Once Upon a Time
Season 4 Episode 21: “Mother”
Directed by Ron Underwood
Written by Jane Espenson
Created by Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz
Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, Jared Gilmore, Robert Carlyle
ABC
Air Date: Sunday, May 3rd, 2015, 8:00pm

Last week on Once Upon A Time, we delved back into Emma’s (Jennifer Morrison) childhood again to revisit her and Lily’s troubled connection. it seems Lily (The Returned‘s Agnes Bruckner) makes all the wrong life decisions and is very dark, only lightening up when she’s around Emma. In the present, Emma and Regina (Lana Parilla) team up to find Lily and save Robin (Sean Maguire) from Zelena (Rebecca Mader). They are successful on both counts. Well… I guess it depends on how you define success. Zelena is pregnant with Robin’s baby. That is the twist that twisted their hearts – and ours. Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) try to appeal to Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten) – to no avail.

Once Upon A Time 4.21 “Mother” review: Emma brings Lily to her mother, and oh boy! Lily is so angry! Maleficent wants nothing more than to enjoy time with her beautiful daughter, but Lily wants revenge on Snow and Charming. Now that she’s back in magical Storybrooke, she is able to be a dragon just like her mama. After having a massive dragon tantrum, she relents, giving Maleficent one week.

Emma does not want to forgive her parents, but Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), the ever supporting boyfriend (need my scoundrel back!), and someone being injured, helps.

In keeping with the title of “Mother” we get an Evil Queen backstory and a visiting Cora (yay! Barbara Hershey) who says she learned a lot about love, but mucks it up as usual.

Gold’s (Robert Carlyle) black heart is finally about to do him in.

Robin thinks he and Regina can still have their happy ending, despite Zelena’s pregnancy. Regina doesn’t think so, until she finally gets hold of the author, ink, and quill all at once, and realizes she can control her own happy ending. Of course, Storybrooke being what it is, the author writes his exit, and returns to Gold.

They are setting up the finale quite nicely with the heroes/villains swap. This could also be setting up the entire fifth season as Once Upon A Time usually ends with the beginning in mind. I’m just hoping that this brings back Neal (Michael Raymond-James). It has to, doesn’t it?

Once Upon A Time airs Sunday nights at 8pm ET on ABC.

Videos

Regina & Lily Talk – Once Upon A Time

Regina tries to convince Lily to stay in Storybrooke, but for the wrong reasons. Watch a scene from Once Upon A Time – Season 4, Episode 420: “Mother.”

Surprise Visit from Cora – Once Upon A Time

Regina gets upset at her dad and then receives a surprise visit from Cora. Watch a scene from Once Upon A Time – Season 4, Episode 420: “Mother.”