'Once Upon a Time' Season 3, Episode 16: 'It's Not Easy Being Green' Recap

After a strange green tornado, an old-timey couple find a baby girl in the woods. The woman picks her up, and as a tree is about to fall on them, the baby gestures, and the tree falls harmlessly to the side. The husband noticed, and is uneasy, but the woman brushes him off, and they keep on the road to the Emerald City. She decides to call the baby Zelena and declares she'll be the happiest baby in Oz.

The citizens of Storybrooke bury Neal, as Gold, still in the hands of Zelena, weeps.

Young Zelena shaves her father, but nicks him on the neck. She magics a handkerchief to stop the bleeding, but he moves away from her in horror. She apologizes and tells him she can't help it. He calls her "wicked" and blurts out the truth - now that her mother is dead he can admit to her that she is not their daughter. She storms out to find a family that wants her, with the help of the Wizard.

Hook offers to talk to Henry, since Emma is unable to fully explain the situation of Neal's passing. Hook knew Neal as a boy, and can tell Henry he was a good man without it seeming like pandering. Emma is touched.

Tink sees Robin's lion tattoo, and points it out to Regina, who of course knows. Robin tries to have a drink with Regina but gets rejected. Tink reminds her what happened the last time she turned down love, and how her life turned out.

As the mourners comfort each other at Granny's, the door bursts open and Zelena strolls in with the dagger. She announces she is there to see her sister - Regina. She tells Regina, who doesn't believe her, to dig into the past and meet her at sundown. Then she'll destroy her.

Everyone grills Regina on what she could have done to anger Zelena so much, but she has no idea. She goes off to find out.

Zelena goes to see the Wizard, who shows her Cora, abandoning her baby. Zelena asks why, and Oz tells her it's because she couldn't give her what Cora wanted - a chance to become royalty. She sees her sister, who became queen, and Rumplestiltskin, teaching her how to use magic. Zelena wants to learn to use magic. She asks to go meet him, and Oz gives her slippers. In return, he wants something of Rumplestiltskin's.

Zelena clicks her heels and is transported to Regina's room. Rumple catches her doing magic.

Regina goes through Cora's stuff in the vaults, and finds a letter, which she says confirms that Zelena is her sister. She won't let Emma and Snow read it however, and runs off, leaving them all confused. Belle says she may be able to get through to Gold without the dagger.

Robin finds Regina in the woods, going over the letter. He asks her about it, and picks her pocket. He tells her he thinks she really does want to talk about it, and she lets him read it. It's a letter from Rumple congratulating Cora on the strength of her magical daughter. Regina admits she always thought the letter was about her, and it meant a lot to her. If Rumple, who taught her everything, thinks Zelena is more powerful - how will she win her fight?

Flashback to Rumple, explaining to Zelena that there was a prophesy that Cora's daughter would cast a curse - up until then, he took that to mean Regina. He blindfolds her and tells her to think of her anger, and to use it to find him. She does. He tells her now a happy thought, to reign in the anger. She says it's the moment he agreed to train her.

Belle goes into the cellar where Gold is, and tries to free him. He refuses to go, saying Zelena can use him to hurt her. Sure enough, Zelena laughs, watching the scene. Belle runs from Gold, who tells Emma, Charming, and Belle that next time, Zelena will force him to kill them all.

Hook tries to teach Henry how to navigate using the stars, but Henry just wants to hear something about his father. Hook tells him how Neal lost his own father at a young age as well.

Flashback to Zelena, making a meal for Rumple as a surprise, but he tells her he has another lesson to teach. Zelena is furious, and literally turning green with envy.

Zelena heads to Main Street to meet Regina. Everyone is gathered waiting, though there is no Regina as of yet. Zelena says if she doesn't show soon, she's going to unlease the Dark One. Regina appears and the two begin to insult each other. Zelena says Rumple can't save her this time.

Flashback to Zelena, sneaking into Regina's bedroom and holding a straight razor to her neck. She jams it into her neck - but in a green flash, it's actually Rumple. He tells her it was a test that she failed. To cast the curse she would have to give up the thing she loves most... and that's him. Loving him makes her too dangerous.

She says she'll be useful to him in another way, whatever he wants. The only thing he wants is to go to a land without magic. She reveals her shoes but says he didn't choose her, so she won't help him. He goes to kill her, but she has been well taught. She clicks her heels and tells him next time, he'll choose her.

On the street, Regina is getting her butt kicked. Zelena throws her into the clock tower and goes after her. She tells her she doesn't want to kill her, she wants to destroy her, and for that she needs her heart. However when she reaches into Regina's chest, it's gone. Regina tells her there's one thing her mother taught her - never bring her heart to a witch fight.

Zelena vows she will get her heart, and everything she ever had. She grabs her broom and flies off in a rage.

Everyone comes to check on Regina. She notes that Zelena took David's courage, and was after her heart... those are ingredients. She's concocting another curse.

Regina runs through the dark woods, to where Robin Hood is guarding her heart. She asks him to hold onto it and protect it for her for a while longer.

Zelena throws Gold back in his cage, and he tells her he would have picked Regina all over again. She tells him she's not casting a curse, she's performing a second chance, and he will do it over again, and he will pick her.

Zelena storms back to Oz and demands to go back in time, to when she was abandoned, but he tells her that's impossible. She rips down the curtain, revealing Walsh, a poor magician peddler from Kansas (and Emma's almost-fiance, in the future). He tells her magic is only in the objects he collects. Needing someone more useful, she turns him into a flying monkey, and turns fully green peeking in on Rumple training Regina.