'Once Upon a Time' Season 2, Episode 2: 'We Are Both' Recap

The dwarves are investigating whether or not they can leave Storybrooke. They draw straws to see who has to pass over the spray-painted line on the town’s border. Sneezy draws the short stick, and they prep themselves, but Sneezy hesitates. Grumpy shoves him over the line. He beings to shake, blue radiation encompassing his quivering body.

Back in the city, Storybrooke is trying to clean up the damage to their town. Pinocchio, stiff on the bed in the hotel, blinks, but is entirely wood. Ruby and the Blue Fairy are rushing around outside setting up disaster control. Ruby has a feeling Prince is working on something, she says.

James goes to see the Queen with the magic hat. He tells her he thinks that her wallpaper trick (capturing him) was an anomaly, and that she is having trouble with magic. Henry wishing to keep her alive is the only reason she still is. He asks about the hat, and what she can tell him about it.

“I’ve long since forgotten.”

James says he needs his family, and since there is magic now, he needs to follow them. Regina doesn’t care; her only priority is keeping her son.

“If you have to use magic to keep your son, you don’t really have him.”

Flashback to younger Regina running away on horseback, before branches grab her and suspend her above the road. Her mother, Cora, has caught her with a barrier spell. She says Regina will be married in 2 days, then she is free to go… when with her husband. Regina doesn’t want to be married, she doesn’t want power. She wants to be free. Cora tells her power is freedom.

James finds Henry, as everyone questions him about what to do. He asks the Blue Fairy is there might be a tree on this side that he can use to get to the other world, but Blue says she can do nothing without fairy dust to guide her.

We find out what horrifying thing has happened to Sneezy—he crossed the border, and his memory of his true self is gone again. Shocked, everyone begins to yell at James. He says he’ll meet them all in 2 hours to discuss his plan—a plan he doesn’t have, of course.

At her home, the queen lights a candle on fire with her magic, but it flickers out quickly. She leaves her house, but Archie shows up to see if she wants to talk. He thinks talking about her pain might help her learn who she truly is. Regina tells him she knows who she is, and gets into her car.

Flashback to Regina and young Snow White primping. Snow White finds Regina’s ring from Daniel in a chain in the jewelry box, and puts it on. Regina tells him he was killed because of her, and pulls the necklace tight, choking the little girl. But, no, it was a daydream. Regina says she doesn’t remember where she got the necklace when Snow White asks.

Regina consults with her father, asking him how her mother got like that. He father says a man brought her a book of spells and made her like she is.

Regina, in Storybrooke, is looking for the book in Mr. Gold’s shop. He tells her to leave… please… but the magic is broke and she doesn’t have to as he asks. He gives her the book and tells her now she looks like her mother.

Flashback again to young Regina sneaking the book from under her mothers’ pillow. With it, she summons Rumplestiltskin. He says knew the day would come, and they’re back where they belong—together. He says there was much history between their families. Regina wants his help, and he produces for her a large, wrapped gift. A wrapped portal. Regina says she doesn’t want to use magic and end up like her mother. Mr. Gold suggests she push her mother through.

James is practicing a speech for his people in front of the mirror, but has nothing. Henry recognizes the portal hat from his book, and James wonders about finding Jefferson and goes off. Henry is annoyed he is left behind when he wants to help.

James goes to see Mr. Gold. He tells him he is there to buy something—a way to find someone, but won’t tell him who or what he has of theirs. Mr. Gold gives him a potion to pour on the object and follow it. Mr. Gold wants peace in return—he tells James to leave him alone. James wants the same. Mr. Gold asks what happens when you cross the border and James tells him. As he leaves, in a rage, Mr. Gold smashes up the glass cases in his shop with his cane.

Regina, in modern time, is going through the book. The spell turns t vapors and move off the page, absorbing into her. Her eyes flash purple, and the dead apples on the tree around her are reanimated.

James pours the spell on the portal hat, and it shudders and takes off. He races after it through the streets, until it comes to settle on an upturned car. Someone inside is yelling for help, and James frees Jefferson, who has been trapped.

Back in the town, everyone has gathered in the hall, including Granny and her crossbow. Regina enters the hall, blowing the doors open. Archie tries to stop her, followed yby Grumpy. Granny shoots from her bow, but Regina catches the arrow and sets it on fire, turning it into a fireball and throwing it at them. Ruby asks what she wants.

Henry knows she wants him. He says he will go with her, but just leave them alone.

“That’s my boy,” she says, and leaves with him, magicing the doors shut.

James confronts Jefferson with the hat. He says he saw in the car evidence of a daughter, and he has a daughter and wife he needs to find. Jefferson doesn’t want to help, and James threatens him, to throw in a cell, but then they’d both be just sitting, Jefferson points out. He says he is done with pain, done with suffering, tosses the table and runs. Ruby runs up, trying to catch James’ attention and telling him that Regina has Henry. He says he must go after Jefferson first, and bring Snow and Emma back.

“Back to what? This town is about to come apart! You’ve got to do something!”

At Regina's Henry escapes out the window with tied-together sheets, but the branches on the tree animate and hold him in place.

“Don’t fight it, honey. You’ll get a splinter.”

Forced back in the room, he wants to know how long he will be a prisoner. He is still very angry at her—she made him feel like he was crazy. She says not he can know all the secrets, can live in a house with magic, and conjures a huge cupcake. She says she can have his friends over and impress them, but he says no one will come. She tells him, “You can make them love you”

He says he doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want to be her.

Flashback to Regina on her wedding day. Cora drops the wrap from the looking glass, which disappoints her as a wedding gift. Her mother suggests Regina show the people where the power lies. Regina asks if that’s what she would do… Regina says she doesn’t want to be her. She moves to push her, but her mother stops her with a wrap of power. Regina fights it, and tosses her mother through the mirror with a scream. The mirror explodes, and Regina stares at her hands in horror.

Everyone is in cars on the road, trying to flee Storybrooke, but James parks sideways and stops them. He says they will all lose themselves. He needs to keep the memories. David reminds him of who he wants to be, what his strengths and weaknesses are. James tells them to go back and do what they want. He will protect them. He encourages them all to come together. Archie gives him an approving nod, and the citizens all turn back around.

Young Regina gives Rumplestiltskin the book back. He asks her how it felt to use magic… she says it doesn’t matter, she won’t use it again—because she loved it. You’ve discovered who you are, he says, offering to show her how to use it. She asks what he would get out of it. He tells her one day, she’ll do something for him. Regina asks if she’ll become like her mother, and Rumplestiltskin tells her that is entirely up to her.

In her Storybrooke home, James bursts in with his sword, wanting to see Henry. She pushes his sword away, telling him he doesn’t need it, and Henry comes sulkily down the stairs. Regina tells him he is going to go home with David. She admits she shouldn’t have brought him—she doesn’t know how to love very well. She says she remembers that if you hold onto someone too hard, that doesn’t make them love you. She apologizes for everything, and tells him she wants him to be with her because he wants to, not because she forced him.

James tells her to prove it. He asks, does the Enchanted Forest still exist? Reluctantly, she tells him yes, but she doesn’t know how to get back there. James leaves with Henry.

In the town, people are opening back up shops, going to work doing what they do best. Grumpy and his dwarves head off with their pick axe, promising Sneezy that they’ll get the fairy dust they need to restore his memories.

Henry whispers to Gepetto where to find his son, and he goes to the hotel room. It is empty, but he finds Pinocchio’s hat. Mr. Gold stands at the line at the edge of the city. Regina moves to burn the book but instead locks it away.

James tells Henry the Enchanted Forest is still out there, as they eat breakfast. James says that he can feel that Emma and Snow survived.

Back in their old world, Mulan and Aurora have Snow White and Emma captive, tied behind the horses. They head into a medieval-style village of refugees.

“Survivors!” Mulan insists. Snow and Emma make a brief escape, but Snow is quickly felled by Mulan. Unconscious, they throw Snow into a pit with Emma.

A voice from the shadows asks if they need help, introducing herself as a friend.

She steps into the light—it is Cora, Regina’s mother.