’t, it was for everything. The Red Queen is still gone, and Will mourns for her again. He tells Alice in the end she did the right thing, and he cannot believe that he has to go through the pain of losing her again. Alice tells him that it wasn’t her time. Cyrus has water from the well of wonders, but Will doesn’t want to risk it. The water was not stolen, but given by the guardian this time. The red Queen’s path was meant to go on. Will gives her the water, and she returns. She asks what happened, and he tells her that it’s a long story, but now she has the time to listen.

Alice and Cyrus look over the horizon. She tells him that she thinks that she’s ready, to leave Wonderland, to start a new adventure. The rabbit arrives with perfect timing, and Alice wishes to go home. Home in England, Alice’s father comes to get her. He tells her that she looks beautiful. He’s proud and happy to welcome Cyrus into their family. He thanks her for proving it was real, not Wonderland, but forgiveness. The bride arrives for her small ceremony full of people from both Wonderland, and her life in England. Alice and Cyrus wed with the rabbit officiating, with the Knave and Anastasia watching, the rabbit, Tweedle, and Cyrus’s brothers. The knave interrupts the wedding for but a moment, but it was just in jest. In sickness, and in health, for better or worse, until death doesn’t really apply for them, they’ve already been all those together, but they kiss and become one. The Knave prepares to head back to Wonderland, to fix it, and Alice tells him that he’s welcome there any times. Alice thanks the rabbit for bringing her to Wonderland, and he tells her that many people come to Wonderland, but few find the important thing there, themselves. It’s hugs and promises to see each other soon, all around, but both Will and Alice pause in going their separate ways. Alice rushes back to the Knave, and holds him tight. She thanks him for everything, telling him to hold onto his heart this time, and for her to do the same. She watches him leave, and it’s bittersweet. She heads back into her home.

Alice reads to her child a story of the White King and White Queen who restored Wonderland with the help of their rabbits. Her daughter asks what she’s going to call it, and she leaves it up to her to name it. She calls it Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. She asks if the stories are true, because their so unbelievable, and she tells her that anything is possible in Wonderland. Cyrus brings tea, and the family sits for tea as the rabbit watches.

And that folks is the series finale. Don’t despair that the series didn’t get picked up for a second season, it was only every intended as a one shot season. Personally I’ll be glad to be rid of Alice and her Genie, especially with the news that our favorite Knave will be heading over to Once Upon A Time, which you can catch on Sundays on ABC.

READ MORE

The Knave is a wreck, with Anastasia dead he’s utterly broken. Jafar tells him that she risked so much to get him back. He says that she almost looks like she’s asleep, like one could just reach out and kiss her. Jafar’s torture continues, as he strokes her glass coffin. His father wishes that he learned mercy. Jafar knows the cold sting of loss, and gives him a chance to bring Anastasia back, to see her again. Jafar’s father tells him not to listen, but Jafar knows that with his heart returned he will listen.

Some time ago, Will chattered away as he and a group hunted for a beast. Although he didn’t stop talking for a moment, he was paying attention. The men split up as they chase for this beast, that looks like a running woman. The Knave finds himself separated from the group, and after a tumble down the hill finds himself under the murderer’s blade. It’s Alice, and their first meeting. After some witty banter, Alice runs off, but it isn’t the last time they will meet.

Cyrus doesn’t think Alice understands, which she does, but doesn’t agree. To defeat Jafar they must free his brothers, to do that they must return the water to the well of Wonders, which he thinks is in Jafar’s staff. Alice thinks that they should free his mother first, but Cyrus does not dare upset Nyx again, he would put his own life in jeopardy, but not his life with Alice. Alice accepts his plan, but wishes to set off immediately. Will arrives, and Alice runs to him. He looks broken, and he tells her that Anastasia is dead, and Jafar restored his heart before he did it. Alice tells him that she and Cyrus is there for him. Will tells her that Wonderland can bring Anastasia back to life, but they have to let Jafar win.

Past, Alice sleeps on the ground as the Knave draws near. With a dagger in hand, he walks into her trap. It’s very uncomfortable, and Alice hopes that he has learned his lesson, but he has not. She wonders why she continues to spare his life, when he’s trying to take hers. He’s been wondering the same thing given her history. She tells him that she was trying to pick a weeping willow from the Queen’s garden. He believes her, but he still has to kill her he says. He has no choice but to do her bidding since she took his heart. It makes a predicament for Alice. She can’t leave him there, and she can’t have him keep trying to kill her. She plans to steal his heart back, which he laughs over, saying that she’s not much of a thief. Although she’s gotten the drop on him twice, he chalks it up to chance not skill. He tells her that his heart is in the Queen’s vault guarded by her best, and asks why she would bother helping him. She tells him that everyone deserves a second chance.

He repeats her words now. This is Anastasia’s second chance. If they give Jafar back his staff, he will change the laws of magic, something that they’ve been trying to stop. Cyrus tells him that they cannot. Alice thinks it’s a horrible plan, but they have nothing else. She asks Will to think, even if Jafar kept his end of the bargain, which he isn’t likely to do, Ana may be alive, but many more would die. Alice tells him that she would do anything for him, but she cannot do that. Will tells her that she’s right, he was thinking with his heart and not his head. They invite him to come along, and he agrees for one last adventure before he is put back into his bottle. As they set out, he keeps his eyes on the staff.

The Jabberwocky tells Jafar that everyone’s fear smells different, his smells like pine nettles in the snow. She tries to distract him so she can take the blade, but he grabs it before she can. She tells him that if he is tired of her that he should just give her the blade so she can go, but he won’t let her go until he’s completed the spell. She feels his fear that he won’t be able to, that he needs another sorcerer to do so, and she feels his fear over his staff’s betrayal thinking it has something to do with Amara. Jafar tells her that she mistakes curiosity for fear. Jafar tells her that she wears her fear on her sleeve. She fears that Jafar will not live up to his end of the bargain and she’ll be his as long as they live. He tells her that if she were to help his fears not come to pass, he can do the same for hers.

Alice and Cyrus sleep as Will watches the fire. His eyes rest on the staff, and he lays his hand on it. Cyrus cautions him to not steal the staff, because it would break Alice’s heart. Cyrus wants him to go back to bed, to pretend that it didn’t happen, but Cyrus isn’t good at pretending, and knocks Cyrus out.

Past. Alice watches the guards at the vault, She knows’ they’re routine, and she easily sneaks their keys and enters the vault with little trouble. More troublesome is the amount of drawers in the vault. Each of the drawers is numbered like a deck of cards, and Alice remembering the Knaves words that he is a jack of all trades chooses the Jack of Hearts drawer. She opens it and finds the Knave’s heart.

Cyrus wakes up Alice. She sees that the Knave is gone, but they’re not sure exactly how long he was gone. Alice apologizes for the Knave, but Cyrus sees nothing wrong with putting her trust in a friend. Will messed up though, and left them the compass, so they can track him and ask nicely for the staff back.

Jafar pulls out his genie bottles. He summons the brothers. The younger asks what he wants, but he says that he doesn’t want anything. The older asks why he would summon them now, when he never has in the past. He’s summoned them because he is curious. A woman, Amara told him about genies, and the boys claim to not know her. Jafar tells them that she was searching for them for a long time, but the elder maintains that many others had too. Jafar needs nothing else from them, he just wanted to get a look at them he says.

Will runs through the woods, trying to get back to Jafar, but he’s lost. Alice and Cyrus follows his erratic zig zags. Cyrus thinks that he’s taking a strange route, but Alice knows that navigation was never his strong suite. The pair spot Will, and split up after the Knave. Alice’s course ends just short of a drop into the fast moving water below. The Knave comes up from behind her, and disarms her. He’s not as clumsy as he use to be. He looks at her regretfully. She asks him what is next. He tells her that it may not make any sense, but he does love her, that he finally got his heart back, and she’s asking him not to use it. Will reminds her that he went to the ends of the earth for her and Cyrus, risked his neck for her, and yet she won’t let him do the same. He asks her not to go after him, tells her that her love story isn’t the only one worth fighting for. He leaves, and the ground gives way under her. He hears her cries, and he jumps in after her.

Will and Alice dry off next to a fire. Alice remarks that he saved her. She would have done the same for him, she had. She thought that he couldn’t swim. He tells her that he doesn’t know how to lose her either, and given the proper motivation there’s no telling what he can do. Alice tells him that he was right. Through thick and thin he stood by her until she got Cyrus back, that the best thieves don’t work alone. She tells him that he has to fight for his own love story, and that he isn’t alone.

Past. The Knave continues to try to get out of Alice’s trap when she returns and cuts him free. She tells him that she has his heart, but he still feels the need to kill her. He offers her a head start, but she’s not leaving. She tells him that she wants him to stop trying to kill her, and she discovers with his heart in her hands she can control him. She tells him to stand on one foot, and he does. She has him flap his arms, and he does. She asks him to help her show her father she’s not crazy, to show that Wonderland is real, and the two set off on a new partnership.

Will, Cyrus and Alice continue on together. Will offers Cyrus a free swing at him, to put his conscious at ease, but Cyrus doesn’t want to. Alice stops the men from chattering. The forest is too quiet, the Jabberwocky is near. She blows out their flames, and Alice calls out to the Jabberwocky. The torches reignite. She’s not digging around in their heads, and she tells the trio that Jafar did not send her. The Jabberwocky is looking for a new partnership, she desires freedom, but Alice isn’t interested in negotiating with her. The Jabberwocky tells her not to be a fool, or she could end up like Anastacia. Will calls her a monster. The Jabberwocky wasn’t born a monster but made one. She tells them that with Jafar gone fear will leave the land and with nothing to eat she will be forced to leave as well. Everyone gets what they want, but that isnt’ all they want. Alice raises the bar, they want the Queen back as well, but that is one thing the Jabberwocky cannot give, but looking at the staff she tells her that it can.

Past. Alice and the Knave enjoy some pints. Alice beats him in a drinking contest. She doesn’t like to drink, but she does like to win. He notes that she could be making him do anything she wanted and she’s making him come out with her for pints. She’s holding onto the only thing she has left, her father, so if that makes her a terrible person, he wishes everyone was as terrible as her. Alice isn’t sure why she needs to find proof after all these years. Will tells her that he grew up with a very stubborn girl, his sister Penelope, and they’re the best kinds of girls. Penelope fell into the lake, but he thinks had she grown up she would have been like Alice. Alice knows what it’s like to lose someone, and decides that it isn’t right to hold his heart hostage. She gives it back to him, just like that. She’ll find her proof on her own. He stops her from leaving, reminding her that the best thieves don’t work alone.

Alice and Will pull a grate as Alice counts. The Knave quiets down to keep from distracting her.

The Jabberwocky returns with Cyrus in tow to Jafar. She tells him that he could be very valuable. Jafar sees that it could be true. Cyrus spits upon him. Jafar wants his staff back and asks again where it is. Cyrus tells him that the stick is long gone. Jafar asks for the truth. The Jabberwocky tells him that Cyrus dears the consequences, but is telling the truth. Jafar thinks it’s a good thing that he has Cyrus then, because he can retrieve the Knave at any time. The Jabberwocky asks what about her, but Jafar has no intentions of letting her go yet.

In the dungeon, Alice and the Knave wait. Alice asks if it is too hard to be there with Anastasia so close. Will says that it’s good for him. He warns her that they don’t have to do this, that its dangerous, but neither are turning back now. The Knave goes to pay his respects, and guards see him. He runs through the palace as the guards follow. Alice rushes in and steals the keys to Jafar’s father’s cell. They want him to help them make sure that Jafar never hurts anyone again. The father says he will help. Jafar mentions how odd it must be for a genie to be outside of his bottle, asks if it’s disconcerting to be suddenly turned to sand. Will leads the guards on a merry chase, but they have him corned. He knows at any moment he’ll be summoned back, in fact he’s counting on it as the guards close in on him. Jafar summons Will, and he materializes in front of Jafar. Jafar uses his powers to choke Will, asking where his staff is. His staff, now back as Amara is right behind him, and he does not look happy to see her. Amara isn’t any happier to see him. She breaks his hold on Will, and wishes to leave the boys out of it. He sends Will back to his bottle. She tells him that she didn’t teach him all of her tricks as she sends the throne flying towards him. Alice and Jafar’s father run into a group of guards. He tells her that there are too many, but Alice takes them all on and wins. She had a very good teacher in Cyrus.

Past. Alice and the Knave battle some palace guards. Alice isn’t all that good with a sword, and she gets lucky when she throws one into the garden wall, and it ensnares him. She tells the Knave to follow suit and he does, leaping in time to retrieve her satchel holding the rabbit before it’s taken by the vines of the wall. Will tells Alice to take the rabbit and get out of Wonderland while he distracts the guards. She asks what about never working alone, but he knows that she won’t be alone for long. A great girl like her has a happy ending around the corner.

Now. It’s a sorcerer showdown in the throne room. Amara brings down the chandelier from above, and turns them into a nest of snakes. Jafar defeats them easy enough. He tells her that she’s grown lazy, and she remarks that he should have destroyed her when he had the chance, but he needs two sorcerers to do his spell. She has no intention of helping him, and the battle will only stop when one of them is dead. She breaks a mirror, and hurls the shards at Jafar. It’s a standoff, with mirror shards floating between them. Cyrus makes it to the lamps. He has both in hand. Jafar tells Amara that he finally realizes what she was after, not power, but family. He throws a shard towards Cyrus, where it strikes his chest. The mirror pieces fall, as does Alice. She feels the blow to his chest. Jafar pulls the mirror from his chest. Amara goes to her son, Alice rushes towards the throne room. The only way for Amara to save Cyrus will be to change the laws of magic. He asks her if she is ready to do what is necessary to get what she wants. Alice arrives, and finds Amara and Jafar working their magic, and Cyrus’s body upon the floor. Jafar’s eyes light up with power. Is it too late? Can there be a happy ending to the story? Next week’s Series Finale hopefully has the answers.

READ MORE

Drink and merriment surrounds the Caterpillar, and Cyrus pays him a visit. It’s been a while since they’ve seen each other, and Cyrus breaks the news to him that he is no longer a genie. He’s come looking for the lost and found compass. The Caterpillar wants the Knave and Alice. A tiny Alice is much closer than he is aware of, as she crawls below his little stage and steals it. Cyrus grabs a beer, which starts a fight, just the distraction he needs to grab Alice and the compass.

The Jabberwocky watches Jafar carefully as he casts a spell over the genie bottles. Below in the ceilings threaten to fall over the Queen and the other prisoner, the work of magic.

Past, the Queen first meets the Tweedles. She’s delighted, but they have no names, they’re mere servants. Queen Cora comes for a visit. This is before Anastasia has wed the King. Cora was surprised to receive an invitation from the Red King. Cora tells Anastasia that she sees her potential, that she’s much closer to what she’d want in a daughter rather than what she has, she even offers to teach her some magic. Anastasia declines at this time, but Cora leaves the offer open.

Cyrus looks over the compass, but its not showing him anything yet. Tweedle arrives, and breaks the news to Cyrus and Alice that the Queen was forced to make all of her wishes, that Jafar has all of the genies and that they should leave. They ask for a way into the castle, and there is a way, but he has another piece of bad news. Jafar has released the Jabberwocky. Alice is horrified by the news, Cyrus has no clue what that means.

Jafar continues his spell casting with no luck. The Jabberwocky wants to know what he hopes to accomplish, she can’t read his mind only his fear that he’s doing something wrong. Jafar releases Will, but he was trying to nap. Jafar blames him for his failure, thinking he’s blocking him somehow. Jafar wants to know how he’s resisting the spell. The Jabberwocky wants to play with the Knave, and Jafar lets her. She sniffs around, listening for his deepest fears, but the knave is willing to give them to her willingly: Water, hairy spiders, being stabbed in the head, and raisins. The Jabberwocky tells Jafar that Will is different, she cannot read him. Jafar concludes that the Red Queen must have put a protection spell on him. They decide that they’re talking to the wrong person.

Will comes to visit Anastasia, he sneaks over her balcony, and all she can do is ask him what he’s doing here. He wants answers. Cora listens while Will tries to justify her actions. Anastasia thinks that what she is doing is for the both of them. But Will remembers what they had, what she’s throwing away. The guards come, and Will tells her that he will wait for her at dawn.

The prisoner tells The Queen that they make their own prisons. Cyrus and Alice comes through the prison. She told them to run, but Alice vows to stop them. The Queen thanks them for coming back, even if it wasn’t for them. Jafar and the Jabberwocky intrude on the reunion, sending Alice and Cyrus into hiding. Jafar asks what the Queen has done to the bottle. First she gave him a counterfeit bottle, and now a broken Genie, now he wants answers and he uses his magic to manhandle her to get them. But the Jabberwocky tells him to stand down, she has found the answer. She knows why the Knave isn’t responding to the spell, why she couldn’t read the fear, he doesn’t have a heart. Jafar turns to the Queen thinking that she kept the secret from him, but she tells him that it was not her that revealed that secret, that they have guests.

Jafar has the dungeon searched, and the guards report that they’ve found a secret tunnel. The Queen knew about the tunnels, the King used them to ferry in his hussies. Jafar wants her to help him find the Knave’s heart, but she doesn’t know where it is, she didn’t know it was missing. Her value is going down, but its not gone yet.

Alice and Cyrus get away, and Alice admits that the Jabberwocky was slithering around her head. Alice knows that its only a matter of time until they get inside of the Knave’s head. Cyrus’s solution: they find the Knave’s heart first. Alice knows where it is, it’s the getting there that will be challenging. It’s not in Wonderland.

Jafar asks Will where his heart is. He tells him that he doesn’t remember, and that sleeping in a dungeon won’t bother him. Jafar asks if sleeping next to a corpse will, and brings forth the Queen. She struggles against him, and Will watches with little interest as Jafar holds a knife to her throat. He debates saving her, but she tells him not to bother, that he’ll kill her anyways. As the knife bites into her throat, Will capitulates, and will reveal the location. His heart has caused him enough suffering he says, and no one needs to die, not even her for it.

Past, Will awaits Anastasia, but she does not come. Cora does. He bows, but he’s unsure what he’s suppose to do. Cora tells him that Anastasia sent her, and that she is not coming. Anastasia’s decision breaks Will’s heart, Will has kept hope that she would change her mind, but Cora tells him that he needs to get over it, that Anastasia will never come back. Will’s purpose was to bring Anastasia into Wonderland. Will asks Cora to take his heart, to help him. Cora makes sure that he understands without it he’ll never be able to love again. Will accepts that fate, and Cora snatches Will’s heart, instantly relieving his heartbreak. He’s feeling much better, and Cora keeps the heart. Will is off.

Alice got the Knave his heart back, but the Knave didn’t want it she tells Cyrus. They go to the Rabbit’s house and finds soldiers leaving. The rabbit has been looking for people to go up against Jafar. The campaign is going poorly, the people have nothing to believe in. Alice tells the Rabbit that they have to take a trip, that otherwise it won’t matter how many people they find, Jafar will be too powerful. Alice tells the Rabbit to take them to Storybrook.

Alice and Cyrus arrive in the very modern Storybrook. It’s a very odd land, a very noisy one. They head to the Knave place. Cyrus marvels over the electricity, and Alice is shocked over all of the Knave’s things. It’s all overwhelming.

The Queen tells the Knave that he should have let them kill her. He didn’t want the blood on his hands, he would have done the same for anyone. She tells him that he’s no Knave, but the good man that she fell in love with. But she never loved him he says, only the times they had. If she did love him, she would have come to him at the wagon that day.

She prepared to leave, but Cora stopped her cold feet. She tells her that she was making a horrible mistake, thinking that perhaps it was all her fault. Anastasia tells her that it wasn’t. Cora prattles on, thinking that the accolades she laid on her before were too much, but Anastasia has never had such praise. Cora tells her she sees a desire to make a mark in the world. She asks when she leaves the world does she want an unmarked grave behind a rickety wagon, or to be beloved by scores. Anastasia wavers, and Cora tells her that she chose power over weakness, that Will’s words lie like all men. Anastasia may be weak, but she knows that Will does not lie, and she turns to go to him. Cora shows her in the mirror, that Will is not waiting, that the wagon is empty. She tells her that Anastasia tossed him aside for a crown, and betrayed him, that he will never forgive her, and never love her again. No mention of the fact that she relieved him of his heart though. Anastasia doesn’t believe her words, but Cora tells her to turn the other cheek, start a new chapter and be a wonderful Queen. Anastasia asks her to teach her how, and Cora is delighted to.

Alice bumps about, and knocks over Will’s lamp. Alice blames herself for Will’s current predicament. Cyrus points out that he fetched her for a reason, she wasn’t the only one who left someone in Wonderland, that the Knave though surrounded by shiny new things, wasn’t happy. She realizes he was there for Anastasia. Cyrus asks her if she was him, where would she keep her heart. She chooses behind his Queen dartboard, and low and behold his heart is indeed there. She opens the box, and inside is the shining heart.

Anastacia didn’t realize he was heartless, but he couldn’t take feeling the way she made him. He points out that she said she wanted to learn magic so that she could change the past their past. He asks her what she would change? Marrying the King? Losing the jewels? She’d take back them coming to Wonderland. They would have stayed in Sherwood. The start of magic, was the start of their trouble. As Anastasia and Will they had all the magic they needed.

Past. Cora teaches Anastasia magic, how to conjure fire, but Anastasia struggles. Cora tells her that it starts with respecting power, understanding your place. Anastasia asks what she uses magic for, and she tells her to get what she wants. But there are drawbacks to magic, familiar genie ones. You can’t bring back the dead, you can’t make someone love you, and the doozy, you can’t change the past. Anastasia asks if any can be broken, but they cannot. Cora knows that something is holding her back, but Anastasia claims that she fears that the Red King will stop them. Cora wants Anastasia to challenge her pain, her fears, to channel it into her power and prove them all wrong. The fire flares to life, and the Red Queen is born.

Alice and Cyrus make it back to Wonderland. They plan to hide the heart, some place where neither of them know in case the Jabberwocky picks their brains. The compass goes crazy, it knows his mother is near. Jafar comes from the forest, ready to claim the heart. Alice refuses to give it to him, and Jafar uses the staff to knock Alice and Cyrus away. Jafar goes to destroy Alice and Cyrus, and when he raises his staff against Cyrus, the staff balks, a mother would never harm her son. Jafar tries to take the staff back, but it will not go. Jafar runs, and Alice thinks it was Cyrus who did it. Cyrus stares at the staff. He hands the compass to Alice to see what she sees, and she sees that the needle is following the staff. Bingo! Cyrus tells her that the staff fought back against Jafar when he tried to use it against him. He tells her that it makes sense, that his mother was obsessed with serpents, with their ability to change. With his mother recovered, Alice wants to free her, they just have to figure out how to.

The Queen apologizes to Will. She’s sorry she resorted to magic to try to get him back. She knows that he will never love her, but asks if she could forgive her. He tells her that anything is possible. She doesn’t want Jafar to succeed, but she does hope he gets his heart back so that he can feel something, love someone even if it isn’t her. She’s about to get her wish. Jafar and the Jabberwocky return with Will’s heart. The Jabberwocky holds him as Jafar shoves it in. Anastasia calls him to look at her, and he does. They kiss passionately, forgetting where they are for a moment. The Jabberwocky pulls him away, throwing him into his cell, while Jafar pulls Anastasia from her. He tells Will be wants to make sure that his heart is working as he plunges his blade into her back, killing her. Will is brokenhearted in a whole new way, poor Knave.

READ MORE

Many years ago in Agraba, Cyrus plays cards. The stakes go above Cyrus’ cash,  and he raises a magic compass. Cyris has the winning hand, but his opponents call foul. There’s a little scuffle, but Cyrus and his brothers come out without a scratch. They remark on his good luck, which may have been cheating, but he did get away with it. The brothers find the men that they swindled at their home, racing away. The house is burning with their mother still inside.

Now, Cyrus wonders he never noticed that Jafar had his brothers lamps when he was being held. The Queen points out that Jafar didn’t know they were his brothers otherwise he would have used it against him. The Knave laments about his new digs. Alice tries to figure out where the bottles are being kept. The Queen knows that they’ll need an army to go up against Jafar, but Cyrus points out that she was never a beloved Queen and the people will not rally behind her. He wants to break the curse that was laid upon his brothers, and free them all. They just need to get back to Agraba, and the Queen knows a way, through The Well of Wonders. The Queen worries about what happens if he fails, what will happen to Will. They decide to split up.

The Villagers sleep off the previous night’s celebrations as the Jabberwocky slithers in. She choses a victim, and whispers in his ear, awakening her. She wants to know about the genie, and she’ll torture the poor man and his family if she has to. He doesn’t know where the genie is, but he gives up the genie’s masters location, as he begs for his life. She doesn’t need to kill him, he’s scared to death, literally. She finds Lizard, still dead, and looks around for clues. She has an idea, and a very sharp knife.

The Jabberwocky gives Jafar Lizard’s eyes, a parting glance. The Jabberwocky thinks that Jafar can use the eyes to his benefit. He mixes up a potion, and casts upon the eyes. If shows him a vision of the Queen.

Past, Cyrus and his brother try to figure out a way to save their mother. She’s badly burned. There’s a legend that Cyrus wants to pursue, a well that has the power to heal, the Well of Wonders. The other brothers aren’t sure, but Cyrus is, so the three set out.

Alice asks how they got cursed into the bottles in the first place. Cyrus says they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alice presses him, but he says it doesn’t matter it happened long ago, and they really need to get to The Well of Wonders. Just what is Cyrus hiding?

The Knave knocks on Rabbit’s door, but he doesn’t want to see him. Robin rants, and the Knave presses and he finally opens the door. Seeing the Queen instills him with fear, but she promises not to hurt him. Her threats and actions are too fresh in his mind. She apologizes for her past actions. He asks what he could give her. She wants to be the Queen that everyone deserves, she needs him to help spread the word that she’s changed. The Knave isn’t sure she’s changed, but commends her for trying. Rabbit spills that Jafar has released the Jabberwocky, and even the Queen is shocked. Rabbit doesn’t know how or why, but he supposes that they want out of Wonderland. Knave doesn’t know the real threat of the Jabberwocky, but he can’t wait to leave Wonderland. The Queen on the other hand refuses to leave. She said she was going to save Wonderland, and she meant it. She’s not going to force the Rabbit, but asks him to portal to every corner of Wonderland and tell the people that the Battle to save Wonderland is beginning.

The Queen and the Knave traipse through the woods. He asks about the Jabberwocky, and the Queen doesn’t explain the beast, except to say that she preys on fear. He asks for her real motivation for staying in Wonderland, never knowing her to be selfless. She is trying to fix her mistakes, and she wants Will by her side. She’s trying to at least make things better for everyone else if nothing else. She stops suddenly, telling Will to get back in his bottle. Will doesn’t want to go, but she forces him to, so that she can hide Will and meet the Jabberwocky head on. The Jabberrwocky toys with her a bit, before taking up a position behind her to greet her. The Jabberwocky continues to taunt the Queen, and the Queen uses her magic to arm herself. She thinks she has the upperhand on the Queen, and the Queen uses her magic blade to pin her to a tree. The Jabberwocky cuts the celebration short when her body slides off the blade. Only one blade can hurt her, and that wasn’t it. She knocks the Queen out, and retrieves Will’s bottle.

According to Alice’s map the well should be straight ahead. But what they find is a pair of doors, and a knight with a riddle. Alice asks which door they should chose, but he doesn’t respond. Cyrus tries to just walk around the doors, but they’re spelled. Alice asks for help, and Cyrus resorts to yelling. The Knight responds to neither. She tells him sometimes you just have to play the hand you’re dealt.

The brothers come upon a well. They each fill their bottles, and a woman rises from the Well of Wonders. Nyx is the guardian. Cyrus tells her that they have come on behalf of their mother. Nyx sees their mother, and her pain. They’ve come for the healing waters, but she tells them that her water can only heal those whose destinies have yet to be written, but their mother’s fate has already been sealed, she will die. Cyrus is unwilling to believe, Nyx tells him that her water is not meant for him. He doesn’t want his mother to die for his mistakes. She tells him to return the water or pay the price, and she goes back under. The two brothers prepare to return the water, but Cyrus goes to leave. They all heard the warning, but Cyrus believes they have no choice, that they have to fight fate. He believes that the water is the only thing that could atone for his mistakes. His elder brother asks if he is asking them to steal the water for him or their mother. Cyrus says its for their mother, and they agree.

Alice tries to figure out the riddle, while Cyrus plots. Alice thinks she has the Knight figured out, when he gives her an answer she knows to be false. He’s a liar, and so she chooses the opposite door. When she opens it, he disappears, and inside they see the well. Cyrus hesitates, and Alice wonders why. He doesn’t want her to come any further, telling her that its his curse to break. She doesn’t understand, and rather than explaining he lashes out at her. He quickly apologizes, and she lets him go alone.

The Queen awakens and Will looks less than pleased. They’re both tied up in a cage, and Jafar taunts them about their disastrous reunion. Jafar has almost everything that he wants, but she still has all her wishes. He has to force her to use all the wishes so he can take control of the Genie. He can’t kill her, or Will, so she thinks that he has nothing to use against her. She wants to team up again with him, but he had a partner once, and that partnership didn’t end well for Amara, he turned her into his staff. Jafar tells her one way or another he will make her make her wishes, its just a matter of time and pain. Will bitterly tells her to make them, telling her to wish him out of Wonderland. The Queen goes to make that wish, but before she can complete it, he silences her. The Queen is unable to make a sound. Jafar tells her that it would have never worked out between them, that he’s found someone else, the Jabberwocky. He tells her to do what she wishes, and not to stop until the Queen is broken.

Cyrus approaches the Well. It’s no longer stuck in a desert oasis, but in the forest. Cyrus puts his hands into the water, and Nyx appears displeased to see the water thief. He tells her that he’s not there to steal her water, but to get her mercy. She doesn’t give mercy, he of all people should know that. She tells him that all things happen for a reason.

In Agraba he rushed home in time to give his mother the water. He gave her all of the water he had, and douses her in the water of his brothers, but it did not work. Her nurse says that perhaps it was fate all along. The mother suddenly gasps, and as she removes the wrappings the mother is healed. Cyrus’s mother is Amara.

He tells her that he’s been released from the bottle, and asks that she release his brothers. He was foolish and arrogant, and he understands that now. Having served as a genie and granting countless meaningless wishes he understands now. He asks that she not punish his brothers for his mistakes. Alice lurks in the grass hiding in the foliage listening to his confession. Cyrus falls upon his knees begging. She tells him that only when the water is returned can her curse be lifted. But Cyrus cannot return he water he tells her, his mother is dead. She corrects him. His mother is very alive. he doesn’t believe, and asks where he can find her, but she tells him only to return the water, before sinking back beneath its depths.

Amara is rejuvenated after the water. She feels rested and refreshed. She draws her sons to her, the nurse remarks on her coming back. And Amara begins to question her recovery. The youngest tells her that they used the magic from the Well of Wonders, and Amara wants to know exactly what happened. Cyrus admits that they stole the water. He tells her that the guardian said that she couldn’t be healed, but she is. Amara asks if they all stole the water, and they did. She tells them that they need to leave immediately, that Nyx is coming for them. Amara wants to get them out of Agraba before Nyx finds them, but it’s was too late. Nyx rises from some of the spilled water behind them. She tells them that they let their desire override fate, so it will be their fate to serve the desire of others. All of the boys are put into bottle, and set off.

The Jabberwocky toys with Will’s bottle, fascinated that it looks so ordinary, much like the Queen’s head. He taunts her, threatening to dive deep into her head. Will tells her that the Jabberwocky can’t hurt her. She sees the Queen’s inner thoughts, twisting them. Sees her old fears, the what ifs, if the prince had chosen her rather than her sister, her mother would have loved her. The Jabberwocky brings tears to the Queen’s eyes as she describes the deep dark hole in her heart. She tells her that there’s a darkeness in her like a disease. She ran away from the only love she had, and now she fears that she’ll never get it back. The Jabberwocky finds common ground in the Queen. She tells her that she can’t ever get his love back, which is not what she really wants. If she wanted to keep Will’s love she would have never donned the crown in the first place. Poor Will, all he can do is sit and listen. The Jabberwocky tells her to wish for the crown, tells her that if she does it all her suffering will go away. Will urges her not to do it. Jafar makes him suffer. The Jabberwocky tells her if she wishes for her crown, all of Will’s suffering would go away, and Anastacia wishes for her crown. The Jabberwocy tells her to wish for her jewels, and she does. There’s just one more wish to be made. She tells her to wish for her to stop. The Queen whispers the wish, and it is granted, sending Will back to the bottle. Jafar has his bottle, and the Queen looks broken.

In a new cage, the Queen is still rattled. Tweedledee comes to her. He wants to help get her away, and he’s brought her something. He’s smuggled in a bit of food, and he wants to break her out of her jail, but she asks why. She is his Queen. She tells him to warn Alice and Cyrus. Tell them that Jafar has released the Jabberwocky, that he has all three bottles, and defeated her to get them. Warn them that they have to get out of Wonderland as fast as they can, and to never look back. He asks what about her, she tells him to forget about her.

Cyrus stands before the pool, and Alice comes out of hiding. Rather than calling him a lying bastard, she ask why he didn’t tell her. He’s been the cause of all of her troubles, they’re all products of his punishment. Alice tells him that everyone makes mistakes. She admits that she gave up on them before Will came to wonderland. She admits that she agreed to a procedure that would make her forget him and Wonderland forever, because a lobotomy is totally on the same level as the havoc of Jafar. Cyrus embraces her, tells her that he wishes the bottle made him a better man. She doesn’t want to look to the past, but to the future. If his mother is really alive, its time they found her, and they head out.

Jafar strokes his staff. The Jabberwocky is a little jealous of his fondness of Amara, pointing out that she was the one he asked her for help, not Amara.But it’s a mutual benefit, they’ve helped eachother. Jafar tells her that now that he has everything he ever wanted, there’s not a person in the world that can stop him. 

READ MORE

After a long hiatus, Once Upon A Time In Wonderland is back. Let’s just hope that the focus is less on the Cyrus/Alice love story, and more on the Knave/Alice friendship, because that is really the better part of the show. The Knave saved Alice, but at what cost? Beside neverending slavery?

The Knave has a watery and very bumpy ride in his new home, the genie bottle, when Lizard finds him and sets him free. She’s so happy to see him, but he thought she was dead and he was stone. The Knave tries to go in search of Alice, but Lizard tells him to wait, and he does. He’s a full fledge genie now, and she has three wishes to make.

Alice awakens in a tent with Cyrus, it wasn’t all a dream he is still free. She got her heart’s desire, they’re together, but there’s still the matter of the red queen. Alice doesn’t want to work with the Queen, not remembering what the Knave did to save them, she doesn’t remember any of it. Cyrus tells her of the Knave’s sacrifice, and the Knave’s enslavement. The Queen wants to save the Knave, and Alice still isn’t sure about working with her. They have to band together to save the Knave before Jafar gets his hands on him, Alice agrees to find the bottle and save the knave.

Jafar proclaims himself the master of Wonderland. He sits upon the throne in front of his father, his father still finds him unworthy. The Sultan tried to murder his own son in the past, his only regret that he didn’t succeed. Jafar calls for his removal. The caterpillar arrives with news. His men’s search, has turned up nothing. Jafar knows that the third wish has been made, that the genie is back in the bottle. Before Jafar can punish the Caterpillar for his failures, he tells him of a creature that would be stronger than an entire army, the Jabberwocky.

Alice, Cyrus and the Queen search the woods. There’s sign of the bottle, but they don’t find the bottle itself. Alice continues her petulance towards the Queen. Cyrus asks how Alice held up, how she made it back, and she tells him that it was the Knave who told her that Cyrus survived, that he brought her back. As they walk and talk, the Queen disappears. Alice thinks they’ve been duped again.

Lizard asks the Knave why he wants to even bother finding Alice, that he has fulfilled his obligation. She offers him a little time for himself if he grants her a wish. He tries to remember the rules to the wishes, and only remembers that he cannot make anyone fall in love. She offers the Knave a wish, and he ponders something good, and comes up with an ice cold beer, one for everyone in the village.

A man goes through his loot. The gems will feed the crowd for a year. They only wonder what they should do with their captive, the Queen. They know exactly who she is, that she is the cause of their sufferage, and they plan to make her suffer as well.

Jafar opens Tweedle’s box and removes his head. He wishes to know where the Jabberwocky is. Tweedle wishes to have a body, and Jafar gets him one, offering him the chance to walk again. Though Tweedle wishes to have the body, he tells him that last time it took 500 men, and a whole lot of magic to enslave it the first time. Jafar is willing to use the threat of the Jabberwocky to get his genie. He hopes that just the threat will be enough for the entire land to act, and then Alice won’t just be up against him, but against everyone.

The villagers celebrate with a chugging contest. The Knave is really enjoying his wish when he sees Lizard watching him. It’s been a long time since the Knave was wanted around. The Knave asks what Lizard wishes for next, but he cannot give her what she wants. She tells him that she is still working on her next wish.

Alice doesn’t want to waste time looking for the Queen. The faster they find the Knave and the Queen the sooner they can get out of Wonderland and start their lives. Cyrus finds a bit of the Queen’s torn clothing, and signs of a struggle. Cyrus uses a bit of magic to have it lead the way to the Queen. He tells her that he isn’t magic, that its but a simple location spell that anyone could use, that his mother taught him to do. She wishes she could have met his family, but they are long gone.

Jafar goes to where the Jabberwocky is kept. The guard tries to impede his progress. Jafar takes on the guard, and the guard tells him that he is a fool, only death awaits in the tower. Jafar introduces the guard to death, and proceeds to the tower.

The villagers prepare to burn the Queen. She pleads with them, telling them that she was once one of them. But they were never taken care of by the Queen, she left them to be ravaged by beasts and monsters, and now they plan to roast her for one of those. She tells them that it will not stop the attacks, that they will be in the same predicament tomorrow. Alice and Cyrus debate how or if they should intervene. The Queen pleads that she is worth more alive, but they ask who would pay for her, she has no answer. Cyrus tells them that they will pay, points out that if they kill the Queen then they are no better than she is. Alice and Cyrus don’t actually have any money. Alice draws her sword, and the villagers tell her that they will have the same fate. Tied to stakes the Queen, Alice and Cyrus prepare for a pack Bandersnatches to attack. Cyrus  gets loose enough to put out some of the torches, but they continue to come. They’re after Alice’s necklace. She throws the necklace and they attack it. The three untie themselves and make a break for it.

The Knave continues to enjoy himself, but Lizard does not. She watches from a window. Knave knows that someone has caught her eye, but he does not see that it is him. Although he cannot make anyone fall in love, he can help without using wishes. Lizard asks him what he looks for in a girl, and he tells her confidence, adventureness, a dress, and fireworks. She asks for all of it, and he transforms Lizard. She looks gorgeous, and he wants to take her out and find the one she desires, but she doesn’t want to go. Lizard finally confesses that is him, it always has been him.

Cyrus commends Alice’s sacrifice, but she says that its just a necklace. She tells him that she’s been waiting to find him, and now that they’re finally together, she fears that it’ll never end, that they’ll never get a happy ending. Fireworks light up the sky, which doesn’t make sense. The poor village cannot afford such a display, the Queen perks up, they’ve found their genie.

Back at the tower, Jafar climbs the stairs. He finds bodies all around. He hears a voice, asking why he would come. Jafar tells it that he’s heard of its great powers, that he needs its help to find something, that he can set it free. She laughs, telling him that she can get inside of his head, but Jafar thinks that he’s strong enough to not let the Jabberwocky in, but she already is.

The three watch the fireworks, debating on the best course of action to recovering the Knave. The best course seems to be divide and conquer. As the Queen sets off, Alice wants to as well, fearing that she comes in second and the Queen runs off with the bottle. Cyrus has something to say to Alice before they head into the village. He kisses her, and finishes what was interrupted the day Alice thought he had died. He proposes marriage, and Alice accepts. Cyrus tells her that she doesn’t have to be afraid anymore.

The Knave apologizes to Lizard for being such an idiot. He tells her that he’s always enjoyed her company, but that he doesn’t love her, that he doesn’t love anyone that he can’t anymore. She tells him that she knows, she only wishes that he felt something for her. She collapses to the ground, and he moves to help he in vain. With her third wish made Will goes back into the bottle, even as he begs her to take back her words. Back in his bottle, he watches her die, helpless to do anything to help her.

The Queen walks through the village, she finds Lizard in her dress dead. She looks to be in shock over what’s happened, but the bottle is still there. She’s found the Knave.

Cyrus and Alice’s search has come up empty. Cyrus hopes that the Queen has had better luck, but Alice still doesn’t think that she’ll come back if she has found the bottle, but she proves her wrong, showing up with the bottle in hand. The Queen tells them that Lizard has the bottle, and Alice asks what she did to her, but the Queen admits that Lizard was already dead. She tells them that they can ask the genie if they don’t believe her, and they plan to do just that, but she rubs the bottle rather than handing it over. The knave pops out, relieved to see Alice and Cyrus, but not exactly happy that the Queen is his master. She needed an insurance policy, and they all need to get out of there before Jafar finds them. The Knave would rather face Jafar, but the Queen tells them that if Jafar gets his hands on him, then he’ll have all three Genies and be unstoppable. The Queen describes the other bottles for Cyrus, they hold his brothers inside. All three were cast into bottles at the same time, but he thought that they were gone having never been able to find them. Alice vows to find them. The Knave tells them goodbye, since the Queen has never been one to fight for something that does not benefit her. She vows to stay, to become the Queen she should have been, and that united Jafar doesn’t stand a chance.

The Jabberwocky tells Jafar that she will join him, in exchange for her freedom. He tells her that he cannot free what he cannot see, she brings his attention above where she’s pinned with a dagger like a butterfly. He removes the dagger, and she falls to the floor, thanking him. She introduces herself, but he doesn’t hand over the blade that held her though she asks for it. She asks him what he fears, and he tells her nothing, but she sees through him. He fears water, the feeling of drowning at his father’s hands, the helplessness. He doubles over in fear, and she presses him further. She finally releases him, but allows him to keep the blade, taunting him that he may need it.

READ MORE

Long ago, a carriage comes across some men in distress, and they lose their loot to Robin Hood. The Knave was the hooded thief, and he just joined the Merry Men.

Alice finds one of the Knave's many wanted posters, which include a slew of charges including nudity. The Knave offers to abandon her quest, so as to not impede her important quest. But to catch the thief, she needs someone who can think like them and the Knave fits that bill. The Knave suggests that they use a forget me knot to see the past, if they can only find one.

The Queen of Hearts and Jafar invite the Genie to dinner, but he refuses to dine with them. Jafar shows him the center piece, his note from Alice. Of course she didn't heed the warnings. The two plot to make Alice use her wishes, and therefore use the Genie, as she vowed to never do.

Alice has an idea where to get a knot, but it won't be easy. The Caterpillar has one, but he's not likely going to give it up easily. The Knave takes her down to Underland, ready to clear his name. In Underland, the Knave quickly finds himself in trouble, and although Alice jumps to his side, the Caterpillar is the one who clears his way. A dirty bookee-like character, he tries to wheel and deal, but he doesn't have the knot. The Knave tells him he will get the knot, and the Caterpillar will clear his debt. The Caterpillar takes the deal, and reveals the location. The knot is with the Grendel. As much as I love the storyline, these special effects are really killing me. Really. But the Knave and Alice set off to find the Grendel. Alice wonders why the Grendel would even want the knot. The answer is simple, power. Alice thinks that there has to be a way around hurting someone to get what you want. But the Knave points out that to be with Cyrus she would allow someone to be hurt. She doesn't believe him.

Past. The Knave takes Robin's oath. He tells him of some treasure, enough to help the nearby village and many others, but the gold is in Maleficent's castle, and although Robin is against it, the Knave's silver tongue convinces him otherwise. But as he slips into a woman's bed, he tells her of his double cross.

Jafar ponders what will force Alice's hand. The Genie remains mum, but the Queen has found the perfect starting point. Something to make her fear losing Cyrus forever, something that almost killed her in the past, the Bandersnatch. Cyrus' poker face sucks, and the Bandersnatch is agreed on.

Alice and the Knave come to the Grendel's home. Alice wishes to go in sword drawn, but the Knave wishes to take a different, sneakier approach. They decide to go in like thieves, but the Grendel is prepared for them, big hole and all. They awaken tied up, inside of the house. The kitchen to be exact and their host has a most disturbing disposition. The Knave tells Alice she should use a wish, but she's sure they can figure out another way.

Past. Robin urges the Knave to touch nothing in Maleficent's home, because of her penchant for dark magic. The Knave seems to be looking for a particular object.

The Knave tries to get free from his bonds, and spots the knot. It seems that the Grendel is chatting with the knot. He's using it like a tv, and reliving the past, which gives the Knave an idea.

The Queen ponders the greatness of the Bandersnatch, and Jafar tries to seduce her. She's not falling for his tricks though, and she gets them on task. Using the Bandersnatch as a bloodhound they send it Alice's way.

Alice continues to wiggle in her bonds, but the Knave is focused. It's not all about Alice, the Knave needs this too. The Knave makes small talk with the Grendel, but he's not responsive, but the Knave presses. The saucy soul is broken hearted, and so is the Grendel. He's not ready to move on, but the Knave doesn't relent. The Grendel, done listening, stokes his fire, preparing for dinner.

Past. The Merry Men celebrate the looted gold. Maleficent tells them to keep the gold, but to return the other treasure, which throws Robin into a fury, his direct orders were disobeyed.

The Knave tells her not to worry since he's been in worse binds. Alice tries to dig deeper into his past, but he won't spill anymore. She finally frees herself, and surprises him by telling him she used a wish. He curses her misuse of the precious wishes, and she tells him there's more than one way to use a wish, she merely used the sharp corner of the gem to cut through her ropes, and proceeds to free him as well. Free he contemplates going after the knot, but Alice caution him against it. the Grendel hears them struggle against the locked door, and makes his way to stop them. The lock finally gives way, but what's lurking outside isn't much better. The Bandersnatch has found them. Caught between two enemies, they try to getaway from the giant hog. The Bandersnatch takes out the Grendel, and Alice and the Knave rope it with the knot. The Knave leaves Alice holding the rope, and the Grendel gets taken out a second time by the Bandersnatch before the Knave slays it once and for all.

Jafar and the Queen hear the death of the Bandersnatch's mate, thinking that the first wish was used. How the Queen underestimates Alice, but Jafar knows better, and throws quite the rippling tantrum. Cyrus celebrates Alice's victory.

The Knave asks Alice how she knew her plan would work, and she tells him that it was Cyrus. He taught her about the Bandersnatches long ago. The Grendel thanks them for saving him, and takes them off the dinner menu. He tells them that the woman they saw in the knot was his wife, before he lost her. The Red Queen turned him into what he is now for his crime. The Grendel willingly gives them the knot, hoping it brings them what they desire.

Past. The Knave leaves behind the Merry Men, and Robin catches up to him. He knows that he stole it for a woman, and he almost pities him. Robin doesn't plan on punishing him, worse he plans to leave him to his own fate.

The Queen and Jafar come calling on the Grendel. They ask about the state of his house, and about the Bandersnatch, with an offering of help. The Grendel asks for his wife back, and the Queen makes big promises she cannot hope to keep. The Grendel spills that it was a woman and man, and that he was called Knave. The Queen flinches, hearing the name. He asks for his reunion, and Jafar give it to him, stabbing him through. I guess they were able to give him what he wanted, just not the way he was hoping.

Alice turns her attention back to the Knave and his Anastacia, but he doesn't want to talk about it. He urges her to use the knot to help her future, since it will do nothing for his past. They go to the former lamp's location and see the rabbit handing over Cyrus's bottle to the Queen.

The Caterpillar gets a visitor from Jafar who desires information about the Knave.

Alice cannot believe the level of the Rabbit's betrayal. On the way to the Caterpillar's the Knave has a change of heart, thinking that the Caterpillar will just use it to pray on peoples weaknesses. He decides instead to burn the thing so it can never fall into anyone's hands again. There's hope for our dear Knave after all, or is there?

Past. The Knave returns to his dear Anastacia, AKA the Queen of Hearts! He shows her the looking glass he stole from Maleficent. It's a magic portal, and proclaiming their love for each other, they go off to Wonderland. Anastacia obviously knows more about wonderland than the beloved Knave does. Did she really love him, or was it all a game?

READ MORE

Many Years ago in Agrabah, in the market Jafar tracks down a man who is living way beyond his means, obviously a man who has everything he could wish for. Jafar asks who is granting the wishes, but Fazhir claims a family investments. He uses the kettle distraction to go into the other room, and use his final wish to wish Cyrus far away from Agrabah. Jafar doesn't get what he wants, and without the genie, Fazhir no longer has any leverage, and doesn't get Jafar's mercy. Cyrus meanwhile gets tossed around his bottle and lands in the Queens maze in Wondrland.

Alice uses the trees as target practice, waking the Knave. She has a plan and a new outfit. The clothes horse made a visit, but the Knave would rather a coffee horse. Alice tells the Knave her plan, to find Cyrus's bottle, rub it, and make some wishes. She's trusting the Knave to behave when they find the bottle and he becomes his new master. Cyrus feels a disturbance in the force.

The Queen listens to her subjects with little interest, when Jafar silences them. Neither are really happy with what they have, and spend most of the time nitpicking at each other. Theres no faith between the wicked. Jafar demmolishes the Queen's responsibilities, and leaves her to her task.

The Knave follows Alice, cautioning her to be careful what she's wishing for. Time changes people, and genies alike, but Alice believes that their love is unique, and that nothing will get in the way, until an entire sea does.

The Queen gets her pedicure on, while the rabbit tells a little white lie.

Alice prepares for a dip, but the Knave isn't so keen on it, or of water in general. He may be pretty but he's not much of a swimmer. The Knave would rather walk around, but Alice insists on taking a fairy. They do a little clapping, and fairy summoning. Silvermist answers their call, but she and the Knave has history. She swears shes a professional, and agree to take them.

Cyrus has a visitor, whose cage is different from his own. it seems that silver and genies don't mix, and Cyrus s in a gilded cage. He finally comes up with an idea. He remembers when he gave Alice the wishes, when she finally released the rabbit she'd caught. Wishes have limitation. Can't kill anyone, can't change the past, can't bring anyone back from the dead and  can't make anyone fall in love. Alice asks what if she wishes him free, but Cyrus tells her that it never ends well for him or the wisher.

Silvermist done with hearing Alice and the Knave's banter, drops him from the sky. Alice asks Silvermist to get him, and she refuses, so Alice drops herself after him. So much for Silvermist being a profession. I hope they file a complaint with the Better Fairy Bureau. Alice rescues a floundering Knave, too bad Ariel is in Neverland, they could have used a mermaid. Alice wonders how he became this way. The Knave tells her that her memories may betray her.

Flashback. And Cyrus looks around worried, all genies are wanted men. Alice learns of Jafar, and she worries about him. But curiosity gets the better of her, and she begins questioning her, from dragons to swordplay to surviving wonderland. Cyrus does his best to charm the naive girl, and she falls hook, line and sinker.

The Queen tends to her flowers, still not really doing anything. Jafar comes to check in on her, and of course she wants a token demonstration. Jafar doesn't take her demand for proof lightly, and he freezes her. He tells her how things really are, and reduces the lovely Queen to a pawn. She coughs up the genie bottle location.

Alice ponders how to get to the bottle now, and a little tantrum reveals that their island isn't so much an island, but a turtle. Alice awakens the turtle, and their little quest gets back on track.

Alice gets some sword lessons from Cyrus in the past. She's a fast learner. And when he disarms her, he advises to be smarter than your opponent, to know them. And Alice knows her opponent, and they share their first kiss.

The Knave tries to take a moment after getting onto solid ground. As Alice tries to hurry him, Silvermist appears again. She spills about him being in deep with the caterpillar, and when she pushes about Anastacia. She's gone too far. The Knave gives her a genuine apology, and asks her not to punish Alice because he's a bad guy. Hearing the first real bit of remorse, she leaves them.

Flashback. Alice wants to go see the world with Cyrus, but he urges her to make her wishes. He's falling in love, and it can't happen because once she does make her wishes, she'll be gone. And though he's use to a life of solitude, he can't imagine a life without her, and the longer they're together, the harder their parting would be. Alice promises to not make wishes so they can be together forever, and they set off to bury his bottle.

Jafar makes it to the field, and sends his scarabs off to locate the bottle. Alice and the Knave arrive and see that they aren't the first to arrive. The bottle isn't in the field, never was. She kept announcing where they were headed, to see who they were up against. It was also a test for the Knave, which he passes with flying colors. They go to where the bottle actually is, only it isn't there anymore, and Alice's faith in the Genie falters just a tad.

The genie enchants a letter, folded into a crane to find Alice. Jafar threatens the Genie with Alice's death, if he doesn't give up the bottles location. But the Queen has leveled the playing field. After his antics earlier, he broke her trust, and now she has the bottle.

Alice believes that he must have moved on. The Knave tries to reason that maybe someone else knew too, but Alice believe it's impossible, and without that hope, she's broken.

The rabbit believes his end of the bargain has been fulfilled. But the Queen believes otherwise. She asks him how he knew of the bottles location, and he saw them plant it in the ground and walk away.

The Knave urges Alice to get some rest, but she cannot. He apologizes for planting the idea in her head, and tells her not to believe him. She asks again about Anastacia, but he isn't ready to spill that heartbreaking tale. He tells her that when you truly love someone, you can't move on, but our dear old Alice has daddy issues that make her believe otherwise. Cyrus's papercrane lands just in time. She gets the proof she needed. His letter begs her to grant him a wish, to leave Wonderland. He cannot bear her death, and her staying would lead to that. Ever headstrong, Alice sends him back a message telling him that she's coming for him.

READ MORE

It's finally the season premiere of Wonderland!

Alice's first trip home from Wonderland isn't exactly what she was expecting. Alice comes home with the story of her trip, but her family thought she was dead. She'd been gone a long time, and with her wild story they think she's mad. So young Alice does the only logical thing, she sets out to prove she's telling the truth.

Present day: the Knave walks into Storybrook, and narrowly misses getting hit by Emma's yellow bug. He let's himself into the cafe to have a cup of Joe, when the rabbit finds him. He isn't interest in the rabbit's time table, but the rabbit tells him that Alice needs help.

In the Bethlem Asylum, Victorian England (?), Alice's doctors think she's nuts. Not just because of her stories, which on their own sound delusional, but also because of her frequent disappearances to find proof of such a place. Time for some Wonderland flashbacks.

In one bout in wonderland, Alice steals some mushroom from the Caterpillar,  and runs from the Queens men, as she eats her pilfered goods she shrinks down and hides from the "Giants".

The doctors are frustrated over her space cadetness. She denies her stories, saying that it was all her imagination, but they don't believe she believes that.

Now small, she climbs down a hole, and finds herself in a genie bottle. The genie Cyrus, is welcoming and charming, and Alice opens up to him about her mission to prove the truth, and that she isn't insane. He doesn't understand her need to prove herself to someone who doesn't believe in her, with love there is no need for proof. He already believes in her, and offers her wishes. The falling part was easy, surviving and staying in love proves much harder. The genie never had more than a wish for freedom before Alice, and before he can get out the words to a proposal, she accepts. But all good things comes to an end.

The doctors rip apart every Wonderland experience. The girl who wanted to be loved and found beautiful and fearless had it all in Wonderland, and although she denies her belief in Wonderland she still cries out for the lost love in her sleep.

The Red Queen tears Alice's world apart, as she throws him from the cliff, and Alice has to watch helplessly as he plummets.

The doctors want to perform a procedure to take away her pain, to make her forget. She signs the waiver, and tomorrow everything is set to change. So far this feels very Suckerpunch, with the crazy house and imminent lobotomy, and slipping into fantasy. The Knave of Hearts comes to her rescue, but Alice isn't ready to leave. Orderlies come to take him away, and Alice is more than willing to let them, until he reveals that "he's alive." Alice fights like mad, taking out all of the orderlies, as the knave watches. The rabbit greets them with his traditional decries of being late, and the doctor gets quite a shock when he sees the white rabbit. Theres a mad scurrying through the streets as they try to get away, and Alice insists on a rabbit hole. The rabbit obliges, but the Knave is reluctant to go back. Alice convinces him, and off they go to Wonderland. So far the Knave is the best thing about this show.

The Knave and Alice question the rabbit, who apparently hasn't see Cyrus. It's hearsay from the doormouse, and worse they slowly sink in the marshmallow marsh. As the Knave speaks of smores, Alice gets the idea of toasting the marshmallow around them. Free the Knave wants nothing more than get home, but Alice needs his help to save Cyrus. Alice offers to pay him, and though shes offering wishes, it looks like his heart may desire something else. She can't use her valuable wishes to get the genie back, because wishes have a way of giving you everything you desire, while breaking your heart. But the Knave agrees, even with her warning about wishes and off they go chasing the rabbit, who's luck may have just run out when he comes across the Queen of Hearts.

Back at the Queen's palace, she grills the rabbit. She's setting up an elaborate game against Alice, and the poor rabbit is her pawn.

On the way to the Hatter's cottage Alice and the Knave prepare for their journey. The Knave wonders if its all a trap, but Alice is willing to take that chance.

The Queen tells Jafar that Alice has returned, looking for her Genie, but the game isn't won yet, they still need the genie, his bottle, and the wishes. And the Queen instead finds herself in danger, as her usefulness comes into question. Jafar tries to kill the Queen, but can't quite do it. The Queen still has a part to play, it is her land afterall, and Jafar rides off on his carpet.

Alice and the Knave find a wanted poster for the Knave, and Alice wonders just what he did after she left, but he's not ready to spill the beans yet. So she choses a new course and takes to the trees for some perspective, leaving her shoes and the wishes in her boot heel behind. Before she can wonder after the Knave, she comes across a very creepy Cheshire Cat, who isn't as she remembers him.  And he wants to eat her, but Alice is feisty and not going down without a fight. Pinning Alice down, he's ready to devour her, until the Knave rescues her. She gives him heck for stealing her wishes, but easily forgives him, after all wishes can't be stolen, they're granted. With the Hatter's cottage in sight Alice is over the moon, but not for long, Cyrus isn't there, and the Knave points out that there's no sight that he ever was. Alice is broken hearted over the news, until she finds a glowing necklace in the grass, Cyrus's necklace. With this small bit of proof she's willing to risk everything for it, and when she asks the Knave to accompany her, he's powerless to resist.

The Genie is indeed alive, Jafar saved him with his magic carpet from that fall, and has him secure in a giant cage.

Alice and the Knave start on their quest with their "mole" the rabbit in tow.

In this first episode of OUATiWonderland Sophie Lowe gives good Alice. She's vulnerable and innocent and yet strong. The landscape of Wonderland is beautiful and odd, but the special effects are mediocre at times. The real stand out is Michael Socha as The Knave of Hearts. He has a Hook-ish air about him. He's roguish and looking out for himself, there are hints of his troubled past, but with that smirk and twinkle in his eye he easily steals the show. If for no other reason, I hope that Once Upon A Time in Wonderland succeeds so that we get to see the Knave's story unfold, because so far I could really care less if Alice ever finds her genie.

READ MORE

ABC TAKES ON COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2013

Hit Series “Once Upon a Time” Returns for Its Third Consecutive Year

Two of the Fall’s Most Anticipated New ABC Series, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”
And “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” Will Make Their Comic-Con Debuts

ABC will be bringing star power to Comic-Con 2013, with its returning fan favorite “Once Upon a Time,” as well as two new highly anticipated series debuting this fall, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D“ and “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.”

On Friday, July 19, Marvel Television will introduce fans to their first live action television epic with their new ABC series, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” featuring a panel with executive producer Joss Whedon and Marvel’s Head of Television and series executive producer Jeph Loeb. The show will also be spotlighted at the Marvel Entertainment Booth on the Convention Center floor throughout the entire weekend, with special surprises to be announced! 

Saturday, July 20 is a day filled with magic, as the executive producers of ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” and their newest drama, “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” will be in attendance with their casts, participating in panels and press room interviews. ABC’s booth on the Convention Center floor will highlight both shows and host autograph sessions with each cast. 

Fans can also enjoy the enchantment of both “Once Upon a Time” and “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” as they catch rides throughout the city on one of several ABC branded pedicabs. We hope you take a ride on the Evil Queen’s carriage, The Jolly Roger or Alice’s magical mushroom!

Specific times and locations for all events to be announced at a later date.

READ MORE