Once Upon A Time - Season 3, Episode 1 'The Heart of the Truest Believer' [Review + Recap]

The season 3 premiere kicked off last night for Once Upon A Time and boy was it full of unusual laughs, twisted fairytale characters and a whole lot of water. The episode opened with a flashback of Emma (Jennifer Morrison) giving birth to Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) and rejecting the child claiming that she 'can't be a mother.' How heartbreaking. Fast forward to present day and the now very motherly Emma, Regina (Lana Parrilla), Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) are aboard a ship bound for Neverland battling through choppy waters. 

And aboard this boat, the waters aren't the only thing that's not at ease. It's fair to say that everybody on the boat either wants to maim, seriously injure or kill a particular person aboard and no one's being a 'team-player.' Meanwhile, Greg and Tamara arrive with Henry in Neverland and surprise surprise, their attempt to communicate with 'home office' fails miserably, with batteries in their remote turning to sand. Oops. This signifies the all too imminent demise of the pair, who, after being challenged by Pan's men, end up dying rather dramatically. 

Greg has his shadow physically ripped out (erm, can somebody say ouch?) by Pan and Tamara is shot by an arrow, however her final demise happens later on. Back on board the ship and the team questions what awaits them, and Rumple suddenly emerges sporting his evening wear - I mean a whole lot of leather. Subsequently he announces he's leaving the ship to search for Henry. Before anybody can even think or react, the witty Mr.Gold twirls his cane and disappears (Magic, dearie!). 

Emma prepares for battle by doing a set of physical exercises but then abandons that when Hook comes in and gives her Baelfire/Neal's sword and then they take a shot of alcohol (because that's really going to solve everything). Meanwhile, Neal wakes up in the Enchanted Forest and is greeted/interrogated by Mulan, Aurora, and her beau, Prince Phillip. Neal reveals he knows Emma and that he is the father of Henry, and then Aurora announces she may be able to contact them through her weird dream state. Back on board the Jolly Roger, things have taken a turn for the worse. The ship is being attacked by a Shark, Whale, Kraken, nope - you've guessed it - Mermaids. 

The team managed to warn them off with cannons and fire but then Snow and Emma hoist a captured mermaid aboard the ship (with the help of Regina) and quicker than you know it, the angered mermaid has summoned a storm. Regina comes out with some of her classic funny lines and suggests they 'fillet the bitch', 

 
but instead, she just turns her into wood. But it's too late, and the damage is done - the storm is coming. Meanwhile, Henry has ran into the path of another 'lost-boy' who has also 'escaped' and they seek out a safe place to hide together. In the Enchanted Forest, Baelfire announces he is the son of Rumplestiltskin and he and Mulan go to his dad's old castle, only to find Robin Hood waltzing around the place. 

Back in Neverland, Tamara is still gasping for breath and currently alive when she crawls into the path of Rumplestiltskin. Bad move. Rumple seemingly repairs her wounds and gets information about where Henry is. So, all is well? Not likely, as Tamara asks the most stupid question ever 'can you forgive me?' and of course, knowing Rumple, the answer is probably no. Quicker than a flash we are proved right as he rips out Tamara's heart and squishes it until it is nothing more than dust. Harsh - sort of. 

Meanwhile in the Enchanted Forest Baelfire/Neal has found his father's old walking stick and with a couple of twists a magic door/cupboard appears. Back aboard the ship and the current storm has pushed the boat's occupants to boiling point and Snow bitch slaps Regina, who slaps her back and taunts her about how she wants to make everything better with 'rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers.' 

 
Meow! (although she is right). Then Hook and Charming get into it as well and Emma clocks onto the fact that the storm is caused by their anger and rivalvry and that in fact they are fuelling the storm. So, logically, Emma tries to break everyone up, but for some reason known only to Emma, the only way she can think to stop everyone fighting is to jump overboard (?!) and get hit by a flying piece of debris, causing her to subsequently start drowning. Suddenly the team of the failing Jolly Roger kick into action and send Charming overboard to rescue Emma with help from Hook and some rope. They manage to rescue her and she's not dead (of course, as it would mark the end of the series as opposed to the beginning) and all is well. 

At least for the crew aboard. Rumplestiltskin has managed to get on the Island and is greeted by a member of Pan's army and they discuss his relationship to Pan and how they will be enemies if Rumple goes after Henry. Rumple performs more (slightly ironic) hand gestures and plays around with his 'dearies' until the boy produces a small straw toy which reduces Rumple to tears. Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser. Meanwhile, Henry and his friend have found themselves on the edge of a cliff surrounded but use pixie dust to fly away. Seriously? In the Enchanted Forest Neal clocks onto Emma being in Neverland using a magical orb and Henry suddenly realises that his 'friend' is in fact, and has been all along - Peter Pan! Oh the shock and horror - oh wait, most of us had figured that out the moment he showed up, apart from Henry of course, who now finds himself trapped. Oh dear.

 
Highlights of the episode included Regina, Queen of sass, and her quips about everyone else, Neal's mention of how people in Storybrooke view them all as fairytale character and that there is a Mulan movie, (to which Mulan replies, 'what is a movie?') 

and Rumple just being good ol' Rumple. Overall, the episode was fairly good and exceeded my expectations and also gave the audience a lot of points to reflect upon. Do you think Team 'Good' and Team 'Evil' will ever get along? Do you agree with Regina when she quoted about 'Villains never getting happy-endings'? Do you think Hemma (Hook/Emma) will ever happen, or is Baelfire Emma's one twue (cough, Rumple) love?

Reviewed by Mel.