Wish You Were Here (Once Upon a Time)

"Wish You Were Here" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, which aired on December 4, 2016. In this episode, when The Evil Queen uses Aladdin to make Emma's wish that she wasn't the Savior a reality, Regina, Hook, David and Henry band together to save her, while Gold and Belle learn about the dangers awaiting Gideon.

Plot

Opening sequence

A statue of Snow White and Prince Charming is featured in the forest.

In Storybrooke

As Regina takes Emma and Hook to her vault, the three come across the Evil Queen kneeling in front of Robin Hood’s grave, infuriating Regina. Emma then draws out the sword from her visions, and cuts into the Evil Queen’s cheek, but as Regina checked to see if she had the same scar, they learn that it only effected her other half. The Evil Queens soon teleports away, and comes across Gold, who places a gold tracking cuff on her arm, vowing to pick up where Emma left off just in case she doesn't kill her. Moments later, Emma, now discovering that the sword can be used on a serum (The Evil Queen), is joined by Hook and David. When they hear Jasmine screaming at Granny's, they find her bound to a chair, which they discovered was a trap by The Evil Queen, who forced Emma to put down her sword or she'll kill Jasmine. The Evil Queen then summons Aladdin from the lamp and uses her first wish; granting Emma her wish to no longer be the savior, which she made to Aladdin in Street Rats, and Aladdin makes Emma disappear. Some time later, Regina tracks down the Evil Queen in the Mayor's office, with Aladdin serving drinks to her. Knowing that she and The Evil Queen are the same person, Regina ask Aladdin to send her to the same place as Emma, and he grants her wish.

David, now furious with the Evil Queen, tricks her into fighting, however he steals the lamp partway through the fight, and becomes Aladdin's new master. Now under David's command, David taunts Regina calling her a snake, and wishes that “the Evil Queen gets exactly what she deserves,” but nothing happens, and the Evil Queen presumes that she has already received what she deserves, The Savior gone and Snow under a Sleeping Curse. Hook, Henry and Jasmine appear to apprehend the Evil Queen, however she gets away. David then gives the lamp back to Jasmine, so she and Aladdin may wish themselves to Agrabah, and they so do. Suddenly, a portal; a flash of light appears inside Granny's and the Hooded Figure from Emma's vision appears, and soon transforms the Evil Queen into a snake, thus giving her "exactly what she deserves". Grumpy carries a bird cage to the loft by telling David & Hook "cobra is actually Evil Queen", by a guy in the cloak. David tells him whose the guy under the hood.

Meanwhile, after failing to track his son, Gold seeks out Belle and tells her that with no way or means of finding Gideon, their son isn’t safe. In order to prove his good intentions, he removes Belle's tracking bracelet, as she calls the Convent, and realizes that all is not well. As they arrive at the convent, a seriously ill Mother Superior tells them that the Black Fairy kidnapped Gideon, and left her in that state. At Mr. Gold's shop, Gold reveals to Belle that it was the Evil Queen who accelerated her pregnancy, as the pair decide to work together in order to save their son. Gold then explains to Belle that his mother lives in another realm, filled with darkness, where time runs differently, and "anything is possible". The Hooded Figure then enters Mr Gold's shop, revealing himself to be non other than a grown up Gideon.

In the Wish Realm

In an alternate version of the Enchanted Forest in which the Dark Curse never happened, Emma is living the life of a princess as she is celebrating her birthday with the kingdom, including her parents and Henry. Emma soon finds the sword destined to kill her, and she asks Snow and David about it, when Henry stumbles upon the scene and takes the sword, in preparation for his knighthood. Regina soon arrives, and discovers that she is still regarded as evil, after the Dwarves flee from her. Regina then comes across a statue of Snow White and Prince Charming, which marks the location where they defeated the Evil Queen in this Realm. Regina soon discovers a ladylike, princess version of Emma, and tries to tell her about the real Storybrooke, but Snow and David, alerted by the dwarves to her presence, begin to threaten Regina, and refuse to listen to her. Regina teleports to her, now dilapidated castle, and then comes across a prison cell, that is holding Rumplestiltskin, who still calls her his “greatest student and failure," as in this realm, Regina failed to cast the Dark Curse. However, Rumple offers Regina a deal in exchange for his freedom, telling Regina that Emma's destiny as the Savior can be awakened if Regina scares Emma into assuming the role of the Savior. As he is freed, he tells Regina to meet him at the lake the next day, where he will give her a Magic Bean so she can return to Storybrooke. Regina soon transforms into the Evil Queen in order to unleash the Savior within Emma.

At the ceremony of Henry’s ascension to knighthood, Regina shows up, reminiscent of her threat at Snow and Charming's wedding in the pilot, and kidnaps Snow and David in order to force Emma to become the savior to save them. Emma shows up at Regina's castle, but instead of fighting Regina, she offers Regina the key to her Kingdom, and begins to break down in tears. Regina, in hoping to unleash the real Emma, crushes Snow and David's hearts, making Emma sob even harder. Suddenly, Henry appears, ready to kill Regina, but when he throws his sword at her, Regina refuses to attack him, and almost lets herself die by his hand. Emma suddenly freezes Sir Henry with a sword in mid-air, and she remembers her true life as the Savior, catalyzed by her wish to keep Henry pure and out of the darkness. The women then meet up with Rumple and he gives them the magic bean, as they open a portal back to Storybrooke. Before they can leave, they are held at arrow-point by Robin Hood, meaning to rob them, and Regina is soon transfixed by his presence that the portal closes, leaving both Emma and Regina trapped in the wish realm.

Cultural References

• Emma Swan's new power ability: time manipulation referred to Hiro Nakamura's abilties to bend time & space from Heroes & Heroes Reborn
• Evil Queen calls Emma "Sleeping Beauty"

Emma hums "Someday My Prince Will Come" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

• Emma wishes on a candle shaped like a blue star, an allusion to the scene in Pinocchio, in which Geppetto wishes on a blue star and his wish is granted by the Blue Fairy.

Trivia

• The Wish Realm is a realm that created by wish; its not real, its imaginary but the place is actually exists & is so real.

Production notes

• Rebecca Mader is credited but not featured in this episode.
• Sean Maguire was featured, yet listed as uncredited.

Reception

Reviews

• Christine Laskodi of TV Fantic gave the episode a mild review: 3.5 out of 5.0^[1]
• Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a A.^[2]

References